What has eight wheels, big hair and some pretty smooth moves? A Glam Rock Roller Disco, of course. A fusion of rock 'n' roll, roller skates and really high hairstyles, this turbo-charged skate bash is guaranteed good times on the rollerfloor. Whether you want to relive fond childhood memories or perhaps fancy yourself a second coming of Olivia Newton-John circa 'Xanadu', this is your time, as The Roundhouse plays host to Sydney’s first Glam Rock Roller Disco. Tunes will be set by the likes of Alejandro II, DJ Andrew P Street and MR DOBALINA and dressing up is encouraged, with prizes awarded for the most impressive get-up. Feel like you might not have what it takes? You don’t have to miss out. Those of us with bad knees and coordination issues can spend the night rocking it out on the dance floor, drink in hand. With so few roller-skating venues left in Sydney, this is the perfect opportunity to strap on a pair of eight-wheelers. BYO Air Guitar.
These days, working out extends far beyond the gym floor. Housed in spaces that have their own personalities, boutique studios offer a type of workout for specific goals – whether that's endurance, strength, flexibility, or simply bragging rights. BFT and F45 offer high-intensity group training via circuits, while Barry's Bootcamp's sleek interiors are a luxe spin on the same sweat. If zen is more your speed, traditional mat-based yoga classes now sit alongside hammock-draped aerial yoga spaces where familiar poses are performed in the air. [caption id="attachment_1002460" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Commons[/caption] Boutique fitness classes have become so popular that studio memberships are now a standard monthly expense – and it's not a tiny one. A recent study by health insurer iSelect reveals that a year of group fitness in Australia costs around $3,343.92. The price tag on group classes might be edging into luxury expense territory, but there's a reason it's hard to give up. Ever so often, a fitness trend explodes: indoor cycling, bouldering and Zumba have all had their moments in the past decade – and the current obsession is reformer Pilates. A recent study from health insurer iSelect has confirmed what your bank account already suspected: reformer pilates is officially Australia's most expensive workout. Reformer pilates studios typically have a range of membership tiers, but unlimited access is usually the best value for frequent attendees. These passes tend to be the priciest – Canberra's studios top the charts with an average of $82.20 a week. Sydney isn't far behind at $77, then Melbourne ($75.20), Perth ($74.30), Brisbane ($70.60) and Tassie ($64). Staying fit doesn't always have to break the bank. Some gyms and health clubs include reformer pilates classes in their offering, while boutique studios are getting savvy with costs. At Melbourne's Reformer Space, classes are led via a screen without an instructor present, and the savings trickle down to a weekly fee of under $30. For those seasoned with the carriage springs, explore free-and-easy formats like Pilates 24/7 and Revo Fitness, where reformer machines are readily available for self-guided workouts. It's not just group fitness that can dent your wallet. Training for sold-out endurance events requires an immense amount of time and grit, but it also takes a toll on your wallet. It costs a whopping $630 to complete the gruelling 226-kilometre Ironman triathlon, while you can show your strength at Hyrox, a hardcore hybrid competition, for $250. There's a pattern: the bigger the spectacle, the higher the price. Following its addition to the Abbott World Marathon Major series, the Sydney Marathon now costs $330 per participant – an increase of over $100 from last year's edition. In contrast, the Gold Coast marathon offers a more affordable option at $235 per runner. For those seeking a muddy challenge, Tough Mudder's obstacle courses are priced below $200. While high-end classes and prestigious triathlons dominate the conversation today, accessible options like fringe events endure. Every Saturday, parkrun organises free 5K runs and walks across the country. Who knows? It might just deliver the same sweaty satisfaction. Images: The Commons, Strong Pilates, Iron Man
There's a beer revolution going on across Sydney, thanks to a solid crew of passionate, independent crusaders. Taking their work just as seriously as a master vintner or distiller, these hardy souls are tackling a notoriously difficult craft and producing beers that are punching above their weight internationally. The craft beer movement is all about matching beer with food — something we're all for — and allowing punters to taste an array of different beers, often presented as a tasting flight or in beer paddles. It's an exciting new frontier for Sydney's drinking scene and Concrete Playground has your back: here are our picks for the ten best places to drink craft beer in our fair city. The Union Hotel Live music hub, Sunday afternoon mecca, superior local — The Union is certainly many things to many people. It's also home to one of the best and most extensive craft beer lists going around. The Union team have a particular knack for picking hard-to-find but quality craft beers like Noisy Minor, Bridge Road and Prickly Moses to offer on tap. There's also a way above average range of bottled craft beers like Shenanigans, as well as a range of beers from hometown heroes Young Henrys. Ask for a tip from the knowledgeable staff, or follow them to get a heads-up on what's on tap for the week. 576 King Street, Newtown; (02) 9557 2989; www.unionnewtown.com.au Royal Albert Hotel Surry Hills has suddenly found itself the nucleus of Sydney's craft beer revolution — and the Albert is one of the key sites, stocking the likes of Riverside Brewing Company's 44 American Amber and Modus Operandi. Like many craft beer venues, the Albert has a rotating selection on tap. You'll often find selections from Illawarra Brewers, one of the most interesting new craft brewers around. Look out for their Hefeweizen, an unusual split barley and wheat beer with notes of banoffee and bubble gum. 140 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills; www.royalalberthotel.com.au Keg & Brew Formerly a grotty inner city establishment, this old warhorse has been transformed into a modern gastropub by the same team behind the similarly-titled Dove & Olive. They've kept the tiled walls but ditched the previous air of dinginess. There's a strong American-leaning menu which includes the likes of the calorific deep-fried Twinkie, less a dessert than a middle-finger to the health food industry. But the Keg & Brew's worth a trip for its beer list alone, and they also have three beers on the go at any one time on their traditional hand pumps, which serve beer at a cooler 8-10 degrees and are said to show greater complexity in flavour. 26 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills; www.kegandbrew.com.au Welcome Hotel A pub since the late 19th century, this dog-friendly Balmain joint must rank as one of Sydney's great locals as well as a must for anyone into craft beers. Amid a classic setting of plush leather couches and old school wooden stools, you'll find a generous range of small breweries represented — including the likes of Mountain Goat and Moo Brew, while Parramatta's Riverside fly the flag for Western Sydney. 91 Evans Street, Rozelle; (02) 9810 1323; www.thewelcomehotel.com.au Dove & Olive This breezy, often boisterous Surry Hills establishment is another example of a previously anonymous drinking hole which has been revitalised around craft beer. It's a modern space with well-presented food, but it's in their expertly curated beer offerings where the Dove & Olive really shines. Grab a beer paddle and select from a range of unusual tipples on tap. The now hugely popular pub also features four-course dinners where each stage of the meal is matched to a beer, while their Craft Beer Fight Club — where brewers 'fight to the death' for the chance to get their brew on tap for a month — is quickly becoming the stuff of legend. 156 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills; (02) 9699 6001; www.doveandolive.com.au The Local Taphouse A bustling, multistorey Darlinghurst venue where beer is taken as seriously as wine, The Local Taphouse is a slick but soulful venture which successfully recreates the formula used at its Melburnian sister venue in St Kilda. There's a Sunday roast and a gorgeously designed, sun-dappled rooftop bar, but the focus here is squarely on their bar and the drinks menu, featuring the likes of Stone & Wood, Batch and James Squire limited editions. These taps will keep you going for a while. Bar staff are happy to have a chat about the beers on offer or to recommend a tipple from the 200 that rotate through their taps over the course of the year. With a great selection of brews and must-attend extras like beer appreciation talks, this towering pub is one for repeat visits. 122 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst; (02) 9360 0088; www.thelocal.com.au Forest Lodge Hotel Don't be fooled by the unassuming boxy red brick facade; the Flodge is an inner west gem. An old-school pub reinventing itself as a craft beer hotspot while retaining its old-school feel with a range of vintage paraphernalia and unpretentious, hearty pub food, this Arundel Street hotel's also a got a great variety of independent beers available. A hub for students, tradies and craft beer lovers alike, you'll find the likes of Murray's and Feral Brewing on tap. Choose four for a paddle ($15) and you're in craft beer heaven. 117 Arundel Street, Forest Lodge; (02) 9660 1872; www.forestlodgehotel.com.au 4 Pines Brewing Company Like the beer equivalent of a cellar door, this wharfside microbrewery has a low-key but consistently good bar — the ideal way to sample their wares. Food-wise, you'll find favourites like fish and chips, steak and a towering mega burger which almost dares you to eat it. But you're here for the beers, which run the gamut from ale to stout and bitter and the always-popular kolsch. These upstart brewers have made a big splash since forming in 2008, winning awards and getting their brews on tap across the city. Visit their home turf to see what all the fuss is about. 29/43-45 East Esplanade, Manly; (02) 9976 2300; www.4pinesbeer.com.au Lord Nelson Hotel They've been in the game since 1841 (Sydney's longest unbroken run of liquor trading), and they're still going strong. While the Lord Nelson's beautiful sandstone walls give the place a real colonial feel, it's no relic, remaining one of the city's most atmospheric places to down a schooner or two. The Lord Nelson's beers, brewed onsite since the hotel was redeveloped in the 1980s, only use natural ingredients (no sugar or preservatives here) and are a must for fans of craft beer. Their famed pale ale Three Sheets is a classic and the Old Admiral will appeal to those who love a Guinness. Also keep an eye out for the range of nautical-themed seasonal beers. 19 Kent Street, The Rocks; (02) 9251 4044; www.lordnelsonbrewery.com Redoak Boutique Beer Cafe One of the original craft beer hotspots and still among the best, Redoak is distinguished by its European feel. There's a range of locally brewed craft beers on offer, including the Bloody Wit, brewed with blood orange and candied sugar, or the bottled Christmas Cheer, which is made to a fifth generation Irish recipe. Budding beer connoisseurs can sign up for one of their regular beer classes, and everyone else can work their work through the menu of tasting and share plates, all of which have been matched with beers. 201 Clarence Street, Sydney; (02) 9262 3303; www.redoak.com.au
In the age of streaming, DVD commentary tracks are no longer as much a part of the home-viewing process. If you're keen to hear insider details about the making of Sydney-shot 1999 sci-fi great The Matrix and 2025's Melbourne-made horror hit Together, however, SXSW Sydney has you covered. 2025's event has unveiled more details of its Screen Festival program for this year, with the return of its Screen Commentary sessions among the highlights. Costume designer Kym Barrett, who has also worked on everything from Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, The Nice Guys, The Shallows, Aquaman and Us to Charlie's Angels, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Three Thousand Years of Longing — and on The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, plus the Wachowskis' Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending — will talk through her efforts on The Matrix as the film plays. For Together, writer/director Michael Shanks will dig into his debut feature, which also opened 2025's Sydney Film Festival. SXSW Sydney has also announced Screen conference sessions as part of its roster of seminars, workshops and more, with Whitney Fuller, the Development Executive of Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions, one of the big names. Fittingly, Fuller will be part of the festival's Women in Genre panel. Also, producer Liz Watts (The Royal Hotel) and filmmaker Tony Ayres (The Survivors) are teaming up for the What Is an Australian Story? session, while Fantastic Festival Director Lisa Dreyer, Rachel Watt from Watt Social, Yellow Veil Pictures' Joe Yanick and Oscilloscope's Alexandra Fredericks are set to get chatting as well. The panel lineup also spans Jill Kingston from Pacific Shadow Pictures, Enzo Tedeschi and Helen Tuck from Deadhouse Films, and Lake Martin Films' Kate Separovich unpacking all things indie horror from a filmmaking perspective, as well as Invention Studios' Carmen Knox and actor Remy Hii (Arcane) on deciding whether to make the leap to LA. SXSW Sydney's latest screen-centric additions join Paul Feig (Another Simple Favour) hitting the Harbour City as the Screen Festival keynote speaker and its first recipient of the new SXSW Sydney Screen Pioneer Award — and also a 14-hour Freaks and Geeks marathon, plus sessions of Bridesmaids and The Heat, to go along with his time at the fest. There's more to come; however, as similarly announced earlier, viewers will also be able to catch By Design, $POSITIONS, Dead Lover, Zodiac Killer Project, The Last Sacrifice and Bokshi. Among that group, body-swap effort By Design features Juliette Lewis (The Thicket), Mamoudou Athie (Kinds of Kindness) and Robin Tunney (Dear Edward); horror-comedy Dead Lover is a SXSW Austin award-winner; Charlie Shackleton (The Afterlight) digs into a famed serial killer; and everything from comedy to folk horror features. [caption id="attachment_967878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaimi Joy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923287" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] SXSW Sydney 2025, including the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival, runs from Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details and tickets. The Matrix image: Ronald Siemoneit/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images. Together image: Ben King, Neon.
Great Southern Nights has just dropped its lineup for 2026, confirming the return of the multi-city festival of Aussie-made music for its fifth run, and showcasing a list of huge names and a mix of genres that will bring it to life in 2026. If you've never paid it any mind before, a TLDR: where most venues pick one venue to roll with, GSN picks hundreds. Hundred of venues calls for hundreds of gigs, and 2026 will see over 300 performances take place on stages from the South Coast up through Sydney, out as far west as Dubbo and all the way up to Byron Bay, from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 17. The lineup is just as expansive, too, bringing legends and rising stars alike together across the state. [caption id="attachment_1070441" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jesse Thompson[/caption] First up is a 2026 GSN first: Live Fest. The curated, single-day event is first taking place in Dubbo, featuring country and folk icons Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins and Kasey Chambers, indie rockers The Cruel Sea, funk legends The Cat Empire and rising genre-defying songwriter Jess Hitchcock. Then the fun heads to Tamworth with indie pop and local rock talent like Jet, The Living End, Kita Alexander, Thelma Plum and Lime Cordiale. For the rest of the statewide program, well, you can imagine there's plenty of artists to pick from. Some of the standout names are Jessica Mauboy, Peking Duk, Genesis Owusu, Ball Park Music, The Whitlams, Playlunch, Jack River, Meg Mac, Young Franco, Gordi, Keli Holiday, The Grogans, WILSN and many, many more. [caption id="attachment_1070442" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Matt Jelonek[/caption] Great Southern Nights is organised in part by Destination NSW and ARIA, helping to drive visitation to cities across the state, instead of just piling crowds into the same Sydney venues and regional fields year after year. Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said, "Great Southern Nights shows the power of live music to bring people together and create energy in communities right across NSW. When you see local venues buzzing and artists performing in towns big and small, you really feel the impact these experiences have beyond the stage". [caption id="attachment_1070443" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Georgi Griffiths for Destination NSW[/caption] CEO of ARIA Annabelle Herd added, "Great Southern Nights is about connecting audiences of all ages across NSW with the unique joy of great live music and showing up for the places that support it. Bringing iconic artists to multiple regions across NSW creates big, shared moments for local communities, friends, and families". Visit the Great Southern Nights website to browse the full program and start planning your trip to any one of the participating cities.
Looking for something a little more whimsical in your brewery hopping adventures? Sydney brewers 4 Pines quietly opened their Brewery Truck Bar at the end of 2015 and Brookvale locals responded with resounding cheers. Built around a 1960 Dodge truck and set in an absolutely massive warehouse, the cellar door has an impressive setup. The 21-tap bar includes 4 Pines' core range along with their 'Keller Door' seasonal small batches — their Black Box dark beers collection is the newest release. The jovial brewers are also serving up some wackier brews like the coconut and pineapple saison and an English barley wine beer, with $20 growler refills and takeaway also available. And because you can't have beer without food, they're serving up 'pizza pies' — no, not the NY kind, but an actual Aussie pie with pizza filling. The crust is made using the 4 Pines pale ale and comes in four varieties: pulled pork, Mexican vego, meat-lovers supreme and a banana-nutella dessert pie. Absolute genius. The truck bar is only open Thursday to Sunday.
Aspiring artists and lovers of wine will both feel right at home in this BYO art studio in Surry Hills. Located on Holt Street around the corner from Central Station, Cork & Chroma is a 'paint and sip' studio that embraces one of life's universal truths: everyone is more creative when they've had a little bit to drink. Open evenings Wednesdays through Saturdays as well as Sunday afternoon, the studio is run by artist Hillary Wall along with her husband B.J. A visit costs $60 for a three hour session, during which time an artist will run you through the basics of acrylics on canvas, before you're let loose to create a masterpiece of your own. They also host private functions and parties, if you're looking to make a mess with your friends. Canvas, paints, brushes, easels and glassware all come provided, while they also have a selection of nibbles for purchase, including cheese, chilli spiced nuts and Dello Mano chocolate brownies. All you need to bring is the liquid inspiration.
As many a frustrated portrait painter knows, capturing an entire person in a single image is one of art’s toughest challenges. In response, Spanish designer and illustrator Alex Trochut has developed a new technique. He’s invented a way of including two different pictures on the same surface. One can be seen only when the lights are on; the other is visible in the dark. The fruits of Trochut’s work are on show in his new exhibition, Binary Prints, which explores the dual nature of some of the electronic music industry’s most famous faces. Last month, he told the creators’ project, ‘People are always a multifaceted polygon with many sides . . . Working on the duality and covering the two extremes of any spectrum creates a sequence, a change, a short narrative and hidden side that reveals what is not obvious behind the surface.’ So, we see James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) illuminated in drowsy mode, yawning and scruffy-haired; then donning reflective glasses, a collar and tie once the lights are out. John Talabot appears concealing his face with his hands, as though seeking to block out the light, but peeking at us from the cover of darkness. Other DJs who sat for portraits include Caribou, Damian Lazarus, Four Tet, Acid Pauli and Lucy. ‘It was like a dream come true to be able to express myself through the artists that have fuelled my imagination countless times,’ Trochut explains. ‘Some connections were made in clubs, just by passing my cell phone to the DJ booth with a text on the screen saying: "Hi, my name is Alex, I'd like to invite you to a personal project, can I get your email?"’ Binary Prints made its debut at Barcelona’s Sonar Music Festival last month and is set to embark on an ongoing international journey to various galleries, art fairs and festivals. [via the creators' project]
If someone says something is big in another country, chances are it’s because the rest of the world doesn’t really care for it — like how Celine Dion is big in Vegas, or how Brazilians like making sugary avocado smoothies. But Australia loves Kirin as much as Japan loves Ksubi, because cool clothing and delicious beer are two things that don’t have geographical boundaries. Something we don’t consume quite so frequently is modern Japanese expressionism, but that’s what Kirin and Ksubi are aiming to change. Cue the eclectic range of Japanese artists, performers and musicians coming to Australia to make this one cultural exchange you’ll really want to attend. Among them are Berlin-based Butoh dancer and choreographer Yuko Kaseki, indie rock duo and self proclaimed “masters of girl magic” Kiiiii!, electronic ‘Japanoise’ sound producer OVe-NaXx, and avant garde khoomei singer Fuyuki Yamakawa, who works with lightbulbs, yogic breath, antiquated medical equipment, modified musical instruments and the beat of his own heart. This party looks set to be even crazier than the fact that everyone’s invited, so get your RSVP in early.
Beef starts with two strangers meeting, but there's absolutely nothing cute about it. Sparks don't fly and hearts don't flutter; instead, this pair grinds each other's gears. In a case of deep and passionate hate at first sight, Danny Cho (Steven Yeun, Nope) and Amy Lau (Ali Wong, Paper Girls) give their respective vehicles' gearboxes a workout, in fact, after he begins to pull out of a hardware store carpark, she honks behind him, and lewd hand signals and terse words are exchanged. Food is thrown, streets are angrily raced down, gardens are ruined, accidents are barely avoided, and the name of Vin Diesel's famous car franchise springs to mind, aptly describing how bitterly these two strangers feel about each other — and how quickly. Created by Lee Sung Jin, who has It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Dave and Silicon Valley on his resume before this ten-part Netflix and A24 collaboration, Beef also commences with a simple, indisputable and deeply relatable fact. Danny could've just let Amy beep as much as she liked, then waved, apologised and driven away. Amy could've been more courteous about sounding her horn, and afterwards. But each feels immediately slighted by the other, isn't willing to stand for such an indignity and becomes consumed by their trivial spat. Whether you're a struggling contractor hardly making ends meet, as he is, or a store-owning entrepreneur trying to secure a big deal, as she is — or, if you're both, neither or anywhere in-between — pettiness reigning supreme is basic human nature. If you've ever gotten irrationally irate about a minor incident, this new standout understands. Episode by episode, it sees that annoyance fester and exasperation grow, too. Streaming in full from Thursday, April 6 just in time for Easter long-weekend binges, Beef spends its run with two people who can't let go of their instant rage, keep trying to get the other back, get even more incensed in response, and just add more fuel to the fire again and again until their whole existence is a blaze of revenge. If you've ever taken a small thing and blown it wildly out of proportion, Beef is also on the same wavelength. And if any of the above has ever made you question your entire life — or just the daily grind of endeavouring to get by, having everything go wrong, feeling unappreciated and constantly working — Beef might just feel like it was made for you. For Los Angeles resident Danny, Amy's rudeness is just another source of frustration on what seems like an endless list. He was only in her vicinity at all to return a heap of grills, but the shop assistant was snarky, he couldn't find his receipt and ended up taking them home again anyway. He's also exhausted from continuously needing to hustle for work, and from ill-mannered customers — all while getting attitude from his younger brother Paul (Young Mazino, Prodigal Son), who he's doing his best to look out for. Then there's his quest to make enough cash to bring his parents (first-timers Jerry Hanjoo Kim and Gina Lee) back from Korea after the motel they ran fell on hard times, plus the shady get-rich-quick shenanigans that his fresh-out-of-prison cousin Isaac (David Choe, The Mandalorian) is always plunging him into. For the Calabasas-dwelling Amy, there's always something to deal with — Danny's ute almost reversing into her SUV is just the latest. Her artist husband George (Joseph Lee, Searching) plays primary parent to their anxious daughter Junie (Remy Holt, The Afterparty), which means that she's the overworked financial provider via her designer plant company (and getting grief from his mother Fumi, played by Pretty Little Liars' Patti Yasutake, for it). That's involved years of toiling hard to establish the business, and make it a success. She's also spent the past two years attracting Jordan Forster (Maria Bello, NCIS), who owns the chain of hardware stores that leads her to Danny, to buy her out. All that she wants is to enjoy time with her family, but finalising the deal requires jumping through the eccentric billionaire's many hoops, even while getting insider tips from her sister-in-law Naomi (Ashley Park, Girls5eva). There's a chalk-and-cheese air to Danny and Amy's dynamic early, as Beef gets them duelling as seeming opposites. But as their fight escalates — and, from road rage to urine-soaked floors, catfishing, sabotaging careers and more, it escalates to dowright civilian warfare — they're united in their immature pettiness, their many flaws, and their individual despair over where life has taken them and why. Beef is smartly penned as a dual character study of an unhappy pair stuck between quarter-life and midlife crises, striving to move forward but treading water, and terrified of losing what they've worked for. It's a portrait of two people fracturing and fraying well before they set each other off, and it knows and sees how little that truly separates Danny and Amy, especially when they can't spy that themselves. Beef is also smart about the vengeance- and obsession-seasoned stew it splashes across the screen: its Los Angeles setting, its masterful tonal swerves from deep drama to dark comedy and back again, its treasure trove of hostilities, its willingness to get Lynchian, its lived-in characters from its central duo down to its supporting players, and the generosity and sympathy that it shows everyone even at their worst. Its brightest move in a show filled with bright moves is casting Minari Oscar-nominee Yeun and Always Be My Maybe's Wong, however. Each is exceptional. That's a word that keeps being directed Yeun's way, and deservedly — see Minari, Nope, Burning, Okja, his skit on I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson — but it demands screaming here as he navigates such a range of scenarios, emotions, squabbles, revelations, sources of inner turmoil, and stints of both physical and witty comedy. As an actor, Wong has never been better, also while taking the same journey. And whether they're shouting at or plotting against each other, they're dynamite together. At the end of episode one, with Danny and Amy enlivened by their feud — living for it, even — Beef plays out its debut instalment with Hoobstank's 'The Reason'. Its words are fitting; this twosome is feeding off each other, thriving in their meanest ways and only letting themselves truly be themselves in their newfound enemy's company. That's another of the show's strokes of genius. So is the 90s-heavy soundtrack, which also spans Tori Amos, Smashing Pumpkins, Bush and Offspring like it's Yellowjackets. And, equally as shrewd is the inbuilt acknowledgement that Danny and Amy are mad, sad, disappointed and frustrated about everything, not just each other, but so is everyone around them. We all have beef. "It's always fucking something," as Beef's two leads both espouse and we all feel. Recognising that makes for hilarious, grim, tense, savvy, sometimes-surreal and always-irresistible viewing. Check out the trailer for Beef below: Beef streams via Netflix from Thursday, April 6. Images: Netflix.
Forget celebrating Christmas in July — when the middle of the year hits, it's time to start working yourself up to the best occasion of the year. If you like scary movies, candy and dressing up in costumes, then you know the occasion. And in 2022, Halloween is almost here in more than a few ways. In just a few months, the spooky celebration itself will indeed arrive. Also hitting in October: the latest film in the Halloween franchise. A sequel to last year's Halloween Kills, as well as the third film in the trilogy within the broader saga that started with 2018's Halloween, it's been dubbed Halloween Ends. To that, we have two questions: will it really, and do we want it to? The just-dropped trailer for the new film certainly wants audiences to believe that this will be the last time that Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All At Once) and mask-wearing villain Michael Myers do battle. If the movie is a box office blockbuster, though, that might prove otherwise. Nothing ever truly dies these days in the pop-culture realm, especially successful big-screen series — and, since debuting back in 1978 with John Carpenter's OG masterpiece, the Halloween franchise has come back 11 other times before now. Story-wise, Halloween Ends will pick up four years after Halloween Kills, and see Laurie still processing the fallout — and living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak, Foxhole) while writing her memoir. She wants to move on from Michael Myers, who hasn't been seen since the events of the last movie. Then, a young man (Rohan Campbell, The Hardy Boys) is accused of killing a boy he's babysitting. As well as Curtis and Matichak, Will Patton (Outer Range) will return as Officer Frank Hawkins, and Kyle Richards does the same as Lindsey Wallace — a part she also played back in the very first film. David Gordon Green (Stronger) is still in the director's chair for the third Jason Blum-produced Halloween entry in a row (and his third, too), and co-wrote the screenplay with Danny McBride (The Righteous Gemstones), Paul Brad Logan (Manglehorn) and Chris Bernier (The Driver). If the Halloween saga really does end here after 44 years, it'll wrap up one of horror's best franchises — albeit a series that also varies wildly from movie to movie. Again, the first flick is an absolute masterpiece, as well as one of the best horror films ever made. Since then, the slasher saga has delivered excellent and terrible sequels, veered into remake territory, both killed off and brought back its heroine, and completely erased parts of its own past several times. Check out the Halloween Ends trailer below: Halloween Kills will release in cinemas Down Under on October 13.
It was really only a matter of time before someone went there — and they finally have. Residents that fit into the intersection of the 'Singapore resident' and 'Orange Is the New Black fan' Venn diagram will be stoked to hear Netflix is opening an a pop-up restaurant themed around the show's prison cafeteria. As of yesterday, June 16, Singaporean diner OverEasy has been transformed into Litchfield Penitentiary Cafeteria to bring the TV prison experience to the people (and also to cash in on the hype surrounding the OITNB season four debut, which should be going up on Netflix sometime today). Chef Bjorn Shen has created the menu inspired by the depressing slop served up in the prison cafeteria but, you know, more gourmet. On the menu? An appetiser of corn kernels with spiced butter, cheese and lime, a main designed to replicate Nutraloaf (the US prison punishment food of three meals literally blended into one), and gruel for dessert (which is actually white chocolate and coconut rice pudding, almond crumble and 'fruit' of the day). And to wash it all down? Delicious tap water (moreish, healthy and flavourful!). Unfortunately the restaurant has filled up pretty quickly but if you're in Singapore right now, you can chance your arm for a walk-in. It's worth a shot because the prison-style grub is free — probably because no one would actually pay for prison fare. And for everyone else, well, we can sleep easy knowing that OITNB-branded GruelTM is surely coming soon to a supermarket near us and get stuck into binge watching season four. Via CNET.
If you love exploring new drinks or supporting local businesses, then head to The Four Pillars Gin Laboratory and retail shop in Surry Hills from Monday, February 10 to Wednesday, February 19 to get a taste of the Scottish Isles. For ten days, Jura Whisky will be taking over – serving up Jura-based cocktails at Eileen's Bar – all the way from a tiny Scottish island of the same name. Order, take a sip and immerse yourself in the unique drink made by a Scottish island community of just 212 people. The island of Jura has just one road, one pub and one whisky distillery (the necessities). As such, their whisky is made with love and community at the core – making it more than just a bog-standard whisky. The distillery was established in 1810 and reborn in 1963 in a plight to revive the community, and that it did. Today, the island community creates single malt with a true love of the game. Their craftsmanship is grounded in a desire to make approachable whisky that promotes connection in Jura and beyond. The flavour speaks for itself — beginning with fresh peaches and red apples on the nose and ending with cinnamon and rich banana fritters, Jura Whisky is warm, smooth and complex. At the Jura Whisky at Four Pillars Gin Laboratory takeover, you will be able to trial a Jura Flight ($15), Jura Highball ($16) and Paps of Jura ($24), made with Jura Bourbon Cask, torched apricot and Earl Grey tea fizz. Or, why not try the Wattle&Spice ($24) or the Boo-urns ($24), a delicious concoction of Jura Aged 12 Years, Glayva, Madeira and peychaud's bitters? Head to the Four Pillars Gin Laboratory between Monday, February 10 to Wednesday, February 19 to experience the community spirit that is Jura Whisky. Images: Supplied.
All The Way Through Evening is for lovers of classical music. It’s a movie for grown-ups, and between all the comic book adaptations, reality television franchises, Katy Perry “documentaries” and other laughable exercises in offensive mediocrity, it sometimes feels that they’re aren’t too many grown-up movies around. Australian filmmaker Rohan Spong’s musical documentary follows Mimi Stern-Wolfe who, since 1990, has organised concerts presenting the work of dozens of composers affected by HIV/AIDS. Her motivation is simple. “I do these concerts for years and years because I knew the people that we lost and I cared for them and I wanted to preserve the memory of their lives and their music and of their efforts and their talents.” In particular, All The Way Through Evening focuses on the work of Chris DeBlasio who died in 1993 at age 34. He was a composer “aware of the simplicity of beauty and captured it in his music”. He was also one of the first AIDS sufferers, and as his health unravelled his music grew heavier with grief. All The Way Through Evening won the Special Jury Award at the New York Downtown Film Festival last year. Even at seventy minutes, the film requires patience - it contains lengthy musical sequences and unfolds at its own meandering pace. Perhaps most interestingly, it provides a very personal snapshot of New York’s gay community in the late 1980s, described as “high art, low sex” and populated by men who would go the opera and theatre and then to public toilets and parks to pick up other men. The film also gives a sense of the early horrors of the AIDS epidemic: one poet who’s interviewed says, “I made a list of friends who died of AIDS, and I stopped at thirty-five. I know people who made lists and stopped at seventy-five, seventy-five men who died of AIDS.” All The Way Through Evening has been crafted with a great deal of affection for its subjects. It’s honest and compassionate and yet never falls over the brink into sentimentality. Spong takes an intimate, slow-burn approach to storytelling, and the photography is particularly lovely. The film is in very limited release, so grab it at the theatres while you can.
Acclaimed Sydney restaurants, award-winning cookbooks, global kudos, a sustainable seafood restaurant in Singapore: championing a fin-to-tail approach to the ocean's finest, Josh and Julie Niland's culinary footprint spans all of the above. From April 2025, their first-ever Queensland eatery will also join the list, as part of the new The Sundays hotel that's opening on Hamilton Island. The Nilands' Sunshine State debut doesn't yet have a name, but it will form part of the 59-room hotel at Catseye Beach's northern end — and serving the pair's seafood dishes to the entire family will be on the menu. While The Sundays is a luxury boutique hotel, being family friendly is part of its point of difference. That mindset will apply to the new restaurant, too, with catering to family holidays a guiding principle. "Julie and I fell in love with the entire vision behind The Sundays. It reflects so much of what we value — bringing people together to create memories in beautiful surroundings. We can't wait to introduce a dining experience that feels connected to the island and its incredible natural environment," said Josh. The Nilands have four children, so whipping up menus to suit both adults and kids is nothing new for Josh and Julie. Alongside whole-fish seafood dishes, the restaurant will feature local ingredients and span beyond the sea for its protein sources. Also, when diners tuck in, they'll do so with views of the ocean. When it opens on Thursday, May 1, 2025 — with reservations available now — The Sundays will feature an oceanfront swimming pool surrounded by private cabanas as well, alongside a pickleball court and tropical gardens. Room options include balcony and terrace, plus interconnecting family rooms, all decked out in relaxing hues. Hamilton Island Enterprises, which is also behind qualia, is running the show at The Sundays. Bookings still don't come heap, however, with a launch deal on offer for four nights for $3564, which includes a 10-percent discount on accommodation. Nab the deal and you'll also receive a $500 voucher for the Nilands' restaurant. Josh and Julie's new restaurant will open at The Sundays, Catseye Beach, Hamilton Island, from April 2025 — with the hotel launching on Thursday, May 1, 2025. Keep an eye on the hotel's website for more details in the interim. Images: Hamilton Island Photography, Sharyn Cairns, Adam Rikys, Nick Leary.
Headed by distiller Odelia Potts, Kings Cross Distillery is Macleay Street's cocktail den and distillery featuring house-made gins, cocktails and Spanish snacks — plus personality aplenty. As with many old buildings in the area, the venue's past lives are varied and salacious. These include an illegal gambling den and an adult bookstore with a hidden vault. That vault is no longer home to questionable activities, but the distillery's precious bottles of gin. The fit-out pays homage to the building's history and emulates speakeasies from the 1920s — think dark green leather booths, exposed brick walls and gold details aplenty across the split-level bar. The distillery's 200-litre pot also sits front-and-centre. Expect seats for 120 all up and a kitchen serving mezze-style bites like garlic prawns ($29), sea bass ceviche ($29) and anchovies ($28). You can also order caviar by the ten-gram serve ($75). Apart from the gin, the distillery will also make its own vodka and whisky, and pours other spirit and wine brands from around Australia and the globe. Guests can even keep specially selected drops in personalised spirit lockers, where bottles can be stored between visits and then used in any concoction on the menu. Eager punters can pre-purchase those spirit lockers (for a cool $400–1350) and have one all ready to go for opening night. On the bar's cocktail menu, you'll find a bubble-topped Impeachment ($24), a Sin and Tonique ($24) and gin old fashioned dubbed Pepperation Makes Perfect ($24). All made with one of the distillery's house-distilled gins, of course. And you can leave with a bottle of that gin, too, with the classic dry gin and Garden Island navy strength gin available online and in-store.
Dust off your sombreros, amigos. The latest international excuse for a good time to reach our shores is Cinco de Mayo — a celebration of all things Mexican (which, if we’re being nit-picky, is really more of an Americanisation than anything but shh, let us party). In celebration, the folks at Corona and Beach Burrito Company Coogee are putting together a fiesta, complete with face painting by local street artists and the first ever Taco Time Trials Eating Contest. For the less competitively inclined but equally taco-happy, Cinco de Mayo falls conveniently on a Tuesday, and Beach Burrito Co’s regular $3 taco deal applies, so your pesos’ll stretch further. With what you’ve got left, you can sip salt-rimmed margaritas, down trays of tequila shots (not recommended) or share a bucket of ice-cold Coronas. And, of course, come prepared to smash and whack your way to glory, because they wouldn’t be doing Mexico right without pinatas.
In The Accountant 2, Christian Wolff is back, as is Ben Affleck (Air) in the role. Jon Bernthal (Daredevil: Born Again) returns as the numbers-whiz character's killer-for-hire brother Braxton, too. The first film's Cynthia Addai-Robinson (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) and JK Simmons (Juror No 2) also reprise their parts. Behind the camera, director Gavin O'Connor not only helms the follow-up to his own 2016 release, but makes his third movie in a row — including The Way Back, which isn't part of the franchise — with Affleck starring. Screenwriter Bill Dubuque (Ozark) is among the familiar folks backing up for another The Accountant flick as well. With so many tried-and-tested talents onboard, this thriller sequel's return to the world of its titular figure — a forensic accountant with autism who started the initial picture fixing the books for criminal organisations — could've just taken rinse-and-repeat approach. That wouldn't have meant making a movie that's as much an odd-couple buddy comedy, however, by playing up the chalk-and-cheese relationship between Affleck and Bernthal's characters. Balancing intense action scenes with line dancing likely wouldn't have been in the mix, either. Also, Addai-Robinson's Marybeth Medina, who is now a Deputy Director in the Treasury Department, may not have been so central — indeed, Affleck calls her "the lead in the movie". No one involved in The Accountant 2 was interested in making a comeback just to do what they've already done. That's particularly true for Affleck, who so rarely steps into a character's shoes twice — except as Batman and Bruce Wayne in the now-defunct DC Extended Universe, and also as Holden McNeil in the View Askewniverse. Boot scootin' to 'Copperhead Road' as a way of flirting is also a brand-new development for him, and one that not everyone was convinced would make the final cut. "I was like 'this scene will never work'," advises Bernthal. "I was like 'there's no way that's going to work. Like, why is he? Like, what? How is this — what does this scene have to do with anything?'. And as soon as I saw him go out there, I was singing that song. I love that song. I love that. It was so good." "If you asked Jon before we shot that scene, he was saying 'this is going to get cut from the movie'," adds O'Connor. "There's no way. I was like 'why are we even here?'," responds Bernthal. The moment does hit its mark, and also perfects what The Accountant 2 is shooting for character-wise with Christian and Brax. One is trying to connect with others, including romantically — this isn't the only sequence in the film about Christian's love life — and finds that his penchant for numbers and patterns is an unexpectedly ideal fit for line dancing. The other is attempting to assist his brother to embrace more than just his routine. Together, the siblings are also endeavouring to repair their long-fractured relationship. [caption id="attachment_1001142" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eric Charbonneau/Amazon MGM Studios via Getty Images[/caption] When The Accountant 2's team get together to chat about it at a press conference for the movie — returnees Affleck, Bernthal, O'Connor and Addai-Robinson, plus franchise newcomer Daniella Pineda (Cowboy Bebop) — they're animated and enthusiastic. The film benefits from their passion, even as it combines its comic turns, dancing and brotherly bonding with the fact that it's still an action-thriller that plunges into dark territory. This time, Christian's skills are needed, as are Brax's, after an acquaintance's murder. In a narrative that involves human trafficking, Marybeth is on the case, enlisting the brothers' assistance as she searches for the culprit, and also investigating how the situation connects to a family from El Salvador. Why was Affleck keen to return? When did O'Connor start thinking about which elements of the first film he wanted to pick up in a second flick, and where things would be different? How did humour work its way in — and what was Bernthal's response to the buddy-comedy aspect? The group answered these questions, too, while also digging into why Affleck sees Addai-Robinson's Cynthia as the movie's protagonist, the movie's action scenes and emotional arcs, and, yes, the line dancing. On Why Affleck Was Keen to Add a Very Rare Sequel to His Resume Ben: "This is a movie where, after the first one, it was successful and I was really proud of it, but it had a longer life in terms of the just real-life feedback that I get from people, what movies they would mention when they come up to me. And so I definitely was aware 'oh wow, that movie seems to still be being watched'. I think it's also a function of the fact that streaming really started to take off after this movie, so people had the opportunity to pick what movie they're going to watch, that sort of thing. And also I just love this character. I really enjoyed playing it. Gavin and I both very much were drawn to the idea of bringing Jon back and expanding on that, because we both really were like 'this guy's fabulous and we love it' — and I think we both felt like there was a lot more to do. And the only thing that I think, that I would rephrase from your question, is they really brought me back. Bill and Gavin spent a lot of time in the intervening years developing and putting together, in a quite typical-of-Gavin, meticulous, patient, detail-oriented, character-driven way, what it could be. Because both were quite mindful of not wanting to repeat it, not wanting to just 'oh hey, they like the first one, let's just figure something out and do another one'. So everything about it was appealing to me." On When O'Connor Started Thinking About Which Aspects of The Accountant He Wanted to Bring Back for a Sequel — and What to Change Up Gavin: "Just a lot of conversations with Bill in regard to — there's certain DNA that it was important to preserve. And then after that, it was a lot of left turns and just try to refill the tank in a very different way. And I in no way wanted to recycle the same thing that we did in the first film, so it was it was just a matter of 'how do we just start recreating the character in a way that is putting them on a different journey, integrating Brax, wanting to bring Cynthia back?'. We knew the key in the ignition was to kill Ray, because I wanted it to be personal for both of these guys. And most importantly, and we had these conversations, I just want to make a movie that was fun and entertaining — and put people in the seats, and go to a movie theatre and the lights come down, and have a communal experience where they can walk out of the theatre and go 'man, that was a fucking ball. That was just a great. That was a great time at the movies'. And that's really what we were going for." On Playing Up the Odd-Couple Buddy Comedy — and When Bernthal Found Out That That Would Be the Case Jon: "I don't know that I was ever really told that. I don't know that." Ben: "It was bait and switch." Jon: "Look it was — it was, yeah, little bit, a little bit. I was like 'what?'. But Bill's writing is so unbelievably strong. And Gavin and I, we're very close. And you work with Gavin, he's always going to whittle it down and try to get to the truth of the character, and there's no stone left unturned. It was a real thrill for me to get back. And I think with Ben, it just kind of happened that way. I mean it's there, it was very much supported by Gavin to let moments linger and let it exist naturally, and play the moments in between the beats. He's unbelievably funny and he has such a — it sounds corny, he's just mastered this character in such a way that there's just so many little moments of truth that are going on that you love, but can also drive you crazy from the right point of view. And I feel like we were really — I was really — let off the leash to have a real opinion about that." [caption id="attachment_1001143" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eric Charbonneau/Amazon MGM Studios via Getty Images[/caption] Gavin: "I don't think we ever said like 'oh, it has to be funny', when I say I wanted the movie to be fun and entertaining. Jon and I had so many sitdowns were we would just be dissecting the character, and 'what's the intention of this scene?' — but once you just put these guys together, they both have specific wants. And if you're not getting your wants — and both these guys are slightly, the characters are slightly bonkers, right, in certain ways, so if they're not getting their wants, if you just let them do their thing, it was such a fertile environment for them just in the scenes that it just created. They weren't trying — the reason I think it works is because they weren't trying to be funny. No one was trying to be funny. They were so engrained in their characters and they had very specific wants. And if you're not getting that, it's like banging your head against the wall." Ben: "And also Jon took pleasure in torturing me. So that was really just funny." On What Addai-Robinson Was Able to Explore in Her Role the Second Time Around Cynthia: "I think I always viewed Marybeth as the entry point for the audience, because she's observing and seeing all these things unfold around her and reacting in kind. And myself as an actor, same thing. I think back to working on the first movie: I was nervous and I was kind of out of my depth in a way, just trying to present as if I wasn't, which I think, for Marybeth, it was a similar type of situation. And here we are, eight years later, when we started on the sequel — and Marybeth has evolved, grown. She's in this elevated position within the Treasury Department. And for myself as a person and an actor, I felt like I had also grown, and it was like 'all right, I'm going to be returning to a situation that's familiar. I feel a little bit more comfortable, a little bit more confident'. And so that was really nice for me to feel like 'okay, I'm feeling like I can handle what I'm now getting thrown at me' — which is, again, this dynamic with Ben and Jon's characters. And just again being, for the audience, that point of entry. So all of their shenanigans, I also got to just bear witness to and be like 'all right, these guys are kind of crazy and they're also kind of challenging my view of how to serve justice', really." [caption id="attachment_1001144" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eric Charbonneau/Amazon MGM Studios via Getty Images[/caption] Ben: "The secret of this movie is that Cynthia is the protagonist, really. She's the lead in the movie — she's the entree for the audience, which means we get to play character parts. And there is a kind of relief from not having to carry a certain — there a whole bunch of expectations and stuff that go with being the lead in the movie, because as Cynthia says, the audience is really projecting themselves onto you. And so we're like a dual aggravant in some ways to her. And if you look at the math of the story, it's about her being brought into this, seeing this person be killed, trying to find out what it was and what she has to go through to get there, and the resolution of her story. And that's something that I find very artful and interesting, where this person is the lead of the movie and you have these dual character actors in there. So that affords Jon and I the luxury of doing this two-hander odd couple. " On Bringing a Heightened Level of Female Action to the Film Daniella: "I would say this is definitely next-level. I mean, it's not necessarily a character you see all the time. I feel like it's kind of changing a bit. I saw a video the other day of these two American eagle chicks in a nest, and one of the siblings just takes out the littler one, takes out the nest, and I was like 'oh hey, I know that girl. That's all nice'. But at the same time, you want to see that eagle hunt and you want to see that eagle fly — and there is something really compelling about watching a predator do their thing. At the same time, I felt like there's more to her. There's more layers there. So she's not just a stone-cold killer. It's the type of role that I would like to see more women get to play. They're certainly here in the real world. And I love to beat the shit out of Cynthia — but we were hugging, we were hugging in-between takes, and it was nice. I got really lucky. I had a good partner. It was fun, it was fun — but as she'll tell you, it was brutal." Cynthia: "It is pretty good — and what's very satisfying is we've now had opportunities to see the movie with audiences, and when you hear an audience audibly gasp, then you know you're doing something right. Because it means that the stakes and how invested people are in these characters, they are literally leaning forward, and with each blow, each hit, it's like 'aaaahhh'. So I think that's a nice vote of confidence to hear those gasps." On How The Accountant 2's Action Stands Apart From Affleck and O'Connor's Past Projects Ben: "To me, what makes it interesting, and what made me think that we could do something that would actually connect with an audience in the sense that they feel something for what's happening, is because Gavin's approach is not about 'this is a shot where visually it looks cool because of XY and Z elements, and we're going to construct it in such a way', and then you have to reverse-engineer why in the world you would be doing something that would lead you to that place. It's always driven from 'what does each character want? Why are they doing this?'. There's a grounded reason for it. And then his gift is to take that and make that visually compelling." Gavin: "Yeah, and not try to make it feel stunt-y — or some of these, we can cite action movies that are great, but it just feels like the action is in front of the characters. And for us, and the same with the girls, we were always coming from character. So what we were always tracking when we got to the third act was like 'how were these guys working together? How are they now united?'. We knew what the stakes were. We knew what they wanted. So inside of the action and the choreography, really, it was about the emotional line between the two brothers and how are they going to try to accomplish this together? And that was really what the conversations were about. The action is like dance, right? It's just doing it in beats. But action isn't emotional — and disposable violence, who cares about it, right? So it was really evoking emotion because you care about the characters." On How Bernthal Approached His Character's Emotional Arc — and Balanced It with the Demanding Action Sequences Jon: "You can't lie in a fight. You just can't lie — it's all, what you want is right there. And so if you're going for it, you've just got to know what you're going for and why you're going for it. I think more than any director I've ever worked with, Gavin has an appetite and an availability, and a hunger, to go back and to really get into what makes these guys tick. He'll talk to you as long as you want to talk to him about where these guys came from. And what's so beautiful about this being a second film — I think for me with Braxton, he's really shrouded in mystery in the first one. There was a point, you really don't know too much about him, but you have these amazing flashbacks to see how these two boys were raised and what their relationship was with their dad. And it really is the crux of what is really bothering both of them, and what's really bothering Brax: the roles that we've always filled for each other, getting each other's back, having to be there for each other, the lack of being there for each other. So then for it to culminate — it just doesn't culminate just in a gunfight, it culminates in 'hey, I'm there for you. I'm getting your back. You're getting mine. We're joined forever'. And it's a way, for lack of a better word, of showing how much you love somebody — and violence can actually be that sometimes." On Affleck's Line-Dancing Scene Ben: "That was one of the fun things about this thing, was the idea that here's a guy who's trying to figure out — he wants to have a relationship with a woman, he's trying to figure out how to do that, how to put yourself out there. He's not comfortable extending himself. He doesn't really know how to flirt exactly. He's not comfortable, like so many of us — it's not easy for anyone figuring out relationships, particularly the very early part where you're trying to gauge 'what does this signal mean? Is this person looking at me? Do they like me? Am I going to humiliate myself if I go over there?'. And what he does is kind of a lovely thing, which is he uses something that he's comfortable with — which in that case is the ability to recognise and identify the pattern of line dancing, because it is so structured and patterned — to participate in this. And it's the perfect way that he's comfortable to stand next to this woman who he's attracted to and wants to connect with, because it's kind of like parallel play with little kids. You don't have to look at somebody and engage them, but you get to be with them and do something next to them, and he finds a way that he's comfortable doing that. And it required, yeah, a lot of me. I probably am not going to get a lot more demands for my line-dancing work. I don't know. The phone hasn't rung yet. But it was really fun to — I think what's charming about it is when somebody puts himself out there to do something, at least I hope, that they're not necessarily great at, but they're trying. And I mean, really at the end of the day, that's sort of all any of us can do. Some of us are great at things — like Jon, the fighting comes easy to him. The action scenes with him are like playing in a basketball movie and this guy, you're like 'oh, you played professional basketball — okay, great'. And whereas these women of action, like you said then Danielle, they trained like crazy and brought incredible aptitude. Those fight scenes are a function of tremendous commitment and dedication and emotional perseverance that was astonishing. And for me, I'm coming at this line dancing thing like 'I don't really have the natural gifts but I'm willing to try.' I would say they did a hell of a lot better with the action I did with the line dancing. Luckily for me, it wasn't supposed to be good." Gavin: "The other thing about the scene that we were trying to accomplish, that was really important, is obviously there was that happening but we just left the plot of the movie. It was like 'we're going to leave the plot for a while', because that whole scene is really about the brothers. They've been in all this conflict driving up to that scene, and then at the end of the scene on the Airstream he says 'let's go get drunk'. And then that scene became 'they're still kind of in conflict trying to figure it out' — but once he goes to dance, Brax is like, that started to unite the two brothers, and it was just baby steps to get these guys there. So that was the other thing." Ben: "And it anchors the audience, having him celebrate for his brother, like that's who you're connecting to." Gavin: "Totally. Totally, yes. 'Yeah, 'that's my big brother up there'. It's beautiful." The Accountant 2 opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Film stills: courtesy of Warrick Page, Amazon MGM Studios / Prime Video © Amazon Content Services LLC.
Summer lineups just keep kicking bigger and bigger goals. The Sydney Opera House's full summer lineup for contemporary music program Music at the House is certifiably huge this summer, with Sinead O'Connor, Caribou, Mogwai, Flying Lotus, Rodrigo Y Gabriela and more joining already announced big guns Damon Albarn, Violent Femmes, Max Richter and the Wordless Orchestra, Asgeir, Ben Frost and Tim Heckler and Fat Freddy's Drop. Running late November to April, the 20-show-strong summer program is overrun with applaudably huge names. The legendary Sinead O’Connor will make her second Sydney appearance in 30 years with a retrospective set (ahead of her March 2016 memoir release), original 'Buffalo Stance' boundary-breaker Neneh Cherry makes her Australian debut and Britain's instrumental heavyweights Mogwai make their return to Australian shores. Crisp-as-blazes, London-based Canadian Caribou will surf a wave of hype surrounding his recent album Our Love, while Warp's Flying Lotus makes a triumphant return to the Concert Hall (where FlyLo sold the whole damn thing out last year). A tribute to the Twin Peaks mastermind, 'In Dreams: David Lynch Revisited' will see Australia’s Mick Harvey (ex-Bad Seeds) and Sophia Brous (Brous), New York City-based Cibo Matto and Irish-chanteuse Camille O’Sullivan will venture through Lynch's versions of the likes of Roy Orbison, David Bowie and Chris Isaak, as well as his work with Angelo Baladamenti. Swedish vocal powerhouse Lykke Li is set to make her Opera House debut, while fellow Swedes Little Dragon take over the Concert Hall — a fierce upgrade in space from their wildly raved about Oxford Art Factory show this year. Acoustic Brit Award winner Ben Howard is set to take things down a mellow notch, but if you're feeling the need to stomp a few floors, Grammy Award-winning flamenco legends The Gipsy Kings celebrate 25 years since their self-titled breakthrough album, and furiously talented guitar-duelling duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela return to Australia after a way-too-long absence. Music at the House is quickly becoming one of Sydney's most anticipated lineup reveals, with this year's performances including the recently-toured Rodriguez, the return visit of Vivid LIVE favourite Nils Frahm, Grizzly Bear, Bonobo, Boy and Bear, The National, The Jezabels and more — with performances from Max Richter and the Wordless Orchestra, Damon Albarn and Violent Femmes still to come before the end of the year. MUSIC AT THE HOUSE 2015 SUMMER PROGRAM (November 2014 — April 2015): Tickets go on sale to the general public at 9am, Monday 10 November. MAX RICHTER & THE WORDLESS ORCHESTRA (AUSTRALIAN DEBUT, SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Sunday 23 November TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $49 DAMON ALBARN (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Monday 15 & Tuesday 16 December, 2014 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $79 VIOLENT FEMMES (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Monday 29 December, 2014 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 ASGEIR (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Wednesday 7 January, 2015 TIME: 6.30pm & 9pm (SOLD OUT) VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $49 BEN FROST & TIM HECKER (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Sunday 11 January, 2015 TIME: 9.30pm VENUE: Joan Sutherland Theatre TICKET PRICE: From $39 FAT FREDDY’S DROP (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Monday 26 January,2015 TIME: 9pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 LYKKE LI DATE: Monday 2 February, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 CARIBOU DATE: Tuesday 3 February, 2015 TIME: 7pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $49 FLYING LOTUS DATE: Tuesday 3 February, 2015 TIME: 10.30pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $54 LITTLE DRAGON DATE: Thursday 5 February, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $49 MOGWAI (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Monday 2 March, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 NENEH CHERRY WITH ROCKETNUMBERNINE+ (UK) (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Wednesday 11 March, 2015 TIME: 9pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 IN DREAMS: DAVID LYNCH REVISITED (FEATURING MICK HARVEY, SOPHIA BROUS, CIBO MATTO, CAMILLE O’SULLIVAN + MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED) (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE ) DATE: Saturday 14 March, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 SINEAD O'CONNOR (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Thursday 19 March, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $79 BEN HOWARD DATE: Sunday 29 March, 2015 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $59 THE GIPSY KINGS featuring NICOLAS REYES & TONINO BALIARDO (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Tuesday 7 & Wednesday 8 April 2015 TIME: 9pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $99 RODRIGO Y GABRIELA (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Thursday 9 April, 2015 TIME: 9.30pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $79 ANGELIQUE KIDJO + MAVIS STAPLES (SYDNEY EXCLUSIVE) DATE: Sunday 12 April, 2015 T TIME: 8pm VENUE: Concert Hall TICKET PRICE: From $79 Tickets go on sale to the general public at 9am, Monday 10 November. Visit sydneyoperahouse.com/music for further information and tickets.
What features Jay and Silent Bob dancing, the Quick Stop opening and hockey being played on the roof? There's more than one answer to that question. The response right now: the trailer for Clerks III, which is a real thing that's headed to US cinemas in September. Feeling like you've just jumped back 28 years comes with the territory with this threequel — and the film well and truly knows it. Trust Jason Mewes (Loafy), playing Jay yet again, to state the obvious in the just-dropped sneak peek at Kevin Smith's third Clerks flick. "That's how we did it in the 90s, son!" he exclaims. Naturally, that's just the beginning of Clerks III's meta leanings. In fact, winking and nodding is one of the main reasons that this movie seems to exist — because the titular twosome, aka Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson, Zack and Miri Make a Porno) and Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran, On Your Own), are making their own movie. As the trailer shows, Randal has a heart attack on the job, realises he's living on borrowed time and decides that he'll finally make a film rather than just watch them. "Everything in the script is something either me or someone I know said," he explains — followed by Our Flag Means Death's Fred Armisen, Buffy the Vampire Slayer icon Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Smith's Mallrats and Chasing Amy star Ben Affleck uttering "I'm not even supposed to be here today". No, snoochie boochies, nothing in pop culture ever really dies or ends. Yes, there's always a new movie or TV show popping up to prove how that's the case. All things Star Wars keeps on keeping on, after all — and, given that Smith both writes and directs Clerks III, as he did 1994's Clerks and 2006's Clerks II, you bet that sci-fi space opera gets a mention in his latest flick. If you're new to Clerks, aka the franchise that kickstarted Smith's career both behind and in front of the camera — playing Silent Bob, of course — the OG black-and-white movie followed Quick Stop Groceries employee Dante and his video rental store worker pal Randal going about an ordinary day. Famously, Dante wasn't even supposed to be working. The first sequel then picked up ten years later, checking in on the pair's lives. In that film, they've made the move to fast food, with Rosario Dawson (DMZ) playing their manager. Dawson features in Clerks III, too, as do other familiar franchise faces that are best spotted by watching the trailer yourself — or seeing the film, although it doesn't yet have a release date Down Under. Given how many times that Smith has busted out Jay and Silent Bob now — this makes the ninth View Askewniverse film so far, and they've appeared in other flicks like Scream 3 as well — you can probably expect that he'll be palling around with Mewes on-screen until he's at least 90. The Tusk and Yoga Hosers filmmaker also has a sequel to Mallrats in the works, so add that to the list. Check out the trailer for Clerks III below: Clerks III will release in the US from September 4, with Down Under release dates yet to be confirmed — we'll update you when local details are announced.
Thailand is undoubtedly one of Australia's favourite holiday destinations, and Bangkok is one of the world's most visited cities by international tourists. The sprawling metropolis makes room for the old and the new — one minute you're cruising down the Chao Phraya river, the next you're travelling through the city at breakneck speed on the BTS skytrain. We've going to bet that a few of you have been to Bangkok before. Maybe you've even trekked up to Chiang Mai and Pai, or soaked up some sun scuba diving off one of Thailand's many islands. That's why we've left some of the obvious Bangkok destinations out of this article, like the mind-boggling Chatuchak markets, the opulent Grand Palace and the silk-lovers heaven that is Jim Thompson House. If you're in the country's capital and looking for a fun way to spend a few days, we recommend giving a few of these a visit. Drink at high altitudes Bangkok has quite a nifty reputation for its rooftop bar scene, so we decided to check out the highest one we could find — it was the Sky Bar at the Lebua State Tower (also known as the rooftop bar from The Hangover 2). Come alone or come in a wolf pack to the 65th floor — the service is friendly and the cocktails are outstanding. We could drink their blueberry sour G&T's all damn day, but there's also a Hangovertini for those looking to stay in theme. Sunset is generally the best time to arrive but, then again, we're yet to find a bad time to drink at high altitudes. We also climbed to the top of Moon Bar at the Banyan Tree Bangkok, located on the 61st floor. It's extremely easy to pass the hours when you're seated against the glass wall overlooking the city — with free bar snacks that were constantly replenished, no less. There was a smart casual dress code at both of these rooftop bars, so it's worth checking ahead to make sure drinking in the clouds stays firmly on your conquered list. Yes, both of these places were a bit pricier than your average 60 Baht bottle of Chang beer, but if you're after a nice night out, this is it. What can we say? Bangkok has us now. Work Your Way Out Of Escape Hunt Escape rooms are becoming a bit of a thing in Australia, but we tried out the Bangkok version at Escape Hunt anyway. For the uninitiated, escape rooms are like playing real-life Cluedo: you get 'locked' in a room, left to solve a murder mystery before your time is up. In our case, we had an hour to figure out who had killed a female painter — one of her three boyfriends, or the groundskeeper? This was totally awesome. And if Bangkok hasn't already tested your relationship with your travel partner, this certainly will. You're allowed to get clues from your host, but each clue deducts one minute off your time, so we recommend only using them when you're desperately seeking some Sherlock intuition. Thankfully, we made it out with just under two minutes to spare, and we were given the cutest tweed detective gear to put on and take photos in. Check Out Cat, Dog and Bunny Cafes Cat cafes did originate in Asia, so it's no surprise there are a few here in Thailand's capital. We're not sure exactly how many cat cafes Bangkok has, but we know there are at least three. Purr Cat Cafe Club is one of the more prominent ones in Sukhumvit, and in a city filled with apartment buildings and high rises, it's no wonder Bangkok locals are looking to spend some quality time with a furry friend. Purr is run by a Thai sitcom actress and houses 14 fluffy Persians cats. At the cafe you can have cat-shaped brownies and whiskers drawn on your hot chocolate. There is also Kitty Cat Cafe and Makura Cat Cafe in Bangkok if you can't get enough of your feline friends. Cats not your thing? Don't even worry about it. Bangkok also has a cafe that specifically houses Siberian huskies called True Love Cafe. There are 17 of these adorable pups running around, all of different colours and sizes. One final animal establishment we'd like to throw out there is the Lucky Bunny Cafe & Restaurant, which houses happy, healthy rabbits. All of the cute, all at once. Food and (Safe) Sex Together At Last With a tagline like 'Our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy', how could you possibly refuse a meal here? There are mannequins covered in elaborate condom costumes which are hilarious and honestly quite impressive, but Cabbages and Condoms is not the money-grabbing, photo-opportunity establishment you might first think. Cabbages and Condoms was initially created to promote a better understanding of sexual health and family planning, as a portion of the profits go towards the Population and Community Development Association (PDA). It's all in the name of an excellent cause, so you might as well get amongst. The menu is strictly Thai cuisine, and there's plenty to choose from. There are a few Cabbages and Condoms located all over Thailand, so if you're heading over to Thailand but not staying in Bangkok, there's still a chance to check this out. Grab a handful of free dingers on the way out and have yourself a safe and merry day. Choose Your Own Adventure: Thai Street Food Let's be honest, this section could be a whole article to itself. Thai street food is the best kind of street food — cheap, unpredictable (in a good way), and, above all, delicious. The rules are simple: eat anything that looks interesting, ask questions later and try something new every time. On a personal note, I spent two years of my childhood living in Thailand, so I had a slight advantage of knowing that (1) My chances of death were slim if I chose wisely, and (2) I could identify some of the strangest looking toppings on Thai snow cones. Boat noodles (kuay tiew rua) are a Bangkok street food staple, and there is a whole alley dedicated to this delicacy located near Victory Monument. For other noodles on the run, a safe bet is the readily available stir-fried wide rice noodles (pad see ew) or Pad Thai. Our favourite savoury snacks were easily the bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms, as well as the ever-present and super cheap grilled pork sticks (moo ping). For sweets you can't go passed mango and sticky rice (kao niao mumuang) — it's traditional and delicious. For some who are keen for a little lucky dip, give the Thai snow cone (nam kang sai) a go. You fill the bottom of the bowl with anything from black jelly, chestnuts, sweetened taro to red beans, then place a mound of shaved ice on top of that and cover with flavoured syrups and condensed, evaporated or coconut milk, depending on how sweet you want it. Top image thanks to Scalino, Lubua photo taken by Vicky Chung via Flickr, cat image thanks to ironypoisoning, Cabbages and Condoms image thanks to micamonkey, street food image thanks to jaaron.
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.
Last year, Natalya Hughes brought us Looking Twice, a selection of works brimming with optical elusiveness and decadent delight. The geometric patterning that characterises her practice is influenced by the art and literature of Victorian aestheticism, particularly the icon of ornamental eroticism, Aubrey Beardsley. In the past, her crisp and colourful shapes have showcased a unique kind of Japonism, updated and retooled for the 21st century. Hughes’ latest offering at Alaska Projects, Bachelor's Pads, attests that she is still devoted to the decorative. In her earlier work, there tends to be a lot of figures and objects that have been symmetrically dissected and multiplied, as well as a graphic style that seems to imitate the soft creases of draped fabric. However, this collection errs more on the non-figurative side of things, combining paintings and custom-made interior furnishings. It is a homage to modernist abstract painting, full of flat surfaces and sharp edges, coupled with Hughes' decorative flair. Yet, there is a lingering eroticism mixed with '70s groove that courses through this exhibition. It is almost as if the 19th-century aesthete and antihero Jean des Esseintes has donned a pair of bell bottoms and platform shoes. Hughes describes it as “the cocktail party at the museum and the sleazy afterparty at the director's partner’s inner city apartment.” Reeking of cheap sex and urban glamour, there are two custom print mattresses slumped against the gallery wall, as if marking a hungover morning after. One of them, Dirty Deco, has a companion canvas of the same design — a pink oval fringed with blue and black spikes. There are also two works titled It’s the '70s, featuring that nostalgic colour combination of orange, blue and yellow. Almost every composition is made up of triangles within triangles, many of which are striped with thin black lines. This highlights Hughes’ intricate and geometrically precise method of building up optical richness. Pink Hole is a perfect example of how Hughes uses perspective, and perhaps a cheeky sexual innuendo. A number of intersecting lines are painted over an almost invisible circle. However, the lines then change in colour as they enter and exit the circle’s interior. Similarly, in her work Scoops, it is as if there has been a magnifying glass painted into the surface of the canvas — thin lines are disconnected and become comparatively huge. It’s this momentary struggle to comprehend the 'system' that governs these works that makes them intriguing. With Hughes’ energetic paintings, lush floral wallpaper and funky sleepers, it’s a bit of a party down here at Alaska Projects. Hopefully, it’s the '70s shindig you’re hankering for.
Knowledgeable epicureans from around Australia know there's no better way to spend a weekend than hitting a wine region. Cellar doors offer a cornucopia of delights and their proximity to farmland means you're guaranteed the freshest produce to complement your tipple. South Australia's Clare Valley is one such destination, famous for wine, food and glorious scenery. The combination of rich red soil, an undulating valley of varying microclimates, and the cool, dry seasons create the perfect storm of red and white perfection. And, together with southaustralia.com, we've created this comprehensive guide to the famed wine region — from some of Australia's best riesling to excellent specimens of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz, you'll find something to suit every wine lover's palate here. And only a couple of hours out of Adelaide, the Clare Valley is so close you can almost taste it as soon as you step off the plane. If you have the time, immerse yourself in the Fleurieu Peninsula and the Limestone Coast, too. Or explore the Adelaide CBD — there are plenty of underground bars and fairy light-lit rooftops to uncover. [caption id="attachment_680370" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Skillogalee[/caption] EAT In the lead up to your Clare Valley weekend, we recommend training your stomach because you're going to want to eat — a lot. There's an award-winning venue around every bend in the road, but we recommend starting strong with a visit to Skillogalee and its winery restaurant. The lunch menu is packed with unexpected combinations (try the wallaby shank if you're feeling adventurous) or grab a picnic basket chock full of local produce and explore the grounds. Next on your list of must-eats is Seed, a modern wine bar and restaurant housed in a beautifully renovated old building on Main North Road. The venue, with exposed stone, wood and a roaring fire, is cosy and sophisticated, beckoning you to settle in with a buttered rum or a glass of the Valley's finest red. The menu is hearty and modern, with a dedicated vegetarian section, and all served with house-made ciabatta. If at this point you haven't melted into a hedonistic puddle of excess, head over to Terroir Auburn, a restaurant in, yes, Auburn that combines ethical produce with old-school service. The light interior of Terrior is offset by the warmth of its wooden décor and the friendly staff. Pick their brains to find your perfect food and wine match. The menu is tight, meat-heavy and the food is beautifully presented and generously served. Finally, Bush Devine in Polish Hill River, located in the Paulett Wines Cellar Door, is an unforgettable experience — and we don't use that term lightly. Bush Devine is an Indigenous Australian Bush Food restaurant with an associated bush food garden where they grow the food you'll eat. The garden is free to explore before you settle down to your meal. We recommend the wattleseed gnocchi with smoked kangaroo, fennel, green olives, peas and sage cream. The share platters are also a great way to get a taste of all the best bits. [caption id="attachment_680373" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sevenhill Cellars, Adam Bruzzone[/caption] DRINK If you thought figuring out where to eat was tough, just wait till you try to pick a winery. You would need a lifetime to explore all of the Clare Valley's amazing venues but seeing as we only have a weekend, let's explore the best of the best. Start your weekend off with a beer at the Clare Valley Brewing Co. You might say "I didn't come to a famous riesling wine region to drink beer!" but trust us, you'll kick yourself if you miss the CVBC. The brewery itself it beautiful, with insane views to take in as you sample their core range of award-winning beers. When you're ready to move onto the main event (i.e. wine) make your way across to Clare Valley's very first winery Sevenhill Cellars. After tasting plenty of wines in the cellar door, head on a tour of the stunning sandstone underground cellar which is where all the fortified wines are stored. Next on the agenda: Mr Mick Cellar Door. It's worth a trip to Mr Mick just to experience the grounds and the venue. And while you're there — oooh-ing at scenes straight out of Hobbiton and ahh-ing at the cosy cellar door decor — try a glass of the novo sangiovese. They've won awards for it. [caption id="attachment_680368" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mr Mick Cellar Door, Adam Bruzzone[/caption] Speaking of award-winning, Kilikanoon is next on the agenda — and it's won more awards than you can shake a stick at, including winery of the year and best shiraz. The vineyard is in a picturesque location, with lush green rolling hills and a cellar door nestled in a stone farmhouse surrounded by cottage gardens, fruit orchards and tall gums. We recommend adding a cheese or produce board to go with your tasting experience to really lean into the holiday mood. The final must-do is famed riesling producer Jim Barry. The Barry family own and operate the winery (only a five-minute drive from the town of Clare and easily accessible by the Riesling Trail) so you can get up close and personal with your winemakers. At the cellar door, you'll obviously want to try the riesling, but we also recommend exploring some reds, too — the shiraz will round out your trip perfectly. [caption id="attachment_680371" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Riesling Trail[/caption] DO If you have a few moments between wine tastings and feasts, the Clare Valley has many wholesome activities to offer. The most obvious (which ties neatly into the wine and food agenda) is cycling the Riesling Trail. It's an easy, 32-kilometre bike track that takes you past the best riesling vineyards between Auburn and Clare. If you do it right and stop at all the best wineries, the trail will take a few days to complete. You can either hire a bike and do the trail solo, or join an all-inclusive tour organised by Tour de Vines. [caption id="attachment_680372" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mintaro Maze[/caption] And, because we're still kids at heart, we can't go past the the Mintaro Maze. It takes 800 conifers to create one glorious maze that will have you wandering for, well, hopefully not hours — but at least a little while. Once you've conquered the maze, crack open a picnic and cruise around the grounds. Keep an eye out for the giant chess board too. [caption id="attachment_680306" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Neagles Retreat Villas[/caption] STAY After a day of eating, drinking, cycling, and getting lost in the maze shenanigans, you'll want a comfy bed to recuperate in. Thankfully, the valley is resplendent with cute accommodation options to suit any budget. If you want to stay in town, the Mill Apartments in Clare are modern, clean and central. But if you're looking for a more remote stay, Neagles Retreat Villas in Emu Flats are not to be missed. They're located right on the Riesling Trail and close to five big wineries, including Jim Barry — so it's easy to line up with your winery tours. And if you want to rough it, but not really, Bukirk Glamping in Stanley Flat can hook you up with a kitted-out tent (including all the mod-cons and a woodfire) that will still let you rise with the sun and say hello to the day in the middle of nature. To discover more of Adelaide and South Australia, head to SATC. Top image: Riesling Trail, Adam Bruzzone.
Each year, Vivid LIVE transforms the Sydney Opera House into a playground of sound and light. Luckily for us, 2025 is no different. From Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14 the world's most-recognisable venue will become an immersive celebration of music's most-exciting names. This year's lineup is stacked with international titans like ANOHNI & the Johnsons and Portishead's Beth Gibbons playing the majestic Concert Hall. Below ground in the Studio, Trackwork, DUNJ, dstreet and House of Mince are bringing the party vibes. For something more low-key and intimate, the Utzon Room is hosting performances from homegrown hip hop, R&B and post-punk artists such as 3%, SAXHL and G2g. And to top it all off, the Joan Sutherland Theatre is featuring explosive nights of genre-defying soundscapes, cutting-edge visuals and electronica with WavyLand's 7th anniversary with Thaiboy Digital and Oli XL and other special guests — as well as Pale Jay, the craftsman of soul-infused heartbreak, plus seminal British electronic group Sabres of Paradise. Your Vivid LIVE night isn't complete without a moment under the Opera House sails, glowing with Kiss of Light — a kaleidoscopic, technicolour celebration of visionary Australian artist and activist David McDiarmid. Don't miss your chance to explore all corners of the Opera House during this exciting takeover. Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House runs from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14. For more information or to book tickets, visit the website. By Jacque Kennedy.
The past lingers. At the heart of Scrublands, both in its debut season in 2023 and now in its second — aka Scrublands: Silver — history doesn't just fade as time goes by. Portrayed by Luke Arnold (Last King of the Cross), investigative journalist Martin Scarsden witnessed this truth in action in the town of Riversend the first time that this page-to-streaming series based on Chris Hammer's novels hit the small screen. There, the character was chasing a story about a shocking tragedy impacting the entire community. As he met and became closer to bookstore-slash-cafe proprietor and single mother Mandy Bond, as played by Bella Heathcote (The Moogai), he wasn't just watching on from the outside, either. Streaming on Stan from Thursday, April 17, 2025, season two of Scrublands swaps Mandy's hometown for Martin's. In their new coastal surroundings of Port Silver, she isn't free from the past's persistent grasp despite being a newcomer to the close-knit seaside spot; however, her other half is equally haunted. Martin left town as a teenager to pursue his journalism dreams, but not before sparking a scandal. Until the first episode begins, he hasn't been back since. What's meant to be a fresh beginning for a couple already burdened by recent woes soon gets swept in other directions. The murder of Martin's childhood best friend Jasper (Hamish Michael, Apple Cider Vinegar), Mandy being named as the key suspect and Martin using his reporter instincts to try to get to the bottom of another mystery affecting the woman he loves will do that. So will Scarsden's own history bubbling back up. Looking back to the start of their Scrublands journey with Arnold and Heathcote, the pair are both clear that one season was all that they were focusing on when they initially stepped into Martin and Mandy's shoes — even though Hammer's novels about their characters had already notched up three entries thanks to 2018's Scrublands, 2019's Silver and 2020's Trust. That approach was partly pragmatic. "I think having been in this game for a while, you very much try to practice not getting ahead of yourself. And I think we were all in that mode, going 'okay, this would be great. We know the books are there. And so if we do a good job, we might be asked to come back and do some more'," Arnold tells Concrete Playground. "But at first you're just going 'hey, let's try to get through this thing and not screw it up, and then let's see what people think'." "It is always tough when there is this existing property there that people really love — sometimes that can go well, sometimes it can go the opposite way, and you find 'ohh no, you didn't', and it wasn't what the fans wanted or something went awry. So I think first season, we were just trying to do the best we could with that. And then I think the response to the show was so great and kind of beyond what we could have hoped for, so once that happened, things quickly started moving towards coming back for season two." Heathcote was instantly drawn to Mandy when the project crossed her path via Wolf Creek, Rogue and Jungle director Greg McLean, who she worked with on fellow Aussie series Bloom, but the pitch was for a one-and-done project. "Bizarrely, not at the time," she advises when asked about whether season two was ever on her mind to begin with. "I've now drunk the Kool-Aid and now I've read all the books, but in the first season I didn't — because it was pegged as a miniseries, and I thought 'okay, great'. But now I think we're all hooked, on the books and each other. I just want to work with everyone again." "There was something so comforting about coming back to this role, and being back with Luke, and Sarah Roberts [Runt], Toby Truslove [La Brea], taking the band on tour to WA. It feels sort of like coming home." Both Arnold and Heathcote have enjoyed a coming-home journey themselves, as Australian actors who enjoy overseas success tend to. (See also: Jacob Elordi and Odessa Young with The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Ashley Zukerman with In Vitro, and Radha Mitchell and Jesse Spencer with Last Days of the Space Age, to name just a few recent examples). Scrublands' two leads each have the almost-requisite Aussie soaps on their resumes, Home and Away for Arnold and Neighbours for Heathcote — and, for Arnold, four seasons on seafaring American series Black Sails, around gigs in everything from Rush Hour and MacGyver to Lethal Weapon; for Heathcote, a main part in Dark Shadows led to the eclectic likes of Not Fade Away, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Neon Demon, Fifty Shades Darker, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women and The Man in the High Castle. Neither have been absent from Australian fare lately, though, via the likes of Glitch, The End, Preppers, True Colours and Arnold's Home and Away stint, plus Relic, C*A*U*G*H*T and others for Heathcote. With Scrublands, they're both hooked, including as viewers. Indeed, both binged Silver's four parts, texting each other, when they were able to see the finished product. And yet, Arnold wouldn't be bringing Scarsden to the screen at all if he had followed the advice given to him back on his first taste in the business, as assistant sword fight choreographer on 2003's Australian-made Peter Pan more than a decade before playing Michael Hutchence in Never Tear Us Apart changed the course of his career. The person offering those ignored words of wisdom: The White Lotus season three's Jason Isaacs. Heathcote's early experiences also resonate with her now, specifically when it comes to being part of a great cast on Scrublands (The Artful Dodger's Luke Carroll, Good Cop/Bad Cop's Debra Lawrance, Spit's David Roberts, The Twelve's Tasma Walton and Transfusion's Damian De Montemas are among Silver's ensemble). "Oh man, it's everything. I remember early on in my career, just being really terrified of working with some big-name actor — but you're also as good as the actors around you. It's pretty hard to act in a vacuum if the people around you aren't good," she notes. From the process of stepping back into Martin and Mandy's shoes for the second time, navigating complicated emotional journeys and pondering how the past keeps haunting, through to why this Aussie noir hit resonates and whether either of its leads initially dreamed of where acting would take them, we also chatted to Arnold and Heathcote about plenty more. On What Excited Arnold and Heathcote When Scrublands First Came Their Ways Luke: "I hadn't read the books yet. It came through a lovely casting director, Lou Mitchell here in Melbourne — who, back in the day, I used to read for her at auditions for other people. And so when it came through her and I had a look, and because I have in the last few years also been writing — and writing mystery novels, fantasy, mystery stories — being able to play a writer in a mystery show just felt like the perfect fit. There's sometimes a little battle in my head between the writer and the actor, and I was like 'oh, I get to bring both sides of my creative self to this job'. And so from when I put the first tape down, I put it down with my now-fiancée, and out of all the jobs I've ever done, it was the one, she was reading opposite me, she thought it was a done deal from the beginning — and ended up being right. So I think Martin and I were a good fit from the beginning, and it is a very comfortable place for me to be when I get to step into it." Bella: "It did get me excited. It's so funny, because it came about in a really surprising way. Greg McLean and I had a project that we were doing together that fell apart, and I emailed him just checking in about something and he said 'you know what, I'm doing this show, and I feel like you might be right for this role in it'. And it was Mandy. And he's like 'read the scripts and tell me what you think' — the thing that we all say to each other, where it's like 'oh, don't worry if you don't like it'. And I read it and I just ripped through them. And then I was just like 'where do I sign?'. Because I thought she was great, and I loved how spunky she was. And I loved how much — there's something that I do that tat I really share with Mandy, where if she likes someone, she hangs shit on them. If she doesn't like someone, she also hangs shit on them. But if she really likes someone, then she just hangs even more shit on them. And I just loved that interaction that she had with both Martin and Byron [Territory's Jay Ryan in season one], and how quickly it cut through and established these relationships. Particularly the Byron storyline, I was just so impressed at how you could really feel the intimacy between them in such a short period of time. You know that expression 'show don't tell'? I just thought it did that so well, but with the thrill of the crime drama. And yeah, I just thought it was so well done and I loved it." On How the Job and Your Performance Evolves When You're Stepping Back Into a Character's Shoes for a Second Season Bella: "I guess it does evolve, because you're just layering up, aren't you? I get terrified before every job. I maybe erroneously thought that — no, I just know that I get terrified before every job. But this one felt like I put more pressure on myself or I was scared because I loved Mandy in season one, and I didn't want to do her a disservice in season two. So god, I hope I didn't. I guess the circumstances evolve, and you just put that suit back on and hope that you show up and do it justice." Luke: "It's interesting, because it's both much more comfortable and it's nice knowing 'okay, I know to a degree where this guy sits'. I also think sometimes the trap is to get too comfortable in that, and to make sure you're really looking at what the arc of this season is, what the story is. In a lot of ways, there's a lot of things that are completely different between these two seasons. The first season, Martin is the outsider. He is not emotionally or personally connected to this mystery in any way. He's got his own personal journey going on, but he is the somewhat-dispassionate journalist coming in just to tell this story, and everyone else in town has been traumatised and connected to it. This is the opposite. When we when we jump into Silver, it's Martin's old best friend who's been murdered — in a town where a lot of terrible things happened to Martin, but also he did some things that we'll find out he has some regrets, some shame over, potentially. The person who is accused of the murder is his now-partner. So he could not be more personally connected to every aspect of it. So in that way, he's going to approach it completely differently to how he did the mystery in season one. So it's somewhat comfortable, but also a completely new character in some ways." On Whether One of the Challenges of Returning to a Role Is Conveying How a Character Has Grown and Changed Between Seasons Luke: "I think so, mainly in context to Martin and Mandy. The potential relationship is only just blooming by the end of season one. So the whole year has happened for those two. So I think that's the hardest bit of catch-up to do, is to work out 'all right, how close are these two? How established is the relationship? How much trust has been built?'. Because very quickly, going back to Port Silver and the events that happened there, both of them realise that maybe they have to question how much this other person is opening up to them, how much they trust them, how truthful they're being. [caption id="attachment_929182" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sarah Enticknap[/caption] So I think that is the first thing that we had to consider — what this relationship between Martin and Mandy is, how that year has been between, how established are things, how much do they trust each other? And because it is an ongoing series — but each of these is its own standalone mystery. So in some ways, you want to get that established really quickly so you can get into the real meat of what this season's about." On How Heathcote Approached Mandy's Complicated Emotional Journey in Scrublands: Silver Bella: "I really just went off what was on the page and in the book. Although, you know what comes to mind — and this is a book that has really spoken to me, a book that I've told everyone I know to read and rabbited on about for so long. I don't know if you've ever read it? Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales. Oh my god, so just this idea that Mandy — everything that's happening to her is so in the present, but given everything that's happened in season one, it's just like she just has to keep going on, even given everything happened with Byron and with her dad. But she has this son and she has to raise him. And there's all this stuff happening and it's just a trauma that she doesn't have time to process right now because she just has to do the next indicated thing, and she's just so focused on Liam. It's almost like Martin has to try to think of things around the crime and what's going on, because all she can think about is like 'where's my son? I have to go get him. Is he okay? Who is he with right now?. And in some ways, I guess that sort of protects her, insulates her. I feel like if you looked at Mandy five weeks later, she'd be grappling with something different than just what she's dealing with in the shock of the moment." On Navigating the Conflicts Within Both Martin and Mandy — One So Astute in His Work and Yet Awkward in His Personal Life, the Other Fiercely Protective of Who She Loves But Struggling with Trust in Their Relationship Luke: "I think it's the great thing about having the whole story from the beginning — this feeling that 'all right, we've got all these four episodes', and so even before starting, you get to chart some evolution about what can change for him over the course of the story and why. And I think it is knowing that this guy has mostly been on his own, single, bouncing around the world, caring about one thing — which is the story — and believing that is important above all things. That would even mean that in a lot of these situations, while he would be making friends, building relationships, if some of those people are implicit in the story, if they're part of it, that he'd know professionally it's his job to put that aside in the service of the truth. So I think once you know that that is a core part of who Martin is, then it becomes a little easier to play those moments where he could maybe act in ways that are disappointing or upsetting to the people around him. And I do think that's the fun of the season. Every time you do any part, it's always fun to look at 'all right, what are you hoping they learn through the course of this story? So how do we take them a few steps back from that at the beginning?'. And I think it's sometimes the most fun stuff to see when characters are oblivious, when they put a foot wrong — when you hopefully still enjoy watching them, but you can also be frustrated by them as well." Bella: "I think she just loses patience pretty quickly with Martin and his jealousy, Martin and his inability to deal with his past and his family. I think she calls him out on it quite a few times because she just hasn't, doesn't, they don't have time to luxuriate in whatever six months of couples' therapy they need in order to deal with this. It's just like 'get over yourself. Go deal with your family. I'm going to do this thing that's right in front of me. I'm going to deal with the next crisis. I don't have time for whatever nonsense you're bringing to this'." On the Series' Exploration of the Fact That the Past Can Haunt You — Whether You've Tried to Leave It Behind in a New Setting or You're Returning Home Bella: "I don't think you need to dig deep into it because it's true. I mean, it's true for me. I think we're all shaped by our past and whatever traumas we've experienced or whatever loss we've experienced, so I think it's just something that we all carry. We carry the scars of it, hopefully to a lesser extent — or hopefully we are able to do the work so that it doesn't impact our daily life in a way that becomes unmanageable. But I guess I just agree with what Mandy says, because that's been my experience." Luke: "I think what was really great is there were extensive flashbacks in the book, and I think Felicity [Packard, Pine Gap], our writer/producer, and Ben Young [Hounds of Love], our director this season, and everyone else did a really good job of going 'okay, how do we crystallise the ideas, the themes, the character moments in those very broad flashbacks down to something that fits our format?'. And I think they did a fantastic job of that. I think it's really about tying the tragedies of Martin's history here to his own actions, and to the man he is now. And knowing that, yes, some of those blocks he might have emotionally and relationship-wise all have to do with those walls he put up at a very young age, and those decisions he made to go 'no, this is important, what I'm doing is important, so I'm going to go down that road'. So I think it's a theme that pops up with a lot of characters there, but what's fun is I think all those themes, those character moments and the mystery all end up overlapping each other really nicely." On Why the World of Scrublands Resonates with Audiences, Both on the Page and as a TV Series Luke: "This Aussie-noir thing is obviously captivating people here and around the world. It taps into that feeling of Australia I think we all have — I feel like each of these stories so far take place in an Australian small town where some dark things happened, where you've got this tight-knit community. And there is something interesting here, I think, compared to Riversend. Riversend was a place where an awful thing happened that I think really affected the whole community in terrible ways. There's a bit of a different thing going on here with Port Silver, where the change is different — there's some stuff here that happened in the past that compromised everyone and there is still some pain of that, but there's also this gentrification and other shift happening in the town. But I think overall it's that mix of a really good mystery, first and foremost. I think sometimes we can put those darker themes front and centre, and the mystery is somewhat there to support a story that's more interested in theme, in pain, in trauma — and sometimes those stories can be fantastic. But I think this story, for us, especially when we lift it to the screen, we're really trying to tell the mystery first and making sure that we fill it in with all that beautiful texture, but that from scene to scene, we're keeping you on the hook, trying to find out what happened, why and who committed the crime." Bella: "I talk to my dad about this a lot because he loves crime fiction, and it's sort of the only genre he reads. And it tracks because he was a lawyer. I can see why that would be fun for him. But I also I ripped through these books so quickly, and I don't typically read crime fiction. I read them all in two days each — less, maybe. Just couldn't put them down. And I don't know, why is that? They're just delicious and moreish. And you can't, you just want to know what happens. I want to know what happens. I wanted to know what happened watching the show. I was trying to prep this job I'm doing now, and I just thought 'I'll just watch one episode' — and then cut to it's midnight and I'm supposed to be working the next day, and I'm like 'shit, okay, stop watching them'. And I was texting with Luke, and he was still up in Australia because he and his partner had stayed up to watch them. Yeah, they're just moreish." On Scrublands: Silver Taking Aussie Noir to a New Setting in Coastal WA and Helping Expand the Vision of Australia On-Screen Luke: "I think it is the kind of secret weapon of the season, that we could not get over when we were there. This is not a side of Australia people have seen a lot of. Augusta, the town that we shot in, is like the most-southwesterly point of Australia. It's got its own little microclimate. There are humpback whales that you're seeing every day. And funnily enough, there was just this amazing silver sheen over the whole place. Very different to season one, and very different to most things that we've seen in Australia. And I think it is really great. And that just because we're making so much more stuff — and I think we're making so much interesting stuff these days, and enough of it, that we don't feel like what it would have been in the old days, where if you were trying to make a show in Australia that you wanted to export to the world, there's almost an Australian brand. And so you go 'no, don't try and' — like a show like this, you might go 'no, no, no, you buy a show that looks like this from somewhere in Europe. Let's do another McLeod's Daughters or something like that'. Where, because we're exporting so much great stuff these days, we do get to step outside that. We do get to shoot in all corners of the country, and I think it's really exciting for so many reasons. We get to really start showing the world that this isn't just a bunch of beer-drinking — even though, look, we drink a bit of beer in this as well — but it's it's not quite that one image of Australia that we were showing for a very long time." Bella: "My god, I love it — and I love the fact that they let us do it, because I think for most people, Australia, its selling point is the sun-bleached country or the beaches and sunshine and barbecues or something. So to be given — permission is the wrong word, but to be given carte blanche to shoot in winter in WA. And it's so beautiful, it's so breathtakingly beautiful that coast in winter, and the whales and that lighthouse. I just thought it was so idyllic and just really set a certain tone and mood, and I think it's incredible. I'd never been to WA before shooting there, so I'm grateful that we shot there. Because Australia, everywhere you go just feels like it could be its own little universe. They're so different, season one to season two, those settings are so vastly different — and both are so, so special and so beautiful." On What You Learn From Playing Parts Like Martin and Mandy for Two Seasons Bella: "The thing that comes to mind is that you can be tough and sensitive. That you can be tough and vulnerable, and that those things aren't mutually exclusive. I think through so much of my twenties, I thought you were either one or the other, and I feel like Mandy is all of those things all at once." Luke: "I think there's a great window, in both seasons, there's a real window into journalism that I didn't quite know before that's really interesting, and that I had to get my head around then to start playing Martin. Being in the arts, I do think we're often going to the human element first, and are empathy-forward in our ways of how we think about any story. And so just ticking over into not only the mindset of a journalist, I guess, where it's like 'it's about the truth, it's about the facts, that's what's important' — the human element is part of it, but your job as a journalist is to go in and get the truth first, and that's what matters. And I think that's so fun to play. I don't think is a spoiler to say that Toby Truslove as Doug Monkton is back, and so is Sarah Roberts as Beth, so when you get these scenes between the journos, I think that's really, really fun. And that's something that also feels different. We've seen a lot of shows of cops talking and lawyers talking and that kind of thing. I think that the camaraderie and competition between journalists is really fun to play, a whole new window. So I think extending my understanding of that world and getting to play with that is one of my most favourite elements." On Whether Arnold and Heathcote Ever Dreamed of Where Their Careers Have Taken Them Both at Home and Overseas When They Were First Starting Out — Behind the Scenes on Peter Pan and in Australian Film Acolytes, Respectively Luke: "No, of course not. It's funny on that job, being assistant to the swordmaster from Peter Pan. I'm just like everyone watching The White Lotus season three at the moment. And so I was still at high school, really, doing that job — and Jason Isaacs from White Lotus was playing Hook. And on my last day, I went in and had a chat with him, and he was like 'so what are you going to do now?' And I was like 'ohh, I'm going to go to film school, or do a writing course or go to acting school'. And there in his full Hook regalia, he was like 'well, just so you know, writers and directors often have much happier lives than actors'. And I was like 'all right' — and I ended up not taking his advice and went to drama school. And during that time, you're just hoping — like you really get it in your head that 'hey, if I can be a jobbing actor, if I can get to a point where I make most of my money from being an actor, that'll be great'. And that is a kind of dream, and it is tough. It's really hard to do. So then you spend, for a while there, doing a bunch of jobs that are really rewarding but without any — you'd go and do an acting job and then you go back to one of the countless terrible casual jobs that I've done in between. And that felt like 'well, this might be my life'. And then going through those couple of years where I got to do Never Tear Us Apart and Black Sails, obviously that really changed things. Since then, I've just been able to solely work in the creative industries, and I am eternally grateful for it. And there's always a sense that it could change at any moment. But on that, I think as well, that also led me — not to go on a whole big thing, but from that as well, that led to a bit of time where I was spending a lot of time overseas. And I then also had that moment where I was like 'oh, I don't — this isn't the life I want'. It's very easy to get drawn into this feeling of trying to go bigger and further away. And while I'm always open to working overseas, there was a shift even before 2020, when I really, I think, felt really appreciative of the industry we have here in Australia, the great things we do and being able to have this quality of life — working with these people on projects like this was really appealing. So what I'm really most grateful for is that I was able to come back to Australia and really cement myself here, and the work I've been doing the last few years has been some of the most fun and rewarding I've done." Bella: "I suppose that's what you want when you start as an actor, but also I had no concept of really where it could go — because I didn't have anyone in my family who was in this industry. It seemed sort of improbable. But I just didn't want to do anything else, so it's just like 'well, this is what I have to do'. I mean, it's a dream. I still think about that now, like the fact that I've just been able to earn a living doing this thing for the last, jeez, 18 years or whatever it's been now, feels like a small miracle." On What Heathcote Looks for in a New Homegrown Project When Adding to Her Recent Run of Scrublands, Bloom, The Moogai and More Bella: "I guess it's the same thing I'd look for overseas — just a role that speaks to me and creatives that I'm excited by. I mean, The Moogai, for example, I just thought that was a really important story and I'm always fascinated by horror films that are sort of an allegory for something bigger than just horror, genre. And Bloom, I remember just being excited to work with Phoebe [Tonkin, Boy Swallows Universe], and I was in Australia — and I met with Greg and Glen [Dolman, I Met a Girl], the writer, and just thought this would just be a laugh. I also love the comedic element of it, or the situation just felt so ludicrous, to play this old woman, this very uptight old woman, but in a young woman's body. It's giving Freaky Friday. And then Scrublands, I just love Mandy. I just thought she had such spunk. A friend of mine said something once: 'you need two out of three'. And it was pay, creative, location. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you get all three. And I suppose that's how I make most of my decisions." On What Gets Arnold Excited About a New Role in General Luke: "It can go both ways. I think what excites me sometimes is if there's some crazy challenge — where the script is so good and there's some amazing challenge in there that I haven't done yet. And you go 'all right'. And it's going to push me in ways where I can't rely on the things I think I know and the things I've done before, and just launch into something with faith in the people I'm working with and in the process, and get to just stretch myself in new and exciting ways. That's both really exciting — and also what's really exciting sometimes is when I feel like 'oh, I think I'm the right guy for this job'. It's a really rewarding, exciting thing, because there's so much self-doubt here. And every job you do, you always go 'well, everyone's going to think I suck in that'. And every audition you do, you go 'of course, I'm not going to get this'. But occasionally these things come forward where you're like 'I think this is my skill set. I think I know how to do this. And I think I can maybe bring something to this that not every actor could'. And I think, from a kind of craft sense — and just, as we said, how long I've been in this industry — it's a really nice thing when I feel 'oh, I think I could be helpful to this thing'. And that's why there was maybe a sense with Martin that I felt like 'oh, I think my writer's mind will be really useful in this role'. Because when you are in the position where your character is, you are with the audience as you're putting the pieces together, you are part of shaping the story and putting the pieces of that mystery together, I did feel like 'oh, I think I might be the right actor to make this character work'. So I think that is sometimes a great thing, when I can enter into something with a little less self-doubt and a little more excitement to bring all of me to a role." Scrublands: Silver streams via Stan from Thursday, April 17, 2025. Read our review of season one. Images: David Dare Parker / Sarah Enticknap.
It's official: after a dream of a first season, Rose Matafeo's delightful rom-com sitcom Starstruck is back to make you fall head over heels for its firmly 21st-century take on dating a famous actor all over again. It's also official for Matafeo's (Baby Done) on-screen alter ego Jessie and Tom (Nikesh Patel, Four Weddings and a Funeral), the celebrity she had a one-night stand with on New Year's Eve, then navigated an awkward will-they-won't-they dance around every time they ran into each other in London. Once the show's newly arrived second season gets a few episodes in — it's now streaming in full via ABC iView in Australia and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand — they're officially dating. Starstruck's debut run ended with a glorious jump in Jessie and Tom's relationship. She was set to leave the UK to return home to New Zealand, but he showed up at just the right moment to inspire her to stay. Indeed, when the season came to a close, they sat on the backseat of a bus, blissful smiles slowly slipping as they each internally grabbled with what'd just happened, like they were were Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross 55 years back. That nod to The Graduate couldn't have been more knowing, just like the show's entire narrative arc across its first season. Co-writing the series as well as starring — and playing a movie-loving cinema employee at that — Matafeo and co-scribes Alice Snedden and Nic Sampson recognise that the best way to create a smart, savvy, affectionate and heartfelt entry in such a well-populated, often schmaltzy and cheesy genre is to call out all of the conventions and tropes. And, to play with and twist them, then layer them with truth, wit and depth. Indeed, rom-com self-awareness has always been one of Starstruck's big assets — it basically takes Notting Hill's setup and fast-forward two-plus decades, after all — and that hasn't changed in season two. This next batch of six episodes has a key question in mind, however: once you've enjoyed the wild meet-cute, ridden the courtship rollercoaster and been bowled over by a grand romantic gesture, what comes next? It's the stuff that rom-com sequels might cover, except that for all of Hollywood's eagerness to rinse and repeat its most popular fare, the romantic-comedy genre is comparatively sparse in the follow-up department. It's easy to understand why everything from Pretty Woman to Amelie hasn't sparked on-screen continuations — or the likes of Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You and, yes Notting Hill, too. Getting to live happily ever after is always the point, as well as the end point. Thankfully, merely recharting that familiar path wasn't ever going to be enough for Starstruck, as wonderful a job as it did of doing just that in its first season. As a result, season two picks up exactly where its predecessor left off. Jessie and Tom's bus ride segues into a WTF realisation, as in "WTF do we do now?". That's a query that Jessie isn't ready to answer, even though she's made the big leap and missed her flight home. So, she avoids even tackling the situation, instead dragging Tom along to play tourist for the day. He's meant to be flying off to Ireland for a new film shoot and delays leaving for Jessie, so her decision to simply ignore what they've both just done affects them both in multiple ways. The mess of any and every relationship, which rom-coms don't typically show when they end with that happily-ever-after moment, fuels Starstruck's new episodes. Like everyone, Jessie and Tom have plenty. They both have pasts and exes, which shapes how they approach romance now. They know they want to be together, but Jessie isn't as committed to putting in the effort that an ordinary, everyday, long-term relationship requires. Tom has a judgemental brother Vinay (Parth Thakerar, Vigil), too, who doesn't make a great first impression. Plus, Jessie's last boyfriend Ben (Edward Easton, Porters) reappears in her life, much to her devoted best friend and roommate Kate's (Emma Sidi, Pls Like) dismay. Starstruck wades through all of this chaos, and through the inescapable fact that getting what we want can also spark a spiral of self-sabotage one throwaway comment, pointless disagreement and lie of omission at a time. The show's second season is light but also deep, the exact opposite of one of its key watery settings, and remains a rom-com that's as aware of what relationships in 2022 are really alike as it is about how romance is typically portrayed in its genre. Matafeo, Sneddon and Sampson (who also plays Jessie's fellow Kiwi-in-the-UK pal Steve) still keep the screwball vibe alive, and the dialogue sharp and relatable, of course. They keep the fellow rom-com references weaved in as well (Love Actually and Bridget Jones' Diary fans, prepare to feel seen). There's no morning-after stride of pride to the sounds of 'Return of the Mack' this time, but everything else that made Starstruck's first season such a gem is accounted for. Matafeo is still a multi-layered marvel as Jessie, especially as the series wades through more of her tumultuous choices. Patel keeps finding the ideal balance of charisma and earthiness while playing a well-known actor who knows the trappings of his work, what he values and what he wants out of a relationship. The supporting cast — the returning Minnie Driver (Cinderella) as Tom's Agent and Russell Tovey (Years and Years) as the director of his latest project included — remains top-notch, and the direction is breezy but never fluffy or frothy. Yes, Marry Me is now flirting with the same concept on the big screen, but Starstruck is the clever and charming rom-com to truly swoon over. Check out the trailer for Starstruck's second season below: Starstruck's second season is available to stream in Australia via ABC iView and in New Zealand via TVNZ OnDemand. Read our full review of Starstruck's first season.
From Wednesday, May 29 to Monday, June 3, various venues across the Central Coast will become the scene for a celebration of stories and ideas, Words on the Waves Writers Festival. Like any good literature festival, you can attend events and talks by big-name authors, book launches, and writing workshops. However, there are a few things that set this event apart. Firstly, there's the location. The Central Coast is known for its stunning scenery, and here, you can attend events at Umina, Ocean Beach, and Ettalong Beach. Secondly, there's the literary cruise. Leaving from Woy Woy Wharf on the morning of June 3, it's a two-hour journey through literature and water, affording you an experience you won't find at any other festival. Thirdly, and for the first time ever, there's The Dip. A program stream featuring affordable and free events, The Dip is about discovery and accessibility. You can listen to best-selling authors like Judy Nunn, Anna Downes and Nat's What I Reckon — the enemy of both censors and jar sauces — all for a low price.
Have you ever dreamed of belting out 'Bulls on Parade' onstage with a full band behind you? What about a local classic like 'I Touch Myself'? Well, you now have the chance to do just that thanks to The Duke of Enmore's twice-monthly Live Band Karaoke. Odd Culture Group's perfectly grimy Sydney pub has enlisted the help of previous Frankie's mainstays Boner Contention to bring all of your dreams of performing in a band to life twice a month, taking place on Wednesdays from 8pm. The idea comes from Odd Culture's Entertainment Manager Sabrina Medcalf, who managed the now-closed beloved underground pizza joint for six years. Not content to let this beloved karaoke tradition die, Medcalf decided to bring Boner Contention over for a Duke-style version of the regular sing-alongs. "We all thought it would be a massive loss to the community if we left this eight-year-strong karaoke event to die," said Medcalf. "Seeing as my connection to Frankie's was so strong, the choice to carry the legacy over to The Duke was a no-brainer, of course, with a few changes and shakeups to call it our own." The playlist of songs that you can pull from for the Live Band Karaoke is available on Spotify, with plenty of heavy hitters including 'Bad Reputation', 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'Chop Suey!', 'Just a Girl', 'Highway to Hell' and 'Fight for Your Right'. There are also plenty of local favourites, with hits from the likes of The Living End, Grinspoon, Spiderbait and Rose Tattoo ready and waiting for your live reinterpretation. Plus, it's not just the microphones that will be available for a takeover from the general public. If you fancy yourself somewhat of a drummer or guitarist, you can also opt to jump on your instrument of choice for your favourite song — and yes, 'Sweet Child O' Mine' is on the list for anyone wanting to bust out that classic guitar solo. Duets are also encouraged, and even full bands are welcome to take over the entire stage for a song. "If you ever wanted the opportunity to get the feeling of fronting a band this is it," says Furnace and the Fundamentals' Digby Robinson. "These guys are world class!" If you want to head along, the dates for the rest of the year are as follows: September 6 and 20; October 11 and 25; November 1, 15 and 29; and December 6 and 20. Live Band Karaoke is on twice a month on Wednesdays at The Duke of Enmore, 148 Enmore Road, Enmore. For information on all of the pub's events, head to the venue's website.
Party-starting duo Peking Duk have been sending huge crowds into a frenzy since 2010, but the band is preparing to ramp things up even further with the announcement of their biggest show in seven years. With new music dropping imminently, including their debut album, the Hordern Pavilion will be the perfect venue for the band's new, chaos-inducing live show on Friday, May 15. And with this electrifying performance elevated by in-the-round production and future-facing visuals, fans new and old will experience total Peking Duk immersion like never before. "Seven years ago, we had the sweatiest party ever in our favourite town in this beautiful country, in the biblical venue that is the Hordern Pavilion," says Peking Duk's Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles. "And now, seven years later, we are doing it again, except with a new show, new music and more sweat." Bringing all the energy that has made Peking Duk a dominant force in Australia's electronic music scene over the last 15-plus years, the group's takeover of the Hordern Pavilion will showcase why they've attracted over 400 million streams alongside a deluge of ARIA awards. [caption id="attachment_918531" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pat Stevenson[/caption] Pre-sale tickets are on sale from 10am on Monday, February 9, with general sale tickets available from 10am on Wednesday, February 11. Head to the website for more information.
The force is set to be strong across streaming queues in 2023, with another new live-action Star Wars series on its way. Following three seasons of The Mandalorian so far — one of which is airing now — plus 2021–22's The Book of Boba Fett, and also 2022's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor, Ahsoka will give warrior, outcast, rebel and Jedi her own show. Even better: it now has a trailer and a release month. Rosario Dawson (Clerks III) returns as the limited series' titular figure, after playing the part in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. If you're new to the character, she was Anakin Skywalker's padawan before he became Darth Vader — and, here, an ex-Jedi Knight who is determined to battle a threat to the post-Empire galaxy. Her latest exploits will hit Disney+ sometime in August. Ahsoka follows animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the TV series it spawned, too, plus fellow animated show Star Wars Rebels — because yes, this franchise about a galaxy far, far away will keep spreading far and wide in this one. From the latter series, Star Wars aficionados will spot rebel crew member Hera Syndulla and former bounty hunter Sabine Wren. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)) plays the former in Ahsoka, while Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Guns Akimbo) steps into the latter's shoes. Also among the familiar characters: fellow Jedi padawan Ezra Bridger from Star Wars Rebels, with Eman Esfandi (King Richard) doing the live-action honours. Ahoska's cast includes Ray Stevenson (RRR) and Ivanna Sakhno (The Reunion), and reports have been bubbling for years about Hayden Christensen returning as Anakin, as he did in Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is Disney+'s first series focused on a female Jedi; indeed, as a character, Ahoska has long been one of the few women among the franchise's Jedi ranks, dating back to 2008. Off-screen, The Mandalorian writer/director/executive producer Dave Filoni writes and executive produces Ahoska, with Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck also doing the latter — all seasoned Star Wars veterans. Check out the trailer for Ahsoka below: Ahsoka will stream via Disney+ from August 2023 — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. Images: ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Japanese food is one of the most popular cuisines worldwide, and it's no wonder. It's flexible, healthy, often served fresh, presented beautifully and perhaps most importantly, it tastes fantastic. You can get a box of takeaway sushi or a bowl of ramen all over the world, but certain elements and specialties of Japanese cuisine have yet to take off worldwide. Whether it's down to unique ingredients, well-guarded local knowledge or a certain…flair that turns away more conservative palates, these dishes you need to seek out in the land of the rising sun itself. So, should you be planning a Japan jaunt, save this guide for some of its lesser-known treats and where to find them. Goya Chanpuru, Okinawa Prefecture Starting in the summery and tropical south of Japan, we have the regional specialty of goya chanpuru hailing from sunny Okinawa. Chanpuru itself is an Okinawan stir fry of vegetables and fresh tofu, but the most popular variety comes with a helping of a bitter gourd called goya. The summer vegetable is sliced and stir-fried in oil with pork, eggs and, crucially, Okinawan tofu (which is prepared differently from other tofu). The result is a bitter but healthy meal, rich in vitamin C. [caption id="attachment_991975" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Hanasunrise via iStock[/caption] Buri Daikon, Kagoshima Prefecture Moving north to the island of Kyushu and Kagoshima Prefecture, a popular at-home winter dish made with vegetables and fish, takes our eye. Buri daikon is specifically made with yellowtail, commonly fished in Kagoshima Prefecture, and thick slices of daikon, a Japanese radish — especially a sweeter cultivar called Sakurajima daikon. The daikon is chopped and stewed with yellowtail, sake and ginger, then served with shredded ginger — making for a fantastic winter warmer. [caption id="attachment_991976" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Stossi Mammont via iStock[/caption] Horakuyaki, Ehime Prefecture Ehime Prefecture is home to one of Japan's three major tidal flows, the Kurushima Strait. The fresh seafood that's the main ingredient in horakuyaki is almost exclusively caught in this very strait. Popular in Imabari, horakuyaki is a luxurious dish that's innately connected to the rich maritime culture of the region and is fairly simple to prepare. Commonly made with bream, octopus, shrimps and clams caught in the strait — the catch is prepared, lightly salted, then steamed and roasted in a flat pan called a horaku nabe. It's tender, rich in seafood flavour and a common sight at banquets and celebrations year-round. [caption id="attachment_991978" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] ES3N via iStock[/caption] Fuku Sashi, Yamaguchi Prefecture Fuku sashi is Yamaguchi Prefecture's regional spin on the internationally known dish of fugu, sashimi of the highly poisonous pufferfish. It's a dish that can only be prepared by accredited chefs since one wrong cut can make the meat of the fish fatal when consumed. When a chef in Yamaguchi Prefecture is qualified to serve fugu, it's used in this locally popular dish. The fish is sliced so it's translucently thin, then served with ponzu sauce — made with soy sauce and citrus juice. It's also popular with sliced chives or grated radish. While popular, a decline in fugu stock has made the dish reserved for special occasions. [caption id="attachment_991983" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] TokyoViews via Flickr[/caption] Tekonezushi, Mie Prefecture Local meals often have a simple origin, and that's the case with tekonezushi, tracing its origins to being a simple meal that fishermen could prepare while still out on their boats. Not far from Japan's largest cities, the waters of Mie Prefecture are busy with fishing boats, often hunting skipjack tuna. Hence, local fishermen and now restaurants often prepare tekonezushi. All it takes is tuna or bonito sashimi marinated in soy sauce and placed on a bed of vinegared rice with a sprinkle of nori (dried seaweed) and shiso (perilla) on top. [caption id="attachment_991985" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Hideya Hamano via Flickr[/caption] Hotaruika no Sumisoae, Toyama Prefecture In central Japan where the mountains meet the Sea of Japan, Toyama Bay is home to a population of stunning firefly squid, which is the centrepiece of hotaruika no sumisoae. Traditionally residents of deep water, these luminescent cephalopods make quite the sight in the shallows. Often served in early spring, coinciding with the fishing season, this dish is prepared by boiling the squid in salted water and then serving with leeks and a generous pour of vinegared miso (miso, vinegar, hot pepper and sugar). Kiritanpo Nabe, Akita Prefecture Nearby in Akita Prefecture is kiritanpo nabe, a local take on hot pot that dates back to when loggers used to climb the region's mountains in search of timber. The key carbohydrate base is kiritanpo — rice that has been boiled, mashed and grilled on a cedar skewer. Cooked in a cylindrical shape, they're added to a boiling hot pot with chicken bone broth and a mix of ingredients. Typically, you'll see sliced root vegetables, mushrooms, thin noodles and chicken as well as sake, salt and soy sauce. It's often served for celebrations and is the star dish in local festivals in the region. Milk and Dairy Products, Hokkaido Prefecture Japan's northernmost island (and prefecture) of Hokkaido might be most famous for its snow resorts, but the area is also home to Japan's dairy industry. The climate is ideal for dairy production and is where over 50% of Japan's milk originates. Supposedly, the milk has a rich, vanilla-esque flavour. As such, there are all sorts of treats to try. Lavender soft serve ice cream, cheese, butter, bread and milk jam (the Japanese equivalent of dulce de leche) are some of the most popular treats, all served in restaurants and the regions working dairy farms. Discover more and start planning your trip to Japan at the Japan National Tourism Organization website. Header image: Green Planet World via iStock. Body images courtesy of the Japan National Tourism Organization unless specified otherwise.
Whether you're a Queenslander exploring your own backyard, or you're holidaying in the Sunshine State from another part of the country — including New South Wales and Victoria from Tuesday, December 1, once the border reopens to both regions — visiting the beach is probably on your to-do list. The state is known for its sun, surf and sand, after all, but that isn't the only attraction that Queensland holds. In fact, it has just added another big drawcard, which is particularly great news if you're fond of a few vinos. The Vine and Shine Trail is Queensland's first official wine trail, and it's rather hefty — covering more than 70 wineries, vineyards and cellar doors. It's a self-guided affair, so you can choose just how much of it you'd like to explore, and in which spots in the southern portion of the state. If you'd like to try to see 'em all, treating wineries like Pokemon, well, that's up to you. Fancy moseying through the Granite Belt or the Scenic Rim? Eager to see what drops the Gold Coast Hinterland has on offer? Prefer something in the Brisbane area? They're all on the trail. So is everywhere from the South Burnett and Wide Bay-Burnett regions, to the Sunshine Coast — and the Darling Downs and western Queensland as well. And they're split into six separate mini-trails, if you only have so much time to spend hopping between wineries. Just how you interact with the trail's many stops is also a choose-your-own-adventure-type experience, with some cellar doors hosting lunches, some vineyards letting you picnic beside the grapes, and plenty of places offering tastings. And, variety-wise, you'll be able to sip an array of types, whether you're fond of popular drops or you're eager to drink something you mightn't have tried before. The idea, like most things in 2020, is to encourage everyone to get out of the house, explore this area of the country and support local businesses. It's specifically part of a dedicated campaign in Queensland to get folks to do more than just hang out on the coast, enticing them inland to roam along the vines and enjoy a heap of wines. For more information about the Vine and Shine Trail, visit its website.
It began, as so many wonderful internet things do, with an XKCD cartoon. Titled Up-Goer Five, the schematic explained the internal workings of the only rocket to have transported humans into space, the Saturn V, using only the 1000 most commonly used words in the English language. Rocket is not one of the words, nor thousand. Nor most of the words in this paragraph. In the last few days, enabled by Theo Sanderson's specially built text editor, several other people have Up-Goer Fived their own area of expertise. Most of them are scientists from esoteric fields, giving us laymen a rare chance to grasp what their life's work is about. Not being able to use jargon makes for some convoluted WTF gibberish sentences, but at other, better times, it creates windows where you can grasp at some previously ungraspable idea. Check out these excerpts and their simply stated insights. 1. Saturn's moon Iapetus is two-toned because bits of air turn into ice on the back side of it "First, it runs into black stuff that sticks to the front of it. That black stuff takes in more light from the sun and makes it warmer. That makes very tiny bits of the ice it's made of turn into air, and the bits of air go around it and turn back into ice on the back side of it. Second, when the bits of ice go away from the front side, they leave behind dark stuff that was between and under them, and that makes the front side even blacker, and helps it warm up even more, so things go on and on and on. The back side is white because it didn't get black stuff on it, and also because the ice that went away from the black side went there and made it bright." By Rachel Klippenstein. Read in full at io9.com. 2. The Higgs boson is the tiny thing that makes all other things heavy "What makes the tiniest things heavy? The best guess explained this by saying that all around us is a field, which is a bit like water or some other stuff that would slow you down if you tried to walk through it … [U]ntil last year, people weren’t completely sure this field was real. But they knew that if it was real, and you shook it really hard, then a totally new tiny thing would fall out of it. That’s because it’s a bit like the water-like-stuff is made out of this new tiny thing." By Michael Slezak. Read in full here. 3. We don't have robot helpers yet because it's hard to make computers with bodies walk "We want the computers with bodies to run quickly. We want them to climb walls. We need them to do these things even when the ground is covered in rocks or with ice, without tripping and falling or getting stuck. We look a lot at animals to see how they do these things. We try to understand how their brain decides where to put their legs, and how their legs are built." By Shira E. Read in full here. 4. The Bechdel Test is a check to see if things are even in the way they show men and women "To make the story as much like real life as possible (except for the made-up bits) you really do need a lot of different kinds of people, not just lots of men who are quite like each other because they are all young and white and strong. This makes it easier for people to accept the really made up bits, because the rest of the story feels much more real." Read in full here. 5. Environmental protection might mean not giving so much food to animals and cars "So how are we going to grow more food without cutting down more trees? One answer to this problem is looking at how we use the food we grow today. People eat food, but food is also used to make animals and run cars. In fact, animals eat over one-third of the food we grow." By Emily S. Cassidy, environmental scientist. Read in full here. 6. Postmodernism is that many things we think are facts are actually stories "This is not to say the facts are not true. But the story isn't." Read in full here.
There are plenty of ways to describe something that's fun while it lasts, but finishes up prematurely. And yes, many of them could be followed by "title of your sex tape". So, with US TV network NBC announcing a few months back that beloved sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine will come to an end after its next season, we're sure you've been thinking about Jake Peralta's favourite retort for a while now. We're sure the phrase will be uttered at least once in the show's final batch of episodes, too — which will air in America in August. B99 is due to wrap up its police-focused comedic antics with a ten-episode eighth season, which will launch following the Tokyo Olympics, NBC has just announced. Just when the show's latest instalments will surface Down Under hasn't yet been revealed, though. In Australia, SBS has fast-tracked recent seasons — so fingers crossed that we'll be farewelling the Nine-Nine crew at the same time as our overseas counterparts. When those final episodes hit screens, it'll be your last chance to spend time in Brooklyn's fictional 99th police precinct, and with Peralta (Andy Samberg), Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz), Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio), Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) and Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) — and even Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker) and Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller). Well, other than binging your way through the show's entire run again and again, a pastime that will never get old. Whenever any B99 news arrives — happy or sad — there are plenty of appropriate ways to mark this development. You could break out a sorrowful yoghurt, Terry Jeffords-style. If you're more like Captain Raymond Holt, perhaps you'd like to treat yourself to a trip to a barrel museum. You could also channel your inner Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) and dance about your distressed feelings, organise your entire house as you know Santiago would, or say cheers to Peralta by watching Die Hard over and over. And, to fill the time until the new episodes drop, you can also watch this cool cool cool B99 training video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaoBN_e9Om0 Brooklyn Nine-Nine's eighth and final season is set to air in the US from August 2021. We'll update you when an air date Down Under is announced.
Whenever Vivid takes over Sydney to kick off winter, the city instantly gets brighter. Unleashing a huge festival of lights and vibrant installations, live music, food and talks will do that, of course. Mark Friday, May 26–Saturday, June 17 in your calendars for 2023, with the annual festival returning — and with its just-announced program featuring more than 300 activations and events across its 23 days. Lights-wise, more than 50 installations will be bringing bursts of colour to the Harbour City, with public installations, 3D projections and ticketed events all part of the lineup. The Vivid Light Walk is back with free public works inspired by nature popping up from over 100 light collaborators and 26 international light artists from 13 countries. First Light will also return, celebrating Australia's original custodians and opening the festival with a performance from Yolngu supergroup Yothu Yindi. Other notable installations include Written in the Stars, which will see over 1000 drones like up the night sky; projections on the Sydney Opera House's sails from John Olsen; and a huge Tumbalong Park activation called Dance Together, which will have you shaking your hips underneath three giant floating rings suspended above your head. Plus, the previously announced Lightscape will also be a part of the program. The after-dark light festival will be taking over the Royal Botanic Garden from 5.30pm each night. Prepare to see the garden illuminated by immersive and large-scale installations scattered along a 2.1-kilometre route, including sparkling trees, luminous walkways and bursts of colour that look like fireworks. A big highlight: large-scale works like giant flowers and glowing tunnels, both of which will make you feel like you're being bathed in radiance. Vivid 2022 marked the first time food was given its own spot on the lineup with the inaugural Vivid Dinner, and this year the festival's gone one better with a full-sized food program celebrating Sydney's hospitality scene. Standout moments from this portion of the festival include the return of the Vivid Dinner, this time with chefs Ben Greeno and Danielle Alvarez at the helm; and a revamp of Luke Mangan's restaurant on top of a Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon that will give guests the chance to take in the lights from atop the bridge accompanied by wine and snacks from the acclaimed chef. The Vivid Fire Kitchen will bring smoked meats and barbecues to Barangaroo's The Cutaway, the Carriageworks Night Markets will also make a one-off comeback during the festival, and a series of residencies will see Barangaroo House and Mary's underground taken over with a mix of food, wine, music and art. Beyond the official Vivd Food program is a heap of special activities planned across a huge number of vendors within the CBD including a special limited edition Vivid-only creation from Black Star Pastry in The Galeries — the yuzu and raspberry flavoured 'glonut' finished with icing designed with vibrant orange and pink polka dots (only available Saturday until 17th June). Meanwhile at the QVB, for those wanting to indulge in a more sophisticated culinary experience, Manon Brasserie is inviting guests to unwind, Paris-style, on the street-side tables and take in the special happy hour menu conceived just for Vivid crowds. And if you really want to elevate your happy options, Golden Hour at Reign will be serving drinks special and bar snacks for champagne aficionados including $20 Mumm 'Grand Cordon' Champagne (a real bargain, trust us) from 5pm to 7pm every Wednesday to Sunday throughout the festival. [caption id="attachment_892843" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Music is always a huge component of the festival, and this year's lineup does not disappoint. The Sydney Opera House has rolled out a predictably showstopping and diverse mix of artists, starting with Devonté Hynes (also known as Blood Orange) performing selected classical works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The bill also features José González celebrating the 20th anniversary of his album Veneer, Cat Power recreating and reinterpreting a 1966 performance by Bob Dylan, and appearances from the likes of Thundercat, Yaeji, Ella Mai, Weyes Blood, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ethel Cain, Sleaford Mods, Squarepusher, Iceage, Kimbra and Budjerah. The Opera House's studio parties are also making a return, with party collectives Mad Racket, Picnic, Future Classic and House of Mince all bringing the tunes to the venue's artist studios until the early hours. Outside of the Sydney Opera House, Vivid's music lineup will include A Bend in the River: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Archie Roach at the Sydney Town hall with Paul Kelly, Emma Donovan, Dan Sultan, Kutcha Edwards and Becca Hatch among the friends, collaborators and contemporaries that will perform during the tribute. [caption id="attachment_892841" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Archie Roach, Lisa Businovski[/caption] Tumbalong Park will again host 12 nights of free live music featuring Yothu Yindi, Hatchie, Kaiit, A.Girl, Ziggy Ramo, Cornelius and a celebration of 15 years of triple j's Unearthed High competition. And, Carriageworks has curated a genre-spanning lineup with the like soft Desire Marea, Flying Lotus, Molchat Doma, Liv.e, Floodlights and Soft Centre. Rounding out the lineup is Vivid Ideas, which will feature 60 talks and workshops spanning love, community, authenticity, body positivity and sustainability. World-renowned British author Jeanette Winterson will be in the country for her talk LIFE AND MARS: The Future of Human; Could the Ocean be the Solution? will explore how technology is helping to clean up the world's oceans; and Melbourne-based artists have created NOCTURNE, an immersive journey through The Rocks. If you want to get into the nitty-gritty of the program, you can head to the Vivid Sydney website. Yes, you'd best clear your calendar for the end of May and the first few weeks of June — Vivid is about to keep you mighty busy. Vivid Sydney 2023 will run from Friday, May 26–Saturday, June 17. For further information and tickets, head to the event's website.
Darlinghurst's vegan Middle Eastern bar Simply Hummus is putting on a spooky $60 set menu filled with spiced vegan goodies that are sure to leave you satisfied this Halloween. At the Hummus Horror Night, guests will be treated to a multi-course meal that Simply Hummus has created in collaboration with local baker My Neighbour Bakes. The meal kicks off with a garlic-heavy spread titled the Vampire Protection Plan. This selection of starters includes roasted garlic hummus, babaganoush, plus sumac and za'atar pita. Accompanying this spread is the Zucchini Coffin, stuffing fire-roasted zucchini with plant-based protein. For mains, patrons will be served a portabello mushroom pita slider with a side of za'atar chips, before not one but two sweet treats finish off the meal. The Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice is a pumpkin hummus served with chocolate pits, while the Eat Dirt and Die is a chocolate avocado mousse placed at the base of a shortbread headstone. Simply Hummus also recommends you add on a Witches Brew to accompany your main. The Halloween-themed drink is a blend of orange, carrot and ginger, spiked with vodka or gin. To help the restaurant comply with COVID-safe protocols, there will be three seatings on the Thursday: 5.30–6.50pm, 7–8.20pm and 8.30-9.50pm. Book online to secure your spot.
Little monsters, get excited: Lady Gaga is coming to Australia. Been watching with envy as the music superstar has locked in dates on The MAYHEM Ball tour everywhere from Las Vegas, New York and Toronto to London, Stockholm, Berlin and Paris? You can now start making plans to see Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta on her next Down Under visit, with shows confirmed for Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. Lady Gaga is heading this way in December 2025, with three gigs announced: on Friday, December 5 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, then Tuesday, December 9 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane and Friday, December 12 at Sydney's Accor Stadium. When the 14-time Grammy Award-winner takes to the stage at the trio of massive concerts, she'll not only play her first Australian shows in 11 years — she'll do her first-ever Australian stadium concerts as well. [caption id="attachment_998819" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frank Lebon[/caption] The tour kicks off in Las Vegas in July, after Lady Gaga headlines Coachella — which everyone worldwide can livestream across both of the Californian festival's two weekends on Saturday, April 12–Monday, April 14 and Saturday, April 19–Monday, April 21 Australian time. Before The MAYHEM Ball tour begins, she's also doing shows in Mexico City, Singapore and Rio de Janeiro. Given that this is Gaga's first Aussie visit since 2014's ArtRave: The ARTPOP Ball gigs (with the Joanne and Chromatica Ball tours bypassing this part of the world), expect tickets for the local leg to go fast. When she added 13 new dates to the initially announced first shows on the tour, they all sold out swiftly. As the name makes plain, Germanotta is touring on the back of MAYHEM, her latest album — and seventh in a row to go to number one on the Billboard 200. It also debuted in the top spot on Australia's charts, and gave Gaga her biggest streaming week ever by notching up 240-million streams on its first week alone. As well as MAYHEM tracks such as 'Disease', 'Abracadabra' and 'Die with a Smile', fans can likely look forward to hits from across the artist's career, such as 'Poker Face', 'Bad Romance', 'Paparazzi', 'Born This Way' and 'Rain on Me' — plus, of course, seeing Gaga live onstage, rather than getting your fix via her film work in recent years in A Star Is Born, House of Gucci and Joker: Folie à Deux. Lady Gaga's The Mayhem Tour Australia 2025 Dates Friday, December 5 — Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Tuesday, December 9 — Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Friday, December 12 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Lady Gaga is touring Australia in December 2025, with ticket presales starting at 10am on Monday, April 14 and general sales from 12pm on Thursday, April 17 — with times varying per city. Head to the tour website for more details. Live images: Raph PH via Flickr.
What do Chicago hip-hop horn band Hypnotic Brass Ensemble have in common with the von Trapp family? Well, pretty much nothing actually, besides the fact the band comprises a whole bunch of instrumentally dexterous siblings. Eight of Hypnotic Brass Ensemble's nine members are the sons of Sun Ra Arkestra trumpeter Phil Cohran, and they're mixing up a traditional brass sound with rhythmic hip-hop and big-band jazz. You might think there's only so much you can do with a brass horn, but the boys keep their sound fresh by mixing in influences they've been picking up since they began performing together from as young as three years old. Growing up listening to their father's trumpet jazz, they later flirted with sonic rebellion by hiding under the covers listening to Public Enemy and Ice Cube. And after spending years busking on streets and subways, they did what no nine-piece brass band from the South side of Chicago had done before: work with Mos Def, Gorillaz and Wu Tang's Ghostface Killah. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are lending their horns to the Avalanche DJs Presents club night on Friday, but Saturday's solo show is where they will really show Sydney that horns and jazz at the low single-digit hours of Sunday don’t necessarily indicate that the night is drawing to a close.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdF25b1tv1g THE NEST Before watching The Nest, you mightn't have imagined Jude Law playing Mad Men's Don Draper. He didn't, of course. But this new 80s-set psychological thriller about a corroding marriage brings that idea to mind, because it too follows a man who spends his days selling a dream, thinks he can talk and charm his way into anything, and may have unleashed his biggest spin upon himself. More often than not, Law's character here has used his charisma to get whatever he wants, and to evade whichever sticky personal and professional situations he's plunged himself into. Indeed, stock trader Rory O'Hara slides easily into Law's list of suave on-screen roles, alongside the likes of The Talented Mr Ripley and Alfie. But there's also a tinge of desperation to his arrogance, as the actor showcased well in miniseries The Third Day. A Brit who relocated to New York and married horse trainer Allison (Carrie Coon, Widows), Rory looks the picture of Reagan-era affluence but, when he suddenly wants to return to London to chase new work opportunities, the cracks in his facade start widening. As directed with a heightened sense of dread by Martha Marcy May Marlene filmmaker Sean Durkin, The Nest busts open those fractures, with Allison, her teenage daughter Sam (Oona Roche, Morning Wars) and her son Ben (Charlie Shotwell, The Nightingale) all weathering the repercussions. While it's obvious from the outset that trouble is afoot, Durkin isn't in any rush to unleash The Nest's full nightmare. He wants his viewers to linger in it, because his characters must. Allison is forced to live with the knowledge that little is right, but the way she chain-smokes hurriedly illustrates that she also knows how far her fortunes could fall. Every move Rory makes is driven by his need to paint a gleaming portrait of himself, and he knows that it's a reverse Dorian Gray situation: the shinier and flashier he makes everything seem to anyone who'll listen, the more he rots inside. Durkin doesn't just rely upon an exacting pace and a festering mood of gloom, though. Reuniting with cinematographer Mátyás Erdély (Son of Saul) after 2013 miniseries Southcliffe, he gives every second of The Nest an eerie look — whether staying a few beats longer than normal on its opening shot, lensing vast rooms to emphasise their emptiness, repeatedly peering at the film's characters through glass or breaking out the most gradual of zooms. All that tension and unease conveys not only Rory and Allison's domestic discontent, but also the false promises of chasing capitalism-driven fantasies. And, with Coon as essential as Law and Durkin, it drives an excellent thriller that knows how how gut-wrenching it feels to realise that the life you don't even love is a sham. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZg2iEf-fTA EARWIG AND THE WITCH If you wanted to use Studio Ghibli's name as an adjective, it could mean many things, including beautiful, playful, moving, heartwarming, thoughtful and bittersweet. Thanks to the delightful combination of these traits in the company's work to-date, everyone knows a Ghibli film when they see it, as has proven the case for almost four decades. But, seven years after When Marnie Was There — and five years since French co-production The Red Turtle — the Japanese animation house has released a movie that doesn't slide instantly into its gorgeous and affecting catalogue. The studio's first film made solely using computer-generated 3D animation, Earwig and the Witch immediately stands out thanks to its plastic-looking visuals. That smooth, glossy imagery is impossible not to notice. It feels generic, and that sensation lingers. Indeed, almost everything in this slight, bright, likeable but rarely memorable addition to Studio Ghibli's filmography also earns the same description. And, despite focusing on a determined young girl, featuring a witch, and even including a talking cat and other helpful tiny critters, Earwig and the Witch rarely works Ghibli's usual magic. A by-the-numbers movie from the company is still better than many other family-friendly features — and this is average rather than awful, too — but the animated effort makes its audience work to uncover its modest charms. In a thinly plotted picture that tries to tick off as many of the studio's known traits as possible — and also endeavours to squeeze Ghibli's sensibilities into the broader anime mould, all while appealing more firmly to children than adults — viewers first meet Earwig (Kokoro Hirasawa) as a baby. After trying to shake off the dozen other witches chasing them along a highway during the opening scene of this Gorō Miyazaki (Tales from Earthsea, From Up on Poppy Hill)-directed film, her mother (Sherina Munaf) leaves her on an orphanage's doorstep, promising to return after her never-explained troubles subside. Ten years later, Earwig still roams the facility's halls. She brags to her offsider Custard (Yusei Saito) that she knows how to get its staff and its residents to bend to her will, and to whip up shepherd's pie on demand. And, she actively doesn't want to be adopted by the couples who stop by looking to expand their families. But when Earwig is chosen by witch Bella Yaga (Shinobu Terajima) and sorcerer The Mandrake (Etsushi Toyokawa), she has no option but to relocate to their enchanted cottage. Bella Yaga doesn't want a daughter, however. Instead, as based on the novel by Howl's Moving Castle author Diana Wynne Jones, the witch is in need of an assistant to cook, clean and crush rat bones for her spells. Seeing a chance to learn magic herself, though, Earwig isn't willing to acquiesce easily. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8t4VuMb__E WILD MOUNTAIN THYME It doesn't happen every week, thankfully, but every now and then a movie proves so ridiculous that it's impossible to forget. Some films overtly strive for silliness from the start, while others become ludicrous slowly and/or unintentionally — and Wild Mountain Thyme falls into the latter category. For most of its duration, this rom-com is somehow both bland and over the top. It sticks to a formulaic setup that takes a few cues from Romeo and Juliet, brings in neighbouring Irish farmers instead, and demonstrates zero reason for its central couple to remain apart. It does all of the above while throwing in so many shots of green Irish fields, you'd be forgiven for expecting to spy a sea of four-leaf clovers. And, it tasks Christopher Walken with narrating the feature with a terrible accent, and uses his first line to tell us that his character is telling this tale from beyond the grave. Again and again, Wild Mountain Thyme makes you question why its cast are involved, and wonder what Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan and Jon Hamm could've been doing instead. All those observations keep applying as its minutes drag by, too. But then comes a reveal that's as absurd as everything that Cats managed to serve up, and as unnecessary as well. Writer/director John Patrick Shanley won an Oscar for penning the script for Nicolas Cage and Cher-starring romantic comedy Moonstruck, which wasn't afraid to march to its own beat; however, there's no precedent for his latest movie's big leap. Worlds away from A Quiet Place's horrors — but perhaps not far enough from the Fifty Shades franchise's messiness — Blunt and Dornan play Rosemary Muldoon and Anthony Reilly. The pair have lived side by side all of their lives, and she has always had a crush on him, but nothing more than awkward friendship has ever arisen. Soon, though, something else upsets their patch of turf. As made clear in the opening narration, Anthony's father Tony (Walken, still having a bad run after The War with Grandpa) might not be long for this world. In his waning days, he's not convinced that his son has what it takes to keep working the land, so he's contemplating giving everything to his American nephew (Hamm, Richard Jewell) instead. Cast Blunt, Dornan and Hamm in the same rom-com, and there's obviously going to be a love triangle. At least Hamm doesn't have to put on a bad accent. There's a lyrical feel to the way Wild Mountain Thyme regards life, love and the land, but that's one of the very rare bright spots in a movie that only seems capable of operating in the lowest or highest of gears. It also features perhaps the least believable day-trip from Ireland to New York and back, but, if nothing else, it showcases Shanley's versatility — because last time he wrote and directed a movie based on his own play, as he does here, it was vastly dissimilar, four-time Oscar-nominated drama Doubt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZqVPMNgwP8 WILD THINGS There's much that's confronting in Sally Ingleton's Wild Things, including everything that the activists in its frames are fighting for. As long as the response to global warming remains woefully inadequate, it should feel distressing whenever you're reminded how the planet is changing, how quickly, what's at stake and what could be in store — even in a documentary that champions everyone who is doing everything they can to try to bring about much-needed action. But it's the torrent of anger directed at protestors at Queensland's Adani mine site that makes an immediate impact from Wild Things' array of footage. While the expletives shouted barely register, the tone behind them certainly does. So too does the sight of the same screaming semi-trailer driver inching his bulky truck closer and closer towards the standing activists, and yelling that he's doing it because he's got a job to do. Comparing his ire and threats with the signs held peacefully by the crowd, and the calm explanations from attendees about why they've taken up the cause, certainly sends a message. The earth is burning, and many who work in industries that exacerbate the planet's precarious state are simply burning with rage at anyone attempting to make a difference, rather than doing something to help face the situation themselves. Joining TV docos Australia's Great Flood and Acid Ocean among the environmentally focused works on her resume, Ingleton's film also joins a growing list of features about climate change. And, specifically, it sits among a subset of the eco-conscious genre that's only going to keep adding to its numbers: movies about activists. Where 2020's I Am Greta showed the battle from Greta Thunberg's perspective, including the toll it can take, Wild Things splits its focus between several groups on our own home soil. School kids who help plan giant marches and demand meetings with politicians, doctors willing to camp in trees to try to stop logging, grandmothers hoping to leave the world intact for their families, communities who've sprung up around their shared cause — they all earn Ingleton's attention. Along the way, the documentary also weaves in a history of Australia's environmental protests, calls upon ample footage of both past and present activities in action, and pays careful attention to the country's scenic landscape. Indeed, in terms of style, Wild Things sticks to a familiar template, as its heavy use of talking-head interviews demonstrates. But the power of the stories it's telling and the movement they belong to don't need slick packaging; these tales, this topic and the passion of those striving to bring about real efforts to combat the planet's warming resonate more than enough. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx8l_Hhm2Oo WRONG TURN Horror films may routinely tally up a hefty body count, but franchises in the genre rarely stay dead for long. The latest to return after a hiatus: Wrong Turn. Like the most recent Halloween movie, it keeps things simple by taking the same name as the original film in its series. Unlike that excellent addition to an entertaining saga, however, Wrong Turn circa 2021 is a reboot. The same broad concept carries over, but it's given new faces and a slight twist. So, once again, a group that doesn't usually hail from rural Virginia heads that way, only for its members to find themselves at the mercy of the locals. This time, it's Jen Shaw (Charlotte Vega, Warrior Nun), her boyfriend Darius Clemens (Adain Bradley, Riverdale), and their pals Milla (Emma Dumont, The Gifted), Adam (Dylan McTee, Roswell, New Mexico), Gary (Vardaan Arora, Blindspot) and Luis (Adrian Favela, Booksmart) who've made the trip, with plans to spend a couple of days hiking the Appalachian Trail. They're warned to stick to the official track by everyone in town, but shrug off those cautions when Darius suggests a scenic detour. And, they're soon doing more than just walking, with a community of mountain-dwellers who call themselves The Foundation crossing their paths — and showing their displeasure about the outsiders encroaching on their home. It's a credit to screenwriter Alan McElroy, who also penned the original 2003 Wrong Turn, that the series' seventh instalment doesn't stick as faithfully to its predecessor as it could've. That said, his script can't manage to successfully balance its nods to the franchise's slasher formula and its eagerness to cut into creepy cult territory — supplementing one set of horror tropes with another, basically — or to supply its cast with anything other than boilerplate dialogue. The film also stays in obvious terrain by painting its enthusiastic young hikers as a snapshot of liberal America, exposing their prejudices against small-town folks, then pitting them against the skull-wearing, vengeance-happy Appalachian inhabitants. The situation is never as simplistic as hipsters versus hicks, thankfully, but the movie isn't interested in diving particularly deep either. Director Mike P Nelson (The Domestics) and his crew do relish each and every savage trap set in the woods, as well as the minutiae of The Foundation's insular base, though. Indeed, while the feature's physical horrors prove engaging-enough at best, it frequently seems as if the filmmaker — and the film overall, in fact — would much rather focus on bloody kills and creepy decor, instead of paying lip service to bigger ideas. Nonetheless, although seven years elapsed between 2014's Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort and this average-at-best flick, don't be surprised if more now follow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdppl5Fnmys THE FOOD CLUB Since 2011, whenever a film follows a mature-aged group of travellers while they go on vacation to forget their daily woes, it earns comparisons to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its 2015 sequel. But another movie also casts a shadow over The Food Club, with its tale of three women holidaying in Italy and endeavouring to confront their romantic struggles in the process often reminiscent of the cringe-worthy trip to Abu Dhabi in the awful Sex and the City 2. That resemblance doesn't do this new Danish comedy any favours. Thankfully, The Food Club also bears a likeness to every other movie that's charted the new lease on life gained during a getaway, because most features in this category routinely prove that generic. The long list spans everything from How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Under the Tuscan Sun to Eat, Pray, Love and Made in Italy, and the feeling that if you've seen one then you've seen them all doesn't subside here. In the hands of director Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg (One-Two-Three Now!) and screenwriter Anne-Marie Olesen (Scandinavian TV series Black Widows), the combination of amorous entanglements, existential malaise and a scenic setting plays out as it usually does. It's Christmas Eve when Marie (Kirsten Olesen, Wild Witch) learns that her life is about to fall apart, after her husband Henrik (Peter Hesse Overgaard, The Legacy) tells her that he's seeing another woman. Their children and grandchildren have just gifted them a week in Italy to learn to cook the country's delicious dishes, however, and she's not willing to see that go to waste even in her anger and pain. So, when she passes on the present to her lifelong best friends Berling (Stina Ekblad, Thicker Than Water) and Vanja (Kirsten Lehfeldt, Equinox), they're thrilled — but they insist that Marie still goes with them. At first, she's barely interested in her surroundings or the food, preferring to compose text messages to Henrik instead, but the change of scenery and facing a few hard truths alters her outlook, and Berling and Vanja's as well. The Food Club is as predictable as it sounds, and it's scripted with zero surprises and plenty of time for the genre's cliches, but the film's three leading ladies do everything they can with their stock-standard parts. It's always obvious that Olesen's Marie will reassess her willingness to be at Henrik's beck and call, that Ekblad's no-nonsense Berling is hiding her self-doubts behind her overly libidinous facade, and that Lehfeldt's bereaved Vanja will learn how to move on from her loss, of course, but the three actors bring texture to their roles that isn't abundant in the straightforward script. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World and High Ground.
The best freebies are those that come with a side of social good. With that in mind, put a note in your calendar to get down to Divide 8 St Leonards from 12–3pm on Saturday, June 14. After making a donation of your choice to Canteen Australia — a charity that's supported young people impacted by cancer for nearly 40 years — the team will hand over a free pizza. This isn't the first time Divide 8 has hosted a donation drive. In previous years, the crew has helped raise over $5000 for charities like MS Australia and Angel Flight. Who says feasting on your fair share of slices can't do any good? For those getting down on the day, claiming your free pizza is simple. Just sign up for Divide 8's newsletter, make a donation to Canteen Australia and follow Divide 8 on Instagram. Then, all that's left to do is choose from a trio of classic pizzas that reward your good deed for the day. Order up a Pepperoni², featuring double pepperoni, roasted capsicum and mushrooms on a tomato base, topped with fried capers; or the Miss Marg, adorned with fresh tomato, buffalo mozzarella and 16-month aged Grana Padano, topped with fresh basil. There's also the Gr8 Deb8, layered with Lucas Meats leg ham, maple bacon, fresh-cut pineapple and 16-month-aged Grana Padano. During your visit, check out Divide 8 St Leonard's other commitment to the community. Teaming up with the duo behind tiny local bakery Fiore Bread, the pizzeria uses their freshly baked sourdough as the base for its house-made garlic bread. Just know, this free pizza giveaway comes with a couple of conditions. There's a one-pizza limit per couple or two per group, with no alterations allowed and available in-store only. Divide 8 St Leonards' free pizza day is happening from 12–3pm on Saturday, June 14. Head to the website for more information.
Patrick White is an Australian national treasure. Or at least, so we're told; he's hardly read among Gen Ys and even Gen Xers. Conducting an impromptu poll among under-30s, I found only one person who had read Patrick White, and that was because his name, too, was Patrick White, and he felt obliged. However, that might be about to change, with one of White's novels finally adapted to the screen, 38 years after it was written and 21 years after his death. The Eye of the Storm is delightfully wry, distinctly antipodean and surprisingly affecting. It makes you feel alive to the depth of Australian stories we've yet to plumb. The film has also, significantly, roped in the great Australian talents of actors Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis and director Fred Schepisi (Fierce Creatures), so you'll definitely be paying attention. The Eye of the Storm joins Elizabeth Hunter (Charlotte Rampling), the matriarch of an ultra-elite Australian family of the kind we like to kid ourselves we left back in Britain, on her sick bed, where she is in a declining state following a stroke. Her adult children are on their way from Europe to join her. Basil (Rush) is a London-based stage actor of enough repute to have earned a knighthood. Dorothy (Davis) is a princess of some French-speaking outpost, married name de Lascabanes, who's impending divorce will leave her with a title but no assets. They're both purposely late and care most demonstratively for their inheritance. They have all the hallmarks of success and don't know how to live without them. They struggle to flip a steak or feel real love. They call everyone, including their mother, "darling". She calls them her "great disappointments". The Hunter family may be shallow people, but White and Schepisi have found depth enough in them to make you mourn for the tragedy of their misspent lives. Their emotional journeys are contrasted and elucidated by those of other characters who have become interwoven with them, especially comely nurse Flora (Alexandra Schepisi), who sees her affair with Basil as her ticket out of dullsville; housekeeper Lotte (Helen Morse), who will suffer for Elizabeth's pleasure; and Arnold (John Gaden) and Lal (Robyn Nevin), a couple who's lifelong employment/friendship with the Hunters has brought them few rewards. In Australia, we've come to think we're all part of the aspirational class. And perhaps mostly we are Floras: we all want to get famous or have Geoffrey Rush's babies. But it's a rare Australian story that even acknowledges the existence of different classes in our society, let alone so thoroughly excavates the effects of privilege or dares to sympathise with the indecently rich. To have done it with so much fun is what makes Eye of the Storm truly worth seeing.
All across New South Wales, stages are being swept, setlists are being finalised, speakers are being stress tested, and crowds are gearing up — all for the long-awaited return of Great Southern Nights in 2025. Great Southern Nights sees well over 300 gigs taking place in major cities across the state — stretching from Byron Bay to Broken Hill and beyond. The Central Coast, just north of Sydney, is one of the festival's main regions. If you're planning to head up for a gig or if you happen to be in the area between Friday, March 21 and Sunday, April 6, we've teamed up with Great Southern Nights to tell you when and where the hottest gigs are taking place and where to catch your breath between them. The Lineup So who is actually on the lineup? The highlight acts start with The Rions, hitting the stage at The Sunken Monkey in Erina on Saturday, March 22. The next day, Australian Idol star Marcia Hines takes the spotlight at The Art House in Wyong, a fittingly flashy venue for such a star. Later on, the fun returns to Erina in the form of indie trio Telenova on Thursday, March 27. That's not all — next on the roster is the ARIA-nominated Ngaiire, who will make a memorable appearance across Lake Macquarie in Warner's Bay Theatre on Saturday, March 29. And among the final weekend roster are two examples of what Great Southern Night does best: homegrown talent. The Art House in Wyong will set the scene for Troy Cassar-Daley while 90's Aussie rock icons Baby Animals bring the noise to Doyalson RSL on Friday, April 4, and Melbourne rock trio The Grogans end things with a show at Drifter's Wharf, Gosford on Sunday, April 6. Local Eats and Treats The Central Coast is a big place, so there are plenty of fantastic bars, cafes and restaurants to discover all over. However, allow us to offer some suggestions and hints to get you started. If you're near Erina, seek out the fine flavours of the Tuscan countryside at La Gioia; get a cosy garden meal and a boutique gin cocktail at Bar Botanica; or enjoy drinks by night and coffee by day at the Tame Fox. In Wyong, one of the most popular spots for patrons of all ages is the historic Wyong Milk Factory — it boasts breakfast and lunch menus (the former available from 7.30am and the latter from 10.30am), a kid's play area, the secluded Holy Cow Bar and a range of local dairy-based products for sale. Another favourite is Woodblock Bar & Grill, which dishes out hefty plates of comfort food for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Otherwise, Terrigal boasts one of the highest concentrations of quality restaurants in the area and is definitely worth a visit during your stay. [caption id="attachment_920860" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Terrigal Ocean Tours[/caption] Things to Do and Places to See You'll need breaks between gigs of course, so where can you take some time off? The Central Coast is home to some of Mother Nature's most stunning and accessible sights spanning beaches, bushland and beyond. In addition to excellent dining options, Terrigal also stands out as one of Sydney's top seaside suburbs for visitors. Be it whale watching or a simple swim, this is one heck of a beach trip. Another divine coastal destination is Bouddi National Park, which traces the shoreline from Broken Bay to MacMasters Beach. Here, you can lace up the boots and hit a walking trail, pitch a tent and camp on one of its beaches and keep your eyes peeled for protected marine life, a shipwreck and more. Elsewhere, take a sunny boat tour on a working oyster farm (with tastings included) in Broken Bay, enjoy a close encounter with native wildlife at the free-range, heritage-listed Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary or spend two-and-a-half hours scrambling, climbing and bouncing through the tree canopy at Treetops Adventure Central Coast. [caption id="attachment_947613" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific[/caption] Where to Spend the Night Rest assured there are plenty of ideal overnight stays scattered around the Central Coast. If you're on a budget, the Pacific Highway offers motels aplenty, but if you're willing to splash a bit of cash, we have some suggestions. If you can't bear to part from the always-buzzing and beautiful Terrigal, Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific is your best bet. Just across the road from the water and with sunrise views to boot, it's one of the most luxurious stays in the area. With an onsite luxury restaurant, Meribella, offering breakfast, dinner and luxe set menus and the ground floor eatery Terrigal Beach House serving beers, snacks and seafood platters, you're certainly not going to leave hungry. Further north is another great pick that oozes luxury, Pullman Magenta Shores, resting between The Entrance and Soldier's Beach. This more secluded stay is easily accessed but further from any hustle and bustle, ideal for anyone seeking a bit of serenity. Though it's not far from the beach, Pullman Magenta Shores offers swimming, dining and relaxation en masse within its property. Rooms vary from villas to studios, and you'll have your pick of dining from two on-site venues for maximum convenience. If you want something a touch more rustic, the Central Coast is home to quite a few countryside stays in its western districts. Close to Wyong in the Yarramalong Valley is Lost Ranches Farmstay, a barn situated on 50 acres of historic farmland, perfect for larger groups who want to avoid staying within earshot of the action. Head out west even further, and you could end up glamping in Noonaweena to really get out into the wilderness of the Central Coast. Great Southern Nights is set to take over venues across NSW between Friday, March 21 and Sunday, April 6. Check out our gig guides for Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle or visit the website for more information.
There are wine tastings – and then there's the Penfolds immersive wine experience. This extraordinary event, which is making a comeback to Sydney in May, brings together tastings with visuals, lighting, sounds and storytelling. Your 45-minute adventure will give you the chance to sample drops from Australia, the USA and France, soundtracked by the voice of senior winemaker Steph Dutton. And the finale? As you might have guessed, it's a rare chance to try Penfolds Grange. But before you try the coveted bottle, you'll be thoroughly prepared, with a palate cleanser created by Magill Estate Restaurant Director and Chef Scott Huggins, in collaboration with Penfolds' Chief Winemaker Peter Gago. We can't ruin the surprise by giving you the exact details, but we do know it draws inspiration from Penfolds and Thiénot Rosé Champagne. All this will take place in Sydney Arcade at 400 George Street from Friday, May 2 to Sunday, May 11. Multiple sessions will happen daily and tickets – at $150 – are available online.
Stories about the world as humanity currently knows it ending, then those that remain endeavouring to cling to whatever life is left and make the most of it, aren't just stories of survival. As they fill screens big and small — be it in movies in the Mad Max and A Quiet Place franchises, or in TV shows like The Last of Us, Fallout, Station Eleven and Paradise, to name a mere few recent and diverse examples — they tell tales of needs, costs, threats, changes and choices. A sensation in the video-game domain since 2013, and as a HBO series from a decade later, The Last of Us knows that what it takes to endure, the price paid and the type of person that such an experience makes you all firmly beat at its heart. Adapted for television by Chernobyl's Craig Mazin, it's equally and just-as-acutely aware that the kind of new existence that should spring after apocalyptic horrors is as much its focus. There was no escaping those ideas in a TV smash that proved one of the best new shows of 2023 in its first season. There's no avoiding it in one of the biggest and most-anticipated small-screen returns of 2025, either (in a year that's been filled with huge comebacks so far, thanks also to Severance season two, the third seasons of The White Lotus and Yellowjackets, Hacks season four, plus Daredevil: Born Again as well). The Last of Us season two picks up five years after the events of season one, with Joel (Pedro Pascal, The Wild Robot) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget) engrained in the survivor community of Jackson, Wyoming — and with how to forge a path forward, and to create a better future for the younger generations navigating existence after the cordyceps infestation, as clear in its sights as a clicker spied through a rifle scope. For Gabriel Luna, season two is indeed a return. A star of Terminator: Dark Fate, True Detective, Agents of SHIELD, Matador and more before stepping into the shoes of Joel's younger brother Tommy, and seen in Fubar and heard in Secret Level since The Last of Us debuted its first season, he's back in a part that's stuck with him. "Even during hiatus, I never really felt completely removed from the flow of the story," he tells Concrete Playground. Accordingly, he's not new to pondering the show's depths, and also thinking about its true monsters — not clickers, aka the long-term infected after their exposure to the fungus that's largely wiped out the planet, but some of the people taking doing whatever is necessary to the extreme in the nightmarish situation that the likes of Joel, Ellie, Tommy and the latter's wife Maria (Rutina Wesley, Queen Sugar) have been weathering. As the second season unpacks Jackson's hard-earned new status quo — where post-pandemic normality is the aim, but guarded walls, patrol runs, trauma counselling, and other such security measures and coping tactics will never not be elements of the daily routine — Isabela Merced and Young Mazino are fresh to The Last of Us' realm. The former plays Dina and the latter is Jesse, both of whom will be familiar to anyone that's played The Last of Us Part II. Merced joins the series after 2024's Madame Web and Alien: Romulus, plus the movie adaptation of Dora the Explorer, featuring in Instant Family and Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and leading Nickelodeon TV series 100 Things to Do Before High School before that. Mazino's resume also spans back to 2013, as Merced's does, but he's best-known for Beef, which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. [caption id="attachment_999544" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scott Ehler, Max[/caption] As Dina and Jesse, Merced and Mazino find themselves thrust into season two's big schism, as Luna's Tommy also is. Gone is the surrogate father-daughter closeness that Joel and Ellie carved out in season one, with their relationship instead evolving into the frequent next step as children grow up: distance and rebellion, and a parent dismayed at their connection changing so drastically. Audiences know, of course, that's there's more to the tension between Joel and Ellie thanks to the events of the first season — thanks to decisions and actions that also link to fellow cast addition Kaitlyn Dever (Apple Cider Vinegar) as Abby. New faces (The Studio's Catherine O'Hara is another), both friends and foes; acrimony between a pair that earned their bond, and each other's trust, the hard way in season one; a love triangle; contemplating what type of community that Jackson wants to be; a quest for revenge; an early showdown with clickers: The Last of Us kicks off its seven-episode second season with all of the above. Before that even arrives, a third season was locked in, too. When Luna, Merced and Mazino travelled to Australia to help launch HBO's dedicated streaming platform Max Down Under — where you'll find The Last of Us season two streaming from Monday, April 14, dropping its instalments week by week — we chatted with the trio about where the new chapter takes the series, what excited Merced and Mazino about becoming a part of it, how Luna approached coming back, digging into those survivalist themes and facing down clickers, among other topics. On What Excited Merced and Mazino About Joining The Last of Us for Season Two — and the Unexpected Injuries That Came Along the Way Isabela: "Initially there's the pull of the massive, just enormous size of the show — and the amount of cast members, the amount of action scenes. That was the initial pull. And then with all of the writing, it's so deep and it's so much that you can chew on and really get yourself into and throw yourself into. I love how Craig writes his characters, so I was excited to just be one of those." Young: "Yeah, I second everything she just said. You can tell the writing's excellent in the first season, and so I was so excited to get to chew on those words. And it's fun. And the physicality of it, getting to do fun things like riding horses and shooting guns and running around fighting clickers." Isabela: "Oh that's right, you pulled a muscle." Young: "Yeah, yeah. My hamstring exploded in one scene and I think you can hear me going like 'aaaah' at the end of that — and I think they kept it in the episode, too. So good times, yeah." Gabriel: "I had almost pulled a quad, and then I remember, then I did pop my calf, I think. It's healed now." Young: "Yeah, you've got to warm up." Gabriel: "You've got to, but it's hard when it's so cold. I mean -20 degrees, it's hard to get warm." Young: "I'm just eating a sandwich on the steps of my trailer and they're like 'alright, you ready?' I'm like 'yeah'. And then next thing you know, I'm booking it like 15 times in a row." Isabela: "You're an athlete, too." On How Luna Approached Stepping Back Into Tommy's Shoes for the Second Time Gabriel: "Even during hiatus, I never really felt completely removed from the flow of the story. This just always — I just remained in contact with Craig and we'd talk a lot, and text about different things and ideas for the second season. And so even while off on other jobs, this job very much took up residence and has a lot of real estate in my heart and my mind, and I think about it a lot. So I went into it ready to get back to work. And I think some of that is being excited for what was to come. Knowing what happens in the second game as far as Tommy is concerned, it was all something that I had been champing at the bit to get back into anyway. We talked about all of our injuries, but just trying to stay as physically ready as I could, even though Craig was telling me 'you know what, you know you're 55 in this story, so you can't be in too good a shape'. I was like, 'well, that's where the acting will come in, because I don't want to die out there'. It was a lot, but I was, I felt, ready — and we were ready, and we got it done." On How Season Two's First Episode Sets the Scene for What's to Come Gabriel: "For Tommy, he is a new father. He's been forced to lock in — kind of a born to dilly-dally, forced-to-lock-in type of guy— but he's really taken on that role and those responsibilities willingly, with a lot of love and compassion for his family first, and then, of course, his community. So he's had to mature quite a bit. He and Maria have Benjamin [Ezra Benedict Agbonkhese, Snowpiercer], their son. And he's also a bit of the go-between and the mediator between a lot of elements of his family." Isabela: "[For Dina and Jesse] You kind of catch them in the middle of the love triangle. So yeah, you kind of feel that tension — and it's interesting because you leave the audience with a lot of questions, but they'll get answered." Young: "Yeah, you see the breadth of the aftermath of something that just happened, and we're stepping into this uncharted territory of what's to come." Isabela: "It was interesting as actors to sort of have to do that as a first scene together." Young: "Yeah, that's interesting — and it's clever, it's clever writing, too, to establish that so quickly, which I think people will see in the first episode." On Digging Into the Show's Themes, Including What It Means to Survive, What It Requires and Costs, and Building a New World Gabriel: "When preparing for the first season, I enlisted the help of my friend Jack Nevils, who trains army snipers, and he was our military consultant on Terminator: Dark Fate. And the one thing that he said to me very early in the process that stuck and resonated was 'you know, I've been in these places where when resources are low, people become monsters, and it happens very quickly — that descent happens swiftly'. And so it's kind of carrying that sense of the paranoia of a lot of the threats. The monsters are a known quantity; it's the people that you encounter, and their deception and their intentions and their designs, that you have to be wary of. I think I'm a very open person in my personal life, and very trusting and want to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I think within this world your senses are heightened and your awareness — I think it's important to open that awareness and to be able to clock the threats." Young: "I was just thinking, there's the world-building and the environment, but then I think it it's also important to look at the character. And I personally pull threads of very specific people that I know in my life, and kind of combine them to amalgamate into this character that I think would serve this story." Gabriel: "Yeah, and a good point — while they are the greatest threat, people, they're also the greatest resource. If you can find the right people and move together, yeah, that is how you survive." Young: "Community." On What Merced Draws Upon When Facing Clickers, Including in Season Two's First Big Showdown Accompanied by Bella Ramsey as Ellie Isabela: "That's kind of the first bit of clicker action we get in the series, is that — and I find it fascinating that I didn't know what to expect in the process, but I saw the clickers on that day for the first time, and the actors that are playing them are usually stunt people and they get them as close as possible to what you see on the show in the final result. So I got to see their real movements and their actions, and their general demeanour is so frightening, I think, because it's so unpredictable. They did a really good job choreographing them — and it's really, really fun. And as a fan of the game, just to see that in person, it's really cool. The Last of Us season two streams from Monday, April 14, 2025 Down Under, via Max in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of the first season. Images: HBO.
It isn't just traffic that will bring Brisbane's Story Bridge to a standstill in 2024. On one October Sunday, the famed river crossing will close to cars to become the site of a new nude photography work instead. Staging spectacular pieces filled with naked participants has long been Spencer Tunick's remit — and the New York-based artist has announced his next River City installation in advance of staging his first. On Saturday, November 18, 2023, Tunick is taking to numerous spots along the Brisbane River for a piece called TIDE, which forms part of this year's MELT Festival and was announced by Brisbane Powerhouse earlier in the year. Featuring around 150 people posing for the camera, that photography shoot is now considered a prequel for Sunday, October 27, 2024, when the Story Bridge will welcome thousands of folks sans clothes. [caption id="attachment_926438" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cape Town, Spencer Tunick[/caption] "This challenging work on the Story Bridge marks the second in my two-part series in Brisbane scheduled one year apart, in 2023 then 2024. It is the first time I have ever worked on installations with the same institution for an extended two-year project. This will allow me to deeply explore the city, its light, environment and its people," said Tunick. "The series will hopefully speak to diverse groups of people, and everyone navigating their way through the difficult challenges of our current world. It is a privilege to be making art that centres around the LGBTQIA+ community with all its beauty and vibrance." [caption id="attachment_926440" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lyon, Spencer Tunick[/caption] The Story Bridge piece will form part of Melt Open, an expansion of Brisbane Powerhouse's LGBTQIA+ arts and culture festival that'll debut next year. The broader fest is a fringe-style open-access event that, like MELT first, champions diversity. So has Tunick's work for decades, whether he's been in the Whitsundays with almost 100 Aussies in 2019 or briefly turning Bondi into a nude beach in 2022. Tunick initially turned his lens Australia's way in 2001 in Melbourne, when 4500 naked volunteers posed for a pic near Federation Square as part of the 2001 Fringe Festival. Since then, he's also photographed around 5000 nude people in front of the Sydney Opera House during the 2010 Mardi Gras, then returned to Victoria in 2018 shoot over 800 Melburnians in the rooftop carpark of a Prahran Woolworths. Elsewhere, Tunick has photographed the public painted red and gold outside Munich's Bavarian State Opera, covered in veils in the Nevada desert and covered in blue in Hull in the UK. The list goes on, with more than 100 temporary installations on his resume since 1992. [caption id="attachment_926441" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melbourne, Spencer Tunick[/caption] "This major Tunick installation featuring thousands of nude bodies on the landmark Story Bridge is a visual expression of the diversity and inclusion that Brisbane's new LGBTQIA+ festival, Melt Open, aims to deliver across the city," said Melt Open Executive Producer Pieta Farrell. Brisbanites, or anyone who's keen to disrobe on the Story Bridge for a new piece of art, can put their hand up to join in — with the call for volunteers open now. And Tunick does indeed mean anyone, because there's no limit to the number of people who can take part. If you're not usually located in Brissie and you'd like to get snapped, you will need to travel at your expense. Successful applicants will be informed via email a few weeks prior to the shoot. [caption id="attachment_926442" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jay Cull[/caption] Spencer Tunick's 2024 Story Bridge installation will take place on Sunday, October 27, 2024 during Melt Open. Head to the Brisbane Powerhouse website to register to take part. TIDE will be shot on Saturday, November 18, 2023 along the Brisbane River as part of MELT Festival 2023, which runs until Sunday, November 26 at Brisbane Powerhouse. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the fest's website now. Top image: Gateshead, Newcastle, England by Spencer Tunick.
A beloved staple of the meeting point between Marrickville, Enmore and St Peters in Sydney's Inner West, West Juliett shut its doors earlier in 2023. Luckily for all of the fans of this corner cafe, the original founders have opened Agnes just a five-minute drive away. John and Kathryn Stavropoulos have remained in Marrickville, swinging open the doors to their latest venture on Meeks Road just off Marrickville Road. The duo has enlisted an all-star team for their new opening, with Agnes team members boasting experience from across Flour and Stone, Black Star Pastry and Cross Eatery. Housed in a classic graffiti-laden red-brick terrace that had been left dormant, the cafe offers White Horse coffee, plenty of baked treats, and a hefty breakfast and lunch menu which can be taken away, enjoyed inside or paired with some Vitamin D out on the pair of al fresco tables. Pastry chef Etta Napier's focaccia features heavily throughout the menu. For breakfast, you can order it with a simple spread, stacked with avocado and feta, or as the basis for a loaded breakfast sandwich. Come 11am, there are five sandwiches on offer, all piled high atop the focaccia. Veggie lovers can opt for charred miso eggplant with crunchy slaw and pickled red onion, or you can keep it classic with a classic crumbed chicken sambo partnered with nori and fermented chilli mayo. Following your savoury selection, it's only right to treat yourself to a little something sweet. Expect blueberry, lime and cheesecake tarts, plus West Juliett's famous pink salt chocolate-chip cookies. The Agnes team is also committed to keeping things local and in-house, with the honey, jams, pickles and milkshake syrups all made right there at the cafe, or at John and Kathryn's apiary. Even the bacon is smoked locally. "Agnes is more than just a cafe — it's a place where people can come together, enjoy delicious food, connect with friends and create lasting memories," says Kathryn Stavropoulos. Find Agnes at 69 Meeks Road, Marrickville. It's currently open 7am–3pm Monday–Friday and is considering expanding its opening hours to Saturdays.
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.
