The NGV has hosted some pretty epic exhibitions over the last few years — Ai Weiei and Andy Warhol, Hokusai and Van Gogh are just a few— but this might be its most ambitious exhibition yet. Descending on the gallery from today — Friday, December 15 — and then every three years after that, the NGV Triennial presents a smorgasbord of art and design, plucked from all corners of the globe and representing established artists, emerging talent, and plenty else in between. And the first one is nothing short of grand. The free exhibition will take over all four levels of the gallery until April 2018 and host a slew of newly commissioned works by over 60 artists and designers. But where it's really upping the ante is in the audience experience, with visitors invited to present their own ideas through cross-platform content, and the exhibition's participatory works designed to engage like never before. Legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, best known for her obsessive patterning and vibrant representations of the infinite, will invite glimpses into the artist's mind with a work titled Flower obsession. Created especially for the NGV Triennial, the interactive exhibition will have visitors unleashing some creativity of their own, as they help plaster a furnished space with an array of colourful flower stickers and three-dimensional blooms. Another highlight is an epic display of 100 oversized human skulls created by Australian artist Ron Mueck, and you'll want to step inside teamLab's immersive mirrored room that reacts to visitors' movements. Kusuma joins other international names like Germany's Timo Nasseri and Canada's Sascha Braunig, alongside an Aussie billing that includes the likes of Ben Quilty, Louisa Bufardeci, and Tom Crago. There'll be an installation from Chinese haute couture fashion guru Guo Pei, designer of Rihanna's canary-yellow Met Ball gown, and chemist and odour theorist Sissel Tolaas will create the 'scent of Melbourne' exclusively for the Triennial. And Alexandra Kehayoglou will be creating one of her monumentally-sized, lushly illustrated carpets, spanning over eight metres long. The NGV Triennial will be on display at the National Gallery of Victoria from December 15, 2017 till April 15, 2018. For more info, visit ngv.com.au.
When I first signed up for a day of whitewater rafting on Tropical North Queensland's Tully River I was pumped. I can't say it had ever been on my bucket list, but as a new resident of North Queensland I was keen to do anything that meant I got to explore the deep north – so I couldn't turn down this RedBalloon experience. My alarm on the morning of the adventure went off at 5.15am, and my dreams of being flung out the raft and thrown into white water came to an end. Mild panic had begun to settle in. By the time I arrived at the meeting point in Cairns where our tour bus was waiting to drive us to the riverside destination, I was scheming ways to get out of it. We travelled down the Bruce Highway past sugar cane fields, banana plantations and cloud-covered coastal mountains. About an hour later, the road started getting narrower, the surrounding vegetation more lush, and glimpses of the river opened up to full views. We got off the bus and our guide Gregor helped with my helmet and life jacket, then I grabbed a paddle and headed down the path with five strangers towards our raft. As we paddled towards our first lot of rapids I tried to recall the instructions on what to do. I realised that upon entering the raft, I'd been way too focused on wedging my foot in between the seats to ensure I was attached no matter what and forgot to listen. As the menacing whitewater looked like it was about to engulf us I didn't know whether to squeeze my eyes shut or hold on tight, or both. Neither of the options included helping to paddle. [caption id="attachment_593255" align="alignnone" width="1280"] This is me terrified and holding on to the rope.[/caption] Then Gregor's clear, calm voice came from the back of the raft, "Okay guys, this is how today will work," he said. "Listen to me and you'll be fine. I promise to give really simple instructions. We're going to have heaps of fun getting to know this river." I wasn't 100 per cent convinced but I did listen to him. My life was in his hands. "Okay guys, here we go! Paddle forward, forward, forward aaaand relax. Now back paddle, back, back, back aaaand relax." I did relax. Honestly. As soon as we'd cleared the first lot of rapids I knew I was in safe hands with a pro river guide and a bunch of people who were a mix of fairly experienced thrill-seekers and newbie thrill-seekers like me. Gregor maneuvered the raft through the first lot of rapids expertly. With names like 'Double D Cup', I couldn't help but giggle (nervously) as we approached them and then scream/laugh as we rode through them. Gregor informed us they were the trickiest set we'd encounter. I didn't want to ask if he meant before lunch or throughout the whole day, so I kept my mouth shut and rejoiced with the rest of my team that we'd aced it. As we floated into calmer waters we got out of the raft for a swim, letting the cool, crystal-clear waters take us past springs and falls while the magnificent rainforest growth of the gorge towered overhead. Ulysses butterflies flying above us came along for the ride too. After a refreshing shower under Pony Tail Falls we hopped on to dry land for a barbecue lunch in the middle of the rainforest before setting off to tackle the rest of the rapids. This time around, it was panic-free. By the end of the day I was jumping off a 5-metre-tall rock formation. As I bobbed up to the surface, I was chuffed with myself for being a bit of a daredevil. I knew I would've regretted not giving the jump a go, which sums up how I felt about the whole day. From the first "aaaand relax" from Gregor, my worries seemed silly. Photos from the day show that I was holding on to the safety ropes a lot, which made my team mates ask whether I'd actually done any paddling. But I did. I promise. Book your white water rafting adventure (or gift it to someone else) at RedBalloon. Images: RedBalloon.
Usually, when a new year hits and Hollywood starts handing out shiny trophies for the best movies and television programs of the past 12 months, audiences are asked to get watching not once but twice. First, there's all of the ceremonies — and then there's the must-view list that springs from those newly anointed winners. The initial cab off the rank each year, the Golden Globes, did their thing for 2022 on Monday, January 10. This isn't a normal event for these accolades, however. After multiple controversies surrounding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organisation behind the awards, the Globes weren't given out at a star-studded event. Plenty of films and TV shows still emerged victorious, though. Yes, even without sitting through the three-hour-plus televised ceremony, you still have a whole heap of freshly minted Globe-recipients to see — and you can watch most of them right now. Whether you're keen to hit the big screen to catch a filmic gem, stream a stellar flick or binge your way through an excellent series or two, here's 12 of the Globes' best winners that you can check out immediately. (And if you're wondering what else won, you can read through the full list, too.) MOVIE MUST-SEES THE POWER OF THE DOG Don't call it a comeback: Jane Campion's films have been absent from cinemas for 12 years but, due to miniseries Top of the Lake, she hasn't been biding her time in that gap. And don't call it simply returning to familiar territory, even if the New Zealand director's new movie features an ivory-tinkling woman caught between cruel and sensitive men, as her Cannes Palme d'Or-winner The Piano did three decades ago. Campion isn't rallying after a dip, just as she isn't repeating herself. She's never helmed anything less than stellar, and she's immensely capable of unearthing rich new pastures in well-ploughed terrain. With The Power of the Dog, Campion is at the height of her skills trotting into her latest mesmerising musing on strength, desire and isolation — this time via a venomous western that's as perilously bewitching as its mountainous backdrop. That setting is Montana, circa 1925. Campion's homeland stands in for America nearly a century ago, making a magnificent sight — with cinematographer Ari Wegner (Zola, True History of the Kelly Gang) perceptively spying danger in its craggy peaks and dusty plains even before the film introduces Rose and Peter Gordon (On Becoming a God in Central Florida's Kirsten Dunst and 2067's Kodi Smit-McPhee). When the widowed innkeeper and her teenage son serve rancher brothers Phil and George Burbank (Spider-Man: No Way Home's Benedict Cumberbatch a career-best, awards-worthy, downright phenomenal turn, plus Antlers' Jesse Plemons) during a cattle-run stop, the encounter seesaws from callousness to kindness, a dynamic that continues after Rose marries George and decamps to the Burbank mansion against that stunning backdrop. Brutal to the lanky, lisping Peter from the outset, Phil responds to the nuptials with malice. He isn't fond of change, and won't accommodate anything that fails his bristling definition of masculinity and power, either. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Best Director (Jane Campion) Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama (Benedict Cumberbatch), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Kirsten Dunst) The Power of the Dog is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. WEST SIDE STORY Tonight, tonight, there's only Steven Spielberg's lavish and dynamic version of West Side Story tonight — not to detract from or forget the 1961 movie of the same name. Six decades ago, an all-singing, all-dancing, New York City-set, gang war-focused spin on Romeo and Juliet leapt from stage to screen, becoming one of cinema's all-time classic musicals; however, remaking that hit is a task that Spielberg dazzlingly proves up to. It's his first sashay into the genre, despite making his initial amateur feature just three years after the original West Side Story debuted. It's also his first film since 2018's obnoxiously awful Ready Player One, which doubled as a how-to guide to crafting one of the worst, flimsiest and most bloated pieces of soulless pop-culture worship possible. But with this swooning, socially aware story of star-crossed lovers, Spielberg pirouettes back from his atrocious last flick by embracing something he clearly adores, and being unafraid to give it rhythmic swirls and thematic twirls. Shakespeare's own tale of tempestuous romance still looms large over West Side Story, as it always has — in fair NYC and its rubble-strewn titular neighbourhood where it lays its 1950s-era scene. The Jets and the Sharks aren't quite two households both alike in dignity, though. Led by the swaggering and dogged Riff (Mike Faist, a Tony-nominee for the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen), the Jets are young, scrappy, angry and full of resentment for anyone they fear is encroaching on their terrain. Meanwhile, with boxer Bernardo (David Alvarez, a Tony-winner for Billy Elliot) at the helm, the Sharks have tried to establish new lives outside of their native Puerto Rico through study, jobs and their own businesses. Both gangs refuse to coexist peacefully in the only part of New York where either feels at home — but it's a night at a dance, and the love-at-first-sight connection that blooms between Riff's best friend Tony (Ansel Elgort, The Goldfinch) and Bernardo's younger sister María (feature debutant Rachel Zegler), that sparks a showdown. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Rachel Zegler), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Ariana DeBose) Nominated: Best Director (Steven Spielberg) West Side Story is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review. ENCANTO Five years after Lin-Manuel Miranda and Disney first teamed up on an animated musical with the catchiest of tunes, aka Moana, they're back at it again with Encanto. To viewers eager for another colourful, thoughtful and engaging film — and another that embraces a particular culture with the heartiest of hugs, and is all the better for it — what can the past decade's most influential composer and biggest entertainment behemoth say except you're welcome? Both the Hamilton mastermind and the Mouse House do what they do best here. The songs are infectious, as well as diverse in style; the storyline follows a spirited heroine challenging the status quo; and the imagery sparkles. Miranda and Disney are both in comfortable territory, in fact — formulaic, sometimes — but Encanto never feels like they're monotonously beating the same old drum. Instruments are struck, shaken and otherwise played in the film's soundtrack, of course, which resounds with energetic earworms; the salsa beats of 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' are especially irresistible, and the Miranda-penned hip hop wordplay that peppers the movie's tunes is impossible to mentally let go. Spanning pop, ballads and more, all those songs help tell the tale of the Madrigals, a close-knit Colombian family who've turned generational trauma into magic. This is still an all-ages-friendly Disney flick, so there are limits to how dark it's willing to get; however, that Encanto fills its frames with a joyous celebration of Latin America and simultaneously recognises its setting's history of conflict is hugely significant. It also marks Walt Disney Animation Studios' 60th feature — dating back to 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — but its cultural specificity (depictions of Indigenous, Afro Latino and Colombian characters of other ethnicities included) is its bigger achievement. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Animated Nominated: Best Original Score — Motion Picture, Best Original Song — Motion Picture Encanto is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. DUNE A spice-war space opera about feuding houses on far-flung planets, Dune has long been a pop-culture building block. Before Frank Herbert's 1965 novel was adapted into a wrongly reviled David Lynch-directed film — a gloriously 80s epic led by Kyle MacLachlan and laced with surreal touches — it unmistakably inspired Star Wars, and also cast a shadow over Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Game of Thrones has since taken cues from it. The Riddick franchise owes it a debt, too. The list goes on and, thanks to the new version bringing its sandy deserts to cinemas, will only keep growing. As he did with Blade Runner 2049, writer/director Denis Villeneuve has once again grasped something already enormously influential, peered at it with astute eyes and built it anew — and created an instant sci-fi classic. This time, Villeneuve isn't asking viewers to ponder whether androids dream of electric sheep, but if humanity can ever overcome one of our worst urges and all that it brings. With an exceptional cast that spans Timothée Chalamet (The French Dispatch), Oscar Isaac (The Card Counter), Rebecca Ferguson (Reminiscence), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame), Javier Bardem (Everybody Knows), Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home) and more, Dune tells of birthrights, prophesied messiahs, secret sisterhood sects that underpin the galaxy and phallic-looking giant sandworms, and of the primal lust for power that's as old as time — and, in Herbert's story, echoes well into the future's future. Its unpacking of dominance and command piles on colonial oppression, authoritarianism, greed, ecological calamity and religious fervour, like it is building a sandcastle out of power's nastiest ramifications. And, amid that weightiness — plus those spectacularly shot visuals and Hans Zimmer's throbbing score — it's also a tale of a moody teen with mind-control abilities struggling with what's expected versus what's right. GLOBES Won: Best Original Score — Motion Picture Nominated: Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Director (Denis Villeneuve) Dune is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review. NO TIME TO DIE James Bond might famously prefer his martinis shaken, not stirred, but No Time to Die doesn't quite take that advice. While the enterprising spy hasn't changed his drink order, the latest film he's in — the 25th official feature in the franchise across six decades, and the fifth and last that'll star Daniel Craig — gives its regular ingredients both a mix and a jiggle. The action is dazzlingly choreographed, a menacing criminal has an evil scheme and the world is in peril, naturally. Still, there's more weight in Craig's performance, more emotion all round, and a greater willingness to contemplate the stakes and repercussions that come with Bond's globe-trotting, bed-hopping, villain-dispensing existence. There's also an eagerness to shake up parts of the character and Bond template that rarely get a nudge. Together, even following a 19-month pandemic delay, it all makes for a satisfying blockbuster cocktail. For Craig, the actor who first gave Bond a 21st-century flavour back in 2006's Casino Royale (something Pierce Brosnan couldn't manage in 2002's Die Another Day), No Time to Die also provides a fulfilling swansong. That wasn't assured; as much as he's made the tuxedo, gadgets and espionage intrigue his own, the Knives Out and Logan Lucky actor's tenure has charted a seesawing trajectory. His first stint in the role was stellar and franchise-redefining, but 2008's Quantum of Solace made it look like a one-off. Then Skyfall triumphed spectacularly in 2012, before Spectre proved all too standard in 2015. Ups and downs have long been part of this franchise, depending on who's in the suit, who's behind the lens, the era and how far the tone skews towards comedy — but at its best, Craig's run has felt like it's building new levels rather than traipsing through the same old framework. GLOBES Won: Best Original Song — Motion Picture No Time to Die is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review. TICK, TICK... BOOM! "Try writing what you know." That's age-old advice, dispensed to many a scribe who hasn't earned the success or even the reaction they'd hoped, and it's given to aspiring theatre composer Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield, Under the Silver Lake) in Tick, Tick… Boom!. The real-life figure would go on to write Rent but here, in New York City in January 1990, he's working on his debut musical Superbia. It's a futuristic satire inspired by George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, and it's making him anxious about three things. Firstly, he hasn't yet come up with a pivotal second-act song that he keeps being told he needs. Next, he's staging a workshop for his debut production to gauge interest before the week is out — and this just has to be his big break. Finally, he's also turning 30 in days, and his idol Stephen Sondheim made his Broadway debut in his 20s. Tick, Tick… Boom! charts the path to those well-worn words of wisdom about drawing from the familiar, including Larson's path to the autobiographical one-man-show of the same name before Rent. And, it manages to achieve that feat while showing why such a sentiment isn't merely a cliche in this situation. That said, the key statement about mining your own experience also echoes throughout this affectionate movie musical in another unmissable way. Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't write Tick, Tick… Boom!'s screenplay; however, he does turn it into his filmmaking directorial debut — and what could be more fitting for that task from the acclaimed In the Heights and Hamilton talent than a loving ode (albeit an inescapably overexcited one) to the hard work put in by a game-changing theatre wunderkind? GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Andrew Garfield) Nominated: Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy Tick, Tick… Boom! is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. SMALL SCREEN BINGES SUCCESSION For fans of blistering TV shows about wealth, power, the vast chasm between the rich and everyone else, and the societal problems that fester due to such rampant inequality, 2021 has been a fantastic year. The White Lotus fit the bill, as did Squid Game, but Succession has always been in its own league. In the 'eat the rich' genre, the HBO drama sits at the top of the food chain as it chronicles the extremely lavish and influential lives of the Roy family. No series slings insults as brutally; no show channels feuding and backstabbing into such an insightful and gripping satire of the one percent, either. Finally back on our screens after a two-year gap between its second and third seasons, Succession doesn't just keep plying its astute and addictive battles and power struggles — following season two's big bombshell, it keeps diving deeper. The premise has remained the same since day one, with Logan Roy's (Brian Cox, Super Troopers 2) kids Kendall (Jeremy Strong, The Trial of the Chicago 7), Shiv (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman), Roman (Kieran Culkin, No Sudden Move) and Connor (Alan Ruck, Gringo) vying to take over the family media empire. This brood's tenuous and tempestuous relationship only gets thornier with each episode, and its examination of their privileged lives — and what that bubble has done to them emotionally, psychologically and ideologically — only grows in season three. It becomes more addictive, too. There's no better show currently on TV, and no better source of witty dialogue. And there's no one turning in performances as layered as Strong, Cox, Snook, Culkin, J Smith-Cameron (Search Party), Matthew Macfadyen (The Assistant) and Nicholas Braun (Zola). GLOBES Won: Best Television Series — Drama, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Jeremy Strong), Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role (Sarah Snook) Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Brian Cox), Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Supporting Role (Kieran Culkin) All three seasons of Succession are available to stream via Binge. SQUID GAME Exploring societal divides within South Korea wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but its success was always going to give other films and TV shows on the topic a healthy boost. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between the acclaimed movie and Netflix's highly addictive Squid Game — the show that's become the platform's biggest show ever (yes, bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton). Anyone who has seen even an episode knows why this nine-part series is so compulsively watchable. Its puzzle-like storyline and its unflinching savagery making quite the combination. Here, in a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. That includes series protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, Deliver Us From Evil), a chauffeur with a gambling problem, and also a divorcé desperate to do whatever he needs to to keep his daughter in his life. But, as it probes the chasms caused by capitalism and cash — and the things the latter makes people do under the former — this program isn't just about one player. It's about survival, the status quo the world has accepted when it comes to money, and the real inequality present both in South Korea and elsewhere. Filled with electric performances, as clever as it is compelling, unsurprisingly littered with smart cliffhangers, and never afraid to get bloody and brutal, the result is a savvy, tense and taut horror-thriller that entertains instantly and also has much to say. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Supporting Role (Oh Yeong-su) Nominated: Best Television Series — Drama, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Lee Jung-jae) Squid Game is available to stream via Netflix. TED LASSO A sports-centric sitcom that's like a big warm hug, Ted Lasso belongs in the camp of comedies that focus on nice and caring people doing nice and caring things. Parks and Recreation is the ultimate recent example of this subgenre, as well as fellow Michael Schur-created favourite Brooklyn Nine-Nine — shows that celebrate people supporting and being there for each other, and the bonds that spring between them, to not just an entertaining but to a soul-replenishing degree. As played by Jason Sudeikis (Booksmart), the series' namesake is all positivity, all the time. A small-time US college football coach, he scored an unlikely job as manager of British soccer team AFC Richmond in the show's first season, a job that came with struggles. The ravenous media wrote him off instantly, the club was hardly doing its best, owner Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham, Sex Education) had just taken over the organisation as part of her divorce settlement, and veteran champion Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein, Uncle) and current hotshot Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster, Judy) refused to get along. Ted's upbeat attitude does wonders, though. In Ted Lasso's also-excellent second season, however, he finds new team psychologist Dr Sharon Fieldstone (Sarah Niles, I May Destroy You) an unsettling presence. You definitely don't need to love soccer or even sport to fall for this show's ongoing charms, to adore its heartwarming determination to value banding together and looking on the bright side, and to love its depiction of both male tenderness and supportive female friendships (which is where Maleficent: Mistress of Evil's Juno Temple comes in). In fact, this is the best sitcom currently in production. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Comedy (Jason Sudeikis) Nominated: Best Television Series — Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role (Hannah Waddingham), Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Supporting Role (Brett Goldstein) Ted Lasso's first and second seasons are available to stream via Apple TV+. THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD Two words: Barry Jenkins. Where the Oscar-nominated Moonlight director goes, viewers should always follow. That proved the case with 2018's If Beale Street Could Talk, and it's definitely accurate regarding The Underground Railroad, the phenomenal ten-part series that features Jenkins behind the camera of each and every episode. As the name makes plain, the historical drama uses the real-life Underground Railroad — the routes and houses that helped enslaved Black Americans escape to freedom — as its basis. Here, though, drawing on the past isn't as straightforward as it initially sounds. Adapting Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same moniker, the series dives deeply into the experiences of people endeavouring to flee slavery, while also adopting magic-realism when it comes to taking a literal approach to its railroad concept. That combination couldn't work better in Jenkins' hands as he follows Cora (Thuso Mbedu, Shuga), a woman forced into servitude on a plantation overseen by Terrance Randall (Benjamin Walker, Jessica Jones). As always proves the case in the filmmaker's work, every frame is a thing of beauty, every second heaves with emotion, and every glance, stare, word and exchange is loaded with a thorough examination of race relations in America. Nothing else this affecting reached streaming queues in 2021 — but even one series like this made it a phenomenal year for audiences. GLOBES Won: Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television The Underground Railroad is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. HACKS It sounds like an obvious premise, and one that countless films and TV shows have already mined in the name of laughs. In Hacks, two vastly dissimilar people are pushed together, with the resulting conflict guiding the series. Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, North Hollywood) and her new boss Deborah Vance (Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown) couldn't be more different in age, experience, tastes and opinions. The former is a 25-year-old who made the move to Hollywood, has been living out her dream as a comedy writer, but found her career plummeting after a tweet crashed and burned. The latter is a legendary stand-up who hasn't stopped hitting the stage for decades, is approaching the 2500th show of her long-running Las Vegas residency and is very set in her ways. They appear to share exactly one thing in common: a love for comedy. They're an odd couple thrust together by their mutual manager Jimmy (Paul W Downs, Broad City), neither wants to be working with the other, and — to the surprise of no one, including each other — they clash again and again. There's no laugh track adding obvious chuckles to this HBO sitcom, though. Created by three of the talents behind Broad City — writer Jen Statsky; writer/director Lucia Aniello; and Downs, who does double duty in front of and behind the lens — Hacks isn't solely interested in setting two seemingly mismatched characters against each other. This is a smart and insightful series about what genuinely happens when this duo spends more and more time together, what's sparked their generational conflict and what, despite their evident differences, they actually share beyond that love of making people laugh. And, it's a frank, funny and biting assessment of being a woman in entertainment — and it's also always as canny as it is hilarious. GLOBES Won: Best Television Series — Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Comedy (Jean Smart) Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Comedy (Hannah Einbinder) Hacks is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. MARE OF EASTTOWN Kate Winslet doesn't make the leap to the small screen often, but when she does, it's a must-see event. 2011's Mildred Pierce was simply astonishing, a description that both Winslet and her co-star Guy Pearce also earned — alongside an Emmy each, plus three more for the HBO limited series itself. The two actors and the acclaimed US cable network all reteamed for Mare of Easttown, and it too is excellent. Set on the outskirts of Philadelphia, it follows detective Mare Sheehan. As the 25th anniversary of her high-school basketball championship arrives, and after a year of trying to solve a missing person's case linked to one of her former teammates, a new murder upends her existence. Mare's life overflows with complications anyway, with her ex-husband (David Denman, Brightburn) getting remarried, and her mother (Jean Smart, Hacks), teenage daughter (Angourie Rice, Spider-Man: Far From Home) and four-year-old grandson all under her roof. With town newcomer Richard Ryan (Pearce, The Last Vermeer), she snatches what boozy and physical solace she can. As compelling and textured as she always is, including in this year's Ammonite, Winslet turns Mare of Easttown into a commanding character study. That said, it's firmly an engrossing crime drama as well. Although yet again pondering the adult life of an ex-school sports star, The Way Back's Brad Ingelsby isn't just repeating himself by creating and writing this seven-part series, while The Leftovers and The Hunt's Craig Zobel takes to his directing gig with a probing eye. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Kate Winslet) Nominated: Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Mare of Easttown is available to stream via Binge.
The world's best game of connect the dots is currently happening in Brisbane. Step foot inside Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, and it begins — first with a multi-coloured, circled-covered sculpture, then with giant yellow spheres suspended from the ceiling. Bright canvases blasted with tiny pinpricks, portraits of animals surrounded by giant rings, mannequins with orb-like structures protruding from their torso — the list goes on. They're present on paintings of pumpkins, on recreations of the Venus de Milo and when you peer into a mirrored hexagon through a circular porthole. Of course, given that GOMA is currently playing host to a free 70-plus piece retrospective of Yayoi Kusama's work, dots are inescapable. Whether peppered across other objects, floating through the air or plastered across a white room by a willing audience, they've been a part of the Japanese artist's work since she was ten years old. Ask her why, and she has a simple answer: "I am just another dot in the world," she has famously replied — and it couldn't better encapsulate the feeling of looking at her repetition-filled, infinity-pondering artistry. That sentiment doesn't just echo throughout the gallery. It's written on one of its walls — not that visitors need the reminder, given the round shapes that linger everywhere you look. The exhibition might be called Life Is the Heart of a Rainbow after one of her most recent pieces, but at the heart of that rainbow sits a giant circle. Yes, we mean that literally. It's one of the last paintings on display, so you'll see it for yourself. Co-curated with the National Gallery Singapore, where the exhibition displayed until September, the vast showcase also spans everything from Kusama's 'net' paintings and soft sculptures to her black-and-white pieces and video work — and, all of the dot-flecked pieces that you could imagine. Running in Brisbane until February 11, 2018, it's an immersive experience that has to be seen to be truly understood and appreciated. Here's six things to look out for along the way. [caption id="attachment_646485" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anwyn Howarth[/caption] I WANT TO LOVE ON THE FESTIVAL NIGHT A mirrored hexagonal box isn't the type of thing that you see every day. Neither is the kaleidoscopic array of colourful lights shining brightly inside. An Instagrammer's dream, I WANT TO LOVE ON THE FESTIVAL NIGHT was specially created for the exhibition's Singapore stint, though it has evolved from her 1966 effort, Kusama's Peep Show. You'll want to peer into each of the structure's three viewing holes, and, given the changing hues, you'll want to stay staring through each for at least a few minutes. [caption id="attachment_646487" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anwyn Howarth[/caption] THE HEART OF KUSAMA'S RAINBOW Colour abounds in Life Is the Heart of a Rainbow, just like dots; but standing in one particular room in the exhibition will make you feel like you're bathing in several pails of paint. The bright, spiky shapes of Kusama's sculptures combine with the vibrant hues and vivid lines in her paintings, making the room seem alive. And that's without featuring any of the artist's immersive installations in this specific space. [caption id="attachment_646493" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anwyn Howarth[/caption] THE OBLITERATION ROOM It's an old favourite for a reason, and it's back. Interactive in the best, brightest and most fun possible way, The Obliteration Room stems from Kusama's childhood perception, seeing the world through a screen of tiny dots. After "obliterating" her work with dots from that moment, she now asks everyone else to do the same. You step inside a room, painted white from floor to ceiling — including all of its surfaces, fixtures, furniture and objects too — and then add spots of colour in sticker form. Yes, running around sticking spots on everything is as fun and therapeutic as it sounds. [caption id="attachment_646512" align="aligncenter" width="1926"] Sarah Ward[/caption] SOUL UNDER THE MOON Other than dots, one thing is certain at Life Is the Heart of a Rainbow: whatever day or time you visit, there'll be a line visible on the other side of the exhibition entrance. It's for the most immersive aspect of the show, and it's well worth the wait. While you're only allowed inside SOUL UNDER THE MOON for 30 seconds given the queue, you'll find a dark, mirrored room filled with suspended glowing balls awaiting once you enter. Be careful not to step too far when you're marvelling at its luminous sights that appear to go on forever (or taking snaps), or you'll find yourself in water. [caption id="attachment_646510" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sarah Ward[/caption] PUMPKINS AND POLLEN If you can wander through Life Is the Heart of a Rainbow and leave without feeling the need to eat pumpkin, then you clearly haven't spent enough time looking at Kusama's orange corner. You won't just find paintings of vegetables on display here, but sculptures that look like mutated pollen, a horror-movie like tentacle piece called Sex Obsession, and quite the blend of fabric, stylised anatomy and paint. Just when your cravings subside, however, you'll enter the mirrored THE SPIRITS OF THE PUMPKINS DESCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS — and you'll be seeing pumpkins for days. [caption id="attachment_646494" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anwyn Howarth[/caption] KUSAMA'S VIDEO WORK Amidst the colour, movement, mirrors and dots of GOMA's exhibition, it's easy to walk past the dark room out the back — but don't. Inside, you'll find documents and video works from throughout Kusama's career, plus a seat to sit down and watch. Doing just that is recommended, whether you want to see the artist walk through the streets five decades ago, or see her stick dots on a cat. Yes, the latter does happen, and yes, it's as fantastic as it sounds. "If there's a cat, I obliterate it by putting polka dot stickers on it," is another of her famous quotes, after all. Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow exhibits at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art until 11 February 2018. For more information, head to the gallery website. Images: Anwyn Howarth / Sarah Ward.
One of Australia's most redeeming qualities is its ability to give good afternoon sun. There's something about its familiar glow that almost demands casual drinks – whether it's cracking open a cold beer after a day out, heading to the pub after a long day of work, or deciding on a whim that your backyard is perfect for having friends over. We love summer afternoons, and we've partnered with Heineken 3 so you can get the most out of them. We've spoken to a few of our favourite chefs, musicians and artists to get their insights on creating the perfect balmy afternoon. Having colourful paper backyard decorations may not be essential, but it's sure to take your casual backyard gathering to the next level. We asked the incredible paper engineer Benja Harney to help us out with some tutorials for easy backyard decorations. The first is a burger piñata, the second is a lantern covered in colourful streamers, the third is a string of sandwich bag bunting. Harney has done some incredible work in the past, so these simple projects are maybe a bit of an insult to his skills. He's worked on window installations for Hermès, he's made paper versions of Adidas shoes, and makes paper vegetables, grass and furniture for clients on the regular. His studio space is Surry Hills is filled to the brim with coloured paper and intricate paper sculptures. Not only is he good at his job, he's also really good at teaching. Follow the instructions below and make your backyard a little more fancy (and fun) the next time you have people over for a Heineken 3. BURGER PINATA When was the last time you whacked a piñata? It's fun, and even more fun when your piñata is shaped like a novelty version of your favourite food. This one is a little more tricky, so Benja has kindly drawn up some templates of the shapes you'll need to cut out to make your burger ingredients out of coloured cardboard. Print off the PDF in A3 and trace. Easy. You'll need: Thin cardboard (in the colours of your burger ingredients, and A3 size), thin corrugated cardboard, tape, scissors, glue, lollies, string. Method: Cut out your coloured cardboard into the shape of lettuce, tomato, burger bun and any other ingredients you want to pop in your burger. Use four strips of corrugated cardboard (about 15cm wide) and tape to make a square frame. Place a large piece of corrugated cardboard over the top, so it resembles a shallow open box. Glue your pieces of coloured cardboard to the box — it should now look like a burger. Flip the box over and fill it with lollies. Then, cover the box with a piece of thinner cardboard and tape it together. If you want to make it a little easier on your guests, you could glue this piece down instead of taping it, so it comes apart easier when you start to smash. Pop a piece of string onto the top and hang. SANDWICH BAG BUNTING This brown paper bag bunting is the easiest backyard decoration you'll ever make. Who knew that some scissors and string could turn the humble sandwich bag into a classy decoration for your backyard? You'll need: PVA glue, scissors, string, brown paper sandwich bags. Method: Grab yourself some brown paper sandwich bags from your local supermarket (they'll set you back a maximum of $2 — cheapest project you'll ever do). Cut each bag into a triangle shape like the one above, making sure that the 'seam' of the bag isn't at the triangle's point. Place a long piece of string inside the fold and glue it there. Repeat, repeat and repeat until your bunting has reached the length you want it to be. A LANTERN OF STREAMERS This is a simple way to spice up those cheap paper lanterns most people have in their backyards. It's colourful, looks like a jellyfish and blows in the wind. Make multiples and hang them in a row for maximum effect. You'll need: A cheap lantern from a discount store, string to hang it up, glue, scissors, three colours of streamers. Method: Cut the three colours of your streamers into pieces, all different lengths. Glue the top of each piece of streamer around the lantern in layers, starting from the bottom and repeating until the whole lantern is covered. Enjoy your summer afternoons with the new low-carb Heineken 3 — we're helping you make the most of them. Images: Kimberley Low.
Now that the Olympics are over and done with, the real sporting contests can begin. Next week, more than 300 competitors will descend upon a small, abandoned town in Italy. Their purpose? To decide beyond all doubt the greatest hide-and-seek player in the world. The epic contest will take place on September 3-4 in Consonno at the foot of the Alps. Once known as the 'Land of Toys', the village is home to an old amusement park, but was abandoned after a landslide in the mid-'70s cut off the only access road. If you can think of a better place for a massive game of hide-and-seek, we'd certainly like to hear it. This year will see 64 five-person teams complete for gold and glory. One of the members of last year's winning team told Quartz that the two-day tournament was "pretty competitive", and that "each team had their tactics." Just don't expect his team to share theirs, because "obviously we will never disclose them." Sounds like a wise move, especially since a Japanese university professor began lobbying the Olympic committee to include hide-and-seek at the Tokyo Games in 2020. Although to be honest, as Olympic sports go, this probably wouldn't make for particularly good TV viewing. Image: Marcello Brivio.
If you're a North Shore local or frequent visitor, consider yourself onto a winner with Goodfields. The brainchild of father-and-son duo George and Anthony Karnasiotis (The Butcher's Block), it's a charming, contemporary corner spot perched just across from Lindfield Station. Inside, good feels abound, with the cheery mix of polished concrete, crisp white tiles and foliage spilling from above. From 6am daily, the coffee window is open and the machine up and running, tempting early morning commuters with brews from Five Senses. Meanwhile, the kitchen is turning out a memorable all-day brunch offering that sits classics alongside fun, modern revamps. There's an indulgent lobster benedict with roasted lobster tail bites, grilled garlic brioche, spinach and hollandaise, and an avocado smash served with heirloom tomatoes, feta, poached eggs and sourdough. Lunch might call for the slow-roasted lamb shoulder pita, crispy-skinned salmon with charred broccolini, or a fried chicken burger with bacon, maple aioli, American jack-cheese and thick-cut chips. Littlies will be kept busy, too, with options like house-made buttermilk chicken nuggets and maple syrup-drenched hotcakes. To accompany those long lunches or weekend brunches with mates, you'll even find a tidy range of beers and wines at Goodfields. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Sydney
Palace Cinemas has gifted Sydney with an enormous new complex — and it's unlike any other cinema in the city. With ten theatres and a platinum area with three additional premium screens, Palace now fully commandeers level three of Chippendale's multi-purpose development Central Park. It's huge news for Sydney's cinephiles. There are multiple lounges and bar areas with views over the Central Park area, perfect for unwinding with a glass of pinot before or after a film. They've also put in a beer hall with local and international craft beer, a Champagne bar and a temperature-controlled wine wall offering bottles from Australia and abroad which, according to Palace's CEO Benjamin Zeccola, is an Australian first. "We have a passion for developing new opportunities within the cinema industry which allow us to engage with local communities throughout Australia," Zeccola said. "For some time now, I've felt there was a need for a superb, boutique cinema experience in central Sydney. I'm incredibly passionate about this project, it gives me great satisfaction to offer the best cinema in the world. Palace Central is my gift to the city of Sydney." There's an in-cinema menu unique to Chippendale with lots of local nosh. You can order dumplings from Din Tai Fung and desserts from Brickfields to your ergonomic leather seat — they've been imported all the way from Barcelona. While a film at Palace in generally a pretty lovely experience, with its multiple bars and designer fitout, the Central Park complex is set to take things up a notch. Palace is also opening a ten-screen complex in Double Bay, and is set to add a couple of extra screens to its Paddington venue. Palace Central Sydney is now open on Level 3, Central Park Mall, 28 Broadway, Chippendale. For more information, visit Palace's website.
Watching cat videos online is about to get a whole lot more intense, with Google revealing plans to enable virtual reality content on YouTube. The announcement, made at the Google I/O 2015 developer conference, is one of a slew of new innovations the global tech giant has in the works, as it slowly furthers its plan for total world domination. Your move, Bing. According to the announcement made in San Francisco overnight, YouTube will be able to host specially-created, immersive VR videos as early as this July, viewable through any virtual reality headset including Google’s own budget option, Google Cardboard. In order to ensure there’s plenty of VR content to choose from, Google will supply select YouTube partners with its new 360° Jump camera rig, developed in partnership with GoPro. The extreme sports-friendly camera company has actually been developing and selling multi-directional camera rigs for some time now, and recently acquired a company that specialises in panoramic video software — so the partnership certainly makes sense. Check out GoPro's VR demo video posted yesterday. Use the top left directional buttons to peruse: As they did with Google Cardboard, Google will be making the blueprints for the Jump rig public, meaning that anyone can theoretically build one. The rig will be compatible with consumer grade cameras, although you’ll need 16 of them to get the full effect. Google also announced upgrades to its cardboard VR headset, which can now be assembled in just three steps and fits phones up to six inches in size. The low-tech hardware, which offers an inexpensive alternative to the likes of Oculus Rift, has already racked up more than one million users since debuting at I/O last year. Between Google Cardboard and the new Jump platform, Google is clearly trying to push VR content into the mainstream. Next up: hoverboards! (Fingers crossed.) Via Gizmodo. Images: Google.
You may have heard that Chinese artist and political commentator Ai Weiwei's work will be hitting Australia for the huge blockbuster summer exhibition Andy Warhol Ai Weiwei at the National Gallery of Victoria in December. But in a bizarre twist, the artist's work and freedom of speech is being threatened by none other than Lego, the Danish toy company that has brought delight to kids dads everywhere for generations. In a move that shocks nobody who’s ever stood barefoot on a tiny plastic brick, Lego have revealed themselves to be pretty damned villainous. Weiwei announced via Instagram on Saturday that Lego refused his studio’s order for bulk bricks on the grounds that Lego “cannot approve the use of Legos for political works”. The order was going to be used to build a room-sized installation of portraits of Australian activists who fight for human rights and free speech. Weiwei sardonically adds that Britain is opening a Legoland in Shanghai as a direct result of the special political relationship between the UK and China, which most definitely falls under the category of 'political works'. In September Lego refused Ai Weiwei Studio's request for a bulk order of Legos to create artwork to be shown at the National Gallery of Victoria as "they cannot approve the use of Legos for political works." On Oct 21, a British firm formally announced that it will open a new Legoland in Shanghai as one of the many deals of the U.K.-China "Golden Era." A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Oct 23, 2015 at 6:04am PDT As expected, the resultant internet furore has been A+. One plucky Twitter user @dgatterdam astutely reused an Ai Weiwei quote “Everything is art. Everything is politics.” to generate debate while others proceeded to give in to their baser instincts and gave the (in some cases literal) middle finger to Lego. @aiww Uh oh, no one tell @LEGO_Group I used my Legos to make a political statement! #legosforweiwei pic.twitter.com/euOyW86xrP — Mila Johns (@milaficent) October 25, 2015 Both approaches worked in spreading the word however and it wasn’t long before the good people of the internet were offering up their own Legos for Weiwei's use instead. Weiwei made a statement yesterday that his studio will be collecting donated Lego in different cities to create the exhibition anyway (suck it, Lego, may you walk on a sea of thousands of your jagged blocks for eternity). He also said that he would be changing his exhibition piece to reflect the events and defend (more fervently) the tenants of free speech. In September 2015 Lego refused to sell Ai Weiwei Studio a bulk order of Lego bricks for Ai's artworks to be exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne on the basis of the works' "political" nature. Ai posted this notice on his Instagram on Friday, October 23rd. Lego's position triggered a torrent of outrage on social media against this assault on creativity and freedom of expression. Numerous supporters offered to donate Lego to Ai. In response to Lego's refusal and the overwhelming public response, Ai Weiwei has now decided to make a new work to defend freedom of speech and "political art". Ai Weiwei Studio will announce the project description and Lego collection points in different cities. This is the first phase of the coming projects. A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Oct 25, 2015 at 10:37am PDT So how can you stick it to Lego and send your own blocks to the cause? We expect the Weiwei studio to announce collection points in the coming weeks and we’ll keep you updated. In the meantime, follow Weiwei's tweets, check the studio website and collect up all your old Lego pieces because soon enough they’ll be going down in history. Via New York Times/NPR. UPDATE OCTOBER 28, 2015: National Gallery of Victoria has been announced as the first international Lego collection point for the Ai Weiwei project. The artist today confirmed that the NGV will become the first Lego collection spot outside of Beijing. From Thursday, October 29, a car will be placed in the NGV sculpture garden in Melbourne as a repository for the Lego blocks. Donors are encouraged to bring in their Lego blocks and drop them through the sunroof of the vehicle.
Emele and Ayeesha are no strangers to subconscious stereotyping, especially when it comes to how people perceive their skin colour. Showing at The Joan, Black Birds is an innovative ensemble of stories from their lives that show the subversive marginalisation they experience due to the fact that they simply aren't white. The production was developed through The Q's Artist in Residence program, and not only explores the the issues of race and gender stereotyping, but it also explores new ways of presenting them. The show isn't so much a play, or a talk, or anything like theatre goers are used to. Instead, it's a mixture of music and stories, dancing and poetry. It's frenetic, it's fast-paced — it's life. The show aims to give audiences the chance to look into the lives of the storytellers and view the world from a different perspective. For many, it'll be a chance they've never had before, and one to be savoured. Images: Alana Dimou.
There's nothing like a midweek spot o' fried chicken and noodle, especially when it comes from the meat-lovin' mind behind Manly Wharf's Papi Chulo. As part of March into Merivale, PC head chef Patrick Friesen is branching out from last year's Thai-focused project to launch this year's instalment of the Work in Progress pop-up. Chefs know their late night supper spots, finishing work well after you've digested your dins and are happily tucked in. Friesen's taken inspiration from his favourite late night Sydney eateries. He's designed a bite-sized menu of Asian-style fried chicken, Hong Kong noodles and snacky nibbles for his MIM pop-up. "The menu is influenced by the late night haunts that other chefs and I like to go to smash fried chicken, noodles, and beers after a busy service," says Friesen. "It’s a small menu, but full of the tasty things you want to eat with a few drinks or on a solo lunch mission." Think fried chicken with ginger nuoc cham, served with kimchi, pickled daikon and garlic cucumbers. Think pnomh penh wings with lime white pepper, Sichuan duck with tofu lo mein, and pork and prawn wonton mein with egg noodles. But you won't be left with a mouthful of delicious, delicious fried chicken and nothing to wash it down. Friesen's nosh will be paired with a specially-created cocktail menu, with the likes of the Shaky Pete (Beefeater 24 gin, ginger, 150 lashes pale ale) and Down the Stairs (Zubrowka, pressed apple, lemon, cinnamon) sounding pretty delicious for $18 a piece, or you can choose from the Australian/New Zealand-heavy wine and beer selection. Work in Progress will sit at 50 King Street from Thursday, February 26. Open Monday to Friday 12pm-3pm, 6-10pm (kitchen); 12pm-late (bar). Want more on March into Merivale? Head over here. UPDATE 25/3: Due to popular demand (read: Sydney's insatiable appetite for Patrick Friesen's fried chicken noodles), the Papi Chulo Work in Progress pop-up will remain open after March into Merivale until further notice. MOAR CHICKEN.
The Finders Keepers Markets have become a staple for those who are into design, creativity and supporting local artists. Treat yourself to a stroll around the market, boasting over 200 stalls featuring fashion, ceramics, jewellery and food. Heading for Barangaroo's colossal space The Cutaway for the first time ever, the market allows you to pick up some marvellous treats that are difficult to find anywhere else. The designer-centric, come-one-come-all mini-festival has managed to bridge the gap between local market and exclusive exhibition, creating a space for independent designers to engage with the wider community. As usual, there will be live music, two coffee carts, two bars, food trucks and thousands of other Sydneysiders celebrating independent art and design. Plus, it's probably the only place you can shop for Mother's Day, upcoming birthdays and your own personal gift to yourself with a glass of wine in hand while downing gluten-free doughnuts from Nutie. Feeling a little overwhelmed? Finders Keepers are aware this cornucopia of new design can be a little large to navigate. So they've got their own app, with interactive maps to help you find out more info about stallholders, a personal itinerary tool, and notifications to keep you looped in to what's happening on the day. You can download the app from the App Store or on Google Play. Finders Keepers A/W 17 market hours: Friday, May 12: 5–10pm Saturday, May 13 : 10am–6pm Sunday, May 14 (Mother's Day): 10am–5pm Images: Bec Taylor and Dave Kan. By Kelly Pigram and Nishan David.
There's something brewing in Geelong, quite literally. The sleepy port city has been inundated in recent years with a plethora of world-class breweries, restaurants and wine bars and has quietly become Victoria's alternative foodie capital. White Rabbit Brewery and Barrel Hall is one such new neighbour. While they're new in town (they opened their doors late last year), they've quickly settled in and become a must-see stop on the unofficial Geelong food and beer tour. We took a stroll through the brewery with head brewer Jeremy Halse — who better to dish all the secrets on Geelong's beloved brewery than the man who cranks the cogs? STEP INSIDE Like all good things, you'll start your White Rabbit journey at the start. A dramatic entryway, piled high barrels and modern fermentation equipment parts to give you a glimpse of the length of the brewery. Jeremy says the entrance gives a taste of what's to come. "The way we designed the whole building is to take you on a journey, it's educational," he says. "It shows off the different facets of brewing that we do here, from the modern to the old school with the barrels." LOOK FAR AND WIDE Keep heading into the brewery and you'll come to a platform that gives you a view of the whole brewery and its inner workings. "As you walk through the brewery, you're following the brewing process. We've got a viewing platform where you can step into the production area and into an upper level – you can interact with the brewers when they're working, see steam coming out of vessels when we're mashing or boiling," Jeremy says. "It really opens up the whole process, we want to de-mystify brewing". A tip for all you home-brewers out there keen to see the professionals at work: during the week is when you'll see the most action. GET A LOAD OF THE OPEN FERMENTERS One of the most interesting elements of the White Rabbit brewery are the open fermenters. If you're not familiar with the ins and outs of beer making, open fermentation is an old school method. It's actually the old school method. At one point all beer was brewed using an open fermentation process and nowadays the White Rabbit brewers use their two open fermenters to experiment. From the viewing platform you can check out their rig, literally and you should — no brewery has anything like it in Australia. BARREL THROUGH THE BARREL HALL The Barrel Hall is both a namesake and highlight of the White Rabbit brewery. The rows and rows of barrels are currently fermenting White Rabbit's new barrel-aged red ale, a beer Jeremy has spent some time perfecting. "We always aimed make one beer at a time and make it really, really well. And that's always been in my head. That's why we've been very slow to release new beers, because we want to make the best, most balanced beers that we can," he says. "Unless we're loving it, we won't release it." GET IT FRESH FROM THE DINING HALL TAP By the time you reach the dining hall, you'll probably be fiending for a beer. In winter, a roaring wood fire will entice you into the rustic dining space and you should prepare for a long stay, nestled in the cosy hall. The White Rabbit menu echoes the beer itself — simple but beautifully balanced. We recommend a ploughman's board, piled high with Serrano, pickled veggies and sourdough or the beef bourguignon (with White Rabbit Dark Ale on the side). Jeremy's beer recommendation? "Our White Rabbit Jackalope is my go-to at the moment. We call it a whiskey sour as it's our sour wheat beer and we aged it in some ex-whiskey barrels. It picked up some of that whiskey character and turned out really beautifully." Find White Rabbit Brewery at 221 Swanston Street, South Geelong. Open Sunday to Thursday 11am – 5pm, Friday to Saturday 11am – 9pm.
It's unbelievably satisfying to see a jazz vocalist received as a brilliant pop artist. Porter, who made the change from a potential career in American football to sultry jazz after a shoulder injury in college, has been sharing the product of his near-perfect pipes around the world since his first release Water in 2010. Porter's style is incredibly versatile, leaping between smooth jazz and a frenetic Motown energy with apparent ease. His vocal range is exceptional, sliding through the octaves like it ain't no thing, maintaining an incredibly deep and resonant timbre that keeps the sound bound together. The versatility isn't lost on the music elite, as Porter appeared alongside Jools Holland, in their 2012 song Sweet Country Love Song. Since 2010, Porter has released four albums, and the most recent two have both taken out Best Jazz Vocal Album awards at the Grammys. It's not surprising, as Porter's sound, which slows down into soulful ballads at points throughout the records, appeals to a huge variety of audiences, especially anyone who has a soul—just give him half a chance and Gregory Porter will deliver a knock out punch straight into the feelings. Catch Gregory Porter at Bluesfest 2017 in Byron Bay, or at his Sydney Enmore Theatre sideshow on Wednesday April 12.
Drop whatever it is that you're doing: the ticket ballot for the 26th Meredith Music Festival is officially open. Running from December 9-11, the latest edition of the much-loved dickhead-free music festival will take place at its usual digs, Meredith's Supernatural Amphitheatre, which has gone and gotten itself a brand new sound system "tailor-made for the dynamic undulations of the Amphitheatre at all times of Magic O'Clock". Other changes for this year's festival include additional camping space, hundreds of new trees planted as part of Uncle Doug's Native Planting, and – perhaps most importantly – extra dunnies in the campground. Aunty, meanwhile, has been working hard on the lineup, which she promises will be announced "soonish". Standouts from last year included Father John Misty, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Ratatat, The Thurston Moore Band, Tkay Maidza, Neon Indian and Big Daddy Kane. The Meredith Ballot will be open from now until 10.26pm on Monday, August 8. Head on over to the festival website to sign up.
Halal food, and the certification around it, has popped up in the Australian news a lot lately — mostly in the form of straight-up racist commentary that has no basis in fact. Most recently, newly elected Australian senator Pauline Hanson, threw a childish fit on Saturday after senator Sam Dastyari offered to buy her a Halal Snack Pack (HSP) as jesting congratulations. For those that don't know, an HSP is a greasy concoction of hot chips, kebab meat (chicken and/or lamb) and cheese, covered in sauces, including the 'Holy Trinity' of garlic, chilli and barbecue sauce. This dish is so popular among uni students that the Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society (HSPAS) is nearly 150,000 members strong. Hanson has repeatedly made fact-less allegations that funds made from halal certified food goes directly to fund terrorism. Her blatantly discriminatory remarks, which have been repetitively disproven and shown to have no factual research behind them, got us thinking — what is halal certification really all about? We're bringing you some plain old facts on the subject, because knowledge is power. [caption id="attachment_578771" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Flickr.[/caption] WHAT IS HALAL FOOD? Halal (حَلَال) is an Arabic word that means 'permissible' or 'allowed' and refers to the dietary restrictions of the Muslim law. Foods that are explicitly prohibited by the Qur'an, and are therefore not halal, include: Alcohol (including used in food) Meat from carnivorous animals, most notably pigs and dogs Any bi-product of carnivorous animals, including lard, gelatine, blood, broth and enzymes (which many non-halal cakes, biscuits and ice-creams contain) Meat of an animal that has died of natural causes or as a result of strangling or beating All foods that do not meet these above restrictions are considered halal (that includes fruits, nuts and vegetables, to name a few). WHAT IS HALAL CERTIFICATION? Halal certification denotes to the consumer that the food is certified to fit the dietary restrictions of halal, much the way organic and gluten-free products must be certified. In order for a food to be certified as halal, it must be: Free from any meat or bi-product from a carnivorous animal Slaughtered with a Muslim person present and in compliance with Islamic rites Processed, manufactured and stored by using equipment that has been cleaned according to Islamic law (e.g. not cleaned with alcohol or in proximity to carnivorous animal bi-product). [caption id="attachment_578769" align="alignnone" width="1280"] CEphoto, Uwe Aranas.[/caption] OTHER USEFUL HALAL FACTS Food that is already halal is not changed during the certification process; it is simply certified to show that it has not broken any of the dietary restrictions within halal eating methods. Hundreds of Australian food products exist as halal certified, including Vegemite, Nestle Crunch bars, Maggi Two Minute Noodles and Kellogg's Coco Pops. Essentially, the animal used for food needs to be slaughtered humanely and using clean instruments that are namely pork and alcohol free. If you're thinking logically about it, a halal certification is similar to a food being certified as organic or gluten free — it simply tells a person who has specific dietary restrictions that they are able to eat the food and is actually very inline with standard ethical eating practices. ABC News Fact Check recently assessed Hanson's claims that halal certification directly results in funding terrorism and could find "no evidence whatsoever ... that money from halal certification has ever flowed to terrorist groups." They also debunked her claims that halal certification is a $3-trillion dollar industry — in fact, most responsive manufacturers claimed that their certification cost was negligible, even as little as $1-$2K per year. What is true is that the halal food industry is estimated to be in excess of $1-trillion. This means that the world economy profits in the trillions off of manufacturing halal food. [caption id="attachment_578861" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Dan Nguyen.[/caption] When it comes down to it, all the fuss is really about nothing but and Hanson's comments are just an embarrassment. Halal food is embraced around the western world and is specifically prevalent in New York City, where halal carts are seen on every corner. The city's famous Halal Guys, which is the "longest running and best known street cart in New York City", serves the cart equivalent of the HSP and is an integral part of the food scene in the city. They're also donating $30,000 to LaGuardia Community College this year, which sure doesn't sound like global terrorist activity to us. Sources: Australian Food & Grocery Council, The New York Times, SMH, ABC Fact Check, Junkee, Merriam-Webster. Image: Toby Jay, Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society (HSPAS).
In January next year Noma will open in Sydney for ten weeks. For that time it will likely be the only restaurant in Sydney entirely inspired by Australia’s native ingredients, landscape and climate. When he was here in 2010, Noma’s visionary chef Rene Redzepi said this: "I think this is the essence of great cuisine. I think that in any city they should have all the ethnic and multicultural cuisines, but I think that it's a poor culture if it doesn't have its own true, unique expression that can only be represented right there at the place." He was making a comparison between the restaurant food he’d eaten in Sydney and Melbourne and the indigenous feast he'd had in the Flinders Ranges. Redzepi was surprised that, given the incredible variety of native produce we have, no one outside of indigenous communities (and a tiny pocket of restaurants) were using them. A lot has changed since then. "After listening to Rene Redzepi's keynote address at the Sydney Opera House, I was completely inspired and left that night on a mission to track down Australian native produce which I could weave into my Cantonese cooking," says Kylie Kwong, owner and head-chef at Billy Kwong — the only restaurant in the world making traditional Cantonese food with Australian ingredients. At the moment, their latest menu includes wallaby cakes with Kakadu plum, crispy saltbush parcels and stir-fried spanner crab with a trio of native greens. Elsewhere, Adelaide's Orana has a dish of emu, plum pine and mountain pepper, while at Attica in Melbourne you'll find salted red kangaroo with pepperberries and bunya bunya, a starchy Queensland nut roughly comparable to a chestnut. With the exception of the above restaurants and a handful of others though, the use of native ingredients is rarely more than an occasional flourish — a few wattle seeds here and there, a lemon myrtle infusion or maybe a sight of warrigal greens. Finding a native vegetable, fruit or meat is an extreme rarity. You get the impression that Australia's portfolio of native ingredients is simply a short list of easily substitutable herbs and greens. [caption id="attachment_552283" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Billy Kwong[/caption] REVOLUTIONISING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH NATIVE FOODS John Newton's been researching native ingredients for his book The Oldest Foods on Earth. The history of native Australian food, with recipes. Australia has around 6000 unique edible plants and, in South East Queensland alone, there are more than 1500 different fruiting trees, he says. "We have the most fantastic native game birds. I've tasted the magpie goose — I love duck, and it's ten times better than duck. There's the bustard, there's scrub turkey, which tastes like pheasant. Beautiful." Even if only a tenth of our native ingredients tasted any good, it would be more than enough to completely revolutionise a green grocer’s shelves or an entire restaurant menu. But that particular revolution will have to wait, as there's not nearly enough farms or even knowledge of how to farm the vast majority of those ingredients. A lot of that information was lost after Europeans first arrived and started terraforming Australia for the production of beef, wheat and wool. [caption id="attachment_552284" align="alignnone" width="960"] Quay[/caption] FARMING NATIVE FOODS Picture this: you're an enterprising land owner who wants to start a farm. Given the resources and knowledge out there, you're more likely to start growing blueberries, cabbage or some common vegetable, rather than spend several years fiddling with native ingredients that have little to no backlog of info on how to actually cultivate or propagate them. Well, this has been the life of Mike and Gayle Quarmby. The owners of native food farming and distribution initiative Outback Pride have dedicated the best part of two decades to figuring out how to grow various native ingredients on a commercial scale. "We've done an enormous amount of research, development and horticultural work to actually domesticate these native food plants to get them to perform in a sustainable way," says Mike Quarmby. When they started, the majority of native produce farming consisted of simple wild harvesting, now their business is the biggest general supplier in the native food industry. Their clients include some of Australia's most innovative restaurants, chefs and grocers — and in January they'll be supplying almost their entire range of 65 ingredients to Noma Australia. [caption id="attachment_552289" align="alignnone" width="960"] Scallops with beach succulents at Orana.[/caption] SO, WHY THE STIGMA? It’s been a tough slog for the Quarmbys to get here. Aside from their trials in horticultural adventure, Quarmby says the duo has had to battle against an entrenched negativity against indigenous produce. "Australians have an inferiority complex about everything and anything related to food. ‘If it comes from overseas it must be good’. That has had a major effect,” he says. When we talked to John Newton about this, he mentioned the experience of three of Australia's early native produce pioneers: Jean-Paul Bruneteau and his restaurant Rowntrees, and Jennice and Raymond Kersh with Edna's Table. Interestingly, this first wave of restaurateurs made a big noise about using Australian native ingredients. Newton, who was working as a food critic in the '80s when the restaurants were operating, says the restauranteurs regularly faced criticism from customers solely due to the fact that they sold indigenous ingredients. "I don't know why. You could explore that in terms of racism all that you like," he says. But Newton says the worst thing to happen to the industry was a TV show called Bush Tucker Man. "Every time he puts something in his mouth he screws up. He hated it." Quarmby gave a similar review: "All due respects to Les Hidden, but he gave the impression that you only ate bush tucker if you were starving, and it tasted like shit." Quarmby says Redzepi has proven so influential because, as a Dane, he didn't come to Australia attached to any cultural prejudice or inferiority complex around Australian ingredients and the idea of a national cuisine. And now, despite a rough past, both Quarmby and his competitors in the native food industry are witnessing rapid growth. "We can't believe the number of new restaurants — we have nine exclusive distributors around Australia and our phone is running hot. They're saying things like 'this is the easiest thing we've sold all our lives'." WHERE TO EAT NATIVE INGREDIENTS Orana 1/285 Rundle Street, Adelaide, South Australia Attica 74 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea, Victoria Vue de Monde 55, Rialto Towers, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria Billy Kwong 1/28 Macleay Street, Elizabeth Bay, NSW Quay Upper Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal, George & Argyle Streets, The Rocks, NSW Bennelong Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney, NSW Top image: Salt cured red kangaroo with bunya bunya at Attica.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 — As MoMA at NGV gets closer to wrapping up, the NGV has announced that it will extend opening hours so you have a few more chances to see the exhibition (if not for the first, for the second or third time). The gallery will move its regular 10am opening time up to 8.30am from September 22 until October 7, and, in the final week, it will stay open until 10pm from Thursday, October 4 until Sunday, October 7. The exhibition will also be extended for an extra day, and will now close on Monday, October 8. Not going overseas this winter? Luckily, you'll still have the chance to take a bite out of some Big Apple arts and culture, as the National Gallery of Victoria plays host to an exclusive exhibition showcasing works from New York's prestigious Museum of Modern Art. Set to run until October 7, MoMA at NGV: 130 Years of Modern and Contemporary Art will feature over 200 modern and contemporary masterpieces, many on their first ever visit to Australia. Taking over the entire ground floor of NGV International, it's certifiably huge. The exhibition will present pieces from all six of MoMA's curatorial departments, meaning the works will span Photography, Film, Architecture and Design, Painting and Sculpture, Drawings and Prints, and Media and Performance Art. You'll catch works from all of the big names of the 19th and 20th century art world, including Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollock, Georgia O'Keeffe, Diane Arbus and Andy Warhol. Capturing the spirit of more recent times, will be pieces from the likes of Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Kara Walker, Olafur Eliasson, Rineke Dijkstra and Camille Henrot. Examining over 130 years of innovation, MoMA at NGV sets out to explore all the major art movements, with the exhibition spread across eight themed sections. Here are a few of the big-name works on display. Needless to say, the partnership with MoMa is a pretty huge coup for both the NGV and Australian art lovers. "The collaboration with the National Gallery of Victoria provides a unique opportunity to see extremely important works from nearly every area of our collection in an exhibition that simultaneously explores The Museum of Modern Art's history as well as the history of modern and contemporary art in general," said MoMA Director Glenn D. Lowry. As an added bonus, NGV members who are hitting New York while the exhibition is running will score free admission to MoMA, and vice versa.
Woken up in a self-induced, whiskey-fuelled, stomach-grating, cold-sweating Sunday Hades too many times? You’re about to feel real guilty. London’s wholesome beige cashmere cardigan of a suburb, Notting Hill, is about to open the unthinkable: an alcohol-free cocktail bar called Redemption. We like to call this a ‘juice bar’. But apparently there's more to it than that. Redemption is London’s first alcohol-free bar, the city’s only ‘cocktail spot’ with a mocktail and food menu designed by nutritional therapists. Created by Catherine Salway, ex Virgin Group Brand Director, executive chef and raw, vegan specialist Andrea Waters, the bar sports the tagline, “Spoil yourself without spoiling yourself.” It’s the latest in a ‘healthvolution’ (yep) of dry bars happening across England, tackling the country’s huge social drinking focus by simply replacing the booze with Healthy Things. It's like almost like nicotine patch for being around bars. “These days it’s hard to get away from booze – you can’t even go to the cinema without being offered a glass of wine,” says Salway and Waters. “With Redemption, we are creating a space away from temptation that still feels like a treat. We’re challenging the convention that we need alcohol to lubricate every social occasion.” Anyone who just did Dry July (right here), would probably be down with this. But let’s be honest, this isn’t a ‘cocktail bar’. Basically it’s a wholesome, vegan cafe open late and using a buzzword to generate articles like the one you’re reading now. Consider us suckers. Redemption’s less about getting smashed on Negronis and more about filling your weekends with less sugar and alcohol. Think 'beet-o-tinis', 'apple mockjitos', and the mildly terrifying-sounding ‘lettuce spray’. For those who don’t drink at all, or those looking to detox the Captain Morgan from their pores, this is a great, appealing initiative from a country whose deep-set drinking problems mirror our own. Perhaps it’s time for a Redemption of our own? *rolls over, orders pizza online, burps Chardonnay* Redemption Bar opens on August 10 at 6 Chepstow Road, London. Open Monday – Saturday 10am – 11pm. Sunday 10am – 5pm. Via VICE and Sharking for Chips and Drinks. Images: Redemption and Sharking for Chips and Drinks.
Louis Theroux's recently announced speaking tour of Australia could lay the seeds for a new documentary, the esoteric filmmaker has revealed. Speaking to the ABC, the British documentarian mentioned that he has long considered making a film in the outback, and that his upcoming visit could double as a reconnaissance mission. "I've always been interested in the landscape of Australia," said Theroux. "I've got a romantic association both with the American West and the Australian interior which seems to strike [an] emotional tone of austerity and size and remoteness, people carving out their destinies in this vast wilderness." "I don't know exactly what the story is but I've loved the idea of being in that frontier... the town at the end of line, this one-horse town with lives that combine dignity and a sense of desperation." "This two-week tour, I will keep my ear to the ground," he added. Theroux's documentaries for the BBC have tackled a range of controversial topics, from the American prison system to the porn industry and the hate-mongering Westboro Baptist Church. He also recently spoke about wanting to make a documentary about US Presidential hopeful your drunk uncle at Thanksgiving. His two-week trip of Australia kicks off in September and will include speaking engagements in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane. Via ABC.
What, you haven't just spent two weeks watching movies in the snow with celebrities? Sadly, us neither. But just because we can't all head to a film festival in Utah and hang out with Robert Redford, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the main attractions — or at least hope that we can in the near future. Since the one-time on-screen Sundance Kid first started his celebration of movies in 1978, the festival has given many of your favourite filmmakers and films their big breaks. Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies and Videotape, Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, and Darren Aronofsky’s Pi all debuted there, as did Clerks, The Blair Witch Project, Donnie Darko, Napoleon Dynamite, Moon, What We Do in the Shadows and Animal Kingdom. Like Paul Thomas Anderson or Wes Anderson? They worked their way through Sundance’s short film section. Last year, three big hits of the festival went on to bigger things, including the AACTA Award for Best Film and likely Oscars later this month. We’re talking about The Babadook, Boyhood and Whiplash, all of which premiered at Sundance 2014. The Babadook has wowed critics around the world, and just days ago shared Australia’s top film prize, also winning best director for Jennifer Kent in her own right. At the upcoming Academy Awards, Boyhood director Richard Linklater and supporting actress Patricia Arquette top the odds for their respective fields, as does the film in the best picture category. Whiplash’s JK Simmons is expected to take out the best supporting actor award for playing the jazz drumming teacher that frightened us all. Without a crystal ball, we don't if this year’s crop of Sundance features will have the same success, but we do know this: there are plenty of movies from the festival’s 2015 slate that we want to see. Some are guaranteed, thanks to local distribution. More than a couple will pop up at the Sydney and Melbourne film festivals mid-year. Others might earn a DVD, VOD or streaming release. A rare few — ’71, It Follows, and White God — have already screened at Aussie fests. Regardless, we’ve selected ten we hope Australian audiences get the chance to watch, and named some more we’ll also be looking out for. MISTRESS AMERICA If any film was guaranteed to make our list, it is this one — and with good reason. Who didn’t love the combination of writer/director Noah Baumbach and writer/actress Greta Gerwig in the delightful Frances Ha, their version of a quarter-life crisis comedy filtered through a black-and-white homage to French New Wave? And who doesn’t want to see them do it all again, this time jumping back to the troubles of college years with Lola Kirke, sister of Girls’ Jemima Kirke? The answer to both those questions is no one. If you’re not convinced, the synopsis promises cat-stealing. What more could you want? Also watch out for: Greta Gerwig also features in Eden, Mia Hansen-Løve’s journey through the French house music scene of the early 1990s and beyond. THE END OF THE TOUR One of the most talked about films of the festival sees Jason Segel leave How I Met Your Mother long behind to turn into acclaimed author David Foster Wallace. In 1996 after the publication of his groundbreaking novel Infinite Jest, Wallace agreed to be interviewed for five days by Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky, who is played here by Jesse Eisenberg. Following on from Sundance hits Smashed and The Spectacular Now, director James Ponsoldt delves into the story that was never published in the magazine, but did fuel Lipsky’s memoir after Wallace’s suicide. The movie itself is earning considerable acclaim, as are the two central performances. Also watch out for: Taking out the dramatic category double of Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award that Whiplash achieved last year, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a teen cancer comedy hopefully worlds away from The Fault in Our Stars. DOPE Dope tells you that it is great in its title — and if the buzz coming out of the festival is accurate, such bragging should be believed. That’s not just because of the retro ‘90s vibe that sees a high school geek sport a high-top fade and wear Cross-Colours, nor because of the DIY punk meets YouTube aesthetic. What excites is that this underdog coming-of-age film is being called the ultimate teen movie for '90s kids, as well as earning comparisons to greats gone by. Most of the young actors won’t be familiar, not that it matters, but you will spot The Grand Budapest Hotel’s lobby boy Tony Revolori among the cast. Also watch out for: Seoul Searching, a 1980s-set Korean teen comedy that pays homage to the films of John Hughes, and The Diary of a Teenage Girl, set in the counterculture haze of the 1970s. KNOCK KNOCK It’s okay, Keanu fans: you’re finally cool again. It's about time! John Wick readjusted the way everyone now thinks of the man beloved as Ted, Neo and Johnny Utah, and Knock Knock keeps him in the same dark, violent territory. The film shares a few storyline similarities with Reeves’ most recent hit, as a happy life unravels once again after strangers come calling; however, here director Eli Roth is in the driver’s seat. It might not be quite like the filmmaker’s unsettling Hostel or his recent cannibalism homage The Green Inferno, but expect to feel disturbed during this psychological horror effort. Also watch out for: Two ten-year-olds take a police vehicle for a joyride in Cop Car, but have Kevin Bacon to contend with. THE WOLFPACK No, this isn’t about the gang of annoying guys in The Hangover movies — and thank goodness for that. In The Wolfpack, six brothers grow up in the confines of a New York City apartment, watching movies and re-enacting them with elaborate props and costumes. Film is their teacher, friend and window to the outside world, in a scenario that would probably be hilarious if it wasn’t real. Yes, Crystal Moselle’s effort is a documentary, winning the field’s Grand Jury Prize, in fact. Given extraordinary access into the family's lives and their home movies, she tells the tale of children literally raised by the movies. Also watch out for: Canada’s Guy Maddin pays homage to the lost movies of the silent era in The Forbidden Room, with the off-kilter assistance of Mathieu Amalric, Charlotte Rampling and Udo Kier. SLOW WEST Michael Fassbender plays a mysterious stranger. Australia’s Kodi Smit-McPhee is a 17-year-old Scottish aristocrat. They meet on the untamed American frontier towards the end of the 19th century as the latter tries to find his lost love, and the former helps him traverse his troubles. Shot in New Zealand by first-time filmmaker John Maclean, Slow West delves into a genre too little seen these days, the western, and impressed Sundance attendees in the process. Not that you need any more cause for excitement, but did we also mention that it won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema – Dramatic category? Also watch out for: Another film hailing from New Zealand, Turbo Kid sounds a bit like BMX Bandits meets Tank Girl meets every ‘80s synth-scored sci-fi flick, and that can only be a very good thing. KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK Some can remember where they were when they heard the news of Kurt Cobain's death. Others discovered Nirvana’s grungy tunes afterward. Either way, the story of the singer has entranced several generations for multiple decades, and shows no signs of fading. Brett Morgen, the filmmaker behind the also excellent The Kid Stays in the Picture, delves into the man rather than the music after spending eight years — yes, you read that correctly — sifting through private journals, recordings and home movies. This isn’t the usual rock star biography, but something much more intimate and revelatory. Also watch out for: Another personal effort that challenges expectations, fictional transgender sex-trade film Tangerine was shot almost entirely on an iPhone. DIGGING FOR FIRE Mumblecore maestro Joe Swanberg has been knocking it out of the park of late, as anyone who saw Drinking Buddies and Happy Christmas knows. Could he be three for three in his adventure into more mainstream fare? With Digging for Fire, starring and co-written by New Girl’s Jake Johnson, it certainly sounds like it. The film tells of a husband and wife on separate adventures over an unusual weekend. Rosemarie DeWitt, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Jennie Slate, Melanie Lynskey, Sam Rockwell, Chris Messina, Ron Livingston, Mike Birbiglia and Orlando Bloom also pop up, in a cast any movie wishes it had. Also watch out for: Reviews have been mixed for Results, but fans of Andrew Bujalski’s Computer Chess will be keen to see his next film, starring Cobie Smulders and Guy Pearce. THE WITCH The Witch is yet another award winner, this time recognised in the dramatic category for its direction by debut filmmaker Robert Eggers. In horror movies, New England is perhaps best known for its association with the 1692 trials in Salem, Massachusetts; however, colonial farm life generations prior is the focus, as recreated in painstaking detail in the name of historical realism. Given the setting and the title, superstition plays a large part in proceedings, but the usual account of the occult this ain't. Anxieties, myths, inherent malevolent traits and sources of hidden menace come to the fore, helped by a creeping camera and ominous score. Also watch out for: Similarly steeped in its sense of place, Last Days in the Desert lets Ewan McGregor play both Jesus and the devil. SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE A sex addicts' meeting morphs into one of the age-old movie dilemmas: can platonic friendship exist between men and women? In Sleeping with Other People, Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis are college lovers who reconnect to put the question to the test, but while it may sound a bit like When Harry Met Sally, this isn't your standard rom-com. Writer/director Leslye Headland’s Bachelorette was divisive a few years back, but whether you loved it or not, the premise and roster of talent here is certain to pique your interest. Adam Scott, Amanda Peet, Natasha Lyonne and The League’s Jason Mantzoukas also feature. Also watch out for: In The Overnight, Adam Scott fools around with Taylor Schilling and Jason Schwartzman in another adult-oriented sex comedy.
The legendary, controversial performance artist who does 'nothing' is finally making her way to Australia, set to perform a brand new artwork. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the beloved and equally criticised 67-year-old artist, Marina Abramovic, has been invited by arts heavyweight John Kaldor to Sydney to perform a yet-to-be-revealed, shiny new work in June 2015. Famous (and the topic of furious debate) for her iconic 2010 work at NYC's Museum of Modern Art, The Artist is Present, Abramovic's work was last seen in Australia for Kaldor Public Art Project's applauded group exhibition 13 Rooms at Pier 2/3 — the work, Luminosity, which saw a naked artist wall-mounted on a bicycle seat for long periods of time (and didn't star Abramovic herself). For her mysterious new Sydney work, Abramovic will use the Pier 2/3 space herself, in one of the most squealworthy announcements for performance art lovers this side of the equator. But this isn't the first time Abramovic has been to Australia; before presenting Gold found by the artists with partner in crime Ulay at the 1979 Biennale of Sydney, the artist spent a cheeky five months with an Aboriginal community in central Australia in the '80s (and raised a baby kangaroo and cuddled this sheep). According to Fairfax Media, there's also a whole Abramovic exhibition planned for David Walsh's Museum of Old and New Art next year — quite honestly, why she hasn't made MONA's acquaintance baffles us. To be fair, she's been pretty busy doing zilch for a total of 512 Hours at London's Serpentine Gallery, hangin' with Jay-Z and backing a new online school for girls with Sia, Pussy Riot, Kim Gordon, Yayoi Kusama and Yoko Ono. The artist is busy. Via SMH. Images: Complex.
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, quit your desk job and make that film you've always wanted to? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of some bold characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. Sydney's Jason Perini knows all about the anti-comfort zone. He's a man standing on the precipice of an opportunity so monumental it's overwhelming — a fully loaded-career with seriously big names already sitting in his credit roll. Alright, so it's not quite as dramatic as all that but he has recently found himself hurtling from struggling up-and-comer to directing Oscar nominated Maggie Gyllenhaal in a film he wrote himself in the space of a few short weeks. One of three winners of Jameson's 2016 First Shot competition, an international short film comp giving aspiring writers and directors their 'first shot' in the film industry, Jason's channelling 'Sine Metu' all the way to Hollywood with his film The New Empress. But how the heck did he get there? GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS/AWESOME WIFE Jason started his directing career, as all great directors do, on the other side of the camera. Graduating from the Actors Centre Australia in 2009, he starred in a few short films, episodes of Underbelly, and a few plays for the likes of Belvoir, RockSurfers and NIDA. Highly sought after as a voice over artist, he churned out ads for KFC, Sony and Samsung before taking a little more creative control over his film career. He wrote and starred in multiple award-winning short films including 2012 Tropfest finalist and Best Comedy winner at NYC's BrownFish International Film Festival Kitchen Sink Drama, and the Cannes-screened short A Little Bit Behind. Being a director, writer and actor was paying off. In his new arrangement though, the scales are loaded. On one side is his family (wildly supportive wife Susan, three young kids and preschool fees stacking up), fear and niggling self-doubt. On the other side is the pure joy of making films and a fair dollop of entrepreneurial spirit. In the end, they balance each other out — but it doesn't come easy. "My wife reassures me to keep moving in this direction and making short films because… I think she just sees the joy it brings me," he says. "And that it brings me a level of satisfaction." Perini doesn't fit into any preconceived notions you might have about actors and directors. He could be your brother, your mate, your neighbour, your uncle — there's not a skerrick of Tinseltown pretentiousness in him and he seems acutely aware of that. What he lacks in old Hollywood gravitas he more than makes up for in relatability. He's not a polished protagonist and seems to have no faith in things working out for him. For some, that fear might be calcifying, but for Perini, it makes him cautious, calculated and hardworking. His approach isn't razzle-dazzle, it's a hard slog, and maybe that insight is why Trigger Street Productions president Dana Brunetti, Kevin Spacey and Maggie Gyllenhaal, chose his script out of hundreds to win First Shot. FYI, this is the straight-up baller way Jameson, Trigger Street and Spacey told the three First Shot winners they'd won (get the tissues ready): EAT HUMBLE PIE FOR EVERY MEAL There's nothing glamorous about clawing your way up the film industry ladder. Like most of the creative professions, there's a dearth of funding and a saturation of hungry mouths to feed. Putting a dollar value on creative ideas can be challenging but not as difficult as going hand-to-mouth to potential investors and supporters. But that's the reality for most filmmakers. There's no fat stack of Hollywood money, no personal assistants and no safety net. Making it work means calling in a lot of favours. "Constantly having to approach people I don't know and say, 'I don't have much money, my idea is probably not very good but would you be willing to come along and help out with this thing,' you think, 'I don't want to do this, it's out of my comfort zone.' But in five years, if I hadn't given it a shot, I would kick myself. "I'm not getting any younger. I get nervous calling anyone on the phone, I can't stand it. I get weirded out by emailing people [the same as] approaching people cold. But the more you do it, you still don't like it but you know that's what you have to do." Herein this simple admission lies the crux of Perini's appeal – he's you. He's all of us, unpolished and goofy and cringing about having to pick up the phone and ask a favour. He's a man with the same hang-ups, the same road blocks we all have (age, time, money, warring responsibilities), who's managed to somehow close his eyes, steel himself and awkwardly run screaming into the fray 'without fear'. FAKE IT TILL THE HOLLYWOOD HEAVYWEIGHTS NOTICE YOU Perini quickly discovered that for him, being an actor was far easier than being an everything else (don't throw anything at us, actors). As director, producer and writer, he finds himself holding a lot of threads which threaten to unravel at any moment and ruin everything. "What's nice about it is that you get more of a vision but then if it comes crashing down, it sucks," he says. "If I was acting it I'd just go, 'Oh they cut it badly, the director was a jerk.' But there's nowhere to hide once you start producing, directing and writing." His approach to his craft is one of self-assured humility; an oxymoron that blends equal parts ability and uncertainty. When asked if he thinks he's a good filmmaker, he's characteristically self-deprecating. "No I don't," he says quickly. "I think I'm a baby in it. Now that I've made two films completely on my own, in the sense that I produced them and wrote them, I think I learned the hard way really quickly. I look back at both those films and would do them completely differently. But I've learnt so much… that's kind of helpful." Trigger Street and Maggie Gyllenhaal evidently disagree. Perini's script, which he nearly didn't submit, was chosen out of hundreds as a co-winner of First Shot. The prize is a filmmakers' dream Your script is brought to life with you as the director, Kevin Spacey as creative director, Trigger Street as producers and Maggie Gyllenhaal in front of the camera. As you may guess, Perini is dealing with it in a characteristically low-key way. "They're gonna have a rude shock when I turn up and don't know what I'm doing... I'm just thankful and I want to learn from them as much as I can. I want to be as ignorant as I can and soak it all up." Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Thanks to Jameson and The Rewriters, one extremely fortunate Concrete Playground reader (and their even more fortunate mate) will get the chance to 'fear less' and go on a big ol' adventure to Ireland. In addition to two return flights departing from your choice of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, this epic giveaway comes with five night's accommodation and $500 spending money you can use to paint the Emerald Isle red. ENTER HERE. For more about how 'Sine Metu' influenced John Jameson's journey visit Jameson's website. Images: Michael Ciccone, Jameson, Trigger Productions.
Three Blue Ducks are finally open for business in their much anticipated new location — but not as we expected. Set in Rosebery's old Kitchen by Mike/Koskela Kitchen digs. But the restaurant is taking a very different shape than patrons expected (for now, at least), starting with a new dining pop-up named 'Bob'. Who is Bob, you ask? He is not a new head chef, or an experimental type of floating cuisine. Bob is actually the nickname for the restaurant's new, 540 kilogram barbecue. Owner Mark LaBrooy had this behemoth fabricated by a Byron Bay metalworker and it took 20 staff members just to set this bad boy up. The smoker is well in line with the new "'smoke, wood and char" themes that will set the Rosebery location apart from its Bronte and Byron Bay predecessors. Dishes currently on Bob's menu include charred octopus and piri piri chicken, along with wood-roasted cauliflower with pickled grapes, sumac and cauliflower puree. Bob's opening day featured a special 'Fish Scraps' dish — salmon belly and skin scorched in the woodfired oven and served with braised purple Congo potatoes. For warmer weather months, think Bob's Argentinean-style whole lamb. Patrons don't have to go the fire and brimstone route, either — the pop-up is also jumping on the recent poke trend with a kimchi and brown rice version. Bob the barbecue is joining the team alongside LaBrooy and head chef Pete MacKay, as well as co-chefs/owners Darren Robertson and Andy Allen. The pop-up will remain in place for another five months while the building becomes heritage-listed. After that time, the original concept for the TBD space, which will include full fit-out, bar and garden seating, is still in the plan. Luckily, the Three Blue Ducks crew are planning for the long haul in a space that's had a hard 2015. Bob may not be what the owners originally envisioned, but we're more than happy to welcome him to the neighbourhood. Via Good Food. Image: Three Blue Ducks.
As if Bridge Street wasn't already delicious enough — what with the new Rockpool-turned-Eleven Bridge, Fratelli Fresh, The Bridge Room, Mr Wong and Tokonoma all residing there — it's just accrued another top-notch resident. Ex-Rockpool chef Harry Stockdale-Powell has recruited Bulletin Place bartender Matt Linklater for to open a brand new European-style restaurant and basement bar. Opening for lunch today, Tuesday, September 20, Bouche on Bridge will showcase the English-born chef's passion for local produce and sustainable practices in the context of a relaxed fine dining environment. The menu is broken down into sea, land and farm, with Stockdale-Powell's rare breed suckling pig with unripe fermented strawberries (that come from the same Tassie farm the pig is reared at) taking pride of place. Also on the menu is an onion tarte Tatin with parmesan ice cream, and a whole hay-smoked chicken with white soy bread sauce. In order to keep things as sustainable as possible, the kitchen will make use of lesser-known cuts of meat, while bread, cultured butter, cold-pressed olive oil and cured meats will all be made on-site. But we're equally excited for what's happening downstairs. Dubbed The Cellar, the restaurant's subterranean 60-seat basement bar will no doubt prove popular with the after work drinks crowd and serious cocktail fiends. Linklater will be whipping up concoctions like the oddly-named Crustbuster, made with brandy, fennel, strega and served with a liquorice rim, and the White Whale, which is a take on a White Russian with vodka, fernet, crème fraïche and coffee bitters. The bar will also boast a 300-strong wine list, courtesy of sommelier Seamus Brandt. Bouche opens at midday on Tuesday, September 20 at 6 Bridge Street, Sydney. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Friday and dinner on Saturday. The bar is open from 4pm till midnight Monday to Saturday. For more information visit boucheonbridge.com. Images: Alana Dimou.
Unicorns invaded the runway last night. For the Australian Fashion Week's final Resort 2018 showing, Sydney's Romance Was Born, known for its outlandish, yet highly desirable collections, worked with two-time Archibald winner Del Kathryn Barton to send out sparkling unicorns, polka dotted femme fatales and grand dames draped with rich prints in Barton's iconic style. This is Electro Orchid. The name references Barton's eponymous show from 2014, where she presented a series of smudgy word paintings in pink gouache, which was reflected by models who strutted down the catwalk wearing nothing but handwritten evocative messages, nude undies, a pair of killer shoes, oh and a good dose of sparkle. As expected RWB's Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales brought the spectacle to MBFWA, ending the week on a runway acid trip and giving life to all of our wildest dreams — which we'll now also be able to wear in the coming months. With such an extravagant showing, it was only fitting to keep those glittery good vibes a-glimmer. So, the fashion set said goodbye to Carriageworks for the year, and made its way to QT Sydney to celebrate with a grand finale of pink tinsel and neon lights, cocktails, oysters and a soundtrack of ABBA and Whitney Houston. (The party also opened a small RWB archival exhibit at QT's Parlour Lane, on free public display until the end of the month.) Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia has come and gone, bringing with it an epic collaboration between two Australia design icons in their own right (yes, one of those is the Opera House), street style by the sea, hectic mullets and a slew of trends to now mull over and decide which will influence what we're wearing next from our fine Aussie designers. Until next time MBFWA, you've been quite the ride. Images: Tim Da Rin / Flaunter.
If you're a fan of Better Call Saul, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Dead to Me or The Good Place, you've probably spent plenty of time in front of your TV screen over the past six months. But, even when we're all staying inside revisiting our favourite shows, 2020's television and streaming viewing isn't just about the programs you already love. If you're always eager to add some fresh favourites to your pile, the year so far has well and truly delivered. They're the new series that, in years to come, will sit atop your rewatch list. From ominous and ambitious science-fiction thrillers and contemplative slow-TV documentaries to comic takes on history and bold reworkings of literary classics, 2020's batch of new shows has proven a varied bunch — and an excellent one as well. It's enough to make you hole up in your living room and never want to leave. Or, to spend the year's colder months catching up. With the year at its halfway point, here are our picks of 2020's best TV and streaming series that you owe it to yourself to seek out now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODYjA9H4qcw NORMAL PEOPLE When Sally Rooney's Normal People first hit bookshelves in 2018, it thrust readers into a disarmingly relatable love story, following the amorous ups and downs of an on-again, off-again couple from Sligo, Ireland. Teenagers Marianne and Connell have known each other for years, as tends to happen in small towns. And although she's aloof, intense and considered an acerbic loner, while he's outgoing and popular, a torrid and tumultuous secret romance blooms. That's just the beginning of the Irish author's novel, and of the both tender and perceptive TV series that brings the book to the screen. As it dives deep into a complex chronicle of first love, it not only charts Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones, Cold Feet) and Connell's (newcomer Paul Mescal) feelings for each other, but details the recognisable and realistic minutiae of being a high schooler and then a uni student. This is first and foremost a romance, and a passionate and intimate one at that; however the series can't tell this complicated couple's story without touching upon everything else that pops up along the way. Normal People is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1htuNZp82Ck&feature=youtu.be TALES FROM THE LOOP If Black Mirror set all of its bleak futuristic tales in one small town, followed interconnected characters and sported a low-fi, retro sheen, the result would be Tales From the Loop. This patient, beautiful, poignant and incredibly moving sci-fi series is actually based on a series of paintings by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag — and even if you didn't already know that fact while you were watching, you'd notice the show's distinctive aesthetic. The title refers to a mysterious underground machine, called The Loop, that's designed to explore and unravel the mysteries of the universe. For the folks living above it, their lives soon take strange turns. Anchoring jumps and pauses in time, body swaps, giant robots and more in everyday situations and emotions (such as being envious of a friend, falling in love, betraying your nearest and dearest, and trying to connect with your parents), Tales From the Loop is as perceptive as it is immersive and engaging. And, its eight episodes are helmed by an exceptional array of fantastic filmmakers, including Never Let Me Go's Mark Romanek, WALL-E's Andrew Stanton, The House of the Devil's Ti West and actor-turned-director Jodie Foster. Tales From the Loop is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8klax373ds DEVS Radiating unease from its very first moments, yet sporting both a mood and a futuristic look that prove simultaneously unsettlingly and alluring, Devs is unmistakably the work of author-turned-filmmaker Alex Garland. His first jump to the small screen, it instantly slots in nicely beside Ex Machina and Annihilation on his resume — and it's just as intriguing and involving as each of those excellent movies. The setting: Amaya, a US technology company that's massive in size yet secretive in its focus. When Sergei (Karl Glusman) is promoted to its coveted, extra clandestine Devs division, his girlfriend and fellow Amaya employee Lily (Sonoya Mizuno is thrilled for him. But when Sergei doesn't come home from his first day, Lily starts looking for answers — including from the company's guru-like leader Forest (a long-haired, very un-Ron Swanson-like Nick Offerman). Devs is available to stream via Foxtel Now and Binge. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5vLgpdXz0g THE GREAT It takes its title from its central figure, Russian empress Catherine the Great. It's filled with lavish period-appropriate costumes, wigs, sets and decor. And, it explores an immensely famous time during the 18th century that had a significant impact upon the world. Normally, that'd all smack of a certain kind of drama; however The Great is firmly a comedy as well. As starring Elle Fanning as the eponymous ruler, Nicholas Hoult as her husband Peter III and Bohemian Rhapsody's Gwilym Lee as a fellow member of the royal court, that means witty, laugh-out-loud lines, an irreverent and often cheeky mood, and having ample fun with real-life details — much in the way that Oscar-winner The Favourite did with British royalty on the big screen. Of course, the comparison couldn't be more fitting, with that film's BAFTA-winning screenwriter, Australian Tony McNamara, using his savagely hilarious satirical skills to pen The Great as well. The Great is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaMIcuVH83M&feature=emb_logo THE BEACH Whenever Warwick Thornton makes a new project, it demands attention — and the Indigenous Australian filmmaker has never made anything quite like The Beach. The director of Samson & Delilah and Sweet Country turns the camera on himself, chronicling his quest to escape his busy life for an extended soul-searching getaway. With only chickens and wildlife for company, Thornton bunkers down in an electricity-free tin shed in Jilirr, on the Dampier Peninsula on the northwest coast of Western Australia. He fishes, cooks, chats to the chooks, wanders along the shoreline and reflects upon everything that's led him to this point, with this six-part documentary series capturing the ups, downs, sublime sights and epiphany-inspiring moments. Unfurling quietly and patiently in the slow-TV tradition, Thornton's internal journey of discovery makes for both moving and absorbing viewing. Indeed, combined with stunning cinematography (as shot by Thornton's son and Robbie Hood director Dylan River), it just might be the best piece of Australian television you see this year. The Beach is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TA3B8Z5lcQ DISPATCHES FROM ELSEWHERE It has been a few years since Jason Segel was seen on-screen with any frequency; however the Freaks and Geeks, How I Met Your Mother and The Muppets star returns in a big way with Dispatches from Elsewhere. As well as leading the cast, he created, co-wrote and co-directed the intriguing and enigmatic puzzle-like drama series, which is based on the documentary The Institute and tracks a group of strangers who find themselves drawn to a strange, game-like mystery. IT worker Peter (Segel), the lively Simone (Eve Lindley), the overly cautious and paranoid Fredwynn (Andre Benjamin), and the upbeat Janice (Sally Field) all don't know what they're getting themselves in for when they start spotting flyers around town about offbeat topics (communicating with dolphins and trialling human force fields, for example), then each individually call the number printed on them. And, for maximum immersion and enjoyment — and to go on the ten-part show's weird and wonderful ride with its characters — audiences should approach it with as little prior knowledge of any details other than the above as well. Dispatches from Elsewhere is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDKYJwih5-Q BREEDERS Catastrophe, that great, smart, acerbically funny British comedy about a couple's experiences with parenthood, attempts to navigate life's all-round chaos and just general effort to try to stay together, sadly finished up its four-season run last year. Let worthy successor Breeders fill the gap — with Martin Freeman starring as exasperated dad Paul, Daisy Haggard (Back to Life) playing his partner Ally, and The Thick of It's Chris Addison and Simon Blackwell on directing and writing duties. Basically, if the aforementioned political satire featured parents swearing profusely at their kids instead of government staffers unleashing at their colleagues, this is how it would turn out. The show is partially based on Freeman's own experiences, too, and stems from the Sherlock, The Office and The Hobbit actor's idea. Breeders is available to stream via Foxtel Now and Binge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zVhRId0BTw UNORTHODOX Deborah Feldman's best-selling 2012 autobiography Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots makes the leap to Netflix as a four-part mini-series. And, as the book's title makes plain, both explore her decision to leave her ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, New York, flee her arranged marriage and everyone she's ever known, and escape to Berlin to start a brand new life. Names and details have been changed, as tends to be the case with dramas based on real-life stories; however Unorthodox still follows the same overall path. In a tense but instantly commanding opening to the show's first episode, 19-year-old Esther 'Esty' Shapiro (Shira Haas) slips out of the apartment she shares with her husband Yanky (Amit Rahav), picks up a passport from her piano teacher and nervously heads to the airport. The end result proves a unique and intriguing coming-of-age tale, a thoughtful thriller, and an eye-opening but always careful and respectful look at a culture that's rarely depicted on-screen in such depth. Israeli actress Haas (The Zookeeper's Wife, Foxtrot, Mary Magdalene) turns in a nuanced, weighty and gripping performance as Esty, too — which is absolutely pivotal in making Unorthodox so compelling to watch. Unorthodox is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyxdf2TvcJE STATELESS A flight attendant (Yvonne Strahovski) unhappy with her life, trying to find solace in a cult-like dance school run by a creepy duo (Cate Blanchett and Dominic West), and eventually making a drastic decision. An Afghan refugee Ameer (Fayssal Bazzi) attempting to escape to Australia with his wife and daughters in search of a better life. A struggling father (Jai Courtney) in a remote town who takes a job at the local detention facility because it pays well. A bureaucrat (Asher Keddie) brought in to manage said location when it attracts negative media attention. They're the four characters at the heart of six-part Australian mini-series Stateless — a show that doesn't just feel as if it is ripped from the headlines but, in one specific instance, is 100-percent drawn from real-life events. This is bold, topical television filled with fantastic performances, although that's to be expected given the cast. Stateless is available to stream via ABC iView. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMUPp_hNMlM THE EDDY A fantastic cast, a Parisian setting and oh-so-much jazz. As executive produced and partly directed by Whiplash and La La Land filmmaker Damien Chazelle, that's what's on offer in eight-part drama The Eddy. The title refers to the French club run by former pianist Elliot (Andre Holland) and his business partner Farid (Tahar Rahim), with every episode following the daily life of a different person — including Elliot's rebellious teenage daughter Julie (Amandla Stenberg), as well as Maja (Joanna Kulig), the lead singer of the venue's resident jazz band. Like almost everything that Chazelle touches, other than First Man, jazz features heavily. That's really just a given with his work by now. But whether you're as fond of the style of music as he clearly is, you could take or leave it, or you're just keen on virtually visiting Europe, The Eddy unfurls a moody and engrossing tale that benefits from its excellent on-screen talent. The Eddy is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMaPCYRPhY0 MYTHIC QUEST: RAVEN'S BANQUET For the past 15 years, Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton have co-written and co-starred in one of the best shows on TV: the so-ridiculous-its-hilarious It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Hopefully, that'll never change — Sunny just aired its 14th season last year — but McElhenney and Day have also just launched a new sitcom. Trading a sleazy Philly bar for a video game development studio, Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet sees McElhenney play a gaming visionary who's having trouble with the latest expansion pack of his big online role-playing hit. Big troubles, actually. A workplace comedy, Mythic Quest takes some time to find its feet, but it's worth sticking with. It also stars Community's Danny Pudi, Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham and Australian Content actress (and #Flipgirl) Charlotte Nicdao. And if you're a fan, you'll be pleased to know that Apple renewed it for a second season before the first even premiered. Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet is available to stream via Apple TV+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVQ9-XH3hc8 DRACULA After giving Sherlock Holmes plenty of twists in Sherlock, writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have decided that another famous character could use a once-over — and not just any old figure, either. Bram Stoker's Dracula has been adapted for the screen so many times, the bloodsucker actually holds the record, but this version isn't like any other. Starring The Square's Claes Bang as the undead count, the BBC and Netflix three-part series has plenty of tricks up its sleeves. So many, in fact, that we won't say too much in order to preserve the mystery. In a smart, lush, gleefully theatrical and cleverly scripted affair that blends gothic horror with sly amusement, the basic framework of the 123-year-old story remains — spanning both Romania and Britain, and following his altercations with lawyer Jonathan Harker, his lust for Lucy Westenra and his run-ins with Van Helsing — but not as you'd ever expect. Bang is fantastic, but keep a particular eye out for Dolly Wells (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) as a pivotal nun. Dracula is available to stream via Netflix. Looking for more viewing highlights? Check out our list of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly.
Summer is coming to Chippendale's Old Clare Hotel. The recently revamped luxury lodgings opened for business a few months back, wowing us with their stylish interior and food offerings so good they border on offensive. To be honest, we didn't really need another reason to want to pay them a visit. But then who are we to say no to a high altitude pool and bar? Officially open as of Friday, November 20, The Old Clare Rooftop Pool and Bar is located on the fourth floor of the boutique hotel, which occupies the site that formerly housed the Carlton United Brewery Administrative Building. Visitors will be able to enjoy killer views of the city while lounging around on deckchairs in the sun, before cooling off with a dip in the proverbial drink. As for literal drinks, you can expect summer cocktails a plenty courtesy of Matt Fairhurst, who is also the beverage manager at the yet-to-be-opened Kensington Street Social downstairs. The Miami Vice, for example, is part pina colada, part frozen strawberry daiquiri, and seems like basically the most perfect poolside beverage that anyone could possibly imagine. They'll also have beers, ciders, spirits and gin & tonics with a twist, as well as fresh juice and non-alcoholic spritzers. Get a preview of the rooftop #Clarepoolbar at the Clare bottle shop this Sat 14th and Sun 15th Nov from 3-7pm. Expect tastes of the outrageous Miami Vice frozen cocktail, Strawberry Daiquiri layered with Pina Colada. Bring down the heat with chilled Murray's Fred beers and live music from Cory Jackson. P.S. Chances to win bar tabs for the Rooftop Pool and Bar opening (next) weekend for the best guests. -- #TheOldClareHotel #Clarebottleshop #unlistedcollection A photo posted by The Old Clare Hotel (@theoldclare) on Nov 10, 2015 at 10:06pm PST The Old Clare will also use the rooftop space for group fitness sessions that will be open to both hotel guests and the general public. Classes will include yoga, cardio boxing, circuit and personal training. The Old Clare Hotel can be found at 1 Kensington Street, Chippendale. The poolside bar will be open from 3pm Wednesday through Friday, and from 11am on weekends. Images: Nikki To.
So, you've mastered all the usual yoga poses, and you think you've attempted every variation that there is. Not so fast. There's a style you mightn't have tried, and it's all the rage in Brisbane. That'd be blindfolded yoga, aka one of the main attractions at the Left Brain / Right Brain workshop at Woolloongabba's Princess Theatre on January 29 and 30. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. All that bending and breathing you're familiar with — well, it's about to seem a whole lot different when you're doing it without being able to see anything. Using sensory deprivation to sharpen focus, shift attention inward and heighten instincts is the name of the game, with the trend towards sightless stretching gaining traction around the world for a couple of years. If you're keen to give it a go, you might also want to peruse the rest of the event's program. A sound bath session or other movement and music-oriented mind-expansion techniques, anyone? Of course, we haven't yet mentioned the most exciting part — well, for those a little self-conscious about their form, that is. With a blindfold wrapped around your head, you can't see your exercise classmates and they can't see you either. You don't get that at bikram or disco yoga. For more information, visit the Left Brain / Right Brain website. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
The man who helped Amsterdam maintain its nightlife will travel to Sydney in November, as one of the major guest speakers at this year's Electronic Music Conference. As the Night Mayor of Amsterdam, for the past few years Mirik Milan has built connections between business owners, residents and various government entities, creating a safe and prosperous environment under which the city's after dark culture could thrive. Huh. Must be nice. With its world famous lockout laws, the City of Sydney has obviously taken a slightly different approach to its citizen's nocturnal activities — something we're sure Milan will touch on in his opening keynote address. [caption id="attachment_578886" align="alignnone" width="226"] Pictured: Sydney's official nightlife policy.[/caption] "We believe Milan's knowledge and experience will be invaluable in our own city's pursuit of a vibrant and safe nightlife," said EMC programmer Eric Flanagan. "Amsterdam has shown us and the rest of the world that it is possible to achieve this." Although Night Mayor isn't actually an official government position — rather, Milan is the head of an advisory NGO — that hasn't stopped the former club promoter from having a significant impact on policy. In the past few years he's helped clarify Amsterdam's drug laws, introduced 'soft enforcement' services to try and deescalate potentially dangerous situations, and pushed hard for 24-hour licences in certain nightclubs which, since their introduction, have led to a significant reduction in street noise. He's been so successful that several other cities around Europe, including Zurich and Paris, have introduced Night Mayors of their own. Now in its fifth year, the Electronic Music Festival will run from November 28 until December 2 at the Ivy complex in Sydney, and will feature panel discussions, Q&As, workshops, parties and more. Early bird tickets are available now. Keep your eyes peeled for the full program announcement, which should be dropping soon.
UPDATE NOVEMBER 28, 2016: Sydney's pop-up glamping hotel has been postponed until 2017. New dates will be released soon. Glamping on an island in the middle of Sydney Harbour — it's one of the most decadent 'outdoorsy' things you can do (it's kinda, sorta camping, sure). Cockatoo Island has been doing this for years, but rival island Clark is taking things up a notch. Aussie company Flash Camp are setting up on Sydney's Clark Island, turning it into a temporary pop-up tent hotel. Best bit? They're also bringing a pop-up restaurant from Three Blue Ducks. No less than 22 specially-designed canvas tents will take over the island from November 19 to December 6, flanked by a pop-up version of Three Blue Ducks. Considering Clark Island has one of the best panoramic views in the harbour (Wine Island should know), this is some next-level, highly opulent, 100 percent Instagrammable pop-up biznatch. It's a pretty damn exxy $420 per person to stay, so prepare to break open that piggy bank. Who are Flash Camp? They're an Australian business specialising in temporary accommodation — glamping tents in particular. You might know them from their fancy, fancy tents at Splendour in the Grass (y'know, the ones that look drier and more plush than your own soggy palace with its own 'lake views'). Now, let's break down the 'hotel'. Each tent coming to Clark Island five metres in diameter and somehow fit in comfy single and king size beds, quality bed linen, bamboo furniture, solar lighting, Armadillo & Co rugs, Biology Skin toiletries and more. There'll also be a communal lounge and dining area, bathroom facilities and the best feature of all: YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY WATER. Invite someone you actually like. Three Blue Ducks are yet to reveal their hotel menu. "There's something really exciting about cooking a large cut of meat or freshly caught fish and inviting guests to interact and be part of that experience," says Three Blue Ducks co-owner and head chef Mark LaBrooy, who we assume will not be actually catching fish from Sydney Harbour to cook onsite. But then again... Flash Camp will pop-up on Clark Island from November 19 to December 6. Rates start at $420 per person, per night including breakfast, dinner and boat transfers. To book visit Flash Camp's website. Image: Elise Hassey.
A new study by Melbourne's La Trobe University has led one expert to suggest what we've all known deep down for years: dogs should be allowed at the pub. A recent survey of more than 2300 Victorian pet owners found that 63 percent of dogs were not walked daily and that many animals were left alone for large amounts of time throughout the day. The solution? Take them out drinking, of course. According to La Trobe researcher Dr. Tiffany Howell, only 26 per cent of people take their pet on an outing every day, and 17 per cent do it less that once a week. It's a concerning statistic that RSPCA spokesperson Michael Beatty attributes to restrictive Australian laws that mean dogs are allowed in fewer public places than they are in other countries around the world. "In England or Scotland or New York they are always getting exercise because they go everywhere with their owner," Beatty told the ABC. "In Australia they can't go everywhere with their owner, like a pub ... They can in Europe and most parts of America and the UK." Obviously, we here at Concrete Playground fully support the notion that dogs should be allowed in pubs and bars. For starters, it'd mean you'd never have to drink alone again. Studies have shown that animal companionship is great for people's mental health and happiness, so that's another big mark in its favour. Plus, if you have one too many beverages, your dog can help you find your way home. Mr. Beatty also said that human laziness plays a major part in why pooches aren't getting enough exercise, telling the ABC that "unfortunately some people seem to think that owning an animal is a right rather than a privilege. With that privilege comes certain responsibility." And in case you were wondering, it's not just dogs in need of a workout. The same La Trobe Uni study found that 40 per cent of cats were overweight. Frankly, a nice long pub crawl would probably do them good. Just whatever you do, don't give your pets alcohol. We know you'll be tempted, but really, we cannot stress that enough. Via ABC Online. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
No longer just the realms of Monica Trapaga yazz residencies and kiddie-aimed pantomimes, the after-hours Twilight at Taronga series took it up a huge, cred-worthy notch last year. This summer, they'll be aiming even higher, returning with a new, eclectic lineup every weekend from Thursday, January 28 through Saturday, March 12. And this year's ARIA frontrunner, spinner of yarns and general face-melter Courtney Barnett is opening the whole thing. Bringing drawlin' ditties from her widely celebrated debut album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit to the zoo, Barnett kicks off one heck of a lineup for Twilight at Taronga 2016. Taking over the lawns of Taronga Zoo's fully-licensed natural amphitheater, this year's series is more locally-focused than last year's, with the likes of Violent Femmes, John Butler Trio, Birds of Tokyo, Josh Pyke, C.W. Stoneking and finishing up with Lady Black Mambazo. Plus, you can dag it up with ABBA tribute act Bjorn Again, returning for two nights due to popular demand after last year. After one of the most contemporary changes the Twilight at Taronga series has seen in its 20 years running, the feathered, furred and finned have plenty to choose from this summer. Picnic-bringing is encouraged, but there'll also be incredibly delicious hampers available onsite — we tasted them, they're extremely generous and genuinely great. There's a bar onsite, and general nosh available from the canteen. Either way, it's actually the one of the best dates in Sydney — lock those tickets down. TWILIGHT AT TARONGA 2016 LINEUP January 28 — COURTNEY BARNETT, supported by Jep and Dep January 29 — JOSH PYKE, supported by Winterbourne January 30 — FAR FROM FOLSOM featuring TEX PERKINS AND THE TENNESSEE FOUR February 4 — JOHN BUTLER TRIO, supported by Tinpan Orange - NEW SHOW ADDED February 5 — JOHN BUTLER TRIO, supported by Tinpan Orange - SOLD OUT February 6 — THE WAIFS, supported by Ruby Boots February 12 — BIRDS OF TOKYO, supported by Fractures February 13 — MISSY HIGGINS, supported by Paul Dempsey - SOLD OUT February 14 — MISSY HIGGINS, Special Guests TBA - VALENTINES SHOW ADDED February 19 – MARK SEYMOUR & THE UNDERTOW, supported by Ben Salter February 20 – JAMES MORRISON BIG BAND February 26 & 27 — BJÖRN AGAIN March 4 — VIOLENT FEMMES, supported by Xylouris White March 5 — COLIN HAY March 11 — C.W. STONEKING, supported by Marlon Williams March 12 — LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO Twilight at Taronga 2016 is happening January 28 to March 12. Tickets available from the website from Thursday, October 29. Image: Maclay Heriot.
Hitting Sydneysiders with an epic program of immersive, challenging, and mind-blowing art for another year, the Biennale of Sydney 2016 is an art lover's event like no other. Spanning multiple locations across the city and surrounds every two years, it's not hard to feel a little spoilt for choice. But before the festival wraps up in early June, we thought we'd save you some time and hand over our pick of the artworks you can't afford to miss. CHIHARY SHIOTA'S 'CONSCIOUS SLEEP' (2016) Insomniacs beware, this one might hit too close to home. Taking over the convict barracks of Cockatoo Island, Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota shows just how chilling a few hospital beds suspended by thousands of metres of black thread can be. Replicating the conditions encountered by prisoners back in 1861, Shiota's installation feels like stepping into a giant arachnoid's underground lair. It might seem like the stuff of nightmares, but the artistry of this space makes it a hauntingly beautiful experience. KEG DE SOUZA'S 'WE BUILT THIS CITY' (2016) Creating a cubby house from laundry bags, tarps and hessian sacks is just the start of Keg De Souza's contribution to this year's Biennale. As a unique, technicolour display of makeshift architecture, We Built This City has turned 16 Vine Street, Redfern into a hub of conversation for all the right reasons. The largest of her constructions to date, this tent is set to host The Redfern School of Displacement, bringing audiences talks and tours discussing global issues of displacement. Head along to this installation, and make sure to swing by for a guided 'Tour of Beauty' of Redfern and Waterloo, presented by SquatSpace. WILLIAM FORSYTHE'S 'NOWHERE AND EVERYWHERE AT THE SAME TIME NO.2' (2013) It's difficult to detach from your roots. For choreographer and artist William Forsythe, his longtime association with the Frankfurst Ballet and later the Forsythe Company has gone on to inform much of his recent artistic installations. Connecting the movement of dance with a spectacular series of 40 hanging metal pendulums, audiences are invited to navigate this unpredictable architectural space. The challenge? To avoid actually touching the objects themselves. MELLA JAARSMA'S PERFORMANCE 'DOGWALK' (2015-16) Taking things to a whole new level of bizarre, Mella Jaarsma is putting on a fashion show like no other. Alright, 'fashion' might be the wrong term to use here. But with costumes as elaborate as these, it's tempting to believe you've stumbled into some twisted couture show. Every Wednesday evening until June 1 head along to Jaarsma's installation Dogwalk at The Art Gallery of NSW, a 60-minute dog-walking performance filled some seriously creepy animal-skin costumes. Picking a part the bond between humans and animals, this show is definitely one to get you talking. DON'T FOLLOW THE WIND'S 'A WALK IN FUKUSHIMA' (2016-ongoing) Get a dose of global history at this one-of-a-kind Carriageworks installation. Brought to you by the curatorial collective Don't Follow the Wind (featuring Chim↑Pom, Kenji Kubota, Jason Waite, Eva and Franco Mattes), A Walk in Fukushima sees their collaboration efforts with 12 artists following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Step inside an inaccessible radioactive area of the Fukoshima Nuclear plant through 360-degree virtual reality headsets. You'll be intrigued and immersed in an abandoned landscape unlike anything you've seen before. BO CHRISTIAN LARSSON'S 'FADE AWAY, FADE AWAY, FADE AWAY' (2016) Camperdown Cemetery is home to some of colonial Australia's biggest names, but that doesn't concern Swedish artist Bo Christian Larsson. In fact, he's taken matters into his own hands by dressing each tombstone in a custom-made white cover. By obscuring the identities of each grave, Larsson hopes to rid this historic cemetery of its ingrained class hierarchies. And with nearly 2000 of these stones to see on site, this is sure to be one unnerving art excursion. LEE MINGWEI'S 'GUERNICA IN SAND' (2016) As kids, mastering the art of constructing the perfect sandcastle was a pretty tough gig. Protecting our sandy creations from trampling feet and rising tides certainly seemed like an almighty challenge to our younger selves. But imagine taking on the task of reproducing a famous Picasso creation with only one humble ingredient: sand. Taiwanese artist Lee Mingwei took this on, using the fragility and impermanence of this work to reveal the creative power transformation allows. With the help of eight dedicated volunteers, Mingwei has transformed the concrete floor of Carriageworks into a stunning recreation of Guernica. Audience members were encouraged to literally walk across the work on April 23 (later swept and restored by Lee Mingwei and his team). TARO SHINOD'S 'ABSTRACTION OF CONFUSION' (2016) Prefer things a little more zen? Why not make a trip to AGNSW and transcend the daily grind with Taro Shinoda's work Abstraction of Confusion. Take a seat on his tranquil tatami mat and let the simplicity of this installation wash over you. Drawing inspiration from philosophy and the power of meditation, you'll leave feeling as if you've been wandering through the paths of a beautiful Japanese garden. APICHATPONG WEERASETHAKUL'S 'HOME MOVIE' (2016) Film lovers, this is one to watch. Thai artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul brings his distinctive cinematic style to Carriageworks with his latest short, Home Movie. As a way of reflecting his time spent in Chiang Mai during turbulent political events, this seven-minute creation symbolises the relentless violence and instability that continues to terrorise the Thai nation. ALEXIS TEPLIN'S 'ARCH (THE POLITICS OF FRAGMENTATION) (2016) Consider the future of our world in a whole new light with Alexis Teplin's latest performance and installation Arch (The Politics of Fragmentation). See her abstract linen paintings act as the backdrop to this thought provoking performance, which poses the question "when decadence fails us in our quest for utopia, where do we end up?" This is one depiction of a fictional reality we are intrigued to see play out. Learn more about the Biennale program here.
UPDATE, January 22, 2021: Get Out is available to stream via Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. When a movie starts with a character walking nervously along a dark street, we all know what's going to happen next. Decades of horror films have taught us that nothing good can occur here. And, in Get Out, the situation plays out exactly as we've been conditioned to expect. The scared person is abducted by a masked attacker and dragged into a car. Crucially though, the victim isn't an attractive young woman, but rather a black man (Lakeith Stanfield) getting snatched up in the kind of picket-fenced suburbia most white folks could stroll through without fear. If you've ever seen his work with Keegan-Michael Key across the five seasons of their sketch comedy show Key and Peele, writer-director Jordan Peele's fondness for dissecting matters of race won't come as much of a surprise. While his first stint as a filmmaker doesn't feature white zombies refusing to eat people of colour, the underlying idea that African Americans are treated differently still sticks. Here, as in his comedy, he presents a scenario that quickly goes from amusing to uncomfortable to downright unnerving. Following Get Out's sinister opening scene, the film's focus switches to Brooklyn photographer Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), who's about to head to his girlfriend Rose's (Allison Williams) family home in the country. He's meeting her parents for the first time, and he's understandably anxious. When he asks "do they know I'm black?", she assures him that it doesn't matter because her dad would've voted for Obama a third time if he could've. Chris has clearly heard similar sentiments before, and knows it's going to be awkward anyway. "I don't wanna get chased off the lawn with a shotgun," he jokes. After they arrive, Rose's father (Bradley Whitford) keeps dropping "my man" into daggy attempts at conversation. Her mother (Catherine Keener) is polite to Chris, but noticeably stern with their black servants (Betty Gabriel and Marcus Henderson). Then there's Rose's younger brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones) who makes uncomfortable comments about Chris' physique. To say that things don't feel quite right is a horror movie understatement right up there with Rosemary finding her new neighbours a bit odd in Rosemary's Baby. But again, Chris has seen this type of behaviour before. He's not thrilled, but he's not astonished either. Like all sinister storylines, the events that unfold are best discovered with as little prior knowledge as possible. It's not hard to pick up on the cleverly deployed horror tropes as they appear: the isolated location, hitting a deer on the way there, and the vocal warnings from Chris' pal Rod (LilRel Howery) back home. Likewise, you won't be able to miss the way that race keeps seeping into every conversation, shaping the way the movie unfolds. Peele's mastery of his spook-inducing genre is evident from the outset, but it's how he uses his classic setup to subvert the expected cliches and unleash a barrage of scathing social commentary that proves downright genius. What's so great about Get Out is how it defies easy categorisation. It's smart and oh-so-timely in the way that it highlights what it's like to be black in "post-racial" America. It's also genuinely unsettling and tense in an edge-of-your-seat manner, and never stops making viewers question what it is they're seeing. Last but not least, it's frequently hilarious, which given the director's background shouldn't come as a surprise. Add all of that together, and you're gifted one of the most assured, astute, entertaining and intelligent horror movies to creep out cinemas in years.
Art has prevailed in the battle to fill a Melbourne rooftop with naked people. In the latest development surrounding Spencer Tunick's newest work, the New York artist has been given permission to hold a nude photoshoot on top of the Prahran Woolworths car park — just over a week after the store said no. It was announced in May that Tunick would be returning to Australia in July to stage another of his famed mass nude photos, all as part of Chapel Street Precinct's Provocaré Festival of the Arts. Seventeen years after assembling 4500 naked volunteers for a snap near Federation Square as part of the 2001 Fringe Festival, the polarising artist plans to amass another contingent of naked (and pretty brave) folk for a work titled Return of the Nude While Tunick has photographed around 5000 nude people in front of the Sydney Opera House during the 2010 Mardi Gras, snapped 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, his initial attempt to craft his latest piece against a Melbourne skyline backdrop was knocked back by Woolworths. A petition spearheaded by the Chapel Street Precinct Association (CSPA), the festival's host organisation, in response —and due to community pressure, the store has decided to let the shoot go ahead. A spokesperson for the supermarket giant advised, "in further discussions with the festival organisers they indicated a willingness to be flexible with dates and times to ensure the shoot could happen without inconveniencing our customers during busy weekend trading. As a result, we're now able to accommodate the request to temporarily clear the rooftop for Spencer Tunick's group shot on a Monday morning during a traditionally slow trading period." The shoot will take place on Monday, July 9, with Tunick given an hour to complete his vision. And if you'd like to participate — anyone over the age of 18 can git their kit off and get involved — there's still time to register. Participants each get a print of the photograph and, we're sure, a big boost of body confidence. Provocaré will take place across the Chapel Street Precinct from July 5–15, with Return of the Nude being shot over one hour on July 9.
If you're a female chef, sommelier, waiter, restaurateur or manager — in short, if you're a woman and you work in hospo — there's a brand new not-for-profit in Australia dedicated to you. It's called WOHO and it's already attracted the support of some big names in the industry, including Christine Manfield, Danielle Alvarez and Nadine Ingram, who'll be acting as mentors. Even though 51.8 percent of Australian hospitality workers are women, only 15.4 percent of CEOs in the same industry are. So, when it comes to the top jobs, females are seriously underrepresented. WOHO will be bringing educational opportunities and forums to professionals at all stages of their careers. Members will be able to share experiences, ask questions, discuss issues, seek advice and access a supportive network. There'll be a formal mentoring program, regular events and meet-ups. "It is a very exciting time for Australian hospitality, which is now getting more recognition on the world stage," says Julia Campbell, founder and chair of WOHO. "While our forward-thinking approach to food and concepts is well-recognised, it is imperative that we face the issue of female underrepresentation at a senior level in the industry. WOHO is a vehicle for us to inspire, recruit and retain more females and to give them the confidence to support themselves and each other in their professional development." The rest of the WOHO Board is made up of Anna Pavoni (Ormeggio), Jane Hyland (4fourteen), Claire van Vuuren (Bloodwood), Michelle Maiale (A Tavola), Jane Strode (Bistrode CBD), Lisa Hobbs (Dedes Group), Lisa Margan (Margan Estate), Kerrie McCallum (delicious and Stellar) and Lyndey Milan (OAM). WOHO will launch on May 29 at 6pm at Three Blue Ducks, 1/85 Dunning Avenue, Rosebery. There'll be food by Bloodwood, 4Fourteen, Pastry Project and Bistrode CBD, and drinks by Printhie, Lisa McGuigan, Margan Estate, Young Henrys and Santa Vittoria. Tickets are $25 (members) or $30 (non members). WOHO membership is $10/month.
There's no one right way to experience SXSW, whether you're attending the Austin or Sydney version, but one of the event's huge highlights is its high-profile list of folks who get talking. As 2023's debut festival Down Under demonstrated, this is the kind of event where you could be listening to Chance The Rapper one moment, then Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker the next. In 2024, it's also the type of festival where The Kid LAROI, human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, author Johann Hari, Lucy Lawless, Grace Tame, Suzie Miller and Stephen Page are getting chatting. This year's lineup features more than 1000 speakers, 60-plus tech exhibitors, over 200 artists, 120-plus games and more than 75 screenings across Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 dates. Other standouts from the conference part of the program include Nick Kyrgios, Noémie Fox, Chad Lawson and Molly Taylor. Fancy hearing about heading into space? That's where Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg comes in. On the music side of the bill, not only is The Kid LAROI the keynote speaker, but the 'Stay', 'Without You', 'Thousand Miles', 'Love Again' and 'Girls' talent is introducing a First Nations showcase. Stepping from Heartbreak High to SXSW Sydney Music Festival, Ayesha Madon is also one of that strand's highlights. SAHXL, Nick Ward, BALTHVS, Total Tommy, brothers J-MILLA & Yung Milla, Joel Sunny, Ena Mori, Smol fish, HighSchool, Maina Doe, 404: you'll be able to see them as well. Screen-wise, once opening night's Y2K kicks off the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival, the program features everything from headliners Saturday Night, Smile 2, Nightbitch, The Front Room and Pavements to Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts from Barbecue and We Don't Deserve Dogs' Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker — and Warwick Thornton (Samson & Delilah, Sweet Country, The New Boy), The Babadook composer Jed Kurzel and Barbie executive producer Josey McNamara among the talks. At Tumbalong Park, SXSW Sydney's festival hub is back 60-plus hours of free entertainment, too. Keen to feel like you're stepping inside some of your favourite TV shows? So is Prime Video's Primeville pop-up from Tuesday, October 15–Sunday, October 20 at Fratelli Fresh Darling Harbour. That's barely scratching the surface of 2024's SXSW Sydney characteristically jam-packed lineup. If you can't find something exciting to do, see, watch, learn from or dance to every single day of the fest, you clearly haven't looked at the program. [caption id="attachment_970635" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Top images: Jordan Kirk, Ian Laidlaw and Jaimi Joy.
From vending machines lining the streets to combinis (that is, convenience stores) taking up real estate on every corner of Tokyo, it's clear Japan is a nation puts a lot on emphasis on convenience. The Japanese attitude to fast food is no different — except in Japan, convenience doesn't have to mean compromising on quality. From curry houses filled with salarymen, ubiquitous heartwarming hamburgers and contemporary takes on traditional Japanese meals that will set you back less than $5AUD a pop, this is where to get real fast food in Japan. [caption id="attachment_629778" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lucy Dayman[/caption] SUKIYA No matter how long you spend in the country, Sukiya (すき家) is one sight you'll become familiar with fast. With over 1600 stores dotted throughout the nation, the store's red, white and gold logo is a staple on the Japanese urban landscape. The 24-hour restaurant delivers no fuss, classic Japanese dishes, though their most iconic dish is gyudon, which translates to 'beef bowl'. What you'll get is shredded beef served over rice accompanied with topping of your choice. What's great about Sukiya is the chain's dedication to experimentation and perfection, with additions and modifications being made to the menu — so no matter how many times you've visited, there will be something new to try. A meal will set you back about ¥500-800 ($6-10AUD). [caption id="attachment_629781" align="alignnone" width="1920"] cathykid via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] OOTOYA Ootoya might be a little steeper in price than beef bowl outlets like Yoshianoya and the aforementioned Sukiya, but it's worth the extra yen. Plus, with the average price hovering around ¥800 ($9-10AUD) it's still cheaper than anything in Australia. Ootoya specialise in classic Japanese teishoku 'meal sets'. Though a meal set sounds like something you'd get in a retirement village or jail, it's actually the best way to appreciate carefully curated Japanese cuisine. It will usually include rice, miso soup, and a main dish, which might be fish, or soba noodles. At Ootoya the sets are seasonal, so you won't be stuck eating the same thing over and over. [caption id="attachment_629779" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lucy Dayman[/caption] HIDAKAYA RAMEN It's impossible to speak about Japanese fast food — or just Japanese food, for that matter — without giving time to the nation's most internationally loved culinary creation: ramen. In Japan, ramen is as diverse as it is popular; every prefecture, city, restaurant and even chef has a different take on the dish. In Tokyo the ramen options are almost excessive, so, if you do your research, you can definitely find the most perfect bowl for your palate. However, if you're after consistently good, cheap, filling and easy-to-access ramen, you can't miss Hidakaya. This generally 24-hour outlet is the perfect place to rest your weary body and dive into a warm comforting bowl any time of the day or night. Most meals will cost you little more than your pocket change at ¥500 ($6AUD) and, if you want to drink, booze options start at ¥270 ($3AUD). [caption id="attachment_629782" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dick Thomas Johnson via Flickr.[/caption] UOBEI GENKI SUSHI Like ramen, you sushi is incredibly diverse in terms of options, price points and specialties — but as a little local tip, Uobei Genki Sushi is kind of special. Cheap and always delicious, the crew at Genki Sushi have reinvented the concept of conveyor belt sushi. Rather than constantly rotating dishes, the Genki Sushi use the conveyor belt method to deliver specifically ordered dishes right to you. With touch screen menus, all you have to do is select what you feel like and, within moments — like some strange futuristic dream — the sushi will take a ride on a little delivery plate stopping right in front of your face. With dishes costing around ¥100 ($1.20AUD) and simple English ordering, there's really no excuse not to go. [caption id="attachment_629783" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hunter Nield via Flickr.[/caption] MOS BURGER It's impossible to speak about fast food in Japan without acknowledging the country's growing love of western cuisine. Like so many things here, Japan has turned appreciation into full-blown obsession and somehow managed to improve the already perfect. Though from the outside it seems like an average burger joint, MOS Burger is a not-so-little takeaway restaurant with a connection to the land: M.O.S stands for 'mountain, ocean, sun'. With over 1700 stores across the country, the store's mission is to "make people happy through delicious food". In a time where other burger chains are constantly unveiling artery clogging Frankenstein-style creations to garner publicity, Mos' humble attitude to producing made-to-order, well-crafted hamburgers is pretty refreshing. Depending on how fancy you want to go a MOS Burger will cost between 200- ¥600 ($2.50-8AUD) [caption id="attachment_629784" align="alignnone" width="1920"] kici via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] COCO ICHIBAN Though the icon status goes to ramen and sushi, curry is actually the most popular dish in the country. With over 1200 locations sprinkled throughout Japan (and more internationally), Curry House Coco Ichibanya are the local curry kings. Traditionally, Japanese curry is a more mild take on the Indian dish and it comes in a variety of forms. From curry with udon noodles, 'curry pan' (that's curry-filled bread) and the classic karē raisu (aka curry rice), this dish is a lot more Japanese than you anticipated. What makes Coco Ichiban so exciting is your freedom to fully customise your order. The amount of rice, spice and all those toppings are so nice that it means you're never going to get a mass-produced run-of-the-mill plate here. Depending on your order you can easily get a serious meal for less than ¥700 ($8AUD).
When news broke last month that Dominos had invented a $30,000 delivery robot, we thought we'd reached the apex of pizza-related technology. Turns out we couldn't have been more wrong. In a development that threatens to shatter the very fabric of existence, a pizzeria in Williamsburg, Brooklyn has invented...a pizza box. No, not a pizza box. A pizza box. A pizza box. Made from pizza. Behold. Introducing The PIZZA BOX PIZZA! A pizza box made entirely out of pizza! No waste, 100% pizza and 100% delicious. pic.twitter.com/2KxxndlK4Z — Vinnie's Pizzeria (@vinniesbrooklyn) April 27, 2016 Rendering all other modes of food transport and storage obsolete, this glorious edible container is the brainchild of Vinnie's Pizzeria owner Sean Berthiaume, who might actually be Thomas Edison reincarnated as a guy who really, really likes pizza. Having previously caught our attention after photos of his pizza with pizza topping went viral online, Berthiaume came up with this new creation while trying to think of ways to reduce waste. "I thought 'what if you can make something that you can eat every part of,'" he told NBC 4 New York. The pizzeria is still working out the finer points of delivery – for the time being, anyone who orders one will have it delivered to them wrapped in foil. A pizza delivered in a pizza box will run New Yorkers up a bill of around $40. Unfortunately we suspect that even if they did deliver internationally, both the box and its contents might go a bit stale in the time it takes to get to Australia. Via NBC. Header image via Dollar Photo Club.
Good news and bad news, movie lovers. The good news is that the IMAX in Darling Harbour is getting a major upgrade. The bad news is that, until it's finished, you'll have to watch your blockbusters in a regular cinema like a chump. The 117ft screen will cease operation on September 25 ahead of a "program of renewal" that will see the entire building demolished. In its place, rising from the ashes, will be a brand new IMAX facility, housed alongside a six-star hotel and a major new restaurant and retail complex. Crucially, the new screen will maintain the title of the largest on the planet (back off our record, world). Who knows, they may even add a couple of extra inches, just to stay ahead of the game. In addition to the giant-ass screen, the new cinema will also boast 430 seats along with the latest in IMAX laser projection and sound. Also included in the upgrade will be a brand new 40-seat luxury auditorium, where you'll be able to enjoy catered meals from surrounding restaurants while kicking back and enjoying the film. The downside to all this is that construction isn't expected to finish until 2019, which means watching the next three Star Wars movies, and about 86 Marvel new films, in a boring old multiplex. Alternatively you could pop down to Melbourne, home to the world's third largest IMAX? Yeah, we know. It's just not the same.
At this point, it's not really a surprise when Uber announces some strange, attention grabbing promotion. Sometimes they bring you ice cream. Other times, it's kittens. And this Australia Day, they're delivering the most Australian thing of all: an umpire to officiate your high stakes game of backyard cricket. Starting from 11am on January 26, Uber users in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra will be able to log onto the app and, with the touch of a button, request an UberUMPIRE who can lay down the law when it to comes to the at best sketchily laid out rules of the countries favourite backyard pastime. "Like so many great traditions, the official ‘rules’ of this revered sport have long been a cause of debate, testing the patience (and mateship) of well-meaning backyard athletes across the nation," reads a statement on Uber's website, confirming that yes, this is in fact an actual thing that is happening. "We thought it was about time someone put a stop to this, so we’ve joined forces with the legendary Billy Bowden and our mates at Optus to bring you UberUMPIRE – your very own, real-life, legit, Cricket Umpire on-demand." https://youtu.be/7Gxi6TKtVFk Via Pedestrian. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
It attracted 2.03 million votes in 2014, is regarded as 'the world's greatest music democracy' and is pretty much the only thing on Australian radios on Australia Day between the odd 'Khe Sanh'. Whether you 'get into it' or not, triple j's Hottest 100 has some serious reach, and this year, they're putting that blanket coverage to bloody good use. As part of this year's Hottest 100, triple j have teamed up with Indigenous school mentoring program AIME, for some hardcore fundraising. Aiming to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian students, AIME and triple j are encouraging Hottest 100 voters to donate right after they've popped their favourite songs in the voting form — votes open this Thursday, December 10. On Australia Day, you can also use your Hottest 100 rager or hushed barbecue as a fundraiser for AIME. In the lead up to the launch of the 2015 Hottest 100, we're stoked to announce a new partnership with triple j. Posted by AIME on Monday, December 7, 2015 It's all for a damn good cause, and you'll still get to screech about your favourite artist being played too early dammit. By donating in the Hottest 100, you'll be helping the hardworking AIME crew help 10,000 Indigenous kids finish school at the same rate as non-Indigenous students by 2018. Now that's worth getting all flustered about — albeit alongside whether Major Lazer tops the lot or not. It's not the first time triple j has worked with AIME; they've given big love to the crew around events like Homeground and NAIDOC week in the past. Here's hoping it rubs off on their listeners. Kyran Wheatley and Gen Fricker on triple j breakfast for #NAIDOCweek Posted by AIME on Thursday, July 9, 2015 Voting opens this Thursday, December 10. Via triple j.
It's time to dig the gumboots out of the back of your closet — Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year. In 2023, Splendour celebrates its 21st year. Maybe your 21st birthday was the best night of your life. Or, perhaps you're still planning for the 21st to end all 21sts. Either way, Splendour's big two-one is serving up a massive lineup to celebrate. Lizzo, Flume, Mumford & Sons and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead the 2023 edition — the latter of which were slated to headline 2022's Splendour in the Grass lineup, but cancelled in the leadup. Flume's set is an Australian exclusive, celebrating ten years since his self-titled album and coming after his recent Australian tour in late 2022. Mumford & Sons are also doing an Aussie-exclusive gig, after last heading our way in 2019. Music lovers hitting Byron Bay can look forward to Hilltop Hoods, Sam Fender, J Balvin, Slowthai, Little Simz, Idles and Tove Lo as well, plus Arlo Parks, Ball Park Music, 100 Gecs doing another Aussie exclusive, Pnau and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard — and more. Plus, there's been some late additions to the lineup. Powerhouse Russian punk group Pussy Riot recently joined both the music and Forum programs. Danny Brown, Ocean Alley and Thelma Plum were all added, too, to replace Lewis Capaldi, Slowthai and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Single-day, multi-day and camping tickets are all still available if you want to plan a last-minute trip up to Byron Bay. [caption id="attachment_891057" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claudia Ciapocha[/caption] SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2023 LINEUP Lizzo Flume (Australian exclusive: ten years of Flume) Mumford & Sons (Australian exclusive) Yeah Yeah Yeahs Hilltop Hoods J Balvin Danny Brown (Australian Exclusive) Sam Fender Idles Little Simz Tove Lo 100 Gecs (Australian exclusive) Arlo Parks Ocean Alley Ball Park Music Iann Dior King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard 070 Shake Thelma Plum Pussy Riot Pnau Ruel Loyle Carner Benee Marlon Williams Hooligan Hefs Peach PRC Palace Dune Rats Tkay Maidza Noah Cyrus Skegss Sudan Archives Cub Sport Meg Mac X Club. Claire Rosinkranz Jack River The Smith Street Band Lastlings Jeremy Zucker Young Franco Sly Withers MAY-A The Vanns Telenova Vallis Alps Jamesjamesjames Kaycyy RVG Teenage Dads Balming Tiger Automatic Harvey Sutherland Gali Del Water Gap Royel Otis Shag Rock Big Wett Mia Wray Memphis LK Gold Fang Milku Sumner Forest Claudette Full Flower Moon Band William Crighton Hellcat Speedracer Triple J Unearthed Winners Mix Up DJs: Tseba Crybaby Latifa Tee Foura Caucasianopportunities Luen Mowgli DJ Macaroni Crescendoll Top image: Stephen Booth.
Anyone who’s dreamed of spending a summer living in Berlin has just gotten some added incentive. The German capital has officially enacted new rent-control legislation, in order to curtail rising rental prices that have been driving low-income earners out of the city. Must be nice. The new law, which was approved by the German parliament in March, will prohibit landlords from increasing rent to more than 10 percent above the local average. The law was already in place for existing contracts, but will now apply to new tenants as well. Berlin was previously experiencing some of the fastest rising rental rates in Europe, with the average rate jumping by more than 9 percent between 2013 and 2014 alone. If you’re wondering why Australia doesn’t have similar legislation on the books, then welcome to the club. A recent global survey that took into account rental prices as well as various other cost of living factors including food, transport and utilities found that Sydney was the fifth most expensive city in the world, with Melbourne right behind at number six. Brisbane came in at 21, while Perth and Adelaide tied at 24. By comparison, New York City was number 26. That’s right. Living in New York is less expensive than Perth. The NSW Greens Party actually proposed changes to Sydney rental laws during their state election campaign earlier in the year. Under their proposal, rises in rent would be tied to the rate of inflation, and landlords would be restricted to one price increase per year. Member for Newtown Jenny Leong has pledged to introduce the legislation to the state’s lower house. In the meantime, Flight Centre has tickets to Berlin starting at $1499. Via The Guardian. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
One of Australia's most redeeming qualities is its ability to give good afternoon sun. There's something about its familiar glow that almost demands casual drinks — whether it's cracking open a cold beer after a day out, heading to the pub after a long day of work, or deciding on a whim that your backyard is perfect for having friends over. We love summer afternoons, and we've partnered with Heineken 3 so you can get the most out of them. We've spoken to a few of our favourite chefs, musicians and artists, to get their insights on creating the perfect balmy afternoon. For a summer playlist, who better to ask for advice than Ned East, a.k.a Kilter? His genre-spanning tropical electronic beats scream summer, and he's been making waves playing his tunes around Australia — performing at Falls, Field Day and Southbound. This year he followed the sun into European waters, playing shows and festivals across France, Germany, Malta and the UK. We asked him for some tips on how to create the perfect party playlist for a summer afternoon. Because he's a nice guy, he provided one of his own. It's good. Listen to this and get inspired, then follow his tips in creating your own. YOUR PLAYLIST NEEDS TO BE CAREFULLY CURATED It's important to remember that your playlist should be delicately crafted — it shouldn't just be a bunch of tracks thrown together. It should be designed to be listened to in one fell swoop, just like Kilter's. That means no skipping, no jumping and absolutely no shuffling (tracks, that is). TAKE YOUR LISTENERS ON A JOURNEY There needs to be an effortless flow. Kilter's playlist has a strong dance tinge to it, cruising through a few downtempo tracks, moving into a house-centred, upbeat party vibe. Things get a bit crazy towards the end, but what else can you expect from a summer session? PICK A FEW BANGER TRACKS TO GET STARTED Kilter tells us to "start with the tracks you really want to play, then think about their order and how they'll be consumed". Choose a few of your favourite tracks that you know you'll definitely want to include, and use those as your base. That way, it's easy to get inspired, ensure you get a variety of music and make sure your playlist has some direction. Kilter's starting point tracks were Kwesta's 'Ngud' (featuring Cassper Nyovest), as well as 808INK's 'Suede Jaw' and Hayden James' 'Just a Lover' (Karma Kid remix) — he recommends if you're in need of some inspiration. CONSIDER YOUR SITUATION, AND LEARN TO LIFT THE VIBES Music has the magical ability to dictate someone's mood. It's essential to a summer afternoon when you're throwing back a Heineken 3, because it'll lift the vibes. "If it's a rainy day and you're playing summertime jams, it's going to make you feel a little bit better," Kilter says. "If it's a sunny day and you've got sunny music on, it's really going to take your vibes to another level". In his own words: "Get some friends over and have some beers in the sun. Let the music do its thing while you do your thing." Enjoy your summer afternoons with the new low-carb Heineken 3 — we're helping you make the most of them.
Anyone who has ever watched a horror movie before knows that you should never, ever go into the woods. Yet that's exactly what the people behind Australia's coolest new immersive cinema experience are asking you to do. Horror Movie Campout is a blood-soaked overnight camping trip held in a secret Blair Witch-style forest an hour from the city. Just please, leave the machete at home. Coming to Melbourne in December and Sydney next year, this uniquely scary take on outdoor movie-going will treat campers to two classic horror films, along with a number of gory shorts. The first is 1973's head-spinner The Exorcist – enjoy the serenity of fear while roasting marshmallows and munching on popcorn (or spilling it) into the early hours of the morning. The second popular horror feature will be voted for by HMC campers via Facebook. But it's not just the movies. Beyond the comfort of your cosy cinema spot, surprises lurk in the forest. Is someone following you? Is that a person’s shadow, or just your imagination playing tricks? Horror Movie Campout promises to put your heart – and your bladder – to the test. Each $180 ticket includes a tent to sleep three mates. Glamping options are also available for $240, offering luxury horror-goers VIP perks such as express entry and primo spots in front of the screen. Just don't think you're exempt from the special horror surprises. Melbourne’s Horror Movie Campout is being held at Point Cook Homestead on December 4 and 5, while the Sydney event will be held in early 2016. It should also probably go without saying that this is strictly an R18+ event. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
Unfortunately for many Sydneysiders, the defining aspect of theatre is not the spellbinding performances but the daunting price tag. With tickets for Sydney's big theatre venues sometimes costing towards the three-figure mark, Sydney theatre, unlike its more government-subsidised European counterparts, can be derided as a middle-class luxury. What is the beleaguered theatre buff to do? Why, ring the Sydney Theatre Company first thing on Tuesday morning and get a ticket for $20, of course. Launched in mid-2013, the Suncorp Twenties initiative has been a great success, and thanks to the renewal of the STC's partnership with Suncorp, it's been confirmed to continue until at least the end of 2015. Even better, you can now buy the $20 tickets online, as well as using the existing methods of phone/stampeding the box office. What might you take this cheap-as-fancy-chips ticketing opportunity for? See Geoffrey Rush as King Lear, Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh in The Present (it's not sold out if you go through Suncorp Twenties!), and the chilling South American thriller Death and the Maiden, and you'll come away with change from a $100. Suncorp Twenties was a labour of love for STC's former co-artistic directors Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton, who spent their joint tenure searching for a sponsor to make theatre tickets more affordable. The partnership has now been extended beyond the initial two years, with the Suncorp Twenties tickets going on sale each Tuesday at 9am for the following week's performances. There is no transaction fee and tickets are sold in twos. Image: Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh in The Present after Anton Chekhov’s Platanov, by Andrew Upton. Directed by John Crowley. 4 Aug – 19 Sep 2015 at Roslyn Packer Theatre Walsh Bay.
As Sydneysiders, we're lucky to be situated so close to so many of Australia's most celebrated wine regions — Orange, Mudgee, Hunter Valley et al. Whether you're looking for organically-produced, family-operated, or even inner city-located, wine lovers have got it all at a stone's throw away. If you're a fan of the plonk and you're not taking advantage of NSW's seriously kickass vineyards, it's time to get those engines revving. Here are ten top notch vineyards in your own backyard, from the best wine regions in NSW. Take a few pro tips before you head along though. Cellar doors and tastings are, for the most part, free. FREE. Some you'll have to book in advance, but most just let you rock up on the day. You're not obliged to buy anything, but you do have to be polite and respectful (don't guzzle yourself into oblivion on someone's hard work). Have a chat, talk to the winemakers, taste as many wines as you like, and you'll probably buy a bottle of something — and prices are usually wholesale, so cheaper than buying it later at the bottle shop. Also, do not drive home. Have a plan. The rest? These winemakers will take you through the tasting process (novice winos are always welcome). You just have to get there. ORANGE The Orange region is known for its sophisticated winemaking and cool climate which creates wines with bright fruit and deep, balanced flavours. [caption id="attachment_565814" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Andy Fraser.[/caption] PHILLIP SHAW Lead by Orange wine pioneer Phillip Shaw himself, this family-owned and operated vineyard has been kicking goals since 1988 and they take wine very seriously — award-winning seriously. The wines are 100 percent sourced from the 47-hectare vineyard and their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are both life-changing. Believe us, this is a Chardy not to be missed. A trip to the cellar door is more akin to visiting a wealthy friend's country house; the building is distinguished by a stone exterior and interior, with large share tables for tastings and stunning mountain views. You might even meet the famous Big renovations are planned for this site, and could change the game for Orange cellar doors across the board. 100 Shiralee Road, Orange; Cellar Door Hours: Mon – Sun 11am – 5pm [caption id="attachment_565815" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Andy Fraser.[/caption] SASSY WINES This single vineyard winery is family-owned and operated by husband and wife duo Rob and Felicia 'Fliss' Coles. Their signature wine, the Arneis, is an ancient Italian white varietal that dates back to the 15th century. Their newish cellar door is simple and modern, with glass walls showcasing their vineyard views. The head winemaker, none other than Peter Logan of Logan Wines, is a big part of the process; the two vineyards share grapes and techniques, the Coles taking over the process in barrel phase. 569 Emu Swamp Rd, Emu Swamp; Cellar Door Hours: Sat 10am – 5pm; Sun 10am – 4pm KANGAROO VALLEY The Kangaroo Valley region is distinguished by its rich volcanic soil which is ideal for viticulture — aka growing grapes. YARRAWA ESTATE The winding pathway to the remote Yarrawa Estate is not an easy one to follow, but you'll be pleasantly surprise as the path opens to this lakeside vineyard. If the golden retrievers and frolicking children remind you of a visit to your family country home, well, it should — the cellar door is quite literally set in the Foster family dining room, where strangers momentarily become relatives. Apart from the incredible wine, they also offer a range of nuts, jams and pickles made from homegrown produce. Be sure to taste their homemade walnut liquor wine, a combination of both passions. 43B Scotts Rd, Upper Kangaroo River; Cellar Door Hours: Sat 10.30am – 5.30pm; Sun 12.30pm – 5.30pm HUNTER VALLEY Hunter Valley is known for their Semillon and Shiraz and is easily the most popular of the NSW wine regions. BROKENWOOD This vineyard was established in 1970 and they've been turning out impressive, award-winning wines for decades. In this small barn of a cellar door, you'll find a fun and relaxed staff who are clearly passionate about winemaking, giving the place an infectious energy. It's a snob-free atmosphere where you can taste some great wines without being pushed to buy. Their Semillon is a must try, having just won best varietal of the year from the Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2016, and the Cricket Pitch blends are ever-popular. Overall, the bright, airy atmosphere of the place makes it one of the more fun tastings to be had. 401-427 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin; Cellar Door Hours: Mon – Sat 9.30am – 5pm and Sun 10am – 5pm TEMPUS TWO Tempus Two is one of the more famous Hunter Valley vineyards for good reason — the wine here is a high-end, classy affair and the staff are extremely knowledgeable. Founded by the well-known McGuigan family, this slick, contemporary cellar door is a modern take on a country shed. The best part is that they'll let you taste the most expensive, vintage wines with no fee. The wine to try right now is their Uno Series Shiraz (2013), a cellar door exclusive. Feeling especially lavish? Set up a private tasting for up to 30 of your nearest and dearest. Corner of Broke & McDonalds Roads, Pokolbin; Cellar Door Hours: Mon – Sun 10am – 5pm SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS The Southern Highlands are characterised by the long, slow ripening period and high natural acidity which gives the wines a clean finish and noticeable fruit character. TERTINI WINES A relatively young vineyard, Tertini Wines has received much acclaim since establishing itself in 2000. Their award-winning Reserve Pinot Noir is worth the trek alone and their Riesling is especially tasty with honeysuckle and green apple notes. They hand-prune and handpick their grapes, with little cropping involved. The cellar door is a simple barn attached to the vineyard, amplifying the country feel of this notable winery. Kells Creek Road, Mittagong; Cellar Door Hours: Mon – Sun 10am – 5pm MUDGEE Mudgee styles are known for their diversity, from organic to international varietals, and turn out some seriously impressive wine for a small region. LOWE WINES For some ungodly reason, organic wine has gotten a bad rap over the years. Thankfully, Lowe Wines disproves this fallacy time and again. Owner David Lowe is extremely passionate and specialises in small-batch winemaking, his most popular varietal being the Zinfandel. The vineyard is untrellised, unirrigated and certified organic. Their wine is distributed mainly to independent bottle shops and restaurant and Lowe is truly a no-intervention grower that we'd love to see more of. Tinja Lane, Mudgee; Cellar Door Hours: Mon – Sun 10am – 5pm HILLTOPS The Hilltops region sits atop a large granite rock, creating deep soils that are well drained and ideal for grapevines. FREEMAN VINEYARDS Freeman Vineyards uses this unique region to their advantage, providing Australia's only plantings of two northern Italian origin grape varieties – Rondinella and Corvina – which are the source of their flagship and award-winning Freeman 'Secco' wine. Their winemaking process is also unique; the grapes are dried in a neighbour's solar-powered prune dehydrator and then aged for 12 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels. All this work is worth it: the wine just received the Red 5-Star rating in the Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2016. 101 Prunevale Road, Prunevale; Tastings by Appointment SYDNEY CITY For the lazy Sydneysider who deserves great wine anyway. NOMAD Nomad champions the little guys in the winemaking business; they sell wine solely from local growers, giving the small producers out there the time to shine. Their cellar door offers wines that are generally not sold commercially, many of which you can also taste at their celebrated adjoining restaurant. Stop in for some charcuterie and a glass or two, or stay for the full shebang with the chef's premium share menu ($85 per person). If you're too lazy to make such a short trek, go for online delivery of these exclusive wines. 16 Foster Street, Surry Hills; Cellar Door/Restaurant Hours: Mon – Tues 6pm – 12am; Weds – Fri 12pm –2.30pm; 6pm – 12am; Sat 12pm – 2.30pm; 5.30pm – 11.30pm CAKE WINES Just opened on March 10, Cake Wines is shaping up to be Sydney's new go-to city winery. Set in a restored warehouse, the space pays homage to its industrial roots with recycled wooden furniture, barrel wall and exposed brick interior. You won't just be getting simple wine tastings here — head winemaker Sarah Burvill is running masterclasses, blending sessions and workshops. Apart from their own award-winning wines, they'll be stocking small-batch wine, craft beer, cider and spirits, all Sydney local. Add live music and late nights to the mix and you've got one out-of-the-box cellar door on your hands. 16 Eveleigh St, Redfern; Cellar Door Hours: Wed – Fri 5pm – 11pm; Sat 12pm – 11pm; Sun 12pm – 10pm. Honourable CBD mentions: Handpicked Cellar Door Urban Winery Sydney Top image: Nomad.
