If the words 'escape room' don't have you looking for the nearest exit then Breakout Bar may just be for you. Actually, given the calibre of the drinks at this time machine-slash-cocktail bar, it may be for you regardless. Each escape room has a different theme, say medieval or the future, with different levels of difficulty. Groups have an hour to find their way out by solving a series of puzzles. It's the brainchild of two former coal miners, Brett Baker and Colin Bloomfield, and is designed to be an adventure rather than a scare-your-pants-off sort of fun. Before embarking on their quest, each group gets some time in the cocktail lounge to limber up. If cocktails without the escape route are more your thing, the steampunk-themed bar serves up top-notch drinks and also hosts weekly whisky and cocktail masterclasses.
Winter in Melbourne in 2024 began with a festival, with RISING getting June started with everything from music-fuelled block parties to 24-hour movie marathons. Winter in Melbourne in 2024 will also end with a fest when Now or Never makes its big return in mid-to-late August. After proving a hit with its mix of tunes, performances, installations, talks and more in 2023, its inaugural year, this City of Melbourne-presented celebration will again fill the Victorian capital with creativity. Clear your calendar now — you've got more than 100 different events to attend. Now or Never already locked in its dates and theme earlier in the year. Whether you're a Melburnian or an interstater looking for an excuse for a getaway, you'll have plenty to do across Thursday, August 22–Saturday, August 31. And, with help from 250-plus local and international talents, you'll be getting revelling with the concept 'look through the image' — so, honing in on imagination, emotions and contemplation — firmly in mind. A recurring idea among 2024's Now or Never events is peering beyond the surface, as reflected in a lineup that's jam-packed full of deep cuts. While 2023's fest saw Melbourne's historic Royal Exhibition Building host its first large-scale live music performances in over 20 years, 2024's will return to the venue for four nights of tunes and audiovisual projections that aim to leave a big impression. Eartheater, Sandwell District, Erika De Casier, Ben Frost, Naretha Williams, Clark and DJ Donato Dozzy are all on the bill, as is the Australian debut of COUCOU CHLOE. Still on Aussie premieres, DESASTRES from Marco Fusinato falls into that category, heading Down Under after first appearing at the Venice Biennale 2022 across a 200-day run. For just two days in Melbourne, audiences will be peering at the world's largest LED volume screen for virtual production at NantStudios in Docklands cinema studios for this experimental noise performance project, which synchronises its guitar sounds with imagery. It's both a solo performance and an installation. Across Thursday–Sunday nights during the festival, Joanie Lemercier will unveil Constellations above the Yarra River. This free AV installation projects lights to form shapes in the air, focusing on the cosmos, as accompanied by a soundscape by producer Paul Jebansam. Similarly at the right price for everyone's wallets, the also-free Silent Symphony and Present Shock II hail from London's United Visual Artists. The first features Frost's compositions as part of celestial patterns given a sonic interpretation, in a piece that will never repeat. The second boasts a score by Massive Attack's Robert Del Naj with Robert Thomas, and is all about confronting a realm where alternative facts and post-truths now dwell. At ACMI — and also presented by the Melbourne International Film Festival — the free world-premiere kajoo yannaga (come on let's walk together) will take participants on an interactive virtual and gamified walk on Country that puts First Nations knowledge at the fore, all thanks to Wiradjuri Scottish artist April Phillips. Or, hovering above Melbourne Museum Plaza, get ready to experience Peder Bjurman's augmented-reality experience Slow Walker, which turns a microscopic organism into a floating giant. Plagiary is another certain highlight, with dance technologist and choreographer Alisdair Macindoe joining forces with media artist Sam Mcgilp to create a new dance performance each night. Ten dancers will improvise, but it's a computer presence that'll tell them what to respond to. Elsewhere on the lineup, Roxane Gay's latest trip to Australia is tied to discussing 2023 book Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business; Melbourne's HTRK and Britain's Actress are teaming up for a single evening; and Mutti Mutti, Yorta Yorta and Nari Nari man Kutcha Edwards is in the spotlight at Wuigada — Gagada (To Sing — Loud), which makes its Victorian premiere. There's also MOUNTAIN, a dance performance with costumes by Akira Isogawa, plus mycologist Merlin Sheldrake chatting about fungi, if you needed more examples of how wide-ranging the 2024 program is. Now or Never 2024 runs from Thursday, August 22–Saturday, August 31 around Melbourne — head to the festival website for further details.
Gin and sunshine go together like cheese and crackers, a pairing so perfect that nobody is really sure where it came from. We just know it works. It makes sense to celebrate all things gin as we approach the warmer season, hence why Four Pillars Gin is celebrating a brand new ready-to-drink flavour across a national series of live music events. A huge launch party is coming to Bondi's Beach Road Hotel, followed by weeks of live music there and at Newcastle's Merewether Surfhouse. [caption id="attachment_919170" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Benito Martin[/caption] The Gin Tins & Tunes national launch party is an unmissable entry to the series, happening at the Beach Road Hotel on Sunday, October 15. The evening will be soundtracked by some of Australia's most popular DJs, including Late Nite Tuff Guy, Yolanda Be Cool, Mell Hall and more. For your $15 ticket, you'll get a complimentary can of the brand new Navy Strength Gin and Ginger RTD and a Four Pillars bucket hat, how's that for a return on investment? It's a national series of events starting right here in NSW at Beach Road Hotel in Sydney's capital of sunshine, Bondi. The tunes kicked off weekly from Sunday, October 1. Then, on Sunday, October 8, the free events will kick off in Newcastle's Merewether Surfhouse, starring local talent like Adam Morris, Tim Coffey and Perry Carter. Every week, you'll be able to try the debuting drink as well as Four Pillar's other RTD beverages, enjoy the tunes and get the chance to win a Four Pillars bucket hat — ideal for sun safety. Gin Tins and Tunes is coming to Beach Road Hotel from Sunday, October 1 to Sunday, October 22 with the official launch party on Sunday, October 15. Merewether Surfhouse will host Gins Tins & Tunes from Sunday, October 8 to Sunday, October 29. For more information, visit the website.
It has been almost three months since Queensland closed its borders to Greater Sydney, making the Sunshine State off limits to residents of specific local government areas in the New South Wales capital. Over that period, the status of Queensland's borders has changed multiple times — as it has throughout much of 2020 — including shutting out all of NSW, then reopening to areas down to Byron Bay. But Sydneysiders won't be able to make the trip up north anytime soon. Today, Friday, October 30, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that Queensland will remain closed to folks from 32 local government areas in Sydney. On the list: Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Camden, Campbelltown, Canada Bay, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Inner West, Ku-Ring-Gai, Lane Cove, Liverpool, Mosman, North Sydney, Northern Beaches, Parramatta, Penrith, Randwick, Ryde, Strathfield, Sutherland Shire, Sydney, The Hills Shire, Waverley, Willoughby, Wollondilly, Woollahra and Sydney Harbour (Unincorporated). The Queensland border will also remain shut to people in Victoria, covering the entire state. In good news for NSW residents outside of Sydney, however — and for Queenslanders keen to head to parts of the state without quarantining upon their return — Premier Palaszczuk also revealed that the Sunshine State will open up to the rest of NSW come 1am on Tuesday, November 3. The announcement arrives a day before Queensland's next state election, which takes place on Saturday, October 31. Back in August, Premier Palaszczuk had already noted that the state was unlikely to reopen its borders to Victoria and Sydney until there has been no community transmission in those areas, so today's news wasn't unexpected. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1321968426349256704 Going into detail about the decision, Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said "it is all about numbers. There are 4.8 million people who live in those 32 LGAs in Sydney. They are the risk, they are the ones moving around". She also noted that there have not been any cases in the past 28 days outside of those 32 LGAs, hence the move to open Queensland up to the rest of NSW. If you're a Queenslander now keen on a southern getaway, you can do so by flying via Sydney airport at Mascot — and that isn't counted as entering one of the 32 LGAs. But you can only travel through the airport, flying in and then flying out to somewhere outside of Greater Sydney. If you go anywhere else in the city, the quarantine rules come into effect upon your return back north. Whichever way you're heading — whether you're a NSW resident from outside of Greater Sydney who is keen to come to Queensland, or a resident of the latter eager to venture beyond the state's borders for a bit and then come home — you will still need a border pass. It isn't required to leave the state, but NSW folks will need one to enter and Queenslanders will need one to come back. To obtain a pass, you'll need to apply online, with each one valid for seven days. Regarding when Queensland might open to Greater Sydney, Dr Young said that she couldn't predict a date. "I genuinely do not know — it depends what happens with the virus. We are learning more and more about it every day. And what we are learning is that it is actually very contagious so we just have to look at the evidence, and I look at the evidence every single day, seven days a week, and work out what is the best advice." For more information about Queensland's border policies, head to the Queensland Government website.
They've made bespoke cocktails catered to each drinker's DNA, hosted anatomical whisky tastings where spirits were sipped from actual people, and served a beating pig's heart as a starter. Yes, it's safe to say that Sam Bompas and Harry Parr know how to liven up a meal. Calling the duo food artists might be a bit of an understatement, however, particularly given that they're not just experimenting with what we consume in a creative, unexpected and delicious way. At the heart of everything from their edible fireworks to their molten lava barbecue to their 200-course dinner party sits an interrogation of our eating and drinking habits, including the one thing carnivorous folks easily overlook: the food chain. Indeed, London diners heading along Bompas & Parr's next event won't be able to forget where their lunch came from. In the kitchen at Sea Containers restaurant, they'll see just what path their meal takes to their plate, and play quite the considerable part in it. At Kill It, Eat It, attendees will devour a crustacean-heavy feast — after, as the name gives away, they kill the crabs destined for their stomach. We'll give you a moment to think about this next-level eating experience because it's quite the confronting concept. Of course, it's supposed to be. It's one thing to know but not really engage with the idea that you're munching on something that was once alive. It's another to have an active hand in it. The 16 people per session that are willing to face their food in the most visceral and primal way possible, as well as their role in eating living creatures, will journey through a number of steps: looking closely at crabs and the role they play in the ocean, learning about the ways they're sourced and caught, and discovering the the 'biologically most efficient and humane method' of ending their lives. They'll then receive their own live crustacean, prepare it, kill it in a RSPCA-approved manner, cook it and de-shell it. Afterwards, participant's crab will be dressed by the restaurant's chefs and served as part of the group meal alongside sea-inspired cocktails. An expert in fisheries and seafood cultivation will be on hand during the event, and attendees will receive a guide to help them replicate the process at home. Chatting with Concrete Playground in advance of their 2015 Wild at Heart event at Dark Mofo — which involved roadkill jerky, drinks served from actual skull cups, roasting just-hunted wild deer and the aforementioned blood-gushing pig's heart — Bompas explained that "when you start feeding people, you become quite aware of just how thin that line of civility is that divides us from the animal kingdom." It's clearly something that, with his culinary partner-in-crime Parr, he's still exploring. Bompas & Parr's crustacean-focused classes will take place on April 23 and 30, and they're just the first toe into the water of a planned Kill It, Eat It series. We'll let your mind ponder just what might come next. As Parr explains, the workshops are designed to provoke the ultimate question at the heart of every carnivorous diet: "if you want to eat animals, shouldn't you be prepared to kill them yourself?"
Josh Niland has achieved a lot. He's opened many of Australia's top restaurants, written two acclaimed books (and just dropped a third), challenged how we see seafood in the kitchen and been named in the world's top 100 best chefs. Now, he's taking his success to the world, opening his first international restaurant at The Singapore Edition hotel. Niland's new opening will be the signature restaurant at the soon-to-open 204-room hotel, Edition's first foray into Southeast Asia. At the core of its offerings will be the chef's distinct passion for sustainable seafood — but, unlike Niland's Sydney openings, the hotel venue will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After initially making a splash with Saint Peter, Josh and his partner Julie Niland have taken the Sydney culinary scene by storm with a series of openings including Fish Butchery, Charcoal Fish and Petermen. The duo are also revamping The Grand National Hotel, moving Saint Peter from Oxford Street into the pub. Niland's Singapore outpost will be one of five restaurants and bars that are set to open inside The Singapore Edition. The lavish accommodation is located in the downtown Orchard district and also promises to offer a rooftop pool, a spa and a fitness centre. [caption id="attachment_910017" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Petermen[/caption] The menu will be a la carte, featuring fish cut to order including rib on the bone, crown roasts and cutlets. As with all of Niland's operations, the restaurant will work with world-class ethical producers and suppliers — and minimising waste will be a top priority, with the menus at the restaurant and lobby bar working in unison to ensure all produce is used to its fullest. The Singapore restaurant doesn't have an exact open date quite yet, but it's expected to swing open its doors in November of this year. [caption id="attachment_771911" align="alignnone" width="1920"] by Rob Palmer, from Josh Niland's The Whole Fish Cookbook[/caption] If you want to get a taste of this world-class sustainable seafood operation without venturing over to Singapore, you have a few options. Book a table at the intimate Saint Peter for the classic Niland experience, or head to Charcoal Fish for a more casual takeaway-style offering. And, you can venture over to St Leonards for his newest offering Petermen, which just launched a weekly pescetarian-friendly Sunday roast. [caption id="attachment_826817" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saint Peter[/caption] Josh Niland's new Singapore venue will open at The Singapore Edition, 38 Cuscaden Road, Singapore — it's expected to launch in November 2023. Top image: Alan Benson.
Paddington eatery Porcine is looking to inject a hearty feast into your time in lockdown with its new collaboration with Buffalo Trace. The huge barbecue box is available for pickup or delivery to those within ten kilometres of Porcine from Friday, September 24 and comes with everything you'd need for a meat and bourbon-heavy meal. In order to create the boxes, Porcine chef Nicholas Hill has purchased three full Berkshire pigs. He's carved and smoked the pork cuts to pair with a prune pate en croute, both of which you'll find in the box. Alongside the pork, you'll be treated to spring vegetable vinaigrette, a jar of treacle and trace barbecue glaze, cauliflower cheese pie, banoffee and bourbon trifle for dessert with a bottle of Buffalo Trace bourbon, of course. Orders must be placed by Thursday, September 23 for pickup or delivery on Friday or Saturday.
Ever wish your sneakers smelt more like roses after a long sweaty run? Le Coq Sportif aren't making any technology-defying promises, but they have certainly been inspired by the classic perennial in their new, limited-edition running shoe, the Eclat Rose EXD. It's the tenth anniversary of Barcelona's sneaker store Limiteditions and to celebrate, the French sports style experts at Le Coq Sportif decided it was time to revitalise the original 1985 Eclat classic with a Barcelonian motif. Complementing rich red and pink hues with woody greens and browns, the Eclat Rose EXD is indeed reminiscent of a rose, symbolising the city of Barcelona. Made from waterproof nubuck, it has a quick lacing system, supportive sole bands and comfy freeform insoles. This unique design is only available locally at Up There in Melbourne and Highs and Lows in Perth. But thanks to Le Coq Sportif, we have two pairs of the limited edition Eclat Rose EXD (retail price is $159.95) to give away — one size 43 and one size 45. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and email us with your name, address and preferred size. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Fresh from causing vehicular chaos in the Fast and Furious franchise — and loving it — Jason Momoa is swapping roads for the ocean in that other big-budget saga he's been known to glisten through: DC's movies. It's been five years since the first solo cinema swim for Arthur Curry arrived, with Aquaman marking just the sixth entry in the DC Extended Universe. Now the series will hit 15 instalments with sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, ahead of a fresh direction for the comic-book company's flicks under new co-head honchos James Gunn and Peter Safran (The Suicide Squad's director and producer, respectively). So, Momoa is back as DC's wettest superhero. What happens for the actor and his character from here, however, hasn't yet been confirmed. Wherever both go, they're going to tussle with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Ambulance) as Black Manta again first — as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's just-dropped first trailer shows. Slated to hit cinemas on Boxing Day as the fourth DC feature of 2023 after Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash and Blue Beetle, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom also hails from Australian director James Wan (Malignant), as the first film did — and sees Patrick Wilson (Insidious: The Red Door), Amber Heard (The Stand), Nicole Kidman (Special Ops: Lioness) and Temuera Morrison (The Book of Boba Fett) return alongside Momoa and Abdul-Mateen II. Dolph Lundgren (Minions: The Rise of Gru) and Randall Park (Strays) are back as well, all in another movie that dives into the sea, heads down to Atlantis and paddles about trying to save the world. The story this time: Black Manta is still after vengeance, but now has the Black Trident and its powers to help. So, as well as being a father and the new King of Atlantis, Aquaman has to seek his own assistance. That's how Wilson's Orm, Curry's half brother, ends up fighting by his side instead of being his imprisoned enemy. So, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom looks set to splash around a tale about family in a variety of ways. Again, Momoa did just pop up in Fast X — and Wan also has a history with that high-octane realm, directing Fast and Furious 7 in 2015. Wan and Wilson keep loving dipping in the same pool together, too, given that Wan created The Conjuring franchise and co-created the Insidious franchise. Check out the trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom below: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens in cinemas Down Under on Tuesday, December 26, 2023.
Cut Copy burst onto the scene, and into our hearts, with their chart-topping album In Ghost Colours all the way back in 2007. Six years later, they're dropping their newest offering, Free Your Mind, on November 1. Ahead of the group's international tour, we met up with Dan Whitford, the man behind the mic, to chat about the band's newest tunes, his feelings about success and why dance music isn't going around in circles. Free Your Mind is thematically stronger than the previous two albums. You've said that you never intended to make a concept album, but it has kind of come out that way. Did the concept evolve as a natural progression from the writing? Initially, it was an effort to get started, and we were hoping to have a few gems that we could work up into contenders for a record, but there's only so long you can go without considering that they all have to fit together on a record at some point. There was probably a point where we went, "Okay, how do these songs relate, and what are we doing?" We started out with a very open-ended plan, like, "Don't overthink anything, if you have an idea, try it," and that was sort of what we tried to do through most of our recording. But I think we then got to a point where we had a few different directions with these tracks, we were asking, "What's the common thread?" So I think it just ended up feeling like there was this sort of slightly euphoric, kind of uplifting, but also kind of a loose psychedelic feeling to most of the tracks. The sound of the record, as well as the theme, is retrospective as well as prospective. Are you looking to the music of the past to build your future music? Yeah. I think that dance music, probably all music … has always done that. Each era, from disco onwards … even in the disco era, you'd be taking an old song, and doing the new version of that for this period in time, and then the same with the 1990 version of a disco song, and now there's the 2001 version of the 1990s song. I think dance music naturally looks forward because it's a fairly fickle thing. Stylistically, it's always looking to evolve, but it's also very retrospective. I think that's something that Daft Punk, for instance, have done more than any other … artists in the past, and that's being so diversely influenced by not just dance music history, but pop music history like Beach Boys and KISS, some of these things that are glam rock. These are things that don't normally fit into dance music, but they pulled in for the hell of it, and created something new. I think we're nostalgic about some of these periods of music with this record, and I think the combination of things that we pull in hopefully ends up being something that people haven't heard. You've never actually trained to play any musical instruments. How do you think that this lack of training affects the way you write music? It's good because you don't have any preconception about what you're doing. My training was listening to records. My record collection … taught me how to play music and make music, so you're assimilating all these influences and creating your own thing from there. I think it's good not to have too many rules about what art should be, because I think you're inevitably limited by that. I know music is a popular art form, so I know that if you're making, say, a Lady Gaga song, then there are probably a few rules … if you want to get played on the radio, but I think that in a general sense, having fewer rules makes more interesting music because the possibilities are more endless, more infinite. So I feel there's a benefit to never really knowing what I was doing. In Ghost Colour and Zonoscope were both hugely successful. Is that something you think about when writing now? I think it's a trick having all … these artificial pressures on what you're doing creatively, and I think the best stuff, for me, is created amongst the band when we're just doing the stuff that we like. I guess you've just got to trust your own creative instinct and aesthetic to hopefully be something that's good. Ghost Colours went number one, but we never thought in our wildest dreams that it was even going to be in the charts, let alone in the top ten or number one, that was just ridiculous. We did that without thinking about it, so sometimes the best thing is to really not even consider it. I guess there is some pressure there, but I guess that, at the end of the day, we just come back to making the music that we like, and if there are ever points where we get confused, usually we just come back to, "What do we like?" And that's the best guide, and probably what the right choice is. Cut Copy's new album, Free Your Mind, is out November 1 through Modular. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xPRJVKtrCCk
With Snapchat, Facebook Live and Instagram Stories, we thought we'd already seen peak selfie. But last week Nokia unveiled its new flagship device, the Nokia 8, which has been built for just that: streaming selfies. The brand new smartphone is primed for personal content sharing, with world-first technology that allows use of its front- and rear-facing cameras simultaneously. Dubbed the 'bothie' by Nokia, this feature uses the phone's dual sight mode to pull footage from both cameras into a split-screen visual, which can be live-streamed in real-time to your social feeds. You can record what's in front of you and your reaction to it for your fans (read: mum) to watch — most probably on Facebook Live or Instagram Stories. It's a cool little spec for sure, but, as the phone's flagship feature, we can't help but feel Nokia is differentiating the 8 through trend rather than technology. After all, the phone's longevity relies on selfies being a thing. But while the popularity of this bothie feature has a limited lifespan, the phone itself might just have enough to keep you hooked, even after you've grown bored of live-streaming your entire existence. For this device, Nokia has worked with ZEISS optics for the first time to ensure both front and back cameras are as slick as can be. The Nokia 8 is also first smartphone to feature Nokia OZO Audio to capture and play audio with 360-degree surround sound — a function that'll really take those 4K videos to the next level. It 64GB storage and also includes unlimited uploads to Google Photos. The device runs smoothly on Android — much like the Google Pixel — and is powered by the Qualcomm® SnapdragonTM 835 Mobile Platform. A bit longer than in iPhone, it feels nice in the hand and is engineered with a graphite-shielded copper cooling pipe to suck out the heat and keep it running without overheating. The best part about the phone is that is will retail at $899, which is a bit cheaper than many of its competitors — the iPhone 7 128GB and Samsung Galaxy S8 64GB currently retail for round $1200. The Samsung has just announced the Note 8, which is expected to be even more expensive, while Apple will announce the new iPhone 8 early next month. It will be interesting to see how the Nokia 8 compares to the new release of iPhones — but if you're looking for a usable Android phone at a reasonable price, the Nokia 8 is a really solid contender. The Nokia 8 is available now for pre-order from JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman for $899. By Libby Curran and Lauren Vadnjal.
Five years in the making, W Hotel's luxury Darling Harbour development will finally bring the global hotel chain back to Sydney in October this year. Originally scheduled to open in 2020, the unmistakable harbourfront hotel has faced several delays and setbacks, but will finally swing its doors open in three months' time — and it has just revealed the next-level dining options that are in store for Sydneysiders and guests alike. The flagship restaurant and bar for the hotel will be called BTWN, playing on the building being wedged between its neighbouring expressways. This ambitious all-day eatery's kitchen is led by Head Chef Chris Dodd (ex-Aria, The Blue Door and Bistrot Plume), whose menu places emphasis on sustainability and local New South Wales produce. Hotel breakfasts and hearty dinners will be available here, with expected highlights from the mains menu including poached Murray cod, slow-cooked yoghurt-rubbed lamb shoulder and mushroom ragout. The level-three restaurant can be seen from the adjacent highway, acting as a living, breathing billboard for the hotel. Inside, designer Bowler James Brindley uses urban hallmarks and a slick chrome fitout inspired by airstream food trucks to celebrate the hotel's place in the heart of the city. Come sundown, a one-of-a-kind dessert bar labelled 2AM will open inside BTWN. Acclaimed Singaporean dessert chef Janice Wong is in charge of this venue within a venue — her first permanent outpost in Australia. Wong has twice been named Asia's best pastry chef on The World's Best Restaurants list, and runs restaurants and dessert bars across Singapore, London, Korea and Tokyo. The accomplished lover of all things decadent has crafted a menu that will appeal to both sweet tooths and more conservative dessert-enjoyers — and one that is designed to pair with BTWN's wine list and custom cocktails. 2AM's cacao forest is created using chocolate mousse, passionfruit chocolate, and consommé made from mango, lime and lychee. Or, there's the cassis plum, which places a bombe with yuzu pearls on top of elderflower yoghurt foam and choya granita. Rounding out the offerings at the sleek inner-city venue is the cocktail bar, which will keep things rolling from midday till late with a meticulously designed drinks list and sweeping views of Darling Harbour. Located within The Ribbon, the multimillion-dollar development has been designed by HASSEL architects and sits on the former IMAX theatre site (don't worry, the new IMAX is scheduled to also reopen this year). Outside of the dining options, W Sydney's drawcards include 585 stunning rooms and suites, plus exuberant shared spaces throughout the hotel including a heated rooftop infinity pool overlooking the water, a luxury spa and a gym. If you want to be one of the first to stay in the massive Darling Harbour accommodation, bookings are now open for stays starting from Wednesday, November 1. [caption id="attachment_909978" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Janice Wong[/caption] W Sydney will open its doors in October 2023 at 31 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour — head to thee Darling Harbour website for further details.
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
Sometimes, Zac Efron earns headlines because he's spending the pandemic in Australia. Sometimes, it's thanks to whichever film he has in cinemas. And, sometimes it's because he's been in the gym preparing for a movie, as has Jeremy Allen White. That flick getting the Gold and The Bear stars bulked up and bringing them together? The Iron Claw. In this wrestling drama, the Von Erich family is rumbling onto the big screen, with help from not just Efron and White but also Harris Dickinson (Scrapper), Maura Tierney (Your Honor), Holt McCallany (Mindhunter) and Lily James (What's Love Got to Do with It?). The IRL brood get the biopic treatment in this 80s-set effort from Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Nest director Sean Durkin — and if you're wondering why, then you've clearly never heard of the "Von Erich curse". As the just-dropped trailer for the A24 film shows, the Von Erich brothers are all keen wrestlers under the guidance of patriarch Fritz (McCallany), who is pushing his inseparable offspring to be the best. The line between encouraging and domineering is thin, however, in a tale that piles on more than its fair share of tragedies along with championships. "Ever since I was a child, people said my family was cursed," says Kevin (Efron) in the first sneak peek at The Iron Claw, which is named after a wrestling move associated with Fritz and the family. "Mom tried to protect us with god, pop tried to protect us with wrestling," he continues. "He said if we were the toughest, the strongest, nothing would ever hurt us. I believed him. We all did." What happens from there will hit picture palaces in the US on Friday, December 22, and then on Thursday, January 18 Down Under. From the first footage from the film — which comes set to Blue Öyster Cult's '(Don't Fear) the Reaper', cowbell and all — viewers can expect training scenes, pressure, plenty of skin, Fritz issuing his sons rankings regarding his favourites, complicated family bonds, trauma, in-the-ring action and James as Kevin's wife Pam. Check out the trailer for The Iron Claw below: The Iron Claw hits cinemas Down Under on Thursday, January 18. Images: Brian Roede / Eric Chakeen.
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.
Established in 2002 by twin brothers Brian and Vincent Wu, this now-stalwart multi-brand boutique has stuck to its original guns — curating and showcasing luxe men's and women's clothing from around the world, in window displays drool worthy in their sleek simplicity. Stocking a mix of high-end and high street brands like Karen Walker, Nike, A.P.C. and Vanishing Elephant, Incu's become a sort of empire, expanding to new territory across Sydney and the country. The flagship Galeries store is well worth a heart-eyed browse — for its open spaces, clean lines and oozing-of-cool atmosphere, as much as the clothes on its racks.
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.
Master blender Dr Rachel Barrie has been in the whisky game for over 30 years, but she originally trained as a chemist. This scientific background paved the way for her to become a leader in the delicious field of whisky blending, requiring her to use those stoichiometry skills on the daily. Before she embarked on a professional career that saw her mix drops for several world-renowned whisky brands, she learned her trade from legendary industry figure Dr Jim Swan. In 2017, Dr Barrie became the Master Blender for The GlenDronach, Benriach, and Glenglassaugh distilleries. She was then inducted into Whisky's Hall of Fame in 2018, becoming the first woman in the scotch industry to be awarded that honour, earning her the title of the World's First Lady of Scotch. And nowadays? She continues to run the master blending arm at these three distilleries where she artfully crafts premium single malt whiskies. We could think of no other expert to sit down with and talk about whisky with. Read on to find her thoughts on crafting the perfect dram, gather tips on how to become a true whisky connoisseur (even if you're new to the delicious amber liquid) and learn of the best advice she's ever received. Let's say I'm new to whisky and I'd like to develop my taste for and understanding of it, what advice would you have for me on how to start? "It's best to start with a neat dram, a teaspoon and water — first tasting neat, then adding water to experiment and unlock different tastes. Always remember to smell with your mouth slightly open. If you nose with your mouth closed, you will smell the alcohol instead of the aromas within the glass. Keep your lips open slightly and inhale a few times. Take your time to access the aroma and uncover the different flavours within. A great introductory whisky to try is the Benriach's The Original Ten. The best way to describe it is like having a pastry with fruit, toasted almonds and vanilla custard in it. Tasting with canapés or small nibbles helps showcase each whisky's flavour, giving you the opportunity to discover the richness of complementary or contrasting combinations. The Benriach 10-year-old goes perfectly with heavily roasted nuts such as peanuts, cashews and walnuts." How about if I'm someone who thinks they don't like whisky, what would you advise then? Is there a style of whisky or approach to drinking the spirit for me? "I always encourage people to be adventurous and open to trying new things. When it comes to whisky, I encourage people to enjoy it however they choose — whether that's neat, over ice or mixed in a cocktail. Every person is different. It is important to take your time, nose the whisky and explore the different aromas and flavours with each sip. The first sip is there to get your palate ready, the second sip is when it's time to explore the different flavours in the glass. If you are finding it too strong, just have a teaspoon of water, it will make it more comfortable." What are your golden rules for how to serve whisky? "First, bring your chosen bottle of whisky to room temperature. Next up, glassware: it is important that there is a slight funnelling to the top of the glass, this helps to concentrate the aromas in the right direction. It also allows you to view or nose the whisky. Once you have the right glass, pour it and let it breathe. A good rule to follow is to let it breathe for one minute per year. So for The GlenDronach's Grandeur 28-Year-Old, I like to pour it and leave it out for at least 28 minutes before enjoying. Enjoy your whisky with a friend or loved one and make sure to take your time to appreciate the flavours and aromas coming from the glass. Stop and ask yourself: what fruit does this remind me of? Is it cherry? Raisins, dates, plums? As you dig deeper you will find notes that remind you of other things or trigger memories. Experience the whisky you are drinking with one another." Whisky cocktails — yay or nay? "Yay! Although I am partial to a neat whisky, we're finding consumers are increasingly looking for more experiential, 'fun' serves with a twist that play on flavours, colours, textures, aromas and interactivity. One of our most popular cocktails is the Benriach Penicillin, which perfectly mixes smoke, lemon and ginger." Smoke Season Penicillin Recipe 25ml Benriach The Original Ten 25ml Benriach Smoke Season 20ml ginger and honey syrup 20ml fresh lemon juice Shake all ingredients, then strain over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with candied ginger and lemon. [caption id="attachment_891265" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Benriach[/caption] People think of single-malt whiskies as being the opposite of blended whiskies, but crafting a single malt still involves blending. What is it that you're trying to achieve when you blend a single malt? "The difference is a blended whisky is a mix of barrel-aged malt and grain whiskies, a single-malt whisky is a blend of whiskies from a single distillery. When I blend a single malt I'm trying to achieve a combination of flavours from one distillery. For example, at Benriach I have artistically crafted a range of single malt whiskies that perfectly marries tradition and innovation. We seek out an eclectic mix of casks from around the world, so chosen for the exceptional character and flavour notes they lend our whisky. Once brought back to Speyside, we fill them with one of our three styles of distilled spirit: classic, peated or triple distilled. And then we wait. Our spirit matures — flavours collide, combine and intertwine. And only when we are satisfied our whisky is ready, can you enjoy a dram that is richly multi-layered and full of character." What makes a good master blender, and what has your job taught you about flavour? "Exploring flavour is a huge part of my job. Whisky making is much more than an art or a science; for me, whisky is looking deep into nature and understanding it much better. The best way to understand it is if you moved a distillery a mile down the road, and used the exact same techniques, it won't be the same. It is all the things we cannot see that go into the whisky-making process. My approach is to 'nurture the best nature' of each distillery, fully understanding how each environment influences them. As the master blender for The GlenDronach, Benriach and Glenglassaugh distilleries in Speyside and the Highlands of Scotland, I often describe them as taking you from the glen to the 'ben' to the sea. I feel uniquely connected to all three distilleries." How did you forge your career in whisky and what has kept you in the field? What do you love most about whisky and your job? "My love for whisky started when I entered the industry through the Scotch Whisky Research Institute. I researched the flavours and the impact different oak wood casks have on spirit flavour development over time and quickly began to think about a future as a master blender. I had a passion for the science and technology of distillery production, maturation, flavour and sensory science. Loving what I do has motivated me and kept me in the field. My biggest challenge is that I can't sample enough whisky! I have sampled in excess of 150,000 casks across dozens of distilleries, and to this day can say each distillery and single cask teaches me something new each day. The opportunity to keep learning and creating excites me." Whisky related or not, what is the best advice you've ever received? Who gave it to you and what was the context? "My parents were my biggest mentors. Growing up in rural Aberdeenshire, my family was grounded and taught me the power of a strong work ethic. I learned early on that never giving up will always create the best future. The three sayings that have remained with me most on my journey and led me to where I am today are: do your best and forget the rest; seek balance in every day; and success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out. My biggest mantra is 'Love what you do and do what you love'. I take this approach with everything I do." To start your whisky journey, or continue it, shop Benriach and The GlenDronach whiskies at Dan Murphy's, Nick's Wine Merchants, Vintage Cellars and BWS.
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.
Whether you like to play it safe with spaghetti or go crazy with casarecce, you'll find all your favourite pastas, fresh and homemade, at new Italian diner La Favola. Let the carb-loading begin. Located on upper King Street in Newtown, La Favola has taken over the space previously occupied by stoner-food cafe D'Munchies. (Don't worry, local stoners will find another joint.) Unlike your traditional flag-bearing trattorias, there are no red-checked tablecloths or baskets of breadsticks. Instead, La Favola has opted for a clean and contemporary fit-out, replacing the massive marijuana mural with a white brick façade and a simple butcher's block menu. So who's the master of pasta at La Favola? That would be Italian chef Fabio Stefanelli, previously of Cucinetta in Woolwich and Fico in Hobart, as well as Michelin-starred Cracco ristorante in Milan. Stefanelli's recipe for success is simple — six pastas and six sauces, and patrons can mix and match as they please. As a general rule, you'll find lighter and creamier sauces, such as the carbonara ($16) and the seafood dal mare ($20), a perfect match for the spaghetti or fusilli, while richer, meatier sauces, such as the ragu Napoletano ($18), pair better with rigatoni or paccheri. That said, there's really no right or wrong way to eat the pasta here. Hell, you can even go broccoli e salsiccia with fettucine ($18) if you want to. While it's not part of the standard menu, La Favola also offers gnocchi from time to time and it's definitely worth ordering if you see it on the specials (check the restaurant's Facebook page for updates). Stefanelli's little potato dumplings are so light and fluffy you'll feel as though you can eat and eat and eat. Oh, and don't be alarmed by how quickly the food comes out, it's definitely not Latina. The self-professed "fast food" restaurant hand makes its own pasta, sauces and stocks at the start of each day. While the pasta is definitely the show-stealer, La Favola's menu also includes a small selection of starters — including a beef carpaccio with truffle cream ($18) and fried calamari ($16) — as well as a few other simple sides. If you only have room for two courses, however, make the second one dessert. You'll be completely won over by the cannolo Siciliano ($7), which is stuffed with a fresh ricotta cream made with citrus fruits that have been stewed for five hours. As you can see, La Favola is not your usual fast food eatery. Images: Trent van der Jagt
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.
State-versus-state and city-against-city rivalries are all part of life in Australia, but New South Wales has been lagging behind many of its counterparts when it comes to banning single-use plastics. When winter arrives in 2022, however, it'll finally kick off with the long-awaited ditching of lightweight single-use plastic bags — and then add more disposable items to the banned list before the year is out. First, the change to doing your shopping. Back in 2020, the NSW Government finally announced that it would scrap single-use plastic bags, becoming the last Australian state or territory to do so. In 2021, it revealed that it'd put that ban in place sometime in 2022 — and the date it actually happens, Wednesday, June 1, is now fast approaching. Only lightweight single-use plastic bags will get the heave-ho on that day, covering anything with handles that's 35 microns or less in thickness at any part of the bag. The ban also applies to lightweight bags made from biodegradable, compostable and bio-plastics, including any made from Australian-certified compostable plastic. That said, it won't cover bin liners, which are considered 'barrier bags'; bags for human or animal waste, which fall into the same category; bags for fresh produce and deli items; and bags used to contain medical items (other than bags given to customers by retailers to take stuff home with them). Next, come Tuesday, November 1, single-use plastic straws, cutlery and stirrers will no longer be part of NSW residents' lives. Neither will single-use plastic bowls and plates, expanded polystyrene items that are used in food service, single-use plastic cotton buds or products containing microbeads. That covers single-use plastic forks, spoons, knives, sporks, splayds, chopsticks and food picks as well, and expanded polystyrene clamshells, cups, plates and bowls. And, it applies to anything with microbeads such as face and body cleansers, exfoliants, masks, shampoo, conditioner, hair dyes and toothpaste. Again, this ban covers items made from biodegradable, compostable or bio-plastic as well, and from Australian-certified compostable plastic. With straws, though, there will be exemptions for people with a disability or who have a medical need. As advised back in 2021 when 2022 was locked in for the bans to start, NSW is aiming to reduce the total amount of waste generated per person by 10 percent by 2030, reduce litter by 60 percent by the same time, and triple the rate of plastic recycling by then, too. Similar laws regarding single-use plastics have already come into effect in South Australia and Queensland — and Victoria has set a 2023 target date. As a nation, Australia is set to phase out a heap of single-use plastic items by 2025 as well. And, that's on top of smaller-scale initiatives, not only including bag bans and container schemes, but the phasing out of single-use plastics in various guises at the company level, with Coles, McDonald's, IKEA, Coca-Cola Amatil and Qantas among those making steps in the plastic-free direction. New South Wales' single-use plastics ban will start kicking in on Wednesday, June 1. You can find out more via the NSW Government website.
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
