As we come into the cool winter months, it warms the heart to look forward to one of the flagship events on the Sydney calendar. Vivid Sydney will be back for its twelfth year from May 27 to June 18 — and the 2022 iteration promises to be bigger than ever. The range of attractions on offer are many and varied but, at its core, Vivid Sydney is a light festival that gives colour and glow to the night sky and every conceivable canvas the city can provide. From illuminating some of Sydney's most famous landmarks to immersive exhibitions that seek to alter your perception of reality, here are ten must-see light installations on this year's program. Prepare to be dazzled. [caption id="attachment_853123" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Sharing the Same Life Essence', Rhoda Roberts AO and Deon Hastie, Destination NSW[/caption] 'FIRST LIGHT' First Light, the piece which kicks off the 2022 program on Friday, May 27, promises to be a stunning beginning that celebrates our rich Indigenous and First Nations culture. Vivid Sydney takes place on Gadigal land and waters, and as an acknowledgement of this, the Harbour Bridge pylons will be lit up with Sharing the Same Life Essence (Wayne Quilliam), a projection celebrating the Traditional Owners. First Light will also feature a Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony and performance by NAISDA dancers, culminating in a powerful and poignant opening work. Find out more here. [caption id="attachment_853125" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Spinifex Group, Destination NSW[/caption] SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE 90TH BIRTHDAY The iconic coathanger has already had its own birthday party this year but, as one of the key landmarks of Vivid Sydney, you just know there had to be something special happening to mark the Sydney Harbour Bridge entering its tenth decade. Suitably, there's a storytelling angle to this year's light extravaganza, with the Historical Archive and Digitisation Team at Transport for NSW looking back into its comprehensive photo archive to tell the tale of one of the world's most famous man-made structures through the people and places it connects. The light show will be brought to life on the bridge's giant pylons by animation experts Spinifex — and it's on repeat every night of the festival. [caption id="attachment_846473" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mandylights, Our Connected City[/caption] 'OUR CONNECTED CITY' The bright lights of Sydney are impressive all year round, but it doesn't compare to the illumination of Vivid Sydney. This year, the creative festival will be taking advantage of that already expansive canvas with Our Connected City, an installation from the creative minds at Mandylights. Hundreds of colour-changing lights will pulse through The Rocks, Circular Quay and across the harbour, lighting the CBD in a ribbon of light that spreads from the Opera House all the way to the northern pylon of the Harbour Bridge. There will also be 150 searchlight beams shining into the night sky like a series of beacons connecting the clouds to the people and land below. To add to the effect, all of these lights will be perfectly synchronised — a representation of connection come to life before your eyes. [caption id="attachment_853126" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Glenn Turner, Oracle-Liquid, Destination NSW[/caption] 'SYDNEY INFINITY' There's no doubt that one of the biggest selling points of Sydney is the incredible harbour, so it's only fitting that it will be celebrated at Vivid Sydney 2022. Glenn Turner, of internationally renowned special-effects company Oracle-Liquid, is putting the waterway front and centre with Sydney Infinity, a site- and festival-specific installation billed as the largest liquid and light show ever seen in Australia. At Darling Harbour, water and light will combine in a spectacular, infinity-shaped floating installation consisting of compressed-air water cannons, robotic fountains and thousands of LEDs (plus, the dazzling display will be synced to a soundtrack from Peewee Ferris). The sheer scale will be something to behold — the cannons will blast water 80 metres into the air and the fountains will disperse nine tonnes of water in the air per second. It's thanks to this pumping power that the exhibition can be viewed from around the city, including Pyrmont Bridge, nearby high-rises, and the harbour's floating walkway. [caption id="attachment_854523" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Temple of Joy, Elliot Routledge, Destination NSW[/caption] VIVID HOUSE Taking over Darling Quarter, Vivid House is an immersive experience that combines light and sound to stimulate your senses over three distinct installations. In A Floating World (Stephen Ferris), musicians and visual artists combine to create a sonic painting that evokes imaginary landscapes. With Progressum (aFX Global), subtlety is key as flickers of light permeate the darkness and gradually build to become one with sound. Finally, Temple of Joy (Elliott Routledge) is a tribute to the halcyon days of Sydney's nightlife. Take in all three for the full, unforgettable Vivid House experience. [caption id="attachment_853127" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Dive, Destination NSW[/caption] 'BUMP IN THE NIGHT' While Australia isn't quite as full of terrifying, life-threatening creatures as the rest of the world seems to think, you do tend to hear unidentifiable sounds of nature on a regular basis. Was that mad cackling a cockatoo, a kookaburra, or your neighbour watching Kath & Kim reruns again? Bump in the Night (by installation artist James Dive) is an interactive exhibition that looks like a genteel campsite (complete with muffled snores coming from inside the tents) but you get to play the strange creatures in the dark, with any noise you make potentially stirring the campers. This might be one of Vivid Sydney's strangest experiences but it's also one of the most fun. [caption id="attachment_853130" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Isabel Hudson and Trent Suidgeest, Destination NSW[/caption] 'A MIRRORED CITY' A Mirrored City creates a city within a city at The Goods Line. Conceptualised by artists Isabel Hudson and Trent Suidgeest, the installation brings shimmering surfaces to reflect the rich tapestry of Sydney life. As darkness falls, lights hidden within the surfaces create a larger Sydney, one that goes far beyond the confines of the station. From some of the city's most recognisable urban landscapes to stunning beachside vistas, A Mirrored City will take you on a tour of the city, telling stories about the people and places that make it what it is, all while you stay in one place. [caption id="attachment_853131" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michaela Gleave, Destination NSW[/caption] 'ENDLESS LOVE' The concept here — from contemporary artist Michaela Gleave — is pretty simple, but sometimes the simplest ideas are the most powerful. The words 'endless love' will be displayed as part of a giant, lit-up arch at Circular Quay. Because who doesn't want endless love — and what could be bigger and better than an enduring promise of never-ending adoration? Endless Love is Vivid Sydney's gift to the city, and it's also a message from our city to the rest of the world. Every morning, the sun rises above Sydney to herald a new day and, throughout Vivid Sydney, this message will be shining too. Oh, and you'll look great standing beneath it on Instagram, which is also important. [caption id="attachment_853132" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atelier Sisu, Destination NSW[/caption] 'EPHEMERAL OCEANIC' For this year's festival, Walsh Bay will be turned into a floating, bubble-laden playground courtesy of Atelier Sisu artists Zara Pasfield and Renzo B Larriviere. A floating boardwalk weaves between 150 giant orbs, lit from the inside and changing colour throughout the night, projecting ever-changing patterns onto the water below. Remember the pure glee you'd get from blowing bubbles as a child? This is the grown-up version of that, but it's also a reminder that you're never too old to have fun and lose yourself in life's simple pleasures. The inherent ephemerality of this piece is also encouragement for you to consider your environment and how easily things can change. [caption id="attachment_853134" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sinclair Park, Destination NSW[/caption] 'FRANKLY, MY DEAR...' When Vivid Sydney rolls round, everything is a canvas — iconic buildings and structures offering more surfaces and interesting angles for light to hit. The UTS School of Business is known for the paper bag-like aesthetic given to it by seminal architect Frank Gehry. Sinclair Park, the light artist behind Frankly, My Dear, noted the building is "unique and playful... an irresistible canvas", and created a site-specific work that will allow viewers to see the structure from a whole new perspective. Using lights in changing hues in the building's windows, he accents the exposed brick and unusual shapes, turning one of Sydney's most distinctive buildings into one of its most undeniably beautiful. Vivid Sydney takes place at locations citywide from May 27–June 18. For the full program and to find out more, head to the website. Planned your visit already? Remember to get social and use the hashtag #vividsydney or tag Vivid Sydney in your shots. Top image: Yarrkalpa — Hunting Ground (2021), by the Martu Artists and Curiious with soundtrack by Electric Fields and Martu Artists (inspired by Yarrkalpa — Always Walking Country, 2014), Destination NSW
Good food is good for the soul, but it's not every meal that's just as good for the community and the world. That level of karmic feedback is reserved for meals like Good Karma (Korma), the annual charity dinner hosted at Newtown's Delhi 'O' Delhi, back for its third year this Thursday, September 18. The one-night-only event showcases the highlights of Delhi 'O' Delhi's menu, featuring dishes like chermoula tandoori prawns, Bengali fish curry, and a decadent almond kulfi to finish. Each course comes with a matching wine, and every dish gives back to the world with donations to The Kids' Cancer Project. There will also be raffles and prizes throughout the evening providing further opportunities for donations. 75 percent of all ticket sales on the night will go to supporting young cancer patients, a cause that's deeply personal for Delhi 'O' Delhi founder Javed Khan, who said "I lost my elder brother in India to stage four cancer at the age of 53, just seven months after his diagnosis. Witnessing the challenges faced by patients at Tata Memorial Cancer Centre in Mumbai was confronting, but seeing children bravely fighting this dreadful disease was truly heart-wrenching. I returned to Australia determined to make a difference for young cancer warriors." The dinner will be available for all diners on Thursday, September 18 from 5.30–11pm. Tickets are $95 per person, $125 for matching wines. If you can't make it on the evening but would still like to donate, you can visit the fundraising page here.
Chin Chin built its name on punchy Southeast Asian fusion cuisine, with the Sydney outpost carrying on the Melbourne original's legacy since 2017. Now the famed restaurant is hosting a one-night-only collab with Four Pillars, featuring a gin-fuelled dinner on Wednesday, August 13, stacked with knock-out cocktail pairings. Complementing Chin Chin's beloved four-course Feed Me selection, the night kicks off with a Disco Is 4 Eva cocktail. Its yuzu and passionfruit burst is the ideal match for kingfish sashimi and prawn and ginger dumplings. Up next, the Tamarind Southside offers a sweet-tart blend, combining dry gin, tamarind caramel, lime and mint. It goes down a treat paired with roasted pork belly and roasted pumpkin served with peanut satay. Then, it's time for the Bang Bang Bloody Shiraz, a spicy number concocted from Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin, tequila, and hot and sour sauce. Married with chicken khao soi and a mixed leaf salad brimming with fresh Asian herbs, expect a curious combo overflowing with citrus and peppery notes. Of course, you can't depart without dessert — in this case, it comes with a double dose of gin. Here, the Mango Sticky Rice cocktail, featuring toasted rice-infused yuzu gin, is served alongside a coconut sago brimming with Four Pillars Negroni Gin ripple ice cream and rhubarb candied pink grapefruit.
You often hear that screen time and social networks characterise this generation. Does this mean that today's youth lack a sense of purpose in their lives and engagement IRL? Why are they considered to be so passive? That's where Apathetic comes in. It's a new biannual zine aimed at dispelling the idea that apathy is embedded in this generation. The first issue, 'Awake', is launching at the China Heights Gallery with an accompanying exhibition. The loose curatorial theme of 'awake' lets young creatives approach it from many angles and use their chosen medium to subvert notions of an apathetic youth. China Heights Gallery is an artist run initiative showcasing Sydney's up-and-coming designers and artists. The exhibitions are constantly changing and this should be a good one.
We're well and truly in the swing of spring now — daylight savings is back and we're as excited as ever to make the most of every sunny day, warm breeze, new flower and spring event. Plus, kicking this week off with a public holiday is adding an extra spring in our steps. Luckily, Sydney is brimming with ways to soak up every last drop of springtime fun. As its Spring Carnival continues, we've teamed up with Australian Turf Club to bring you four top-notch ways to celebrate the season this week. FIND YOUR NEW FAVOURITE DROP AT THIS BEER AND CIDER FESTIVAL When? Saturday, October 12–Sunday, October 13 There's nothing like enjoying a nice cold beer in the sunshine, with the waves crashing in the background. At Coogee Bay Hotel's fourth annual Craft Beer and Cider Festival you'll get a chance to try beers and ciders from a heap of brewers from Sydney and across Australia, including Akasha, Batch, Stone & Wood, Pirate Life, Young Henrys and Endeavour, plus Kona Brewing Co, all the way from Hawaii. Alongside more than 60 different beers, the two-day festival will feature pop-up food stalls offering smoked meats and other treats, and live jazz music to tap your feet to. The best part? Entry is free. CATCH CLIENT LIAISON AND DJ JESABEL AT SPRING CHAMPION STAKES DAY When? Saturday, October 12 Head to Royal Randwick for a day of fashion, live gigs and outdoor fun at the Moët & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes Day. Headlining the entertainment is fun-loving band Client Liaison who always put on a big show — so expect to be bopping away to their cheesy, 80s-inspired pop in no time. And at the venue's Palm Springs-themed poolside bar, DJ Jesabel will be providing tunes throughout the day, too. There'll be food trucks to keep you well-fed, plus pop-up bars from the likes of Pimm's and Chandon to keep you well soused as well as a Moët vending machine stocked with mini Moët bottles. And, if you're into fashion, you can enter the Harrolds Fashion Chute competition. CELEBRATE THE HUMBLE AVOCADO AND GET FIT AT AVOTHERAPY When? Saturday, October 12–Sunday, October 13 It's no obscure fact that Aussies love avocados — we've seen cafes, festivals and pop-up tiny homes dedicated to the fruit, and, on average, we each consume 3.5 kilos of avocado a year. To further celebrate the green goo, a whole weekend of free "avocado wellness" is coming to Paramount Recreation Club. What does avocado wellness entail, you ask? Good question. The event — which will be hosted on the Surry Hills rooftop gym and run by Australian Avocados — will see a series of exercise classes, workshops and facials run across the weekend. And they're all free, you'll just need to register as spaces are limited. Try a mix of cardio and yoga, plus a post-workout smoothie and an avo facial, and purchase an avo-laden brunch from the Paramount kiosk. Activities will run from 9am–4pm each day. STOCK UP FOR THE WEEK AT THE INNER WEST'S NEWEST FARMERS MARKET When? Sunday, October 13 Taking over the forecourt of the historic Mungo Scott building, Summer Hill's new Flour Mill Markets are now running every second Saturday. Food, flowers and other high-quality produce are, of course, front-and-centre at the market, making it the perfect place to pick up some fresh, seasonal fruit and veg. Expect stalls from Brickfields Bakery, Hugo's Coffee Cartel, Pastries de Paris, The Grate Cheese Co and Hartley Harvest. There'll be lots of small goods and non-edible items — such as ceramics and decorative flowers — from a host of local vendors, too. With a focus on sustainability and environmentalism, the market is a plastic-free zone, with biodegradable packaging provided and discounts for those who bring their own keep cup. Everest Carnival runs until November 2 at Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick. For more information, head this way. Top image: Felipe Neves.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT Starting in 2013 with The Conjuring, expanding with 2014's Annabelle, and also including The Conjuring 2, both terrible and much better sequels to Annabelle, the dismal The Nun and the formulaic The Curse of the Weeping Woman, The Conjuring Universe now spans eight evil-fighting flicks — and they're all as straightforward as it gets when it comes to battling the nefarious. Circling around real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the franchise posits that the supernatural exists, darkness preys upon the innocent and its central couple usually has the tools to combat everything untoward. That template remains firmly in place in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. With director Michael Chaves (The Curse of the Weeping Woman) and screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (Aquaman) doing the honours — taking their cues from James Wan, the Australian Saw and Insidious co-creator who helmed the first two Conjuring flicks — it once again serves up the usual bumps, jumps and scares that have haunted this franchise since day one. That said, the third Conjuring flick within the broader Conjuring realm does attempt a few changes. Rather than getting creeped out by haunted houses, it gets spooked by a kid and then a teenager who are both possessed. True to form, bone-shakingly horrific things can't simply occur without some kind of excuse and entity at play. The Warrens (Patrick Wilson, Aquaman, and Vera Farmiga, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) are first tasked with saving eight-year-old David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard, WandaVision) from a demon after his family moves to stereotypically sleepy Brookfield, Connecticut. Their efforts seem successful, even if Ed has a heart attack mid-exorcism, but the evil force they're fighting has really just jumped ship. Arne Johnson (Ruairi O'Connor, The Spanish Princess), the boyfriend of David's sister Debbie (Sarah Catherine Hook, NOS4A2), is quickly besieged by strange occurrences. He's soon also covered in blood after stabbing his landlord to Blondie's 'Call Me'. The death penalty beckons; however, the Warrens convince Arne's lawyer to plead not guilty by reason of demonic possession — the first time that ever happened in the US — and then commit to unearthing whatever paranormal details they can to save his life. The trailer for The Devil Made Me Do It teases legal thrills, but in a bait-and-switch way, because this film is barely concerned with Arne's court case. The true tale, which was previously dramatised in a 1983 TV movie starring Kevin Bacon, merely provides an easy setup for souped-up demonic antics and a routine, happily by-the-numbers, never remotely terrifying threequel. Indeed, the fact that more flicks will undoubtably still follow is the scariest thing about the film. Read our full review. LAPSIS 9 to 5 and Working Girl hail from the genre. Everything from Office Space to The Assistant do, too. But films about working in offices, TPS reports and navigating the desk-based daily grind might eventually become a dying breed or a nostalgic retro curiosity. Because art always mirrors life, the gig economy may swoop in and draw the silver screen's focus instead. Sorry We Missed You already has in a resonant warts-and-all manner, and Lapsis now endeavours to do the same via a smart and searing sci-fi satire. There's much to ponder, probe and dissect about the mode of employment that's becoming the status quo, after all, and that isn't bound to change as it spreads and grows. Corporations don't just dictate workers' behaviour during office hours now, supplying a reliable wage and perks such as holiday and sick leave in return. Attempting to monopolise entire fields such as food and package delivery, transportation and caregiving, big companies (you know the ones) hire independent contractors, scrap the benefits, and keep them toiling on-demand or on-call just to earn the bare minimum. This new kind of technology-driven rat race has been normalised, and quickly — and what it means for the labour force, employment, capitalism, corporate greed, class structures and basic human rights demands to be interrogated in thousands of movies as sharp and scathing as this one. In Lapsis and its alternative vision of New York via writer/director Noah Hutton, quantum computing is the next big thing. It requires a network of giant metallic cubes connected via thick black wires, with stringing them together the gig economy's new growth area. It's such an in-demand field and so lucrative for workers, in fact, that cablers can earn thousands of dollars just for a weekend's work. They can also pay off their mortgages within months — if the advertisements spruiking the supposed new employment dream can be trusted, that is. Technology-phobic delivery driver Ray Tincelli (first-timer Dean Imperial) is sceptical, so much so that he won't even use a quantum computer himself, even though they're essential to viewing up-to-date websites and just generally existing in Lapsis' parallel world. But his unwell brother Jamie (fellow debutant Babe Howard) suffers from a pervasive form of exhaustion called omnia, and requires expensive medical treatment. After finding a way into the cabling industry via acquaintance Felix (James McDaniel, The Deuce), Ray's need to make a quick stash of hefty cash quickly overrides his misgivings. Read our full review. BREAKING NEWS IN YUBA COUNTY Celebrity worship is one of popular culture's stupidest side effects. Stars get paid well beyond the average person and live far more lavish lives, but yes, they're people too. And, even if you round up a hefty number of famous faces in the one movie — award-winners and -nominees among them — they can still make absolutely terrible career decisions. Case in point: Breaking News in Yuba County, exactly the type of film that dispels any ridiculous notion that well-known actors opt for better choices than the rest of us. No one has done themselves any favours by featuring in this equally derivative and preposterous mess. No one will by watching it either. Director Tate Taylor might have both The Help and Get On Up to his name, but this addition to his resume sinks lower than The Girl on the Train, Ma and Ava. First-time screenwriter Amanda Idoko pens a script that aims for quirky crime-comedy with a side serving of societal satire, but really just repackages every tired cliche and trope her chosen genre has ever brought to the screen, and every obvious observation about small-town life, middle-aged women and the media as well. Also, every performance seems pitched at a different type of picture to each other — and, even in the silliest cases, none of them gel with the film's perky, almost sitcom-esque aesthetic. Allison Janney (Bombshell) plays Sue Buttons, dutiful wife to local banker Karl (Matthew Modine, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal). He's inattentive at the best of times, and she's too meek-mannered to say anything — but when she sneakily follows him to a hotel on her birthday, which he seems to have forgotten, their marriage takes a turn. Soon she's telling whoever will listen that Karl has gone missing. Her sister (Mila Kunis, The Spy Who Dumped Me) is a local news reporter, so TV attention follows. But Sue really just wants to be on one particular host's (Juliette Lewis, Music) show, and to elicit the kind of reaction the town has been giving the parents of a missing young girl. That's only part of Breaking News in Yuba County's narrative, though. Karl'x brother (Jimmi Simpson, Unhinged) is trying to go on the straight and narrow to please his pregnant wife (Samira Wiley, The Handmaid's Tale), but his ex-boss (Awkwafina, Raya and the Last Dragon) and her henchman (Clifton Collins Jr, Waves) would prefer otherwise. Jokingly at first, so would his new employer (Wanda Sykes, Black-ish), who is bored of just owning and running a furniture store. The more all of these characters' paths intersect — and those of a local detective (Regina Hall, Little), one of Karl's colleagues (Chris Lowell, Promising Young Woman) and his mistress (Bridget Everett, Unbelievable) as well — the more obvious three things are. Firstly, Idoko has clearly seen To Die For and Fargo more than once. Secondly, her script feels like it was written in the 90s, too, and then barely read again before filming started. And thirdly, this doesn't even approach the same league as its influences, or work as a goofier farce either. BYE BYE MORONS When Bye Bye Morons begins, it's with the kind of overdone setup that hardly screams 'Best Picture winner'. The film did indeed garner that gong at this year's César Awards — and six others as well — and, thankfully, twists its template beginnings into something far more intriguing than it initially seems set to deliver. When hairdresser Suze Trappet (Virginie Efira, Police) is told that she's afflicted with an auto-immune disease that stems from the chemicals she uses at work, and that it'll soon take her life, she's shocked and horrified. She also has unfinished business to attend to, after giving up a baby for adoption almost three decades earlier. That quest brings her into the path of civil servant Jean-Baptiste Cuchas (Albert Dupontel, also the movie's writer and director), who is being replaced by new technology at his paper-pushing job and happens to be staging a suicide attempt when Suze visits the office trying to track down her child. Soon, they're unlikely allies alongside a blind archivist (Nicolas Marié, Knock), and they're all endeavouring to thwart the multiple systems and bureaucracies that have defined and dictated so much of their lives. As its name makes plain, subtlety isn't Bye Bye Morons strong point, but when it finds its heartfelt groove, this French comedy also finds its charm. It helps that Dupontel has cast his feature superbly, including via his own involvement. The See You Up There filmmaker and star turns in a performance that's far more nuanced than the overwhelming bulk of the movie itself, as does the always-watchable Efira — with the pair playing exasperated ordinary folks who leap into outlandish territory not so much out of necessity, but in utter and gleeful defiance of the misfortune-laden cards that the world keeps dealing them. It also helps that, scripting with contributions from collaborating writers Xavier Nemo (Girafada) and Marcia Romano (Losing It), Dupontel fleshes out his characters more than his scenario. In fact, he makes his own on-screen job easier as a result. And, he gives his audience a much-needed anchor amidst all the broad, loose, chaotic and often over-the-top comedy he repeatedly swings in Suze and Jean-Baptiste's direction. Bye Bye Morons isn't short on plot, but when the feature is at its sweetest and most poignant, it's because viewers have become invested in its protagonists, their plight and their connection, rather than the ins and outs of their intertwined crusades. In fact, when the film is at its silliest — and when it attempts to wring easy comedy out of its absurdist and anarchic energy — it's a far less entertaining affair. BREAKING BREAD Food unites us all, or so the oft-spouted rhetoric tells us — and now documentary Breaking Bread does as well. On paper, it mightn't seem hard to demonstrate that every single one of us shares a need for sustenance and a love of culinary delights; however, debut writer/director Beth Elise Hawk doesn't merely explain what we already literally know in our guts. Instead, the filmmaker focuses on Dr Nof Atamna-Ismaeel. Originally a microbiologist, she became the first Arabic contestant to win Israeli's version of Masterchef back in 2014. After that pioneering feat, she set her sights on another: founding the A-Sham Arabic Food Festival in Haifa. Unity is baked into the fest's very existence, with the event bringing together chefs of both Arabic and Jewish descent to cook a range of Levantine dishes, and then share their creations with eager attendees. And, the festival's purpose is never far from view on the plate or in discussions with the participants. The common sentiment: while the conflict in Israel commands the bulk of the attention directed the country's way, that isn't the lived reality for most of the region's residents. Breaking Bread releases in Australia just as headlines again document rising tensions and increasing combat in the area, but Atamna-Ismaeel and her fellow chefs endeavour to espouse the opposite in their delicious-looking meals. The usual food documentary advice applies here, unsurprisingly, because watching on an empty stomach will only get tastebuds watering and hunger pangs grumbling. Hawk isn't above using slow-motion culinary shots that actively attempt to entice salivation, and to use them to pad out the already brief 86-minute feature. That said, every glimpse in the kitchen or at a plate is handsomely filmed, framed and staged, and is never too far away from lively conversation as well. Indeed, the movie's wide range of dishes might whet the appetite, but they're really just the entree. Alongside the engaging Atamna-Ismaeel, the festival's chefs speak through their backgrounds, cooking dreams, experiences with conflict and generational traumas in their own talking-head segments. The doco hears multiple accounts of how the simple act of eating, or of combining different types of food, can and has brought people together, and yet that kind of sentiment will never prove repetitive. Perhaps because of Atamna-Ismaeel's TV background, it's easy to see how a longer project that spent an entire episode or several with these interviewees would provide a satisfying meal — and get its audience thinking even further about the region, food and unity. MINAMATA It has been ten years since Johnny Depp starred in The Rum Diary, openly inviting comparisons to — and happily standing in the shadows of — his role in fellow Hunter S Thompson adaptation Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 13 years earlier. Minamata boasts no ties to the gonzo journalist, but it does initially endeavour to ape Depp's past work; playing a hard-drinking member of the press will do that. This drama draws its details from reality, though, not mere impersonation. Its subject: photographer W Eugene Smith, and his late-career series of snaps in the titular Japanese town. Informed of a story worth his and the world's attention by a translator, Aileen Mioko (Miami, Tezuka's Barbara), who'll later become his wife, Smith (Depp, Waiting for the Barbarians) convinces his Life magazine editor (Bill Nighy, Emma) to dispatch him to capture the results of chemical company Chisso's dumping of mercury in the local water. It's an important story, both for the celebrated Second World War photographer at the waning end of his career and for the movie now telling the tale, although second-time director Andrew Levitas (Lullaby) stages his earnest adaptation of Aileen and Eugene's book in a blunt manner. It doesn't help that his film arrives after the far superior Dark Waters and its own story of corporate poisoning, or that Depp is once again the point focus in a story where his character is a white outsider looking in, as he also was in the woefully misguided City of Lies. As it charts Smith's quest to bring the coastal spot's plight to the world, as aided by activist Kiyoshi (Ryô Kase, To the Ends of the Earth), Minamata does boast one crucial factor — other than its grim real-life basis. Whether seen for the first time or the thousandth, Smith's photos of Minamata residents afflicted with mercury poisoning (or Minamata disease, as the severe neurological condition particular to the town has been dubbed) are nothing short of striking. Indeed, they say so much in their single frames that a movie like Minamata was always going to feel as if it's merely sketching in filler details around these unforgettable images. As a director working with first-timer David Kessler's script, Levitas clearly understands this, and obviously appreciates the weight and importance of Smith's revelatory snaps. Accordingly, the film is as much an origin story for these famous pictures as it is an explainer for the context around them. The most recognisable photo of all — Tomoko Uemura in Her Bath, which depicts mother Ryoko Uemura bathing her daughter Tomoko — understandably garners the most focus. It's here that Minamata is at its most urgent and affecting, but so much that surrounds it proves the antithesis of Smith's shots: derivative and cliched. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22 and April 29; and May 6, May 13, May 20 and May 27. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda, Supernova, The Dissident, The United States vs Billie Holiday, First Cow, Wrath of Man, Locked Down, The Perfect Candidate, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, Ema, A Quiet Place Part II, Cruella and My Name Is Gulpilil.
UPDATE, September 14, 2023: The Little Mermaid is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. For anyone without a scaly tail, communing with the ocean can be a routine dip, a refreshing splash or a sail into choppy waters. In Disney's latest dance with merpeople and the humans that its main mythical sea creature yearns for (and desperately wants to learn more about), all three prove true. The next in the Mouse House's long line of live-action remakes — albeit with ample CGI helping to bring its sea-dwelling characters to life, but no hand-drawn animation — the new The Little Mermaid is often content to wade where its beloved 1989 predecessor went before. That's the Disney do-over standard. Sometimes, though, this new effort is its own delightful paddle; when 'Under the Sea' echoes against a literal sea of colour, movement, creatures and energy, it's a dazzling Golden Age Hollywood-esque spectacular. There's no escaping the movie's bloat when it's not merrily floating, however, due in no small part to inflating the storyline from the original's 83 minutes to a hefty 135 minutes. This day at the cinematic beach — glowing highs and waterlogged lows included — keeps the same basic narrative that viewers loved 34 years ago, as loosely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 19th-century fairy tale of the same name. A quote from that text opens the film as Alan Menken's revisited Oscar-winning score starts to swell, advising "but a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more". The curious and adventurous Princess Ariel (Halle Bailey, Grown-ish) cries through her siren's song instead, lamenting the strict no-humans rule enforced by her father King Triton (Javier Bardem, Lyle, Lyle Crocodile). And, in rebellious teen-style, she acts out by sneaking off to scour the ocean floor's shipwrecks with her fish best friend Flounder (voiced by Jacob Tremblay, Luca), even when Sebastian the crab (Daveed Diggs, Snowpiercer) is tracking her every move, and stashing trinkets from the world on land in a secret cave. When it's underwater, The Little Mermaid isn't served well by arriving so soon after Avatar: The Way of Water and its stunning beneath-the-waves imagery, or releasing just as Prehistoric Planet 2 is streaming its dive into ancient waters. In director Rob Marshall (Mary Poppins Returns) and cinematographer Dion Beebe's (Gemini Man) hands, plunging into the deep largely appears dark and murky. Indeed, if Bailey and Bardem's hair wasn't shimmering and flowing, it'd just look like a dimly lit set (mostly, it still does). The kaleidoscopic extravaganza that is 'Under the Sea' doesn't only stand out because that's precisely what its bright hues are doing, of course. It's a gloriously choreographed and performed piece amid a coral reef, set to Menken and late, great lyricist Howard Ashman's best (and also Oscar-winning) song, and it's an absolute showstopper. But, as made clear both before and after it drops its calypso-inspired beats, the number sets a standard that the film rarely cares to match elsewhere. When it comes to concern, Ariel has plenty. Her cup runneth over about the boats cruising above, with their sailors shooting fire into the sky, dogs and just humans doing human things — such having feet. As the story still goes, her wistful watching is fortuitous for Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King, The Flatshare). If the mermaid wasn't there to save him when he's knocked overboard, there'd be no romance. Cue a two-way obsession, plus tentacled sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy, Nine Perfect Strangers) offering Ariel a bargain to follow her feelings and taste life out of water. She's given 72 hours in human form to experience true love's kiss, after which she'll be able to stay breathing air. If that went smoothly, and if Ariel's banished aunt wasn't cackling maniacally about taking over from her brother and stealing her niece's gifts, this wouldn't even be a 90-minute flick. Like an unruly sea as a storm blows in, there's turbulence at the heart of The Little Mermaid. While it's easy to see why David McGee's (A Man Called Otto) screenplay has been padded out, it makes for an overextended voyage. Bailey is perfectly cast, and not only when Ariel is singing her heart out. Wanting to spend more time with her is as instinctive as kicking your feet in water. She's an enchanting, luminous, plucky and rousing heroine. She makes the need to know something more than just the pool she's born into feel achingly real. An added sequence where Ariel roams around Eric's library, spying his sea treasures — his equivalent of her own trove — is charming, gives both Bailey and Logan Lerman lookalike Hauer-King standout moments, and is the kind of new material that slips in easily. But the same can't be said for all the feature's new songs (this time with Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda penning lyrics) and even some of its closest recreations. Swooping somewhere new doesn't always pay off, and neither does treading water. Adored in animated form, Sebastian, Flounder and seabird Scuttle (Awkwafina, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) couldn't demonstrate The Little Mermaid's crests and drops more heartily. Diggs' voice acting and singing is unsurprisingly scene-stealing, and Awkwafina is entertainingly lively — but their new tune 'The Scuttlebutt' is instantly forgettable (other than immediately being able to tell that Miranda wrote it). Photorealism doesn't suit their characters, either, bringing The Lion King's eerie uncanny animal valley to mind. That's especially the case for poor Flounder, whose name is more apt here than it's meant to be. Loving the talent but not the execution becomes a familiar sensation throughout this version of The Little Mermaid. So does remembering that Marshall wasn't just behind Chicago and Mary Poppins Returns, but also Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Into the Woods. Back as the 80s came to a close, the first The Little Mermaid was a lifeboat, buoying Disney's animation studio when its fortunes were sinking. In its wash, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King all followed, becoming House of Mouse classics. The new The Little Mermaid marks the last of that quartet to be remade — the tale as old as time, whole new world and circle of life otherwise reappearing in that order — and, towing the company line with these cartoon-to-flesh second efforts, it smacks of playing it safe. When Ariel's latest outing surrenders to the moment and the emotion, whether showing why it's better down where it's wetter with a joyous dash of vibrance, letting Bailey's divine voice convey a lifetime of longing to be part of a different world, or having its swooning lovers dance, discover and deepen their bond, it goes swimmingly. Often, though, it's just like Ursula: biding its time calculatingly and protractedly (that said, McCarthy is having a ball, more so than much of the movie).
If you like watching glitzy Hollywood awards ceremonies that hand out shiny trophies to talented actors and other creative film and TV talents, 2024 has been a particularly dazzling year so far. First came the Golden Globes, as always happens. Next, only a week later, the Emmys have anointed winners. For those thinking that this sounds out of the ordinary, it is. In fact, there'll likely be two Emmys in 2024. This one, as held on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 Australian time, is the 2023 event after being postponed during Hollywood's writers' and actors' strikes. If you like basing your viewing picks on what's been collected prizes, this is clearly a stellar year as well, with a heap of new Emmy-winners now demanding a spot in your streaming queue. Here's seven that you should — and can — watch ASAP. (And if you're wondering what else won, you can read through the full list, too.) THE BEAR The more time that anyone spends in the kitchen, the easier that whipping up their chosen dish gets. The Bear season two is that concept in TV form, even if the team at The Original Beef of Chicagoland don't always live it as they leap from running a beloved neighbourhood sandwich joint to opening a fine-diner, and fast. The hospitality crew that was first introduced in the best new show of 2022 isn't lacking in culinary skills or passion. But when bedlam surrounds you constantly, as bubbled and boiled through The Bear's Golden Globe-winning, Emmy-nominated season-one frames, not everything always goes to plan. That was only accurate on-screen for Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, Fingernails) and his colleagues — aka sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms), baker-turned-pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce, Hap and Leonard), veteran line cooks Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas, In Treatment) and Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson, Fargo), resident Mr Fixit Neil Fak (IRL chef Matty Matheson), and family pal Richie aka Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings). For viewers, the series' debut run was as perfect a piece of television as anyone can hope for. Excellent news: season two is better. The Bear serves up another sublime course of comedy, drama and "yes chef!"-exclaiming antics across its sizzling second season. Actually make that ten more courses, one per episode, with each new instalment its own more-ish meal. A menu, a loan, desperately needed additional help, oh-so-much restaurant mayhem: that's how this second visit begins, as Carmy and Sydney endeavour to make their dreams for their own patch of Chicago's food scene come true. So far, so familiar, but The Bear isn't just plating up the same dishes this time around. At every moment, this new feast feels richer, deeper and more seasoned, including when it's as intense as ever, when it's filling the screen with tastebud-tempting food shots that relish culinary artistry, and also when it gets meditative. Episodes that send Marcus to a Noma-esque venue in Copenhagen under the tutelage of Luca (Will Poulter, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), get Richie spending a week learning the upscale ropes at one of Chicago's best restaurants and jump back to the past, demonstrating how chaos would've been in Carmy's blood regardless of if he became a chef, are particularly stunning. EMMYS Won: Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Jeremy Allen White), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Ayo Edebiri), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Christopher Storer), Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Christopher Storer). Where to watch it: The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review. SUCCESSION Endings have always been a part of Succession. Since it premiered in 2018, the bulk of the HBO drama's feuding figures have been waiting for a big farewell. The reason is right there in the title, because for any of the Roy clan's adult children to scale the family company's greatest heights and remain there — be it initial heir apparent Kendall (Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time), his inappropriate photo-sending brother Roman (Kieran Culkin, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off), their political-fixer sister Siobhan (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman), or eldest sibling and presidential candidate Connor (Alan Ruck, The Dropout) — their father Logan's (Brian Cox, Remember Me) tenure needed to wrap up. The latter was always stubborn. Proud, too, of what he'd achieved and the power it's brought. And whenever Logan seemed nearly ready to leave the business behind, he held on. If he's challenged or threatened, as happened again and again in the series, he fixed his grasp even tighter. Succession was always been waiting for Logan's last stint at global media outfit Waystar RoyCo, but it had never been about finales quite the way it was in its stunning fourth season. This time, there was ticking clock not just for the show's characters, but for the stellar series itself, given that this is its last go-around — and didn't it make the most of it. Nothing can last forever, not even widely acclaimed hit shows that are a rarity in today's TV climate: genuine appointment-viewing. So, this went out at the height of its greatness, complete with unhappy birthday parties, big business deals, plenty of scheming and backstabbing, and both Shiv's husband Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen, Operation Mincemeat) and family cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun, Cat Person) in vintage form — plus an early shock, at least two of the best episodes of any show that've ever aired on television, one of the worst drinks, a phenomenal acting masterclass, a The Sopranos-level final shot and the reality that money really can't buy happiness. EMMYS Won: Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Kieran Culkin), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Sarah Snook), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Matthew Macfadyen), Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Jesse Armstrong), Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Mark Mylod). Where to watch it: Succession streams via Binge. Read our full review. BEEF As plenty does, Beef starts with two strangers meeting, but there's absolutely nothing cute about it. Sparks don't fly and hearts don't flutter; instead, this pair grinds each other's gears. In a case of deep and passionate hate at first sight, Danny Cho (Steven Yeun, Nope) and Amy Lau (Ali Wong, Paper Girls) give their respective vehicles' gearboxes a workout, in fact, after he begins to pull out of a hardware store carpark, she honks behind him, and lewd hand signals and terse words are exchanged. Food is thrown, streets are angrily raced down, gardens are ruined, accidents are barely avoided, and the name of Vin Diesel's famous car franchise springs to mind, aptly describing how bitterly these two strangers feel about each other — and how quickly. Created by Lee Sung Jin, who has It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Dave and Silicon Valley on his resume before this ten-part Netflix and A24 collaboration, Beef also commences with a simple, indisputable and deeply relatable fact. Whether you're a struggling contractor hardly making ends meet, as he is, or a store-owning entrepreneur trying to secure a big deal, as she is — or, if you're both, neither or anywhere in-between — pettiness reigning supreme is basic human nature. Danny could've just let Amy beep as much as she liked, then waved, apologised and driven away. Amy could've been more courteous about sounding her horn, and afterwards. But each feels immediately slighted by the other, isn't willing to stand for such an indignity and becomes consumed by their trivial spat. Neither takes the high road, not once — and if you've ever gotten irrationally irate about a minor incident, this new standout understands. Episode by episode, it sees that annoyance fester and exasperation grow, too. Beef spends its run with two people who can't let go of their instant rage, keep trying to get the other back, get even more incensed in response, and just add more fuel to the fire again and again until their whole existence is a blaze of revenge. If you've ever taken a small thing and blown it wildly out of proportion, Beef is also on the same wavelength. And if any of the above has ever made you question your entire life — or just the daily grind of endeavouring to get by, having everything go wrong, feeling unappreciated and constantly working — Beef might just feel like it was made for you. EMMYS Won: Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Television Movie (Steven Yeun), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie (Ali Wong), Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Lee Sung Jin), Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Lee Sung Jin). Where to watch it: Beef streams via Netflix. Read our full review. THE WHITE LOTUS Lives of extravagant luxury. Globe-hopping getaways. Whiling away cocktail-soaked days in gorgeous beachy locales. Throw in the level of wealth and comfort needed to make those three things an easy, breezy everyday reality, and the world's sweetest dreams are supposedly made of this. On TV since 2021, HBO's hit dramedy The White Lotus has been, too. Indeed, in its Emmy-winning first season, the series was a phenomenon of a biting satire, scorching the one percent, colonialism and class divides in a twisty, astute, savage and hilarious fashion. It struck such a chord, in fact, that what was meant to be a one-and-done limited season was renewed for a second go-around, sparking an anthology. That Sicily-set second effort once again examines sex, status, staring head-on at mortality and accepting the unshakeable fact that life is short for everyone but truly sweet for oh-so-few regardless of bank balance — and with writer/director/creator Mike White (Brad's Status) still overseeing proceedings, the several suitcase loads of smart, scathing, sunnily shot chaos that The White Lotus brings to screens this time around are well worth unpacking again. Here, another group of well-off holidaymakers slip into another splashy, flashy White Lotus property and work through their jumbled existences. Another death lingers over their trip, with The White Lotus again starting with an unnamed body — bodies, actually — then jumping back seven days to tell its tale from the beginning. Running the Taormina outpost of the high-end resort chain, Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore, Across the River and Into the Trees) is barely surprised by the corpse that kicks off season two. She's barely surprised about much beforehand, either. That includes her dealings with the returning Tanya McQuoid-Hunt (Jennifer Coolidge, The Watcher), her husband Greg (Jon Gries, Dream Corp LLC) and assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson, After Yang); three generations of Di Grasso men, aka Bert (F Murray Abraham, Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities), Hollywood hotshot Dominic (Michael Imperioli, The Many Saints of Newark) and the Stanford-educated Albie (Adam DiMarco, The Order); and tech whiz Ethan (Will Sharpe, Defending the Guilty) and his wife Harper (Aubrey Plaza, Best Sellers), plus his finance-bro college roommate Cameron (Theo James, The Time Traveller's Wife) and his stay-at-home wife Daphne (Meghann Fahy, The Bold Type). EMMYS Won: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Jennifer Coolidge). Where to watch it: The White Lotus streams via Binge. Read our full review of season two. ABBOTT ELEMENTARY The Office did it, in both the UK and US versions. Parks and Recreation did so, too. What We Do in the Shadows still does it — and, yes, there's more where they all came from. By now, the mockumentary format is a well-established part of the sitcom realm. Indeed, it's so common that additional shows deciding to give it a whirl aren't noteworthy for that alone. But in Abbott Elementary, which has aired two seasons so far, the faux doco gimmick is also deployed as an outlet for the series' characters. They're all public school elementary teachers in Philadelphia, and the chats to-camera help convey the stresses and tolls of doing what they're devoted to. In a wonderfully warm and also clear-eyed gem created by, co-written by and starring triple-threat Quinta Brunson (Party Down), that'd be teaching young hearts and minds no matter the everyday obstacles, the utter lack of resources and funding, or the absence of interest from the bureaucracy above them. Brunson plays perennially perky 25-year-old teacher Janine Teagues, who loves her gig and her second-grade class. She also adores her colleague Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph, Ray Donovan), the kindergarten teacher that she sees as a mentor and work mum. Actually, Janine isn't just fond of all of the above — she's so devoted to her job that she'll let nothing stand in her way. But that isn't easy or straightforward in a system that's short on cash and care from the powers-that-be to make school better for its predominantly Black student populace. Also featuring Everybody Hates Chris' Tyler James Williams (also The United States vs Billie Holiday) as an apathetic substitute teacher, Lisa Ann Walter (The Right Mom) and Chris Perfetti (Sound of Metal) as Abbott faculty mainstays, and Janelle James (Black Monday) as the incompetent principal who only scored her position via blackmail, everything about Abbott Elementary is smart, kindhearted, funny and also honest. That remains the case in season two, where Janine is newly single and grappling with being on her own, sparks are flying with Williams' Gregory and James' Ava can't keep bluffing her way through her days. EMMYS Won: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Quinta Brunson). Where to watch it: Abbott Elementary streams via Disney+. BLACK BIRD 2022 marked a decade since Taron Egerton's first on-screen credit as a then-23 year old. Thanks to the Kingsman movies, Eddie the Eagle, Robin Hood and Rocketman, he's rarely been out of the cinematic spotlight since — but miniseries Black Bird feels like his most mature performance yet. The latest based-on-a-true-crime tale to get the twisty TV treatment, it adapts autobiographical novel In with the Devil: a Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption. It also has Dennis Lehane, author of Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River and Shutter Island, bringing it to streaming. The focus: Jimmy Keene, a former star high-school footballer turned drug dealer, who finds his narcotics-financed life crumbling when he's arrested in a sting, offered a plea bargain with the promise of a five-year sentence (four with parole), but ends up getting ten. Seven months afterwards, he's given the chance to go free, but only if he agrees to transfer to a different prison to befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser, Cruella), and get him to reveal where he's buried his victims' bodies. Even with new shows based on various IRL crimes hitting queues every week, or thereabouts — including Inventing Anna, The Dropout, The Girl From Plainville and The Staircase, to name a mere few, also in 2022 when this one arrived — Black Bird boasts an immediately compelling premise. The first instalment in its six-episode run is instantly gripping, too, charting Keene's downfall, the out-of-ordinary situation posed by Agent Lauren McCauley (Sepideh Moafi, The Killing of Two Lovers), and the police investigation by Brian Miller (Greg Kinnear, Crisis) to net Hall. It keeps up the intrigue and tension from there; in fact, the wild and riveting details just keep on coming. Fantastic performances all round prove pivotal as well. Again, Egerton is excellent, while Hauser's menace-dripping efforts rank among the great on-screen serial killer portrayals. And, although bittersweet to watch after his passing, Ray Liotta (The Many Saints of Newark) makes a firm imprint as Keene's father. EMMYS Won: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series of Television Movie (Paul Walter Hauser). Where to watch it: Black Bird streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. DAHMER — MONSTER: THE JEFFREY DAHMER STORY Mindhunter might be over, but Netflix isn't done exploring true crimes or serial killers yet — not by far. In 2022, DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story joined the service's hefty list of TV series based on horrific real-life details. It's coming back for a second season, too, turning into an anthology series as Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story. The show's debut outing wasn't an easy watch, as the IRL story was always going to ensure. With WandaVision and Mare of Easttown actor Evan Peters starring as the titular IRL murderer, it told Dahmer's particularly gruesome story; between 1978–1991, he murdered and dismembered 17 boys and men — and there's more to his crimes, including cannibalism. The inherently unsettling first season reunited its lead with American Horror Story creator and prolific TV producer Ryan Murphy, too, this time getting creepy in a different way. Alongside Peters, Netflix's dramatised step back into Dahmer's murders features Richard Jenkins (Nightmare Alley) as the serial killer's father Lionel and Penelope Ann Miller as his mother Joyce, with the full cast including Niecy Nash-Betts (Never Have I Ever) and Molly Ringwald (Riverdale). There's much about the show that's impossible to shake, Nash-Betts' now Emmy-winning performance for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie among them. As Dahmer's neighbour Glenda Cleveland, she's shock, concern and outrage personified. Thanks to her portrayal, imagining being in the same shoes — and being that horrified and traumatised — is the simplest thing about DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Of course, that isn't easy either, but Nash-Betts couldn't be more of an effortless force in a difficult role and miniseries. EMMYS Won: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie (Niecy Nash-Betts). Where to watch it: DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story streams via Netflix. Top image: Andrew Cooper/Netflix © 2023.
There's no denying Sydney loves its dumplings. The pillowy parcels of filled dough are the perfect winter warmer and pack a flavourful punch in a single mouthful. And few are as skilled in their making than Chris Yan — one of Sydney's top dumpling masters. The Shanghainese chef is the group executive chef of Lotus Dining Group — the restaurant group with eateries in Walsh Bay, The Galeries, Darlinghurst, the Chinese Garden of Friendship and Barangaroo (with a third Barangaroo spot due to open in July). So, it's fair to say he knows how to cook a mean dish — and not just dumplings. When he's not in the kitchen at one of his many restaurants, he's off collaborating with flavoursome chip brand Red Rock Deli. And, on Thursday, August 8, Yan will be hosting two intimate secret suppers for a limited number of guests. So, what can diners expect from the chef? Well, we don't quite know — yet. The menu will stay true to the event's name and remain under-wraps until the night. But, we do know that it'll be a unique three-course feast inspired by Red Rock Deli's limited-edition flavour, Thai red chilli and creamy coconut potato chips. So, in trying to crack the menu code, we thought we'd find out a little about the Sydney restaurants that Yan likes to visit on the regular (and the dishes he orders) for inspiration. He name-dropped a few of his recent favourites, which may give us an idea of what to expect. [caption id="attachment_652979" align="alignnone" width="1920"] China Doll at Woolloomooloo Wharf[/caption] First up: dumplings, of course. Specifically, traditional Nepalese chicken dumplings (momos) from Momo Bar. Unlike Yan's Shanghai-style dumplings, this north shore spot serves its dumplings with garlic yoghurt and paprika butter or with pickled sauce (achaar), which is authentic Nepali-style. Woolloomooloo's China Doll also made the list and is a go-to for Yan — he thinks the salmon sashimi with blackened chilli dressing is some of the best in town. If you're after something heartier (and cheaper), then Yan recommends heading to Pho Pasteur for an authentic beef noodle soup. [caption id="attachment_653246" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pho Pasteur[/caption] Rounding out Yan's top five, is the chicken pad thai with glass noodles from Home Thai and Indonesian restaurant The Sambal. You'll often see the Shanghainese chef there feasting on the sambal terong Balado — a Balado-style eggplant sambal. So, what might we deduce about Yan's secret supper menu from his Sydney sparks of inspiration? Expect honest, simple Asian food that has flavour in spades. To register for tickets to Chris Yan's Secret Supper, head over here. And, while you wait for the big night to roll around, you can get cracking on this Yan-certified recommendation circuit. Top image: Kitti Gould.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. DECISION TO LEAVE When it's claimed that Decision to Leave's Detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il, Heaven: To the Land of Happiness) needs "murder and violence in order to be happy", it's easy to wonder if that statement similarly applies to Park Chan-wook, this stunning South Korean thriller's filmmaker. The director of Oldboy, Thirst, Stoker and The Handmaiden doesn't, surely. Still, his exceptional body of on-screen work glows when either fills its frames — which, in a career that also spans Joint Security Area, Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Lady Vengeance and English-language TV miniseries The Little Drummer Girl, among other titles, is often. To be more accurate, perhaps Park needs to survey the grey areas that loiter around death and brutality, and surround love, lust, loss, and all matters of the brain, body and heart that bind humans together, to find cinematic fulfilment. Certainly, audiences should be glad if/that he does. In Decision to Leave, exploring such obsessions, and the entire notions of longing and obsession, brings a staggering, sinuously layered and seductively gorgeous movie to fruition — a film to obsess over if ever there was one. In this year's deserved Cannes Film Festival Best Director-winner, reserved insomniac Hae-joon is fixated from the outset, too: with his police job in Busan, where he works Monday–Friday before returning to Ipo on weekends to his wife (Lee Jung-hyun, Peninsula). That all-consuming focus sees his weekday walls plastered with grim photos from cases, and haunts the time he's meant to be spending — and having sex — with said spouse. Nonetheless, the latest dead body thrust his way isn't supposed to amplify his obsession. A businessman and experienced climber is found at the base of a mountain, and to most other cops the answer would be simple. It is to his offsider Soo-wan (Go Kyung-Pyo, Private Lives), but Hae-joon's interest is piqued when the deceased's enigmatic Chinese widow, the cool, calm but also bruised and scratched Seo-rae (Tang Wei, The Whistleblower), is brought in for questioning amid apologising for her imperfect Korean-language skills. In the precinct interrogation room, the detective and his potential suspect share a sushi dinner — and, in the lingering looks gazed each other's way even at this early stage, this may as well be a twisted first date. Hae-joon then surveils Seo-rae, including at her work caring for the elderly, which also provides her alibi. He keeps watching her at home, where her evenings involve television and ice cream. In stirring scenes of bravura and beauty, he envisages himself with her in the process, longing for the illusion he's building in his sleep-deprived mind. As for Seo-rae, she keeps stoking their chemistry, especially when she's somehow being both direct and evasive with her responses to his queries. She knows how small gestures leave an imprint, and she also knows when she and Hae-joon are both desperately hooked on each other. Every intelligently written (by Park and frequent co-scribe Chung Seo-kyung), evocatively shot (by cinematographer Kim Ji-Yong, Ashfall) moment in Decision to Leave is crucial; the film is made so meticulously, with a precision its protagonist would instantly admire, that cutting out even a second is unthinkable. Equally, every scene speaks volumes about this spellbinding movie — but here's three that help convey its simmering potency. In one, Hae-joon ascends up the victim's last cliff by rope, tied to Soo-wan, Busan looming in the background. In another, detailed blue-green wallpaper filled with mountains surrounds Seo-rae. And in yet another, she reaches into Hae-joon's pocket to grab his lip balm, then applies it to his mouth. Perspective is everything in this feature, Park stresses. Minutiae is everything, too. Intimacy is more than everything, actually, in a picture that's also grippingly, electrifying sensual. Read our full review. BARBARIAN "Safe as houses" isn't a term that applies much in horror. It isn't difficult to glean why. Even if scary movies routinely followed folks worrying about their investments — one meaning of the phrase — it's always going to be tricky for the sentiment to stick when such flicks love plaguing homes, lodges and other dwellings with bumps, jumps and bone-chilling terror. Barbarian, however, could break out the expression and mean it, in a way. At its centre sits a spruced-up Detroit cottage listed on Airbnb and earning its owner a trusty income. In the film's setup, the house in question is actually doing double duty, with two guests booked for clashing stays over the same dates. It's hardly a spoiler to say that their time in the spot, the nicest-looking residence in a rundown neighbourhood, leaves them feeling anything but safe. Late on a gloomy, rainy, horror-movie-101 kind of night — an eerie and tense evening from the moment that writer/director Zach Cregger's first feature as a solo director begins — Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell, Suspicion) arrives at Barbarian's pivotal Michigan property. She's in town for a job interview, but discovers the lockbox empty, keys nowhere to be found. Also, the home already has an occupant in Keith Toshko (Bill Skarsgård, Eternals), who made his reservation via a different website. With a medical convention filling the city's hotels, sharing the cottage seems the only option, even if Tess is understandably cautious about cohabitating with a man she's literally just met. Ambiguity is part of Barbarian from the get-go, spanning whether Keith can be trusted, what's behind their double booking and, when things start moving overnight, what's going on in the abode. That's only the start of Barbarian's hellish story. Canny casting plays a considerable part in Barbarian's early unease; if you rocked up to a place that's meant to be yours alone for the evening only for Pennywise from the recent big-screen version of IT and its sequel lurking within — sans red balloon, luckily — you'd be creeped out. Skarsgård's involvement isn't the only reason that the movie's first act drips with dread and uncertainty, but it's a devastatingly clever use of him as a horror-film talent, and the Swedish star leans into the slippery and shifty possibilities. Still, after taking a photo of his ID and being wary of drinking beverages he's made, Tess warms to Keith over wine and conversation. He's having a loud nightmare on the couch, too, when her bedroom door opens mysteriously. When she gets stuck in the locked basement the next day, he's out at meetings. Then he returns, and they'll wish that a reservation mixup really was the worst of their troubles. Clearly made with affection for old-school horror, especially films by genre great Wes Craven, Barbarian feels like a well-crafted take on a familiar premise while it's laying its groundwork. Foolish is the viewer who thinks that they know where the movie is heading from there, though — or who ignores the instant bubblings of potential to zig and zag, plus the lingering inkling that something beyond the easily expected might stalk its frames. Indeed, watching Barbarian recalls watching scary flicks from four and five decades back for the first time, a rite of passage for every horror-loving teen no matter the generation, and being gripped by their surprises. Cregger bundles in twists, but he also establishes a vibe where almost anything can shift and change. Two cases in point: when Justin Long (Giri/Haji) shows up as a smug and obnoxious Hollywood player with #MeToo problems, and when the 80s isn't just an influence in scenes lensed in a tighter aspect ratio. Read our full review. BLACK ADAM "I kneel before no one," says Teth-Adam, aka Black Adam, aka the DC Comics character that dates back to 1945, and that Dwayne Johnson (Red Notice) has long wanted to play. That proclamation is made early in the film that bears the burly, flying, impervious-to-everything figure's name, echoing as a statement of might as well as mood: he doesn't need to bow down to anyone or anything, and if he did he wouldn't anyway. Yet the DC Extended Universe flick that Black Adam is in — the 11th in a saga that's rarely great — kneels frequently to almost everything. It bends the knee to the dispiritingly by-the-numbers template that keeps lurking behind this comic book-inspired series' most forgettable entries, and the whole franchise's efforts to emulate the rival (and more successful) Marvel Cinematic Universe, for starters. It also shows deference to the lack of spark and personality that makes the lesser DC-based features so routine at best, too. Even worse, Black Adam kneels to the idea that slipping Johnson into a sprawling superhero franchise means robbing the wrestler-turned-actor himself of any on-screen personality. Glowering and gloomy is a personality, for sure, but it's not what's made The Rock such a box office drawcard — and, rather than branching out, breaking the mould or suiting the character, he just appears to be pouting and coasting. He looks the physical part, of course, as he needs to playing a slave-turned-champion who now can't be killed or hurt. It's hard not to wish that the Fast and Furious franchise's humour seeped into his performance, however, or even the goofy corniness of Jungle Cruise, Johnson's last collaboration with filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra. The latter has template-esque action flicks Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night and The Commuter on his resume before that, and helms his current star here like he'd rather still directing Liam Neeson. That said, Black Adam, the character, has much to scowl about — and scowl he does. Black Adam, the film, has much backstory to lay out, with exposition slathered on thick during the opening ten minutes. As a mere human in 2600 BCE in the fictional Middle Eastern country of Kahndaq, its namesake was among an entire populace caught under a cruel ruler hungry for power, and for a powerful supernatural crown fashioned out a mineral called 'eternium' that said subjects were forced to mine. Now, 5000 years later, Black Adam is a just-awakened mortal-turned-god who isn't too thrilled about the modern world, or being in it. Bridging the gap: the fact that back in the day, one boy was anointed with magic by ancient wizards to defend Kahndaq's people (the word "shazam!" gets uttered, because Black Adam dwells in the same part of the DCEU as 2019's Shazam! and its upcoming sequel), but misusing those skills ended in entombment until modern-day resistance fighters interfere. The above really is just the preamble. Black Adam is freed by widowed professor Adrianna (Sarah Shahi, Sex/Life), who is trying to fight the Intergang, the mercenaries who've been Kahndaq's new oppressors for decades — and, yes, Black Adam gets caught up in that battle. But being out and about, instead of interred in a cave, gets the attention of the Justice Society. The DCEU already has the Justice League and the Suicide Squad, but it apparently still needs another super-powered crew. Indeed, Suicide Squad and The Suicide Squad's Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, The First Lady) even shows up to help put this new gang together. That's how Hawkman (Aldis Hodge, One Night in Miami), Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan, The Misfits), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell, Voyagers) and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo, the To All the Boys movies) don their caped-crusader getup and try to stop Black Adam, or convince him to stop himself. Read our full review. THE GOOD NURSE It isn't called CULLEN — Monster: The Charles Cullen Story. It doesn't chart the murders of a serial killer who's already a household name. And, it doesn't unfurl over multiple episodes. Still, Netflix-distributed true-crime film The Good Nurse covers homicides, and the person behind them, that are every bit as grim and horrendous as the events dramatised in DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Such based-on-reality tales that face such evil are always nightmare fodder, but this Eddie Redmayne (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore)- and Jessica Chastain (The Forgiven)-starring one, as brought to the screen by Danish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm (A War, A Hijacking), taps into a particularly terrifying realm. The culprit clearly isn't the good nurse of the movie's moniker, but he is a nurse, working in intensive care units no less — and for anyone who has needed to put their trust in the health system or may in the future (aka all of us), his acts are gut-wrenchingly chilling. Hospitals are meant to be places that heal, even in America's cash-driven setup where free medical care for all isn't considered a basic right and a societal must. Hospitals are meant to care for the unwell and injured, as are the doctors, nurses and other staff who race through their halls. There is one such person in The Good Nurse, Amy Loughren, who Chastain plays based on a real person. In 2003, in New Jersey, she's weathering her own struggles: she's a single mother to two young girls, she suffers from cardiomyopathy to the point of needing a heart transplant, and she can't tell her job about her health condition because she needs to remain employed for four more months to qualify for insurance to treat it. Then enters Cullen (Redmayne), the newcomer on Loughren's night shifts, a veteran of nine past hospitals, an instant friend who offers to help her cope with her potentially lethal ailment and also the reason that their patients start dying suddenly. There's no spoiler alert needed about The Good Nurse's grisly deeds or the person responsible. Cullen's name hasn't been changed in Krysty Wilson-Cairns' (Last Night in Soho, 1917) script, which adapts Charles Graeber's 2013 non-fiction book The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder, and Loughren's similarly remains the same. The Good Nurse also opens with the quietly disquieting Cullen retreating as someone in a different hospital years earlier goes into convulsions — standing back motionless, he tries to appear anxious but instead looks like a creepy blank canvas. Accordingly, that he's the cause of much of the movie's horrors is a given from the outset, but that's only one of Lindholm and Wilson-Cairns' angles. As aided by centring Loughren's plight, The Good Nurse is also a film about institutional failings and coverups with very real consequences. Indeed, as set to an eerie score by Biosphere (Burma Storybook), there's a procedural feel to Lindholm's first feature in America; that he helmed episodes of Mindhunter beforehand doesn't come as a surprise. There are cops, too, in the form of detectives Baldwin (Nnamdi Asomugha, Sylvie's Love) and Braun (Noah Emmerich, Dark Winds), who are brought in seven weeks after a patient's passing just after Cullen arrives. But nurse-turned-administrator Linda Garran (Fear the Walking Dead), who summons the police, is hardly forthcoming — about the almost-two-month delay or with information overall. It isn't in the hospital's interests to be upfront, which is why and how Cullen has kept moving from healthcare facility to healthcare facility, and notching up a body count at each by spiking IV bags with fatal doses of insulin and other medications. No hospital wants to be seen to be at fault, and won't warn fellow institutions, either. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28; August 4, August 11, August 18 and August 25; September 1, September 8, September 15, September 22 and September 29; and October 6 and October 13. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time, Murder Party, Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess, 6 Festivals, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Crimes of the Future, Bosch & Rockit, Fire of Love, Beast, Blaze, Hit the Road, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Orphan: First Kill, The Quiet Girl, Flux Gourmet, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Moonage Daydream, Ticket to Paradise, Clean, You Won't Be Alone, See How They Run, Smile, On the Count of Three, The Humans, Don't Worry Darling, Amsterdam, The Stranger, Halloween Ends, The Night of the 12th, Muru and Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon.
When the weather turns even just a few degrees warmer and the sun's out, you best believe Australians are congregating around the closest body of water — beach, lake, blow-up pool you name it. And while that urge to swim and watch waves lap against the sand takes up a lot of our time, it's not all of it. And let's be honest, there's only so many times we can shake water out of our ears, or sand out of our grundies. So for those times, when we need our hands to de-prune or maybe just aren't feeling it, we've lined up a bunch of great events and happenings that are taking place this summer. From award-winning broadway musicals to Christmas markets, music festivals and, the eagerly awaited return of the KFC Big Bash League. There are lots on this summer in Sydney, so, have a read below.
Acclaimed Sydney restaurants, award-winning cookbooks, global kudos, a sustainable seafood restaurant in Singapore: championing a fin-to-tail approach to the ocean's finest, Josh and Julie Niland's culinary footprint spans all of the above. From April 2025, their first-ever Queensland eatery will also join the list, as part of the new The Sundays hotel that's opening on Hamilton Island. The Nilands' Sunshine State debut doesn't yet have a name, but it will form part of the 59-room hotel at Catseye Beach's northern end — and serving the pair's seafood dishes to the entire family will be on the menu. While The Sundays is a luxury boutique hotel, being family friendly is part of its point of difference. That mindset will apply to the new restaurant, too, with catering to family holidays a guiding principle. "Julie and I fell in love with the entire vision behind The Sundays. It reflects so much of what we value — bringing people together to create memories in beautiful surroundings. We can't wait to introduce a dining experience that feels connected to the island and its incredible natural environment," said Josh. The Nilands have four children, so whipping up menus to suit both adults and kids is nothing new for Josh and Julie. Alongside whole-fish seafood dishes, the restaurant will feature local ingredients and span beyond the sea for its protein sources. Also, when diners tuck in, they'll do so with views of the ocean. When it opens on Thursday, May 1, 2025 — with reservations available now — The Sundays will feature an oceanfront swimming pool surrounded by private cabanas as well, alongside a pickleball court and tropical gardens. Room options include balcony and terrace, plus interconnecting family rooms, all decked out in relaxing hues. Hamilton Island Enterprises, which is also behind qualia, is running the show at The Sundays. Bookings still don't come heap, however, with a launch deal on offer for four nights for $3564, which includes a 10-percent discount on accommodation. Nab the deal and you'll also receive a $500 voucher for the Nilands' restaurant. Josh and Julie's new restaurant will open at The Sundays, Catseye Beach, Hamilton Island, from April 2025 — with the hotel launching on Thursday, May 1, 2025. Keep an eye on the hotel's website for more details in the interim. Images: Hamilton Island Photography, Sharyn Cairns, Adam Rikys, Nick Leary.
The cola wars are now fought on a battlefield of green credentials: Coke and Pepsi are already in an arms race over the sustainability of their bottles, and now Coke has taken the fight to shelving. Their Give It Back displays are made from recycled Coke packaging cardboard and are designed to be used, then recycled again once past their 'shelf-life'. While there is very little new in the concept — at the end of the day, it's just recycled cardboard — it's good to see the drinks giant taking up new green initiatives, which will hopefully provoke others into following suit or coming up with their own ideas. As an added bonus, it should help Americans (the shelving is only planned for US stores) come to appreciate the humble corrugated cardboard. Of course, here in Australia we're reminded of its sturdiness every election, but Coke's initiative should help people start to accept cardboard as more than just the stuff things come in. Research into the properties of cardboard suggest it could be an ideal building material for housing. [via core77]
Bursting with baby lambs and blossoms in spring, draped in dreamy colours in autumn and perfect for pinot noir before crackling fires in winter, Central West NSW gives you reasons to visit in all seasons. Once you've conquered the Blue Mountains' misty, winding roads, you'll find yourself surrounded by rolling paddocks, lush vineyards and friendly country folk. Here's your guide to road tripping, from Bathurst's award-winning restaurants and art-influencing landscapes to Parkes' space tech and Elvis obsession, then onto truffle hunts and fine, fine wines in Orange. From pristine beaches and bountiful wine regions to alpine hideaways and bustling country towns, Australia has a wealth of places to explore at any time of year. We've partnered with Tourism Australia to help you plan your road trips, weekend detours and summer getaways so that when you're ready to hit the road you can Holiday Here This Year. While regional holidays within NSW are now allowed, some of the places mentioned below may still be closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please check websites before making any plans. [caption id="attachment_774114" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Church Bar[/caption] STOP ONE: BATHURST Meet Australia's oldest inland town, Bathurst. It was here that the country's gold diggers first struck lucky. Before getting your pan out, stop for lunch at The Hub Espresso Bar and Eatery. Whether you're outside in the leafy courtyard, or inside, surrounded by art, you'll be feasting on generous, seasonal dishes and coffee from local roaster Fish River. Just 100 metres away is the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, where temporary exhibitions respond to local landscapes, including Hill End, home to a legendary artist's residency. Spend the rest of your afternoon wandering around Bathurst's wide streets and quirky shops, including Annie's, a decades-old ice cream parlour where the must-try scoop is Sofala Gold (honeycomb and caramel) — or the bright green lime if you dare — and Legall Patisserie for traditional French pastries. Crank up Hozier — you're heading to church for dinner. Well, it's not church, exactly, but a former church schoolhouse. Known as Church Bar, this candlelit hideaway serves woodfired pizzas. Try the Russel, with sautéed mushrooms, grilled asparagus, a poached egg and parmesan cheese, drizzled with white truffle oil. Stay alert for ghosts on the way out — ten members of the notorious Ribbon Gang were publicly hanged in the laneway in the 1830s. If that spooks you out too much, instead head to American-style diner Dogwood, BX for burgers, smoked rib croquettes and fried chicken or gastropub The George Hotel. For an after-dinner tipple, stop in at cosy small bar Webb & Co. When it's time for bed, you've got a few quirky options. Situated right in the town centre is The Ivy Lodge, a stunningly restored heritage cottage that sleeps four people. If you're up for a bit of an adventure, opt for an off-grid stay in Artisans Park, which is a 40-minute drive north of the town centre. Here, you'll have your choice between a restored WWII army communication tower and a pimped-out 1949 London double-decker bus. Both offer indoor fireplaces and outdoor fire pits, epic views across the region and access to private bush tracks. [caption id="attachment_771657" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] STOP TWO: PARKES Two hours' journey west from Bathurst lands you in the 12,000-strong town of Parkes, another gold rush settlement and home to the annual Elvis Festival. Before you ask, yes, the place is named after Federation's daddy, Henry Parkes, and, yes, you're going to the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope, as seen in Rob Sitch's 2000 flick, The Dish. Drive 20 kilometres north through farmlands to see the 64-metre telescope that helped broadcast man's first moonwalk and has since found more than half of the known 2000 pulsars (spinning neutron stars). There's an onsite cafe, with glass walls, so you can keep looking for signs of alien life while you're eating. Back in Parkes, get your bearings at Memorial Hill Lookout before poring over the Indigenous artwork at Wiradjuri Amphitheatre. Next up, you're heading into the 50s — and beyond — at the Henry Parkes Centre. This museum specialises in four things: Elvis, Henry Parkes, old cars and old machines. At dinnertime, IKON will have you sorted. Take a seat next to the rockstar feature wall, order a bottle of Heifer Station pinot grigio from Orange and start with one of the tasting plates. The mains are all about dressed up quality meats — think grilled kangaroo fillet or char sui lamb rump. And, for a slick, four-star stay, check into connecting Hotel Gracelands. This 20-roomer is splashed in earthy tones, making it a cool retreat on hot days. [caption id="attachment_771658" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Printhie Wines via Destination NSW[/caption] STOP THREE: ORANGE It's time to start making tracks back to Sydney. Return the way you came or make a loop, taking in Forbes and the Mount Nangar Lookout, before getting to Orange. Over the past 20 or so years, this 40,000-person town has transformed into a major destination for foodies and winos. Before getting started, earn your right to gorge with a hike on Mount Canobolas (hot tip: if you've no interest in moving, then you can drive to the summit). Some locals will tell you this is the highest point between the Great Dividing Range and Africa, but, sadly, there's a couple of peaks getting in the way of that tall tale. There's no denying, however, the awe-inspiring, 360-degree panoramas. Along the Lake Canobolas Road towards Orange is Borrodell Estate. This expansive property boasts one of Australia's highest vineyards — specialising in cool-climate varieties — and an orchard growing apples, cherries, plums and more. It's also known for harvesting truffles, which are put to good use at the onsite restaurant, Sister's Rock. Other wineries worth a visit include the family-run Printhie Estate — lauded for its award-winning Swift sparkling range — and Philip Shaw. [caption id="attachment_771654" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nashdale Lane Wines via Destination NSW[/caption] Before the drowsy, post-feast afterglow wears off, check into De Russie Suites for a kip or a bath. Walking into the light, airy foyer dotted with sculptures and oversized planters, you'll feel like you've arrived at a Tuscan villa. Or, if you'd like to keep to the off-grid theme of your road trip, opt to sleep in one of the luxury glamping cabins overlooking Nashdale Lane vineyard. You're advised to reserve for dinner at The Union Bank, a heritage-listed building that formerly functioned as a stable for police horses and as an art school. There are impeccably composed grazing plates for sharing alongside a wine list that heroes local wineries. [caption id="attachment_771659" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Racine Bakery via Destination NSW[/caption] Come morning, head to Racine Bakery for top-notch almond croissants, sandwiches and cakes, or swing by The Agrestic Grocer for, well, anything that takes your fancy. This welcoming hub serves as a grocer specialising in local produce, including pedal-your-own rolled oats, as well as a cafe, bar, workshop space and live music venue. It's a collaboration between four people who share an extraordinarily well-developed sense of all things delicious, healthy and creative. On the way out, grab some supplies for the trip home. Hanging around? Get more tips from our Weekender's Guide To Orange. Whether you're planning to travel for a couple of nights or a couple of weeks, Holiday Here This Year and you'll be supporting Australian businesses while you explore the best of our country's diverse landscapes and attractions. Top image: Destination NSW FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Feeling a little chilly, Sydneysiders? There's a reason for that. We're only halfway through autumn, but a significant drop in temperature has been making the city shiver today, Monday, April 12 — with this morning marking not only Sydney's coldest of 2021 so far, but also its frostiest since September 2020. At 6.30am this morning, the mercury sat at 9.7 degrees. The minimum temps so far in April have hovered between 13.5–19.2 degrees, so it's quite a bit colder than usual. And, the Bureau of Meteorology reports that the apparent temperature went down to four degrees at 7am this morning, so it felt even chillier still. While the mercury will hit the 21-degree maximum mark today — and continue to sit between 11–29 degrees right through until Sunday, April 18 — today's frostier sensation comes as a result of a cold front over the weekend. As a result, BOM advises that temperatures across the state are expected to be around five degrees lower than the April average today. https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1381352894277033988 To put the colder temperatures in context, Sydney's mean April minimum is 14.8 degrees. Typically, the mercury doesn't start dropping much further until May, which sports a 11.6-degree average minimum temperature — and in June, naturally, where the minimum hovers around 9.3 degrees Obviously, we're at the point of the year when saying "winter is coming" is warranted — but rest assured that it has been genuinely colder than normal to start today. For more information about Sydney's weather forecasts and recent temperatures, head to the Bureau of Meteorology's website.
Attention all cheesecake lovers: you need to add this Japanese dessert spot to your must-try list. Japan's most viral cheesecake brand, LeTAO, is dishing its decadent desserts from a sleek Sydney store inside the Regent Place precinct. Residing alongside the likes of Uncle Testu, Tenkomori and Dopa Donburi and Milkbar, the flagship store celebrates Japanese ingredients and scenery through desserts created with an ethos of blending nostalgia with modernism. LeTAO achieves this by creating cheesecakes that are reminiscent of the classics but draw inspiration from Japan's gorgeous natural landscapes, featuring the flavours, texture and presentation of modern dining. This viral dessert brand began slinging its much-loved cheesecakes throughout Japan in 1998 — and the desserts first reached Australian shores in 2022 in Melbourne — before finally hitting up Sydney with its heavily sought-after sweet treats. The George Street store dons a moody aesthetic with museum-style interiors. Curated by K. Holland architects, LeTAO's stone-grey walls, mirrored ceilings and textured granite benches draw inspiration from Hokkaido's mountains. Inside you'll find a display case containing the famed goods sitting in the centre of the intimate space. Plus, there are dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing its sweet treats to citygoers passing by. As for the menu, there's a rotating selection of seasonal specials — usually fruit-centric flavours like the Niagra Grape Double — available alongside LeTAO's beloved signature range. Take your pick from six permanent flavours, including the iconic Fromage Double featuring Hokkaido cream, Italian mascarpone and Australian cream cheese, and the indulgent Chocolat Double using 66-percent cacao Spanish chocolate and a chocolate crumb. Rounding out the selection is an Aussie-exclusive creamy mousse cheesecake. This decadent snow cake is a celebratory dessert curated to reflect the Japanese snow and launched in honour of the flagship Sydney store. And the dessert range does not end there — LeTAO also offers a jersey milk swiss roll, chocolate truffles infused with Darjeeling tea, and cheese and chocolate cookies — all of which can be purchased in-store or online. To top things off, in-store-only items like fresh dairy directly from Hokkaido and the exclusive ice cream sundae and soft serve selection are also on offer.
After closing its doors in 2016, the Theatre Royal is set to reopen from August 2021, with the NSW Government signing over a 55-year lease to global company Trafalgar Entertainment (TE). The 1100-seat Theatre Royal is one of Australia's oldest theatres, dating back to the 1870s. But most of us will know it in its current form, reopened in the 1970s and designed by famed Australian architect Harry Seidler as a replacement for the old theatre that was demolished when the MLC Centre was built. After four years of disuse, the NSW Government together with Dexus (owner of the MLC building) have handed over the keys to the space with hopes of encouraging more big-name musical productions to the harbour city. While Sydney nabbed the 2021 production of Hamilton, it lost Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to Melbourne, which one theatre producer put down to Sydney's "lack of a mid-to-large size venue". [caption id="attachment_769687" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trafalgar Entertainment's 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'.[/caption] Jointly run by famed British theatre impresarios Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire, TE is promising to change this with its "Sydney gets it first" approach to programming of "first-class productions". Known for producing award-winning musicals and shows, such as The King and I, The Rocky Horror Show and War House, which have performed at London's West End and Melbourne's National Theatre, the company will also transform Theatre Royal into a live-streaming content hub and home to its performing arts school Stagecoach. In terms of physical changes, TE plans to renovate the theatre's interiors to "international standards", with the company telling the SMH these would involve "extensive renovations to the theatre's public areas, seating and amenities, as well as backstage". The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on Australia's arts scene — with Carriageworks entering voluntary administration earlier this week — but TE's Panter and Squire hope the revival of the Theatre Royal will play a small part in helping the industry rebuild. "Like so many, our industry is enduring highly challenging circumstances as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic," the duo said in a statement. "However, looking to the future, we believe that live entertainment and the creative industries will have a crucial part to play in recovery and renewal." The Theatre Royal is slated to reopen under Trafalgar Entertainment in August 2021. Top image: An artist's impression of Theatre Royal.
Take a must-visit Paris art museum, an acclaimed Victorian gallery, an iconic French painter and one of the world's most influential architects, mix them all together, and Australia's latest huge exhibition is the end result. So is something unsurprisingly stunning: the world premiere of Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi at the NGV International in Melbourne. The National Gallery of Victoria's revolving door of blockbuster exhibitions shows no sign of slowing, with this exceptional meeting of creative minds gracing its halls from Friday, June 9–Sunday, October 8. When the temperature dips each year, the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series kicks in — and, as created in collaboration with the Musée d'Orsay, home to the world's largest collection of Bonnard works, this ode to Bonnard and Mahdavi is the current centrepiece. On display: more than 100 pieces by the famed French artist, but seen through a fresh lens. Helping provide that new perspective is scenography by internationally renowned architect and designer Mahdavi, in a major showcase that was originally slated to debut in 2020 before the pandemic did its thing. An icon of late 19th- and early 20th-century art, and a good mate of Henri Matisse, Bonnard is known for his colourful, textural depictions of French life, offering stylised yet subtle glimpses of intimate domestic scenes, urban backdrops and natural landscapes. Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi includes a hefty collection of the artist's own paintings, drawings, photographs, prints and other decorative objects, alongside works from his contemporaries — including Édouard Vuillard, Maurice Denis, Félix Vallotton and cinematic pioneers the Lumière brothers. Attendees can expect to step through Bonnard's early artistic days in the 1890s, highlighting his focus on Parisian street life; his evolution from there, including when he started focusing on more domestic scenes as inspired by his relationship with his companion Marthe Bonnard; and his love of landscape, especially from 1910 onwards, and as influenced by his fellow pal Claude Monet. Numerous pieces are on loan from the Musée d'Orsay, as well as other museums and private collections in Europe, Australia and the USA. The NGV's own collection also includes significant works, however, including Bonnard's 1900 painting La Sieste (Siesta). Considered one of the world's most influential architects, multi-award-winning Mahdavi has been commissioned to help bring the historic pieces to life via her scenography, tasked with creating a setting that complements Bonnard's signature use of colour and light. The results aren't just spectacular — they're dreamy. Images: Installation view of Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi, on display from June 9–October 8, 2023 at NGV International, Melbourne. Photos: Lillie Thompson.
Get ready to feel insecure about your age. That dynamo 17-year-old with the Grammys and the dance moves and the best friend named David Bowie is set to finally hit our shores in July. Lorde will play eight massive shows across the country including Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane. After a heartbreaking cancellation and an illness postponement earlier in the year, this will be Lorde's first Australian stadium tour after playing smaller clubs and the Laneway circuit. Ever the social media savvy teenager, Lorde announced the rescheduled tour dates with a Twitter pic, sprinkled with crystal ball and lightning bolt Emojis. While we're sure to get the full Royal(s) treatment from her 2013 breakthrough album Pure Heroine, the highly-anticipated tour is said to have some big surprises in store. It's been announced there will be a large-scale light show component, but we're keeping our fingers crossed for a cameo from Ziggy Stardust. In good news for wunderkinds nationwide, every show on the tour will also be all ages. Stands to reason, really — if the main act is underage why should you have to flash ID? https://youtube.com/watch?v=f2JuxM-snGc
In heartbreaking news, Bistrot 916 is the latest Sydney haunt to join the slew of venues that will close in 2024. Since opening in 2021, the Potts Point locale has served extravagant French fare that has earned it a spot among Sydney's best French restaurants. Now, the sleek spot be shutting its doors ahead of the site that it calls home being demolished. Unfortunately, the CBD stalwart will be ceasing operations as a result of impending development on its current and surrounding location. An exact date for the final service hasn't been revealed, but the Challis Avenue restaurant is encouraging Sydneysiders to come in for a celebratory last dinner before it officially shuts. The three ex-Restaurant Hubert hospitality giants behind the venue, Dan Pepperell (Alberto Lounge, 10 William Street and Frankie's), Andy Tyson (Alberto Lounge) and Michael Clift (Rockpool Dining Group), took to the restaurant's Instagram page to announce its closure. "We would like to send our deepest gratitude to all of our incredible staff past and present and to our beautiful customers, it has been our pleasure," said the Bistrot 916 team via an Instagram post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bistrot 916 (@bistrot916) While Bistrot 916 will no longer dish out its top-notch French cuisine, the crew behind it will still be serving up New York-style eats at Clam Bar, Italian feasts at Sydney institution 10 William Street, Pellegrino 2000 — which recently hosted international star Taylor Swift — and soon-to-come subterranean diner Neptune's Grotto residing underneath Clam Bar. And for that goodbye trip to Bistrot 916, it's recommended that you book sooner rather than later to secure a farewell meal — you'll have company. [caption id="attachment_801360" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_801364" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] Find Bistrot 916 at 22 Challis Avenue, Potts Point, open from 5–9.30pm Monday–Thursday and 12–9.30pm Friday–Sunday. Head to Bistrot 916's Instagram page for future announcements and updates. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan.
After a run of shows across the country in support of their latest album Today We're The Greatest, Middle Kids are bringing their anthemic tunes to Byron Bay's Beach Hotel. Produced by St Vincent collaborator Lars Stalfors, the album is full of life affirming songs that set the tone for big post-lockdown moments and has landed the band an ARIA nomination for Best Rock Album and international talk-show appearances, Byron Bay fans will be able to catch the trio performing songs from both Today We're the Greatest and their debut album Lost Friends on Saturday, March 25 as part of Great Southern Nights. Brisbane band Melaleuca will also be in attendance, opening the show with heir catchy indie rock tracks. Best of all? Entry is free to the gig, so all you have to do is rock up early to make sure you nab a spot in the venue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-xPosJqePo Great Southern Nights is facilitating a heap of gigs across Sydney and regional NSW, ranging from icons like Jimmy Barnes in western Sydney or Archie Roach performing in Wagga Wagga, through to smaller acts like hyped young R&B singer Liyah Knight headlining a night of local music and DJs at Zetland's 107 Projects. You can find the full program at the Great Southern Nights website.
If you deserve a little luxury (and you absolutely do), Balmain Spa & Natural Beauty on Darling Street has got you sorted from top to toe — literally. Eyelash tints, pedicures and a full-body exfoliation all have a place on the indulgent menu of treatments on offer. Try one of the luxe facials designed to your own skin specifications — the oxygen facial or the compelling anti-stress facial will have you looking and feeling super fresh. If you want to get even more hands-on, get blissed out with a Swedish-style massage or really treat yourself with the Pure Indulgence packages, finishing with a paraffin wax pedicure. Images: Arvin Prem Kumar
Fresh from opening a pop-up restaurant on top of a Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon (and suggesting something similar for Brisbane), celebrity chef Luke Mangan is back with a new Sydney opening, combining two of his favourite cuisines. Luc-San pairs flavours of France and Japan in what Mangan is calling a "French izakaya". "It was a meal at Joël Robuchon that triggered me to explore the union of French and Japanese," said Mangan. "I designed the menu to pay homage to my classic French training under Michel Roux, coupled with my affinity for Japanese cuisine developed during my time owning and operating Salt in Tokyo." Located in Potts Point, the 90-seat neighbourhood restaurant welcomes you in with moody lighting, a red terrazzo bar and a soft neutral colour palette running through the dining room. The menu features highlights like prawns paired with a French butter-based sauce, seaweed and shiso; tuna croissants served with Hokkaido scallop salad; and panko-crumbed pork topped with pickled mustard leaf and sauce choron. The robata grill will be firing, with pork, yuzu chicken, mushroom and wagyu beef skewers all on offer. And for dessert, the pick of the sweets is either the white chocolate pudding partnered with green team and lime chantilly, or the soft meringue, yuzu curd and brandy cumquats. If you want to sample your way through everything that's on offer, there are two set menus. The six-course option features pickles, market fish sashimi, pork skewers, confit duck and soba noodles with peanut, sesame and dojon rayu — plus the soft meringue dessert — all for $75 per person. Alternatively, you can opt for eight courses, which adds the signature prawns as well as fragrant ginger and garlic mushrooms to the mix for an extra $20 a head. Then there's the drinks. Pair your prawns and panko pork with your choice from the extensive wine and sake list — or, take your pick from the cocktail menu. The Luc-San martini is described as "a warming ginger pash laced with electric shochu", combining Summum Vodka, shochu, massenez lychee, pineapple and ginger; while the Provincial Daiquiri is pitched as "the unofficial Barbie cocktail" and features white rum, Dolin Dry vermouth, watermelon, seasonal berries, lemon and lavender tincture. Luc-San is now open on the corner of Pennys Lane and Kings Cross Road, Potts Point — operating from 4pm–late Tuesday–Saturday.
In news set to tickle the fancies of luxury fashion lovers the country over, Melbourne will this month play host to the Aussie leg of Louis Vuitton's Time Capsule exhibition. Chadstone Shopping Centre, which is the largest in the country, has announced it's teamed up with the iconic label to bring the travelling exhibition down under. It comes off the back of recent stops in Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong and Berlin. It'll run for free from February 24 until March 21, treating visitors to a glimpse at the brand's history and celebrating some of its landmark innovations, pulling together a selection of key objects from the Louis Vuitton archive. Expect plenty of local insertions too, with pieces from the likes of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, former Australian Cricket Captain Michael Clarke and wife of David Jones, Mrs Lloyd Jones. The exhibition's broken into six main parts, including the Artisans Room, featuring a 'live' experience with Louis Vuitton craftsmen, and Journey Around the World, which explores how the brand evolved to meet the demands of new forms of transport. Icons of The House will look back at some of Louis Vuitton's most memorable creations, while Magic Malle takes visitors back to where it all began. News of the Louis Vuitton Time Capsule exhibition comes just a few weeks after Chadstone announced plans to open a $130 million luxury hotel, as it looks to cement its status as an international tourist destination. Louis Vuitton's Time Capsule exhibition will be at Chadstone Shopping Centre, 1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone from February 24 till March 21, 2018. It will be open from 9am–5pm Monday to Wednesday, 9am–9pm Thursday to Saturday and from 10am–7pm Sunday. For more info, visit chadstone.com.au.
Less than ten minutes walking from Kings Cross station gets you to hideaway Italian restaurant Bar Grazie, which opened its doors in September 2022. Bar Grazie has some weight to its name, thanks to the power trio that brought the space to life, starting with Barry McDonald (the man behind the OG Fratelli Fresh). Let's start with the interiors, designed by George Gorrow (co-founder of Ksubi and The Slow). Looking around, you'll notice wood panelling and white walls. It's gentle and welcoming and has just the right amount of lighting. Pick a refreshment from a selection of Italian beers, an impressive roster of Italian and French wines, spritzes and classic cocktails. Opening up the food menu, you're met with a fine selection of Italian choices from head chef Jarrard Martin, whose resume includes Rockpool, Ucello and Mary's Underground. Start light with Sydney rock oysters with yuzu mignonette, or take a denser route with the famed vitello tonnato. Mains follow — there's gnocchi with pine nuts, aged balsamic and brown butter; market fish al caltoccio (cooked in foil) with salsa verde; macaroni with ragu bolognese, and so much more. If you can't decide, don't stress, the team offers three-course set menus from Monday to Wednesday. Or visit on weekends to grab pasta and wine for $30.
With apologies to the many worthy winners at the 2024 Oscars, this year's ceremony will always be known for one thing. When the lights went pink, Ryan Gosling started singing from his seat in the crowd (with Margot Robbie and Billie Eilish giggling around him) and the words "doesn't seem to matter what I do…" rang out, the world began to witness Academy Awards history. His rendition of 'I'm Just Ken' from Barbie was a musical number for the ages. When he made it up to the stage to keep crooning about Kenergy, the man behind the tan and blonde fragility, it wasn't the only time that Gosling stepped up onto the platform that night. He also delivered a tribute to stunts with Oppenheimer's Emily Blunt — and the two couldn't have been better candidates to make the presentation, which doubled as a reminder that their new film was on the way. In The Fall Guy, Gosling blends his action and comedy modes to play a seasoned stunt performer. Blunt co-stars as the director of the latest flick he's working on, and also his ex-girlfriend. The picture is helmed by David Leitch, who famously was in the stunt game himself, including doubling for Brad Pitt on movies such as Fight Club and Ocean's Eleven, and also for Matt Damon, then jumping behind the camera on John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, Bullet Train and now this. Gosling and Blunt's shared portion of the Oscars ceremony was also a call to arms: stunts, despite being so crucial to the film industry, are not currently recognised by the Academy Awards. They absolutely should be. Ask Leitch if he sees The Fall Guy as helping to advance the case to recognise the field at Hollywood's night of nights and he tells Concrete Playground "that's the hope". He continues: "I think it is definitely a celebration of the stunt industry, and hopefully it continues to shine a light on how much these unsung heroes contribute to the films you guys love and we all love. You just can't separate the history of action from the history of cinema, and stunt performers have been there since the beginning." Loosely based on the 80s TV series of the same name, The Fall Guy tasks Gosling with playing Colt Seavers, who has spent much of his career making actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, reteaming with Leitch after Bullet Train) look good. He's been out of the business after a workplace accident when he's enlisted to help out on a big-budget sci-fi blockbuster — not just to double for Tom, but to work out why the flick's star has gone missing in Sydney. Making the gig even more chaotic: plenty of nefarious folks on his tail, complete with a chase across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Plus, there's the fact that his ex Jody Moreno (Blunt) is directing, and it's her first stint in the role. Cue an action-comedy from Leitch, plus Kelly McCormick as his regular producer, that doesn't just showcase stunts but is firmly about stunts as well. [caption id="attachment_952101" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Caroline McCredie[/caption] When The Fall Guy's shoot shut down one of Sydney's most-famous landmarks, everyone in Australia knew. It isn't every day that Gosling brings the Harbour City to a halt, after all. The bridge isn't the only part of the New South Wales capital that can be spotted in the movie, however, because this is a film that takes place in Sydney and makes the most of it. The Fall Guy is a love letter to stunts, of course, but McCormick — who also co-founded production and action design company 87North with Leitch — also considers it a love letter to its setting. Using the Sydney Opera House as the backdrop for a sci-fi shoot also isn't forgotten quickly. ("It's still so sci-fi. It's still beyond its time. It's an amazing, amazing building," says McCormick.) Leitch and McCormick returned to Sydney in early April to give The Fall Guy a big local premiere at the State Theatre. While they were in Australia, the pair also chatted with us. Leitch living the dream as a former stunt performer-turned-filmmaker now making a movie about stunts, the challenges on such a stunt-heavy film, ensuring that the movie is a mix not just of action and comedy but also mystery and romance, casting Gosling and Blunt, shooting in Sydney: we asked the duo about all of the above and more. On Living the Dream by Being a Former Stunt Performer Now Directing a Movie About Stunt Performers David: "Absolutely — I mean, the 80s TV show was one of those shows that lit the fuse of me wanting to be a stunt performer. There's a lot of wish-fulfilment in that show as a teenage kid. So it was exciting that this property would come [my way] — and obviously having 20-plus years as a stunt performer and the anecdotes and the real life experiences to go with it, I had a lot to be able to put into it. And I felt I could really talk with the authentic voice and actually give Ryan some notes from a real place." On Whether Making a Movie Like The Fall Guy Was the Plan when Leitch Was Still Doubling David: "I don't know if that was the actual aim, although I did early on get the film bug and really want to tell stories beyond the stories I was telling in the action. So, I really did lean into spending my time on set observing and learning everything I could about filmmaking process so I could move to the director chair. I was excited about directing." On the Challenges of Making a Movie That Isn't Just Stunt-Heavy, But Is Constantly Calling Attention to Stunts Because It's About Stunts Kelly: "I think every movie has its own challenges, action or otherwise. I think safety is obviously something that comes to mind that we are particularly sensitive to. When we're doing an action sequence, bringing a team together that is top of class is essential to make sure that it's as safe as possible and as creative as possible at the same time. That's always the goal. I think that's maybe a bit of extra pressure, but it's exciting in the sense that stunt performers get into the business to do stunts — so the last thing we want to do is not do stuff. It's making their dreams come true and making them viable in the film business. So it's this tricky balance of just trying to make sure that you know you're as safe as possible and you've got excellence around them, and in them, to make sure that you can give them the opportunities." David: "I think it was fun to be on the other side of it. I was a stunt coordinator for so many years that it was fun to challenge the team to do these things. I knew what they were going to have to go through to achieve them. But to be like 'good luck, guys' and just run in there and throw down the gauntlet — 'I need you to recreate some of these classic stunts from history, but just make them bigger' — that was fun for me. So I didn't feel the pressure. I made the stunt team feel the pressure and, again, I felt that for many years as a coordinator, when I've been asked to deliver things. And I certainly didn't have to feel the producorial pressures like Kelly had to feel as well. So I was just telling people what to do." On Making It an Aim to Create a Fun Vibe on Leitch and McCormick's Sets Kelly: "I have this theory that the set atmosphere flows through the film to the audience. And we actively try to keep a happy, congenial family environment on our sets, as big as they are. That's what we're always striving for and hopefully achieving. We work with a lot of our heads of departments again and again and again, and part of that is because we like their energy, we like their creativity and we like to have a family kind of atmosphere around our films." On Balancing the Mix of Action, Comedy, Romance and Mystery in The Fall Guy Kelly: It was like problem-opportunity in a sense. I consider David an atonal director — and that used to be such a dirty word, but I actually think it's such a positive thing because you never know what energy you're feeling or you're going to be having in a David Leitch film. You may be crying one moment and laughing the next, and feeling the stakes in one moment and thinking it's ridiculous another moment later. When you have three movies in the one movie, that is the bigger challenge — to strike that tone and to get all of that right. And so it was a way to challenge David in his filmmaking." David: "I loved it. I loved taking the audience on a ride. I liked what Kelly just said, laughing at one moment, being awed by spectacle the next, then pulling at the heartstrings few minutes later. And to have an a property, an IP, where we could do that and have two actors that can pull it off with you is was really, really fun to do." On Casting Ryan Gosling — and Only Approaching Ryan Gosling for the Part David: "Ryan is obviously an incredible actor. He's great at comedy. He's great at romance. And our early conversations — he was the only person we went to, and we were crossing our fingers and toes that we would get him. It was even before we had a script. But I think he saw the potential in the property and the potential in this underdog hero, and that we could create an action, hopefully, franchise where he could use all those skill sets. I think that's what he was excited about — where he could use romance and comedy, and his new action chops that he had on The Gray Man. So a lot of the DNA of the tone stems from also what Ryan was excited about doing and we all leaned in as well, and it was fun." On Casting Emily Blunt — and Shaping the Role to Suit Her Kelly: "To be honest, we just feel so lucky that we got her. Right before we went to her, we switched the role from a makeup artist to a first-time director, thinking that it raised the stakes for that character and allowed for her to be in a place where she was dealing with some really serious stuff, like the weight of her dream on her shoulders and getting that to take over directing for the first time — and then this person who basically broke her heart and she thought she was over coming in, and the last thing she ever wanted to see, and the one thing that could probably disrupt this big opportunity for her. We went to Emily right after we had come up with that idea with a very, very rough draft and felt so lucky that she saw her way into it, so that she could add so many layers. And so, in a sense, it was really tailored to her as well to like Colt was to Ryan." On Shooting in Sydney, Including on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and at Sydney Opera House Kelly: "It was really exciting, actually, to get the access to both of those two super-iconic locations. I was amazed at how much time we got at the Opera House. And we chose a scene that we could really exhibit the Opera House as something other than the Opera House — Jody Moreno is using it as the sci-fi backdrop of her epic sci-fi love story. That they allowed for us to put a bunch of sand on the beautiful stairs, and bring in waterworks so that we could make it rain, even though the sun was shining that day — and let us yank and pull and show the beauty of what a ratchet looks like in an action sequence — that stuff you don't get to see when you're normally looking at just the film, instead of the movie being made. It was really, really exciting and we just kept pinching ourselves. 'Can you believe we're just at the stairs with the Opera House here and they're letting us do this? This is a thing.' It was amazing. The whole city just really opened their arms, and wanted to solve the problems and give us access and show the town. And we just hope that everyone's really as happy with it as we are in showcasing Sydney. We really consider it a love letter to to this town." The Fall Guy releases in cinemas Down Under on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Read our review.
You might not be able to jet off on an Italian holiday any time soon. But a luxurious aperitivo session starring top Aussie produce, a few local culinary heroes and stunning ocean vistas — well, that's yours for the taking. This summer, a lineup of guest chefs, bartenders and other industry legends will descend upon the Icebergs Terrace for brand-new event series, An Australian Aperitivo. Each will feature a new menu of seasonal sips, along with snacks cooked over wood and coals — all heroing the best local flavours and some leading Aussie talent, across two ticketed sessions (2–4pm and 5–7pm). The fun kicks off on Sunday, February 21, when Anthony Puharich (Victor Churchill, Vic's Meat), Morgan McGlone (chef-owner of Belles Hot Chicken) and Andrew Guard (Andrew Guard Wine Imports) head up the first of these oceanside affairs. Then, on Sunday, February 28, it's Momofuku Seiōbo's Paul Carmichael, restaurateur Anton Forte (Alberto's Lounge, Restaurant Hubert, Shady Pines Saloon, The Baxter Inn) and Mike Bennie (P&V Wine & Liquor Merchants) along for the ride. Secure your spot by grabbing a $50 ticket online, the cost of which will then come off your final bill on the day.
Sydney, it's your time to play the most entertaining game of "what if?" there is, especially if you love classic tales, pop songs and sensational musicals. Whether you studied it in high school or just obsessed over Baz Luhrmann's glorious 90s movie, everyone knows how Romeo and Juliet ends — and it doesn't conclude happily for either of its eponymous star-crossed lovers. But what if it didn't wrap up that way? What if Juliet lived to love again? And what if her experiences from there, after thwarting theatre's greatest tragedy, involved a whole heap of earworm tunes from the last couple of decades? The answer to how all of that might turn out already exists, all thanks to Olivier Award-winning jukebox musical & Juliet. A hit in London's West End since 2019, it remixes the iconic love story in multiple ways — tinkering with its narrative and throwing in all that toe-tapping music. And, the Shakespeare-meets-pop spectacle is playing at Riverside Theatres this October. If you're now thinking "wherefore art thou?" about & Juliet's setup, it picks up after the ending we all know doesn't eventuate. And, it muses on what might happen if Juliet could choose her own fate instead. That scenario involves Anne Hathaway — no, not that one — and her husband William Shakespeare, and features songs by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Robyn, Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Kelly Clarkson and more. Tunes that get a spin: 'Larger Than Life', 'I Want It That Way', '... Baby One More Time', 'Show Me Love', 'Oops!... I Did It Again', 'As Long As You Love Me', 'Stronger', 'I Kissed a Girl', 'Since U Been Gone', 'It's My Life', 'It's Gonna Be Me' and a whole heap of others. The common factor between them all is Swedish songwriter Max Martin, who penned or co-penned every track on the musical's soundtrack. As well as Martin's involvement — including as one of & Juliet's co-creators — the musical features a book by the Emmy-winning Schitt's Creek writer and The Big Door Prize creator David West Read. And if you're wondering about the show's shiny Olivier Awards, it was nominated for nine for its West End debut season, and nabbed three: for Best Actress in a Musical, Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tho82JYwz0s[/embed]
The idea that good things come to those who wait isn't just a piece of advice everyone's mum have given them at least once; over the past couple of years, it's also been the mantra behind Australia's live gig scene. And, yes, now that music festivals, concerts and shows are back in a big way, great things are indeed coming Down Under — including Fisher's rescheduled Aussie tour. The former pro surfer-turned-DJ will be hitting up Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth in November, throwing a huge outdoor dance party in each city. He'll be on the decks, of course, but he'll also have company in the form of Booka Shade, Pnau, Loco Dice and HoneyLuv. Also on the bill: Little Fritter, Richard Penny, Tina Says and Loco Dice. International names, local talents — they're all on this lineup. And if you're wondering how excited that Fisher is to finally bring the tour to fruition, it's all there in the name. Originally his first-ever Aussie national tour was called 'Bigger Than a Beach Party', but now it's the 'Australia, It's Fk'n On' tour. [caption id="attachment_860230" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Booka Shade[/caption] A few details have changed, however. Originally, the tour was headed to Wollongong, but Stuart Park can no longer play host to major gigs due to heavy rain earlier this year. So, Fisher will hit up The Domain in Sydney instead — which is obviously ace news for Sydneysiders. It's been a huge few years for the Gold Coast DJ, since the Grammy-nominated 'Losing It' brought him to international fame. He also launched his own boozy seltzer brand FIZZ during the pandemic, which your tastebuds might be aware of. Fisher heads around Australia after headlining the Under Construction festival in the US, and playing shows at Petco Park in Denver. And yes, expect dance floors at Melbourne's Catani Gardens, Brisbane's Riverstage, The Domain in Sydney and Perth's Langley Park to be busy. [caption id="attachment_860229" align="alignnone" width="1920"] HoneyLuv[/caption] FISHER'S 2022 'IT'S FK'N ON AUSTRALIA' TOUR DATES: Saturday, November 5 — Catani Gardens, Melbourne Sunday, November 6 — Riverstage, Brisbane Saturday, November 12 — The Domain, Sydney Sunday, November 13 — Langley Park, Perth Fisher's 'It's Fk'n On Australia tour heads Down Under in November 2022. The waitlist for tickets is open now, with tickets pre-sales from 8am local time on Wednesday, July 13 — and general sales from 8am local time on Thursday, July 14.
With so many beauty products floating around, it's hard to know if your current ten- (or one-) step skincare routine is making any kind of difference. It might seem obvious, but Carla Oates, founder of The Beauty Chef, recommends starting with what's on the inside — with products that work on improving your gut and skin microbiome. The Beauty Chef first saw success with its GLOW®️ Inner Beauty Essential: a probiotic supernutrient powder that features powerhouse ingredients such as vitamin C, biotin, niacinamide, prebiotics and zinc to give your skin a serious glow-up, while supporting healthy hair, nails, digestion and energy. The entrepreneur has since spent the past 15 years creating a line of innovative inner beauty products for skin, gut and whole-body wellness that are now sold at David Jones, MECCA and Sephora — as well as beloved by people across the globe. In partnership with Klaviyo, we caught up with Oates to uncover her path into the industry, her advice for fellow entrepreneurs and the importance of listening to your gut. How did The Beauty Chef come about? As a child, I suffered from eczema and allergies. My mum took me to see a naturopath who dramatically changed what I ate, removing processed foods and allergens like gluten and dairy. My allergies and eczema subsided, so I experienced firsthand that what we eat can affect our skin and health. My daughter also experiences eczema and allergies. With the assistance of health professionals, we removed specific trigger foods from her diet, and I began researching the link between gut and skin health. As I explored this link more closely, I decided to put my family on a gut-healing protocol, which included eliminating certain foods and introducing lots of lacto-fermented whole foods with beneficial bacteria into our diet. Friends and family took notice and I realised I was onto something. Why focus specifically on inner beauty? Inner beauty is so important. When people start to delve deeper into understanding what makes skin healthy, it's not so much about what they're putting on their skin but how they're nourishing it from within. I focus on inner beauty because so many benefit from it. I've spoken to people who have tried all sorts of concoctions to remedy their skin on the outside, but it's only once they look to support their skin and health from the inside that results become abundantly clear. Can you break down the gut-skin connection for us in simple terms? The simplest way is to use the analogy of our gut as a garden. If the soil in the garden isn't healthy, balanced and thriving with a good array of nutrients and bacteria, then the plants that grow within its soil will struggle to blossom. The gut is where 70 percent of our immune system lies. It's where we make nutrients, regulate hormones, detoxify enzymes, neutralise pathogens and make neurotransmitters, so it's super important to get your digestive health in check. For someone just discovering The Beauty Chef, where should they start? GLOW®️ Inner Beauty Essential or GLOW AGELESS™ Inner Beauty Essential are five-star probiotic supernutrient formulas that promote healthy glowing skin, hair and nails, energy and gut health. From there, you can target any other specific skin, gut health or wellbeing concerns with products from the rest of our range — all our products are designed to work together for enhanced results. What challenges did you have to overcome as a woman establishing her own business? When I launched in 2009, ingestible beauty was a foreign concept. Pioneering the category wasn't easy because retailers didn't have a category for it. One of the hardest things was convincing manufacturers to support our low volumes. I had to find my CEO voice and seriously hustle to help them see my vision and understand the product. In the beginning, I was wearing every single hat, from product development to marketing and even HR. Now, we have 30 full-time staff at our head office. A key learning for me has been understanding and accepting that I can't be and do everything all the time. And, as the business expands, it's imperative to support that growth with leaders who are specialists in what they do. Networking with other female founders is also very important for me, both professionally and personally. No matter how different our businesses may be, we face similar challenges. When you connect, you can relate to each other and share learnings. How has Klaviyo helped your business? Klaviyo email and SMS have helped The Beauty Chef streamline our communications with our customers. We now have one central platform for key communications to our customers and can effectively personalise and segment to ensure long-term retention. Do you have any advice for other budding entrepreneurs? Do what you love because success requires hard work, so you might as well spend the hard work doing something you wholeheartedly enjoy. Plus, you are bound to be more successful doing something you have fire, passion and drive for. Try not to get caught up in trends and make sure you're creating products that serve a purpose and provide a solution that is unique. And be gutsy and follow your gut instinct. Discover The Beauty Chef's full range of products at the website, and find out more at the Klaviyo website.
Show me someone who says they don't like road trips and I'll show you a liar (or someone you should be blocking ASAP). Road trips are the backbone of travelling around our giant island nation, and exploration is in our DNA — but what do you do when you yearn to take off into the great beyond but all your mates are busy? Well, why not take your dog? Chances are you have one (especially if you clicked on this story) — about half of Australian households do. So who needs friends when you can take your best furry mate down one of the most mesmerising road trips Australia has to offer? That's right. Pack your bags, grab your car 'cause we're ditching Perth and heading south along the great southern coast of WA, all the way to Esperance, with plenty of dog-friendly pit stops along the way. Don't have a car? Check out SIXT, which offers pet-friendly car rentals from Perth Airport, Perth City, Fremantle and Kewdale. Now, on with the show. PAW-FECT PERTH Hey, what's the rush? Before we scoot off, why not check out some of the best stuff to do with your pooch in the great capital — plus it gives you plenty to do at the end of your trip if you want to do this itinerary in reverse. Check out some of the West's best dog cafes in the form of Slate Cafe in Bennett Springs and The Dog's Breakfast Cafe in Swan Valley — the former features a fully enclosed dog playground with a large, grassed area, while the latter is home to an agility park and dog playground, as well as a doggie pool and spa. Kind of jealous. If you're looking to stretch your legs, the Swan River Foreshore Loop and the Sir James Mitchell Park to Charles Peterson Park walks are scenic, accessible, and most importantly, dog-friendly. DOG-FRIENDLY WINERIES IN MARGARET RIVER First stop: Margaret River, one of the best wine regions in the country. Take this golden opportunity to pretend to be a wine connoisseur with the peace of mind that comes with knowing your dog — who knows you actually don't know a thing about wine — can't talk to rat you out. Sip on fancy wines at dog-friendly wineries like Woody Nook Wines, Xanadu Wines, Passel Estate, Cape Mentelle, and Stonefish Wines. Just watch your little pal doesn't knock over a wine glass or two. If wineries aren't your thing, Drift Cafe, White Elephant Cafe, and The Hairy Marron are all lovely options for you and your pal to enjoy a nice coffee break together. Or if breweries are more your scene, you're in luck, with Margeret River being home to a bunch of dog-friendly options, including Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co, Margaret River Brewhouse, Beerfarm and Bootleg Brewery. If you feel like crashing for the night, check out RAC Busselton Holiday Park, a pet-friendly powered campsite nestled on the doorsteps of Busselton and Dunsborough — not too far from Margaret River. DOG-FRIENDLY CAFES IN ALBANY Need a pick-me-up? Stop by Albany's dog-friendly cafes, where you can indulge in a much-needed caffeine hit while your bestie scoffs down its third puppuccino (relax Rex). Dylans on the Terrace and Hybla Tavern are the paces to be when it comes to dog-friendly cafes and pubs, with both offering outdoor seating so you can both enjoy the fresh air. Albany also has plenty to offer in its many stunning beaches dotted along Frenchman Bay. Or if you'd fancy some lush green over sandy gold, head to Whalers Cove, which offers a nice five-kilometre loop bushwalk in the form of the Uredale Point Heritage Trail. [caption id="attachment_912573" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Albany Wind Farm. Image: Harry Cunningham (Unsplash)[/caption] CATCHING THE WIND AT ALBANY WIND FARM Next up, Albany Wind Farm, where you can witness wind turbines that make you feel as insignificant as raisin cookies at a potluck (no one's touching those). Enjoy the coastal breeze and panoramic views, while your little pal probably wonders why you dragged them to this windy wonderland. On a serious note, the wind farm offers some lovely walking tracks, including one leading up the coast and another to the lookout. Keep in mind that while the area is dog-friendly, off-leash is prohibited. [caption id="attachment_913228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] World of Travoluton 360, Flickr[/caption] CHECK OUT NATURE'S POOCH: ALBANY'S FAMED DOG ROCK That's right, it's a rock that looks like a dog — and on this road trip, you'd be a fool to miss it. There's nothing artificial about this rocky canine, the formation is completely natural. And besides being a testament to the endless wonder of mother nature, it's also the perfect spot to snap a cute pic of your lil pal in front of their giant rocky cousin — if that doesn't get you Insta engagement, nothing will. Once you're ready to hit the hay, you'll be spoilt for choice in Albany, as there's a cornucopia of pet-friendly accommodation options available. [caption id="attachment_784595" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Great Ocean Drive. Image: supplied[/caption] THE GREAT OCEAN DRIVE As you continue towards Esperance, take the scenic Great Ocean Drive. Brace yourself for stunning coastal views, turquoise waters meeting pristine white sands, and a reminder that nature's beauty is clearly showing off. The 40-kilometre loop of picturesque winding roads includes plenty of perfect spots to stop and take in the natural splendour of WA — a sight to behold for any species. [caption id="attachment_897522" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Weilim Zheng[/caption] EXPERIENCE ESPERANCE You've made it, now you both deserve to chill out — and what a perfect spot to do so. Running along Esperance's beaches must feel like winning the lottery to dogs — sandy, wet, and vast. Check out Eleven Mile Beach, Salmon Beach, Blue Haven, Fourth Beach, and Ten Mile Lagoon for endless sandy adventures for your favourite mutt. Saving the best for last, check out Lucky Bay to catch one of the only places in the world where kangaroos sunbathe on the beach (yes, you heard me) — so you might wanna bring a leash for this one. And once you're ready to rest those tired legs, head to RAC Esperance Holiday Park, where dogs are always welcome. Looking for a pet-friendly rental to take you and your best furry mate on the road trip of a lifetime (or looking for a bigger car to fit your furry mate)? Check out SIXT, which welcomes customers to bring their family and furmily along for the ride, so no one gets left behind. Auto club members including NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAA, RACT, RAC and AANT will receive 15% off SIXT's daily rates. Click here to book now
UPDATE, Thursday, October 5: Zach Bryan's Australian show has now been moved to Flemington Racecourse due to demand. Not content with bringing Christina Aguilera to Australia for a one-off Down Under show, and boasting exclusive Eric Prydz and Jai Paul gigs as well, Victoria's statewide music celebration Always Live has added country music megastar Zach Bryan to its 2023 bill. The 17-day festival will now feature the biggest name in the genre right now, taking to the stage at St Kilda's Catani Gardens. The 'Something in the Orange' singer will head to Melbourne on Saturday, December 9 for an openair gig that'll give the Oologah, Oklahoma native's 2022 American Heartbreak album a hefty spin. Although he released two records prior — 2019's DeAnn and 2020's Elisabeth — his third album marked his major-label debut, and also the reason that Bryan has become such a sensation. Among Bryan's recent feats, American Heartbreak premiered in the top spot on America's Billboard 200. 'Something in the Orange' has now stayed in the charts longer than any single by a male country artist. In Australia, Bryan has earned that same achievement in the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart for all country artists. And his streaming numbers? In excess of 6.8 billion worldwide. Yellowstone viewers will also know him from popping up in the western series. As he's been taking his American Heartbreak tour around the US — including stops at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits — Bryan has been smashing attendance records, too. In his first-ever Australian stint, he'll also have tracks from his latest album to play, with the self-titled Zach Bryan releasing in August. Among the tunes: collaborations with Kacey Musgraves, The Lumineers, The War and Treaty, and Sierra Ferrell. Being brought Down Under by Untitled Group, which is also behind Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Grapevine Gathering, Wildlands and Ability Fest, Bryan's just-announced spot on the Always Live bill is his only currently scheduled gig in Australia. The statewide music celebration's full lineup includes more than 165 artists at 60-plus events — all, of course, in Victoria. Always Live 2023 runs from Friday, November 24–Sunday, December 10, with one pre-festival gig on Saturday, October 14. For more information, and to get tickets, head to the festival website. Zach Bryan will play St Kilda's Catani Gardens on Saturday, December 9, with pre sales from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, October 5 and general sales from 12pm AEDT on Friday, October 6.
It swept cities across the nation into a sugar-dusted frenzy when its pop-up 'dessert museum' travelled the country. Now, the team behind the nostalgic Sugar Republic and festive Christmasland is taking its sweet-toothed fantasies to a whole new level, announcing plans to open Australia's first-ever sweets-inspired accommodation. Not a whole lot of info has dropped just yet, but we do know the Sugar Republic Sweet Retreat will be opening its doors in Daylesford, Victoria, this autumn. And it's set to be a true candy-coated affair, complete with sugar-themed suites you can stay in, play in and take some rather dashing snaps in. https://www.facebook.com/SugarRepublic.au/posts/456179658379936 Expect a B&B-style getaway, decked out with sweet additions like private ball pits, free candy and even cherry-scented wallpaper. If the original Sugar Republic pop-ups are anything to go by, you can bank on some pretty wild, OTT styling, with a healthy dose of pink, lots of textures and primo selfie opportunities aplenty. While only one has been announced for now, we're hoping more will open across the country in due time, too. Sugar Republic Sweet Retreat is set to open in Daylesford this autumn. We'll keep you posted with more info as it drops. Top images: Sugar Republic's Christmasland by Kate Shanasy.
Film tix for a tenner, filmmaker Q and As, happy hours, themed parties and an epic virtual reality program are all happening at this year's Sydney Film Festival Hub, which will take over Town Hall from 7–17 June. Whether or not you have a movie ticket, head to the bar between 4:30pm and 6pm on weekdays for happy hour drinks, including $12 gin cocktails and $8 wines. The festival's beverage partners are Archie Rose, Young Henrys and Eden Road Wines, so you'll be in good company. While you're at it, poke your head into the Hub Box Office: $10 tickets will be up for grabs until 8:30pm nightly. Meanwhile, Talks at the Hub will give you the chance to learn more about the back stories behind your favourite flicks. Some of the festival's biggest titles, including Dying to Live, Jirga, Half The Picture and The Breaker Upperers, will be up for discussion among their directors, actors and producers. If you feel like disappearing into an alternative world for a while, then step into one the Hub's virtual reality shows. Planet Immersive will transport you deep into the Arctic, to experience the impact of climate change, while Space Explorers: A New Dawn travels into outer space. The full VR program is over here. Throughout the festival, three free themed parties will be thrown in the hub. Kicking things off on Thursday, June 7, is Mad Mix Party — combining video art and feminist tunes — then on Saturday, June 9, Boys II Girlz Party will feature hits from Take That, NSYNC and The Jackson 5. The latter will (fittingly) follow the screening of I Used To Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story. The following Saturday, Spike Lee's funky soundtracks will be showcased at Spike's Juke Joint. Sydney Film Festival Hub will be open Tuesday–Friday, 4.30pm till late; Saturday 9 and 16 June, 11:30am-late; Sunday 10 June, 11:30am-late; and Sunday 17 June, 11:30am-6pm.
Since Iron Man first soared into movie theatres in 2008, proved a huge hit and started a massive franchise, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been getting their caped crusader fix on the big screen. But, while this immensely popular superhero realm mentions its preferred medium right there in its name, the MCU has also made the leap to television — including via Disney+'s WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier so far this year. Marvel and Disney+ aren't stopping there, either. A heap of new shows are in the works at the streaming platform, including Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Secret Invasion (about Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury), Iron Heart, Armour Wars, I Am Groot, a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and a series set in Wakanda. Next up, though, is Loki — and, after releasing a sneak peek last year, the Mouse House has dropped a full trailer for the soon-to-premiere show. Obviously, if you've seen a Thor or Avengers movie, then you know who Loki is about. Creative series names aren't part of the package here. So, Tom Hiddleston (Kong: Skull Island) is back as the God of Mischief — and he's enjoying stepping into the trickster's shoes again, if the glimpses so far are anything to go by. Viewers will watch Loki's antics post-Avengers: Endgame, with Owen Wilson (Wonder), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Summerland), Sophia Di Martino (Yesterday), Wunmi Mosaku (Lovecraft Country) and Richard E Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) rounding out the main cast. When the series starts airing from Friday, June 11, Loki finds himself in a bit of trouble thanks to his previous actions with the Tesseract. The TVA — that'd be the Time Variance Authority — is on his case, which is where Wilson's Mobius M Mobius comes in. Obviously, more time-travelling trickery is in Loki's future from there. We're guessing that Wilson will say "wow" once or twice, too. Check out the full trailer for Loki below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUwwdj6AlBA Loki will be available to stream via Disney+ from Friday, June 11. Top image: ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.
If TV is your way to escape the nine-to-five grind, or one of them, then the best of the best of 2022's small-screen newcomers thoroughly understands. All five of the year's absolute top fresh arrivals contemplated work in some way. Some showed its nightmarish side, while others delved into life and work as a performance — and you spent some time spending at your streaming queue over the past 12 months, you eagerly clocked in for office hell, hospitality tension, film industry chaos, law-and-order disorder and approaching existence as something that can be rehearsed. Chills, thrills, laughs, horror, jaw-in-the-floor moments: that's just part of what television delivered in 2022. Porn for women, pirates, dinosaurs, murder-mysteries, rom-coms, chaotic holidays, the best Star Wars story yet: they're all on the list as well. Whatever your preferred genre or topic, it's likely there was an ace new TV show about it this year, keeping you glued to your couch. 'Tis the season to reflect upon, revel in and revisit the year's new small-screen gems — and maybe even throw a waffle party or tuck into a beef sandwich in celebration. We've spent the year watching and rounding up TV highlights — including initially naming our favourites midyear — but these 15 newcomers are 2022's must-sees from its new must-sees. And, your catch-up list over summer. SEVERANCE It's the ultimate in work-life balance, an antidote to non-stop after-hours emails and Slack messages, and a guaranteed way to ensure what happens at work stays at work. In mind-bending thriller series Severance — which plays like Black Mirror meets the Charlie Kaufman-penned Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, with Wes Anderson's aesthetic if he designed soulless office complexes, plus sprinklings of everything from George Orwell to also-excellent 2020 TV effort Devs — switching off when clocking off at Lumon Industries is easy. There's a brain implant for exactly that, and it's a condition of employment on "severed" floors. Accordingly, when quittin' time comes for Macrodata Refinement division employee Mark (Adam Scott, Big Little Lies), he physically steps into a tiny, shiny elevator to re-enter his after-hours life; however, the version of him that works for Lumon won't recall anything beyond the company's walls. The instant that the lift starts moving, it goes back to the office for Mark's "innie", as his work-bound consciousness is dubbed. Voila, it's clocking-on time once more. Severance's attention-grabbing premise springs from creator Dan Erickson, a TV first-timer, and understands how most folks feel about the nine-to-five grind. The show is knowing in its lead casting, too, given that Scott is best recognised for two workplace comedies: the joyous hug that is Parks and Recreation, as well as the acerbic, astute and soon-to-return Party Down. But as savvily and evocatively directed by Ben Stiller in its first three season-one episodes (and again in its last three, with Kissing Candice filmmaker Aoife McArdle helming three in the middle), Scott's new series dwells in 'be careful what you wish for' territory. For the part of Mark's brain that blanks out work, Severance initially seems like heaven. For the half that only knows the office, it's hell. For everyone watching, soaking in its twisty mysteries — and enjoying Patricia Arquette (The Act), Christopher Walken (Percy vs Goliath) and John Turturro (The Plot Against America) as fellow Lumon employees — it's a surreal and riveting must-see. Severance streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. THE BEAR First, an important piece of advice: eating either before or while watching The Bear is highly recommended, and near close to essential. Now, two more crucial slices of wisdom: prepare to feel stressed throughout every second of this riveting, always-tense, and exceptionally written and acted culinary series, and also to want to tuck into The Original Beef of Chicagoland's famous sandwiches immediately. The eatery is purely fictional, but its signature dish looks phenomenal. Most of what's cooked up in Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto's (Jeremy Allen White, Shameless) kitchen does. But he has taken over the family business following his brother's suicide, arriving back home after wowing the world in fine dining's top restaurants, and nothing is easy. Well, coveting The Bear's edible wares is across the show's eight-episode first season — but making them, keeping the shop afloat, coping with grief and ensuring that the diner's staff work harmoniously is a pressure cooker of chaos. That anxious mood is inescapable from the outset; the best way to start any meal is just to bite right in, and The Bear's creator Christopher Storer (who also directs five episodes, and has Ramy, Dickinson and Bo Burnham: Make Happy on his resume) takes the same approach. He also throws all of his ingredients together with precision — the balance of drama and comedy, the relentlessness that marks every second in The Original Beef's kitchen, and the non-stop mouthing off by Richie, aka Cousin, aka Carmy's brother's best friend (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Dropout), all included. Carmy has bills to pay, debts to settle, eerie dreams and sleepwalking episodes to navigate, new sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Dickinson) mixing up the place and long-standing employees (such as Hap and Leonard's Lionel Boyce, In Treatment's Liza Colón-Zayas and Fargo's Edwin Lee Gibson) to keep happy. Every glimpse at the resulting hustle and bustle is as gripping as it is appetising — and yes, binging is inevitable. The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review. IRMA VEP A cinephile's dream of a series, Irma Vep requires some unpacking. The term 'layered' has rarely ever applied to a TV program quite as it does here. French filmmaker Olivier Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper) retraces his own footsteps, turning his cult-favourite 1996 movie of the same name into an Alicia Vikander-starring HBO miniseries. And, in this series itself, a director is also remaking one of his own past flicks as a television project. In all versions of Irma Vep, the movies and shows being made are also remakes of 1915–16 French crime effort Les Vampires. It was a ten-episode, seven-hour cinema serial, and it's supremely real. Indeed, by first helming a feature about remaking Les Vampires, and now a series about remaking a movie that remakes Les Vampires (which, IRL, is also a remake of a movie that remakes Les Vampires), Assayas keeps remaking Les Vampires in his own way. It all sounds exactly as complicated as it is — and Assayas loves it. Viewers should, too. The nested dolls that are Irma Vep's meta setup just keep stacking, actually. The 1996 Irma Vep starred Maggie Cheung, who'd later become Assayas' wife, then ex-wife — and the 2022 Irma Vep haunts its on-screen filmmaker René Vidal (Vincent Macaigne, Non-Fiction) with visions of his ex-wife Jade Lee (Vivian Wu, Dead Pigs), who, yes, led his movie. If you're a fan of word puzzles, you might've also noticed that Irma Vep is an anagram of vampire; that said, Les Vampires isn't actually about bloodsuckers, and nor is any iteration of Irma Vep. To add to the list, while Cheung played a version of herself, Vikander (Blue Bayou, The Green Knight) plays fictional American star Mira — a name that's an anagram of Irma. You can also take that moniker literally, because mirroring is patently a pivotal aspect of the brilliant Irma Vep in every guise. Irma Vep streams via Binge. Read our full review. WE OWN THIS CITY For the past 20 years, we've all fallen into two categories: people who've seen, loved and haven't been able to stop raving about HBO's Baltimore-set masterpiece The Wire; and folks who don't tick any of those boxes but have been told by everyone who does that they really need to watch it ASAP. We Own This City deserves to spark the same response — and shares many of its predecessor's key pieces. It too takes place in Maryland's most populous city. It also follows a law-and-order battle, complete with time spent within the Baltimore Police Department. It springs from former Baltimore Sun police reporter-turned-author, journalist and TV writer/producer David Simon as well, and sees him reteam with writer George Pelecanos, a veteran of not only The Wire but also Simon's Treme and The Deuce. Oh, and as it tells a compulsive crime tale, it's packed with phenomenal performances. One of those astonishing portrayals is among the first thing that viewers see, in fact, with We Own This City opening with Sergeant Wayne Jenkins lecturing new recruits on the BPD Gun Trace Task Force. Chatting through how to legally do the job — how to get away with what he deems necessary, that is — Jon Bernthal (The Many Saints of Newark) is hypnotically unsettling as Jenkins, who'll become the focus of a corruption investigation for his methods. He isn't the only "prime example of what's gone wrong in Baltimore," as viewers are told. So is Daniel Hersl (Josh Charles, The Loudest Voice), who is initially glimpsed pulling over and terrorising a Black driver for no other reason than that he can. Department of Justice Civil Rights Department attorney Nicole Steele (Wunmi Mosaku, Lovecraft Country) is among those tracking the force's bad eggs, and that's just one of this complex, revealing and arresting six-part miniseries' layers. And if it feels so detailed that it could only be true, that's because it's based on a non-fiction book by Justin Fenton another ex-Baltimore Sun reporter. We Own This City streams via Binge. THE REHEARSAL Early in the first episode of The Rehearsal, Nathan Fielder meets Kor Skeete, a Jeopardy!-watching, trivia-loving New Yorker with a problem that he's seeking help with. Skeete has been lying to his bar trivia team about his educational history, claiming that he has a master's degree instead of a bachelor's degree, and he's hoping for assistance in coming clean. His biggest worry: how his pal Tricia might react, and if it'll end their friendship. First, however, in their initial meeting in Skeete's apartment, Fielder asks Skeete if he's ever seen any of Fielder's past work. Skeete says no, despite claiming a particular interest in television as his favourite trivia subject — and his response to what Fielder explains next will likely mirror anyone watching who comes to this with the same fresh eyes. Until now, Fielder was best known for Nathan for You, in which he helped companies and people by using his business school studies. Fielder played a version of himself, and the result is best described as a reality comedy. It's the kind of thing that has to be seen to be truly believed and understood, and it's both genius and absurd. In The Rehearsal, Fielder is back as himself. He also wants to use his skills to help others again. His tactic this time is right there in the name, letting his subjects rehearse their big moments — baring all to a friend in that first episode, and exploring parenthood in the second, for instance. The show's crew even build elaborate sets, recreating the spots where these pivotal incidents will take place, such as the bar where Skeete will meet Tricia. Fielder hires actors to assist, too. And, adding yet another layer, Fielder also steps through the same process himself, rehearsing his first encounter with Skeete, with thanks to an actor, before they cross paths. If you've ever thought that life was a big performance, and that every single thing about interacting with others — and even just being yourself — involves playing a role, you'll find much to think about in this fascinating, funny, often unsettling, quickly addictive series. There's reality TV and then there's the way that the deadpan Fielder plays with and probes reality, and while both can induce cringing, nothing compares to this. The Rehearsal streams via Binge. Read our full review. ANDOR When it arrived in 2016 between Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens and Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi, Rogue One: A Star Wars sent a message in its own spy-slash-heist flick way: it wouldn't be slavishly beholden to the Star Wars franchise's established and beloved universe. It felt earthier and murkier, more urgent and complicated, and far more steeped in everyday reality — within its science-fiction confines, of course — and more concerned with the here and now of its specific narrative than the bigger saga picture. It was certainly and unshakeably bleaker, and felt like a departure from the usual template, as well as a welcome risk. The same proves true of impressive streaming prequel Andor, which slips into its namesake's routine five years prior. The Galactic Empire reigns supreme, the Rebel Alliance is still forming and, when the series opens, Cassian (the returning Diego Luna, If Beale Street Could Talk) is a wily thief living on the junkyard planet of Ferrix. A Blade Runner-esque sheen hovers over a different place, however: the industrial-heavy, corporate-controlled Morlana One, which couldn't be further under the boot of the Empire if it tried. As Monos-style flashbacks to Cassian's childhood aid in fleshing out, he's searching for his sister, but his latest investigatory trip results in a confrontation and the Preox-Morlana Authority on his trail. Back on Ferrix, he endeavours to hide with the help of his friend/presumed ex/mechanic/black-market dealer Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona, Morbius) and droid B2EMO (Dave Chapman, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), while keeping his latest antics a secret from his adoptive mother Maarva (Fiona Shaw, Killing Eve). But, even after being told to drop the case, persistent Imperial Deputy Inspector Syril Karn (Kyle Soller, Poldark) and higher-ranking officer Dedra Meero (Denise Gough, Under the Banner of Heaven) aren't willing to give up. Andor streams via Disney+. Read our full review. BAD SISTERS Bad Sisters begins on the day of an Irish funeral, farewelling John Paul Williams (Claes Bang, The Northman) — after his widow, Grace (Anne-Marie Duff, Sex Education), makes sure that the corpse's erection won't be noticed first. He's long been nicknamed 'The Prick' anyway, with his four sisters-in-law all thoroughly unimpressed about the toxic way he treated his wife. In flashbacks, they joke about saving her by getting murderous, and exactly why is made plain as well. Bonded by more than blood after their parents died, the Garvey girls are used to sticking together, with the eldest, Eva (Sharon Horgan, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), stepping in as the maternal influence over Grace, Ursula (Eva Birthistle, The Last Kingdom), Bibi (Sarah Greene, Normal People) and Becka (Eve Hewson, Behind Her Eyes). She's fierce about it, too, as characters played by the Catastrophe and This Way Up star tend to be. When a guest offers condolences at John Paul's wake, Eva's response is "I'm just glad the suffering's over" — and when she's then asked if he was ill, she replies with a blunt and loaded "no". If this scenario sounds familiar, that's because Belgian TV's Clan got there first back in 2012, which means that Bad Sisters joins the ever-growing list of series that largely exist to make the leap into English. That isn't a criticism of the end result here, though, which proves itself a winner early. Also part of both shows: two insurance agents, aka half-brothers Thomas (Brian Gleeson, Death of a Ladies' Man) and Matthew Claffin (Daryl McCormack, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) here. Their family-run outfit is meant to pay out on John Paul's life insurance policy, but it's a hefty amount of cash and will bankrupt the firm, which is why Thomas starts asking questions. It seems an obvious setup, but this is a series with both bite and warmth. Brought to the screen by Horgan, Bad Sisters finds both the pitch-black comedy and the drama in its whole 'offing your arsehole brother-in-law' premise, and the tension and banter as well — and the sense of sorority between its quintet of main ladies, too. Bad Sisters streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. MINX When home video, the internet and mobile phones with inbuilt cameras each arrived, six words could've been uttered: get ready to look at dicks. HBO comedy Minx is set the early 70s, so before all three, but the same phrase also applies here. It's true of the show itself, which isn't shy about displaying the male member in various shapes and sizes. It also stands tall in the world that Minx depicts. When you're making the first porn magazine for women — and, when you're making an ambitious, entertaining and impeccably cast The Deuce meets Mrs America-style series about it, but lighter, sweeter and funnier (and all purely fictional) — penises are inescapable. Also impossible to avoid in Minx: questions like "are erections consistent with our philosophy?", as asked by Vassar graduate and country club regular Joyce Prigger (Ophelia Lovibond, Trying). Idolising the magazine industry and unhappily working for the dispiritingly traditional Teen Queen, she has long dreamed of starting her own feminist publication — even penning a bundle of articles and making her own issues — but centrefolds splashed with male genitalia don't fit her ideal pitch. No one's buying what Joyce is selling, though; The Matriarchy Awakens, her dream mag, gets rejected repeatedly by the industry's gatekeepers. Only one is interested: Bottom Dollar Publications' Doug Renetti (Jake Johnson, Ride the Eagle), but he's in the pornography business. Minx streams via Stan. Read our full review. FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE The title doesn't lie: when Fleishman Is in Trouble begins, its namesake is indeed struggling. He's also perfectly cast. If you're going to get an actor to play an anxious, unravelling, recently divorced man in his forties who's trying to navigate the new status quo of sharing custody of his kids, having a high-powered ex, and being initiated into the world of dating apps and casual hookups, it's Jesse Eisenberg. If his Zombieland character lived happily ever after until he didn't, or his Vivarium character was trapped into a different type of domestic maze, this book-to-screen series would be the end result. Fleishman Is in Trouble has Eisenberg play Toby, a well-regarded hepatologist who is passionate about being able to help people through medicine, but has spent more than a decade being made to feel inferior by Upper East Siders because his job hasn't made him rich enough. His theatre talent agent wife — now former — Rachel (Claire Danes, The Essex Serpent) had the exact same attitude, too, until she dropped their kids off at his place in the middle of the night, said she was going to a yoga retreat and stopped answering his calls. Written to sound like a profile — something that journalist, author and screenwriter Taffy Brodesser-Akner knows well, and has the awards to prove it — Fleishman Is in Trouble chronicles Toby's present woes while reflecting upon his past. It's a messy and relatable story, regardless of whether you've ever suddenly become a full-time single dad working a high-stakes job you're devoted to in a cashed-up world you resent. As narrated by the ever-shrewd Lizzy Caplan (Truth Be Told) as Toby's old college pal-turned-writer and now stay-at-home-mum Libby, Fleishman Is in Trouble dives into the minutiae that makes Toby's new existence such a swirling sea of uncertainty. At the same time, while being so specific about his situation and troubles, it also ensures that all that detail paints a universal portrait of discovering that more of your time is gone, your hopes faded and your future receded, than you'd realised. Everything from class inequality and constant social hustling to the roles women are forced to play around men earns the show's attention in the process, as layered through a show that's both meticulously cast and evocatively shot. Fleishman is indeed in trouble, but this miniseries isn't. Fleishman Is in Trouble streams via Disney+. THE ENGLISH It tells of gold rushes, of brave and dusty new worlds, and of yellow frontiers stretching out beneath shimmering and inky blue skies; however, the true colour of the western is and always will be red. This isn't a genre for the faint-hearted, because it's a genre that spins stories about power and its brutal costs — power over the land and its Indigenous inhabitants; power-fuelled in-fighting among competing colonialists; and power exercised with zero regard for life, or typically for anyone who isn't white and male. It's a rich and resonant touch, then, to repeatedly dress Emily Blunt (Jungle Cruise) in crimson, pink and shades in-between in The English, 2022's best new TV western. She plays one instance of the show's namesakes, because the impact of the British spans far beyond just one person in this series — and the quest for revenge she's on in America's Old West is deeply tinted by bloodshed. In her first ongoing television role since 2005, in a stunning and powerful series from its performances and story through to its spirit and cinematography, Blunt dons such eye-catching hues as Lady Cornelia Locke. With a mountain of baggage and cash in tow, she has just reached Kansas when The English begins, seeking vengeance against the man responsible for her son's death. But word of her aims precedes her to this remote outpost's racist hotelier (Ciarán Hinds, Belfast) and, with stagecoach driver (Toby Jones, The Wonder), he has own mission. That the aristocratic Englishwoman arrives to find her host torturing Pawnee cavalry scout Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer, Blindspot) is telling: the plan is to blame her end on him. Before the first of this miniseries' episodes ends, however, Cornelia and Eli have rescued each other, notched up a body count and started a journey together that sees them each endeavouring to find peace in a hostile place in their own ways — and started their way through one helluva show. The English streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. THE RESORT If the last couple of years in pop culture are to be believed, it mightn't be a great idea to go away with a character played by Cristin Milioti. In three of the always-excellent actor's most recent high-profile roles, she has decamped to idyllic surroundings, only to find anything but bliss awaiting. Palm Springs threw a Groundhog Day-style time loop her way in its titular setting. Made for Love saw her trapped by sinister futuristic possibilities. In The Resort, which hails from Palm Springs screenwriter Andy Siara, she now has the ten-year itch — and a getaway to Mexico that's meant to soothe it slides swiftly into a wild mystery. In this instantly twisty comedy-thriller Miloti plays Emma, spouse to William Jackson Harper's (The Good Place) Noah. After a decade of marriage, they're celebrating at the Bahía del Paraíso in the Yucatán, but they're really trying to reignite their spark. At this stage in their relationship, he recoils at her bad breath, she makes fun of him falling asleep on the couch, and they're rarely in sync; even when they're floating along the resort's lazy river, cocktails in hand, they want different things. Bringing them together: a missing-persons case from 15 years ago, after Emma goes tumbling off a quad-biking trail, bumps her head and spies an old mobile phone. It belongs to Sam (Skyler Gisondo, Licorice Pizza), a guest at the nearby but now-shuttered Oceana Vista Resort, who was on holidays over Christmas 1997 with his parents (IRL couple Dylan Baker, Hunters, and Becky Ann Baker, Big Little Lies), as well as his girlfriend Hannah (Debby Ryan, Insatiable). As Emma learns via Sam's photos and text messages, all wasn't rosy in his romantic life. After running into fellow guest Violet (Nina Bloomgarden, Good Girl Jane), who was travelling with her dad Murray (Nick Offerman, Pam & Tommy), his SMS history skews in her direction. But the pair promptly disappeared, and any potential clues were lost when a hurricane struck and destroyed their getaway spot. If The White Lotus joined forces with Only Murders in the Building, it'd look a whole lot like this entertaining series, which also includes an ace performance by Luis Gerardo Méndez (Narcos: Mexico) as Baltasar, Oceana Vista Resort's head of security. The Resort streams via Stan. Read our full review. OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH In the on-screen sea that is the never-ending list of films and television shows constantly vying for eyeballs, Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby have frequently proven gem-dappled treasure islands. When the immensely funny New Zealand talents have collided, their resumes have spanned four of the most endearing comic hits of the big and small screens in the 21st century so far, aka Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, Wellington Paranormal and Hunt for the Wilderpeople — and now, with pirate parody Our Flag Means Death, they've given viewers another gleaming jewel. This show was always going to swashbuckle its way into streaming must-see lists — and into comedy-lovers' hearts — based on its concept alone, but it more than lives up to its winning idea and winsome casting. Come for the buccaneering banter and seafaring satire, stay for a thoughtful and sincere comic caper that's also a rom-com. The inimitable Darby stars as Stede Bonnet, a self-styled 'gentleman pirate' and a great approximation of Flight of the Conchords' Murray if he'd existed centuries earlier. Meanwhile, Waititi dons leather, dark hues aplenty, an air of bloodthirsty melancholy and an eye-catching head of greying hair as Edward Teach, the marauder better known to the world as Blackbeard. The two real-life figures eventually cross paths after Bonnet leaves his life of wealth, privilege and comfort to rove the oceans, captains a ship staffed by a motley crew to end all motley crews, and initially gets captured by Blackbeard — or Ed, as he calls him. As these two opposites bond, riding the waves from adversaries to co-captains to potentially something more, Our Flag Means Death truly and gloriously opens up its warm heart. Our Flag Means Death streams via Binge. Read our full review. HEARTSTOPPER It only takes minutes for British newcomer Heartstopper to explain its title — showing rather than telling, as all great shows should. A year ten student at Truham Grammar School for Boys, Charlie Spring (first-timer Joe Locke) finds himself seated in his form class next to year 11 rugby player Nick Nelson (Kit Connor, Little Joe). Sparks fly on the former's part, swiftly and overwhelmingly, with the eight-part series' graphic-novel origins inspiring a flurry of fluttering animated hearts on-screen. But Charlie has a secret boyfriend, Ben (Sebastian Croft, Doom Patrol), who won't even acknowledge him in public. He also hardly thinks of himself as sporty, even after Nick asks him to join the school team. And, while a friendship quickly solidifies between the two, Charlie is initially unsure whether anything more can happen — and anxiety-riddled in general. As well as writing Heartstopper's source material — which initially started as a webcomic — Alice Oseman pens every episode of this perceptive teenage-focused gem. From the outset, it bubbles with heartwarming charm, while its coming-of-age story and central love story alike prove wholly relatable, aptly awkward but also wonderfully sweet and sensitive. In short, it's a series that plunges so convincingly and inclusively into its characters' experiences that it feels like its heart is constantly beating with affection for Charlie, Nick, and their fellow high-schoolers Tao (fellow debutant William Gao), Elle (Yasmin Finney), Isaac (Tobie Donovan), Tara (Corinna Brown, Daphne) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell). First crushes, young love, the swirling swell of emotions that comes with both and also figuring out who you are: all of this dances through Heartstopper's frames. Also, when Oscar-winner Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter) pops up, she's glorious as always. Heartstopper streams via Netflix. Read our full review. PREHISTORIC PLANET Five episodes, one comforting voice, and a time-travelling trip back 66 million years: that's the setup behind Prehistoric Planet, an utterly remarkable feels-like-you're-there dive into natural history. Having none other than David Attenborough narrate the daily activities of dinosaurs seems like it should've happened already, of course; however, now that it finally is occurring, it's always both wonderful and stunning. Filled with astonishing footage on par with the visuals that usually accompany Attenborough's nature docos, all thanks to the special effects team behind The Jungle Book and The Lion King, it truly is a wonder to look at. It needs to be: if the Cretaceous-era dinosaurs rampaging across the screen didn't appear like they genuinely could be walking and stalking — and fighting, foraging for food, hunting, flying, swimming and running as well — the magic that typically comes with watching an Attenborough-narrated doco would instantly and disappointingly vanish. Welcome to... your new insight into Tyrannosaurus rex foreplay, your latest reminder that velociraptors really don't look like they do in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World flicks, an entertaining time spent with al kinds of animals, and your next favourite dinosaur project with an Attenborough attached. Each of Prehistoric Planet's five instalments focuses on a different type of terrain — coasts, deserts, freshwater, ice and forests — and chats through the creatures that call it home. Set to a spirited original score by Hans Zimmer, fresh from winning his latest Oscar for Dune, there's a formula at work. That said, it's no more blatant than in any David Attenborough-hosted show. Viewers watch as some dinos look after their young, others try to find a mate, plenty search for something to eat and others attempt not to be eaten. The same kinds of activities are covered in each episode, but the locations and dinosaurs involved all change. Prehistoric Planet streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. COLIN FROM ACCOUNTS A girl, a guy and a meet-cute over an adorable animal: that's the delightful and very funny Colin From Accounts' underlying formula. When medical student Ashley (Harriet Dyer, The Invisible Man) and microbrewery owner Gordon (Patrick Brammall, Evil) cross paths in the street one otherwise standard Sydney morning, they literally come to an impasse. He lets her go first, she flashes her nipple as thanks, then he's so distracted that he hits a stray dog with his car. As these circumstances demonstrate, Colin From Accounts isn't afraid to get awkward, much to the benefit of audiences. There's a syrupy way to proceed from the show's debut moments, intertwining sparks flying with idyllic dates, plus zero doubts of a happy ending for humans and pooches alike. If this was a movie, that's how it'd happen. Then there's Dyer and Brammall's way, with the duo creating and writing the series as well as starring in it, and focusing as much on ordinary existential mayhem — working out who you want to be, navigating complex relationships and learning to appreciate the simple pleasure of someone else's company, for example — as pushing its leads together. Just like in the Hollywood versions of this kind of tale, romance does blossom. That Dyer and Brammall are behind Colin From Accounts, their past chemistry on fellow Aussie comedy No Activity and the fact that they're married IRL means that pairing them up as more than new pals was always going to be on the show's agenda. It's how the series fleshes out each character and their baggage — including those who-am-I questions, Ash's difficult dynamic with her attention-seeking mother Lynelle (Helen Thomson, Elvis), and the responsibility that running your own business and committing to care for other people each bring — that helps give it depth. Colin From Accounts lets Ash and Gordon unfurl their woes and wishes, and also lets them grow. Sometimes, that happens by peeing and pooping in the wrong place, because that's also the type of comedy this is. Sometimes, it's because the show's central couple have taken a risk, or faced their struggles, or genuinely found solace in each other. Always, this new Aussie gem is breezy and weighty — and instantly bingeable. Colin From Accounts streams via Binge. Read our full review. Looking for more viewing highlights? We also rounded up the 15 best returning TV series of 2022, as well as 15 excellent new TV shows of 2022 that you might've missed. Plus, we've kept a running list of must-stream TV from across the year, complete with full reviews. And, you can check out our regular rundown of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly.
A lavish European-influenced brasserie is swinging open its doors in Sydney's CBD. Brasserie 1930 will officially arrive on Wednesday, March 15, coming to the new luxury hotel Capella Sydney from the Bentley Restaurant Group. The acclaimed hospitality crew behind Bentley Restaurant and Bar, Monopole, Yellow and Cirrus will bring an elegant dining room, next-level eats and a meticulously curated wine program to the expansive inner-city hotel — the first Australian opening from the Capella hotel group. Named after the year the Young Street section of the building was completed, Brasserie 1930 takes the idea of an elevated French diner and injects it with local Australian produce and Sydney-favourite dishes. Expect to kick off your meal with Sydney rock or Tasmanian pacific oysters, as well as prawns paired with fermented chilli mayonnaise. Highlights from the starters section of the menu include beef tartare, brown butter scallops, spanner crab alla chitarra with sea urchin sauce and glazed quail paired with whipped feta. [caption id="attachment_892588" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kris Paulsen[/caption] Then there's the mains. Starting from $48, this portion of the offerings is full of no-holds-barred luxury. The seafood selections, for example, include coral trout with potato yoghurt puree and leek, coal-roasted Murray cod with pepperberry butter and eastern rock lobster. There are three steaks on offer if that's what you're craving. Take your pick from the Yarabah wagyu rump cap, O'Connor's bone-in sirloin or Coppertree Farms 600-gram rib eye that'll set you back an easy $110. And, rounding out the mains is the whole-roasted duck which you can order for the table. This $190 share dish comes accompanied by duck-neck sausage, roasted plum, fennel, spinach and glazed eschalots. [caption id="attachment_892592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Timothy Kaye[/caption] Bentley Restaurant Group's co-owner and sommelier Nick Hildebrandt has pulled together a massive wine list to compliment the elegant menu. More than 400 producers from across Australia and Europe are on show, with the by-the-glass menu set to evolve and change over time, spotlighting picks from the hospitality group's wine vault. All of this is housed within an equally grand dining space. Original architectural features of the nearly century-old building have been restored, then complemented with sleek modern furnishings and light fixtures. Brasserie 1930 will join the McRae Bar in the 192-room, eight-storey Capella Sydney hotel. The luxury accommodation will become Australia's first Capella when it also opens on Wednesday, March 15, offering guests an elevated inner-city stay featuring swimming and vitality pools, a fitness centre and a spa alongside the impressive dining options. [caption id="attachment_892589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kris Paulsen[/caption] Capella Sydney and Brasserie 1930 both open on Wednesday, March 15 at 2–4 Farrer Place, Sydney. Top image: Kris Paulsen.
In the dramedy that bears his name, which streams in Australia via Stan, Ramy Youssef is a quintuple threat. The standup comic and Mr Robot and Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot actor created Ramy. He plays the eponymous Ramy. He also executive produces the series and, across all three seasons to-date, he frequently writes and directs. It's a show about a Queens-born first-generation American Muslim raised in New Jersey to Egyptian parents, too, as Youssef himself is. Indeed, there's no doubting that Ramy springs from a personal place, a feeling that echoes in every one of its 30 episodes so far. There's a difference between bringing your own exact existence to the screen and conveying the truth behind your experiences, however. Ramy falls into the second category. As the series charts its titular figure's struggles, specifically as his faith conflicts with his lifestyle, it doesn't pretend for a second that its two Ramys — Youssef off-screen, Hassan on-screen — are one and the same. Instead, it proves deeply steeped in the lived reality of feeling torn between two cultures, and so specific in the details that stem from that fact, while also universal and relatable in its emotions and insights. That's been the case since Ramy's first Golden Globe-winning season in 2019, and none of the above changes in the newly released third batch of episodes, which rank among the show's finest moments yet. In this ten-episode latest run, the lives of Ramy and his loved ones are rarely blessed with fine moments, no matter how eagerly and desperately they seek them. Youssef's on-screen alter-ego keeps threatening his own heart, mind and soul with his choices, and being disappointed with the outcome. Season two ended with a brief marriage to Zainab (MaameYaa Boafo, The Mysterious Benedict Society), the daughter of Sheikh Malik (Mahershala Ali, Swan Song). With one lustful bad decision, Ramy blew up his personal and religious connections, leaving him alone in a car with only an incarcerated pal's dog for company in its last scene. A year has passed on-screen now, but the fallout still lingers because nothing is easy to escape in this series. Zainab won't talk to Ramy, but there's a cash payout that needs settling for breaking their marriage contract. Accordingly, Ramy has thrown himself into making his Uncle Naseem's (Laith Nakli, Ms Marvel) diamond dealership a success — as a distraction, and to take care of his debt — and, as the season continues, he branches out on his own with Jewish friend Michael (Michael Chernus, Severance) and his Israeli-syndicate backers. He now has money, as well as his own place. Soon, he has his own jewellery business, and the boost to his ego that its triumph brings. But none of this herald's happiness, or comfort, or the ability to truly work out who he wants to be as he still tussles with balancing his beliefs with impulses, and overcoming his selfishness in general. It's easy to think of Uncut Gems while watching Ramy stake his sense of self on the money and hustle of the jewellery game, but that isn't the only Safdie brothers film that springs to mind in season three. Youssef doesn't sport bleached hair as Robert Pattinson did in Good Time, but he has a similarly careening vibe — and the same propensity to always put himself first, usually by making the worst move he can, while thinking he's helping others. In the new season's Ramy-focused instalments, the show sports the same feverish energy, too; there's no heists here, but that's the engrained mood. Actually, is Ramy heisting himself all along? He thinks he can bluff his way to contentment by getting big in the jewellery game and boosting his bank balance, but he's just as conflicted in this run of episodes as he's always been. One of Ramy's strengths has always been its willingness to see its protagonist, his flaws and poor choices with clear eyes, while remaining empathetic to his attempts to honour his faith — even as he makes such terrible decisions. Also one of the series' highlights: that it isn't simply about Ramy, with full episodes surveying his family and friends' lives as they grapple with their own woes. For his sister Dena (May Calamawy, Moon Knight), striving hard to take the bar exam isn't paying off, especially when her parents Maysa (Hiam Abbass, Succession) and Farouk (Amr Waked, Wonder Woman 1984) are open about how differently they see her and her future to Ramy's — and she's reassessing not only her dreams, but what's behind them. That's one of the third season's big themes, with a question bubbling up again and again: are the lives that the Hassans have been working towards truly what they want, and what'll bring them emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual fulfilment? That query ripples with an immense sense of melancholy with the elder Hassans, who are adjusting to Farouk being out of work, a bad financial investment that might mean they have to sell the family home and decades of feeling like they're treading water. And, it informs the subplot with Naseem, who is visibly hurt by Ramy leaving him behind, and also frantic about potentially being outed when one of his app-driven hookups turns out to be friends with Dena. Storylines involving Ramy's friends Steve (Steve Way, Nepotism), Ahmed (Dave Merheje, Mr D) and Mo (Mohammed Amer, Mo) are all guided by a similar train of thought, thoughtfully so. Season three serves up character study after character study, and with humour and insight in tandem, including laughs that echo because sometimes that's the only way to cope with life's chaos. Three seasons in, the fact that Ramy boasts one of the best casts on TV isn't new news. That said, an appearance by Bella Hadid as Steve's new The Office-worshipping girlfriend plays awkwardly, but James Badge Dale's (The Empty Man) bit part as televangelical-style Muslim convert is a cringe-inducing scene-stealer — as is Christopher Abbott's (On the Count of Three) efforts as one of Ramy's wealthy customers. No matter who pops up around them, though, the show's core group of actors keep turning in standout work. That Ramy keeps remaining a stunningly perceptive and engaging exploration of the battle to remain true to oneself — and one's hopes, dreams and religion — is firmly a communal effort. That it's a rich, authentic, poignant and devastatingly potent comedy that just keeps getting better and diving deeper is as well. Check out the trailer for Ramy season three below: Ramy streams via Stan.
At Concrete Playground it is our professional imperative to pay attention to where great hospitality experiences are being served around the city — and in the past couple of years Sydney's hotels have been noticeably picking up momentum as destinations to eat delicious things and drink wonderful drinks. And not just for visitors, but for locals too. The Kimpton Margot on Pitt Street has a dining program helmed by one of Australia's most enduring food superstars in Luke Mangan — so his impact has been well on our radar ever since getting on board. And now this lovely partnership sees the hotel and Mr Mangan launching an exclusive new dining experience for lovers of champagne. Raid The Cellar is an event series which sees Mr Mangan curate a four-course fine dining experience with his selects from the collection of Taittinger Champagne. A preview of the gorgeous menu includes lobster ravioli and venison. The entire experience is led by Luke and, with only 12 seats, each guest will get to chat to him about the food and, of course, the cellar.
Beau was afraid. In Ari Aster's third feature — another excellent and unforgettable film after Hereditary and Midsommar — Beau was anxious and unsettled and agitated and knocked off-kilter, too. Sheriff Joe Cross is all of these things also, with Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux) again taking on a key role for a writer/director responsible for some of the best movies, and viewing experiences, of the 21st century. Along with the filmmaker's initial two pictures, Beau Is Afraid earns that description, as does Eddington, Aster and Phoenix's mid-2020-set, COVID-era-probing, brilliant and chilling and equally very amusing latest collaboration. Its focus: a small New Mexico spot struggling when normality as everyone knew it just months prior has vanished and seems as if it might never return. The Sevilla County official at Eddington's centre is as much a man interrupted, as his community is — but the Cross way of coping is to flout and defy anything that doesn't match his preferred status quo. His dislike of incumbent Mayor Ted Garcia's (Pedro Pascal, The Fantastic Four: First Steps) way of handling the pandemic, aka respecting social-distancing restrictions and mask mandates, inspires the Sheriff to take action, entering the race to lead the town (population: 2345) himself. Eddington is a western, as well as being an unnerving thriller and a hilarious dark comedy; Aster has Cross and Garcia headed for showdowns and standoffs more than once. With a Best Actor Oscar for Joker to prove it, Phoenix has been enjoying a recent stint of playing characters who are fixated, obsessed, unyieldingly determined and driven to act of late — since before the outstanding You Were Never Really Here, but that's firmly a recent example prior to his time as Arthur Fleck and now Joe Cross. He hasn't necessarily noticed that trend, he tells Concrete Playground, or recognised that anything particularly draws him in that direction. "I've never thought of it that way, but you say that and I go 'I don't even know what the last two movies I made are'," Phoenix advises. "But maybe you're right. I don't know why. I think I'm always just — it is an instinct. I either react to something that I'm reading it or I don't. And I don't really analyse why." Eddington is easy to spot trends and parallels in and around. Given that it peers into very recent history, to a period forever seared and scarred into memories — and has the era's paranoia and polarisation in its sights, spotting how neither have subsided since — that's by design. Another piece of mirroring comes via Aster's filmography. Chatting with Concrete Playground in 2018 when Hereditary released, he described his debut as "a family tragedy that curdles into a nightmare". Grief over a mother and grandmother begets worse in the feature that won Toni Collette (Mickey 17) a deserved Best Actress Gotham Award — in a movie, too, that cemented itself as an instant horror great. That "curdling into a nightmare" idea resides in each of his features, Eddington included. "I think that could be one way of describing this film," Aster tells us. "I would say that this is a film about a bunch of people who are all very paranoid, and who have very clear but kind of oppositional ideas of what is happening. And everybody's picture of the world is pretty sinister. Then, by the end of the film, the film itself becomes gripped by this paranoia — and so the movie too becomes paranoid." He continues: "and in that way, the film goes off the rails in a way that I like. It's got a long, sustained climax, which I like, especially in a genre film. It's easy to make this film, in an interview like this, sound like eating your vegetables — but it's supposed to be fun, even though what it's talking about is no laughing matter. But the film is about the circus of America, and the tilt-a-whirl goes faster and faster until the teacups start flying off." Cross' blatant and inescapable acrimony for Garcia, Joe's depressed wife Louise (Emma Stone, Kinds of Kindness) embracing online conspiracy theorists and becoming particularly enthralled by the charismatic Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler, The Bikeriders), local teens staging Black Lives Matter rallies to share their anger over the death of George Floyd, tech company SolidGoldMagikarp's plans to build a data centre on Eddington's outskirts, doomscrolling feeding the pervasive sense of distance between townsfolk: these all help that rotating ride spin. As the whirring of conflicting attitudes and opinions that's unbalancing its setting gains speed, Aster's film digs into America's contradictions, patently, as well as conservative-versus-liberal clashes. Internet hokum's easy spread, our immensely tech-reliant lives and AI earn attention; giving up power to the powerful without realising it, too. Anti-fascist activism, performative bandwagon-jumping, ignoring health-protection rules when folks are dying, not knowing how to cope with this chaos: they're also among the swirl. Aster doesn't see it as a horror movie; however, Eddington is as perceptive a portrait of 2020 and the times since as had reached screens so far, and as disquieting yet clear-eyed. The path to the feature started with an old idea predating the pandemic, which also came up while talking to the director, as did piecing the narrative together, living in a world where no one agrees on what's true anymore, reteaming with Phoenix and more — alongside chatting with Phoenix about that repeat collaboration and reuniting with filmmakers of late, interrogating fear and anxiety with Aster, what he recognised in the script, and bringing humanity and humour to Cross. On How Aster Following His Instincts in the Early Days of the Pandemic, and Picking Up an Old New Mexico-Set Idea, Lead to Eddington Ari: "Well, I feel like we're living in a very, very weird time. And the human capacity for adaptation is amazing, and everything becomes normal very quickly, and things that might be obvious become less so once they become ambient. And I just found that I wanted to pull back as far as I could, and try to describe this new reality that we're living in as well as I could — which is that everybody is living in a different version of reality, and we totally distrust anybody and anything that falls outside of our little bubble of certainty. And we've become unreachable to each other. So I wanted to make a film about that. And I'm from New Mexico — and that's really what the project was that had already been there waiting for me, which is that I have just been wanting to make my New Mexico movie. And I wanted to make a western. And it felt like the right framework for this." On Whether Returning Collaborations with Directors, Such as Ari Aster Here, Todd Phillips on Joker: Folie à Deux and Ridley Scott on Napoleon, Help Phoenix Challenge and Extend Himself as an Actor Joaquin: "I think that's what you would hope for, right, because it's almost like a long relationship, just the value of growing with somebody and changing — and somebody that learns to read you better after time. We all put our best foot forward when we first meet people and are working with them, and I think after some time we start really showing ourselves and there's real value in mining that. With Ari, it's weird, because I had one of those experiences where when I first met him, when I first just talked to him on the phone, I instantly knew that he was — I don't know, a friend just doesn't even sound like it's enough. I just knew that we were going to be working together closely, and I knew that he was somebody that I loved the way that he talked. And I understood him, like I felt like I really understood. And I think he understood me. And so there's real value in that — and I hope, I think, that he did and does challenge me in ways that are really beneficial to me and helpful." On When Aster Realised That He Wanted to Reteam with Phoenix on Eddington Ari: "After working with Joaquin on Beau Is Afraid, I really wanted to work with him again. Before Beau, he was one of my favourite actors and somebody that I very seriously wanted to work with. But when I was writing Eddington, at least the first pass of it, I hadn't worked with Joaquin yet, didn't know him yet, and so I didn't really have anybody in mind. But after we shot Beau, then I rewrote Eddington and spent a lot of time in New Mexico, travelling around, going to different small towns and meeting different people, public officials, Sheriffs of different counties, police chiefs, Mayors — went to different pueblos — and tried to get as broad a picture of the political climate of New Mexico as possible. And then once I had incorporated all of that and I had a script, it was clear to me that I wanted to at least try Joaquin again and see if he was interested. And happily he was, and I really think he does something really special with this character, Joe Cross, the sheriff of Eddington — or the sheriff of Sevilla County. Eddington is a town in Sevilla County. These are made-up places. But I think what he does here is really wonderful. He brings so much humour and humanity to this character. And I think part of the trick of the film — or I don't know if it's a trick, or if it's just something that is important to the film working — is that you have to kind of like this guy, whether you have his politics or not. There's something winning about him. And then, of course, as the film goes on that should get more complicated — our relationship to him should change." On Whether There's Something Unique to Digging Into Fear and Anxiety with Aster Joaquin: "I don't think he's exploring these traits because they're good for a character, for a movie, but it feels like it's a genuine curiosity for him. And maybe it's part of his experience, or maybe it's the experience of people that he knows. I don't know why he has that curiosity — or I don't know if it's an obsession — but definitely it's a curiosity to explore those feelings, and I don't know where it comes from. I've never asked him 'is that your personal experience, or ... ?'. I think oftentimes writers obviously observe things in others and become fascinated by it. So there's definitely a real drive and curiosity. And so I think when you're — there's not a standard way of playing that for Ari, right? It always has to be something very detailed and specific. And I'm struggling with trying to come up with an example, probably because there's so many and they're all running together. But I wish we could come up with an example of a scene. Like even in the scene where I'm — it's such a brief moment, you may not even remember — but I go back to the police station and somebody that was in the police station that was locked up is no longer there. It was really this very quick scene that's in the midst of the most-manic moment. And it was a long process for us that went throughout the day, as we discussed all the possibilities of what would be going through the character's mind and then how that is translated to somebody else as he speaks or whatever actions he takes. And so I think with Ari, it always feels that we are trying to find something that feels very specific and unique to that character in that moment — versus a blanket approach to anxiety or fear." On the Crucial Elements to Create a Film About Living in a World Where No One Can Agree on What's Real Anymore Ari: "For me, the most-important thing was to pull back as far as I could, because what I wanted to talk about was the environment, right — and I feel like we've become so atomised, and things have become so complicated and so intensely partisan, that it felt very important to move back and just try to get a picture of the landscape. And to see just how many of those particles were floating around not actually meeting each other. And then it's a genre film, and so it's built on conflict. And so the question then became 'well, what happens when these atoms start bumping up against each other? What comes out of that?'. And the answer is almost always violence, because there's nothing in the ether to hold anybody together anymore. And so that was, I guess, the challenge, but also the thing that felt necessary." On Phoenix Seeing Himself and Reality in Eddington When Aster First Sent the Script His Way Joaquin: "My first reaction was 'I recognise so much of myself and my family and my friends and my neighbours in all of these characters, and that makes me uncomfortable at times. But I'm laughing and I can't stop laughing'. That was my first reaction. And then I think I was like 'oh yeah, it's us'. And as ridiculous as we were, we were scared. Like, everyone was scared. Whether they should have been scared or whether we overreacted, it doesn't really matter. In that moment, it was kind of like waking up from a nightmare and they're like 'yeah, in the moment, it really felt like that monster was going to get me and I was scared. And all the things I did in that that moment, it was just how I reacted. I couldn't help it.' And I think in some ways, it made me just have a lot of forgiveness and understanding for how we behaved." On Putting the Pieces of Eddington Together — Including the Societal Landscape, America and Western Society's Pervasive Polarisation, and COVID-19 — in a Western-Meets-Thriller That's Also Darkly Humorous Ari: "First of all, the film is set in 2020. It's a period piece, set in June 2020, and so it helps to have something as specific as that, right, because then you're asking 'okay, what is happening right now? Who are the players here?'. And of course, I would have liked to have included far more characters, but I jammed as many people as I could into the film without sacrificing coherence or narrative clarity. But it all felt pretty intuitive that we begin with the arguments of the day, the most popular ones, which had a lot to do with masking and personal freedom versus public safety and health. And from there, things start unraveling and spinning out. And then you have these more fringe figures coming in. And I think what's interesting about this moment, even right now in 2025, is that this counterculture had been building up in America for a long time that the prevailing culture at the moment wasn't aware of. And that counterculture meanwhile was being fed and agitated, and was growing. And now that counterculture has kind of taken over. And it's all become very, very distorted and strange. It's so interesting that the right kind of adopted the language of 1960s–70s radicalism. Everything has become — I want to use the word farcical, but none of this is any laughing matter. It's feels pretty catastrophic, what's happening. And it's also why the western felt right, because it is about the building of America and forging new societies. And it feels like right now we're living through the collapse of something — we're on the cusp of something, something new. And I think everybody's feeling it and there's a lot of anxiety and a lot of fear. And for some people, a lot of excitement. I wrote this film in a state of anxiety and fear." On Whether Trying to Convey the Humanity of Joe and Also Bringing Humour to the Part Helped in Stepping Into His Shoes Joaquin: "Nothing ever feels easy. You just feel that — yeah, it doesn't feel easy, but it seemed like very much from the beginning, I could not create any separation between me and Joe. Like, that if I at any point stood above him in judgment, I would lose it, I would lose him. And so it just felt important to humanise him as much as possible. I wanted to surprise anybody that might have a preconceived idea of what conservative Sheriff in a small town might be like, and so that definitely felt like my directive. But what helped me, probably most of all, was meeting with real Sheriffs. Ari and I went on a trip together in New Mexico and spent some time, and there were a few people that I met that I really connected with that seemed like great examples of who Joe could be. So it felt to me that as much as there's something very humorous and absurd about so much of this film, I wanted to make sure that Joe was really grounded and that he was recognisable to people that actually know a Sheriff like Joe." On Whether Aster Considers Eddington to Be a Horror Film — and What's at the Heart of the Film That Scares Him, Be It Humanity's Embrace of Existential Risks, Including Not Just Health But Also AI, or Stopping Questioning the Powerful Ari: "No, I don't consider it a horror film. No. But, I do think it's talking about something that scares me. There's a lot that scares me. I'm scared that the people who are leading us don't seem to believe in the future. You mentioned AI, and I would say if you asked me to say in one sentence what this film was about, I might tell you it's about a data centre being built. And that's happening on the periphery of the film, but it's really pretty central. And all these stories are really just data for this giant wooden wheel — to churn into what? What is coming? The film is about people navigating a crisis, but all the while, there's this other crisis that's incubating in a lab over here. And who knows, the utopian dream of what this thing could bring might be true. It might come to pass. But we really don't know what's coming. And yeah, I think that what's happening all over the world — and it's happening in the United States, but it's happening everywhere — it's something that's already happened to us, which is that we've been fortressed off. And I think that's very scary that we're completely unable to reach each other, and we're living out an experiment that has already failed badly. And it doesn't seem like anybody at the levers has any interest in slowing this thing down. It feels like, on the contrary, it's only accelerating." Eddington released in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
Whatever else the past couple of years have served up, it has been an impressive time for folks who like staring up at the sky. 2016 ended with a huge supermoon that had everyone looking to the heavens, then 2018 began with an extremely rare super blue blood moon (a supermoon, a blue moon and a total lunar eclipse all at once). Next, at the end of July, an epic lunar eclipse will mark the next notable celestial happening. WHAT IS IT? On Saturday, July 28, earth will bear witness to the longest lunar eclipse of this century — with the penumbral eclipse lasting just shy of four hours (236 minutes, to be exact) and the total lunar eclipse spanning 103 minutes. If you're wondering what the difference is between the two (because we're all more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, aren't we?), a penumbral eclipse is when the earth's outer shadow falls on the moon's surface, while a total lunar eclipse involves the moon passing directly into the earth's actual shadow. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT IT? As well as offering a great excuse to go stargazing, the 103-minute total eclipse pips the 100-minute event that took place on June 15, 2011 — although it falls just short of the 108-minute event on July 16, 2000. That said, eclipses that last this long are rare. When the super blue blood moon came around earlier in 2018, its full eclipse only lasted 72 minutes. In fact, if you miss it, you'll need to wait until 2029 for a 102-minute total lunar eclipse, with others lasting the same duration expected in 2047 and 2094. Nothing that reaches 103 minutes will in length will occur again this century — and no total lunar eclipses of any length will be visible from Australia again until May 2021. During the main event, the moon will also turn a blood-red shade thanks to sunlight that's filtered and refracted by the earth's atmosphere. So as well as a total lunar eclipse and a full moon, it'll be a blood moon as well. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? Australians will be able to spy the penumbral eclipse from 3.14am local time and the partial eclipse from 4.24am, before the full thing at 5.30am. If you're not able to tear yourself out of bed that early on a winter weekend morning, the maximum eclipse will occur at 6.21am. We won't be able to see the end of it, however, as the moon will be below the horizon when the full, partial and penumbral eclipses end (at 7.13am, 8.19am and 9.28am local time, respectively). For the full details, timeanddate.com has put together a handy to-the-minute schedule of when the eclipse will be happening in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_678443" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Sydney total lunar eclipse times via timeanddate.com[/caption] Have your cameras at the ready, obviously — and see if you can outdo the previous big batches of supermoon snaps and super blue blood moon pics. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? Being in the southern hemisphere, we get some of the best views in the world — weather permitting, of course. Everyone in Australia should be able to catch a glimpse, but, even so, if you're living in the city, it would be best to as far away from light pollution as you can. Unsurprisingly, possible showers are predicted for the day in Sydney and Melbourne, which could have an impact upon visibility; however Brisbane is supposed to be mostly sunny. For Sydneysiders looking for a specific stargazing (or moon-viewing) spot, Sydney Observatory will be open from 5am. If you can't get a clear view, The Virtual Telescope Project will be live-streaming what they're calling 'The Night of the Red Moon and the Red Planet' – because Mars will also be visible in the sky — from the skyline above Rome from 4.30am AEST. Via Space.com and timeanddate.com.
Maybe you've changed your computer backdrop to a picture of Hamilton Island. Perhaps you keep perusing snaps from a past Byron Bay getaway on your phone. Can't stop thinking about your previous holidays? The midwinter blues will do that. We've said it before and we'll say it again: another cure is planning your next vacation, especially when there's a flight sale to capitalise upon. Qantas has dropped another massive round of discounted fares. In June, it put more than one million cheap seats up for grabs. A month later, it's doing the same. The focus is still on its domestic network, spanning 60-plus routes — and this time, prices start at under $160 one-way on more than 40 of them. You'll be able to travel between August 2024–March 2025, although the specifics vary per destination. If you're keen, you'll need to get in quick as this is a 72-hour-only sale, running until 11.59pm AEST on Thursday, July 25, 2024. And yes, the usual caveat applies: if fares sell out earlier, you'll miss out. Options include Sydney to the Gold Coast for $109, and to Byron Bay for the same price; Melbourne to Launceston from $119, and to Maroochydore for $179; and Brisbane to the Whitsunday Coast from $119, or to Hamilton Island for $169. Other routes and fares span both Brisbane to Sydney and Adelaide to Melbourne from $129, Brisbane to Cairns from $159, Sydney to Albury for $149 and Melbourne to Coffs Harbour for $169. Trips to and from Perth, Hobart, Alice Springs, Darwin, Canberra, Newcastle, Mildura, the Fraser Coast, Wagga Wagga, Devonport, Broken Hill, Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Rockhampton and Townsville are also on the sale list — and there's more after that as well. Inclusions-wise, the sale covers fares with checked baggage, complimentary food and beverages, wifi and seat selection. Qantas' 72-hour surprise sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Thursday, July 25, 2024, or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
The Sydney Theatre Company has done a cool thing with The Maids, which is to cast its biggest celebrity actors in its least accessible show for the year. Every night, there'll be people who came to see beloved Cate Blanchett, internationally respected Isabelle Huppert or perhaps breakthrough Great Gatsby star Elizabeth Debicki — and they'll be leaving feeling puzzled, challenged, perhaps bewildered and perhaps exhilarated. It's fabulous, and helps build a strong theatre culture. French maids are famous these days for their black-and-white uniforms (skimpier in the public mind than in the 19th-century reality in which they were common). Frenchman Jean Genet's The Maids is also famous, although in this case, the maids are the ones having the fantasies. While the mistress of the household is away, the two sisters take turns dressing in her clothes, dusting themselves in her powders and hurling entitled abuse at the other. At the height of their routine, repeated to the point of ritual, the mistress character is violently murdered. The Maids was, like so many Law and Orders, inspired by (but not technically based on) factual events. The 1933 murder by two maids of their wealthy employer stoked the imagination of a man fascinated with subversion of power, class and gender norms — themes that he powerfully brought into the theatre. French maids are the subject of sexual fantasy because they submit to dominance. What does it mean for one maid to exercise mastery over another? What happens when they assert it over their superior? This Sydney Theatre Company production is directed with thought and grandeur by Benedict Andrews. Interestingly, although the maids, Claire (Blanchett) and Solange (Huppert), are engaged in a performance, so too is their mistress (Debicki), a self-enabling parody of wealth. Debicki owns the role, and seeing the 6'2" actor tower over Huppert (5'2") is a hugely effective visual. Debicki's scenes are when the play is at its most thrilling, because, unlike the controlled moments shared between the maids, there's a sense that anything could happen. Huppert's performance, meanwhile, is enigmatic and disconnected, quite unlike the other actors on stage (on any stage, almost). It's hard to understand, until you read this, from Genet's lengthy notes on 'how to play The Maids': "The actresses will restrain their movements, each one of which will seem interrupted, or broken off .... sometimes their voice, too." Check. "The performance will be furtive so that the heavily overblown language feels lighter." It's Huppert to a T. However, a bit more consistency across performance styles could have been a benefit, as well as some delineation between the modes of performance of the ritual and the real. The Maids takes place on a flashy, luxurious set (by designer Alice Babidge) that's sure to alight any aspirational tendencies in the beholder (wall-to-wall colour-arranged wardrobe, omg). It's also equipped with a giant screen that shows vision from camera-people who prowl in the wings. They're there to capture the revealing little gestures and moments that would otherwise go unnoticed, and it's fun when they do. The best angle, however, is from the camera on the dressing table, which captures the women as they pout and preen at the mirror, each engaged in their private show. It's a familiar sight that cuts through to a contemporary audience, and touches like this make the play accessible and engaging. For a contemporary audience low on firsthand experience of the master-servant dynamic, it's a cheeky reminder of the trappings that endure. A limited number of Suncorp Twenties tickets are available for $20 each. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0-IGU_LQdU8
This article is sponsored by our partners, Rekorderlig. Cider is having something of a renaissance, one that's not just limited to pub courtyards and picnics. The fruity beverage du jour is gaining a connoisseur-type following in culinary circles, appearing in pairings with food that would put your average sommelier or brewer to shame. Think light apple ciders with pork to conjure up memories of your Nan's Sunday roast with applesauce, or a richer, bolder variety to cut through the spice and cream of a dhal or mutter paneer. Testament to everyone's love of alcohol-fuelled food (and because everyone knows the alcohol content totally evaporates while cooking, right?), it's also being used in recipes. These chicken pistachio meatballs with Rekorderlig cider chutney prove how well cider lends itself to hearty, wintry meals of the kind you might expect to be served on a blizzardy night in a mountain log cabin in front of a crackling fire. In fact, these meatballs are straight out of the Thredbo Alpine Hotel, where Rekorderlig have a poolside lounge. This dish is boozy, fruity, nutty and gamey, and the perfect adieu to these final frosty nights of winter '14. Chicken Pistachio Meatballs with Rekorderlig Cider Chutney Meatballs (makes 50) 1kg chicken mince 500ml Rekorderlig Strawberry-Lime Cider 100g cranberries 100g sour cherries 50g pistachio nuts 10g salt 10g parsley 1 egg pinch of white pepper Soak the cranberries in Rekorderlig Strawberry-Lime Cider for 30 minutes. Place all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix by hand. Work the mixture till all the ingredients are combined. Place in the fridge at least one hour. Roll into desired size balls. Lightly coat balls in flour and saute very quickly. Sauce 1L chicken stock 1L white wine 500ml cream Reduce stock and white wine by half and then stir through 500ml of cream. Place the meatballs in a baking dish and cover them with the sauce. Bake in a medium oven for one hour. Chutney 60ml olive oil 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped 200g sultanas 100g raisins 100g sugar 400ml Rekorderlig Pear Cider 100g ginger grated 800g pears, cored and finely diced dash of nutmeg 2 heaped tsp of ground all spice 1 pinch of cinnamon Saute the rosemary, sultanas and raisins. After one minute add the sugar and then fry the fruit until it starts to caramelise. Pour in the vinegar and bring to the boil. Boil for a few minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Continuously stir so the pear doesn't stick to the bottom. Serve with a warm Rekorderlig Winter cider.
2022 hasn't been kind to anyone's bank balances, with inflation having a hefty impact on the cost of living all around the world, including in Australia. We know you know this, and so does your wallet. In Sydney in fact, the year's financial struggles have seen the Harbour City reclaim global recognition for being a mighty expensive place to call home, taking tenth place on The Economist Intelligence Unit's annual Worldwide Cost of Living survey. While Melbourne was dubbed Australia's most liveable city in the EIU's Global 2022 Liveability Index earlier in 2022, Sydney has nabbed a less sought-after mantle, after sitting in the same spot back in 2018. Again, it's an exxy time all-round in general, with the survey noting that prices worldwide, in the 172 major cities surveyed, have shot up 8.1 percent year on year on average (in local currencies). That's the biggest jump in the 20 years that the EIU has digital data for. The place on the planet that'll trouble your pennies the most? This year, there's two: New York and Singapore. The pair of cities tied for the top spot, with New York earning the unwanted honours for the first time ever, but Singapore taking the crown for the eighth time in a decade. The two places bump down 2021 leader Tel Aviv to third, with Hong Kong and Los Angeles then sharing fourth spot. The Swiss cities of Zurich and Geneva came in at six and seven respectively, while San Francisco sits at eighth, Paris at ninth and Copenhagen shares tenth place with Sydney. Yes, this means that Sydney is more expensive to live in at the moment than London and Tokyo — two cities that aren't considered cheap at all. In fact, Tokyo dropped down 24 spots to sit in 37th place. As per The Guardian, Sydney's rise from 14th in 2021 to tenth this year isn't the only upward movement among Australia's cities. Melbourne leapt from 16th to 15th, and Brisbane from 36th to 32nd. For further details about the 2022 Worldwide Cost of Living survey, head to The Economist Intelligence Unit's website.
