UPDATE, Thursday, October 5: Zach Bryan's Australian show has now been moved to Flemington Racecourse due to demand. Not content with bringing Christina Aguilera to Australia for a one-off Down Under show, and boasting exclusive Eric Prydz and Jai Paul gigs as well, Victoria's statewide music celebration Always Live has added country music megastar Zach Bryan to its 2023 bill. The 17-day festival will now feature the biggest name in the genre right now, taking to the stage at St Kilda's Catani Gardens. The 'Something in the Orange' singer will head to Melbourne on Saturday, December 9 for an openair gig that'll give the Oologah, Oklahoma native's 2022 American Heartbreak album a hefty spin. Although he released two records prior — 2019's DeAnn and 2020's Elisabeth — his third album marked his major-label debut, and also the reason that Bryan has become such a sensation. Among Bryan's recent feats, American Heartbreak premiered in the top spot on America's Billboard 200. 'Something in the Orange' has now stayed in the charts longer than any single by a male country artist. In Australia, Bryan has earned that same achievement in the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart for all country artists. And his streaming numbers? In excess of 6.8 billion worldwide. Yellowstone viewers will also know him from popping up in the western series. As he's been taking his American Heartbreak tour around the US — including stops at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits — Bryan has been smashing attendance records, too. In his first-ever Australian stint, he'll also have tracks from his latest album to play, with the self-titled Zach Bryan releasing in August. Among the tunes: collaborations with Kacey Musgraves, The Lumineers, The War and Treaty, and Sierra Ferrell. Being brought Down Under by Untitled Group, which is also behind Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Grapevine Gathering, Wildlands and Ability Fest, Bryan's just-announced spot on the Always Live bill is his only currently scheduled gig in Australia. The statewide music celebration's full lineup includes more than 165 artists at 60-plus events — all, of course, in Victoria. Always Live 2023 runs from Friday, November 24–Sunday, December 10, with one pre-festival gig on Saturday, October 14. For more information, and to get tickets, head to the festival website. Zach Bryan will play St Kilda's Catani Gardens on Saturday, December 9, with pre sales from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, October 5 and general sales from 12pm AEDT on Friday, October 6.
It swept cities across the nation into a sugar-dusted frenzy when its pop-up 'dessert museum' travelled the country. Now, the team behind the nostalgic Sugar Republic and festive Christmasland is taking its sweet-toothed fantasies to a whole new level, announcing plans to open Australia's first-ever sweets-inspired accommodation. Not a whole lot of info has dropped just yet, but we do know the Sugar Republic Sweet Retreat will be opening its doors in Daylesford, Victoria, this autumn. And it's set to be a true candy-coated affair, complete with sugar-themed suites you can stay in, play in and take some rather dashing snaps in. https://www.facebook.com/SugarRepublic.au/posts/456179658379936 Expect a B&B-style getaway, decked out with sweet additions like private ball pits, free candy and even cherry-scented wallpaper. If the original Sugar Republic pop-ups are anything to go by, you can bank on some pretty wild, OTT styling, with a healthy dose of pink, lots of textures and primo selfie opportunities aplenty. While only one has been announced for now, we're hoping more will open across the country in due time, too. Sugar Republic Sweet Retreat is set to open in Daylesford this autumn. We'll keep you posted with more info as it drops. Top images: Sugar Republic's Christmasland by Kate Shanasy.
Film tix for a tenner, filmmaker Q and As, happy hours, themed parties and an epic virtual reality program are all happening at this year's Sydney Film Festival Hub, which will take over Town Hall from 7–17 June. Whether or not you have a movie ticket, head to the bar between 4:30pm and 6pm on weekdays for happy hour drinks, including $12 gin cocktails and $8 wines. The festival's beverage partners are Archie Rose, Young Henrys and Eden Road Wines, so you'll be in good company. While you're at it, poke your head into the Hub Box Office: $10 tickets will be up for grabs until 8:30pm nightly. Meanwhile, Talks at the Hub will give you the chance to learn more about the back stories behind your favourite flicks. Some of the festival's biggest titles, including Dying to Live, Jirga, Half The Picture and The Breaker Upperers, will be up for discussion among their directors, actors and producers. If you feel like disappearing into an alternative world for a while, then step into one the Hub's virtual reality shows. Planet Immersive will transport you deep into the Arctic, to experience the impact of climate change, while Space Explorers: A New Dawn travels into outer space. The full VR program is over here. Throughout the festival, three free themed parties will be thrown in the hub. Kicking things off on Thursday, June 7, is Mad Mix Party — combining video art and feminist tunes — then on Saturday, June 9, Boys II Girlz Party will feature hits from Take That, NSYNC and The Jackson 5. The latter will (fittingly) follow the screening of I Used To Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story. The following Saturday, Spike Lee's funky soundtracks will be showcased at Spike's Juke Joint. Sydney Film Festival Hub will be open Tuesday–Friday, 4.30pm till late; Saturday 9 and 16 June, 11:30am-late; Sunday 10 June, 11:30am-late; and Sunday 17 June, 11:30am-6pm.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from June's haul. BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL NOW I'M A VIRGO No one makes social satires like Boots Riley. Late in I'm a Virgo, when a character proclaims that "all art is propaganda", these words may as well be coming from The Coup frontman-turned-filmmaker's very own lips. In only his second screen project after the equally impassioned, intelligent, energetic, anarchic and exceptional 2018 film Sorry to Bother You, Riley doesn't have his latest struggling and striving hero utter this sentiment, however. Rather, it springs from the billionaire technology mogul also known as The Hero (Walton Goggins, George & Tammy), who's gleefully made himself the nemesis of 13-foot-tall series protagonist Cootie (Jharrel Jerome, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse). Knowing that all stories make a statement isn't just the domain of activists fighting for better futures for the masses, as Riley is, and he wants to ensure that his audience knows it. Indeed, I'm a Virgo is a show with something to say, and forcefully. Its creator is angry again, too, and wants everyone giving him their time to be bothered — and he still isn't sorry for a second. With Jerome as well-cast a lead as Atlanta's Lakeith Stanfield was, I'm a Virgo also hinges upon a surreal central detail: instead of a Black telemarketer discovering the impact of his "white voice", it hones in on the oversized Cootie. When it comes to assimilation, consider this series Sorry to Bother You's flipside, because there's no way that a young Black man that's more than double the tallest average height is passing for anyone but himself. Riley knows that Black men are too often seen as threats and targets regardless of their stature anyway. He's read the research showing that white folks can perceive Black boys as older and less innocent. As Cootie wades through these experiences himself, there isn't a single aspect of I'm a Virgo that doesn't convey Riley's ire at the state of the world — that doesn't virtually scream about it, actually — with this series going big and bold over and over. I'm a Virgo streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. BLACK MIRROR When Ron Swanson discovered digital music, the tech-phobic Parks and Recreation favourite was uncharacteristically full of praise. Played by Nick Offerman (The Last of Us) at his most giddily exuberant, he badged the iPod filled with his favourite records an "excellent rectangle". In Black Mirror, the same shape is everywhere. The Netflix series' moniker even stems from the screens and gadgets that we all now filter life through daily and unthinkingly. In Charlie Brooker's (Cunk on Earth) eyes since 2011, however, those ever-present boxes and the technology behind them are far from ace. Instead, befitting a dystopian anthology show that has dripped with existential dread from episode one, and continues to do so in its long-awaited sixth season, those rectangles keep reflecting humanity at its bleakest. Black Mirror as a title has always been devastatingly astute: when we stare at a TV, smartphone, computer or tablet, we access the world yet also reveal ourselves. It might've taken four years to return after 2019's season five, but Brooker's hit still smartly and sharply focuses on the same concern. Indeed, this new must-binge batch of nightmares begins with exactly the satirical hellscape that today's times were bound to inspire. Opening chapter Joan Is Awful, with its AI- and deepfake-fuelled mining of everyday existence for content, almost feels too prescient — a charge a show that's dived into digital resurrections, social scoring systems, killer VR and constant surveillance knows well. Brooker isn't afraid to think bigger and probe deeper in season six, though; to eschew obvious targets like ChatGPT and the pandemic; and to see clearly and unflinchingly that our worst impulses aren't tied to the latest widgets. Black Mirror streams via Netflix. Read our full review. GUY RITCHIE'S THE COVENANT Announcing his cinematic arrival with a pair of slick, witty, twisty and fast-paced British heist flicks, Guy Ritchie achieved at the beginning of his career something that many filmmakers strive for their whole lives: he cemented exactly what his features are in the minds of audiences. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch made "Guy Ritchie movie" an instantly understood term, in fact, as the writer/director has attempted to capitalise on since with differing results (see: Revolver, RocknRolla, The Gentlemen and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre). Ritchie's third film, the Madonna-starring Swept Away, has also proven just as emblematic of his career, however. He loves pumping out stereotypical Guy Ritchie movies — he even adores making them Sherlock Holmes and King Arthur flicks, with mixed fortunes — but he also likes leaving his own conventions behind in The Man From UNCLE, Aladdin, Wrath of Man and now Guy Ritchie's The Covenant. Perhaps Ritchie's name is in the title of this Afghanistan-set action-thriller to remind viewers that the film does indeed boast him behind the lens, and as a cowriter; unlike with fellow 2023 release Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, they wouldn't guess otherwise. Clunky moniker aside, Guy Ritchie's The Covenant is pared down, gripping and intense, and home to two excellent performances by Jake Gyllenhaal (Strange World) as Master Sergeant John Kinley and Dar Salim (Tatort) as his interpreter Ahmed. As the former leads a team that's looking for IED factories, the pair's collaboration is tentative at first. Then a raid goes wrong, Ahmed saves Kinley's life, but the recognition and support that'd be afforded an American solider in the same situation doesn't go the local's way. Where Afghan interpreters who aid US troops are left after their task is complete is a weighty subject, and treated as such in this grounded and moving film. Guy Ritchie's The Covenant streams via Prime Video. FLAMIN' HOT How? In pop culture's current true-crime and murder-mystery trends, that's a key question, with audiences keen to discover how killers are caught — or sometimes aren't. It's also the query at the heart of another on-screen obsession of late: product films. These aren't the movies that turn every favourite character and premise possible into never-ending franchises, as seen in the many various caped-crusader universes. Rather, they're origin stories behind everything from games (Tetris) to shoes (Air) and mobile phones (BlackBerry), and they just keep arriving in 2023. Marking the feature directorial debut of Desperate Housewives actor Eva Longoria, Flamin' Hot is firmly a product film, as Cheetos fans will instantly know. If you've ever wondered how the Frito-Lay-owned brand's spiciest variety came about in the 90s — and became so popular — this likeable, energetically made movie provides the answer while itself rolling out a crowd-pleasing formula. Eating the titular snack while you watch is optional, but expect the hankering to arise either way. This story belongs to Richard Montañez — and it's also an underdog tale, and an account of chasing the American dream, especially when it seems out of reach. Flamin' Hot's pivotal figure (Jesse Garcia, Ambulance) started working at Frito-Lay to support his family, after living the gang life since high school to rebel against his dad, but he wants to be more than a janitor. His attempts to work his way up the company ladder falter not through his lack of trying or willingness to learn everything there is about making junk food, but due to a stratified hierarchy that doesn't reward his efforts. But, as he takes cues about the factory's operation from engineer Clarence (Dennis Haysbert, Lucifer), who also struggles to get promoted, he realises that chilli-flavoured Cheetos would be a smash within the Latino community. His ever-supportive wife Judy (Annie Gonzalez, Vida) is committed to helping, as are his family and friends in general — but if getting Frito-Lay CEO Roger Enrico (Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) onboard was easy or straightforward, there wouldn't be a film. Flamin' Hot streams via Disney+. BASED ON A TRUE STORY Murder-mystery comedies: everyone's making them, and on screens big (Knives Out and its sequel, See How They Run) and small (Only Murders in the Building, The Afterparty, Dead to Me). In fact, Based on a True Story star Kaley Cuoco has been in one lately thanks to two seasons of dark comedy-slash-whodunnit thriller The Flight Attendant. But the difference with the genre's latest streaming example is befriending a serial killer, which is the choice that Cuoco's pregnant real-estate agent Ava Bartlett and her just-fired tennis-coach husband Nathan (Chris Messina, The Boogeyman) make to chase a lucrative payday. How does palling around with the Westside Ripper, who has been terrorising Los Angeles, benefit the financially struggling couple? By making a podcast with them, as Australian-born creator and writer Craig Rosenberg (The Boys) finds his own way to riff on the Serial-sparked true-crime audio obsession. Ava is a devotee of folks talking about grisly deeds; if Only Murders in the Building existed in the Based on a True Story universe, she'd be its number-one fan. And, after working out that she and Nathan know the killer, it's her idea to hustle that information into what she hopes will be the next big podcast, all by enlisting said criminal to natter on with them. Based on a True Story clearly skews more darkly satirical than the fellow streaming series it most closely resembles — well, that and The Flight Attendant and also country-club comedy Red Oaks. It's messier as well, sometimes feeling like it's throwing in everything it can, and Cuoco could've easily walked out of her last series and straight into this. Still, with its love of twists, willingness to call out how the world's murder fixation is so rarely about the victims, and a well-cast lineup of talent that also includes Tom Bateman (Death on the Nile) and Liana Liberato (Scream VI), it's quickly addictive — yes, like the podcasts it's parodying. Based on a True Story streams via Binge. NEW SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK DEADLOCH Trust Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, Australia's favourite Kates and funniest double act, to make a killer TV show about chasing a killer that's the perfect sum of two excellent halves. Given their individual and shared backgrounds, including creating and starring in cooking show sendup The Katering Show and morning television spoof Get Krack!n, the pair unsurprisingly add another reason to get chuckling to their resumes; however, with Deadloch, they also turn their attention to crime procedurals. The Kates already know how to make viewers laugh. They've established their talents as brilliant satirists and lovers of the absurd in the process. Now, splashing around those skills in Deadloch's exceptional eight-episode first season lead by Kate Box (Stateless) and Madeleine Sami (The Breaker Upperers), they've also crafted a dead-set stellar murder-mystery series. Taking place in a sleepy small town, commencing with a body on a beach, and following both the local cop trying to solve the case and the gung-ho blow-in from a big city leading the enquiries, Deadloch has all the crime genre basics covered from the get-go. The spot scandalised by the death is a sitcom-esque quirky community, another television staple that McCartney and McLennan nail. Parody requires deep knowledge and understanding; you can't comically rip into and riff on something if you aren't familiar with its every in and out. That said, Deadloch isn't in the business of simply mining well-worn TV setups and their myriad of conventions for giggles, although it does that expertly. With whip-smart writing, the Australian series is intelligent, hilarious, and all-round cracking as a whodunnit-style noir drama and as a comedy alike — and one of the streaming highlights of the year. Deadloch streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. HIJACK Whether Idris Elba will ever get to play James Bond is still yet to be seen, but he resourcefully endeavours to save lives and bring down nefarious folks in Hijack, and adds another prime example of why he'd be excellent as 007 to his resume. This new series is also basically Idris Elba on a Plane, sans slithering snakes — or Idris Elba Cancels the London-Bound Apocalypse. Die Hard with Idris Elba, 24: Idris Elba: they fit as well. Fresh from battling lions in Beast, the Luther star plays Sam Nelson, a seasoned negotiator on his way home to the UK from Dubai, and a man who just wants to try to patch things up with his estranged wife Marsha (Christine Adams, The Mandalorian) and spend time with his teenage son Kai (Jude Cudjoe, Halo). Then fellow Brit Stuart (Neil Maskell, Small Axe) and his gun-toting team take over the aircraft before the first of the journey's seven hours is out, forcing Sam to play hero to try to keep himself and his fellow passengers alive. Unfurling in seven episodes, Hijack gets its audience experiencing the tension, chaos and life-or-death stakes in tandem with Sam, the rest of the flight's hostages, and the people on the ground across several countries that are attempting to work out what's going on. Creators George Kay (Lupin) and Jim Field Smith (Litvinenko) prove masterful with suspense, and at keeping viewers hooked — and, pivotally, at knowing exactly the kind of series this wants to be, the conventions and cliches it's leaning into, what's soared there before, and how to do it well. It can't be underestimated how crucial Elba is, though. Cast the wrong person as Sam, and the ability to get everyone from pilots and crew to agitated flyers, wannabe saviours and air traffic control on his side would seem ludicrous — and, at times, the hijackers as well. Hijack streams via Apple TV+. SECRET INVASION "I've had it with these Marvel tales without Nick Fury as the lead" isn't something that Samuel L Jackson has publicly uttered, with or without expletives — yes, more than a few things have Snakes on a Plane vibes this month (see also: Hijack above) — but viewers might've thought it over the past 15 years. The character that masterminded the Avengers Initiative initially appeared in 2008's very-first Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. When Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 reached cinemas earlier in 2023, the franchise hit 32 cinema outings to-date, many with Fury playing a part. And yet, none have had his name in their moniker. That remains the case now, and on the small screen as well, where the MCU has also been spreading its exploits. Secret Invasion is still exactly what Marvel has needed for over a decade, however: a Fury-centric story. Perhaps Disney realises that, too; as well as bringing back Talos (Ben Mendelsohn, Cyrano), and introducing MI6's Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Colman, Empire of Light), insurrectionist leader Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir, One Night in Miami) and fellow revolutionary G'iah (Emilia Clarke, Last Christmas), Secret Invasion's first two episodes feature laments aplenty about Fury's absence. Within the ever-sprawling MCU's interconnected narrative, he's been AWOL lately for two reasons: The Blip, aka Avengers: Infinity War's consequential finger-snapping; and a stint since working in space, which'll get more attention when The Marvels drops on the silver screen in November 2023. Extraterrestrial race the Skrulls has noticed Fury's departure keenly, after he promised to help them find their own planet in Captain Marvel but hasn't followed through so far. Cue two factions of the shapeshifting refugees in Secret Invasion: those still waiting and others now willing to fight to take earth as their own instead. Cue far more Skrulls on Marvel's main base than humans, including Fury, know about as well. Secret Invasion streams via Disney+. Read our full review. THE CROWDED ROOM Since 2016, Tom Holland has been so busy doing whatever a spider can that stints away from his Marvel Cinematic Universe web-slinging have been few and far between. And varied, including the long-delayed (and terrible) Chaos Walking and the entertaining-enough Uncharted movie adaptation, plus straight-to-streaming flicks The Devil All the Time and Cherry. The Crowded Room boasts his best performance yet in his Spider-Man era, and provides a reminder that the star of The Impossible and The Lost City of Z, plus lover of dancing to Rihanna's 'Umbrella', will be absolutely fine when he stops pondering how great power begets great responsibility. His new ten-part series doesn't always meet its hefty ambitions, but it's always thoughtful in its attempts as it heads back to the 70s, spends time with a young man being interrogated about his past, explores mental health and, like most things of late, revels in being a mystery. Holland plays Danny Sullivan, who starts the serious jittering with nerves at New York City's Rockefeller Center. He's with Ariana (Sasha Lane, Conversations with Friends), they have a gun, and opening fire is their aim — but, although Danny doesn't want to shoot, he's swiftly in police custody. Lead cop Matty (Thomas Sadoski, Devotion) thinks that the public incident might just be the latest in a series of incidents. Enter Rya (Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout), who spends lengthy sessions interrogating Danny about his past as he awaits trial. The Crowded Room always remains a crime drama but, as it pieces together its protagonist's complicated story complete with glimpses of his doting mother Candy (Emmy Rossum, Angelyne) and abusive stepfather Marlin (Will Chase, Dopesick), it has much more on its mind. The twist in the premise is teased out, hardly difficult to guess, yet gives Holland ample room to turn in a compellingly pliable performance — in a series the brings 1981 non-fiction novel The Minds of Billy Milligan to the screen, albeit using it as inspiration rather than straight-out adapting it, a task that's been attempted since the 90s. The Crowded Room streams via AppleTV+. RECENT CINEMA RELEASES YOU NEED TO CATCH UP WITH ASAP ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED With photographer Nan Goldin at its centre, the latest documentary by Citizenfour Oscar-winner Laura Poitras is a film about many things, to deeply stunning and moving effect. In this Oscar-nominated movie's compilation of Goldin's acclaimed snaps, archival footage, current interviews, and past and present activism, a world of stories flicker — all linked to Goldin, but all also linking universally. The artist's bold work, especially chronicling LGBTQIA+ subcultures and the 80s HIV/AIDS crisis, frequently and naturally gets the spotlight. Her complicated family history, which spans heartbreaking loss, haunts the doco as it haunts its subject. The rollercoaster ride that Goldin's life has taken, including in forging her career, supporting her photos, understanding who she is and navigating an array of personal relationships, cascades through, too. And, so do her efforts to counter the opioid epidemic by bringing one of the forces behind it to public justice. Revealing state secrets doesn't sit at the core of the tale here, unlike Citizenfour and Poitras' 2016 film Risk — one about Edward Snowden, the other Julian Assange — but everything leads to the documentary's titular six words: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. They gain meaning in a report spied late about the mental health of Goldin's older sister Barbara, who committed suicide at the age of 18 when Goldin was 11, and who Goldin contends was just an "angry and sexual" young woman in the 60s with repressed parents. A psychiatrist uses the eponymous phrase to describe what Barbara sees and, tellingly, it could be used to do the same with anyone. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is, in part, a rebuke of the idea that a teenager with desires and emotions is a problem, and also a statement that that's who we all are, just to varying levels of societal acceptance. The film is also a testament that, for better and for worse, all the beauty and the bloodshed we all witness and endure is what shapes us. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed streams via Docplay. Read our full review. BLAZE In the name of its protagonist, and the pain and fury that threatens to parch her 12-year-old existence, Del Kathryn Barton's first feature scorches and sears. It burns in its own moniker, too, and in the blistering alarm it sounds against an appalling status quo: that experiencing, witnessing and living with the aftermath of violence against women is all too common, heartbreakingly so, including in Australia where one woman a week on average is killed by her current or former partner. Blaze has a perfect title, with the two-time Archibald Prize-winning artist behind it crafting a movie that's alight with anger, that flares with sorrow, and that's so astutely and empathetically observed, styled and acted that it chars. Indeed, it's frequently hard to pick which aspect of the film singes more: the story about surviving what should be unknown horrors for a girl who isn't even yet a teen, the wondrously tactile and immersive way in which Blaze brings its namesake's inner world to the screen, or the stunning performance by young actor Julia Savage (Mr Inbetween) in its central part. There are imagined dragons in Blaze, but Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, this isn't — although Jake (Josh Lawson, Mortal Kombat), who Blaze spots in an alleyway with Hannah (Yael Stone, Blacklight), has his lawyer (Heather Mitchell, Bosch & Rockit) claim that his accuser knows nothing. With the attack occurring mere minutes into the movie, Barton dedicates the feature's bulk to how her lead character copes, or doesn't. Being questioned about what she saw in court is just one way that the world tries to reduce her to ashes, but the embers of her hurt and determination don't and won't die. Blaze's father Luke (Simon Baker, Limbo), a single parent, understandably worries about the impact of everything blasting his daughter's way. As she retreats then acts out, cycling between both and bobbing in-between, those fears are well-founded. Blaze is a coming-age-film — a robbing-of-innocence movie as well — but it's also a firm message that there's no easy or ideal response to something as awful as its titular figure observes. Blaze streams via Stan and Binge. Read our full review. SHE SAID Questions flow freely in She Said, the powerful and methodical All the President's Men and Spotlight-style newspaper drama from director Maria Schrader (I'm Your Man) and screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Small Axe) that tells the story behind the past decade's biggest entertainment story. On-screen, Zoe Kazan (Clickbait) and Carey Mulligan (The Dig) tend to be doing the asking, playing now Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. They query Harvey Weinstein's actions, including his treatment of women. They gently and respectfully press actors and Miramax employees about their traumatic dealings with the Hollywood honcho, and they politely see if some — if any — will go on the record about their experiences. And, they question Weinstein and others at his studio about accusations that'll lead to this famous headline: "Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades". As the entire world read at the time, those nine words were published on October 5, 2017, along with the distressing article that detailed some — but definitely not all — of Weinstein's behaviour. Everyone has witnessed the fallout, too, with Kantor and Twohey's story helping spark the #MeToo movement, electrifying the ongoing fight against sexual assault and gender inequality in the entertainment industry, and shining a spotlight on the gross misuses of authority that have long plagued Tinseltown. The piece also brought about Weinstein's swift downfall. As well as being sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York in 2020, he's currently standing trial for further charges in Los Angeles. Watching She Said, however, more questions spring for the audience. Here's the biggest heartbreaker: how easily could Kantor and Twohey's article never have come to fruition at all, leaving Weinstein free to continue his predatory harassment? She Said streams via Netflix and Binge. Read our full review. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April and May this year. You can also check out our list of standout must-stream 2022 shows as well — and our best 15 new shows of last year, top 15 returning shows over the same period, 15 shows you might've missed and best 15 straight-to-streaming movies of 2022.
With 1654 stores to its name worldwide, Five Guys' burger joints have become a common sight across America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia — and soon, they'll also be opening in Australia and New Zealand. The cult-favourite chain is making the leap Down Under as part of a master franchise agreement with Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, aka the folks behind The Meat & Wine Co, Hunter & Barrel, 6 Head, Ribs & Burgers, Italian Street Kitchen and Butcher and the Farmer. Sydneysiders can start getting excited first, with Seagrass currently looking for suitable locations in the city's CBD. "Our aim is to identify high-visibility ground-floor sites in high-traffic areas," said the company's Chief Marketing Officer David Ovens in a statement. But burger lovers in other states, and in New Zealand, can also prepare their stomachs, with around 20 stores due to launch in Australia alone — although exactly where and when Five Guys will be popping up is yet to be revealed. What we do know is why Five Guys has amassed quite the reputation — and why, given the number of big-name US burger chains with hefty followings, such as Shake Shack and In-N-Out, it stands out. Its made-to-order burgers skew in the classic rather than oversized, jam-packed direction. They come with two hand-formed patties on toasted buns with your choice of toppings (including pickles, grilled mushrooms and jalapeños), plus bacon cheeseburgers that add two strips of bacon and two slices of Kraft American cheese as well. Five Guys also serves up hotdogs, sandwiches, hand-cut fries (with or without Cajun spices) and vanilla milkshakes. Don't go thinking the latter are boring, though — you can add bacon, bananas, peanut butter, salted caramel and even Oreo pieces to your design-your-own beverage. The chain started back in 1986 in the Washington, DC area and, as anyone with allergies should note, only cooks its fries in peanut oil. Five Guys is currently looking for sites in the Sydney CBD, with stores in other Australian states — and in New Zealand — to follow. No opening dates have been revealed as yet — we'll update you when more information comes to hand.
Since Iron Man first soared into movie theatres in 2008, proved a huge hit and started a massive franchise, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been getting their caped crusader fix on the big screen. But, while this immensely popular superhero realm mentions its preferred medium right there in its name, the MCU has also made the leap to television — including via Disney+'s WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier so far this year. Marvel and Disney+ aren't stopping there, either. A heap of new shows are in the works at the streaming platform, including Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Secret Invasion (about Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury), Iron Heart, Armour Wars, I Am Groot, a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and a series set in Wakanda. Next up, though, is Loki — and, after releasing a sneak peek last year, the Mouse House has dropped a full trailer for the soon-to-premiere show. Obviously, if you've seen a Thor or Avengers movie, then you know who Loki is about. Creative series names aren't part of the package here. So, Tom Hiddleston (Kong: Skull Island) is back as the God of Mischief — and he's enjoying stepping into the trickster's shoes again, if the glimpses so far are anything to go by. Viewers will watch Loki's antics post-Avengers: Endgame, with Owen Wilson (Wonder), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Summerland), Sophia Di Martino (Yesterday), Wunmi Mosaku (Lovecraft Country) and Richard E Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) rounding out the main cast. When the series starts airing from Friday, June 11, Loki finds himself in a bit of trouble thanks to his previous actions with the Tesseract. The TVA — that'd be the Time Variance Authority — is on his case, which is where Wilson's Mobius M Mobius comes in. Obviously, more time-travelling trickery is in Loki's future from there. We're guessing that Wilson will say "wow" once or twice, too. Check out the full trailer for Loki below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUwwdj6AlBA Loki will be available to stream via Disney+ from Friday, June 11. Top image: ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.
If TV is your way to escape the nine-to-five grind, or one of them, then the best of the best of 2022's small-screen newcomers thoroughly understands. All five of the year's absolute top fresh arrivals contemplated work in some way. Some showed its nightmarish side, while others delved into life and work as a performance — and you spent some time spending at your streaming queue over the past 12 months, you eagerly clocked in for office hell, hospitality tension, film industry chaos, law-and-order disorder and approaching existence as something that can be rehearsed. Chills, thrills, laughs, horror, jaw-in-the-floor moments: that's just part of what television delivered in 2022. Porn for women, pirates, dinosaurs, murder-mysteries, rom-coms, chaotic holidays, the best Star Wars story yet: they're all on the list as well. Whatever your preferred genre or topic, it's likely there was an ace new TV show about it this year, keeping you glued to your couch. 'Tis the season to reflect upon, revel in and revisit the year's new small-screen gems — and maybe even throw a waffle party or tuck into a beef sandwich in celebration. We've spent the year watching and rounding up TV highlights — including initially naming our favourites midyear — but these 15 newcomers are 2022's must-sees from its new must-sees. And, your catch-up list over summer. SEVERANCE It's the ultimate in work-life balance, an antidote to non-stop after-hours emails and Slack messages, and a guaranteed way to ensure what happens at work stays at work. In mind-bending thriller series Severance — which plays like Black Mirror meets the Charlie Kaufman-penned Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, with Wes Anderson's aesthetic if he designed soulless office complexes, plus sprinklings of everything from George Orwell to also-excellent 2020 TV effort Devs — switching off when clocking off at Lumon Industries is easy. There's a brain implant for exactly that, and it's a condition of employment on "severed" floors. Accordingly, when quittin' time comes for Macrodata Refinement division employee Mark (Adam Scott, Big Little Lies), he physically steps into a tiny, shiny elevator to re-enter his after-hours life; however, the version of him that works for Lumon won't recall anything beyond the company's walls. The instant that the lift starts moving, it goes back to the office for Mark's "innie", as his work-bound consciousness is dubbed. Voila, it's clocking-on time once more. Severance's attention-grabbing premise springs from creator Dan Erickson, a TV first-timer, and understands how most folks feel about the nine-to-five grind. The show is knowing in its lead casting, too, given that Scott is best recognised for two workplace comedies: the joyous hug that is Parks and Recreation, as well as the acerbic, astute and soon-to-return Party Down. But as savvily and evocatively directed by Ben Stiller in its first three season-one episodes (and again in its last three, with Kissing Candice filmmaker Aoife McArdle helming three in the middle), Scott's new series dwells in 'be careful what you wish for' territory. For the part of Mark's brain that blanks out work, Severance initially seems like heaven. For the half that only knows the office, it's hell. For everyone watching, soaking in its twisty mysteries — and enjoying Patricia Arquette (The Act), Christopher Walken (Percy vs Goliath) and John Turturro (The Plot Against America) as fellow Lumon employees — it's a surreal and riveting must-see. Severance streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. THE BEAR First, an important piece of advice: eating either before or while watching The Bear is highly recommended, and near close to essential. Now, two more crucial slices of wisdom: prepare to feel stressed throughout every second of this riveting, always-tense, and exceptionally written and acted culinary series, and also to want to tuck into The Original Beef of Chicagoland's famous sandwiches immediately. The eatery is purely fictional, but its signature dish looks phenomenal. Most of what's cooked up in Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto's (Jeremy Allen White, Shameless) kitchen does. But he has taken over the family business following his brother's suicide, arriving back home after wowing the world in fine dining's top restaurants, and nothing is easy. Well, coveting The Bear's edible wares is across the show's eight-episode first season — but making them, keeping the shop afloat, coping with grief and ensuring that the diner's staff work harmoniously is a pressure cooker of chaos. That anxious mood is inescapable from the outset; the best way to start any meal is just to bite right in, and The Bear's creator Christopher Storer (who also directs five episodes, and has Ramy, Dickinson and Bo Burnham: Make Happy on his resume) takes the same approach. He also throws all of his ingredients together with precision — the balance of drama and comedy, the relentlessness that marks every second in The Original Beef's kitchen, and the non-stop mouthing off by Richie, aka Cousin, aka Carmy's brother's best friend (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Dropout), all included. Carmy has bills to pay, debts to settle, eerie dreams and sleepwalking episodes to navigate, new sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Dickinson) mixing up the place and long-standing employees (such as Hap and Leonard's Lionel Boyce, In Treatment's Liza Colón-Zayas and Fargo's Edwin Lee Gibson) to keep happy. Every glimpse at the resulting hustle and bustle is as gripping as it is appetising — and yes, binging is inevitable. The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review. IRMA VEP A cinephile's dream of a series, Irma Vep requires some unpacking. The term 'layered' has rarely ever applied to a TV program quite as it does here. French filmmaker Olivier Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper) retraces his own footsteps, turning his cult-favourite 1996 movie of the same name into an Alicia Vikander-starring HBO miniseries. And, in this series itself, a director is also remaking one of his own past flicks as a television project. In all versions of Irma Vep, the movies and shows being made are also remakes of 1915–16 French crime effort Les Vampires. It was a ten-episode, seven-hour cinema serial, and it's supremely real. Indeed, by first helming a feature about remaking Les Vampires, and now a series about remaking a movie that remakes Les Vampires (which, IRL, is also a remake of a movie that remakes Les Vampires), Assayas keeps remaking Les Vampires in his own way. It all sounds exactly as complicated as it is — and Assayas loves it. Viewers should, too. The nested dolls that are Irma Vep's meta setup just keep stacking, actually. The 1996 Irma Vep starred Maggie Cheung, who'd later become Assayas' wife, then ex-wife — and the 2022 Irma Vep haunts its on-screen filmmaker René Vidal (Vincent Macaigne, Non-Fiction) with visions of his ex-wife Jade Lee (Vivian Wu, Dead Pigs), who, yes, led his movie. If you're a fan of word puzzles, you might've also noticed that Irma Vep is an anagram of vampire; that said, Les Vampires isn't actually about bloodsuckers, and nor is any iteration of Irma Vep. To add to the list, while Cheung played a version of herself, Vikander (Blue Bayou, The Green Knight) plays fictional American star Mira — a name that's an anagram of Irma. You can also take that moniker literally, because mirroring is patently a pivotal aspect of the brilliant Irma Vep in every guise. Irma Vep streams via Binge. Read our full review. WE OWN THIS CITY For the past 20 years, we've all fallen into two categories: people who've seen, loved and haven't been able to stop raving about HBO's Baltimore-set masterpiece The Wire; and folks who don't tick any of those boxes but have been told by everyone who does that they really need to watch it ASAP. We Own This City deserves to spark the same response — and shares many of its predecessor's key pieces. It too takes place in Maryland's most populous city. It also follows a law-and-order battle, complete with time spent within the Baltimore Police Department. It springs from former Baltimore Sun police reporter-turned-author, journalist and TV writer/producer David Simon as well, and sees him reteam with writer George Pelecanos, a veteran of not only The Wire but also Simon's Treme and The Deuce. Oh, and as it tells a compulsive crime tale, it's packed with phenomenal performances. One of those astonishing portrayals is among the first thing that viewers see, in fact, with We Own This City opening with Sergeant Wayne Jenkins lecturing new recruits on the BPD Gun Trace Task Force. Chatting through how to legally do the job — how to get away with what he deems necessary, that is — Jon Bernthal (The Many Saints of Newark) is hypnotically unsettling as Jenkins, who'll become the focus of a corruption investigation for his methods. He isn't the only "prime example of what's gone wrong in Baltimore," as viewers are told. So is Daniel Hersl (Josh Charles, The Loudest Voice), who is initially glimpsed pulling over and terrorising a Black driver for no other reason than that he can. Department of Justice Civil Rights Department attorney Nicole Steele (Wunmi Mosaku, Lovecraft Country) is among those tracking the force's bad eggs, and that's just one of this complex, revealing and arresting six-part miniseries' layers. And if it feels so detailed that it could only be true, that's because it's based on a non-fiction book by Justin Fenton another ex-Baltimore Sun reporter. We Own This City streams via Binge. THE REHEARSAL Early in the first episode of The Rehearsal, Nathan Fielder meets Kor Skeete, a Jeopardy!-watching, trivia-loving New Yorker with a problem that he's seeking help with. Skeete has been lying to his bar trivia team about his educational history, claiming that he has a master's degree instead of a bachelor's degree, and he's hoping for assistance in coming clean. His biggest worry: how his pal Tricia might react, and if it'll end their friendship. First, however, in their initial meeting in Skeete's apartment, Fielder asks Skeete if he's ever seen any of Fielder's past work. Skeete says no, despite claiming a particular interest in television as his favourite trivia subject — and his response to what Fielder explains next will likely mirror anyone watching who comes to this with the same fresh eyes. Until now, Fielder was best known for Nathan for You, in which he helped companies and people by using his business school studies. Fielder played a version of himself, and the result is best described as a reality comedy. It's the kind of thing that has to be seen to be truly believed and understood, and it's both genius and absurd. In The Rehearsal, Fielder is back as himself. He also wants to use his skills to help others again. His tactic this time is right there in the name, letting his subjects rehearse their big moments — baring all to a friend in that first episode, and exploring parenthood in the second, for instance. The show's crew even build elaborate sets, recreating the spots where these pivotal incidents will take place, such as the bar where Skeete will meet Tricia. Fielder hires actors to assist, too. And, adding yet another layer, Fielder also steps through the same process himself, rehearsing his first encounter with Skeete, with thanks to an actor, before they cross paths. If you've ever thought that life was a big performance, and that every single thing about interacting with others — and even just being yourself — involves playing a role, you'll find much to think about in this fascinating, funny, often unsettling, quickly addictive series. There's reality TV and then there's the way that the deadpan Fielder plays with and probes reality, and while both can induce cringing, nothing compares to this. The Rehearsal streams via Binge. Read our full review. ANDOR When it arrived in 2016 between Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens and Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi, Rogue One: A Star Wars sent a message in its own spy-slash-heist flick way: it wouldn't be slavishly beholden to the Star Wars franchise's established and beloved universe. It felt earthier and murkier, more urgent and complicated, and far more steeped in everyday reality — within its science-fiction confines, of course — and more concerned with the here and now of its specific narrative than the bigger saga picture. It was certainly and unshakeably bleaker, and felt like a departure from the usual template, as well as a welcome risk. The same proves true of impressive streaming prequel Andor, which slips into its namesake's routine five years prior. The Galactic Empire reigns supreme, the Rebel Alliance is still forming and, when the series opens, Cassian (the returning Diego Luna, If Beale Street Could Talk) is a wily thief living on the junkyard planet of Ferrix. A Blade Runner-esque sheen hovers over a different place, however: the industrial-heavy, corporate-controlled Morlana One, which couldn't be further under the boot of the Empire if it tried. As Monos-style flashbacks to Cassian's childhood aid in fleshing out, he's searching for his sister, but his latest investigatory trip results in a confrontation and the Preox-Morlana Authority on his trail. Back on Ferrix, he endeavours to hide with the help of his friend/presumed ex/mechanic/black-market dealer Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona, Morbius) and droid B2EMO (Dave Chapman, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), while keeping his latest antics a secret from his adoptive mother Maarva (Fiona Shaw, Killing Eve). But, even after being told to drop the case, persistent Imperial Deputy Inspector Syril Karn (Kyle Soller, Poldark) and higher-ranking officer Dedra Meero (Denise Gough, Under the Banner of Heaven) aren't willing to give up. Andor streams via Disney+. Read our full review. BAD SISTERS Bad Sisters begins on the day of an Irish funeral, farewelling John Paul Williams (Claes Bang, The Northman) — after his widow, Grace (Anne-Marie Duff, Sex Education), makes sure that the corpse's erection won't be noticed first. He's long been nicknamed 'The Prick' anyway, with his four sisters-in-law all thoroughly unimpressed about the toxic way he treated his wife. In flashbacks, they joke about saving her by getting murderous, and exactly why is made plain as well. Bonded by more than blood after their parents died, the Garvey girls are used to sticking together, with the eldest, Eva (Sharon Horgan, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), stepping in as the maternal influence over Grace, Ursula (Eva Birthistle, The Last Kingdom), Bibi (Sarah Greene, Normal People) and Becka (Eve Hewson, Behind Her Eyes). She's fierce about it, too, as characters played by the Catastrophe and This Way Up star tend to be. When a guest offers condolences at John Paul's wake, Eva's response is "I'm just glad the suffering's over" — and when she's then asked if he was ill, she replies with a blunt and loaded "no". If this scenario sounds familiar, that's because Belgian TV's Clan got there first back in 2012, which means that Bad Sisters joins the ever-growing list of series that largely exist to make the leap into English. That isn't a criticism of the end result here, though, which proves itself a winner early. Also part of both shows: two insurance agents, aka half-brothers Thomas (Brian Gleeson, Death of a Ladies' Man) and Matthew Claffin (Daryl McCormack, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) here. Their family-run outfit is meant to pay out on John Paul's life insurance policy, but it's a hefty amount of cash and will bankrupt the firm, which is why Thomas starts asking questions. It seems an obvious setup, but this is a series with both bite and warmth. Brought to the screen by Horgan, Bad Sisters finds both the pitch-black comedy and the drama in its whole 'offing your arsehole brother-in-law' premise, and the tension and banter as well — and the sense of sorority between its quintet of main ladies, too. Bad Sisters streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. MINX When home video, the internet and mobile phones with inbuilt cameras each arrived, six words could've been uttered: get ready to look at dicks. HBO comedy Minx is set the early 70s, so before all three, but the same phrase also applies here. It's true of the show itself, which isn't shy about displaying the male member in various shapes and sizes. It also stands tall in the world that Minx depicts. When you're making the first porn magazine for women — and, when you're making an ambitious, entertaining and impeccably cast The Deuce meets Mrs America-style series about it, but lighter, sweeter and funnier (and all purely fictional) — penises are inescapable. Also impossible to avoid in Minx: questions like "are erections consistent with our philosophy?", as asked by Vassar graduate and country club regular Joyce Prigger (Ophelia Lovibond, Trying). Idolising the magazine industry and unhappily working for the dispiritingly traditional Teen Queen, she has long dreamed of starting her own feminist publication — even penning a bundle of articles and making her own issues — but centrefolds splashed with male genitalia don't fit her ideal pitch. No one's buying what Joyce is selling, though; The Matriarchy Awakens, her dream mag, gets rejected repeatedly by the industry's gatekeepers. Only one is interested: Bottom Dollar Publications' Doug Renetti (Jake Johnson, Ride the Eagle), but he's in the pornography business. Minx streams via Stan. Read our full review. FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE The title doesn't lie: when Fleishman Is in Trouble begins, its namesake is indeed struggling. He's also perfectly cast. If you're going to get an actor to play an anxious, unravelling, recently divorced man in his forties who's trying to navigate the new status quo of sharing custody of his kids, having a high-powered ex, and being initiated into the world of dating apps and casual hookups, it's Jesse Eisenberg. If his Zombieland character lived happily ever after until he didn't, or his Vivarium character was trapped into a different type of domestic maze, this book-to-screen series would be the end result. Fleishman Is in Trouble has Eisenberg play Toby, a well-regarded hepatologist who is passionate about being able to help people through medicine, but has spent more than a decade being made to feel inferior by Upper East Siders because his job hasn't made him rich enough. His theatre talent agent wife — now former — Rachel (Claire Danes, The Essex Serpent) had the exact same attitude, too, until she dropped their kids off at his place in the middle of the night, said she was going to a yoga retreat and stopped answering his calls. Written to sound like a profile — something that journalist, author and screenwriter Taffy Brodesser-Akner knows well, and has the awards to prove it — Fleishman Is in Trouble chronicles Toby's present woes while reflecting upon his past. It's a messy and relatable story, regardless of whether you've ever suddenly become a full-time single dad working a high-stakes job you're devoted to in a cashed-up world you resent. As narrated by the ever-shrewd Lizzy Caplan (Truth Be Told) as Toby's old college pal-turned-writer and now stay-at-home-mum Libby, Fleishman Is in Trouble dives into the minutiae that makes Toby's new existence such a swirling sea of uncertainty. At the same time, while being so specific about his situation and troubles, it also ensures that all that detail paints a universal portrait of discovering that more of your time is gone, your hopes faded and your future receded, than you'd realised. Everything from class inequality and constant social hustling to the roles women are forced to play around men earns the show's attention in the process, as layered through a show that's both meticulously cast and evocatively shot. Fleishman is indeed in trouble, but this miniseries isn't. Fleishman Is in Trouble streams via Disney+. THE ENGLISH It tells of gold rushes, of brave and dusty new worlds, and of yellow frontiers stretching out beneath shimmering and inky blue skies; however, the true colour of the western is and always will be red. This isn't a genre for the faint-hearted, because it's a genre that spins stories about power and its brutal costs — power over the land and its Indigenous inhabitants; power-fuelled in-fighting among competing colonialists; and power exercised with zero regard for life, or typically for anyone who isn't white and male. It's a rich and resonant touch, then, to repeatedly dress Emily Blunt (Jungle Cruise) in crimson, pink and shades in-between in The English, 2022's best new TV western. She plays one instance of the show's namesakes, because the impact of the British spans far beyond just one person in this series — and the quest for revenge she's on in America's Old West is deeply tinted by bloodshed. In her first ongoing television role since 2005, in a stunning and powerful series from its performances and story through to its spirit and cinematography, Blunt dons such eye-catching hues as Lady Cornelia Locke. With a mountain of baggage and cash in tow, she has just reached Kansas when The English begins, seeking vengeance against the man responsible for her son's death. But word of her aims precedes her to this remote outpost's racist hotelier (Ciarán Hinds, Belfast) and, with stagecoach driver (Toby Jones, The Wonder), he has own mission. That the aristocratic Englishwoman arrives to find her host torturing Pawnee cavalry scout Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer, Blindspot) is telling: the plan is to blame her end on him. Before the first of this miniseries' episodes ends, however, Cornelia and Eli have rescued each other, notched up a body count and started a journey together that sees them each endeavouring to find peace in a hostile place in their own ways — and started their way through one helluva show. The English streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. THE RESORT If the last couple of years in pop culture are to be believed, it mightn't be a great idea to go away with a character played by Cristin Milioti. In three of the always-excellent actor's most recent high-profile roles, she has decamped to idyllic surroundings, only to find anything but bliss awaiting. Palm Springs threw a Groundhog Day-style time loop her way in its titular setting. Made for Love saw her trapped by sinister futuristic possibilities. In The Resort, which hails from Palm Springs screenwriter Andy Siara, she now has the ten-year itch — and a getaway to Mexico that's meant to soothe it slides swiftly into a wild mystery. In this instantly twisty comedy-thriller Miloti plays Emma, spouse to William Jackson Harper's (The Good Place) Noah. After a decade of marriage, they're celebrating at the Bahía del Paraíso in the Yucatán, but they're really trying to reignite their spark. At this stage in their relationship, he recoils at her bad breath, she makes fun of him falling asleep on the couch, and they're rarely in sync; even when they're floating along the resort's lazy river, cocktails in hand, they want different things. Bringing them together: a missing-persons case from 15 years ago, after Emma goes tumbling off a quad-biking trail, bumps her head and spies an old mobile phone. It belongs to Sam (Skyler Gisondo, Licorice Pizza), a guest at the nearby but now-shuttered Oceana Vista Resort, who was on holidays over Christmas 1997 with his parents (IRL couple Dylan Baker, Hunters, and Becky Ann Baker, Big Little Lies), as well as his girlfriend Hannah (Debby Ryan, Insatiable). As Emma learns via Sam's photos and text messages, all wasn't rosy in his romantic life. After running into fellow guest Violet (Nina Bloomgarden, Good Girl Jane), who was travelling with her dad Murray (Nick Offerman, Pam & Tommy), his SMS history skews in her direction. But the pair promptly disappeared, and any potential clues were lost when a hurricane struck and destroyed their getaway spot. If The White Lotus joined forces with Only Murders in the Building, it'd look a whole lot like this entertaining series, which also includes an ace performance by Luis Gerardo Méndez (Narcos: Mexico) as Baltasar, Oceana Vista Resort's head of security. The Resort streams via Stan. Read our full review. OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH In the on-screen sea that is the never-ending list of films and television shows constantly vying for eyeballs, Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby have frequently proven gem-dappled treasure islands. When the immensely funny New Zealand talents have collided, their resumes have spanned four of the most endearing comic hits of the big and small screens in the 21st century so far, aka Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, Wellington Paranormal and Hunt for the Wilderpeople — and now, with pirate parody Our Flag Means Death, they've given viewers another gleaming jewel. This show was always going to swashbuckle its way into streaming must-see lists — and into comedy-lovers' hearts — based on its concept alone, but it more than lives up to its winning idea and winsome casting. Come for the buccaneering banter and seafaring satire, stay for a thoughtful and sincere comic caper that's also a rom-com. The inimitable Darby stars as Stede Bonnet, a self-styled 'gentleman pirate' and a great approximation of Flight of the Conchords' Murray if he'd existed centuries earlier. Meanwhile, Waititi dons leather, dark hues aplenty, an air of bloodthirsty melancholy and an eye-catching head of greying hair as Edward Teach, the marauder better known to the world as Blackbeard. The two real-life figures eventually cross paths after Bonnet leaves his life of wealth, privilege and comfort to rove the oceans, captains a ship staffed by a motley crew to end all motley crews, and initially gets captured by Blackbeard — or Ed, as he calls him. As these two opposites bond, riding the waves from adversaries to co-captains to potentially something more, Our Flag Means Death truly and gloriously opens up its warm heart. Our Flag Means Death streams via Binge. Read our full review. HEARTSTOPPER It only takes minutes for British newcomer Heartstopper to explain its title — showing rather than telling, as all great shows should. A year ten student at Truham Grammar School for Boys, Charlie Spring (first-timer Joe Locke) finds himself seated in his form class next to year 11 rugby player Nick Nelson (Kit Connor, Little Joe). Sparks fly on the former's part, swiftly and overwhelmingly, with the eight-part series' graphic-novel origins inspiring a flurry of fluttering animated hearts on-screen. But Charlie has a secret boyfriend, Ben (Sebastian Croft, Doom Patrol), who won't even acknowledge him in public. He also hardly thinks of himself as sporty, even after Nick asks him to join the school team. And, while a friendship quickly solidifies between the two, Charlie is initially unsure whether anything more can happen — and anxiety-riddled in general. As well as writing Heartstopper's source material — which initially started as a webcomic — Alice Oseman pens every episode of this perceptive teenage-focused gem. From the outset, it bubbles with heartwarming charm, while its coming-of-age story and central love story alike prove wholly relatable, aptly awkward but also wonderfully sweet and sensitive. In short, it's a series that plunges so convincingly and inclusively into its characters' experiences that it feels like its heart is constantly beating with affection for Charlie, Nick, and their fellow high-schoolers Tao (fellow debutant William Gao), Elle (Yasmin Finney), Isaac (Tobie Donovan), Tara (Corinna Brown, Daphne) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell). First crushes, young love, the swirling swell of emotions that comes with both and also figuring out who you are: all of this dances through Heartstopper's frames. Also, when Oscar-winner Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter) pops up, she's glorious as always. Heartstopper streams via Netflix. Read our full review. PREHISTORIC PLANET Five episodes, one comforting voice, and a time-travelling trip back 66 million years: that's the setup behind Prehistoric Planet, an utterly remarkable feels-like-you're-there dive into natural history. Having none other than David Attenborough narrate the daily activities of dinosaurs seems like it should've happened already, of course; however, now that it finally is occurring, it's always both wonderful and stunning. Filled with astonishing footage on par with the visuals that usually accompany Attenborough's nature docos, all thanks to the special effects team behind The Jungle Book and The Lion King, it truly is a wonder to look at. It needs to be: if the Cretaceous-era dinosaurs rampaging across the screen didn't appear like they genuinely could be walking and stalking — and fighting, foraging for food, hunting, flying, swimming and running as well — the magic that typically comes with watching an Attenborough-narrated doco would instantly and disappointingly vanish. Welcome to... your new insight into Tyrannosaurus rex foreplay, your latest reminder that velociraptors really don't look like they do in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World flicks, an entertaining time spent with al kinds of animals, and your next favourite dinosaur project with an Attenborough attached. Each of Prehistoric Planet's five instalments focuses on a different type of terrain — coasts, deserts, freshwater, ice and forests — and chats through the creatures that call it home. Set to a spirited original score by Hans Zimmer, fresh from winning his latest Oscar for Dune, there's a formula at work. That said, it's no more blatant than in any David Attenborough-hosted show. Viewers watch as some dinos look after their young, others try to find a mate, plenty search for something to eat and others attempt not to be eaten. The same kinds of activities are covered in each episode, but the locations and dinosaurs involved all change. Prehistoric Planet streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. COLIN FROM ACCOUNTS A girl, a guy and a meet-cute over an adorable animal: that's the delightful and very funny Colin From Accounts' underlying formula. When medical student Ashley (Harriet Dyer, The Invisible Man) and microbrewery owner Gordon (Patrick Brammall, Evil) cross paths in the street one otherwise standard Sydney morning, they literally come to an impasse. He lets her go first, she flashes her nipple as thanks, then he's so distracted that he hits a stray dog with his car. As these circumstances demonstrate, Colin From Accounts isn't afraid to get awkward, much to the benefit of audiences. There's a syrupy way to proceed from the show's debut moments, intertwining sparks flying with idyllic dates, plus zero doubts of a happy ending for humans and pooches alike. If this was a movie, that's how it'd happen. Then there's Dyer and Brammall's way, with the duo creating and writing the series as well as starring in it, and focusing as much on ordinary existential mayhem — working out who you want to be, navigating complex relationships and learning to appreciate the simple pleasure of someone else's company, for example — as pushing its leads together. Just like in the Hollywood versions of this kind of tale, romance does blossom. That Dyer and Brammall are behind Colin From Accounts, their past chemistry on fellow Aussie comedy No Activity and the fact that they're married IRL means that pairing them up as more than new pals was always going to be on the show's agenda. It's how the series fleshes out each character and their baggage — including those who-am-I questions, Ash's difficult dynamic with her attention-seeking mother Lynelle (Helen Thomson, Elvis), and the responsibility that running your own business and committing to care for other people each bring — that helps give it depth. Colin From Accounts lets Ash and Gordon unfurl their woes and wishes, and also lets them grow. Sometimes, that happens by peeing and pooping in the wrong place, because that's also the type of comedy this is. Sometimes, it's because the show's central couple have taken a risk, or faced their struggles, or genuinely found solace in each other. Always, this new Aussie gem is breezy and weighty — and instantly bingeable. Colin From Accounts streams via Binge. Read our full review. Looking for more viewing highlights? We also rounded up the 15 best returning TV series of 2022, as well as 15 excellent new TV shows of 2022 that you might've missed. Plus, we've kept a running list of must-stream TV from across the year, complete with full reviews. And, you can check out our regular rundown of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly.
A lavish European-influenced brasserie is swinging open its doors in Sydney's CBD. Brasserie 1930 will officially arrive on Wednesday, March 15, coming to the new luxury hotel Capella Sydney from the Bentley Restaurant Group. The acclaimed hospitality crew behind Bentley Restaurant and Bar, Monopole, Yellow and Cirrus will bring an elegant dining room, next-level eats and a meticulously curated wine program to the expansive inner-city hotel — the first Australian opening from the Capella hotel group. Named after the year the Young Street section of the building was completed, Brasserie 1930 takes the idea of an elevated French diner and injects it with local Australian produce and Sydney-favourite dishes. Expect to kick off your meal with Sydney rock or Tasmanian pacific oysters, as well as prawns paired with fermented chilli mayonnaise. Highlights from the starters section of the menu include beef tartare, brown butter scallops, spanner crab alla chitarra with sea urchin sauce and glazed quail paired with whipped feta. [caption id="attachment_892588" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kris Paulsen[/caption] Then there's the mains. Starting from $48, this portion of the offerings is full of no-holds-barred luxury. The seafood selections, for example, include coral trout with potato yoghurt puree and leek, coal-roasted Murray cod with pepperberry butter and eastern rock lobster. There are three steaks on offer if that's what you're craving. Take your pick from the Yarabah wagyu rump cap, O'Connor's bone-in sirloin or Coppertree Farms 600-gram rib eye that'll set you back an easy $110. And, rounding out the mains is the whole-roasted duck which you can order for the table. This $190 share dish comes accompanied by duck-neck sausage, roasted plum, fennel, spinach and glazed eschalots. [caption id="attachment_892592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Timothy Kaye[/caption] Bentley Restaurant Group's co-owner and sommelier Nick Hildebrandt has pulled together a massive wine list to compliment the elegant menu. More than 400 producers from across Australia and Europe are on show, with the by-the-glass menu set to evolve and change over time, spotlighting picks from the hospitality group's wine vault. All of this is housed within an equally grand dining space. Original architectural features of the nearly century-old building have been restored, then complemented with sleek modern furnishings and light fixtures. Brasserie 1930 will join the McRae Bar in the 192-room, eight-storey Capella Sydney hotel. The luxury accommodation will become Australia's first Capella when it also opens on Wednesday, March 15, offering guests an elevated inner-city stay featuring swimming and vitality pools, a fitness centre and a spa alongside the impressive dining options. [caption id="attachment_892589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kris Paulsen[/caption] Capella Sydney and Brasserie 1930 both open on Wednesday, March 15 at 2–4 Farrer Place, Sydney. Top image: Kris Paulsen.
In the dramedy that bears his name, which streams in Australia via Stan, Ramy Youssef is a quintuple threat. The standup comic and Mr Robot and Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot actor created Ramy. He plays the eponymous Ramy. He also executive produces the series and, across all three seasons to-date, he frequently writes and directs. It's a show about a Queens-born first-generation American Muslim raised in New Jersey to Egyptian parents, too, as Youssef himself is. Indeed, there's no doubting that Ramy springs from a personal place, a feeling that echoes in every one of its 30 episodes so far. There's a difference between bringing your own exact existence to the screen and conveying the truth behind your experiences, however. Ramy falls into the second category. As the series charts its titular figure's struggles, specifically as his faith conflicts with his lifestyle, it doesn't pretend for a second that its two Ramys — Youssef off-screen, Hassan on-screen — are one and the same. Instead, it proves deeply steeped in the lived reality of feeling torn between two cultures, and so specific in the details that stem from that fact, while also universal and relatable in its emotions and insights. That's been the case since Ramy's first Golden Globe-winning season in 2019, and none of the above changes in the newly released third batch of episodes, which rank among the show's finest moments yet. In this ten-episode latest run, the lives of Ramy and his loved ones are rarely blessed with fine moments, no matter how eagerly and desperately they seek them. Youssef's on-screen alter-ego keeps threatening his own heart, mind and soul with his choices, and being disappointed with the outcome. Season two ended with a brief marriage to Zainab (MaameYaa Boafo, The Mysterious Benedict Society), the daughter of Sheikh Malik (Mahershala Ali, Swan Song). With one lustful bad decision, Ramy blew up his personal and religious connections, leaving him alone in a car with only an incarcerated pal's dog for company in its last scene. A year has passed on-screen now, but the fallout still lingers because nothing is easy to escape in this series. Zainab won't talk to Ramy, but there's a cash payout that needs settling for breaking their marriage contract. Accordingly, Ramy has thrown himself into making his Uncle Naseem's (Laith Nakli, Ms Marvel) diamond dealership a success — as a distraction, and to take care of his debt — and, as the season continues, he branches out on his own with Jewish friend Michael (Michael Chernus, Severance) and his Israeli-syndicate backers. He now has money, as well as his own place. Soon, he has his own jewellery business, and the boost to his ego that its triumph brings. But none of this herald's happiness, or comfort, or the ability to truly work out who he wants to be as he still tussles with balancing his beliefs with impulses, and overcoming his selfishness in general. It's easy to think of Uncut Gems while watching Ramy stake his sense of self on the money and hustle of the jewellery game, but that isn't the only Safdie brothers film that springs to mind in season three. Youssef doesn't sport bleached hair as Robert Pattinson did in Good Time, but he has a similarly careening vibe — and the same propensity to always put himself first, usually by making the worst move he can, while thinking he's helping others. In the new season's Ramy-focused instalments, the show sports the same feverish energy, too; there's no heists here, but that's the engrained mood. Actually, is Ramy heisting himself all along? He thinks he can bluff his way to contentment by getting big in the jewellery game and boosting his bank balance, but he's just as conflicted in this run of episodes as he's always been. One of Ramy's strengths has always been its willingness to see its protagonist, his flaws and poor choices with clear eyes, while remaining empathetic to his attempts to honour his faith — even as he makes such terrible decisions. Also one of the series' highlights: that it isn't simply about Ramy, with full episodes surveying his family and friends' lives as they grapple with their own woes. For his sister Dena (May Calamawy, Moon Knight), striving hard to take the bar exam isn't paying off, especially when her parents Maysa (Hiam Abbass, Succession) and Farouk (Amr Waked, Wonder Woman 1984) are open about how differently they see her and her future to Ramy's — and she's reassessing not only her dreams, but what's behind them. That's one of the third season's big themes, with a question bubbling up again and again: are the lives that the Hassans have been working towards truly what they want, and what'll bring them emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual fulfilment? That query ripples with an immense sense of melancholy with the elder Hassans, who are adjusting to Farouk being out of work, a bad financial investment that might mean they have to sell the family home and decades of feeling like they're treading water. And, it informs the subplot with Naseem, who is visibly hurt by Ramy leaving him behind, and also frantic about potentially being outed when one of his app-driven hookups turns out to be friends with Dena. Storylines involving Ramy's friends Steve (Steve Way, Nepotism), Ahmed (Dave Merheje, Mr D) and Mo (Mohammed Amer, Mo) are all guided by a similar train of thought, thoughtfully so. Season three serves up character study after character study, and with humour and insight in tandem, including laughs that echo because sometimes that's the only way to cope with life's chaos. Three seasons in, the fact that Ramy boasts one of the best casts on TV isn't new news. That said, an appearance by Bella Hadid as Steve's new The Office-worshipping girlfriend plays awkwardly, but James Badge Dale's (The Empty Man) bit part as televangelical-style Muslim convert is a cringe-inducing scene-stealer — as is Christopher Abbott's (On the Count of Three) efforts as one of Ramy's wealthy customers. No matter who pops up around them, though, the show's core group of actors keep turning in standout work. That Ramy keeps remaining a stunningly perceptive and engaging exploration of the battle to remain true to oneself — and one's hopes, dreams and religion — is firmly a communal effort. That it's a rich, authentic, poignant and devastatingly potent comedy that just keeps getting better and diving deeper is as well. Check out the trailer for Ramy season three below: Ramy streams via Stan.
At Concrete Playground it is our professional imperative to pay attention to where great hospitality experiences are being served around the city — and in the past couple of years Sydney's hotels have been noticeably picking up momentum as destinations to eat delicious things and drink wonderful drinks. And not just for visitors, but for locals too. The Kimpton Margot on Pitt Street has a dining program helmed by one of Australia's most enduring food superstars in Luke Mangan — so his impact has been well on our radar ever since getting on board. And now this lovely partnership sees the hotel and Mr Mangan launching an exclusive new dining experience for lovers of champagne. Raid The Cellar is an event series which sees Mr Mangan curate a four-course fine dining experience with his selects from the collection of Taittinger Champagne. A preview of the gorgeous menu includes lobster ravioli and venison. The entire experience is led by Luke and, with only 12 seats, each guest will get to chat to him about the food and, of course, the cellar.
Beau was afraid. In Ari Aster's third feature — another excellent and unforgettable film after Hereditary and Midsommar — Beau was anxious and unsettled and agitated and knocked off-kilter, too. Sheriff Joe Cross is all of these things also, with Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux) again taking on a key role for a writer/director responsible for some of the best movies, and viewing experiences, of the 21st century. Along with the filmmaker's initial two pictures, Beau Is Afraid earns that description, as does Eddington, Aster and Phoenix's mid-2020-set, COVID-era-probing, brilliant and chilling and equally very amusing latest collaboration. Its focus: a small New Mexico spot struggling when normality as everyone knew it just months prior has vanished and seems as if it might never return. The Sevilla County official at Eddington's centre is as much a man interrupted, as his community is — but the Cross way of coping is to flout and defy anything that doesn't match his preferred status quo. His dislike of incumbent Mayor Ted Garcia's (Pedro Pascal, The Fantastic Four: First Steps) way of handling the pandemic, aka respecting social-distancing restrictions and mask mandates, inspires the Sheriff to take action, entering the race to lead the town (population: 2345) himself. Eddington is a western, as well as being an unnerving thriller and a hilarious dark comedy; Aster has Cross and Garcia headed for showdowns and standoffs more than once. With a Best Actor Oscar for Joker to prove it, Phoenix has been enjoying a recent stint of playing characters who are fixated, obsessed, unyieldingly determined and driven to act of late — since before the outstanding You Were Never Really Here, but that's firmly a recent example prior to his time as Arthur Fleck and now Joe Cross. He hasn't necessarily noticed that trend, he tells Concrete Playground, or recognised that anything particularly draws him in that direction. "I've never thought of it that way, but you say that and I go 'I don't even know what the last two movies I made are'," Phoenix advises. "But maybe you're right. I don't know why. I think I'm always just — it is an instinct. I either react to something that I'm reading it or I don't. And I don't really analyse why." Eddington is easy to spot trends and parallels in and around. Given that it peers into very recent history, to a period forever seared and scarred into memories — and has the era's paranoia and polarisation in its sights, spotting how neither have subsided since — that's by design. Another piece of mirroring comes via Aster's filmography. Chatting with Concrete Playground in 2018 when Hereditary released, he described his debut as "a family tragedy that curdles into a nightmare". Grief over a mother and grandmother begets worse in the feature that won Toni Collette (Mickey 17) a deserved Best Actress Gotham Award — in a movie, too, that cemented itself as an instant horror great. That "curdling into a nightmare" idea resides in each of his features, Eddington included. "I think that could be one way of describing this film," Aster tells us. "I would say that this is a film about a bunch of people who are all very paranoid, and who have very clear but kind of oppositional ideas of what is happening. And everybody's picture of the world is pretty sinister. Then, by the end of the film, the film itself becomes gripped by this paranoia — and so the movie too becomes paranoid." He continues: "and in that way, the film goes off the rails in a way that I like. It's got a long, sustained climax, which I like, especially in a genre film. It's easy to make this film, in an interview like this, sound like eating your vegetables — but it's supposed to be fun, even though what it's talking about is no laughing matter. But the film is about the circus of America, and the tilt-a-whirl goes faster and faster until the teacups start flying off." Cross' blatant and inescapable acrimony for Garcia, Joe's depressed wife Louise (Emma Stone, Kinds of Kindness) embracing online conspiracy theorists and becoming particularly enthralled by the charismatic Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler, The Bikeriders), local teens staging Black Lives Matter rallies to share their anger over the death of George Floyd, tech company SolidGoldMagikarp's plans to build a data centre on Eddington's outskirts, doomscrolling feeding the pervasive sense of distance between townsfolk: these all help that rotating ride spin. As the whirring of conflicting attitudes and opinions that's unbalancing its setting gains speed, Aster's film digs into America's contradictions, patently, as well as conservative-versus-liberal clashes. Internet hokum's easy spread, our immensely tech-reliant lives and AI earn attention; giving up power to the powerful without realising it, too. Anti-fascist activism, performative bandwagon-jumping, ignoring health-protection rules when folks are dying, not knowing how to cope with this chaos: they're also among the swirl. Aster doesn't see it as a horror movie; however, Eddington is as perceptive a portrait of 2020 and the times since as had reached screens so far, and as disquieting yet clear-eyed. The path to the feature started with an old idea predating the pandemic, which also came up while talking to the director, as did piecing the narrative together, living in a world where no one agrees on what's true anymore, reteaming with Phoenix and more — alongside chatting with Phoenix about that repeat collaboration and reuniting with filmmakers of late, interrogating fear and anxiety with Aster, what he recognised in the script, and bringing humanity and humour to Cross. On How Aster Following His Instincts in the Early Days of the Pandemic, and Picking Up an Old New Mexico-Set Idea, Lead to Eddington Ari: "Well, I feel like we're living in a very, very weird time. And the human capacity for adaptation is amazing, and everything becomes normal very quickly, and things that might be obvious become less so once they become ambient. And I just found that I wanted to pull back as far as I could, and try to describe this new reality that we're living in as well as I could — which is that everybody is living in a different version of reality, and we totally distrust anybody and anything that falls outside of our little bubble of certainty. And we've become unreachable to each other. So I wanted to make a film about that. And I'm from New Mexico — and that's really what the project was that had already been there waiting for me, which is that I have just been wanting to make my New Mexico movie. And I wanted to make a western. And it felt like the right framework for this." On Whether Returning Collaborations with Directors, Such as Ari Aster Here, Todd Phillips on Joker: Folie à Deux and Ridley Scott on Napoleon, Help Phoenix Challenge and Extend Himself as an Actor Joaquin: "I think that's what you would hope for, right, because it's almost like a long relationship, just the value of growing with somebody and changing — and somebody that learns to read you better after time. We all put our best foot forward when we first meet people and are working with them, and I think after some time we start really showing ourselves and there's real value in mining that. With Ari, it's weird, because I had one of those experiences where when I first met him, when I first just talked to him on the phone, I instantly knew that he was — I don't know, a friend just doesn't even sound like it's enough. I just knew that we were going to be working together closely, and I knew that he was somebody that I loved the way that he talked. And I understood him, like I felt like I really understood. And I think he understood me. And so there's real value in that — and I hope, I think, that he did and does challenge me in ways that are really beneficial to me and helpful." On When Aster Realised That He Wanted to Reteam with Phoenix on Eddington Ari: "After working with Joaquin on Beau Is Afraid, I really wanted to work with him again. Before Beau, he was one of my favourite actors and somebody that I very seriously wanted to work with. But when I was writing Eddington, at least the first pass of it, I hadn't worked with Joaquin yet, didn't know him yet, and so I didn't really have anybody in mind. But after we shot Beau, then I rewrote Eddington and spent a lot of time in New Mexico, travelling around, going to different small towns and meeting different people, public officials, Sheriffs of different counties, police chiefs, Mayors — went to different pueblos — and tried to get as broad a picture of the political climate of New Mexico as possible. And then once I had incorporated all of that and I had a script, it was clear to me that I wanted to at least try Joaquin again and see if he was interested. And happily he was, and I really think he does something really special with this character, Joe Cross, the sheriff of Eddington — or the sheriff of Sevilla County. Eddington is a town in Sevilla County. These are made-up places. But I think what he does here is really wonderful. He brings so much humour and humanity to this character. And I think part of the trick of the film — or I don't know if it's a trick, or if it's just something that is important to the film working — is that you have to kind of like this guy, whether you have his politics or not. There's something winning about him. And then, of course, as the film goes on that should get more complicated — our relationship to him should change." On Whether There's Something Unique to Digging Into Fear and Anxiety with Aster Joaquin: "I don't think he's exploring these traits because they're good for a character, for a movie, but it feels like it's a genuine curiosity for him. And maybe it's part of his experience, or maybe it's the experience of people that he knows. I don't know why he has that curiosity — or I don't know if it's an obsession — but definitely it's a curiosity to explore those feelings, and I don't know where it comes from. I've never asked him 'is that your personal experience, or ... ?'. I think oftentimes writers obviously observe things in others and become fascinated by it. So there's definitely a real drive and curiosity. And so I think when you're — there's not a standard way of playing that for Ari, right? It always has to be something very detailed and specific. And I'm struggling with trying to come up with an example, probably because there's so many and they're all running together. But I wish we could come up with an example of a scene. Like even in the scene where I'm — it's such a brief moment, you may not even remember — but I go back to the police station and somebody that was in the police station that was locked up is no longer there. It was really this very quick scene that's in the midst of the most-manic moment. And it was a long process for us that went throughout the day, as we discussed all the possibilities of what would be going through the character's mind and then how that is translated to somebody else as he speaks or whatever actions he takes. And so I think with Ari, it always feels that we are trying to find something that feels very specific and unique to that character in that moment — versus a blanket approach to anxiety or fear." On the Crucial Elements to Create a Film About Living in a World Where No One Can Agree on What's Real Anymore Ari: "For me, the most-important thing was to pull back as far as I could, because what I wanted to talk about was the environment, right — and I feel like we've become so atomised, and things have become so complicated and so intensely partisan, that it felt very important to move back and just try to get a picture of the landscape. And to see just how many of those particles were floating around not actually meeting each other. And then it's a genre film, and so it's built on conflict. And so the question then became 'well, what happens when these atoms start bumping up against each other? What comes out of that?'. And the answer is almost always violence, because there's nothing in the ether to hold anybody together anymore. And so that was, I guess, the challenge, but also the thing that felt necessary." On Phoenix Seeing Himself and Reality in Eddington When Aster First Sent the Script His Way Joaquin: "My first reaction was 'I recognise so much of myself and my family and my friends and my neighbours in all of these characters, and that makes me uncomfortable at times. But I'm laughing and I can't stop laughing'. That was my first reaction. And then I think I was like 'oh yeah, it's us'. And as ridiculous as we were, we were scared. Like, everyone was scared. Whether they should have been scared or whether we overreacted, it doesn't really matter. In that moment, it was kind of like waking up from a nightmare and they're like 'yeah, in the moment, it really felt like that monster was going to get me and I was scared. And all the things I did in that that moment, it was just how I reacted. I couldn't help it.' And I think in some ways, it made me just have a lot of forgiveness and understanding for how we behaved." On Putting the Pieces of Eddington Together — Including the Societal Landscape, America and Western Society's Pervasive Polarisation, and COVID-19 — in a Western-Meets-Thriller That's Also Darkly Humorous Ari: "First of all, the film is set in 2020. It's a period piece, set in June 2020, and so it helps to have something as specific as that, right, because then you're asking 'okay, what is happening right now? Who are the players here?'. And of course, I would have liked to have included far more characters, but I jammed as many people as I could into the film without sacrificing coherence or narrative clarity. But it all felt pretty intuitive that we begin with the arguments of the day, the most popular ones, which had a lot to do with masking and personal freedom versus public safety and health. And from there, things start unraveling and spinning out. And then you have these more fringe figures coming in. And I think what's interesting about this moment, even right now in 2025, is that this counterculture had been building up in America for a long time that the prevailing culture at the moment wasn't aware of. And that counterculture meanwhile was being fed and agitated, and was growing. And now that counterculture has kind of taken over. And it's all become very, very distorted and strange. It's so interesting that the right kind of adopted the language of 1960s–70s radicalism. Everything has become — I want to use the word farcical, but none of this is any laughing matter. It's feels pretty catastrophic, what's happening. And it's also why the western felt right, because it is about the building of America and forging new societies. And it feels like right now we're living through the collapse of something — we're on the cusp of something, something new. And I think everybody's feeling it and there's a lot of anxiety and a lot of fear. And for some people, a lot of excitement. I wrote this film in a state of anxiety and fear." On Whether Trying to Convey the Humanity of Joe and Also Bringing Humour to the Part Helped in Stepping Into His Shoes Joaquin: "Nothing ever feels easy. You just feel that — yeah, it doesn't feel easy, but it seemed like very much from the beginning, I could not create any separation between me and Joe. Like, that if I at any point stood above him in judgment, I would lose it, I would lose him. And so it just felt important to humanise him as much as possible. I wanted to surprise anybody that might have a preconceived idea of what conservative Sheriff in a small town might be like, and so that definitely felt like my directive. But what helped me, probably most of all, was meeting with real Sheriffs. Ari and I went on a trip together in New Mexico and spent some time, and there were a few people that I met that I really connected with that seemed like great examples of who Joe could be. So it felt to me that as much as there's something very humorous and absurd about so much of this film, I wanted to make sure that Joe was really grounded and that he was recognisable to people that actually know a Sheriff like Joe." On Whether Aster Considers Eddington to Be a Horror Film — and What's at the Heart of the Film That Scares Him, Be It Humanity's Embrace of Existential Risks, Including Not Just Health But Also AI, or Stopping Questioning the Powerful Ari: "No, I don't consider it a horror film. No. But, I do think it's talking about something that scares me. There's a lot that scares me. I'm scared that the people who are leading us don't seem to believe in the future. You mentioned AI, and I would say if you asked me to say in one sentence what this film was about, I might tell you it's about a data centre being built. And that's happening on the periphery of the film, but it's really pretty central. And all these stories are really just data for this giant wooden wheel — to churn into what? What is coming? The film is about people navigating a crisis, but all the while, there's this other crisis that's incubating in a lab over here. And who knows, the utopian dream of what this thing could bring might be true. It might come to pass. But we really don't know what's coming. And yeah, I think that what's happening all over the world — and it's happening in the United States, but it's happening everywhere — it's something that's already happened to us, which is that we've been fortressed off. And I think that's very scary that we're completely unable to reach each other, and we're living out an experiment that has already failed badly. And it doesn't seem like anybody at the levers has any interest in slowing this thing down. It feels like, on the contrary, it's only accelerating." Eddington released in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
Whatever else the past couple of years have served up, it has been an impressive time for folks who like staring up at the sky. 2016 ended with a huge supermoon that had everyone looking to the heavens, then 2018 began with an extremely rare super blue blood moon (a supermoon, a blue moon and a total lunar eclipse all at once). Next, at the end of July, an epic lunar eclipse will mark the next notable celestial happening. WHAT IS IT? On Saturday, July 28, earth will bear witness to the longest lunar eclipse of this century — with the penumbral eclipse lasting just shy of four hours (236 minutes, to be exact) and the total lunar eclipse spanning 103 minutes. If you're wondering what the difference is between the two (because we're all more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, aren't we?), a penumbral eclipse is when the earth's outer shadow falls on the moon's surface, while a total lunar eclipse involves the moon passing directly into the earth's actual shadow. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT IT? As well as offering a great excuse to go stargazing, the 103-minute total eclipse pips the 100-minute event that took place on June 15, 2011 — although it falls just short of the 108-minute event on July 16, 2000. That said, eclipses that last this long are rare. When the super blue blood moon came around earlier in 2018, its full eclipse only lasted 72 minutes. In fact, if you miss it, you'll need to wait until 2029 for a 102-minute total lunar eclipse, with others lasting the same duration expected in 2047 and 2094. Nothing that reaches 103 minutes will in length will occur again this century — and no total lunar eclipses of any length will be visible from Australia again until May 2021. During the main event, the moon will also turn a blood-red shade thanks to sunlight that's filtered and refracted by the earth's atmosphere. So as well as a total lunar eclipse and a full moon, it'll be a blood moon as well. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? Australians will be able to spy the penumbral eclipse from 3.14am local time and the partial eclipse from 4.24am, before the full thing at 5.30am. If you're not able to tear yourself out of bed that early on a winter weekend morning, the maximum eclipse will occur at 6.21am. We won't be able to see the end of it, however, as the moon will be below the horizon when the full, partial and penumbral eclipses end (at 7.13am, 8.19am and 9.28am local time, respectively). For the full details, timeanddate.com has put together a handy to-the-minute schedule of when the eclipse will be happening in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_678443" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Sydney total lunar eclipse times via timeanddate.com[/caption] Have your cameras at the ready, obviously — and see if you can outdo the previous big batches of supermoon snaps and super blue blood moon pics. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? Being in the southern hemisphere, we get some of the best views in the world — weather permitting, of course. Everyone in Australia should be able to catch a glimpse, but, even so, if you're living in the city, it would be best to as far away from light pollution as you can. Unsurprisingly, possible showers are predicted for the day in Sydney and Melbourne, which could have an impact upon visibility; however Brisbane is supposed to be mostly sunny. For Sydneysiders looking for a specific stargazing (or moon-viewing) spot, Sydney Observatory will be open from 5am. If you can't get a clear view, The Virtual Telescope Project will be live-streaming what they're calling 'The Night of the Red Moon and the Red Planet' – because Mars will also be visible in the sky — from the skyline above Rome from 4.30am AEST. Via Space.com and timeanddate.com.
Come on Barbie, let's go party. Let's go to the real world, too. In the second sneak peek at Greta Gerwig's Barbie, the eponymous doll (Margot Robbie, Babylon) and her also-plastic beau Ken (Ryan Gosling, The Gray Man) are living life in Barbie Land, which is meant to be perfect. If you like pink and pastel hues aplenty, which the film splashes through its frames heavily and happily, it'd clearly be a dream. But that supposed bliss brings an existential crisis for the movie's main figure, plus ample everyday angst for its central Ken. Marking Gerwig's third solo stint behind the camera after Lady Bird and Little Women, scripted by the actor-turned-director with fellow filmmaker Noah Baumbach — her helmer on Greenberg, Frances Ha, Mistress America and White Noise, and real-life partner — and boasting a cast that's a gleaming toy chest of talent, Barbie might be the most anticipated toy-to-film release ever. There's that pedigree, of course. There's also the picture's patently playful vibe, which first shone through in an initial teaser trailer that parodied the one and only 2001: A Space Odyssey, and beams just as brightly in its just-dropped next look. Here, there are Barbies everywhere, with Rae (Insecure) as president Barbie, Dua Lipa (making her movie debut) as a mermaid Barbie, Emma Mackey (Emily) as a Nobel Prize-winning physicist Barbie, Alexandra Schipp (tick, tick... BOOM!) as an author Barbie and Ana Cruz Kayne (Jerry and Marge Go Large) as a supreme court justice Barbie — and Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) as diplomat Barbie, Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live) as a Barbie who is always doing the splits, Hari Nef (Meet Cute) as doctor Barbie, Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy) as a Pulitzer-winning Barbie and Sharon Rooney (Jerk) as lawyer Barbie. There's also a whole heap of Kens, including Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami), Ncuti Gatwa (the incoming Doctor Who) and Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie). And, Michael Cera (Arrested Development) plays Alan, Emerald Fennell (The Crown) plays Midge, Helen Mirren (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) is the narrator, America Ferrera (Superstore) and Ariana Greenblatt (65) are humans, Jamie Demetriou (Catherine Called Birdy) is a suit, Will Ferrell (Spirited) wears a suit as Mattel's CEO and Connor Swindells (also Sex Education) is an intern. Barbie brings all those characters to the screen across its dream house-filled Barbieland and its version of the real world, as its main doll seems to realise that life in plastic mightn't be so fantastic after all. The new trailer provides more of a storyline than the first did, while also teasing the film's sense of humour — largely around Gosling's Ken, whether he's insisting that him and Robbie's Barbie are boyfriend and girlfriend, fighting with Liu's Ken about "beaching" each other off or sneaking into the Barbie convertible with his rollerblades ("I literally go nowhere without them") when Barbie is driving off to reality. What happens from there, and whether this'll be the best figurine-to-film adaptation yet in a mixed field that also includes the Transformers series, Trolls, The Lego Movie and its sequel, Battleship and the GI Joe films, will all be pulled out of the toy box in cinemas on July 20 Down Under. And no, there's still no signs of Aqua's 'Barbie Girl' on the trailer's soundtrack; however, you'll likely get it stuck in your head anyway just thinking about this movie. Check out the latest trailer for Barbie below: Barbie releases in cinemas Down Under on July 20, 2023.
Meet Australia's next homegrown franchise: after 2019 film Top End Wedding proved a huge hit, striking a chord with lovers of big-screen rom-coms, Aussie fare, Miranda Tapsell (The Surfer) and seeing the Northern Territory splashed across cinemas, streaming series Top End Bub is set to give fans of the movie more on the small screen. And, the new series now has a trailer. When the newly engaged Lauren (Tapsell) and Ned (Gwilym Lee, SAS Rogue Heroes) made a whirlwind visit to Darwin in the successful flick, it was to get married. Six years later, the two key characters are now heading back to the Northern Territory capital. In Top End Bub, Top End Wedding's central couple enter their next chapter — and a child is indeed involved. Tapsell not only starred in Top End Wedding but co-wrote the script. With Top End Bub, she's in both roles again — and also co-created and executive produced the series with fellow returnee Joshua Tyler (100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone). Their new story: sending Lauren and Ned to the NT once more, away from their settled life in Adelaide, to become the guardians of their orphaned niece Taya (debutant Gladys-May Kelly). First confirmed in 2024, Top End Bub is set to span eight episodes — and you'll be watching it soon. The series hits Prime Video from Friday, September 12, 2025. Ursula Yovich (Troppo), Huw Higginson (Ladies in Black), Shari Sebbens (The Moogai), Elaine Crombie (Invisible Boys), Rob Collins (Austin) and Tracy Mann (Home and Away) are also making the leap from Top End Wedding to its new spinoff — and Sebbens and Christiaan Van Vuuren (The Office) direct Top End Bub. In a series that promises banding together for family, grappling with what it means to be a parent, onstage antics and even football — as seen in its just-dropped sneak peek — you'll be watching Brooke Satchwell (Triple Oh!), Guy Simon (The Secrets She Keeps) and Clarence Ryan (Territory) as well. Check out the trailer for Top End Bub below: Top End Bub streams via Prime Video from Friday, September 12, 2025. Images: John Platt / Prime Video.
Maybe you've changed your computer backdrop to a picture of Hamilton Island. Perhaps you keep perusing snaps from a past Byron Bay getaway on your phone. Can't stop thinking about your previous holidays? The midwinter blues will do that. We've said it before and we'll say it again: another cure is planning your next vacation, especially when there's a flight sale to capitalise upon. Qantas has dropped another massive round of discounted fares. In June, it put more than one million cheap seats up for grabs. A month later, it's doing the same. The focus is still on its domestic network, spanning 60-plus routes — and this time, prices start at under $160 one-way on more than 40 of them. You'll be able to travel between August 2024–March 2025, although the specifics vary per destination. If you're keen, you'll need to get in quick as this is a 72-hour-only sale, running until 11.59pm AEST on Thursday, July 25, 2024. And yes, the usual caveat applies: if fares sell out earlier, you'll miss out. Options include Sydney to the Gold Coast for $109, and to Byron Bay for the same price; Melbourne to Launceston from $119, and to Maroochydore for $179; and Brisbane to the Whitsunday Coast from $119, or to Hamilton Island for $169. Other routes and fares span both Brisbane to Sydney and Adelaide to Melbourne from $129, Brisbane to Cairns from $159, Sydney to Albury for $149 and Melbourne to Coffs Harbour for $169. Trips to and from Perth, Hobart, Alice Springs, Darwin, Canberra, Newcastle, Mildura, the Fraser Coast, Wagga Wagga, Devonport, Broken Hill, Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Rockhampton and Townsville are also on the sale list — and there's more after that as well. Inclusions-wise, the sale covers fares with checked baggage, complimentary food and beverages, wifi and seat selection. Qantas' 72-hour surprise sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Thursday, July 25, 2024, or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
The Sydney Theatre Company has done a cool thing with The Maids, which is to cast its biggest celebrity actors in its least accessible show for the year. Every night, there'll be people who came to see beloved Cate Blanchett, internationally respected Isabelle Huppert or perhaps breakthrough Great Gatsby star Elizabeth Debicki — and they'll be leaving feeling puzzled, challenged, perhaps bewildered and perhaps exhilarated. It's fabulous, and helps build a strong theatre culture. French maids are famous these days for their black-and-white uniforms (skimpier in the public mind than in the 19th-century reality in which they were common). Frenchman Jean Genet's The Maids is also famous, although in this case, the maids are the ones having the fantasies. While the mistress of the household is away, the two sisters take turns dressing in her clothes, dusting themselves in her powders and hurling entitled abuse at the other. At the height of their routine, repeated to the point of ritual, the mistress character is violently murdered. The Maids was, like so many Law and Orders, inspired by (but not technically based on) factual events. The 1933 murder by two maids of their wealthy employer stoked the imagination of a man fascinated with subversion of power, class and gender norms — themes that he powerfully brought into the theatre. French maids are the subject of sexual fantasy because they submit to dominance. What does it mean for one maid to exercise mastery over another? What happens when they assert it over their superior? This Sydney Theatre Company production is directed with thought and grandeur by Benedict Andrews. Interestingly, although the maids, Claire (Blanchett) and Solange (Huppert), are engaged in a performance, so too is their mistress (Debicki), a self-enabling parody of wealth. Debicki owns the role, and seeing the 6'2" actor tower over Huppert (5'2") is a hugely effective visual. Debicki's scenes are when the play is at its most thrilling, because, unlike the controlled moments shared between the maids, there's a sense that anything could happen. Huppert's performance, meanwhile, is enigmatic and disconnected, quite unlike the other actors on stage (on any stage, almost). It's hard to understand, until you read this, from Genet's lengthy notes on 'how to play The Maids': "The actresses will restrain their movements, each one of which will seem interrupted, or broken off .... sometimes their voice, too." Check. "The performance will be furtive so that the heavily overblown language feels lighter." It's Huppert to a T. However, a bit more consistency across performance styles could have been a benefit, as well as some delineation between the modes of performance of the ritual and the real. The Maids takes place on a flashy, luxurious set (by designer Alice Babidge) that's sure to alight any aspirational tendencies in the beholder (wall-to-wall colour-arranged wardrobe, omg). It's also equipped with a giant screen that shows vision from camera-people who prowl in the wings. They're there to capture the revealing little gestures and moments that would otherwise go unnoticed, and it's fun when they do. The best angle, however, is from the camera on the dressing table, which captures the women as they pout and preen at the mirror, each engaged in their private show. It's a familiar sight that cuts through to a contemporary audience, and touches like this make the play accessible and engaging. For a contemporary audience low on firsthand experience of the master-servant dynamic, it's a cheeky reminder of the trappings that endure. A limited number of Suncorp Twenties tickets are available for $20 each. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0-IGU_LQdU8
This article is sponsored by our partners, Rekorderlig. Cider is having something of a renaissance, one that's not just limited to pub courtyards and picnics. The fruity beverage du jour is gaining a connoisseur-type following in culinary circles, appearing in pairings with food that would put your average sommelier or brewer to shame. Think light apple ciders with pork to conjure up memories of your Nan's Sunday roast with applesauce, or a richer, bolder variety to cut through the spice and cream of a dhal or mutter paneer. Testament to everyone's love of alcohol-fuelled food (and because everyone knows the alcohol content totally evaporates while cooking, right?), it's also being used in recipes. These chicken pistachio meatballs with Rekorderlig cider chutney prove how well cider lends itself to hearty, wintry meals of the kind you might expect to be served on a blizzardy night in a mountain log cabin in front of a crackling fire. In fact, these meatballs are straight out of the Thredbo Alpine Hotel, where Rekorderlig have a poolside lounge. This dish is boozy, fruity, nutty and gamey, and the perfect adieu to these final frosty nights of winter '14. Chicken Pistachio Meatballs with Rekorderlig Cider Chutney Meatballs (makes 50) 1kg chicken mince 500ml Rekorderlig Strawberry-Lime Cider 100g cranberries 100g sour cherries 50g pistachio nuts 10g salt 10g parsley 1 egg pinch of white pepper Soak the cranberries in Rekorderlig Strawberry-Lime Cider for 30 minutes. Place all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix by hand. Work the mixture till all the ingredients are combined. Place in the fridge at least one hour. Roll into desired size balls. Lightly coat balls in flour and saute very quickly. Sauce 1L chicken stock 1L white wine 500ml cream Reduce stock and white wine by half and then stir through 500ml of cream. Place the meatballs in a baking dish and cover them with the sauce. Bake in a medium oven for one hour. Chutney 60ml olive oil 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped 200g sultanas 100g raisins 100g sugar 400ml Rekorderlig Pear Cider 100g ginger grated 800g pears, cored and finely diced dash of nutmeg 2 heaped tsp of ground all spice 1 pinch of cinnamon Saute the rosemary, sultanas and raisins. After one minute add the sugar and then fry the fruit until it starts to caramelise. Pour in the vinegar and bring to the boil. Boil for a few minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Continuously stir so the pear doesn't stick to the bottom. Serve with a warm Rekorderlig Winter cider.
2022 hasn't been kind to anyone's bank balances, with inflation having a hefty impact on the cost of living all around the world, including in Australia. We know you know this, and so does your wallet. In Sydney in fact, the year's financial struggles have seen the Harbour City reclaim global recognition for being a mighty expensive place to call home, taking tenth place on The Economist Intelligence Unit's annual Worldwide Cost of Living survey. While Melbourne was dubbed Australia's most liveable city in the EIU's Global 2022 Liveability Index earlier in 2022, Sydney has nabbed a less sought-after mantle, after sitting in the same spot back in 2018. Again, it's an exxy time all-round in general, with the survey noting that prices worldwide, in the 172 major cities surveyed, have shot up 8.1 percent year on year on average (in local currencies). That's the biggest jump in the 20 years that the EIU has digital data for. The place on the planet that'll trouble your pennies the most? This year, there's two: New York and Singapore. The pair of cities tied for the top spot, with New York earning the unwanted honours for the first time ever, but Singapore taking the crown for the eighth time in a decade. The two places bump down 2021 leader Tel Aviv to third, with Hong Kong and Los Angeles then sharing fourth spot. The Swiss cities of Zurich and Geneva came in at six and seven respectively, while San Francisco sits at eighth, Paris at ninth and Copenhagen shares tenth place with Sydney. Yes, this means that Sydney is more expensive to live in at the moment than London and Tokyo — two cities that aren't considered cheap at all. In fact, Tokyo dropped down 24 spots to sit in 37th place. As per The Guardian, Sydney's rise from 14th in 2021 to tenth this year isn't the only upward movement among Australia's cities. Melbourne leapt from 16th to 15th, and Brisbane from 36th to 32nd. For further details about the 2022 Worldwide Cost of Living survey, head to The Economist Intelligence Unit's website.
When the John Wick franchise first burst onto screens back in 2014, it taught the world an important lesson. Whether he's avenging his beloved puppy, repaying past debts or avoiding a contract on his life, there's little that the formidable assassin wouldn't do. So far across the original film, 2017's John Wick: Chapter 2 and 2019's John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, the character played so commandingly by Keanu Reeves hasn't had to ride a roller coaster all day to either get revenge or escape his enemies. But, if he had to, we're certain he would. We doubt that idea will form part of the next two John Wick movies — because, yes, two more flicks have already been announced — but combining the determined hitman and a theme park ride is definitely going to be on the agenda next year. At Motiongate Dubai, patrons will soon be able to take a spin on the John Wick: Open Contract roller coaster. We assume that dogs won't be allowed on when it opens at a yet-to-be-revealed date early in 2021, but no one should tell the titular figure that. If you're keen to add the attraction to your must-visit list once international travel starts returning to normal, John Wick: Open Contract will run across a 310-metre track, and hit speeds of up to 64 kilometres per hour. You'll start by stepping inside The Continental, the hotel safe haven for assassins seen in the franchise. Then, you'll have two choices according to Variety: help John Wick or chase after him. Either way, you'll be zipping both forwards and backwards, and doing freestyle spins. If the roller coaster can mimic even a little of the film franchise's kinetic, balletic action scenes, everyone strapping themselves in will be in for quite the ride. In fact, it'll hopefully have you exclaiming a Keanu-style "whoa!" several times. Motiongate Dubai will also welcome Now You See Me: High Roller, which is based on the Now You See Me movies. And, both of its new rides will join existing attractions inspired by everything from Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Hotel Transylvania to Ghostbusters, The Smurfs and The Hunger Games. If you need a reminder of just how frenetic the John Wick flicks are, check out the trailer for Parabellum below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BULB0aX4lA John Wick: Open Contract will open at Motiongate Dubai in early 2021. To keep an eye out for further details, visit the park's website.
At two of the world's most-prestigious film festivals, prizes are awarded to the best queer movies on the lineup. Not all cinephiles can attend Cannes and Berlinale, so Australia's Mardi Gras Film Festival is bringing LGBTQIA+ flicks from both 2024 fests Down Under in 2025. Romania's Three Kilometres to the End of the World won the Queer Palm. The Istanbul-set Crossing took home the Teddy Jury Prize in Berlin. They're both highlights of the just-announced MGFF program, which has a date with Sydney cinemas in February — and boasts a roster of almost 150 flicks. The movie-loving component of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, MGFF wants audiences to enjoy its feast of LGBTQIA+ films on the big screen if they can. The bulk of the lineup will hit picture palaces across Thursday, February 13–Thursday, February 27, at venues including Event Cinemas George Street and Hurstville, Dendy Newtown, Ritz Cinemas Randwick, the State Library of NSW and The Rocks Laneway Cinema. For those who can't make it in-person, there's also a small-screen component, streaming a selection of titles on-demand nationwide from Friday, February 28–Monday, March 10. If you're hitting up movie theatres, award-winners aren't Mardi Gras Film Festival's only drawcards. On opening night, coming-of-age tale Young Hearts will start the proceedings with a story of romance in rural Belgium, while French standout Somewhere in Love is doing the honours to close out the physical event. In-between, viewers have 72 sessions to choose from, complete with the world premiere of In Ashes from Denmark-based filmmaker Ludvig C Poulsen; South Korea's Love in the Big City; the Alan Cumming (Schmigadoon!)-starring Drive Back Home; and Ponyboi, which features Australian actor and The White Lotus favourite Murray Bartlett (The Last of Us). Or, catch Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, which tells of its namesake's tale from her 50s Nashville success through to disappearing from the public for four decades; Aussie effort Heart of a Man, about a closeted Indigenous boxer; period drama Lilies Not for Me with Fionn O'Shea (Masters of the Air) and Robert Aramayo (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Duino, a semi-autobiographical effort about an Argentinian filmmaker working on a movie about his first love; and the Venus Xtravaganza-focused I'm Your Venus, which is a must for fans of Paris Is Burning. That's just a taste of the program, which spans Aussie festive slasher Carnage for Christmas, Nina Hoss (Tár) in Foreign Language, a documentary about Ani De Franco, Brazilian drama Streets of Gloria and more, too. Blasts from the past come courtesy of a free screening of The Birdcage, plus a 20th-anniversary session of Imagine Me & You (featuring Lena Headey long before Game of Thrones), with both showing under the stars. If you'd like to don a habit, croon tunes in a cinema or both, Sister Act is getting the sing-along treatment. And from the 70s, Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers — which is one of the first-ever trans-led feature films — is making its Sydney premiere. Cabaret is also on the bill, a fitting choice given that documentary Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story is on the lineup as well — gifting Liza Minnelli obsessives a double feature. Movie buffs eager to check out the online program from their couch can look forward to the aforementioned Drive Back Home and Heart of the Man; a doco about activist Sally Gearhart; Unusually Normal's factual portrait of a family that includes two lesbian grandmothers, four lesbian mothers and one lesbian granddaughter; and a blend of fiction and reality with 2024 Sundance Special Jury Award-winner Desire Lines, among other titles. A number of shorts programs will be available to stream, too, with packages devoted to Asia Pacific, transgender and gender diverse, queer horror, queer documentaries, sapphic and more. Black Doves' Ben Whishaw pops up in one of the gay shorts, while Hacks' Megan Stalter appears in one of the films in the comedy lineup. 2025's MGFF marks Festival Director Lisa Rose's last at the helm. "The film industry has changed dramatically throughout my time with Queer Screen. The volume of LGBTQIA+ content we see, as well as how and where we see it, continues to evolve," she notes. "Yet the sense of belonging that comes when the lights dim and a room full of queer people experience a queer story together remains a constant. Even when a film has the audience divided, the feeling of community that envelops us is unifying." Queer Screen's 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival 2025 runs from Thursday, February 13–Thursday, February 27 at venues around Sydney — and online nationally from Friday, February 28–Monday, March 10. For more information, visit the festival's website.
Parties, art, music, performances, food, stripping bare for a swim to celebrate the winter solstice: that's the Dark Mofo way, and so is weaving its anything-can-happen vibe, its beloved regular highlights, and its array of expectation-exploding shows and events into a ritual as much as a festival. The Tasmanian winter arts fest is a place to commune, with attendees and with its boundary-pushing program alike. Challenge, confrontation, evoking a strong response: Dark Mofo is a place for that, too. The festival sat out 2024, spending the time to regroup for the future ahead instead. Late that year, it announced its return for 2025, however. The full program will be unveiled at the beginning of April, but organisers have already announced the first new work. When attendees look at Nathan Maynard's We threw them down the rocks where they had thrown the sheep, they won't forget it. Set to premiere at Dark Mofo 2025 — which runs from Thursday, June 5–Sunday, June 15, 2025, except for the Nude Solstice Swim on Saturday, June 21 — the new commission by the multidisciplinary Trawlwoolway artist will take over a Hobart CBD basement. Inside, expect a commentary on cultural theft and erasure via Maynard's mass installation, using sheep heads to make a statement. "Languishing in museums and their storerooms are the remains of ancestors of First Nations people from all around our globe. They have been stripped of identity and, without consent, treated like specimens for study and scientific inquiry," explains the artist. "We threw them down the rocks where they had thrown the sheep speaks to the sadistic power white institutions flex when they deny First Nations people the humanity of putting our ancestor's remains to rest in the physical and the spiritual." When Dark Mofo's 2025 comeback was first revealed, so were the returns of a number of its beloved festivities: the aforementioned Nude Solstice Swim; Night Mass, which fills downtown Hobart with art and music; culinary highlight Winter Feast, which popped up in 2024 despite the festival around it taking a break; and the Ogoh-Ogoh. If you're wondering if the world missed Dark Mofo, the response to Night Mass alone so far says it all. When 6000 pre-release tickets were made available late in 2024, they were snapped up in less than four hours. "Taking the year off in 2024 was a difficult decision, but Dark Mofo is back with renewed energy and focus, ready to deliver an enormous program spanning two packed weeks this June," notes Dark Mofo's new Artistic Director Chris Twite. "It was encouraging to sell over 6000 Night Mass tickets in less than four hours during our pre-release late last year, indicating that demand for the festival remains strong. We are hoping for a similar response when we release the full program on the 4th April." Back in November, Twite gave a few more hints at what's in store this year. "Dark Mofo is back. For our 11th chapter, once more we'll bathe the city in red and deliver two weeks of inspiring art, music and ritual," he advised when announcing the event's 2025 dates. "Night Mass is a beast, and this year it will evolve once more — worming its way through the city with new spaces, performances and experiences to dance, explore or crawl your way through." Dark Mofo returns from Thursday, June 5–Sunday, June 15, 2025 and for the Nude Solstice Swim on Saturday, June 21. Head to the festival's website for further details — and check back here on Friday, April 4, 2025 for the full lineup. We threw them down the rocks where they had thrown the sheep images: Jesse Hunniford, 2025. Image courtesy of Dark Mofo 2025. Night Mass images: Jesse Hunniford and Andy Hatton, 2023, courtesy of Dark Mofo 2023. Winter Feast images: Jesse Hunniford, 2023, courtesy of Dark Mofo 2023. Nude Solstice Swim images: Rémi Chauvin, 2023, courtesy of Dark Mofo 2023.
Sydney bookshop Kinokuniya has a wealth of summer page-turners, new cookbooks, art and design hardbacks and a huge range of manga and anime titles. It's where you might go to pick up a gift that has the power to transport you to other worlds, or to inspire you into action. English Books Assistant Manager Marianne has worked at the CBD bookstore on and off for 14 years. "Time flies when you've got a lot of reading to do," she jokes, and one of the titles she couldn't put down this year was Carrie Tiffany's Exploded View. "Everything about it — the mood, the style, the way the plot unfolds — was so unexpected," she says. "I found it literally breathtaking at times," says the avid reader. Which is why we've asked Marianne for her help. In partnership with Kinokuniya, we asked Marianne for her top recommendations for the types of people we all seem to have on our gift lists this year. Take inspiration from her tips below. THE ONE FOR YOUR FILM BUFF FRIEND Accidentally Wes Anderson by Wally Koval ($39.99) "Wes Anderson films have that distinct look we know and love, one of faded-grandeur and pop pastel colours that seems almost too vivid, unique and meticulously constructed to be real," says Marianne. Wally Koval's first book comes from the Instagram account of the same name; "it travels to every continent to tell the extraordinary and unexpected true stories behind more than 200 stunning Anderson-esque locations," she says. "It's perfect for Anderson fans and thwarted travellers alike." THE ONE FOR YOUR FOODIE FRIEND To Asia, With Love by Hetty McKinnon ($39.99) "To Asia, With Love is Kino-fave Hetty McKinnon's homecoming," says Marianne. "It's a joyous return to the nurturing flavours and meals of her childhood and a celebration of the possibilities of modern Asian cooking". In the 2020 cookbook, the internationally renowned food writer takes us through how to make buttery miso Vegemite noodles, stir-fried salt and vinegar potatoes, cacio e pepe udon noodles and banh mi turned into a salad. "Hetty is a fave for a very good reason." THE ONE FOR COMIC BOOK FANS Mujirushi: The Sign of Dreams by Naoki Urasawa ($29.99) "When life gives you lemons, follow a chatty crow and a mysterious symbol — isn't that how the saying goes?," says Marianne. This 2020 paperback by award-winning author Naoki Urasawa follows protagonist Kamoda on a journey from Tokyo to France, where a painting heist "might just change his fate". Marianne reveals it has a tongue-in-cheek cameo and endearing characters along the way; "it's Urasawa condensed into one sweet volume". THE ONE FOR THE PLANT NERD Plantopedia: The Definitive Guide to House Plants by Lauren Camilleri and Sophia Kaplan ($59.99) "One of my lockdown projects was to keep a fiddle leaf fig alive and thriving in my living room — his name is Jean-Michel, and he's doing fine," says Marianne. She's not the only one who adopted a home jungle this year, and Plantopedia, the third book from Sydney's Leaf Supply, is the definitive guide to understanding how to maintain happy, healthy houseplants no matter what space you're keeping them in. "It has more than 130 plant profiles and detailed care information including troubleshooting tips and tricks," she says. "It's also a gorgeous book to pore over as you dream of growing your plant brood." THE ONE FOR YOUR ARTY FRIEND Vincent Namatjira: The Royal Tour by Vincent Namatjira and Tony Albert ($40) "In this debut artist book from the 2020 Archibald Prize winner, Vincent Namatjira places himself front and centre in various historical royal occasions by painting directly onto the pages of commemorative royal photobooks he found in op-shops in Alice Springs," says Marianne. "The works that populate The Royal Tour are irreverent, political, and darkly funny, wrangling history and telling truths with a subversive, cheeky grin." Which is exactly the humorous work we've come to expect from the 37-year-old artist, who took the top gong at this year's portrait prize for his depiction of sporting star Adam Goodes. THE ONE FOR YOUR BEACH-READING BUDDY Earthlings by Sayaka Murata ($29.99) "Young Natsuki, who might be a witch, or an alien from another planet, and her cousin Yuu, spend their summers in the wild mountains, dreaming of other worlds," tells Marianne. "When a terrible sequence of events threatens the two children, they make a promise: survive, no matter what". The latest fiction from the author of Convenience Store Woman is her pick for a summer page-turner this year. "It's definitely my strangest and funniest read of the year," she says. "It is perfect for devouring on summer afternoons, and then sharing with friends. You'll want to watch their reactions, as well as compare notes, when they're done." THE ONE FOR YOUR MINDFUL-LIVING MATE High Grade Living by Jacqui Lewis and Arran Russell ($49.99) "After the year we've had, authors Jacqui Lewis and Arran Russell invite us to come back to ourselves with mindfulness, creativity, and intention — goodness knows, we need it," says Marianne. She's picked out this hardback release for your friends who are into yoga, meditation and Marie Kondo. "This beautiful book examines how to audit, edit and refine your life and your space to reflect who you really are. Filled with gorgeous photography and sleek design, High Grade Living is the perfect aesthetic and spiritual inspiration for the mystics and meditators in your life." THE ONE FOR YOUR GO-GETTING COLLEAGUE Passion Purpose Profit by Fiona Killackey ($29.99) This is for those work BFs who are always talking about their side-hustle — the jobs they wish they could ditch their current ones to pursue. Passion, Purpose, Profit is a practical guide and workbook covering everything from idea-generating to hiring a great team, says Marianne. Author Fiona Killackey maps out how to develop a clear understanding of business ideas without creating financial and emotional stress. "It has step-by-step tips and templates, as well as case studies of successful creative business owners. It will have us all empowered and excited to make bank with our ideas," she says. Perfect for your aspirational pals. Find more excellent gift ideas at Kinokuniya this summer.
IKEA's blue-and-yellow Frakta bag has been a shop staple for 30 years. It has helped carry your purchases of (too many) tea light candles, has been an integral part of moving house, has been used to make everything from masks to boots and has even inspired a $2000 Balenciaga knockoff. And now, it's getting a (temporary) new colourway. IKEA has just dropped a limited-edition rainbow version of the instantly recognisable, and super versatile bag, and it's available at all Aussie stores. The multi-coloured Kvanting — with six stripes of purple, blue, green, yellow orange and red, and yellow handles — was first released in the US at the start of June to coincide with Pride Month, with 100 percent of profits from the bag going to the Human Rights Campaign. In Australia, IKEA has decided to make a one-off $20,000 donation to ACON, a NSW organisation that works in HIV prevention and LGBTQI+ health, instead. https://www.instagram.com/p/ByLAEnWAJh9/ Kvanting is available to purchase in-store at all Aussie IKEAs now for just $1.99. It'll be available online from August, too. Kvanting is now available for $1.99 at all IKEA stores across Australia. To find your closest, head to the IKEA website.
A new art gallery has launched in Darlinghurst with the goal of fostering a space for emerging artists in Sydney. Creative studio Babekühl has opened the site on Oxford Street, taking over the former building that fetish store Sax Fetish called home. Babekühl (pronounced babe-cool) has previously been at the helm of a range of multi-disciplinary art projects, including creating music videos for Justin Bieber and Free Nationals, art installations in The Clock Hotel and animating electronic duo Bag Raiders' national tour. The creative collective is now sharing the love, opening a space for young, talented artists to exhibit their work in the heart of Sydney. "I grew up at a time where Darlinghurst, and especially Oxford Street, was the cultural centre of Sydney, but we've been watching it lose some of its energy in recent year," said Bebkühl co-founder Billy Ryan. "We're not interested in gentrifying the area; we're here from a cultural stewardship point of view." The gallery is hidden below a street-level retail space run in collaboration with Sydney record label Motorik. The store features designer vintage clothes, accessories, art, and a collection of local and niche electronic vinyl records. Motorik and Babekühl worked on the shop, gallery and event space throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, transforming it from the basement of the fetish shop. [caption id="attachment_790663" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Billy Ryan[/caption] Since opening on Saturday, November 14, the gallery has been exhibiting Ryan's series Bloomscapes. The series, shot in Shanghai in 2019, captures an expansive cityscape through infrared photography that turns natural trees and shrubs into a wondrous mass of pink reminiscent of an alien algae bloom. A short film and an ambient soundtrack accompany the photography in the humble exhibition space. Bloomscapes will run until Wednesday, November 25, when it will make way for Gnurra Gooah Yewi (South East Wind), a collaborative exhibition between Dale Collier, Tim Buchanan and Wanjun Carpenter. The gallery is also currently running a callout for artists and professionals that want to use the space. If you're looking for a space to exhibit your art or want to check out what Babekühl has done, you can head to the collective's website. Bebekühl Gallery operates out of 110a Oxford St, Darlinghurst. It is open Tuesday–Friday, 12pm–6pm and Saturday–Sunday 10am–6pm. Images: Billy Ryan
It's safe to say Gami Chicken & Beer has secured its status as one of Australia's go-to fried chicken joints, slinging its signature, Korean-style chook from 23 locations across the city. After opening its seventeenth Melbourne spot, in The Glen Shopping Centre, and third Sydney store on Market Street in the CBD earlier this year, Gami is about to launch its first (super-spicy) limited-edition flavour. And, to celebrate, Gami is giving Aussies a few very good reasons to jump on board, handing out a whopping 250 pieces of its boneless fried chicken with the new sauce at every one of its stores — for free. These new fried chicken morsels come lathered in mala — a super-spicy Chinese sauce packed with sichuan peppercorns (yep, the numbing ones), chilli peppers, soybean paste and spices. As always, the chicken is also RSPCA-approved and also rocks Gami's signature blend of 17 herbs and spices. You can try the mala chicken for free from 5.30pm today, Friday, November 29, at all stores. Only the first 250 people will get a free taste, though, so don't sleep on it. Once you're hooked, you're probably going to want to schedule a return visit pretty quick, to try other Gami favourites like the chicken spare ribs, the vegetarian chicken and the aptly named Potato Heaven, featuring three layers of cheesy potato goodness — all paired with ice cold beers, of course. If you want more of the mala sauce, it'll also be available — for a limited time — with stir-fried chicken and tteok bok ki (Korean rice cakes), as well as the fried chicken. Gami will give away 250 pieces of mala boneless fried chicken from 5.30pm on Friday, November 29. Find your closest here.
Is your wardrobe overflowing with clothes that you don't wear? We've all been there, and we've all been too busy to do anything about it. Through its op shops, Australian Red Cross finds a new home for your pre-loved outfits, shoes and accessories, with proceeds going towards its charity efforts — but we all know that wanting to donate your old threads is one thing and finding the time to do it is another. That's why Australian Red Cross has once again partnered with Uber for its annual Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive. When it launched in 2018, it collected over 43,500 kilograms of clothing in that first year alone, which saw clothing items worth an estimated $800,000 donated. And you'd best take the drive part literally, as the ride-sharing service will actually drive to your house, pick up your unwanted clothes and accessories, and deliver them to Red Cross Shops. Even better: it's not only super easy to take part, but it's free as well. Sydneysiders just make sure you're ready between 10am–4pm on Saturday, November 19. Once you've bagged up all of your old bits and pieces (items you'd happily give your best friend, and no toys, books, furniture or electrical objects) into a bundle that weighs no more than 20 kilograms, it's all incredibly simple. Open the Uber app during that six-hour window, then find the 'package' option. After that, you need to click 'send a package', enter "Red Cross Clothing Drive" as the destination, and select one of the Red Cross Clothing Drive locations displayed An Uber driver will then stop outside your house, meaning that you just need to take your preloved goods out to their car. Voila, you've cleared out your closet and you've helped folks in need, all with the tap of a button.
Calling all sneakerheads: you can get your kicks while looking at kicks at Australia's new Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street exhibition. Making its debut Down Under, this wide-ranging showcase has arrived at Gold Coast's HOTA Gallery, where it's making its only Aussie stop. It's always a good idea to wear trainers when you're walking around a gallery, but they're obviously the only footwear that'll do here. First staged by The Design Museum in London, Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street pays tribute to the footwear's origins and evolution — through sports to fashion, surveying iconic brands and names, and obviously touching upon basketballers Chuck Taylor and Michael Jordan's relationships with the shoes. In total, more than 200 sneakers are on display at exhibition's six-level Australian base, with HOTA giving over its walls and halls to shoes, shoes and more shoes for the summer of 2023–24. Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street started on on Saturday, November 25, and marks the site's first major design exhibition since opening in 2021. While a hefty amount of trainers feature, the entire showcase includes 400-plus items. The other objects at Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street span photos, videos, posters, artworks and process material, all helping to explore the journey that the footwear style has taken in its design and culturally. Attendees can learn more about sneakers that were initially made specifically for getting sweaty, which is where the Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars and Nike Airs come in (and, with the latter, to add to a year that's already seen the movie Air step through the story behind them). Also featuring: the shoes that've become cultural symbols (such as the Vans Half Cab and Reebok InstaPump Fury), future advancements in making kicks (as seen with Biorealize for Puma) and big-name collaborations (Jordan, of course, plus Run-DMC and more). From there, visitors can check out sneakers that've made a splash on the runway (Comme des Carçons and A-Cold-Wall*, for instance), find out more about plant-based sneakers (such as Veja and Native Shoes) and customisable kicks (as Helen Kirkum and Alexander Taylor are doing), and dive into celebrity endorsements (Travis Scott with Nike, Pharell for Adidas and the like). Laid out in chapters called 'STYLE' and 'PERFORMANCE', the exhibition's first part goes big on aesthetics and its second on the act of making the best trainers — covering Chuck Taylor's basketball clinics, sneaker culture in New York City and everything that's happened since. Also, Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street's Aussie run isn't forgetting its location, adding rare homegrown shoes and collaborations to the mix. Remember the Nike Air Presto that the Australian Olympic team wore at Sydney 2000? You'll see it here. The same with the New Balance 997.5 Tassie Tiger and BespokeIND's Melbourne Rules, with the latter made for the 2016 AFL grand final. Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street is the Gold Coast venue's second huge Australian-exclusive in 2023, following Pop Masters: Art From the Mugrabi Collection, New York and its focus on Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring from February–June. In 2024, the site will welcome Italian Renaissance Alive, the latest multi-sensory art experience from the folks behind Van Gogh Alive and Monet in Paris, giving both locals and tourists alike plenty of reasons to drop by. Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street opened on Saturday, November 25 at HOTA Gallery, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise Gold Coast — head to the exhibition's website for further details and tickets. Images: Milk and Honey Creative.
Maybe you loved Knives Out, rightfully so. Perhaps you adore Agatha Christie's books, and couldn't watch the latest big-screen versions of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile fast enough. Or you might've become a true-crime podcasting obsessive thanks to Serial and found yourself instantly hooked. Whichever category fits — and perhaps several of them do — it's likely that you're a murder-mystery fan. We all are. And, it's just as likely that you adore Only Murders in the Building, the true-crime and true-crime podcasting comedy that proved one of 2021's surprises and delights. We're never too far away from a new murder-mystery in some shape or form, of course, and the second season of Only Murders in the Building knows it — because it's tasking its NYC neighbours-turned-sleuths (and true-crime podcasters) with investigating a second killing. This time, though, the trio of residents in the fictional Arconia in New York are suspects, and they're also the subjects of a competing podcast. That's what the just-dropped new trailer for the show's second season teases, following on from an initial sneak peek a couple of months back. If you missed the first season in 2021, Only Murders in the Building takes a great idea and turns it into a breezy murder-mystery gem. If you've ever listened to a true-crime podcast, decided that you'd make a great Serial host yourself and started wondering how you'd ever follow in Sarah Koenig's footsteps, then this is definitely the series for you. The show focuses three New Yorkers who basically follow that same process. Here, actor Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated), theatre producer Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Schmigadoon!) and the much-younger Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez, The Dead Don't Die) are all addicted to a podcast hosted by the fictional Cinda Canning (Tina Fey, Girls5eva). They find themselves unexpectedly bonding over it, in fact. And, when someone turns up dead in their building, they decide that they can sleuth their way through the case by getting talking themselves. That's how the first season panned out. Now, Charles-Haden, Oliver and Mabel are weathering the fallout from the last batch of episodes. Complicating their efforts in season two are a trio of factors: their public implication in the death in question; that new podcast about them and this murder; and the suspicions of their neighbours, who think they're guilty. Exactly how that'll play out won't be unveiled until Tuesday, June 28, when Only Murders in the Building returns — but you don't need to be an amateur detective to know that it's bound to be both amusing and twisty. Whatever happens, both Cara Delevingne and Amy Schumer are involved, with the pair joining the cast as guest stars. Check out the latest trailer for Only Murders in the Building season two below: Only Murders in the Building's second season will start streaming Down Under via Star on Disney+ on Tuesday, June 28. Read our full review of the show's first season.
While the boilermaker might be the combination of choice for those looking to mix their grains, it's not the only way to get a fix of your favourite brew with a tasty dram. Until the end of June, Glaswegian whisky Auchentoshan (pronounced ock-un-tosh-un, for the phonetically cautious) is steering this boozy union to a clever new place, reimagining the age-old Scottish 'hauf an' a hauf', as a refreshing cocktail for the discerning scotch-sippers of today. Until the end of June, a number of joints around Sydney will be serving an Auchentoshan & Ale, which is not a beer, not a whisky, not even a boilermaker, but something refreshingly different, says brand ambassador Michael Nouri. Smooth, uniquely triple-distilled and a great whisky for cocktails, Auchentoshan American Oak complements a blend of pale ale, fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, making one warming, yet refreshing drink. It's a new way of drinking two birds with one stone — that's how the saying goes, right? Find out where you can sip your own Auchentoshan & Ale in Sydney below. PAPA GEDE'S, CBD This CBD cocktail bar takes inspiration from the deep south of the US of A, from the witch doctors of the bayou, and offers potions and elixirs that range from rum-based tiki drinks, to refreshing juleps and absinthe mixers. With an extensive and elaborate cocktail menu, adding one more is no chore for the expert drink slingers. NORSK DOR, CBD A fairly new player on the scene, Pitt St's Norsk Dor takes its inspiration from the Scandinavian north, creating a menu that draws from Norse tradition. The bartenders are used to interesting combos, with drinks on the menu like their Danske Delight combining tequila, beetroot and citrus. And considering the warming property of whisky, the Auchentoshan & Ale slots right in with the cocktails at this cosy underground bar. SODA FACTORY, SURRY HILLS One of Sydney's favourite party haunts, Soda Factory also boasts a cocktail list that expertly twists classic drinks into fresh, new combinations. Grab a brew and ale combo while soaking in the live tunes that this bar-behind-the-hotdog-shop so lovingly provides. BITTER PHEW, DARLINGHURST No stranger to a variation of delicious drops, Darlinghurst's Bitter Phew boasts twelve taps of rotating brews and a healthy smattering of whiskies from all around the world. These expert cocktail slingers know exactly how to craft a drink with perfect balance, so the Auchentoshan & Ale is in safe hands. WEBSTER'S BAR, NEWTOWN After recently revamping their style to reflect the original hotel, Webster's in Newtown has redesigned their role in Sydney's whisky scene, as well. The cocktail bar on the middle level boasts one of the biggest collections of whiskies in town, and the cocktail list shows they know their way around a mixed drink or two. Learn more about why whisky and beer go so well together, and get yourself down to one of these Melbourne haunts for an Auchentoshan & Ale.
If Twin Peaks can return after 25 years, then holding out hope for Mindhunter's comeback eight years since its second season remains perfectly reasonable. According to star Holt McCallany (Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning) — the Bill Tench to Jonathan Groff's (Étoile) Holden Ford — there might be reason to be optimistic. He's shared the tidbit that David Fincher (The Killer) could continue the acclaimed serial-killer series, but as three movies rather than a new season. Mindhunter debuted in 2017, then released its second season two in 2019 — both of which were exceptional. Since then, however, viewers keen for more of the show's look into the origins and operations of the FBI's Behavioural Science Unit haven't been showered with good news. Netflix let the cast's options expire in early 2020. In 2023, Fincher himself said that there'd be no more. But McCallany now notes that the door to reviving Mindhunter is open, even if only slightly. "I had a meeting with David Fincher in his office a few months ago, and he said to me that there is a chance that it may come back as three two-hour movies," said the actor in an interview with CBR. "But I think it's just a chance," he continued. "I know there are writers that are working but, you know, David has to be happy with scripts." Fincher not only executive produced and directed episodes of Mindhunter for Netflix, but did the same on House of Cards — and on Love, Death & Robots as well. His last two movies, Mank and The Killer, were also made for the streaming platform. Next up on his filmography is a follow-up to Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, as penned by QT, directed by Fincher, starring Brad Pitt (Wolfs) as Cliff Booth and backed by Netflix. Both as a true-crime series and a streaming series in general, Mindhunter has always stood out from the crowd. Combine Fincher, the serial-killer domain that he dug into earlier in Seven and Zodiac, non-fiction book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit and a whole heap of real-life cases, and you get the greatest show that the streamer has ever made. Its focus: the folks who interview mass murderers to understand how they think, then use the learnings to help stop other killings, with the series drawing on its factual source material to dramatise the Behavioural Science Unit's beginnings. In its first two seasons, McCallany and Groff starred alongside Anna Torv (Territory) — and IRL notorious figures such as Ed Kemper, David Berkowitz and Charles Manson were part of the narrative, with help from Cameron Britton (Mickey 17), Oliver Cooper (Burt) and Damon Herriman's (The Bondsman) performances. There's obviously no word yet as to when Mindhunter could return if it does return. Check out the trailer for Mindhunter's first and second seasons below: Mindhunter's first and second seasons are available to stream via Netflix. We'll update you about any Mindhunter movies if and when more details are revealed. Via CBR. Images: Merrick Morton/Netflix.
Spend a day in the country without leaving the city when Rouse Hill House and Farm celebrates the autumn harvest. For five refreshing hours on Sunday, May 31, you’ll be able to wander around the 19th-century property, trying tasty fare from an array of producers and checking out free demos and talks. The planned stallholders reflect the produce and recipes of the time. They include Cornersmith, the Marrickville cafe and picklery where the focus is on local, seasonal produce and small batches; Bilpin Bush Honey, where the honey is sourced from flora growing in the mountains around Bilpin and the Kurrajong Valley; Feather and Bone, who’ll be roasting a sustainable pig on a spit and firing up a barbecue; Sweetness Patisserie from Epping, famous for its gourmet marshmallows in 36 flavours; Pepe Saya, fermenter and churner of Australian cultured butter; T Totaler, who’ll have its innovative tea blends on the brew; and stacks more. Admission is free and no bookings are required. You're encouraged to pull together your own picnic from the goods on offer. Alternatively, tick off your shopping list and have a cook up worthy of the lord of the manor later.
Pecans, pretzels, chocolate chip cookie crumbs, both chocolate and caramel syrups, whipped cream, cherries and rainbow sprinkles — and no less than 16 scoops of icecream. 'MUUUUURICA. Yours for a cheeky $100, the 'Kitchen Sink' sundae is the latest monstrosity from New York City joint Bubby's High Line. Apparently this mountainous beast's supposed to serve eight to ten hungry humans (but more likely to be ordered by groups of four max), this behemoth confection is next level indulgence and almost guaranteed cardiac arrest. But wait, no sparklers? If you're not feeling the whole 16-scooper, there's a $50 'Little Kitchen Sink' with half the scoops. That's still 50 nuggets for basically ice cream and a cute little flag. Seriously, if I'm going to throw down a pineapple for an out-of-the-punnet dessert, it'd better be scientifically-crafted into a freakin' Messina mushroom. Disney World's not going to be happy with Bubby's High Line, as the theme park's Beaches and Cream parlour has been churning out a colossal and literal 'Kitchen Sink' sundae since the '90s. These are the ingredients for Disney's WTF best-seller: ½ cup fudge topping, warmed ½ cup butterscotch topping, warmed ½ cup peanut butter topping, warmed 1 medium banana 1 cinnamon spice cupcake, quartered 1 angel food cupcake, quartered 2 scoops vanilla ice cream 2 scoops chocolate ice cream 2 scoops strawberry ice cream 1 scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream 1 scoop coffee ice cream 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup ¼ cup marshmallow crème ¼ cup strawberry topping ¼ cup pineapple topping 1 can dairy whipped topping 1 brownie, quartered 1 regular-sized chocolate bar, quartered 4 chocolate cookies with cream filling 1 tablespoon sliced toasted almonds 1 tablespoon dark and white chocolate shavings 1 tablespoon chocolate cookies with cream filling, crushed 1 tablespoon chopped jellied orange slices (approximately 2 large slices) 1 tablespoon milk chocolate chip morsels 1 tablespoon peanut butter chip morsels 1 tablespoon chocolate sprinkles 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles ½ cup drained maraschino cherries America aren't the only ones crafting gargantuan messes on the dessert menu. Max Brenner's recent menu change includes the 'Chocolate Mess to Share', a nostalgic party served in a nanna-like cake tin (that comes with a cooking spatula 'serving tool') in which devil's food cake, about five scoops of ice cream, whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles and that MB chocolate sauce hang out waiting for you to make poor (read: top notch) life choices. Or if you're into the oversized, Big Ol' Mess dessert industry, order anything from Paddington's beloved Micky's Cafe. Their 'sundae cake' can be made to order for bookings of over six (just six people needed) for just $5 pp. Devour layer upon layer of meringue, ice cream, rocky road, strawberries, housemade honeycomb, their infamous chocolate fudge. Eh. Screw it. Via Grub Street.
What do you get the Gelato Messina fan who has everything, including a freezer filled with ice cream, plus gelato-inspired candles, lip balm, lube and body wash, too? The perfect kicks to don while eating gelato, thinking about gelato, going out to get gelato and wishing they had more gelato, of course. While Messina already has its own clothing line, now the sweet-treat brand is launching its first-ever range of sneakers. And, like chain's wild and wonderful gelato flavours, these shoes are a limited-edition special. After fellow Sydney-born dessert chain Tokyo Lamington teamed up with the artists at Customs Den on its own footwear earlier in 2023, Messina has now gone and done the same. This time, pairs of Nike Dunk Highs have been given a handpainted makeover, which is never a small feat. With these gelato-hued shoes, each set took between eight and ten hours' work. Gelato is obviously a wide-ranging theme — as Messina fans know, the variety of flavours that the chain scoops up is limited only by its team's imaginations — so these sneakers hone in on one of its favourites. If you adore the brand's dulce de leche gelato, as everyone who tastes it does, then you'll spot why these new shoes feature caramel and cream tones. Yes, Messina's Argentinean caramelised milk, which it makes in-house, is the colour inspiration for these multi-tone kicks. Also featured on the shoes: Messina cartoons and the company's name, so everyone will know why you're sporting some truly rare footwear. Only 100 pairs are available, all numbered from one to 100, and they unsurprisingly don't come cheap. You'll pay $700 to show your love for Messina, gelato and dulce de leche on your feet — and every one will be made bespoke for each customer. Custom Den is taking pre-sale orders now until Wednesday, May 31, unless they sell out earlier. Once you've nabbed yourself a pair, you can expect them to be delivered within six-to-eight weeks. For more information about Gelato Messina's sneakers, or to buy a pair, hit up the brand's website.
June is here, so is the cold weather — and usually the Sydney Film Festival also would be in full swing right about now. But in 2021, SFF is unleashing its cinematic wonders a little later than normal. That doesn't mean that you can't spend its traditional time slot thinking about all the things that you're going to watch between Wednesday, August 18–Sunday, August 29, though. Also a bit later than usual, SFF has just announced its first program sneak peek for 2021, ahead of the full lineup drop in July. The short version: even based on the list revealed already, your eyeballs are going to be busy at this year's 12-day fest. So far, the event has named 22 movies that'll help it make its proper return to cinemas after a two-year gap. The 2020 event moved online due to the pandemic — and when a summer season brought cinephiles back to the glorious State Theatre in January, it only screened a handful of movies. If these first 2021 titles are anything to go by, film buffs are in for quite the treat come August. Leading the charge: New Zealand's The Justice of Bunny King, which stars Essie Davis (Babyteeth) and Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit); Riders of Justice, a revenge-fuelled Danish comedy led by the inimitable Mads Mikkelsen (Another Round); 2020 Sundance hit Zola, which is based on a lengthy 148-tweet Twitter thread; 2020 Berlinale Golden Bear winner There Is No Evil, a searing Iranian drama about the death penalty; and Undine, the alluring and beguiling latest film from German auteur Christian Petzold. Festival director Nashen Moodley has also programmed documentary The Kids, which sees Australian filmmaker Eddie Martin (All This Mayhem) explore Larry Clark's 1995 film Kids; climate change doco The Magnitude of All Things, which includes Greta Thunberg chatting about the topic; Shoplifters of the World, a drama about a fan of The Smiths trying to cope with the band's breakup; and three-time Sundance 2021 winner Hive, the first film to ever win the fest's Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Directing Award. Or there's also the tense and engaging Night of the Kings, which takes place in a rough Côte d'Ivoire prison; The Beta Test, a Hollywood-set horror flick that's been getting comparisons to The Twilight Zone; and the Taika Waititi-executive produced sci-fi film Night Raiders. And, on the local front, Wash My Soul in the River's Flow hones its focus on Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, following the couple as they prepare for 2004's Kura Tungar — Songs from the River — a collaboration between the First Nation artists, Paul Grabowsky and the Australian Art Orchestra. Plus, Step into Paradise explores the collaboration and friendship between Aussie fashion designers Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson. The 2021 Sydney Film Festival will run between Wednesday, August 18–Sunday, August 29. Check out the event's just-announced titles by heading to the festival website. The full program will be released on Wednesday, July 22. Top image: Zola. Anna Kooris / A24 Films.
Every year, when red carpets are rolled out, Hollywood's who's who get dressed to the nines and movie lovers around the world indulge in their favourite sport — awards season — it's easy to forget two undying truths. Firstly, receiving a shiny trophy doesn't instantly mean that a film is better than everything else. Secondly, missing out on a statuette doesn't mean that a flick is terrible, either. Amazing, astonishing and exceptional movies can earn coveted awards (see: 2020 and 2021 Oscar Best Picture-winners Parasite and Nomadland, for instance), and so can barely even average-at-best features as well (aka 2019's Green Book). Also, the list of masterpieces that haven't ever been nominated for an Academy Award is staggering. Still, when the contenders are revealed for another year, picking who should, could and will win is all part of the fun. In fact, it's up there with taking a shot of whatever you're sipping (tea, water, the hard stuff) if Jack Nicholson is seen wearing sunnies in the Oscars audience, a speech gets drowned out by music after going overtime, the host makes a gag that doesn't land or someone announces the wrong winner. From 2022's batch of Academy Awards nominees, there are plenty of worthy recipients — most of which you can watch right now in Australia and New Zealand, too. Hopefully NZ filmmaker Jane Campion will make history by becoming just the third woman to win Best Director. Fingers crossed that Aussie The Power of Dog cinematographer Ari Wegner becomes the first woman ever to win Best Cinematography as well. In those fields and a heap of others, we've done some prognosticating, all before the 94th Academy Awards take place on Monday, March 28, Australian and New Zealand time. Here are our predictions: BEST MOTION PICTURE The nominees: The Power of the Dog West Side Story Belfast Dune Licorice Pizza King Richard CODA Don't Look Up Drive My Car Nightmare Alley Should win: The Power of the Dog Could win: CODA Will win: The Power of the Dog Sometimes, the best film of the past year truly and deservingly does pick up the biggest Oscar of them all, Best Picture — as Parasite and Nomadland both did. And, that should prove true in 2022, too, with Jane Campion's exquisite revisionist western last year's best movie, and this ceremony's worthiest winner. That said, with its feel-good story about a teenager in a family that's otherwise deaf, CODA has been nabbing key awards in the lead up to the Oscars. And, if voters can't decide between the two, perhaps West Side Story will swoop in and beat 'em both — it is a glorious film and a technical marvel, and Steven Spielberg has also just announced that it's his first and last musical. [caption id="attachment_847708" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kirsty Griffin/Netflix[/caption] BEST DIRECTOR The nominees: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza Steven Spielberg, West Side Story Kenneth Branagh, Belfast Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car Should win: Jane Campion Could win: Steven Spielberg Will win: Jane Campion History is Campion's to be made — although she's already broken barriers at this year's Oscars just by being nominated for Best Director. She's now the first female filmmaker to ever score two nods in this field (after also being nominated for The Piano back in 1993) and, if she ends up clutching a statuette, she'll become just the third woman to ever win. Again, don't discount Spielberg, though. It's been more than two decades since he last won for Saving Private Ryan, and West Side Story's visual wonders have been picking up more attention since it hit streaming earlier this month. PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE The nominees: Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye Kristen Stewart, Spencer Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers Should win: Penélope Cruz Could win: Kristen Stewart Will win: Jessica Chastain If anyone wins this category other than Nicole Kidman, that'll be perfectly acceptable (Being the Ricardos isn't great, and neither are its performances, although the Academy clearly disagrees). But Jessica Chastain looks likely to come out on top not just because she's excellent in The Eyes of Tammy Faye — the best thing about it, in fact — but because she's reached that point in her career (and should've already won for Zero Dark Thirty). Penélope Cruz's has an Oscar for Vicky Christina Barcelona, but her performance in Parallel Mothers is something else. It's sublime in every second, and lingers long after the film has stopped rolling. Alas, the same proved true of fellow Pedro Almodóvar regular Antonio Banderas in 2020, but didn't amount to an Academy Award. PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE The nominees: Will Smith, King Richard Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick... Boom! Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos Should win: Benedict Cumberbatch Could win: Benedict Cumberbatch Will win: Will Smith If there was an award for most forceful performance while playing a real-life figure, Will Smith, Andrew Garfield and Javier Bardem would be in a dead heat. Given they're all nominated for Best Actor this year, this category has basically taken that skew anyway. And Smith is impressive in King Richard, but it always feels like a performance — although, that's what'll likely get him a trophy. If Benedict Cumberbatch manages to lasso the win, it'd be glorious — as his complicated work in The Power of the Dog is, too. And this field did throw up a huge surprise in 2021, even after the Academy changed the traditional order of ceremony to put Best Actor last in what looked like an expected chance to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman. PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE The nominees: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard Judi Dench, Belfast Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter Should win: Ariana DeBose Could win: NA — because Ariana DeBose will win. Will win: Ariana DeBose Whoever wins whatever awards, and for which films, Ariana DeBose getting the nod for West Side Story will be one of the stories of the night. We all know that it's going to happen. Shock-wise, it'd be up there with the whole Moonlight/La La Land debacle if it didn't. And, when she does, it'll see her win for the same role that Rita Moreno nabbed her Oscar for six decades ago. They'll be the first women of colour to ever achieve the feat — winning for the same role, that is — and only the third pair of performers ever, following Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro as Vito Corleone in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, plus Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker in The Dark Knight and Joker. You'd best start humming 'America' now, because you're going to hear it during the Oscars. PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE The nominees: Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog Ciarán Hinds, Belfast Troy Kotsur, CODA Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog JK Simmons, Being the Ricardos Should win: Kodi Smit-McPhee Could win: Kodi Smit-McPhee Will win: Troy Kotsur A remake of French film La Famille Bélier, CODA improves upon its source material in a number of ways. The most of important: casting actors who are deaf to play characters who are deaf. Their portrayals are naturalistic and lived-in as a result, and the movie around them is as well, even while still being such an obvious crowd-pleaser — and, alongside past Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur is a delight. Kodi Smit-McPhee's performance in The Power of the Dog couldn't be more different — including in tone — but it's a powerhouse, and one of the best projected onto a screen anywhere (or a streaming queue) in the past year. If he loses to the equally deserving Kotsur, it's safe to expect the Aussie actor to earn more shots in the future; he's only 25, after all, although he's been turning in attention-grabbing performances for almost a decade and a half. BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY The nominees: Licorice Pizza, Paul Thomas Anderson Belfast, Kenneth Branagh King Richard, Zach Baylin Don't Look Up, Adam McKay (story by McKay and David Sirota) The Worst Person in the World, Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt Should win: Licorice Pizza Could win: Belfast Will win: Licorice Pizza The Oscars always adore movies about real-life people, as well as the performances that bring those figures to life. They're also fond of tales that are personal to their directors in some way — Roma a few years back, and Belfast and Licorice Pizza now. The latter, set in the San Fernando Valley where Paul Thomas Anderson grew up, is the better film and script, and not just because it tasks Alana Haim with yelling "fuck off, teenagers!" like she was born to do it. So smartly and devastatingly exploring the reality of being in your twenties, The Worst Person in the World would be a fantastic winner in this field, too. BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY The nominees: The Power of the Dog, Jane Campion The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal CODA, Sian Heder Dune, Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth Drive My Car, Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe Should win: The Power of the Dog Could win: The Lost Daughter Will win: The Power of the Dog Every adapted screenplay contender this year also earned other nominations. Every script in both screenplay categories did, in fact. But these fields often reward films that don't end up picking up many or any other trophies — which is why Maggie Gyllenhaal's masterful script for The Lost Daughter, her directorial debut as well, could emerge victorious. It'd be an excellent choice. Just as phenomenal is The Power of the Dog, of course. Indeed, the work that Jane Campion has done to translate her western tale from the page to the screen, and to flesh out its subtext, is the stuff that adapted screenplay dreams are made of. BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM The nominees: Drive My Car (Japan) The Worst Person in the World (Norway) Flee (Denmark) The Hand of God (Italy) Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Bhutan) Should win: Drive My Car Could win: The Worst Person in the World Will win: Drive My Car The first-ever Japanese film to be nominated for Best Picture, Drive My Car won't win that category — but it will become the first Japanese movie since 2008 to win the Academy's field for features in languages other than English. Its three hours roll by, thoughtfully and movingly so, in a feature that couldn't be more layered or affecting. Its biggest likely challenger: The Worst Person in the World, which deserves just as much praise. And while Flee would be a perfect winner, it might be fated to become the history-making movie — for getting nods for International Feature, Documentary Feature and Animated Feature, a feat never achieved before — that goes home empty-handed. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE The nominees: Encanto Luca The Mitchells vs the Machines Flee Raya and the Last Dragon Should win: Flee Could win: The Mitchells vs the Machines Will win: Encanto More on Flee: as an animated documentary about an Afghan refugee's quest to find a new place to belong after being forced to leave his homeland as a boy, it couldn't be more different to its fellow Best Animated Feature nominees. Family-friendly fare always wins here, however, but this'd be a wonderful year to break that trend. Expected winner Encanto is an all-ages gem a, of course — and don't discount the lively and clever The Mitchells vs the Machines — but Flee takes animated filmmaking to another level. BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE The nominees: Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Flee Ascension Attica Writing with Fire Should win: Flee Could win: Flee Will win: Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Even more on Flee: again, it deserves to win every field that it's in. That said, if it loses Best Documentary, it'll be to a film as similarly astonishing — because Questlove's Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, is a tremendous piece of filmmaking. Music documentaries hit screens almost every week, or so it seems, but there's never been one like this before. And, about vastly dissimilar topics — modern-day China and a prison riot — Ascension and Attica would be easy winners in a less-competitive year, too. BEST ORIGINAL SCORE The nominees: The Power of the Dog, Jonny Greenwood Dune, Hans Zimmer Don't Look Up, Nicholas Britell Encanto, Germaine Franco Parallel Mothers, Alberto Iglesias Should win: Dune Could win: The Power of the Dog Will win: Dune Hans Zimmer, have another Oscar! Jonny Greenwood, have your first! Alas, the Academy isn't like Oprah, giving gongs to everyone — but, as different as they are, it's difficult to split Zimmer and Greenwood's two immensely powerful scores. Sand as far as the eye can see is great, but Zimmer's thrumming sounds set Dune's mood from start to finish, all while constantly surprising (especially if you're a fan of his work). And there's a jaunty yet needling, determined yet melancholy twang to Greenwood's compositions for The Power of the Dog that make just as much of an impact. BEST ORIGINAL SONG The nominees: 'No Time to Die', No Time to Die (Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell) 'Dos Oruguitas', Encanto (Lin-Manuel Miranda) 'Be Alive', King Richard (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Dixson) 'Down to Joy' Belfast (Van Morrison) 'Somehow You Do', Four Good Days (Diane Warren) Should win: 'No Time to Die' Could win: 'Dos Oruguitas' Will win: 'No Time to Die' We shouldn't talk about Encanto's 'We Don't Talk About Bruno', because it wasn't submitted to even be selected to be nominated for an Oscar. Regretful move, that — and one that magic can't fix. The song will still be performed live at the awards, though, because trying to escape that earworm is impossible. Also getting a spin live on the night: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell's 'No Time to Die'. It's the Bond song that came out almost two years before the movie it's from, and a lingering 007 anthem (and a fine winner, most likely). [caption id="attachment_847709" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kirsty Griffin/Netflix[/caption] BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY The nominees: Dune, Greig Fraser The Power of the Dog, Ari Wegner The Tragedy of Macbeth, Bruno Delbonnel Nightmare Alley, Dan Laustsen West Side Story, Janusz Kaminski Should win: The Power of the Dog Could win: Dune Will win: The Power of the Dog All five films nominated in this category look gorgeous and glorious on-screen. Each one boasts cinematography so magnificent that it's breathtaking — whether roving over all that sand, making New Zealand look like Montana a decade ago, stripping Shakespeare down to its shadows and fury, lapping up carnival noir, or dancing through a famed and fated love story. That said, this award is a battle of the Aussies: Dune's Greig Fraser and The Power of the Dog's Ari Wegner. Whoever wins, Australia wins — but Wegner is the only one who'd make history as the first female recipient in this field. Also, her work on Jane Campion's film is hauntingly lush and captivating. BEST FILM EDITING The nominees: Dune, Joe Walker The Power of the Dog, Peter Sciberras Don't Look Up, Hank Corwin King Richard, Pamela Martin Tick, Tick... Boom!, Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum Should win: Dune Could win: The Power of the Dog Will win: Dune If you pay attention to all of the awards given out before the Oscars — accolades ahoy!; it really is that time of year — then Best Editing looks wide open. A heap of different movies have won different gongs all over the place, including King Richard and Tick, Tick... Boom!. Dune feels like this year's Mad Max: Fury Road, though — the film that picked up a heap of nominations, wins big in the technical categories but misses the big prize (and misses Best Director as well, given that Denis Villeneuve isn't even one of the five contenders). Top image: Netflix.
April 14, 2018, will forever go down in history as the day Beyoncé took to the Coachella stage and made it her own. If you were lucky enough to be there, you'll no doubt remember it forever. If you watched the live stream — and it became the most-watched live-streamed performance of all time, so you probably did — then you'll never forget it either. Whichever category you fell into, you likely wish you were closer to the action — to the stage for the 105-minute performance, to the 100-plus dancers, to its powerful homage to America's historically black colleges and universities, and to the backstage antics as well. Enter Netflix's Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé, the concert documentary you definitely knew you needed, but didn't know existed until now. On Wednesday, April 17, the streaming platform will release the in-depth look at Beyoncé's epic show, revealing "the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement" according to the official synopsis. The film reportedly clocks in at 137 minutes, so expect a lengthy and intimate tour through the festival set everyone has been talking about for a year, including behind-the-scenes footage and candid chats that delve into the preparation process and Beyoncé's stunning vision. Even if Beyoncé hadn't put on such a fierce 32-song performance complete with a marching band, Beychella still would've made history. Her performance was a year in the making, with the music superstar originally scheduled to play in 2017, but dropping out due to pregnancy (with twins Rumi and Sir). And when she finally appeared before the California crowd, she became the first black woman to headline the fest — and only the third woman to do so in 20 years. News of the film comes just as one of Beyoncé's 2018 co-stars, her sister Solange, announced that she was pulling out of this year's Coachella due to "major production delays". Check out the trailer for Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB8qvx0HOlI Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé hits Netflix on Wednesday, April 17.
Maybe you first saw Mad Max: Fury Road in a cinema, with engine roars echoing through the theatre, and cars racing and crashing across the big screen. Perhaps you initially watched the exceptional Aussie flick — the best action movie of this century, and the best Australian film of the same period as well — at home. So, you felt all that revving reverberating through your lounge room. Whichever fits, there's no way that you can ever forget the experience. Fury Road arrived after three decades of anticipation, and it well and truly delivered beyond everyone's wildest dreams. There's zero chance that you've forgotten its many vehicles, either, because this is a film that knows how to get fast and furious (yes, even more so than that other franchise). Can't get those cars out of your head? Love movie history, and keen to own a piece of it? Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers have just the thing for you, then, with 13 vehicles from Fury Road going under the hammer. Yes, if you need new ride that's all shiny and chrome, you can get your hands on the Nux car, the Doof Wagon, the War Rig, the Pole Car, the Fire Car and more. Read those names, and you already know which vehicles we're talking about. When the great George Miller, Fury Road's director — and the filmmaker behind the entire Mad Max franchise — dreamed up these sets of wheels, he truly came up with movie cars for the ages. Obviously, the Fury Road vehicles aren't going to come cheap. But if you somehow have the necessary cash, they'll be up for auction across the weekend of Saturday, September 25–Sunday, September 26 — and, as they're part of a tender, you'll need to submit an expression of interest first. Clearly, they're the best things to drive if you find yourself in a desertscape that's part of a post-apocalyptic wasteland — or if you want to pretend that's the case. And, they're something Mad Max-related to get pumped about until the next movie in the franchise, Furiosa, hits cinemas. Need a reminder of just how all the vehicles look in the film? Check out the Fury Road trailer below: Thirteen cars from Mad Max: Fury Road will be up for auction across the weekend of Saturday, September 25–Sunday, September 26. For further information, head to the Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers website.
As the name suggests, Treehouse Cafe feels like a secret hideaway. You'll find it in a former country cottage with timber floors and high ceilings, and just behind Ulladulla's legendary Funland, an old-school arcade packed with dodgems, pinball games and air hockey machines. Whether you're with your family, your dog or just yourself, there's plenty of room. The menu's all about generous, good-hearted fare, made with veggies from local farmers and ethically sourced meats. If you're there for brekkie, try the signature eggs Benedict, fancied up with turmeric, dill, capers, olives, paprika sweet potato, garlic mushrooms and wilted spinach. Come lunchtime, you're in for an internationally inspired feast. Head to the Bahamas with the Jamaican Bowl, crowded with spiced jerk-style chicken, brown rice herbed salad, grilled pineapple, cucumber and pickled ginger. Or stay closer to home with 12-hour lamb shoulder, accompanied by roasted fennel, herbed barley, smoked hummus, coconut and bacon flakes. The coffee comes from Young's Art of Espresso, where organic beans are bought directly from independent farmers. If you want to skip coffee, choose from a matcha latte, warmed golden almond milk (spiced with turmeric, ginger and cinnamon) and a bunch of Bodhi organic teas.
Float on, festival fans: come April, Australia's newest excuse to see a heap of bands in one spot will make its way along the country's east coast. That touring event: the just-announced Daydream. It's hitting Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane with quite the roster of indie-rock talent — headlined by Modest Mouse three decades after the Washington-born group first got together. Don't listen to the title of the band's acclaimed 2004 album, though — this is good news for people who love good news, not bad. Joining Modest Mouse on the bill are Britain's Slowdive, who initially formed in 1989, the reformed in 2017, as well as Australian favourites Tropical F*ck Storm. Daydream will hit up Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday, April 22 to kick things off, then head north. The fest plays the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on Saturday, April 29, followed up Brisbane's Riverstage on Sunday, April 30. The lineup varies slightly per city, with Beach Fossils and Cloud Nothings taking to the stage at all stops, but Majak Door missing Brisbane. And no, it isn't too early into 2023 to start packing your calendar with music festivals. New year, new diary to fill, after all — and Daydream, the also just-announced Lazy Mountain and more are firmly here to help. DAYDREAM 2023 LINEUP: Modest Mouse Slowdive Tropical F*ck Storm Beach Fossils Cloud Nothings Majak Door DAYDREAM 2023 DATES: Saturday, April 22 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Saturday, April 29 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Sunday, April 30 — Riverstage, Brisbane [caption id="attachment_886745" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dylan Jardine[/caption] Daydream will hit Australia's east coast capitals in April. Early-bird pre-sales start at 9am local time on Thursday, February 2, with general sales from 9am local time on Friday, February 3 — head to the tour website to sign up for the pre-sale, or for more information. Top images: Modest Mouse by Matthewvetter via Wikimedia Commons; Tropical F*ck Storm by Somefx.
Looking for something to occupy the final hours of your weekend and ward off those Sunday scaries? Everyone's favourite name-changing Chippendale pub The Lord Gladstone is serving up the ultimate end-of-week party with eight hours of quality music, eats and drinks. Evening Records and The Gladdy have come together to compile a lineup of top-quality local musicians to fill your Sunday with tunes. Accompanying the live music will be a pop-up bar from natty wine specialists P&V and a food truck from Sparky's Jerk BBQ. The four bands gracing the pub's two stages will be synth-heavy indie outfit A.D.K.O.B, country balladeer Lady Lyon, as well as Christian Values and Magic Nic. Joe Liffy will also be on hand covering DJ duties for the day. Doors open at 2pm and entry is free with beer specials from The Gladdy's good friends over at Young Henrys throughout the day.
Australia's film festival calendar is about to kick into gear for 2022, with fests dedicated to documentaries, European cinema, queer flicks and Japanese movies all among the events that've already announced their upcoming lineups. Another ace excuse to stare at the big screen in a darkened room that Aussie movie lovers can look forward to in the very near future: the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, which is returning across March and April for its 33rd year. It's still a tad too early for AFFFF to reveal its full program, but it has confirmed a few details to get you in the French film-watching mood. First up, there's the fest's dates, with the event making its usual capital city stops. So, cinephiles in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart — and in Byron Bay and Parramatta, too — you can now start blocking out time in your diaries. Also unveiled early: AFFFF's first ten films from its 2022 lineup, including opening night's 19th-century Paris-set Lost Illusions. Starring an impressive cast that includes Benjamin Voisin (Summer of 85), Cécile de France (The French Dispatch), Vincent Lacoste (Sorry Angel) and Xavier Dolan (Matthias & Maxime) — the latter acting rather than directing — it follows a lower-class poet who falls in love with the baroness Louise de Bargeton. Other highlights span two movies that premiered at last year's Cannes Film Festival, with rom-com Love Songs for Tough Guys featuring Vanessa Paradis (Knife+Heart), set in Dunkirk and taking its cues from Cyrano de Bergerac, and La Traviata, My Brothers and I focusing on a 14-year-old who wants to become the new Luciano Pavarotti. There's also The Young Lovers, also led by the aforementioned Cécile de France; Waiting for Bojangles, a page-to-screen adaptation starring Virginie Efira (Bye Bye Morons) and Romain Duris (Eiffel); The Kitchen Brigade, which is set in the world of French gastronomy; Hear Me Out, a rom-com directed by and starring Pascal Elbé (The Swallows of Kabul); and the 60s-set Happening. Or, you can look forward to documentary The Velvet Queen, where photographer Vincent Munier and writer Sylvain Tesson head to the Tibetan highlands on a quest to find the snow leopard — or, from the retro program showcasing the work of actor and filmmaker Alain Delon, Purple Noon, which adapts Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr Ripley. The full festival lineup will be revealed on Thursday, February 3 — and you can check out the festival trailer below in the interim: ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL 2022 DATES: March 1–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema and Hayden Orpheum Cremorne, Sydney March 2–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Palace Electric, Canberra March 3–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Como. Palace Westgarth, Pentridge Cinema, The Kino and The Astor Theatre , Melbourne March 9–20: State Cinema, Hobart March 9–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Camelot Outdoor Cinema, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX, Palace Raine Square and Windsor Cinema, Perth March 16–April 13, with encore screenings from April 14–18: Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, Brisbane March 24–April 24, with encore screenings from April 25–26: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide, plus Victa Cinemas, Victor Harbor March 30–April 14, with encore screenings from April 15–16: Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay April 7–10: Parramatta Riverside Theatres, Parramatta The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from Tuesday, March 1–Tuesday, April 26. For more information, visit the AFFFF website.
Taking a trip to Thailand or Japan is already on the cheaper end of itineraries for Australian travellers. Yet the cost of your next trip could be even more affordable than usual, as Scoot has just announced new flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, and Okinawa and Tokyo in Japan. Commencing between December 2025 and March 2026, these deals might convince you and the crew to lock in another adventure. Ready to take to the skies? One-way economy flights to Chiang Rai start at $219, while Okinawa and Tokyo (Haneda) fares start at $329. With all flights from Australia including a stopover in Singapore — Scoot is Singapore Airlines' low-cost subsidiary — now is your chance to check out what many consider the world's best airport, from its peaceful butterfly garden to the Rain Vortex — the world's tallest indoor waterfall. But if a stellar stopover isn't enough to convince you to book, the destination at the end of your flight might. Situated in Thailand's lush northern region, Chiang Rai's mountainous terrain and cool climate present a different side of the country from its white-sand beachfronts. With the Lanna region home to seven major hill tribes, expect a multicultural experience captured through architecture, cuisine and art. Okinawa and its 160 island neighbours present a similarly distinct experience for those keen to visit Japan. Located over 600 kilometres south of the mainland, this subtropical archipelago is renowned for its pristine beaches, clear waters and Ryukyu heritage shaped by the region's indigenous people and culture. Paddle a canoe deep into Yambaru National Park to explore the region's immense natural beauty. Though it needs little introduction, Scoot is also offering cut-price fares to Tokyo's Haneda Airport. Whether you're heading along for the first time to see what all the fuss is about or returning for a second, third, or fourth adventure, you could spend years exploring this megalopolis and barely scratch the surface. Best of all, making the most of a Tokyo adventure on a shoestring budget is simple with a little research and planning. Perfect for an end-of-year escape, three-time weekly flights to Okinawa will begin on Monday, December 15, while Scoot will begin five-time weekly flights to Chiang Rai on Thursday, January 1, 2026. Meanwhile, daily flights to Tokyo (Haneda) will commence on Sunday, March 1, 2026. With loads of flights added to the schedule, the launch of these three routes could be just the excuse you need to take off in the months ahead. Scoot's new flight service commences from Monday, December 15, with bookings now open. Head to the website for more information.
If you're under the impression that Bundaberg is only good for sugarcane and rum, you're sorely mistaken. While it's true that the Bundaberg region is responsible for much of Australia's agricultural industry, in recent years the area's endless output of fresh produce has also led to a rise in local farm-to-table restaurants, with some of Australia's top cooking talent setting up shop in the area. Meanwhile, thanks to the region's prime position along Queensland's coastline, the area boasts a host of natural landmarks that comfortably go toe-to-toe with Australia's best-known destinations. It's also only a four-hour drive from Brisbane. Read on to find some of our favourite places to eat, drink and play in Bundaberg. [caption id="attachment_749802" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pocket Storehouse by Paul Beutel[/caption] EAT Bundaberg might still be a country town at heart, but it's got more than a few awesome dining experiences that give it a cosmopolitan touch. The Windmill Cafe Bargara is a must-visit stop when you're in the mood for some of the region's best coffee, which is made with fresh filtered rainwater. The menu offers all your favourite breakfast and lunch classics, alongside plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Plus, it has an in-house gelateria serving 25 sweet flavours that are best enjoyed on a stroll along the coastline. Back in Bundaberg city is another headline restaurant: Water Street Kitchen. Led by chef Alex Cameron and his partner Jen Cameron, the meals are delicately put together using ingredients produced on a range of local farms. Having initially run a successful catering company, the duo decided it was time to put a face to their creations, opening their cosy restaurant in 2017 and quickly becoming one of the city's most acclaimed fine-dining destinations. [caption id="attachment_752093" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Beutel[/caption] Once you start craving another coffee, Alowishus Delicious is a fine choice, having taken home top honours from the 2018, 2019 and 2020 Countrywide Cafe of the Year awards. And when it's finally time to make dinner plans, head down to the H2O Restaurant & Bar. You'll find high-quality modern Australian dishes, with a striking view of the Burnett River to match. [caption id="attachment_749822" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kalki Moon by Paul Beutel[/caption] DRINK Bundaberg's reputation for rum certainly precedes it, but the Kalki Moon Distilling & Brewing Company has built its legacy within the world of gin. As the first Queensland distillery to win first prize for its London-style gin at the Australian Distilled Spirits Competition, Kalki Moon has also received a range of commendations from around the globe. Be sure to stop by the distillery's cellar door for a free guided tour and samples of its handcrafted tipples, and to pick up some souvenirs to take back home. Across town at the Ohana Cider House and Tropical Winery you'll discover some delightful drinks that wouldn't be out of place at any big-city bar. Having taken a holiday to Hawaii and fallen in love with the tropical climate, founders Zoe Young and Josh Phillips left behind their desk jobs in Perth to buy a piece of Bundaberg land, where they established their much-loved tropical winery. Since then, they've gone on to release ciders ranging from dry apple to pineapple and strawberry, as well as produce some of the region's top vino. Ohana Cider and Tropical Winery by Paul BeutelIf you can't wait to get your hands on some more Bundaberg-made wine, your next stop has to be the Hill of Promise Winery, located 40-minutes south of Bundaberg in the township of Childers. Here, winemaker Terry Byrne carries on the traditions of his Sicilian family, who moved to the region in the early 1900s, by making fortified reds to sparkling whites and Italian classics like limoncello. For an expertly made cocktail, Bert's is the place to be. Honouring the life of local aviator Bert Hinkler — who achieved a flurry of Australian flying records — the 1920s-themed bar ensures his pioneering spirit lives on. There are pizzas and share plates, plus a lengthy list of cocktails and aperitifs, including specialities like French pear martinis. [caption id="attachment_749819" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lady Musgrave Island[/caption] DO The Bundaberg region is alive with natural wonders that draw visitors from all over the world. One of the most unique is the Mon Repos Nightly Turtle Encounter, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that'll leave you feeling like David Attenborough in the making. During Bundaberg turtle season, which runs from November to March, you can experience turtle conservation first-hand on the only ranger-guided turtle encounter on the east coast. Between November and January, you can witness mother turtles emerge from the deep blue and make their way up the beach to nest under the moonlight. Later in the season (late-January to late-March), you'll be able to look on as adorable hatchlings emerge from their sandy nests and scurry down to the beach. Next, dedicate some time to exploring the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Bundaberg is perfectly positioned at the first and most accessible point of the reef, and coral cays Lady Musgrave Island and Lady Elliot Island are the best places to experience the pristine waters and diverse marine life that the region is famous for (and, no doubt, why you're there). To explore Lady Musgrave Island and spend a day snorkelling with turtles, manta rays, tropical fish and other sea life, book a day trip with Lady Musgrave Experience. Your day tour includes transportation on a luxury catamaran from the Bundaberg coast, plus morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. [caption id="attachment_749818" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lady Musgrave Island by Melissa Findley/Bundaberg Tourism[/caption] Just to the south is the picturesque Lady Elliot Island, which showcases some breathtakingly beautiful lagoons, as well as the last coral cay amid the Southern Great Barrier Reef. You can access the island for a day trip via a scenic flight with Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort or, if you want to stay a little longer, book a night's stay in one of its cosy glamping tents. Naturally, it wouldn't be a trip to Bundaberg without a stop in at the Bundaberg Rum Distillery. You'll get to roam the sprawling museum and learn the secrets behind what it takes to be a master blender. A visit to The Bundaberg Rum Distillery guides you through a state-of-the-art facility before you take a break at the bar. [caption id="attachment_749815" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bundaberg Rum Distillery[/caption] The Bundaberg Region has activities for outdoorsy types aplenty, there are endless hikes to embark upon within the Cania Gorge National Park and Mount Walsh National Park. For something with a little less action, the white-sand beaches of Elliot Heads are just 20 kilometres from Bundaberg city, making it the perfect spot to catch Queensland's famous sun. [caption id="attachment_749827" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kellys Beach Resort[/caption] STAY Situated overlooking the black volcanic beaches of the Queensland coast, C Bargara Resort is a luxe stay for weekenders looking to make the most of their time in Bundaberg. The resort sports a collection of bright apartments and penthouses, plus a sleek swimming pool with a sundeck. For something more back-to-basics, Kellys Beach Resort's charming self-contained eco villas are set against a backdrop of tropical gardens, while there are also tennis courts, a spa and a sauna for maximum relaxation. Bundaberg has plenty of great camping spots, too. The Burrum Coast National Park showcases an oceanfront camping area along Kinkuna Beach, while the Cordalba National Park places you among some of the state's best hiking trails deep within the eucalypt woodland. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Lady Musgrave Island by Darren Jew/Tourism and Events Queensland.
Opera on a regular stage is one thing, but opera performed on a floating openair theatre atop Sydney Harbour, under the stars? Well, that's some unforgettable stuff. Especially when it's Giuseppe Verdi's famed classic La Traviata that's being given the overwater treatment. The glamorous three-act show is the latest production announced as part of Opera Australia's Handa Opera series, supported by the folks at Destination NSW. It was set to pop up on the harbour in March 2020, but, because of COVID-19, it was postponed. Now, it has been announced that the show will (finally) go on in March 2021. Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour has pulled over 400,000 guests since debuting with La Traviata back in 2012, its mix of drinking and dining options, breathtaking views and nightly fireworks making it one of Sydney's must-try cultural offerings. It's also considered one of the world's best openair opera venues. The upcoming season will see director Constantine Costi heading up a bold new production of La Traviata based on celebrated director Francesca Zambello's original. It tells the famously heartbreaking tale of a free-spirited Parisian courtesan and her tragic love affair with a nobleman. [caption id="attachment_805194" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] Expect to be wowed by a glittering nine-metre-high chandelier decked out with 10,000 crystals on stage, while world-class performers — with up to 70 on stage in ensemble scenes — deliver soaring renditions of legendary tunes like 'Sempre Libera' and 'Brindisi'. As you'll be hitting up such a world-class event, why not make a night of it? Make sure you arrive early to enjoy the Italian-themed pop-up food and drink stalls for a pre-theatre snack. And, for those looking to make the affair even more luxe, book in for a staycation by the harbour. Of course, Opera Australia's La Traviata will be a COVID-safe event, following all NSW Government health guidelines and procedures. Top image: Hamilton Lund
First birthdays are not all pleasant. Banal observations like "I can't believe it's only been a year!" fly out of people's mouths as unwelcomely as the projectile vomit now covering your brand new button-up (thanks, birthday boy). But upon hearing that Spotify Australia turned one today, we couldn't help but join the chorus of disbelief. It's only been a year? Really? It's hard to remember life before Spotify. The days of trying to 'unmax out' your maxed-out credit card before clicking 'purchase'. Of artists watching through tears as their life's work is torrented to the masses. A year later, it's hard to imagine anything other than clicking that little green button to soak our ears in unlimited, legal music juice. We might not yet have struck the perfect balance between access for audiences versus payment for artists, but it feels like we're getting closer. So for that we'd like to say 'Happy Birthday, Spotify'. Now today, just like the last occasion on which you celebrated a first birthday, is all about gushing and goggling over pretty pictures. And, proud mother that she is, Spotify Australia has shared this super-amazing infographic which you just have to see. The stats are pretty friggen incredible — Australian Spotify users have streamed a mammoth 42.5 million hours of music and have created over 14 million playlists over the past 12 months. (That's over 4000 years of music — which, if played in order, would take about 50 generations to finish. We're talking 6013, guys.) Of those 14 million playlists, over 240,000 playlists have been created about love, romance and/or sex; 150,000 for exercise; and 65,000 for getting through the work day. Also, a whopping 230,000 were created for travel. So if you've ever wanted to scream, "I get it, arts student, your European experience makes you singularly unique", you at least have proof that their playlist probably wasn't. American duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Icelandic indie-pop-folksters Of Monsters and Men dominated our listening habits, taking out Most Streamed Artist and Most Streamed Track/Album respectively. We can now also confirm that Australians like Flume. A lot. Not only was he the most streamed local artist, but he took out three of the top five local tracks of 2012/13. This had little to do with the Spotify habits of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who eschewed the young producer for the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Midnight Oil. We can't confirm if Julia actually enjoys Midnight Oil or is just playlisting them for the unity of the federal front bench.
