Fear, dread, tension, apprehension, just being creeped out — they're all strong emotions. They're also exactly the types of reactions that Darkfield and Realscape Productions trade in. The two companies have been teaming up for a couple of years now, with UK creators Darkfield first collaborating with the Melbourne-based Realscape Productions on Seance, Coma and Flight, those eerie shipping container installations that have popped up around the country. Then, when the pandemic hit, the pair pivoted to at-home audio experiences. If you've listed along to Double, Visitors and Eternal as part of the Darkfield Radio series, you'll know that putting people on edge is firmly on the agenda here. With their latest Darkfield Radio project, Darkfield and Realscape aren't messing with their successful formula. So, audiences can expect another unsettling experience designed to be listened to at home. But this duo never serve up the same thing twice, even if their current works all spin nerve-jangling tales and unfurl creepy audio experiences. With Knot, which is currently running each Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Sunday, September 30, you don't just sit in one place, don your headphones and listen attentively, for instance. Initially you need to head to a park bench to listen in — still wearing those headphones, of course — and you'll want to sit in a car after that. For the last section of this three-part experience, you'll then get comfy in a room in your house. To get the full experience, you need to work through all three of Knot's sections in one evening — untangling them in your head, naturally. Darkfield and Realscape always keep the minutiae of their shows close to their chests, so that audiences experience them for themselves while listening, but they have released one clue for Knot: "Here I am, I have come from nothing, created in this moment, as your brain improvises me into existence, improvised into existence... but with no hidden depths." "Season one exposed audiences to the mysterious and supernatural inside their homes, magnified by Darkfield's signature 360 degree binaural sound,", said Realscape Productions Amy Johnson. "We're looking forward to getting audiences outside of their homes for Season two — in COVID-safe settings of course — and pushing them out of their comfort zones even more." Images: Empty Bottles Media.
Sous chefs are regarded as the engine room of the kitchen, but despite their many responsibilities (including defining how dishes are presented and training staff), they often go under-acknowledged. But now they're getting their time. In an Australian first, sous chefs from some of Sydney's best restaurants are coming together for a special dinner series. Taking place at the old Marque space on Crown Street in Surry Hills, Sunday Sous Sessions will bring together chefs from Cirrus, .nel, Fratelli Paradiso and North Bondi Fish. Each will present a five-course degustation dinner every Sunday in September. "Often the unsung heroes, sous chefs are juggling everything from budgets, suppliers, menu creation and working with the team from preparation to service," said event founder Aaron Teece. "This is a chance to have the public experience and see firsthand what our sous chefs can do." Tickets are $165 a head, with a portion of all ticket sales donated to RUOK Day. Session 1 — Sunday, September 3 Andy Ashby from .nel Restaurant Session 2 — Sunday, September 10 Khanh Nguyen from Cirrus Session 3 — Sunday, September 17 Sam Young, Ex Ms G's & newly appointed for Fratelli Paradiso Session 4 — Sunday, September 24 Alex Farrow, North Bondi Fish
In 2019's Skint Estate, Cash Carraway told all; A memoir of poverty, motherhood and survival completes the book's full title. Penned about working-class Britain from within working-class Britain, Carraway's written jaunt through her own life steps through the reality of being a single mum without a permanent place to live, of struggling to get by at every second, and of being around the system since she was a teenager. It examines alcoholism, loneliness, mental illness and domestic violence, too, plus refuges, working at peep shows, getting groceries from food banks and hopping between whatever temporary accommodation is available. It's unfettered and unflinching, especially about how difficult it is to merely exist in London if you're not wealthy — and it's in that same spirit that Rain Dogs follows. An eight-part dramedy hailing from HBO and the BBC, and streaming via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand, Rain Dogs isn't a direct adaptation of Carraway's text. It doesn't purport to bring her experiences to the screen exactly as they happened, or with slavish fidelity to the specific details. "It isn't autobiographical, but it definitely has firm roots in the chip on my shoulder!", the author advises about the series that she also created and wrote. This addition to 2023's new HBO highlights alongside The Last of Us remains not only raw, rich, honest and authentic but lived in as it tells the same basic story charted in Skint Estate's pages with candour, humour, warmth and poignancy. Slipping into Carraway's fictionalised shoes is Daisy May Cooper — and she's outstanding. Her on-screen resume includes Avenue 5 and Am I Being Unreasonable?, as well as being a team captain on the latest iteration of Britain's Spicks and Specks-inspiring Never Mind the Buzzcocks, but she's a force to be reckoned with as aspiring writer, recovering alcoholic, child-abuse survivor and mum (to Iris, played by debutant Fleur Tashjian) Costello Jones. When Rain Dogs begins, it's with an eviction. Cooper lives and breathes determination as Costello then scrambles to find somewhere for her and Iris to stay next. That's a constant battle, in fact, with the pair laying down their heads everywhere from cars and closets to palatial country houses and women's refuges in the search for somewhere to feel safe, settle in and truly belong. Costello knows that her heart resides in London; keeping it there is another matter. Working full-time isn't enough, and neither is taking odd jobs whenever she can — such as cleaning the apartment of artist Lenny (The Young Ones legend Adrian Edmondson) while he watches on and pleasures himself — to supplement her income. But she's adamant about attempting to do her utmost for Iris as she tries to pen her own memoir ("basically Oliver Twist but with big tits"). Among Rain Dogs' many unblinking truths, how tricky it is to make it in creative fields when you don't have the fiscal luxury of interning, working for exposure and accepting wages impossible to survive on even without a cost-of-living crisis — and if you also lack a well-to-do network of contacts to help get your foot in the door — echoes strongly. This isn't just Costello and Iris' tale, as devastatingly well-written and -performed as both characters are. This isn't just a story of a mother and daughter doing it tough, either, and facing more tragedies and heartbreaks than hard-earned joys. Rain Dogs is those things, but it's also an exploration of the complicated and imperfect support systems that spring beyond the bonds of blood. Enter Florian Selby (Jack Farthing, Spencer), alongside the aforementioned Lenny and Costello's best friend Gloria (Ronke Adekoluejo, Alex Rider). Each is as flawed and chaotic as Costello — Gloria is first met waking up in a phone booth with last night's party outfit on and no memory of how she got there, for instance — because Rain Dogs directs the clearest of eyes towards everyone. In episode one, when Costello's phone rings, "SELBY — DON'T ANSWER" gleams across her screen. They'll be chatting before episode two arrives, with Selby an inescapable part of Costello and Iris' existence, but the reason for her caution makes itself known quickly. A companion since Costello's university days and the closest thing to a father that Iris has, he completes their unconventional and dysfunctional family. That said, the self-described "classical homosexual" is as privileged as he is self-destructive, tussles with his mental health, and re-enters Costello and Iris' life after a year in prison for assault. He's devoted to them, relishing helping financially when he can — and he usually can — but, while he's Costello's platonic other half, toxic doesn't even begin to describe their relationship at its worst. Carraway has dubbed Rain Dogs as "an off-beat rom-com between Costello and Selby" and "a love story told from the gutter". On-screen, she poses the pair as soulmates caught in a storm of striving (to be better, and to give Iris they best they can), self-sabotaging and stark realities. One particularly excellent episode sees the trio live out a moneyed fantasy, yet it's tainted from the outset. They're not leaving London voluntarily. Rather, they're decamping because Selby's mother (Anna Chancellor, Pennyworth) has cut him off and banished him to their holiday home. Iris has never enjoyed such luxury, and Costello can't remember such stability — but, as months pass, Selby and Costello also can't stop their usual dynamic from flaring up. HBO isn't shy about confronting the vast economic inequality that's an infuriating fact of life today, usually in satirical portraits of the one-percent such as Succession and The White Lotus. Indeed, the US network is exceptional at making such shows smart and savvy must-see viewing. In Rain Dogs, it spends more time among the have nots than the haves — and it spies how everyday human nature is considered damning when you're poor but eccentric when you're rich. With a firm sense of humour, it pokes fun at the journalist that says she wants to unearth a new voice but twists Costello's words into poverty porn, the school mums claiming to sport liberal attitudes but quick to shame, and the photographer so turned on by playing poverty tourist that he climaxes early. With a steely gaze, it spots how easily Selby keeps coming back from his many missteps, and how widely and repeatedly Costello is punished for hers. Watching along with Rain Dogs is a revelatory rollercoaster, and it's stunning. Check out the trailer for Rain Dogs below: Rain Dogs streams via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Images: Simon Ridgway, James Pardon and Gary Moyes/HBO.
Waiting in line at the game for a measly beer has driven many a tormented, forward-shuffling queuer to madness. Sweating brows, heavy tsking and dancing tip toes are the marks of those desperate to balance missing chunks of team victory and avoiding sobriety. But those purveyors of everything fast and novelty, the US, have solved that pesky problem of waiting in line for your frosty beverage. Concessionaire Delaware North and Anheuser-Busch have created Draftserv, a self-serve beer vending machine because BASEBALL. Although regular beer vending machines have been a Thing for some time now, this one's a draft pourer. The slightly gaudy machines appeared at a Minnesota Twins baseball game on the weekend and caused spontaneous jigs and raised eyebrows across the joint. You pay by the ounce (per 28 grams) and the machine cuts you off if it knows you've chugged too much. Bonafide genius. Thirsty beer lovers flash their ID and buy a preloaded $10, $20 or $50 card, then head on over to the Draftserv and scan it for frothy goodness via touchscreen. The machines serve Bud and Bud Light for 38 cents an ounce (about US$4.50), which is almost, almost, almost considered beer but quintessential for sportswatching. Fancy beer drinkers can up it to 40 cents an ounce for Shock Top Lemon Shandy and Goose Island 312 Pale Ale (just under US$5). You can even order half beers. But if you try to pass that 48-ounces-every-15-minutes limit you'll be cut off, because The Machine Knows. "It's a way to engage with the customer and allows the fan to have greater control of what they're drinking," said Jerry Jacobs Jr., principal of Delaware North. "There's obviously some novelty value to this, but it also allows people to pour what they want. If they want half of a cup, that's all they will pay for." Whether or not the machines will make it to Australia remains to be seen, we'll just have to chug a few self-serve beer slushies while we're waiting in line. Via ESPN and Gizmodo.
The National Gallery of Victoria has hosted some of Australia's biggest contemporary art exhibitions in recent memory. There was the Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei blockbuster that paired the works of two of the most significant artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, the huge debut of the NGV Triennial late last year and, next week, the Melbourne gallery will unveil a collection of works from New York City's MoMA. But, in the coming years, all these exhibitions could be moved to a new location, as the Victorian Government has today announced plans for a brand new contemporary art gallery to be built nearby. This is a pretty big deal. The new gallery — dubbed NGV Contemporary (NGVC) — will be part of a major redevelopment of the Southbank arts precinct and, according to the Victorian Government, will be the biggest contemporary art gallery in the country. While it will be part of the NGV, it'll be a standalone gallery, and will be built around the corner on the site of the old Carlton & United Breweries building on Southbank Boulevard. It sounds like the NGV's permanent collection will stay at NGV International, while NGVC will focus purely on contemporary art and design. As well as the gallery itself, the redevelopment will also add 18,000 square metres of public space to the area, theatre upgrades and new facilities in an attempt to turn 1 City Road into Melbourne's arts hub. The State Government will invest $208 million for the first two years of the project — this will allow the NGV to start planning and raise philanthropic funds. Premier Daniel Andrews is calling the redevelopment a "once-in-a-generation" project, and thinks it will be a "game-changer" for the city. Once completed, we think it's safe to assume that the NGV will be able to pull even more big names for its blockbuster exhibitions.
Our Melbourne comrades are doing it especially tough right now, currently pushing through the fourth long week of their current stage four lockdown. But if you know a southerner who could use a distraction from their 8pm curfew and five-kilometre travel restrictions, you can now send them a little sweet relief courtesy of Uber Eats. This week, the delivery service is allowing interstate mates to send Victorian friends free dessert or ice cream, via its new #lockdownlove offer. From today, Monday, August 31, to Friday, September 4, you can surprise your Melbourne mate with a free Uber Eats dessert delivery, up to the value of $20 (including delivery fee). There are 1000 of the freebies available each night, starting from 8pm. To share the love, simply plug your friend's address into the app, order from one of their local dessert venues and enter that day's promo code (it's 'mondaylove' for Monday, 'tuesdaylove' for Tuesday and so on). Once you've ordered, you can click 'Share This Delivery' at the top of the app and your pal will be able to track their sweet treat on the move. Brighten their day with some Pidapipo gelato, send some Greek doughnuts from Lukumades, or maybe treat them to a wedge of cheesecake courtesy of the iconic Brunetti. If you're a sweet-toothed Melburnian who could do with some free dessert, we just send this article to an interstate friend — as a very unsubtle hint. [caption id="attachment_687498" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doughnuts by Shortstop[/caption] Top image: Lukumades
Let's face it: plastic is a major problem. A petroleum-based, entirely man-made substance, plastic is the super-villain extraordinaire in the fight against pollution. Despite our recycling efforts, a lot of plastic tends to end up in the ocean, causing enormous wastelands such as the Great Garbage Patch in the Pacific where plastic to marine life ratios have reached 6:1. You'd think by now we'd have come up with an alternative. In 2009, Coca Cola released a sustainable plastic bottle of which a ground-breaking 30% was made with raw bio materials. Not good enough for PepsiCo, who announced yesterday the successful development of a 100% plant-based bottle. The prototype is made of switch grass, pine bark and corn husks, and the company plans to use orange peel, oat hulls and potato in future versions. The bottle retains a similar molecular structure to plastic, meaning it looks and feels the same – minus the environmental impact. It's a major step forward in the future of sustainable packaging. Pepsi plans to test the logistics of mass-producing the bottle in 2012, and if all goes well they'll make the switch. Let's hope they share the idea so the phase-out of plastic production can begin. [Via Fast Company]
No two neighbourhoods are the same in Singapore. From swanky Marina Bay to lively Little India, buzzing Orchard Road and idyllic Sentosa, each area of the Lion City has its own distinct character and offers unparalleled adventures. Katong-Joo Chiat is no exception. The vibrant region has roots tracing back to the early 19th century, gradually evolving from coconut and cotton plantations to an affluent coastal retreat in the 1920s, which drew a strong community of Straits–born Chinese and Malay descendants — otherwise known as the Peranakan community. Now, the neighbourhood is a colourful cultural hub that still upholds remnants of Singapore's Peranakan culture. With the help of Singapore Tourism, we're showcasing some of the top experiences around Katong-Joo Chiat, so you can dive into the area's rich and diverse history. What to See Wandering through Katong-Joo Chiat will take you on a journey through time. Here, you'll find heritage landmarks interspersed with contemporary boutiques and eateries that pay homage to the area's Peranakan history and culture. Discover Peranakan architecture at the pastel-hued shophouses on Koon Seng Road. Built in the 1920s, these restored dwellings interweave traditional Peranakan design with European and Chinese influences, such as floral tiles, ornate frames and intricate motifs. You're welcome to take photos, but keep in mind that these are occupied residences. Want to see it all but don't know where to start? Hop on a Vespa sidecar to see the area from a different vantage point. Singapore Sidecars runs tours throughout the city on vintage Vespas, while you take it in from the comfort of a sidecar. The Katong-Joo Chiat tour takes you along hidden laneways to see Koon Seng Road, Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple, street murals and local coffee houses. If you're still keen for more, add on an extra hour and you'll get to explore a pre-war school and an old residential area, and enjoy a meal at a hawker centre or shophouse eatery. [caption id="attachment_980366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Danny Santos[/caption] What to Do Continue your exploration of Peranakan culture at Rumah Kim Choo and Rumah Bebe, where you'll be able to venture inside old shophouses. Rumah Kim Choo is a two-storey shophouse with a gallery and Kim Choo Kueh Chang eatery. Head upstairs to join a beading workshop or private tour, before sampling traditional Peranakan snacks downstairs, including savoury rice dumplings and sweet Nyonya kueh, which the family-owned business has been making since 1945. [caption id="attachment_980370" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yik Keat[/caption] Similarly, Rumah Bebe sells Peranakan collectibles and clothing in a vivid blue shophouse, with classes and tours upstairs. After you've learnt about beading techniques and tried on some Nyonya garments like sarongs and kebayas, round out the experience with some Peranakan cuisine at the restaurant downstairs. The menu includes small bites, curries, a traditional ayam buah keluak (chicken or pork ribs cooked in tamarind gravy) and a selection of sweet kuehs. [caption id="attachment_982044" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Danny Santos[/caption] For shopping and souvenirs — that will bring you back to the present era — make a beeline for Cat Socrates and The WYLD Shop. Cat Socrates has a selection of homewares, books, decor, lifestyle goods and gifts by Singaporean designers. You'll even find knickknacks inspired by the neighbourhood, including a linen wall calendar of Joo Chiat Road, glass mugs with Peranakan tiles, sandals with shophouses and Southeast Asian fruits, and art prints of local scenes. The WYLD Shop also carries a range of local brands across clothing, accessories, beauty, homewares, lifestyle goods and gifts. Get some mementos of your trip to bring home, such as a tea towel with the shophouses of Koon Seng Road, a candle inspired by the tropical scent of Singapore, facial oils by a locally made brand, and brightly printed kimono jackets. What to Eat Your Katong-Joo Chiat visit wouldn't be complete without some treats to reward your day of exploration. Established in 1925, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery is a neighbourhood institution that has withstood the test of time. First opened as a coffee shop, the bakery and eatery evolved with the times and is still managed by some of the original family to this day. Be sure to have a taste of the signature kaya toast, sugee cake and kaya swiss roll when you're there. [caption id="attachment_983639" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Birds of Paradise Facebook[/caption] Get some respite from the humidity at Birds of Paradise. The store serves heaping scoops of creamy gelato, but you won't get any traditional flavours here. Instead, expect flavours derived from natural botanicals (without any artificial additives) and inspired by Southeast Asian tastes and aromas. Options range from the delicate white chrysanthemum and fruity lychee raspberry to the rich pandan coconut caramel and nuanced macadamia butterfly pea. Book your Singapore holiday now with Flight Centre. All images courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board.
Next time you walk into Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, you can be forgiven for starting to sing Disney songs in your head. Already fond of hosting everything from dining experiences to silent discos beneath its water-filled — but glass-walled — spaces, the venue is embracing a well-known piece of advice: yes darlings, it is better down where it's wetter, especially when you're holding The Little Mermaid-themed cocktail parties. While the Mouse House's beloved animated movie will have popped into your brain right now, of course, Sea Life's shindigs are actually taking their cues from the OG version of the story, aka Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale. On the lineup: three fairytale-inspired cocktails, which you'll be drinking below the surface, as well as a live performance of a modernised take on Andersen's The Little Mermaid. The event kicks off today, Thursday, February 3, and settles in for an eight-week season of nostalgia-dripping sipping and peering at cute aquatic creatures (almost) under the sea. If you're keener than a mermaid who dreams of becoming a human, you can head along every Thursday–Saturday for 90-minute sessions, either from 6–7.30pm or 8.30–10pm each night. Your $55–65 ticket includes one themed cocktail upon arrival; however you can purchase more — plus beer, wine and snacks — if you're eager to keep wetting your whistle while in such gloriously watery surroundings.
Listen up: Listen Out is back for its 11th year and it isn't slouching on the lineup front. The bill for the touring festival boasts 21 Savage, Skepta, Tyla and Flo Milli among its hip hop and R&B names. On the electronic side, John Summit and Sub Focus feature. Yes, the list goes on from there. Fans of 21 Savage, Tyla and Flo Milli — and of Teezo Touchdown, Jessie Reyez and Jazzy, too — should be especially excited. When they each take to Listen Out's stages at Centennial Park in Sydney on Sunday, October 6, they'll be hitting the country for the first time. Among their company, Lil Tjay, Lithe, Folamour, The Blessed Madonna, Cassian and Disco Lines are just some of the fellow acts that'll have festivalgoers dancing. 2023's fest was Listen Out's most successful in terms of ticket sales ever, and the crew behind it are hoping to continue that trajectory. Something that might help: turning the fest into a 16-plus event, age-wise, which is a first for 2024. As the roster of names on the lineup demonstrates, the festival's focus is staying true to its niche, filling its stages on electronic and hip hop artists — both international and local talents, too. Listen Out 2024 Lineup: 21 Savage Skepta Lil Tjay Tyla Flo Milli Jessie Reyez Teezo Touchdown Lithe John Summit Sub Focus Folamour The Blessed Madonna Cassian Disco Lines Jazzy Koven Conducta A Little Sound Ben Gerrans AK Sports Foura B2B Tom Santa Miss Kaninna Djanaba Soju Gang Sydney only: Dayzzi Malfunkt x Banno Bodego Collective Bella Backe Top images: Jordan Munns and Sam Venn.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue for September. NEW STUFF TO WATCH NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTjlurdbNnw I MAY DESTROY YOU Newly returned from a working trip to Italy, struggling to write her second novel after her first struck a sizeable chord and pushing up against a draft deadline just hours away, Arabella (Michaela Coel) takes some time out from an all-nighter to procrastinate with friends over a few drinks in a couple of London bars. The next morning, the Twitter-famous scribe is shaky, hazy and feels far from her normal self — and across the next 11 episodes of this instantly blistering 12-part series, I May Destroy You delves into the aftermath, as Arabella realises that she was raped that evening. Not only created and written by the unflinching and captivating Coel, but inspired by her own real-life experience with sexual assault, the result is as bold, raw and frank as it is sensitive and affecting. It also feels personal at every single moment. An immensely powerful series that intimately interrogates power on multiple levels and features an unsurprisingly potent performance by Coel, I May Destroy You is easily this year's number-one must-see show — and its absolute best. I May Destroy You's first season is available to stream via Binge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDTg62vsV4U I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS For much of I'm Thinking of Ending Things two-hour-plus running time, the film's characters sit and talk as discomfort fills the space around them. The movie's protagonist (Wild Rose's Jessie Buckley) and her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons) awkwardly chat as they drive through the snow to the Oklahoma farm where the latter grew up. They both endure several seesawing conversations with Jake's erratic and eccentric mother (Toni Collette) and father (David Thewlis) once they arrive. And, steam-of-consciousness narration also provides a soundtrack. But given this feature is written and directed by Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, it was never going to be a straightforward flick about meeting the parents. Instead, it's a purposely ambiguous and complex exploration of identity, choice and the very nature of human existence — complete with sudden ballet dances, strange overnight stops at deserted dessert stands and flashes to an unhappy janitor (Guy Boyd) — and it's a fascinating, challenging, visually stunning trip the entire way. I'm Thinking of Ending Things is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN8fFM1ZdWo THE BOYS Suffers of superhero fatigue understandably rejoiced when The Boys first hit screens in 2019. Yes, it focuses on a group of caped crusaders just like seemingly every second blockbuster movie — but, in a world where viewers have been conditioned to lap up narratives about powerful folks who are supposedly better than most, this series both satirises and questions that very idea. Here, superheroes work for a corporation called Vought International. The top talent is known as The Seven; however when the public isn't looking, most — especially leader Homelander (Antony Starr) — are hardly role models. The show's second season picks up where its first left off, with determined, no-nonsense Brit Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) intent on bringing Vought and The Seven down with his own ragtag team, aka The Boys of the title. As well as once again following the complicated bond between The Boys' newcomer Hugh (Jack Quaid) and The Seven's Starlight (Erin Moriarty), the new season also throws Better Call Saul's Giancarlo Esposito into the mix as Vought's CEO, plus Aya Cash as social media star and new The Seven member Liberty. The first five episodes of The Boys' second season are available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, with new episodes added every Friday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFAHiU0g0xQ PEN15 When Maya Erskine (Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later) and Anna Konkle (Rosewood) decided that they were going to make a series about their 13-year-old selves — and, although they're now definitely and obviously adults, also play their younger selves — it was a decidedly risky move. It pays off, though. In fact, it's one of the savviest parts of PEN15, which is one of the most distinctive comedies on TV. There's nothing quite like reflecting upon that awkward adolescent phase by physically and literally revisiting it, as the two writers and actors do, all while their on-screen characters navigate the ups and downs of middle school at the turn of the 21st century. Returning for the first half of its second season, this comedy series steps back into the lives of Maya Ishii-Peters (Erskine) and Anna Kone (Konkle), deepens its exploration of being a teenage girl (and a teenager in general), and will have you cringing in recognition, laughing and recognising its insights simultaneously. The first seven episodes of PEN15's second season are available to stream via Stan, with another seven episodes set to drop at a yet-to-be revealed date. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJvKDp54YjM SPIRAL Not to be confused with the upcoming new Saw franchise film of the same name, Spiral gives a familiar premise a smart, topical and resonant twist. In the mid-90s, Malik (Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, UnREAL) and Aaron (Ari Cohen, IT: Chapter Two) move to a small town with the latter's teenage daughter Kayla (Jennifer Laporte, iZombie), seeking a quieter, happier life away from the city. They're initially greeted warmly by neighbours Marshall (Lochlyn Munro, Riverdale) and Tiffany (Chandra West, Played); however, in general territory traversed by many a horror film before this, things aren't quite what they seem. Indeed, when Malik comes home one day to find a homophobic slur graffitied on their living room wall, he starts to get suspicious about the cliquey community they're now calling home — fears that Aaron doesn't share. There is clearly much about Spiral that fits a template, but director Kurtis David Harder and writers Colin Minihan and John Poliquin do an astute job of moulding this unsettling movie into a timely statement. The result: an unnerving feature that's as much about spooky terrors as societal ones, and that possesses a considerable bite. Spiral is available to stream via Shudder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ8CCg1tOqc #ALIVE Train to Busan and Peninsula aren't the only films to wonder how South Korea might cope with a sudden zombie outbreak. The unrelated #Alive also explores the concept, focusing on a video game streamer as an unexplained disease turns most of Seoul's residents into the guts-munching undead. Even holed up in the seeming safety of his family's apartment, Oh Jun-u (Burning's Yoo Ah-in) doesn't initially take the situation well. As shuffling hordes lurk outside, his dismal food supply rapidly declines and he worries about the safety of his parents and sister, he attempts to survive — and to fight off the gnawing feeling that perhaps his struggle is futile. A box office hit when it released in South Korean cinemas, #Alive never feels as formulaic as its premise might suggest. In fact, this horror-thriller proves constantly tense, and not just because pandemic films have that effect at the moment. Making his first feature, writer/director Il Cho handles the zombie scenes with urgency and makes ample room for quiet moments; however his best decision is casting the ever-watchable Yoo. #Alive is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rSR0w0z30 THE VOW Another month, another compelling true-crime documentary series. When it comes to delving into the minutiae of tales so wild that they can only be true, HBO has long been known for leading the charge — and, after McMillions and I'll Be Gone in the Dark already this year, The Vow is its latest addition to the fold. Its focus: self-improvement group NXIVM. If that name sounds familiar, that's probably because you remember the 2018 news headlines, when its founder Keith Raniere and member and actor Allison Mack (Smallville) were arrested and charged with a range of crimes that included sex trafficking. Featuring former NXIVM members sharing stories about their time in the cult-like group, The Vow details a rollercoaster ride of a story, not only unpacking the sinister and sordid aspects of the tale, but attempting to understand what appealed to people about the organisation in the first place. Filmmakers Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer picked up an Oscar nomination for 2013's The Square, as well as Emmy awards and nods, and don't be surprised if they feature in the TV awards conversation in 2020. The first episode of The Vow is available to stream via Binge, with new episodes available every Sunday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSzZxsX0_yE AP BIO In It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Glenn Howerton excels at playing arrogant, narcissistic, abrasive, selfish and misanthropic. He's been doing just that since 2005, and long may that continue. But, while before 2018, no one would've ever wondered what might happen if Howerton demonstrated the same traits in a high-school set sitcom, AP Bio answers that question in a consistently amusing way. Here, Howerton plays an ex-Harvard philosophy professor forced to return to his home town of Toledo after losing his dream job and reacting badly. He takes a gig as a biology teacher even though he has absolutely no interest in it, and he enlists his motley crew of students to help him enact his elaborate revenge plan. Three seasons in, this comedy happily veers in its own direction and keeps serving up offbeat laughs — including from Patton Oswalt as the school principal and the great Paula Pell (a Saturday Night Live writer for almost two decades) as his secretary. Also, the latest season dedicates an episode to an occasion known as 'Katie Holmes Day', which is as silly and yet still inspired as it sounds. All of AP Bio's third season is available to stream via Stan (and its first and second seasons as well). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaaC57tcci0 THE SOCIAL DILEMMA The idea that social media isn't all that great for humanity isn't new news. More than a decade after services such as Facebook and Twitter started taking over our daily lives, inundating us with notifications, fighting for our time, collecting our data and trying to monetise our attention to sell to advertisers, that fact shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. But just because The Social Dilemma stresses something that everyone should already know, that doesn't mean that it doesn't still pack a punch. This Sundance-premiering documentary proves more than a little clunky when it features dramatised segments showing both how social media can affect us all and visualising how algorithms work (the latter featuring multiple versions of Mad Men's Vincent Kartheiser). And, in its interview segments, it is hardly astonishing that an array of ex-tech company employees have unpleasant things to say about the industry. Still, this doco is both comprehensive and important — and, if you haven't spent much time thinking about the topic, accessible as well. The Social Dilemma is available to stream via Netflix. CULT CLASSICS TO REVISIT AND REDISCOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azjw0hTkOIs FARGO More than two decades since it first hit the big screen, Joel and Ethan Coen's Fargo still ranks among their best work. Given the other movies to the sibling filmmakers' names — Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men and Inside Llewyn Davis, to name just a few — that's quite the feat. So, when the Fargo TV series arrived in 2014, it followed in some considerable footsteps. Telling a different crime tale each season, with a different high-profile cast, it instantly became one of television's must-watch dramas. Featuring everyone from Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman (in season one), to Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons (season two) and Ewan McGregor playing brothers (in season three), every episode to-date has served up an entertaining treat — and those first three seasons have just hit SBS On Demand in the lead up to the Chris Rock and Jason Schwartzman-starring fourth season, which starts dropping in October. The first three seasons of Fargo are available to stream via SBS On Demand. Top images: I May Destroy You, Natalie Seery/HBO; The Vow, HBO; I'm Thinking of Ending Things, Mary Cybulski/Neflix.
As the NSW bushfire tragedy continues, a number of articles have appeared discussing the various ways a home may be fireproofed. There are miraculous treatments such as this fire-retardant gel, but how do you build for the bush? It's certainly possible. Incredibly, in the 1970s Sydney architect Glenn Murcutt designed a house so safe that its owner moved many actual drums of petrol from the garage into it before a bushfire surrounded the property. In the States an extremely old, fire-safe construction method is currently trending: the rural Japanese tradition of shou-sugi-ban. Roughly translated as 'burnt cedar board', shou-sugi-ban supposedly dates back to the 1700s, when it was used primarily to safeguard against fire and to preserve the wood against rot. So how does shou-sugi-ban work? The reasoning goes, if wood has already been charcoaled, it's unlikely to catch fire a second time. Similar in principle to the weathering of steel, where oxidisation creates a protective barrier, wood is first scorched with a controlled method of burning then brushed with a stiff broom to remove excess soot. Next it's washed and dried, and finally treated with an oil like Penofin Verde. It just happens to look fantastic, with many shades and finishes achievable, depending on how long the wood is burned. Usually a paint or a stain is required to darken wood to an attractive chocolate hue with rustic texture, and both methods are subject to fading and degradation. But not shou-sugi-ban. Apart from providing resistance to flames, the charred wood also repels insects and rot. This makes it durable and long-lasting. A standard cedar might decay after five years, whereas the owner of a low-maintenance shou-sugi-ban wall or fence could expect 30 years without decay, which is a pretty dramatic difference. For this reason, as well as its visual attractiveness, lately it's appearing in many restaurants around the Bay Area in California. Companies like Shou-Sugi-Ban in the UK and Delta Millworks in Austin, Texas (a land where it is said that cowboys mingle with punks) have mastered how to artfully scorch reclaimed wood for beautiful and practical built spaces. We hope to see more of it popping up on our shores. Via PSFK
Some pieces of film news feel like they can't be believed until the end results are actually seen. For a decade, the prospect of Hayao Miyazaki making another movie has been one of them. This enchanting development has come to fruition in the form of The Boy and the Heron, which not only exists but has been playing at international film festivals, already released in cinemas in Japan and now boasts two English-language trailers to give audiences a sneak peek at it magic. After a mesmerising first look back in September, The Boy and the Heron has just dropped a full glimpse at the new gift from the Studio Ghibli great. In store is the story of Mahito, a boy pining for his mother and experiencing the realm where the living and the dead converge. Also present: stunningly gorgeous animation. Miyazaki is back to spirit audiences away again, ten years after releasing The Wind Rises, which was expected to be his last film at the time. The movie maestro even announced his retirement. Thankfully, he changed his mind quickly — and now, more than half a decade after that welcome revelation, his next film is here. The My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle icon's latest was confirmed back in late 2022 for a 2023 release, at least overseas. Back then, it was known as How Do You Live, but has changed its title since. The official synopsis describes it as "a semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death and creation" — and yes, plenty of Miyazaki's trademarks already exist in that short blurb. While The Boy and the Heron hit the big screen in July in Miyazaki's homeland, it did so without the usual promotional campaign — which is why trailers have only arrived in the lead-up to the American release, which begins in November. At the time of writing, the feature doesn't have a date with cinemas Down Under as yet, but it'll obviously get one. Echoing through the latest sneak peek is the film's English-language voice cast, which boasts the starry likes of Christian Bale (Amsterdam), Robert Pattinson (The Batman), Florence Pugh (Oppenheimer) and Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3). You'll also hear Gemma Chan (The Creator), Willem Dafoe (Asteroid City), Mark Hamill (The Fall of the House of Usher) and Karen Fukuhara (The Boys). There's nothing quite like a Miyazaki movie. While Studio Ghibli isn't short on gorgeous on-screen wonders hailing from a range of filmmakers, the Japanese animation house's best-known co-founder truly does make films like no one else. The Boy and the Heron already looks spectacular — unsurprisingly — in its initial glimpses, complete with lush greenery, mysterious spaces and floating critters. And, of course, with Mahito and the picture's titular bird making appearances. The Boy and the Heron marks Ghibli's fifth film since Miyazaki's last movie, following Isao Takahata's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, page-to-screen treat When Marnie Was There, gorgeous French co-production The Red Turtle and the CGI-animated Earwig and the Witch. Check out the full English-language trailer for The Boy and the Heron below: The Boy and the Heron is already open in Japan, and will release in the US on Friday, December 8, 2023. The film doesn't yet have a release date Down Under — we'll update you when one is announced. Images: © 2023 Studio Ghibli.
Chinese Architecture is renowned for being highly avant-garde and unorthodox, but some designs can only be described as outright peculiar. From fish shapes, to huge bottle of alcohol, giant rings and God-sculpture-buildings, Chinese structures cover a lot of bases on the quirky scale. These odd designs attract a large amount of tourism to the various regions of China and are also an important aspect of the Chinese history and culture, while simultaneously demonstrating their radical modern shift in architectural design. Ranging from company headquarters to hotels, or watchtowers, here are ten of the quirkiest and most outrageous building designs throughout China. Fushun Shen Fu New Town 'Circle of Life' This 50 floor panoramic structure fitted out with 12,000 LED lights and with a diameter of 157m took a massive 3000 tons of steel and a casual billion dollars to make. Despite remarks that the dome is a ridiculous and unnecessary, the local government maintains that it is a unique and distinctive architectural design. Center of Bashu Culture Art Found in Chongqing at the Guotai Art Center, this quirky structure with needle-like protrusions is set to be finished later this year. Yichuan Northern Gate Another expensive and obscure construction, the Northern Gate currently under construction will provide a gate to the city of Yichuan in the Henan province. Although it has been likened to a belt, a trap and a bow, the gate is hoped to be a welcoming door to guests from afar with beautiful curves and rich ties to the region's history, spirituality and culture as well as being representative of Yichuan's economic development. Beijing Olympic Watchtower Consisting of five 'pins' of varying heights, this unorthodox tower is located in China's capital and is still yet to complete construction. With the highest point reaching 244.35 metres, this foreboding structure is not your average Olympic watchtower. Fangyen Mansion This building appears in the Shenyang Finance and Trade Development Zone, and attempts to resemble a coin, for fairly obvious reasons. Unfortunately the design didn't go down too well with the CNN, who in January of this year placed in the top ten ugliest buildings in the world because it apparently tries to unsuccessfully merge Western and Eastern style. Cuiping Wuliangye, Yibin city Believe it or not, this giant bottle is a Chinese liquor-producing company's factory located in Sichuan Province. Hotel of the Emperor At 41.6 metres high this hotel in Hebei, Yinjiao features in the World Guinness Book of Records as the 'largest pictographic building', aka the largest structure in the world which is both a building and a sculpture. The hotel showcases three Ancient Chinese Gods Fu, Lu, and Shou, who are known as the three wise men, symbolizing happiness, prosperity, and longevity. Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort This unique, idiosyncratic building will open its 321 rooms on the first day of the new year in 2013. Located on the edge of the stunning Lake Taihu in Zhejiang, this upmarket hotel will provide a relaxing yet unconventional stay for those bedding within its walls. Linda Hai Square The design of the Linda Hai Square on Dongsi Ring mirroring the shape of a fish was not all that well received by the Chinese people. Perhaps this one slightly overstepped the border from eccentric to just plain weird. Phoenix Island Real Estate Situated in the prime location of Sanya, Hainan Island, apartments on this corner of the world will set investors back almost $14,000 per square metre. You'd surely expect some spectacular waterfront views at a price like that.
In a stark change from last year, 2021 is shaping up to be quite the magical time for Australian musical theatre fans. The country is finally getting a shot to see Hamilton right now, everyone will be able to swoon over Moulin Rouge! from August and making a date with one of popular culture's most famous masked men, The Phantom of the Opera, is on the cards from September. And, as just announced, Cinderella will be riding a pumpkin carriage into Sydney when November hits, too. First premiering back on Broadway in 2013, this version of the beloved fairy tale features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a couple of the best-known names in musical theatre history. The pair actually wrote their songs for a 1957 television production, which starred a pre-Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music Julie Andrews. (If you've seen the 1997 TV movie with Brandy and Whitney Houston — which remade that original small-screen flick — then you've already seen a version based on Rodgers and Hammerstein's original efforts.) Now, the Broadway production is finally making the jump Down Under, debuting locally at Sydney's Capitol Theatre at a yet-to-be-revealed date in November, as presented by Opera Australia and the Gordon Frost Organisation. The two organisations recently teamed up on The King and I, another Rodgers and Hammerstein hit, but this time they're all about glass slippers and masked balls. Whether Cinderella will make its way to other Aussie cities hasn't yet been announced either. Don't expect the exact same story you're used to, though — as you read as a kid, and saw in Disney's classic animated film and its live-action remake. Here, Cinderella is a contemporary figure, but living in a fairytale setting. She's still transformed from a chambermaid into a princess; however, the tale has been given a firmly modern spin. Just who'll be starring in the show when it makes its way to Sydney hasn't yet been revealed, but they'll be working with a production penned by playwright Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, Sister Act) based on Hammerstein's work — which was, of course, adapted from the fairy tale about a young woman dreaming of a better life. The Broadway production was nominated for eight Tony Awards and won one, for Best Costume Design. In the US, Carly Rae Jepsen played Ella for a stint, while The Nanny's Fran Drescher also took on the role of Madame, Ella's stepmother, for a period. If you're wondering how the musical works its magic, check out a clip from the original Broadway show below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wypPkiBW1Z4 Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella will hit the stage at the Sydney's Capitol Theatre in November 2021, with exact dates yet to be announced. Tickets will go on sale on April 30, with pre-sales from April 26 — for further details, or to join the waitlist, head to the musical's website. Top image: Original Broadway production of Cinderella by Carol Rosegg.
When Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4 roll around, Sydney fans of a certain former boy band star-turned-actor-turned-Coachella headliner will be heading in one direction: to Accor Stadium to see Harry Styles finally bring his latest tour Down Under. Given the fame he's enjoyed in One Direction and now as a solo music superstar, the Grammy Award-winning, Don't Worry Darling and Dunkirk co-starring talent is going big with his postponed Aussie visit — so you'll be singing along to 'Watermelon Sugar', 'As It Was', 'Adore You' and 'Sign of the Times' in a crowd. It's a case of better late than never, of course. Styles was originally headed our way in November 2020; however, we all know how that panned out and why those shows didn't eventuate. That delay means that he doesn't just have two albums to play, but three, with Styles' third solo studio Harry's House releasing last year. And, attendees will also be listening to UK duo Wet Leg, who've scored the supporting slot.
Everyone has a New York bucket list, filled with must-visit places throughout the busy city. And, we're betting that The Metropolitan Museum of Art features on most of them. Founded in 1870, presenting over 5,000 years of art from around the world and considered one of the top museums in the world, it's a iconic site for many reasons, including the pieces within its walls, its exhibitions and its annual gala. Another reason The Met is a favourite for visitors? For the past 50 years, a pay-as-you-wish scheme operates regarding the entry price. The suggested admission for adults is $25, but walking through the door for free is perfectly acceptable. That'll change on March 1, but it'll only impact folks who aren't New York State residents or students from New Jersey and Connecticut. In short, if you're from anywhere else in the world and you're keen to wander through The Met, you'll now pay the $25 fee. The mandatory full-priced admission tickets will be honoured for three days at the museum's three locations, however, so out-of-towners can make the most of their money. The news comes after The Met welcomed over seven million visitors in 2017, and put on 60 exhibitions. In a statement on the museum's website, Met president Daniel Weiss said the change was needed "in order to sustain its mission for future generations and to remain an accessible source of inspiration to all." It's expected that mandatory admissions will affect around 31 percent of their annual visitors. Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Not once, not twice, but at least 17 times, Robert Pattinson (The Batman) dies in Mickey 17. In the just-dropped full trailer for the new science-fiction film, his character is not too happy about it, either. But when you've signed up to be an 'expendable', as Mickey has in this adaptation of Edward Ashton's book Mickey 7, you've agreed to kick the bucket over and over and over for a living. On the page, the lead character is the seventh version — thank human printing — working as part of an effort to to colonise an ice world and soon finding himself trying to fend off the eighth. Mickey 17 has clearly upped that to the 17th version of its lead character. And, with Korean director Bong Joon-ho writing and directing, making his long-awaited first feature since Parasite, it's leaning heavily on comedy as well. Mickey 17 has been in the works for years, even dropping an initial teaser trailer at the end of 2022. Back then, the flick was targeting a March 2024 release date; however, that changed early this year, with the movie now hitting cinemas in January 2025. Thanks to everything that the last few years have served up, 2019, when the Palme d'Or-, Sydney Film Festival Prize- and Oscar-winning Parasite released, seems like a lifetime ago. So, waiting for anything since that innocent pre-pandemic time feels like waiting forever. But a new Bong movie has always been worth it so far, as his impressive cinematic resume attests. He's also the filmmaker behind stunning crime procedural Memories of Murder, creature feature The Host, dystopian thriller Snowpiercer and the offbeat Okja, after all. Mickey 17 looks set to mark the filmmaker's third movie mostly in English after Snowpiercer and Okja, with Pattinson leading a cast that also includes Steven Yeun (Beef), Naomi Ackie (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody), Toni Collette (Mafia Mamma) and Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things). Science-fiction fans will spot that the premise alone gives off big Moon, Sunshine and Voyagers vibes — and brings High Life, RPatz's last exceptional sci-fi flick, to mind. That said, Bong isn't a filmmaker to follow in anyone else's footsteps. How he makes this concept his own already looks like a treat to see based on the two sneak peeks so far. Mickey 17 is a return for Pattinson, too, given that he hasn't been seen on-screen since his debut turn as Bruce Wayne — although he could be heard in the English-language version of Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron, adding a movie by another iconic director to his filmography. Check out the full trailer for Mickey 17 below: Mickey 17 releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
Almost five years after the NSW Government first announced the Powerhouse Museum's potential move to Parramatta, the new Western Sydney museum's designs have been revealed. Featuring rooftop greenery and two rectangular white towers, the winning design is a collaboration between French architect firm Moreau Kusunoki and Australia's Genton. It was chosen by an international jury from a pool of 74 designs, submitted from 20 different countries. Set to be part of an expansive new 24-hour arts and cultural precinct beside the Parramatta River, Powerhouse Museum 2.0 already has a short history tarred by controversy. A 2017 parliamentary inquiry into the Ultimo museum's relocation labelled the move an "act of vandalism" and there has been community uproar about the decision to demolish two heritage-listed buildings to make space for the new museum. While the Parramatta Museum will predominantly be built on the site of a disused car park, according to the ABC, an 1800s heritage villa and and St George's Terraces will also be razed for its construction. NSW's Shadow Minister for the Arts Walter Secord has also labelled the new design a "monstrosity on stilts". Initial estimates for the museum's controversial relocation and construction have been set at around $645 million, although the SMH has reported that figure is more likely to be $1 billion. Despite the controversy and hefty price tag, the government is forging ahead with the museum's relocation, which Minister for the Arts Don Harwin is calling "the largest investment in arts and cultural infrastructure since the Sydney Opera House". It'll be the first major NSW cultural institution based in Western Sydney, too, and it's hoped 60 on-site residential studios will attract leading scientific researchers from across the world. When plans for the new museum were first announced last year, they included 18,000 square metres of exhibition and public spaces, dedicated play areas and education labs, state-of-the-art exhibition halls and the country's largest planetarium, clocking in at 30 metres wide. We're hoping the latter has made it into the new design. The Powerhouse Museum isn't Sydney's only major arts organisation undergoing a major shakeup, either — the Australian Museum is in the midst of a $57.5 million revamp, and is set to reopen in mid-2020. The Powerhouse Museum, at 500 Harris Street, Ultimo, will remain open to the public until June 30, 2020, with staged closures running thereafter. The new Parramatta museum is slated to open in 2023.
If you didn't end April or start May binging Heartstopper, then you probably weren't anywhere near your streaming queue or social media. As charming as romantic comedies, LGBTQIA+-championing tales, British series and coming-of-age stories can get, this webcomic-to-page-to-screen delight dropped all eight of its first-season episodes at once, became an instant Netflix hit and started many an obsession — regardless of whether you currently are or ever have been a queer teen trying to be true to yourself, navigating high school and riding the emotional rollercoaster that is falling in love. The great news: if you haven't seen it already, season one is obviously still there and waiting. The even better news: Netflix has just renewed the series for two more seasons. So, sometime in the future — with no dates given as yet — Heartstopper will be making tickers miss a beat again, and twice, with the graphic novel's author and illustrator Alice Oseman also returning as the show's writer (and creator, obviously). It's easy to see why more Heartstopper is on its way — and not just because its narrative has continued past where season one stopped on both the web and in print. The series hit the Netflix top-ten list in 54 countries, wowed audiences and earned the social-media attention to prove it, and has already made stars out of its delightful cast. ✌️ more seasons of Heartstopper! 🍂🍂https://t.co/u65kBHzJ9p pic.twitter.com/s6NKkU9Hl3 — Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) May 20, 2022 Story-wise, Heartstopper heads to Truham Grammar School, where Charlie Spring (first-timer Joe Locke) is in year ten. He finds himself seated in his form class next to year 11 rugby player Nick Nelson (Kit Connor, Little Joe) at the start of a new term, and sparks fly swiftly and overwhelmingly — at least on Charlie's part — with a crush and then a life-changing love story both blossoming. While director Euros Lyn (Dream Horse) gives Heartstopper's first season a dreamy look and feel — with emotionally astute showers of colour, too — teen romance is always complicated. Actually, teen life in general is. Also popping up here, with their own ups and downs: Charlie's self-hating secret boyfriend Ben Hope (Sebastian Croft, Doom Patrol); his disapproving, high-drama best friend Tao (fellow debutant William Gao); their recently out trans pal Elle (Yasmin Finney); her lesbian school friends Tara (Corinna Brown, Daphne) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell); and the quietly happy-go-lucky Isaac (Tobie Donovan). Oh, and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter) as Nick's mum. The end result isn't afraid of teen tropes or rom-com cliches, such as grand gestures in the pouring rain, blissful montages and the stress of text messages — but it also isn't willing to deliver anything other than a thoughtful and tender account of high schoolers being and finding themselves, even amid unavoidable teen angst and taunting. There's currently four volumes, spanning five chapters, of Heartstopper on the page — and a fifth volume set to arrive in February 2023 — so fingers crossed there'll be even more seasons of the Netflix series in our futures. Check out the trailer for Heartstopper season one below: Exactly when Heartstopper will return for season two and three hasn't yet been revealed — we'll update you when dates are announced. The first season of Heartstopper is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. Images: Rob Youngson/Netflix.
Each individual member of How I Met Your Mother seems to do something cool. Jason Segel resurrected the Muppets. Neil Patrick Harris produces interactive theatre and dresses his adorable babies in adorably elaborate Halloween costumes. Alyson Hannigan was Willow freakin' Rosenberg. When you break it down, the omnipresent sitcom might be less than the sum of its parts. Josh Radnor, the personal pronoun of How I Met Your Mother, follows suit by being an indie film writer and director of some repute, having won the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for 2010's happythankyoumoreplease. His newbie, Liberal Arts, is about a 35-year-old demi-achiever, Jesse (Radnor), who works a dull job as a university admissions officer and reads dead-tree books constantly, while walking even. When he visits his alma mater to honour his retiring former professor, Peter (Richard Jenkins), Jesse also starts a romance with sparky 19-year-old student Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen). Between her exuberance for new knowledge and the campus's leafy, Midwestern nourishment, he rediscovers some of the wide-eyed optimism of his own college days — and also learns why he can't have them back. Really, you can't blame anyone for falling a bit in love with Olsen. She elevates the whole movie, bringing a flood of beauty and intelligence to a character already written to be quite beautiful and quite intelligent. She's not a manic pixie dream girl, although the film pales from being made in an MPDG world. The story of 'unremarkable pre-middle-aged male seeks shaking up, via female, into remarkable life' is a little tired. Sure, seedy, equivocating men deserve our empathy, but arguably they've already had their time in the sun. We know you shouldn't sleep with the girl; we don't need to see your working out. There are other flaws in the film that follow on from all this obviousness: One character, Dean (John Magaro), a random student among thousands, appears in front of Jesse 'by coincidence' with such frequency he'd have to be a ghost stalking our protagonist (he's not), and his arc becomes too foreseeable. Perhaps Liberal Arts would have meant something more if all these other characters didn't so perfectly serve Jesse. They awaken him, confront him, absolve him, and release him. That said, arts graduates will nod in recognition of post-modern theory references, and Allison Janney fans will delight in her cameo as an ironically hard-hearted Romantics professors. There are several estimable bon mots. Liberal Arts may make a forgettable thesis, but you'd still find a couple of passages within it to highlight.
Eyes to the sky, Australia — it's time to catch one of the year's most impressive meteor showers. Each autumn Down Under, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower sets the sky ablaze. And yes, it's happening right now. This vibrant astronomical vision starts in April every year, but is at its peak in early May. In 2023, that suits stargazers nicely. Last month was all about not looking directly at the solar eclipse, so now it's the night sky's turn to shine again. The best date to mark in your diary: the early hours of Sunday, May 7, which is when the shower will be at its most spectacular. If you're eager to catch a glimpse, even from just your backyard or balcony, here's what you need to know. [caption id="attachment_769233" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] WHAT IS IT The Eta Aquarids might not be as famous as Halley's Comet, but the shower is actually a distant relation — because the bits and pieces you see flying around were on Halley's path a really, really long time ago. And, rather than only being visible every 76 years (the next Halley's Comet sighting is in 2061), the Eta Aquarids come around every year, usually between April 19–May 28 every year. The shower's name comes from the star from which they appear to come Eta Aquarii, which is part of the Aquarius constellation. So, that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. Luckily, being in the southern hemisphere, we get some of the best views in the world. On average, you can see up to 20–40 meteors per hour. WHEN TO SEE IT The shower will reach a peak in the early morning of Sunday, May 7, but will still be able to be seen for a few days on either side. The best time to catch an eyeful is just before dawn after the moon has set, so around 4am — but between 2am–7am is also recommended. At that time, you'll be in the running to see as many as 50 meteors every 60 minutes. Each will be moving at about 225,000 kilometres per hour, shining extraordinarily brightly and leaving a long wake. The shower's cause is, essentially, the Earth getting in the comet's way, causing stardust to fry up in the atmosphere. HOW TO SEE IT Usually, when a meteor shower lights up the sky, we'd tell city-dwellers to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the best view. If you can't venture out of town at the moment, you can still take a gander from your backyard or balcony. To help locate the shower, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Eta Aquarids. It has been updating this daily. The weather might get in the way of your viewing, though, depending on where you live. Melbourne is set for showers until next Tuesday, and Adelaide is as well on and off until Monday — although Sunday's forecast is just partly cloudy. There's also expected to be a shower or two in Perth from Saturday onwards, and showers are also meant to start in Sydney on Sunday. In Brisbane, however, mostly sunny conditions await.
Let the games begin — again. Following a three-year wait since its award-winning first season, and after teasing the show's 2024 return since January, Squid Game will start playing again on Boxing Day. If you usually spend the day after Christmas shopping, at the cinema or recovering from your food coma by trying to play backyard cricket, you now have other plans if you want to catch the next instalment of the South Korean thriller ASAP. Netflix has not only advised when its huge 2021 hit — one of the best new TV programs of that year, in fact — will finally make a comeback, but has also announced that there's even more in store. After Squid Game season two arrives on Thursday, December 26, 2024, Squid Game season three will drop sometime in 2025. There's no exact date for the latter as yet, but it will be the final season, closing out the Squid Game story. The streaming platform revealed both pieces of news with a date announcement teaser that features a running track, competitors in recognisable green tracksuits, and also-familiar folks in red watching on alongside the masked Front Man — and with a letter from series director, writer and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk. "I am beyond excited to be writing this letter to announce the date for season two and share the news of season three, the final season," said Hwang. "Seong Gi-hun, who vowed revenge at the end of season one, returns and joins the game again. Will he succeed in getting his revenge? Front Man doesn't seem to be an easy opponent this time, either. The fierce clash between their two worlds will continue into the series finale with season three, which will be brought to you next year." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix US (@netflix) So, yes, season one's protagonist Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte) is back. So is his nemesis (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven). If you're wondering what else is in store after the hefty gap — Squid Game was such a huge smash in it first season that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that more was on the way, and also released a teaser trailer for it the same year, before announcing its new cast members in 2023 — a few further details were dropped earlier in the year. That's when Netflix previously unveiled a brief snippet of Squid Game season two, arriving in a broader trailer for Netflix's slate for the year — as it releases every 12 months. In the footage, Seong Gi-hun answers a phone call while at the airport sporting his newly crimson locks. He's soon told "you're going to regret the choice you've made". Cue his statement of vengeance; Squid Game meets John Wick, anyone? Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) is back as detective Hwang Jun-ho, as is 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 — so that's where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all come in. If you somehow missed all things Squid Game when it premiered, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Here, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Check out Netflix's season two date announcement clip for Squid Game season below: Squid Game season two will stream via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced. Images: Netflix.
For almost two decades, 2005 film Mr & Mrs Smith has been best remembered as the movie that started Brad Pitt (Babylon) and Angelina Jolie's (Eternals) time as a couple. The action-comedy cast the pair as a bored married duo who didn't know that they were actually both assassins, let alone that they'd each been tasked with killing the other. The flick wasn't particularly memorable, but Brangelina clearly was. In 2024, Mr & Mrs Smith will also become a TV series, because the path from the big to the small screens just keeps proving popular (see also: Dead Ringers, Irma Vep, A League of Their Own and Interview with the Vampire, to name a mere few recent examples). This time, Donald Glover (Atlanta) and Maya Erskine (PEN15) are strangers who have to pretend to be married as part of their job. So, that's how Glover becomes John Smith and Erskine becomes Jane Smith — and how the two embark upon a high-risk espionage life together. The tradeoff for faking a romance: the lucrative gig, money, travelling the world, a dream Manhattan brownstone and, in this take on the premise, these strangers actually falling for each other. Pretending to be a couple but seeing sparks fly is one of Hollywood's current obsessions, with rom-com Anyone But You taking the idea to the big screen — without spies or anything to do with Mr & Mrs Smith, however. Adding another TV show to his resume, Glover co-created the new Mr & Mrs Smith with Francesca Sloane (also Atlanta), with the end result set to drop all eight episodes at once on Prime Video on Friday, February 2, 2024. And if you have vague memories of Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) being involved, she was initially slated to play Jane until Erskine took over her role. There's no trailer yet for the Mr & Mrs Smith TV series, but here's the trailer for the film instead: Mr & Mrs Smith will stream via Prime Video from Friday, February 2, 2024.
Out in the California High Desert last month, people saw a mysterious apparition: a transparent log cabin named Lucid Stead, the latest installation by artist Phillip K Smith III. At first glance the structure doesn't look real. Is it a mirage, a vision, a portal to another world? The structure's Pre-Romanesque stripes are no hallucination: Smith achieved the optical illusion of transparency by inlaying lengths of mirror between the splintery old wood planks of a 70-year-old homesteader shack in Joshua Tree national park. When the artwork was unveiled, he was surprised by an influx over two days of 400 visitors who'd gotten word of the magical cabin. Search #lucidstead on Instagram and you'll see many photographic perspectives on what they saw. (And riddle me this: how come we can't see any trace of a photographer reflected in these images? Witchcraft.) Like Lucy Humphrey's Horizon in this year's Sculpture by the Sea, here is an artwork that uses its surrounding environment to fill its own canvas, seamlessly melding the natural and manmade. Smith likes to make artworks that appear to breathe and move, blurring the border between geometric rigidity and the organic; he says he is attracted to the idea of "something that you cannot hold on to... That slips between your fingers." As the day progresses, Lucid Stead's appearance changes completely, reflecting the different colours of dawn to dusk. After-hours, it takes on a new role, generating its own light rather than merely reflecting it; the windows become vivid, floating blocks of coloured LED illumination. In the pictures below you'll notice the LEDs brighten the surrounding shrubbery in an unearthly rainbow, not unlike the surrealist nighttime photography of Gregory Crewdson. These colours change, controlled by an Arduino computer system, in a continuous flow that's all part of making the viewer look twice. Smith explains: "The color of the door and window openings are set at a pace of change where one might question whether they are actually changing colors." Check out the video below to see a before-and-after view of the shack, and to hear Lucid Stead's creator talk about his interest in the basic elements of light and change. Images by Stephen King for Royale Projects. Story via Colossal.
There's a long history of animals in art. From long-haired lapdogs to doe-eyed cows, artists use animals as metaphor, scenery or the excuse to show off some flash technique. It's less common to take them part by part, but at Monstrosity Gallery in Woolloomooloo they're doing just that — gathering local Sydney artists together for show on the theme of Fur. While some people get deep into fur, Monstrosity's show remains meaning-agnostic, with an open call for entries letting artists interpret the theme as they will. The results will go on display in the gallery in a group show launching on Wednesday evening. The exhibition ran an open call for entries, but the selection should include the sketch-animating Novocastrian Todd Fuller, the primordial work of Kathy Leung and Yulia Pustoshkina's leering animal world. Also showing will be the day-glo dread of Gerald Leung's work, Puberty Blues star and video artist Nell Schofield and the work of exhibition curator West herself. So while the theme of the show may only be skin deep, the work on show promises to snatch at depths that shaggy follicles don't reach. Fur launches at 6pm Wednesday night. They gallery is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Painted image by Yulia Pustoshkina.
Woodford Folk Festival is a veritable smorgasbord of all things music, performance, creativity and so much more, with this year's lineup boasting over 400 events and 2000 performers over six days that straddle this year and the next. With artists making the trek to the small town of Woodford from all over the world, the festival presents the best that Australia and the world have to offer in the broad category of folk. The town of Woodford, about 70km north of Brisbane, boasts a population of just over two and a half thousand people, so rather than blow that number out of the water for a few days every year, the festival is held about five minutes out of Woodford, on the 500-acre headquarters of Woodfordia, a not-for-profit organisation that produces the festival. The region is a quiet, rural area, nestled in some truly beautiful surroundings and not too far from the beaches at Moreton Bay. With that in mind, why not take a detour from your routine, and build an itinerary that includes the festival, as well as a few other side quests that you wouldn't normally set out on. We've teamed up with our pals at Mazda3 to get your ideas going for where to stay, what to eat and what to do while you're in town. [caption id="attachment_642063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: Woodford Folk Festival via Flickr.[/caption] EAT AND DRINK While at the festival, you'd be mad to not gorge yourself on the slew of food on offer within the festival itself. Far from your classic dagwood dog and can of Fanta combo, the streets of the festival village are filled with the scents of cuisine from all over the world. From Mexican to Indian, German to Vietnamese, you can get your fix for any hankering in the festival's boundaries. There are cafes for the mornings and bars for the evening, so whatever your poison, the Festival of Food's got you covered. For the remainder of your stay, however, it's worth taking a few trips off the beaten track to find somewhere more unique to eat and, with rugged mountains providing the stunning backdrop to the areas surrounding Woodford, there's no harm in chasing a good view to wash it down with. Perched atop Mount Mee and enjoying views that range from farms to beaches, Birches Restaurant serves classic bistro food with an emphasis on seafood, a trait not uncommon throughout the region. A little further south, in Ocean View, you'll also find Ocean View Estates, a local winery with a cellar door and restaurant thrown in for good measure. As well as a menu drawing influence from Japan and French cuisines, the winery also added craft beer to their acumen only last year, so it's a just chance to check out the local brews, too. Given that Woodford and its neighbours ride the boundary line between inland rural and coastal beaches, it's not surprising that the region is home to some excellent country pubs. Not that inner-city-bar-pretending-to-be-a-country-pub sort of pub, but an actual pub in the country where the aesthetic is legitimate. So, if the winery hasn't slaked your thirst, sit yourself down at the nearest local and blow the froth off a couple. The Village Garden Bar & Grill in Woodford Village Hotel, for example, provides exactly what it says on the label, dishing out pub grub and beverages in a lovely beer garden. DO The Woodford Folk Festival is more than just a few bands performing over a few days. It's more like a Mary Poppins bag bursting with workshops, comedy, cabaret, talks and debates, a film festival, art, meditation, dance, circus and a whole manner of sins. As well as live musical acts like Sampa the Great, Husky, Montaigne, Kate Miller-Heidke, John Butler and Rising Appalachia, the full program offers a million ways to explore the festival. Brisbane-based slam poet Anisa Nandaula will be in attendance, discussing her own brand of political lyricism, and executive director of the Climate Foundation Dr Brian von Herzen will be discussing a range of issues — and potential solutions to them — facing marine life. From the Circadia circus workshops to 80s dance workshops, Chenda Melam's traditional music from southern India to Kim Kirman and Brian Martin with the Seraphim Baroque ensemble, there's never a dull moment, drinking in traditional folk culture from around the world. And, if you feel like getting out of the throng and into the calm embrace of Mother Nature, there's even the option of an organised walk to check out the local mushrooms. [caption id="attachment_642064" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] D'aguilar National Park, Troy Bell via Flickr.[/caption] Beyond the festival, it would be a sin to pass up the abundant bushlands and national parks that run through Woodford and the surrounding towns. It's a quick drive from town into the D'Aguilar National Park that runs almost all the way south to Brisbane. In addition to a spot of bushwalking, the park also allows four-wheel driving, trail bike riding, and horse riding. The Somerset Trail, which crawls up Mount Mee, is perfect for pretty much everyone who might be down to see the diverse ecology of the area and is pretty close to Woodford. It's an easy track that takes about three to four hours, so if you've brought kids along for the trip, they'll be able to handle it, no worries. The trail takes you through scribbly gum groves, rainforests and ultimately to a lookout that gives an incredible view over the whole Moreton Bay region. STAY With such a huge swathe of land available for the festival, camping is, of course, the traditional method of experiencing the festival. If you're the kind of person who already owns camping stuff, you can bring that along, and the General Store in town will have most things you might not have. Alternatively, there's the option of the Tent Motel, where you can just rent out a pre-erected tent for the duration of your stay. Shower facilities are available for all campers because even though we're sleeping outside, we don't have to be animals. If, however, you're the kind of person who prefers to sleep in a bed, in a room, in a building, there are still places to rest your weary head around the area. The nearby town of D'Aguilar is home to the freshly renovated Dag Pub and Motel, for example, with reasonably priced rooms and a bar and bistro with solid eats and a penchant for memorabilia. If you're making the road trip, it's always good for a city kid to dive into some greener scenery, and a trip to the Moreton Bay area is the perfect opportunity to do just that. With so many national parks such a short drive away, perhaps an unwinding couple of nights at Conondale's Eco Retreat might get you a little bit more in touch with nature. But, if you're looking to get even closer to the trees and the mountains, a stay at Glass on Glasshouse might be the ticket, where your accommodation is a cabin made of floor-to-ceiling windows, snug among the rainforest itself. Woodford Folk Festival takes place at Woodfordia from December 27 to January 1. Top image: Woodford Folk Festival via Flickr. Personalise your next adventure via The Playmaker, driven by Mazda3.
When Barry said farewell earlier in 2023, it brought one of the best supporting performances in recent years to an end with it. Star, creator, writer and director Bill Hader wasn't the only talent scoring awards for the hitman dramedy, with Henry Winkler also earning plenty of love — and nabbing his first Primetime Emmy win more than four decades after he was first nominated in the 70s for Happy Days. That's quite the story from a career full of them, given that Winkler will always be known as Arthur 'The Fonz' Fonzarelli, for scene-stealing parts in Arrested Development and Parks and Recreation, and for popping up everywhere from the Scream franchise and The French Dispatch to multiple Adam Sandler movies as well. And, Winkler will tell those tales when he heads to Australia in 2024 on a speaking tour to reflect upon his time in Hollywood. [caption id="attachment_918614" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Eccles[/caption] Jumping sharks might not be on the agenda, but chatting about doing so more than once — and changing TV history when he made the leap the first time — likely will be. Acting classes also won't be on the itinerary, but hearing about half a century spent performing definitely is. Winkler's tour will follow the release of book Being Henry: The Fonz... and Beyond in October, which will also step through playing Fonzie, Barry Zuckercorn, Dr Saperstein, Gene Cousineau and more. On a six-stop visit, Winkler will head to Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane across two weeks in February. Hopefully also getting a mention: his role in helping develop the original MacGyver back in the 80s. HENRY WINKLER'S 'THE FONZ AND BEYOND' 2024 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Tuesday, February 6 — Sydney Town Hall, Sydney Wednesday, February 7 — Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide Thursday, February 8 — Perth Concert Hall, Perth Thursday, February 15 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Saturday, February 17 — Canberra Theatre, Canberra Monday, February 19 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane Henry Winkler is touring Australia in February 2024, with pre-sale tickets from 10am on Tuesday, September 19 and general sales from Friday, September 22 — head to the tour website for further details. Top image: HBO.
As well as creating some of popular culture's most beloved characters of the past three decades, JK Rowling's Harry Potter franchise has also conjured up a whole heap of astonishing critters. The Boy Who Lived himself studied them at Hogwarts, all thanks to textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — and, to the joy of Potter-loving muggles everywhere, Rowling turned that tome into an actual text in 2001. Plus, as every Wizarding World fan knows, that book followed the original Harry Potter novels in making the leap from the page to the screen. So far, two movies have hit cinemas, charting the exploits of the text's author Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) just as dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) rises to prominence. While neither the first 2016 film nor its 2018 sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald quite live up to the HP movies, three more are still planned from 2021 onwards. Can't wait that long until your next Fantastic Beasts fix? Particularly fond of the creatures that fly, scamper and scurry through the Wizarding World? Then you'll be waving your wands in excitement about the huge new Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature, which'll display items from Rowling's fictional universe alongside real-life creatures, specimens and artefacts. Premiering at London's Natural History Museum sometime this autumn — spring in the northern hemisphere — for a seven-month season before embarking on an international tour, the showcase will combine critters from the natural world, the mythical world and the Wizarding World. Visitors will see legendary beasts placed alongside specimens and historic objects, while also venturing through digital installations and other elements from the Fantastic Beasts flicks. Unsurprisingly, there'll also be a huge focus on Scamander, the Wizarding World's famed magizoologist. [caption id="attachment_757302" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jeff Spicer[/caption] While the full range of exhibits hasn't been revealed, you can expect to peer at a tiger, a Galápagos marine iguana and a giant oarfish (the planet's longest bony fish) alongside an Erumpent horn and the dragon skull from Professor Lupin's classroom. You'll also be able to compare the camouflage tactics of a jaguar to those of the Demiguise. Here's hoping a super-cute Niffler features in some shape or form, too. Just where Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature will head after its London run hasn't been announced yet either, but start yelling "accio exhibition" while you cross your fingers for a stop Down Under. A collaboration between the Natural History Museum, the BBC and Warner Bros, a Fantastic Beasts documentary is also headed to screens to tie in with the exhibition. Called Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History and presented by Stephen Fry, it'll delve into the origins and stories of mythical creatures and fantastical beasts, examining their history and making connections to animals roaming the planet today. In the UK, it's set to air at a yet-to-be-revealed date later this year — with international airings also yet to be announced. Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature will display at London's Natural History Museum from sometime this autumn — spring in the northern hemisphere — with tickets on sale from Thursday, January 16. Details of the exhibition's international tour are yet to be revealed.
Wiseman's Ferry is a teeny, tiny village perched on the banks of the mighty Hawkesbury River, surrounded by national park and with a population of just 220. The settlement gets its name from one Solomon Wiseman, an ex-convict who, in 1827, organised the first river crossing by ferry. And his service still runs today. A weekend at Wiseman's usually involves hours lolling by, on and in the river; pretty walks through nearby Dharug and Yengo National Parks; some pub grub at Wiseman's Inn and perusing paintings by local artists. On top of that, the annual Return To Rio rolls into town in November for three days to add even more reason to make your way to the idyllic village. This year, Carl Cox and Eric Powell will be powering through their Mobile Disco, a twelve-hour (yep) marathon of funk, soul, disco and classic house, pumped out by a live, twelve-piece band. Also in the line-up are Incognito, Lee Foss, &ME, Fabio and Grooverider, Bedouin, Neil James and loads more dance music legends. When you're not furiously making shapes, you can take a timeout at yoga classes, meditation sessions, markets and swimming holes. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you make the most of your Return to Rio. Here are the best options for what to eat, what to do and where to stay during the festival weekend. EAT AND DRINK At Return To Rio, expect an array of food stalls, peddling all kinds of international cuisines, from steaming pho to massive burgers, designed to fuel all-night dancing. Vegos and vegans, fear not: you'll be well catered for, too. Also, if food options are any worry, you're invited to pack your own steak or haloumi slab and fry it up on one of the barbecues provided. Outside of the festival, no visit to Wiseman's Ferry counts without a visit to Wiseman's Inn. Built in 1827, this sandstone retreat was once Solomon Wiseman's stately home and is now owned by ex-Wallaby Bill Young. On cool days, relax by the open fire; on hot ones, head into the shady beer garden. Either way, keep an eye out for the local ghosts who are said to be roaming the halls of the inn. Meanwhile, you can find coffee, house-made pies and wraps at Wiseman's Ferry Grocer, and a solid modern Australian offering at Busby's Cafe, where dishes include garlic prawns in creamy chive-white wine sauce, as well as baby barramundi fillets with kipfler potatoes and tomato-rocket salad. For a fancier bite, reserve a table at Riverbend Restaurant, within the idyllic, landscaped gardens of The Retreat. The ever-changing menu is big on local, seasonal produce. DO Festival bound? Your first job is to dance until you're wrecked. After that, wander around the Return To Rio markets, relax at a yoga session and restore your energy by the pool, complete with cocktail bar and soundtracked by reggae. Your ticket also gets you access to the resort's facilities, which include a nine-hole golf course, volleyball and tennis courts and plenty of river frontage. When you're ready to find out what lies beyond the festival gates, a bush walk is a good starting point. For a piece of convict history, as well as some stunning Hawkesbury vistas, there's the Old Great North Road World Heritage Walk, a nine-kilometre loop that begins on the river's northern bank (you'll need to catch the ferry). If you're short on time, it's possible to stroll along just one section, such as Hangman's Rock. A more challenging adventure is the 11 Kilometre Walking Track, which takes in ferny forests, friendly creeks and some steep sections. Next up is the question of getting onto the water. Hawkesbury House Boats hires out various vessels, from kayaks to speedboats. Meanwhile, Xterra Adventures offers guided tours in the form of a four-hour escapade up MacDonald River, a tributary of the Hawkesbury that includes morning tea. Keen to meet a few arty types? Wiseman's Ferry's natural beauty and isolation have been attracting them for years. Check out their work at Ferry Artists' Gallery, a community-run venture that exhibits painting, sculpture, jewellery, ceramics and glassware. There are occasional workshops, too. STAY The festival grounds give you pretty much every accommodation option under the sun: camp it (with your own tent), glamp it (with Simple Pleasures providing all your needs) or tipi it (in one of Rainbow Tipis' magnificent creations). Should you seek the protection of four solid walls, book a cabin, lodge or home — depending on the size of your crew. Last, but not least, you're welcome to bring your own mobile digs, be they van, car or motorhome: just make sure you book a spot before leaving home. Like the idea of popping in and out of the action? Get some buddies together and sleepover on a houseboat. Able Hawkesbury River Houseboats have them for all budgets. At one end, there's the five-star Spa, with five queen-sized ensuite bedrooms, a ten-person jacuzzi, full kitchen, lounge room and wrap-around deck. At the other, there's the humble Aquavan two to four berth, with sleeping space for up to four on day lounges that turn into double beds, a shady front deck and a barbecue. The benefit of the Aquavan's littleness is that you can go exploring on the Colo and MacDonald Rivers. Back on land, the aforementioned Wiseman's Inn harbours a bunch of straightforward, affordable rooms. Or, if you want to go all out on a luxe stay, check into The Retreat, a 50-acre property with 54 rooms, including spa suites, as well as a golf course, tennis courts and pool. Return To Rio takes place at Del Rio Resort from November 3 to 5. Personalise your next adventure via The Playmaker, driven by Mazda3.
2024 is already set to be a huge year for Australia's most-inclusive music festival, after the Dylan Alcott-founded Ability Fest announced that it would not only play Melbourne but also hit up Brisbane as well. Mere days after revealing its expansion, the event has now dropped its lineup — and, with Ocean Alley, King Stingray, Cub Sport and Bag Raiders leading the bill, it too is massive. Ability Fest will first head to Alexandra Gardens/Birrarung Marr in Melbourne on Saturday, October 19, then to Victoria Park/Barrambin in Brisbane on Saturday, October 26. The roster of talent varies slightly per state, but the aforementioned four acts will take to the stage in both cities. So will Asha Jefferies, Boone, Brenn!, Dewbs, Eliza Hull and jamesjamesjames, alongside Jordan Brando, Jordz, Kita Alexander and a triple j Unearthed winner. From there, Melburnians will can catch ONEFOUR, Crybaby, DAWS, Floodlights, Kuzco, NayNay and Wax'o Paradiso. In Brisbane only, punters will see Middle Kids, Cheq, Eves Karydas, Mikalah Watego, Moss, Neesha Alexander and Xeimma. Across both locations, Ability Fest is splitting its musicians across two stages, one for bands and one for DJs. The fully accessible event, which launched in 2018, has been carefully designed from the get-go. It features ramps and pathways for easy access, Auslan interpreters working alongside the artists, and elevated platforms to give everyone a shot at seeing the stage. Plus, there's also quiet zones, dedicated sensory areas and accessible toilets. The Brisbane festival will cater to around 5000 people, and Ability Fest is committed to being financially accessible during the current cost-of-living crisis in both of its stops. Accordingly, tickets will only cost $60 plus booking fee, and carers will receive complimentary entry. The fest is also lowering the age of admission to 16 so more folks can head along. While dishing up primo live tunes and music experiences to Aussies of all abilities, the not-for-profit fest also raises money for the Dylan Alcott Foundation, with 100-percent of its ticket proceeds going to the organisation. [caption id="attachment_963990" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Chloe Hall[/caption] "Ability Fest is all about bringing people together through music — a celebration where everyone, regardless of ability, can have an extraordinary time," said Alcott. "I'm particularly excited about the diverse and talented artists we have lined up this year. Their performances will undoubtedly bring such a unique energy to Ability Fest, uniting our community and creating unforgettable moments." [caption id="attachment_963997" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Glenn Hunt[/caption] Ability Fest 2024 Lineup: Brisbane and Melbourne: Asha Jefferies Bag Raiders Boone Brenn! Cub Sport Dewbs Eliza Hull jamesjamesjames Jordan Brando Jordz King Stingray Kita Alexander Ocean Alley triple j Unearthed winner Melbourne only: Crybaby DAWS Floodlights Kuzco NayNay ONEFOUR Wax'o Paradiso Brisbane only: Cheq Eves Karydas Middle Kids Mikalah Watego Moss Neesha Alexander Xeimma [caption id="attachment_963996" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Chloe Hall[/caption] Ability Fest 2024 Dates and Venues: Saturday, October 19 — Alexandra Gardens/Birrarung Marr, Melbourne Saturday, October 26 — Victoria Park/Barrambin, Brisbane [caption id="attachment_963995" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Chloe Hall[/caption] Ability Fest 2024 will hit Melbourne and Brisbane in October 2024. Pre-sale tickets will be available from 12pm AEST on Wednesday, July 10 (register online), with general tickets selling online from 12pm on Thursday, July 11. Head to the festival website for more details. Top image: Chloe Hall.
Looking to make the most of your Friday lunch break? Step away from your desk, stretch your legs, and get a little bit jiggy with it, if you please, as The Rocks invites you to The Lunch Set, a series of free live music sessions showcasing Sydney's best up-and-coming talent. While you're at it, you'll be treated to $15 lunch specials from some top-notch Rocks eateries. Head to Aslan Coffee Roasters for a hearty falafel or crispy chicken wrap with chips, or the Four Seasons' On the Go Cafe for a mortadella pizza sandwich layered with stracciatella, pecorino, pistachio pesto and rocket. Ready for afternoon tea already? Hit The Tea Cosy for a picnic pack, which gives you four classic cucumber sandwiches, plus four scones with jam and cream. The Lunch Set is happening in First Fleet Park every Friday from 11.30am-2.30pm until June 27, and there's a different act every week, ranging from acoustic and indie pop to R&B. Catch Lolita M on March 21, Sloan Peterson on March 28, Karim on April 4, and Mikey Harvey and Stephanie Grace on April 11. More acts will be announced soon, so watch this space.
UPDATE March 14, 2017: We'll admit when we're duped. We done got duped. The Frango's Delivery Service Facebook page has revealed their true colours as an unofficial, fake page. Frango's is tragically not offering delivery. Unleash the hounds, we can take it. Have you crossed the city for Frango's? You've crossed the city for Frango's. This Sydney institution's celebrated charcoal Portuguese chicken is the juiciest around and their ever-bustling, no-nonsense stores have one of the biggest cult followings in the city. Their secret sauce haunts our food dreams, and a mere mention of a Frango's chicken burger can trigger unstoppable, ranting praise. Now, to further fuel the mad ravings of Frango's fanatics, they're starting their own delivery service. Seriously. Frango's. Delivered. The first post to the Frango's Delivery Service Facebook page was only two days ago and yet the page already has over 1200 likes. Sydneysiders are losing their collective shit over this news, sharing on social by the handful, and we're right there with them. Delivery will gloriously run seven days a week, but only out of their Petersham shop for the time being. Before you rush to the phone, though, you'll have to wait a little longer to dig in at your desk — delivery services won't start until the beginning of April, so watch this space for the green light. Top image: Emmy Smith. Featured image: @ajsastulanovic via Instagram.
Season four of The Witcher is officially in production, and will be followed by season five, with the next two dates with monster hunter Geralt of Rivia filming their antics back to back. Actually, make that the last two dates with Netflix's hit fantasy series. The streaming platform has also revealed that the show will come to an end with its fifth season. So, get ready to toss a coin to your witcher again, and then one more time — but that'll be it. As previously announced, there'll be a big change when the series returns, with The Hunger Games, The Dressmaker and Independence Day: Resurgence's Liam Hemsworth taking over from Argylle's Henry Cavill as Geralt. It's official, The Witcher season 4 is in production. But that's not all, we're already planning season 5, which will be the final season and bring this epic show to a fitting conclusion. See you on The Continent. pic.twitter.com/c0ilUCWYkF — The Witcher (@witchernetflix) April 18, 2024 It was back in 2022 when audiences learned that Cavill would say goodbye to the role after three seasons — two of which had streamed at the time. "My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for season four," said Cavill in a statement. "In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find." It's official: The Witcher is returning for Season 4, and Henry Cavill will be handing his swords to Liam Hemsworth as the new Geralt of Rivia after Season 3. Welcome to the Witcher family, @LiamHemsworth! Read more: https://t.co/ABQMdqkzXX pic.twitter.com/xyIaRBbiRT — The Witcher (@witchernetflix) October 29, 2022 Hemsworth added at the time that "as a Witcher fan I'm over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia". He continued: "Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I'm honoured that he's handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf's blades for the next chapter of his adventure. Henry, I've been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I'm truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world." Back then, Netflix also did what it always has with The Witcher, renewing it for another season when its next hadn't yet streamed. The same also occurred with season three before season two dropped, and with season two before season one debuted before that. That trend continues now for the last time, given that the newly announced season five will wrap up the story. If you haven't watched the first three seasons yet but the name sounds familiar from elsewhere, that's because The Witcher is based on the short stories and novels of writer Andrzej Sapkowski — and, as well as being turned into comics, it was adapted the video game series of the same name. A Polish film and TV show also reached screens in the early 2000s, although they were poorly received. Sapkowski's last three Witcher books, aka Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow and Lady of the Lake, will form the basis of the Netflix series' final two seasons. "It is with huge pride that we begin shooting our penultimate season of The Witcher with a stellar cast, including some exciting new additions, led by Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia," said creator and showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich to Netflix about the announcement that the show is saying goodbye. "We're thrilled to be able to bring Andrzej Sapkowski's books to an epic and satisfying conclusion. It wouldn't be our show if we didn't push our family of characters to their absolute limit — stay tuned to see how the story ends." [caption id="attachment_944097" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Susie Allnutt, Netflix[/caption] In the Netflix effort, Cavill plays the witcher of the title, aka the part that Hemsworth is taking over. Geralt of Rivia prefers to work — aka slay beasts — alone in a realm called The Continent. But life has other plans for the lone wolf, forcing him to cross paths with powerful sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra, The Cypher) and young princess Ciri (Freya Allan, Baghead). The Witcher franchise doesn't just include the show itself, but also animated flick The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, which hit Netflix in 2021. So far, there's also prequel series The Witcher: Blood Origin, too — which takes place 1200 years before Geralt's time, spans four episodes, stars Everything Everywhere All At Once's Michelle Yeoh and arrived in 2022. There's no sneak peek at The Witcher's fourth season yet, but here's the trailer for season three in the interim: The Witcher's fourth season doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. The show's first three seasons are currently available to stream via Netflix. Top image: Susie Allnutt, Netflix.
What type of coffee aroma would characterise the feet of your ideal partner? Arabica or Robusta? Single origin or a blend? The Ministry of Supply's new ATLAS socks promise to replace the smell of sticky, sweaty feet with the more alluring scent of roasted beans. They've been made possible by a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, which raised a whopping US$200,000, not only through their novel appeal but also through a reward of two pairs of socks for every $28 pledged. The Ministry of Supply team developed the technology through a deep and prolonged study of the human foot. First, they figured out which areas are most liable to the reception of pressure, and therefore to the production of sweat and heat. Then they designed an accordingly padded and ventilated sock, using wicking to maximise aeration potential. The coffee, collected from various cafes and eateries, is infused into the material. Its job is to draw in and capture the nasty molecules that create antisocial smells. Voila, feet so sweet you can leave your socks on for a week. Well, that's the story according to Forbes writer Natalie Robehmed, who claims she wore a pair for five days straight without frightening anyone away. [via Springwise]
If you're in Byron Bay right now, looking forward to this year's Splendour in the Grass — or you're on your way — then you'll already know that it's mighty wet in the region at the moment. In fact, it has been so soggy that campsites have been flooded, lines to get in have taken all night, there's even more mud than usual and the past 24 hours have been filled with chaos. And with more rainy weather due for the rest of the day, the fest's organisers have pulled the plug on all main stage gigs today, Friday, July 22. "A significant weather system is currently sitting off the east coast and may reach land later today bringing more rainfall. In the interest of patron safety and in consultation with all relevant emergency services, we have decided to err on the side of caution and cancel performances on the main stages today only — Amphitheatre, Mix Up, GW McLennan and Park(lands) stages," said the Splendour crew in a statement. "All of our destination spaces (Global Village, Tipi Forest, Forum, Comedy and Science tents, etc) will remain open today for patrons who are already onsite as well as those at our satellite campground at Byron Events Farm. Please relax and enjoy what is open." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Splendour in the Grass (@splendourinthegrass) From the fest's hefty lineup, Gorillaz, The Avalanches, DMA's, Dillon Frances, Kacey Musgraves and Orville Peck are among the acts that were due to perform today, but won't now. Organisers also advised that SITG looks forward "to Saturday and Sunday programming moving ahead as planned". So, fingers crossed that The Strokes, Glass Animals, Jack Harlow, Violent Soho, Tim Minchin and more will hit the stage on Saturday — and Tyler, The Creator, Liam Gallagher, Bad//Dreems, Mura Masa and others on Sunday. More rain is forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology for Byron Bay today, with showers and wind expected on Saturday, plus possible showers on Sunday. Affected ticketholders will be contacted by Moshtix in the coming week, via the email address you used to buy your ticket, with further information on refunds. Today's cancellation comes in Splendour's big comeback year, after two winters without live tunes at North Byron Parklands due to the pandemic. Splendour in the Grass runs until Sunday, July 24 at North Byron Parklands. For further information, head to the festival's website and Facebook page. Images: Ben Hansen.
Inspiration strikes in plenty of places, including while watching movies — and if you've ever sat down in a cinema or on your own couch, directed your eyes towards a film and seen your style dreams flicker across the screen, then you might be interested in Melbourne's latest pop culture-themed pop-up. You'll need to make a choice, though: do you want to look like Ryan Gosling or Chris Evans? To be specific, would you prefer a goatee like Gosling wears in Netflix flick The Gray Man, or a moustache — a "trash 'stache", as Gosling's character calls it — that's donned by Evans as the film's villain? That's what's on offer for three days only in Melbourne, from Friday, July 29–Sunday, July 31, as part of the streaming platform's Good Guy Goatee/Bad Bro Mo Barber Shop in Fitzroy. No, you can't go rogue and ask for Gosling's Barbie look or Evans' Captain America aesthetic — this is all about The Gray Man, so looking like you've stepped out of the spy thriller is the only thing on the menu. This movie-inspired makeover is free, too, and open to everyone. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can reserve a spot online in advance. If you don't have facial hair of your own, but you'd like some, there are even stunt goatees and 'staches on offer. Otherwise, you'll slide into the barber's chair to get Gosling's rugged stubble or ape Evan's top lip. [caption id="attachment_855170" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stanislav Honzik/Netflix © 2022[/caption] The barbershop setup has also been decked out to suit the film, so patrons will find other bits and pieces in store, including posters and pictures. If you want to spend time arguing with your mates while you're there about that Evans-style mo — to really mirror the on-screen Gosling and Evans banter — that's obviously up to you. For those who haven't seen the movie, The Gray Man stars Gosling as off-the-books CIA assassin Sierra Six, who finds himself being hunted by another killer who fits that description — Evans' gleefully unhinged Lloyd Hansen. Cue a globe-hopping espionage-fuelled affair that's brings together familiar pieces, but also isn't without its charms, in no small part thanks to its impressive cast. And yes, these kinds of pop culture experiences are popping up frequently in Australia lately. Just a few months back, an Everything Everywhere All At Once-inspired multidimensional laundromat did the honours in Melbourne, too — and Cinema Nova also decked itself out The French Dispatch-style over summer. Up in Sydney, the giant 'Red Light, Green Light' doll from Squid Game made an appearance by the harbour, and a Stranger Things rift opened up on Bondi Beach. Now, are you a Gosling or an Evans? Find the Good Guy Goatee/Bad Bro Mo Barber Shop at 306–308 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy — open from 12–7pm on Friday, July 29–Saturday, July 30, and from 10am–5.30pm on Sunday, July 31. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can reserve a spot online in advance. The Gray Man is currently playing in Australian cinemas, and is available to stream via Netflix — read our full review. Top image: Paul Abell/Netflix © 2022.
Christmas is almost upon us, and if you're not sure how best to celebrate this year, fear not. We've got you covered with a few drink recipes to add a little extra cheer to your Christmas festivities. Whether it's bubbles, whisky or fine wine, we've teamed up with our friends over at Pernod Ricard, purveyors of celebratory drinks like Mumm, Chivas, St Hugo and Jacob's Creek, to bring you five drink recipes guaranteed to make your silly season all the merrier this year. Whether you're a Champagne sipper or whisky swirler, put these tipples on your menu this festive season. [caption id="attachment_586726" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Steven Woodburn.[/caption] MUMM 75 A delicate, well-balanced drink, the Mumm 75 is sophisticated but accessible — perfect for impressing (and easily whipping up) for a casual barbecue or sunny garden party. — 15ml Beefeater Gin — 15ml elderflower liqueur — 15ml lemon juice — 80ml of Mumm Champagne Add everything but the Champagne to your cocktail shaker, shake vigorously and double strain into a coupe glass. Top up the glass with Mumm and serve garnished with a thin slice of lemon. ST HUGO CABERNET SAUVIGNON This bold cab sav is an excellent red to add to your holiday dining table this year. Truly indicative of the Coonawarra region, this wine offers a rich bouquet of fruity aromas — think blackberries, dark cherries and a hint of star anise. These aromas give way to a full body, showcasing oaky, vanilla notes with a touch of roasted chestnut. The finish is rich in tannins with a faint, delicate acid line to balance it out. It's the perfect accompaniment to a roast Christmas lunch. The versatility of the wine also makes it a great gift, and with a personalised gift wrapper and calligrapher at selected Dan Murphy's stores, you can easily grab a special bottle or two for the epicure in your life while shopping for the rest of the Christmas meal. CHIVAS REGAL 18-YEAR-OLD SOUR This is already a fine, rich drop of expertly blended whisky, with a velvet, smooth profile featuring notes of dark chocolate, toffee and hints of dried fruit. It's also a top-notch base for a whisky sour. — 2 parts Chivas 18-Year-Old — 1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice — 1 part sugar syrup — 1 egg white First add the Chivas to your shaker, then add the lemon juice and sugar syrup, and shake. Next, add the egg white and shake to emulsify. Add ice and shake vigorously again; double strain over ice and garnish with a maraschino cherry and slice of orange. Add a dash of bitters to top it off. LE PETIT ROSÉ FROSÉ What's become the drink of the summer (perhaps after the spritz — more on that below), frosé is dead easy to make —and with the bright, fresh berry and mild citrus notes of Jacob's Creek Le Petit Rosé, you have the perfect wine to use as the base for this summer sipper. — 90ml Jacob's Creek Le Petit Rosé — 30ml Absolut vodka — a splash of grenadine — 3 cups of ice Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender, and blend on high to achieve a smooth consistency. Garnish with a strawberry or a scattering of edible flowers for total summer vibes. JACOB'S CREEK PROSECCO SPRITZ The prosecco spritz is an ideal drop for an Aussie Christmas — or really any summer's day. Light bodied, but full of flavour, this refreshing drink is sure to be a hit with wine lovers, cocktail drinkers and hosts who don't have time to mix up spritzes for the group. The fresh, bone-dry base of Jacob's Creek prosecco is blended with bitter orange notes and gives way to a clean fruity flavour. Best served over ice with a generous slice of blood orange to heighten the citrus notes and herbaceous aromas, the drink makes a great aperitif or accompaniment to any summer seafood dish. Start planning your festive menus — Christmas will be here before you know it. Purchase any two eligible Pernod products from a Cellarbrations, The Bottle O, IGA Liquor or Big Bargain Bottleshop, and go in the draw to win a $500 travel voucher. There's one voucher to win every day till Christmas. And really, what could be better for the holiday spirit than winning an actual holiday?
If you think that TED is thought provoking and intellectual yet on the whole not funny enough, Sydney Festival has taken it upon itself to broaden the appeal. Mixing comedy with academic explanation might seem like an idea best approached with some soothing booze, but the inaugural round of Bright Club has that angle covered too. Not unlike Cafe Scientifique, it mixes a good idea and a good drink while eager academics bring their ideas to the stage in eight minutes of entertainment and comedy. The Festival’s Club is divided into three consecutive themed late Wednesday nights from 11.30pm. The first focusing on Testosterone, the second Sex and a third escaping the human body into Earth, Sea and Sky. Joining Sydney University thinkers and researchers in the woody confines of the Famous Spegieltent will be more orthodox comedians, performers and host James O'Loghlin — whose twin holds on science and comedy should be enough to keep the pace from dragging. If you like your ideas entertaining, challenging and short, Bright Club's intellectual pugilism is probably just the British import you were waiting for. Image by Joi Ito.
Heiner Goebbels is the celebrity of the 2013 Sydney Festival, as far as the experimental performance nerds are concerned. But the director and composer's esoteric-sounding works can be relied on to hit a nerve no matter whether you've done the background reading. Eraritjaritjaka, which means "regret for lost things' in the Indigenous Australian Arunta language, features the unflinching texts of Nobel Laureate Elias Canetti, live music by Amsterdam's Mondriaan String Quartet, an actor who takes the whole audience with him when he leaves the stage, and a lesson on how to chop an onion in perfect time with the music of Ravel. The expansive multimedia performance has toured the world since 2004 and now makes its exclusive Australian appearance at the Theatre Royal. Read our list of the 12 best things to see at the Sydney Festival in 2013.
If you can't make it to London's dine-in-the-dark naked restaurant — or you got in at the tail-end of the 28,000-strong waitlist — you might be interested in an after-dark dinner of a different kind. For Vivid Sydney, Sydney Tower (aka the ever-present Westfield spire that looms over the city) will be dimming the lights for dinner with a ripper of a view. On Saturday, June 4, Sydney's tallest structure will be switching the overheads for candles for a one-off dinner in their STUDIO event space. With the lights down low, you'll be able to cop an eyeful of the all the ridiculously beautiful Vivid lights down below. But your sight won't be the only sense in total overload. 360 Bar and Dining's head chef Elton Inglis has designed a special five-course menu with matching wines to stimulate your taste, touch, smell and hearing. Not sure how that last one will be integrated, but we're pretty into the taste side of things. Dinner in the Dark is a one-night-only deal, and it will kick off after-dark at 7pm on Saturday, June 4. Tickets cost $199 and include five course with matched wines, a glass of sparkling and potentially the best (and least crowded) view of Vivid in Sydney.
The pandemic hasn't conjured up many fond memories, but Normal People's small-screen arrival in 2020 is definitely one of them. Dropping into our streaming queues when the world was mid-lockdown and already feeling every emotion possible, the heartwrenching TV adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel was impossible to stop watching — thanks to the story, the pitch-perfect performances and the evocative mood that made you feel like you'd stepped into the writer's pages. Based on the two trailers for Conversations with Friends so far, history looks set to repeat itself on Monday, May 16, which is when the latest television version of one of Rooney's beloved books hits. This time around, the author's debut novel is making its way to the screen, but it has another tale of love, lust and emotional chaos to tell. Of course it does. As seen in the first teaser back in January and fleshed out further in the just-dropped full trailer, Conversations with Friends focuses on Dublin college students Frances (newcomer Alison Oliver) and Bobbi (Sasha Lane, American Honey), as well as married couple Nick (Joe Alwyn, The Souvenir: Part II) and Melissa (Jemima Kirke, Sex Education). Frances and Bobbi used to date, but are now best friends; however, everything shifts when they meet their new pals — with Frances and Nick having an affair, Melissa and Bobbi drawn to each other, and Frances and Bobbi's friendship put under threat. Complicating matters: everything from the fact that Frances and Bobbi are so close that they even perform spoken word poetry together, through to their different ways of pursuing Melissa and Nick. While Melissa and Bobbi flirt openly, Frances and Nick keep things under wraps. And yes, as the trailer shows to the sounds of Phoebe Bridgers, it all gets complex fast. Unfurling across 12 parts, all of which will drop on the same day — so you really can repeat the Normal People binging experience — Conversations with Friends also shares that series' co-director Lenny Abrahamson (Room, Frank), as well as co-screenwriter Alice Birch (Lady Macbeth). When Conversations with Friends was first published five years back, it launched Rooney's career and sent award nominations her way, with Hulu and BBC Three announcing their plans to bring it to the screen after the Normal People adaptation proved such a hit. Obviously, if you can't wait for Conversations with Friends to land in your streaming queue, you can try to fill your time rebinging Normal People. Check out the full trailer for Conversations with Friends below: Conversations with Friends will be available to stream Down Under via Prime Video on Monday, May 16. Images: Alison Oliver (Frances), Sasha Lane (Bobbi), Joe Alwyn (Nick) and Jemima Kirke (Melissa) in Conversations with Friends, Element Pictures. Photographer: Enda Bowe.
How do you brighten up one of the most vibrant cities on earth? And at the brightest time of the year? It's simple: add a park installation littered with glowing lights. Like Tokyo before it, New York now boasts its own short-term piece of luminous art — and one that's both creative and eye-catching. Called Whiteout, the commissioned project has unleashed hundreds of LED-filled globes upon Madison Square Park. Set up until March 25, 2018, the piece comes from Austrian-born, New York and Ohio-based artist Erwin Redl, who suspended the white, transparent spheres across the space using a square steel grid and cabling. As well as their standard twinkling, the orbs sway with the wind and sparkle according to large-scale animated patterns, all as part of the 6.2-acre park's latest free outdoor exhibition. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbk8VEvnCTh/?taken-by=madsqparknyc Explains Redl, "the physicality of the swaying orbs in conjunction with the abstract animations of their embedded white lights allows the public to explore a new, hybrid reality in this urban setting." Known for creating light projects on building facades, Redl takes inspiration from the greats in the field, such as Larry Bell, Robert Irwin, James Turrell, and Doug Wheeler While visitors can't interact with the installation, they can view it as they mosey along the park's walkways. Given that more than 60,000 people visit the site daily, it's certain to make quite the impact, in a piece Redl created and fabricated with the assistance of Madison Square Park Conservancy and the New York City, Brisbane and Shanghai-based public artwork firm UAP. If you're in New York, check out Whiteout at Madison Square Park until March 25, 2018. Head to the park website for further information. Image: Erwin Redl, Whiteout, 2017. Steel, animated white LEDs, stainless steel cable, low voltage insulated wire, two sections: each 12 x 40 x 180 feet; overall: 12 x 110 x 180 feet. Collection of the artist. © Erwin Redl. Photo: Rashmi Gill.
First came Princess Diana, then Elvis, then Marilyn Monroe. That's not how it happened in reality, of course, but it's how 2022's big biopics are shaping up Down Under. This year has already seen both Spencer and Elvis sashay onto local screens — and, because star-studded movies about stars are a film buff's best friend, or so studios seem to think, Netflix's Blonde will follow come September. Here's hoping that the long-awaited feature — which started shooting back in 2019, but was delayed due to the pandemic — completes a trifecta of excellent recent films about icons, too. It has just as wild, chaotic and tragic a story to tell, and someone just as famous at its centre. This take on Monroe's life is based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates, so it'll spin a piece of biographical fiction; however, looking at the just-dropped full Blonde trailer, there's plenty that sticks with the facts in the movie's frames. Dresses, moments, that titular hair, the husbands, the fame, the scrutiny: they're all a part of this haunting sneak peek at the film, which sees Ana de Armas hopping from Knives Out, No Time to Die and The Gray Man into her biggest role yet. The trailer features her voiceover throughout, explaining the toll that all that success had. "I can't face doing another scene with Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn doesn't exist. When I come out of my dressing room, I'm Norma Jeane," she says. "Marilyn Monroe only exists on the screen," she continues — and that's clearly set to be a constant point throughout the movie. Blonde will peer back at the days when she was only known as Norma Jeane, explore her rise to stardom, and look at her romances as well, all to unpack the gap between who she was in private and the persona that the public demanded. Blonde hits Netflix on Wednesday, September 28, with Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik both writing and directing, and the cast also featuring Bobby Cannavale (Nine Perfect Strangers), Adrien Brody (Succession), Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Easttown), Xavier Samuel (Elvis) and Evan Williams (Westworld). Of course, de Armas isn't the first actor to step into the icon's shoes — and twirling frocks and diamonds, too — or to do so in an adaptation of Oates' book. Aussie actor Poppy Montgomery (Christmas on the Farm) did the same back in 2001, in a made-for-TV version also called Blonde. Elsewhere, Michelle Williams (Venom: Let There Be Carnage) did the honours in the unrelated 2011 movie My Week with Marilyn, and earned an Oscar nomination in the process, while Mira Sorvino (Shining Vale) and Ashley Judd (Berlin Station) shared the part — one as Marilyn, the other as Norma — in 1996 TV effort Norma Jean & Marilyn. Check out the trailer for Blonde below: Blonde will be available to stream via Netflix Down Under on Wednesday, September 28. Images: 2022 © Netflix.
Lebanese-style charcoal chook in Sydney has long been synonymous with El Jannah. Yes, there's northern Sydney chain Chargrill Charlie's, but its sauces — Greek Island, Portuguese Piri Piri and Thai Fresh Herbs — are notably missing toum. Frango's has firm Portuguese roots and Red Rooster is, well, Red Rooster. As of July 1, though, another player has flown into the proverbial coop. Henrietta is the new restaurant by Nour's Ibby Moubadder and Jorge Farah specialising in Middle Eastern charcoal chook — and it's not too dissimilar to its Crown Street sibling. Both restaurants celebrate traditional Lebanese cooking techniques, but aren't afraid to stray from the straight and narrow. Nour's falafel comes in crumpet form and its halva is served alongside pumpkin cheesecake. Henrietta's baba ghanoush gets an umami hit from miso, its beef brisket is served atop tacos with zhug (a Yemeni hot sauce) and its chicken tawouk comes, not as a kebab, but inside spring rolls. But the newcomer's focus is not the rule-breaking sides, it's the charcoal chook. Henrietta's take comes with a glistening layer of smoky, spicy sauce, the requisite char and juicy flesh. It comes with the requisite garlic toum, too, as well as zingy pickles and Lebanese bread. It's suggested sumac chicken salt-covered chips are ordered, too, and rolled using that bread — together with the chicken, toum, chilli sauce and pickles — to create a DIY chicken sandwich. Just how you do this is illustrated in easy-to-follow steps on the menu. Sound like too much work? You can order one, pre-rolled, for $14. Alongside the charcoal chook, you'll find three Lebanese-ish desserts — chocolate mouse with rose, baklava sundaes and rice pudding with halva — as well as seven fun cocktails. A slushie machine is pumping out frozen takes on a Pornstar Martini, while a bartender shakes the likes of spicy passionfruit margaritas and hibiscus sours. Walking a fine line between casual-night-out-with-the-crew and date-night, the 65-seater restaurant has been designed by creative agency DS17 and is filled with neon signs of 'Henrietta', concrete walls and terrazzo bars. While dining out is allowed in NSW — and has been since mid-May — some Sydneysiders are still dining in. Henrietta is catering for both with its takeaway window selling its charcoal chooks for $18 a pop.
In The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, blooms are rarely out of sight and petals never evade attention. Adapted from Holly Ringland's 2018 novel, the seven-part Australian miniseries is set on a farm that cultivates native flora. It dubs the women who tend to them, an ensemble from various backgrounds largely seeking refuge from abusive pasts, "flowers" as well. Whether stem by stem or in bunches, its characters use florets as their own secret language. And yet, as much as bouquets linger, getting all things floral on the mind, star Sigourney Weaver burns rather than blossoms. Fire is another of the Prime Video newcomer's strong recurring motifs, so it's still fitting that its biggest name is as all-consuming as a blaze. As seen via streaming from Friday, August 4, Weaver needs to be that scorching: this is a story about endeavouring to survive while weathering woes that ignite everything in their path. She also draws upon almost five decades of thriving before the camera, often playing steely, smart and sometimes-raging women. Her on-screen career began sparking with Alien, the film that made her an instant icon. Since then, everyone has heard her performances scream. Weaver's resume also boasts the Ghostbusters franchise and fellow 80s hit Working Girl, everything from Copycat and Holes to Baby Mama and My Salinger Year, and the Avatar saga — playing a 14-year-old Na'vi girl in Avatar: The Way of Water included — and, in The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, she's again dazzling. Flowers frequently surround Weaver's June Hart far and wide, and in all hues and shapes. With a carefully selected cutting — be it of wattle, Sturt's desert pea or other Australian natives — she can say all she needs to. Indeed, June is a woman of few words if she can help it. The shotgun-toting matriarch of Thornfield Flower Farm, she knows how to make her presence felt as much as the most striking bloom, and favours action over talk. That's what the eponymous Alice (Ayla Browne, Nine Perfect Strangers) quickly learns about her grandmother when she arrives at the property following a tragedy. She too becomes one of the farm's flowers, moving in after losing her pregnant mother Agnes (Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Hotel Mumbai) and violent father Clem (Charlie Vickers, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power). This is a tale about traumas, secrets and lies that lurk as deeply as the earth — about the choices and cycles that take root in such fraught soil, too. When nine-year-old Alice relocates fresh from hospital, her whole existence has been darkened by her dad's temper, but the determined June, her doting partner Twig (Leah Purcell, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) and their adopted daughter Candy Blue (Frankie Adams, The Expanse) aim to shower the girl with sunlight in their own manners. You can't just bury problems, however, then hope that something vivid and colourful will grow over the top. Dedicating its first half to Alice's childhood and its second to 14 years later, when she's in her early twenties (Alycia Debnam-Carey, Fear the Walking Dead) and making her way away from Thornfield, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart understands this immutable fact in its core. When it spends time with its namesake while she's young, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart sees a slip of a kid who dreams of an escape, snatches what solace she can from borrowed books and loses her voice literally when fire sweeps in. The show's initial episodes witness the forces influencing Alice's life — some stormy, some luminous, many in-between — including as librarian Sally Morgan (Asher Keddie, Rams) and her police-officer husband John (Alexander England, Black Snow) contemplate battling June for custody. When it leaps forward to watch Alice flee all that she knows after a devastating revelation, it spies her heading to the Red Centre, collecting a stray pup along the journey, switching from floriography to being a park ranger, and falling for colleague Dylan (Sebastián Zurita, How to Survive Being Single). It also spots how the past keeps finding new routes to sprout no matter where she is or what she's doing. Add The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart alongside Deadloch, The English and Big Little Lies on the growing list of series that interrogate the brutality that too often surrounds women. Where Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan's excellent fellow Australian series adopted humour and satire, and the Emily Blunt-led series was a western, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart joins Big Little Lies in embracing melodrama. Forget the term's soap-opera connotations; the best examples understand that some stories demand telling with heightened emotions and by plunging viewers into a world of feelings, but can also be relayed thoughtfully, smartly and sensitively. That's exactly what showrunner Sarah Lambert (Lambs of God), fellow writers Kim Wilson (A League of Their Own) and Kirsty Fisher (Deadloch), and director Glendyn Ivin (Penguin Bloom) perfect in a series that's constantly probing, pondering and empathising. Still, it's easy to see how a lesser version of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart could've played out — and how formulaic, neat and straightforward it would've proven. Thankfully, the show that's reached streaming queues always digs in, flourishes in its own patch and turns its specific elements, familiar as some may be, into something powerful. There's no shying away from the horrors that haunt the series' characters, some passing down through generations, others tied to Australia's atrocious treatment of First Nations people and many sadly remaining far too prevalent IRL. There's no ignoring the potency of its mysteries as savage events beget long-hidden truths. And, there's no looking away from cinematographer Sam Chiplin's (The Stranger) meticulous imagery, which enthrals and immerses whether surveying the Australian landscape, focusing on minutiae, or peering intently at Weaver and her co-stars. As phenomenal as Weaver is, she isn't short on excellent company in a miniseries flowering with lived-in performances. Also portraying formidable women with harrowing histories that will never wilt, Purcell, Adams and Keddie always have pain and perseverance simmering in their eyes even when they're at their most caring. Conveying the fields upon fields of troubles and struggles shaping Alice via their expressions and physicality, Browne and Debnam-Carey are both exceptional — especially the former when nothing can be spoken, and the latter while navigating another fight to truly have a voice. Those blooms that are used to communicate? The farm's women have a dictionary, The Thornfield Language of Flowers, explaining them. With its cast, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart takes a leaf out of that book, too, knowing how to say everything even when no one utters a thing. Check out the full trailer for The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart below: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart streams via Prime Video from Friday, August 4. Images: H Stewart.
Here's your chance to meet the man who burned a million pounds. Back in 1994, as one-half of the K Foundation, Bill Drummond met with co-performer Jimmy Cauty in an abandoned boathouse on the Isle of Jura, Scotland, where the two of them set fire to most of the money they'd earned as The KLF, an acid house band that ruled the early '90s. These days, Drummond makes art under the name Penkiln Burn. His recent escapades have involved making and giving away flowers, beds and cakes. Right now, though, he's on a world tour, which began with daffodils beneath Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham in March 2014 and will finish there — but not until April 2025. Along the way, he's exhibiting his show The 25 Paintings in 12 cities in 12 various nations. The University of Northampton is so impressed they've given him an honorary Master of Arts degree. As part of Modulations, Drummond will make an exclusive appearance at Carriageworks on Saturday, June 6, at 6pm to discuss his art.
