If you've ever had a hunch about a company that's gone on to make it big, or you think you can predict the future, you might have considered investing in the stock market. One way you can do this — without dropping a heap of cash — is by trying out Superhero, a new Robinhood-style trading platform, which has super-low fees and an easy-to-understand dashboard that lets you monitor the progress of all your stocks. Backed by the founders of Afterpay and Zip Co, Superhero offers Australia's cheapest brokerage fee of just $5 per trade. Plus, it lets you invest in ETFs (Electronic Traded Funds) and pay no brokerage fees at all, and has a $100 minimum investment — so you don't have to be moneybags to get started. While the website won't turn you into Eddie Morra (aka Bradley Cooper) from Limitless, it will let you pretend you're that good, with tips on how to spot the next big thing. At the moment, three of the most-traded shares on its platform include Zip Co, an Australian buy-now-pay-later company (think Afterpay); Brainchip, an artificial intelligence company; and Emerge Gaming, an e-sport platform. All three have seen their share prices grow between 43 and 620 percent in the last 12 months. Superhero itself has been super popular, too, with the Australian Financial Review reporting that a whopping 10,000 Aussies signed up in its first three weeks. If you want to try it out for yourself, you can sign up to Superhero for free over here. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
In the latest development of wearable tech, luggage company Samsonite has teamed up with Google to bring you a smart backpack that syncs to your smartphone. The Konnect-i Backpack can receive calls and text messages, sync to your navigation and music apps and even take selfies — just to name a few features. It's basically the wireless headphones of backpacks. The bag — powered by Google's latest toy, dubbed Jacquard — connects to the users smartphone via Bluetooth and allows you to perform heaps of commands by moving your hand over and tapping the left strap panel. Users can control music, receive phone calls, use navigation apps, drop pins, save locations and receive rideshare alerts. Jacquard can also start a photo countdown for selfies and, if you have a Google android, it can chat to Google Assistant, too. You can also fix the LED light on the left strap to light up according to different alerts. Of course, the Jacquard will still need to be charged, but a single charge can last ten days-to-two weeks, depending on how much you use it. Keen shoppers can choose between two styles, slim or standard ($299–329) — which come with a vertical or horizontal zipper, respectively. Each is water-repellent, easy-care fabric coated and comes with matte silver reflective trimming. Yes, it looks (and sounds) like something Batman would own. Apart from the futuristic elements, the backpack comes with all of the usual features of a pricey bag, including extra padding along the back panel and shoulder straps, plus a padded laptop compartment and heaps of storage pockets. If you have the cash to splash, hands-free travel is in your future. The Konnect-i Backpack is now available Australia-wide. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Welcome to Vinabar, an intimate new bar tucked away in the laneways of Kent Street in Sydney's CBD. Seating just 32 imbibers, the small-format drinking establishment has taken inspiration from the nightlife and bar culture of Vietnam. Co-owners Reymark Tesalona and Ashwin Arumugam conceived the micro bar as a tribute to their shared experiences travelling together throughout Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Both owners are of Southeast Asian background — and the influence comes through at every element, from the bespoke interior to the cocktail ingredients. The bar is hidden behind a facade designed to resemble a banh mi street cart. Make your way through the steel door and you'll find a cluster of luminous silk lanterns (imported especially from Hoi An) descending from the ceiling, sleek black marble table tops, and bar shelving made from a replica design of the Golden Hand Bridge from central Vietnam coastal city Da Nang. [caption id="attachment_934459" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Vinabar owners Reymark Tesalona and Ashwin Arumugam[/caption] Clever interior detail aside, at Vinabar the cocktail list is the real star. The signature 'Vinagroni' is the bar's unique take on the classic negroni, topped with a dehydrated starfruit as the garnish so the drink resembles the Vietnamese flag. Another stand out is a cocktail featuring cognac, pineapple, coconut and a mint and pandan foam created with a whipped cream charger, aptly titled 'Da Nang'. As you might have gathered, the entire concept is very much rooted in storytelling. Tesalona explains, "Being able to cater to such a diverse audience in a confined space allows us to translate our lived experiences into something tangible and memorable. Our cocktails transcend all barriers, be it cultural, age, ethnicity, gender – giving us a medium to tell a story by using all our human senses, not just taste." Oh and Vinabar is open seven days a week until 2am so add it to your list of bars for late night capers. Vinabar is now open at Shop 1, 332 Kent Street, Sydney. Visit the venue's website to stay up to date.
A vibrating chamber filled with light. Guided night walks through Hobart led by teenagers. Forty-nine search lights beaming up into the sky. Multiple performances by Sonic Youth founder Thurston Moore. Throw in an after-hours art path, late-night parties and a fiery waterside display, and that's still just a taste of Dark Mofo's just-revealed 2021 lineup. The Tasmanian winter arts festival will return to Hobart between Wednesday, June 16–Tuesday, June 22, after being forced to scrap 2020's event due to the pandemic. Something that definitely isn't on the bill: the now-cancelled Union Flag artwork, which was announced back in March as this year's first program inclusion, then sparked a thoroughly unsurprisingly backlash. Instead, arts lovers can experience the world premiere of Russian performance duo 404.zero's aforementioned vibrating installation, peer at the always-vibrant Spectra, enjoy Moore's residency (including gigs with electronic music composer Wobbly and New Zealand's The Dead C), and watch a series of sculptural false gods come to life thanks to Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran's Earth Deities. [caption id="attachment_800593" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford[/caption] Elsewhere, a reclamation walk on opening night will focus on the city's vegetation, exhibition Paradise Lost will explore the work of suspected serial poisoner-turned-acclaimed colonial artist Thomas Griffiths Wainewright, Chicago-based composer and singer Haley Fohr will sing with music boxes she received on 18 different birthdays, and Jonathan Schipper's Slow Room will see a living room slowly pulled into a hole in a wall over the festival's duration. Yes, there's plenty to tempt you to Tassie in the full program — and, in good news for your wallet (especially after you've booked flights and accommodation for the fest), most of the lineup is free. Ticketed events still feature, especially among Dark Mofo's music gigs, but attendees can still see the bulk of Dark Mofo's 2021 offerings without paying a cent. That includes heading along to its annual Winter Feast in the Princes Wharf precinct, which'll offer free entry after 9pm and all night on Sunday — and going for a splash during the Nude Solstice Swim, another of the fest's returning signature drawcards. [caption id="attachment_812063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jonathan Schipper, Slow Room. Courtesy Jonathan Schipper and Crystal Bridges Museum. Dark Mofo 2021[/caption] This year's Dark Mofo lineup is also designed to christen Hobart's new Darklab Bell Tower. It's the first bell tower that has been erected in Hobart in around 100 years, and features a 1800-kilogram bell that's been salvaged from a demolished church in Chicago. So, when you're dancing to DJs late at night at In The Hanging Garden, you'll be helping to celebrate one of the city's big new additions. And, although the blood-soaked Union Flag is no longer on the bill, Dark Mofo is still planning to make art from its audience — or from their loved ones' remains, to be exact. As part of a piece called Memorial by Alex Podger, the festival is calling for Tasmanian residents to provide the ashes of their loved ones, which will be placed into a handmade firework shell and then launched above the Derwent River, all to pay a fleeting but eye-catching tribute to life's beauty and complexity. Dark Mofo returns to Hobart from Wednesday, June 16–Tuesday, June 22. Tickets will be on sale from late May — for further details and to check out the full lineup, head to the festival website. Top image: Ivan Volkov, courtesy of 404.zero and Dark Mofo 2021.
The MCA's free music series Sounds on the Terrace is back for the sixth year running. And, once again, the gallery is teaming up with Young Henrys. The Newtown brewers will curate the music lineup and, you guessed it, add a healthy dose of craft beer to the drinks list. The rooftop sessions returned on Wednesday, September 5, kicking off with Sydney hip hop/jazz producer Godriguez and seven-piece soul band New Venusians. The last after-dark session for 2018, taking place on Wednesday, December 5, will feature performances by local Sydney acts Not a Boys Name, Fiction Writer, Ben Panucci, Froyo and China Beach. It's no coincidence that Sounds on the Terrace is concurrent with the MCA's Lights on Later program either. In between sipping on Young Henrys' summery The Lagertia cocktail — a combination of beer and tequila — and snacking on tostadas created by the MCA Cafe, you can take a wander through the gallery, which, until March 3, 3019, will house an Australian-first retrospective of famed South African photographer David Goldblatt's works. While Wednesday, December 5, signals the end of Sounds on the Terrace for 2018, it'll be back in early 2019 — we'll update you with more information soon.
At the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2024 started with Kandinsky and Louise Bourgeois exhibitions, all carrying over from 2023. Now that the middle of the year has hit, the Sydney institution has thrown over its walls to another massive art name: Alphonse Mucha. The Czech-born painter and illustrator is virtually synonymous with Paris in the art nouveau period in no small part thanks to posters for French stage actor Sarah Bernhardt in the late-19th and early-20th centuries — and Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau, AGNSW's big winter showcase, is dedicated to his work. In an exclusive-to-Sydney display that opened on Saturday, June 15 in Naala Badu, the gallery's north building, and runs until Sunday, September 22, Australian audiences can now step through why Mucha's art is so influential. Whether they're devoted to a theme, a movement or a specific artist, every exhibition tells a story, with this one exploring the two parts of its name: a man who gave an era its look and the aesthetic that he helped immortalise. This isn't a small step through all things Mucha, with more than 200 items featured. Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau is the most-comprehensive showcase of the artist's work that the country has ever seen, in fact. And yes, posters for Bernhardt and others are among the pieces on display, alongside illustrations, photographs, sculptures, jewellery and interior decoration. Surveying Mucha's five-decade career, created in collaboration with the Mucha Foundation in Prague and featuring works from the Mucha Family Collection, Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau also includes a digital component, with painting cycle The Slav Epic from 1912–26 — a piece that spans 20 canvases — getting the immersive treatment. AGNSW is also pairing works by Mucha with Japanese prints sourced from its ukiyo-e collection that date to the same period that Mucha was in Paris, plus band posters and record covers from the 60s and 70s, as well as manga from more recently, that demonstrate his ongoing influence. "Alphonse Mucha was one of art's great stylistic innovators, and whilst best known for his iconic posters and decorative designs that contributed to the development of art nouveau, we hope this truly comprehensive exhibition will offer audiences the chance to take a deeper look at the remarkable life of this fascinating artist and his humanistic ideals," said AGNSW Director Michael Brand. "We are grateful to the Mucha Foundation for their generosity in lending these treasures to allow audiences here in Sydney the chance to discover an exhibition not only rich in art but also in history, human achievement and political commitment." Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau displays at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, The Domain, Sydney from Saturday, June 15–Sunday, September 22, 2024. For more information, visit the venue's website. Images: installation view of the 'Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 15 June – 22 September 2024, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio.
My my, how can you resist this? MAMMA MIA! The Musical is bringing its Greek-set onstage party back to Sydney in 2023 — and if you're a musical fan, an ABBA devotee or perennially keen to indulge in 70s nostalgia, you'll want to be there. By now, the hit production is well-known around the world, including from previous Aussie runs. It has spawned not one but two movies, too. And, its tale of a young bride-to-be's quest to find her father before her wedding will liven up Sydney Lyric from Saturday, May 27. Here we go again with this restaging of the popular 2017 production, which is filled both with romantic chaos and 22 ABBA tracks. It's one of the biggest jukebox musical hits of the past quarter-century, in fact, as seen by over 65 million people worldwide so far. And, for this run, Elise McCann will be playing Donna Sheridan, after she played Ali in the 2009 season. Sarah Krndija (9 to 5 The Musical, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical and Friends! The Musical Parody) steps into Sophie's shoes, while Martin Crewes (Handa's The Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour), Drew Livingston (War Horse) and Tim Wright (New Amsterdam) play her three potential dads. The story, as theatre audiences have enjoyed since 1999, follows 20-year-old Sophie, who is about to marry her fiancé Sky on the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi. It's her dream for her dad to walk her down the aisle, but courtesy of her mother Donna's old diary, she learns that her father could be one of three men: Sam Carmichael, Bill Austin or Harry Bright. Calling all dancing queens, obviously — with that track, the titular number, and everything from 'Money, Money, Money', 'Thank You for the Music', 'Super Trouper' and 'The Name of the Game' to 'SOS', 'Does Your Mother Know', 'Waterloo' and 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' featuring (and 'Take a Chance on Me', 'The Winner Takes It All' and, of course, 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do', too). The new Australian run hails from producers Michael Coppel, Louise Withers and Linda Bewick, plus Helpmann Award-winning director Gary Young, choreographer Tom Hodgson and musical supervisor Stephen Amos. Images: James D Morgan / David Hooley.
If there's one thing that a film about Adam Driver fighting dinosaurs shouldn't be, it's average. Only ridiculously entertaining or ridiculously terrible will do, and those two outcomes needn't be mutually exclusive. The appeal of 65 is right there in that four-word premise, as it was always going to be, because getting the intense White Noise, House of Gucci, Annette and Star Wars actor (and BlacKkKlansman and Marriage Story Oscar-nominee) battling prehistoric creatures is that roaringly ace an idea. He should brood, and his dino foes should stalk, snap and snarl. That is indeed what happens thanks to writer/directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who penned the first A Quiet Place, plus have horror movies Nightlight and Haunt on their past helming resumes. But for a flick that isn't required to offer anything else and knows it — well, other than laser guns to shoot at said dinosaurs, because not even the man who plays Kylo Ren can confront a Tyrannosaurus rex or pack of raptors barehanded — 65 doesn't possess enough B-movie energy. Beck and Woods have taken the very B-movie path story-wise, though. As 65's trailer made plain, this is a Frankenstein's monster of a film mashup, stitching together limbs from a stacked pile of other sources to fuel its narrative. The Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchise, the Predator series, the Alien and Prometheus saga, Logan, The Last of Us, The Man Who Fell to Earth and, yes, A Quiet Place: they each earn more than a few nods, and never with subtlety. So too does Planet of the Apes, but the fact that 65 is set on earth all along isn't a late-picture twist. What else would the title refer to? That said, Beck and Woods begin their movie elsewhere, taking time-travel 65 million years backward out of the equation. Instead, Driver's pilot Mills ends up on our pale blue dot from a civilisation out there in space, and one more advanced during earth's Cretaceous period than humankind is today. Again, these aren't surprises. Text on-screen points all of this out from the get-go or close enough. When the title card arrives bearing the number-slash-moniker 65, that the film takes place all those years ago, and that Mills is now on the third rock from the Milky Way's sun, is written out on-screen as well. Kudos to the filmmakers for not focusing their movie on the tease; a lesser flick, and not in the so-bad-it's-good way, would've been fine with wholesale ripping off Planet of the Apes but just journeying in the opposite temporal direction. Rather, even with the Rod Serling-esque concept — The Twilight Zone creator and presenter also penned the OG Apes' screenplay, as loosely adapted from the page — 65 is about what happens next with full knowledge of where it's set. The narrative from there is obvious, with or without any other context. Whatever you think will happen in 65 sight unseen, or from the trailer, does. Mills tries three things: to survive, to fend off those pesky dinosaurs and to get home. But, he isn't alone. He's transporting others as part of a long-range mission when his ship crashes on what's to him an unknown planet, and young Koa (Ariana Greenblatt, In the Heights) also lives post-impact — after their vessel is hit by an undocumented asteroid, sending them plummeting in the first place, and then after it smashes into earth, tearing apart and scattering its two halves 12 kilometres apart. The piece that Mills and Koa are in can't blast off, of course, and the planet's most frightening-ever residents are keen on a meal as the duo of interlopers attempt to use their wits and weaponry while walking from one section to the other. If you know earth's basic history and how things turned out for the dinosaurs, as we all do, there's no prizes for guessing what else occurs in 65. With startling its audience off the cards, ample pressure falls on the film's ability to engage through character, chaos or both — too much pressure, it proves. Everything is passable. Everything is firmly by the numbers. Nothing is wild, weird or wonderful. That applies to the family thread that runs through the film, after Beck and Woods showed their fondness for the ties of blood, monsters and the end of the world with A Quiet Place. Mills' well-paying gigs have long spirited him away from his wife (Nika King, Euphoria) and daughter (Chloe Coleman, Avatar: The Way of Water), the latter of whom has serious health conditions, making 65's protagonist a Star Wars-esque absent dad. So, when he's tasked with caring for Koa out of proximity and necessity, that job sparks an emotional reaction and connection. Movies about crashing somewhere strange and scary, being ushered into new worlds filled with threats and endeavouring to adapt all work as birth metaphors — we've all been there — an idea that lingers in 65's quiet moments. What does it mean to be thrust into an unfamiliar realm, learn of its ever-present perils and try to endure? How do we learn resilience, resourcefulness, who we are and what's truly important? These questions aren't unrelated, and they're also at the core of this feature. 65 doesn't dig fossil-level deep, however. It's always a dinos-versus-people sci-fi thriller. Actually, make that dinos-versus-humanoid aliens, given that Mills and Koa hark from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (no, not the George Lucas-started ones) as they're grappling with beasts brought to the screen with standard-at-best (and never Prehistoric Planet-standard) CGI. 65 would be a far worse film without Driver; switching out its star wouldn't make it an extinction-level event, but the whole 'Adam Driver fights dinosaurs' concept is alluring for a reason. Since singing "please don't shoot me into outer space" in Inside Llewyn Davis, he keeps being shot there, or from there, on-screen — and approaches each instance, as he has everything from Girls and Frances Ha to Paterson and The Last Duel, with blistering commitment. If this was a grander, gorier or sillier movie with Driver's performance at its centre, it might've been something special. There's glimmers here, glistening like a dinosaur's teeth. The version that treads forth is watchable, but also the most basic version of what it is, what viewers want and why it exists: yes, Adam Driver fighting dinosaurs.
Every now and then the opportunity comes your way that you just simply can't say no to. You find yourself coming up with all the excuses in the world into why you shouldn't take it, only to get slapped across the face and kicked in the shins by your mates asking how stupid you actually are. All the facts and figures point towards the only option. Pick up your nuts and go for it. The opportunity? I've been nominated as one of five international bloggers undertaking one of the latest regional tourism engagement campaigns, this time from Destination NSW. The campaign is called The Unmapped Roadtrip. The locals are asked to recommend where we should be going in NSW, who we should see and what we should do throughout the entire month of March. Someone has recommended already that we dive with sharks. Sceptic Kiwi right there. Anyway, I'll be on a bus, with 4 other strangers who will no doubt become good friends, travelling around the great state. This is all I know at this point. I leave on Thursday 1 March at 6am for Sydney and I believe we're heading along to the infamous Mardi Gras for our first weekend, with none other than Kylie Minogue headling. Stop it! I should be so lucky alright. https://youtube.com/watch?v=haoCgGzS0wY To be clear, I'm not really a sceptic Kiwi, but in light of the recent Air New Zealand campaign, I thought I would take this approach in order to lay down the challenge to all New South Welsh Men and Women, and say "come on, show us what you got". I arrive back on Sunday 1 April, where I will ultimately arrive at my conclusion of the Ten Best Things to do in New South Wales. In the meantime, you can follow me on our Twitter page (@PLAYGROUNDNZ) and for those that are that way inclined, I'll also be regularly posting via the Concrete Playground Instagram account. I promise to be entertaining and represent New Zealand responsibly. Is that possible? I guess you will have to find out.
Between Thursday, May 20–Wednesday, May 26, Palace Cinemas is giving movie buffs in Sydney an extra present. It's not just the gift of great flicks — that is, their daily bread and butter — but the gift of cheap great flicks. Head to one of the chain's four Sydney locations — Paddington's Palace Verona or Chauvel Cinema, Chippendale's Palace Central and Leichhardt's Palace Norton St — across the week in question, and any film at any time will only cost you a fiver. Want to see A Quiet Place Part II with your friends a week before it comes out? It'll cost you $5. Keen to check out Minari, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Antoinette in the Cevennes and The Courier? Also $5. We'd keep naming movies, but you get the picture. Booking in advance is highly recommended, given how much everyone loves going to the flicks for little more than the price of a cup of coffee. If you do nab your tickets online, you will have to add a transaction fee to the cost. And if you're wondering what $5 Movie Week is all about, Palace is simply endeavouring to encourage folks to catch a flick on the big screen. That's still the best way to watch a movie, after all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZmgl4TkFBc&feature=emb_logo Top image: Palace Central
The unassuming streets of Newcastle have seen major rejuvenation in recent years. The former industrial centre has been transformed into a happening spot packed with hip bars and eateries plonked right beside a stunning stretch of coastline. Make the most of the salty air with a stay at The Beach House at Merewether. This luxurious private home provides the perfect digs for up to seven guests to chill out and lean in to the beachside lifestyle: quick morning dips after catching the sunrise from your deck's front-row seats, before bubbling away the afternoon in the backyard spa. Right on your doorstep is Bathers Way, a six-kilometre coastal path linking the nearby Merewether Ocean Baths (the largest in the southern hemisphere) to Nobby's Lighthouse in the north. Once the sun goes down, check out hidden spots in the CBD, like whisky speakeasy Coal & Cedar (to enter, you'll have to text a number scribbled on a brick wall) or the sprawling Foghorn Brewery, which houses a bar and restaurant in an art deco warehouse.
Mode is an oasis in the sweeping Four Seasons hotel atrium. Designed by Luchetti Krelle (ACME, Banksii), the restaurant's design aims for a muted, tasteful take on jazz-age glamour. There are fluted glass screens curling around tables, decadent touches of velvet, brass and marble and curves as far as the eye can see. There's a classical cocktail list to go with the classical space, too. Including a Mode and Gin Tonic ($15), which makes good use of StrangeLove's dirty tonic, a boutique bitter that draws on raw cinchona bark to impart a distinctive taste. Other cocktails are twists on favourites, like old fashioneds and mojitos. Or you could try something off the wine list — a 2016 See Saw Pinot Noir ($16), for example, is earthy and rich red with plum and cherry notes. The menu, by Italian-born chef Francesco Mannelli (ex-.est, Balla), embraces simplicity, emphasising quality ingredients in a refined, upmarket bistro style. A starter of kingfish sashimi ($23) shows his visual flair; twists of raw meat are entwined with wine-coloured sweet-and-sour onions, halved macadamias and flecks of green from lettuce leaves. For mains, dishes come charred, smoked and roasted from the grill and woodfire oven, such as the whole fish of the day ($38). This may be an immaculately cooked John Dory, with crackling skin giving way to plenty of succulent white flesh, served with a small jug of thick, flavoursome tarragon butter sauce. Similarly stripped back are the tenderloin medallions ($43). Two velvety soft pieces of meat come with florets of woody, char-roasted pieces of cauliflower hidden underneath. The time-honoured chocolate delice ($15) will help you round out the meal. A dense, glossy disc of rich chocolate comes paired with fresh strawberry gelato. As a perfectly simple old-school dish, it's a good snapshot of Mode's approach. But if you'd rather not end on a sweet note, look to the cheese boards (1 for $12, 2 for $18). You might have a milky white, sheep's milk Ossau-Iraty with a splash of chilli jam, or a creamy La Luna goat's milk cheese from an organic farm in Sutton Grange, Victoria. Hotel restaurants (particularly in Australia) don't have the best reputation, but Mode has broken that mould. With a sleek design, classic drinks list and refined, tasty food, it ticks all the boxes.
Framed by the elegance of the Australian bush, Urban Tadka in Terrey Hills exudes earthly paradise the moment you enter the doors. The expansive dining room, with teak finishes and wooden floorboards, calls to mind a traditional Indian restaurant tucked away in a tranquil, resort-style setting. Urban Tadka has received numerous accolades, including two Savour Australia Best Indian Restaurant in Australia titles as well as The Good Food Guide's Reader's Choice award for Best Restaurant. You need only skim the menu to understand why. Artfully arranged in eight different categories, it kicks off with 'Unusual Sides' and 'Small Plates', featuring delights such as pickled onions with garlic chillies and macho lahosari — a fried fish dish from Lahore served with a unique mix of herbs and spices. Mains are divided between 'Land', 'Ocean' and 'Earth'. Highlights include gosht khurmani korma, a 15th-century recipe of grass-fed lamb, cashew sauce and dried apricots, and the range of seafood – mussels, lobster, prawn and barramundi – all cooked in traditional styles with a modern twist. Vegetarians can indulge in a mix of cottage cheese, aubergine and potato dishes. Indian cooking is so vegetarian and vegan friendly, and Urban Tadka offers stacks of delicious options. The drink list is also long with house cocktails including a sharabi lassi made with Baileys, Malibu and a house mango lassi. There's also a strong focus on mocktails including a boondi masala chaas, a salted drink similar to a lassi but more watery. The wine list features many Australian classics as well as French rosé and Italian prosecco. With a timeless ambience and a menu centered around the spices that define Indian food, Urban Tadka is ideal for intimate dates as well as vibrant functions. For larger tables, a banquet menu is also available.
Landlocked surfers of Melbourne, rejoice — Australia's first surf park has finally announced its opening date. And it's a whole lot closer to the city than Torquay or the Peninsula. Urbnsurf Melbourne will officially open in Tullamarine, near the airport, just 16-kilometres north of the CBD, on Monday, January 6. Plans for the park first surfaced way back in 2016 and, while the team was initially hoping for a spring opening, Urbnsurf is finally opening its doors this summer. The two-hectare space is powering up to 1000 waves per hour — day and night — with the waves coming from an 85-metre pier running down the centre of the lagoon. A series of pistons located on the pier push the water to the left, then to the right, to create the waves. Being ability to create waves means that the park is built for both pros who are looking for steep, barrelling waves and novices looking for a safe place to get their start in the surf. [caption id="attachment_756496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Urbnsurf and Ed Sloane[/caption] The waves are split into three sections: The Bays (beginner) with gentle rolling waves; The Point (intermediate) with 1-1.5 metre, mid-range turn waves; and The Point (advanced) with steep, long, barrelling waves up to two-metres-high with high-octane turns. At Urbnsurf, founder Andrew Ross predicts most novices will stand on their board within an hour and ride across the green face within two. And not only will you get guaranteed waves — you won't be fighting for them. The park holds a maximum of 24 riders in The Bays and 18 on each side of The Point. [caption id="attachment_756495" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy Urbnsurf and Stu Gibson[/caption] You'll be able to experience all of these waves for a very reasonable price, too, with one-hour sessions starting at just $25 for adults and lessons from $69. If you see yourself becoming an Urbnsurf regular, you can also splash out on a discounted ten-pack of sessions ($620 for beginners, $700 for pros) and monthly memberships, which start at $100 a month. More of a watch-and-cheer than a tumble-around-in-the-water person? All-day spectator passes are also available for just $5 — and they get you access to the day beds, cabanas and hot tubs (when they open in autumn). If you need a break between sessions on the water, Urbnsurf will also be home to a new two-storey restaurant by the owners of Sydney's Three Blue Ducks, which is set to open in early autumn. Until then, pop-ups by a heap of Melbourne's favourite food trucks, bars and eateries will look after the food and drinks. If you're not in Melbourne, you'll be happy to know that a second Urbnsurf is set to open at Sydney Olympic Park in 2021. Find Urbnsurf from Monday, January 6, near Melbourne Airport. It's open from 6am–10pm in summer and 9am–6pm in winter. You can now book in for surf sessions, surf lessons and spectator passes on the website. Images: Courtesy Urbnsurf, Ed Sloane and Stu Gibson.
While the typical haunted house might feel a bit cliché, Halloween wouldn't be the same without it. This year, The Taphouse is giving the tradition a new spin: the three-storey pub will be fully decked out as a ghost-filled haunted house, and the drinks menu is getting a spooky makeover too. Each floor of the Haunted Taphouse, including sour beer and natural wine bar Odd Culture, will have its own theme — and roving performers — so you can make your way up through a haunted crop field to the asylum and rooftop graveyard. Once you've finished exploring, enjoy one of ten special candy-themed beers, including a banana Chupa Chups milkshake IPA, gummy worms sour ale and pumpkin spice stout. Or, if beer isn't quite your thing, The Taphouse will be pouring and shaking Halloween cocktails — think test-tube shots, jelly eyeball shots and blood-bag cocktails. Kicking off from 6pm on Halloween night, you can catch the pub's spooky transformation until Saturday, November 2.
If Harry Potter movies were still gracing cinemas, exploring the boy who lived's adult life, we're certain he'd be a brunch fan. It's a magical meal, after all. Alas, unless The Cursed Child makes the leap to the big screen, that isn't in our future. But while you're muttering "accio new HP movie" to yourself over and over again, if you're in Sydney or Melbourne, you can enjoy the next best thing. Whether you're still not over Harry or you just wish you'd had the chance to attend Hogwarts because you know you're destined to be in Gryffindor (and to be seeker on the quidditch team, obviously), you'll want to make a date with The Wizard's Brunch. You'll dine in a Great Hall-like space, matching your meal (Pixie Puffs, please) with bottomless butterbeer, 'magic' potions (aka cocktails, we're assuming) and other wizard-themed beverages. And you can bet the menu will include every Potter pun you can think of. The particulars such as the exact date, venue and how many galleons you'll have to spend haven't been revealed as yet, though keen muggles can sign up to The Wizard's Brunch email list for more information. What we do know, however, is that there'll be Harry Potter characters mingling with attendees. Folks in costumes pretending to be Hermione, Dumbledore and others isn't really our idea of a magical HP experience, but perhaps a few firewhiskys — and a spot of quidditch, a couple of sorting ceremonies and wand lessons — will get you in the right mood. The Wizard's Brunch will take place in Sydney and Melbourne later this year. We'll let you know when you can buy tickets, and you can sign up for updates here. UPDATE: FEBRUARY 12, 2018 — The Wizard's Brunch has now sold out two sessions in Sydney. More details around Melbourne are coming soon.
Kazzi Beach Greek is taking over Sydney's Greek coastal fare, offering one suburb at a time. First was Balmoral, followed by Manly — now the generous plates of Hellenic-style delights have crossed the bridge to land in Bondi Beach. Bondi makes for an appropriate setting for the restaurant, with its whitewashed walls and ever-staring mati, it's transportive from the Eastern Suburbs all the way to the island that inspires it all: Kastellorizo. There's plenty on the menu that any diners of the other two establishments can attest to as excellent, especially considering it covers the bases of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Early morning visits are met with fruit bowls, breakfast wraps, omelettes, toast and Greek pastries. Visit in the afternoon hours and the offering explodes into a huge mix of flavours. The standout entry is the chargrilled octopus — flavoursome and tender — but you could opt for something simpler like a takeaway-only souvlaki wrap to go and eat on the sand. Eat in and you can tear into a mezze plate of breads, dips and grilled seafood; maybe a generous serve of spit roast meat and salad. Large groups will be well catered f0r too, with platters and banquet menus for big headcounts and big appetites.
When Japan reopened its borders to international tourists late in 2022, it was the news that plenty of travellers had been waiting for, helping us all live out our Tokyo-touring dreams once more. The list of sights to see in both the country and its capital is hefty, especially with a Super Nintendo theme park launching during the pandemic, plus Studio Ghibli's long-awaited park also debuting last November. But the latest must-visit Tokyo spot won't even have you leaving the airport. That airport: Haneda, one of two servicing Tokyo, and the more central of the pair. On Tuesday, January 31, it's officially opening the new Haneda Airport Garden complex, which features with a few sizeable drawcards — 24-hour hot springs with views of Mount Fuji (on a clear day) chief among them. Located 12 floors up and spanning over 2000 square metres, rooftop facility Spa Izumi at Haneda is your new go-to for soaking before or after a flight. The onsen overlooks the Tamagawa River, as the entire Haneda Airport Garden does, and operates 24 hours a day. Using privately sourced water, it comes complete with four areas that span openair and indoor baths — a carbonated water bath, ice plunge pool and jet bath included — plus dry, steam and hot-stone saunas, as well as shower, powder and dressing-room facilities. Even better: while Haneda Airport Garden's official opening date arrives at the end of January, Spa Izumi and the hub's two hotels started welcoming in guests back in December 2022. Looking for a place to stay before or after your travels, too? Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand features a whopping 1557 rooms, while the smaller Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier boasts 160. The former offers guests 12 different types of spaces, while the latter has six varieties. Crucially, visitors looking to take advantage of the hot springs won't need to be hotel guests. So, if you're only at the airport to head home or on a layover between flights, you can still make time for a dip before hopping on the plane — no overnight stay at one of the Villa Fontaine hotels needed. You will need to pay an admission fee, however. The full new complex also includes around 60 shops and 30 restaurants — those usual airport staples — and a bus terminal for easy access to Osaka, Yamagata and more. And, there's an event hall and conference rooms. Plus, handily, Haneda Airport Garden connects through to terminal 3, which is where Qantas flies into and out of. Unsurprisingly, this is now Japan's largest airport hotel — so expect to have ample company while you're there. Haneda Airport Garden will officially open at Tokyo's Haneda Airport from Tuesday, January 31, with Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand, Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier and Spa Izumi already operating. For more information, head to the Haneda Airport Garden website. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Rockpool Dining Group has headed to The Hills, open its ninth Sydney outpost of The Bavarian. The 350-seat German-style restaurant opened in May at the Rouse Hill Town Centre, and it brought its oversized beers, food platters and sports-screening televisions along with it. The beer hall boasts 17 taps — think German mainstays like Löwenbräu, Stiegl and Hofbräu and local brews by Urban Craft Brewing — along with an outdoor beer garden. The fit-out will follow suit of the brand's existing venues and will include stone walls, alpine timber finishes, beer barrel tables and a stein chandelier, plus bar-side dining. Those massive, litre-sized beer steins that The Bavarian is known for serving are accompanied by hearty dishes like crispy pork knuckle with sauerkraut and creamy mash, or crackling pork belly with onion bier jus; plus a range of gourmet sausages, giant pretzels, share platters and loaded schnittys — from American, Mexican and Hawaiian to one that weighs an insanely hefty one-kilogram. Weekday deals include $15 lunch specials, all-you-can-eat meat platters on Mondays and two-for-one cocktails on Thursdays, along with a daily $5 drinks happy hour from 4–7pm. Apart from food and booze, The Bavarian is a go-to for watching sports, with several extra-large screens available throughout the space. Rockpool Dining Group — which was formed when Urban Purveyor Group acquired Neil Perry's Rockpool Group — has signed 15 new leases in the last 90 days, so we'll surely be hearing about more openings in the months to come. The Rouse Hill location not only marks the ninth across Sydney but is one of six additional Bavarians slated to open across the country in the next few months, including another in Castle Hill. So while it isn't necessarily new or breaking new ground, it is a significant opening for the suburb.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. TITANE Eye roll-inducingly terrible bumper stickers be damned; no one honks if they're horny in Titane. Revving when aroused is more this petrol-doused body-horror film's style, spanning characters both flesh and chrome. When she's seen writhing in fishnets atop a flame-adorned vintage Cadillac, the stony-gazed Alexia (debutant Agathe Rousselle) is working. She's titillating a Fast and Furious-style car crowd with her sexed-up display, but the car model still seems to hum with every gyration. After wrapping up, murdering a grab-happy fan with the metal chopstick keeping her hair up and then showering off the gooey, gory evidence, she's soon purring rhythmically inside that gleaming vehicle. Yes, in a plot detail that spilled the instant Titane premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Palme d'Or, this is the French car sex flick. How does someone fornicate with an automobile? Not inside or on the waxed hood, but copulating with the vehicle itself? That's one of this pumping piston of a movie's least interesting questions, although Titane does go there. In her sophomore effort after the also-phenomenal teen cannibal film Raw, writer/director Julia Ducournau isn't too interested in those specifics. She splashes the bouncy sex scene across the screen with lights flashing, human and motor pulsating as one, and pleasure seeping like exhaust fumes, but it's hardly the picture's only point of interest. Titane isn't the first feature to flirt with carnality and cars — Ridley Scott's The Counsellor had a gas-fuelled rendezvous less than a decade ago; Crash, from body-horror godfather David Cronenberg, is also steeped in automotive eroticism. But Ducournau's addition to the parking lot shrewdly links mechanophilia with agency and control, particularly over one's feelings and body. First, before cylinders start lustily thrusting, Titane finds the initial growls of Alexia's four-wheeled fascination via a quick race through her childhood. As a seven-year-old (fellow first-timer Adèle Guigue), she enjoys audibly rumbling along with the engine. She also likes kicking the chair in front of her, exasperating her dad (French filmmaker Bertrand Bonello, director of Nocturama and Zombi Child) into an accident. For her troubles, she gets a plate of the titular element inserted in her cracked skull. That steely stare matches the alloy in her head even then. From the outset, Ducournau pairs blood and metal, reshaping her central figure while laying bare her vulnerabilities. She kicks her film into a gear it'll keep shifting into again and again, too, because this is a movie about modifications: physically, emotionally and while trying to claim one's own sense of self. Titane isn't just the French car sex film, clearly. It isn't merely a car sex movie about a woman partly forged from titanium, and with a penchant for piercing her way through those who block her road. Nor is it simply the French car pregnancy flick, with Alexia and the Caddy's tryst bearing fruit — a condition she tries to conceal, especially after more deaths lead her to Vincent (Vincent Lindon, At War), a fire chief who takes her in as his long-missing son. If Ducournau had made her script out of metal, she'd be moulding it in its molten form. She'd be letting it bubble; key to Titane's blistering appeal is its eagerness to let things boil, then brim over, because the feelings and ideas it works with are that scorching. If her feature was a car instead, it'd be that libidinous, fire-emblazoned Cadillac, which arrives with a bang, lures Alexia in and then lets loose. Read our full review. VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE What's more ludicrous in Venom: Let There Be Carnage: an alien invasion of one man's body that turns into a parasite-host odd-couple show, or a prologue that thinks Woody Harrelson could've been a 90s teen? Kudos to this sequel to 2018's Venom for starting how it means to go on, at least. With its opening, set in 1996 in a home for unwanted children, the film doubles down on silliness, overblown theatrics and packaging itself as a cartoonish lark. The goofiness of the original box-office hit was among its best traits, and worked because that ridiculousness rattled against the movie's gritty superhero setup. Venom adopted all the stylistic markers that've become the serious-minded caped-crusader formula, then let Tom Hardy bounce around like he was in a comedy. But this time, everyone's gone more than a little vaudeville, as has the movie — and the outcome is right there in the title. Carnage isn't just an apt term to describe the film, which has actor-turned-director Andy Serkis (Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle) behind the lens; it's also the name of its second symbiote, aka a flesh-munching extra-terrestrial who inhabits a bag of bones, then brings out its basest urges. Mercifully, Let There Be Carnage isn't big on rehashing the mechanics established in the initial flick, but Venom fits the bill, too, after the creature took up residence inside San Francisco journalist Eddie Brock (Hardy, Capone), then unleashed the franchise's one-body, two-personality double act. Carnage, the red-hued parasite, is the spawn of Venom, albeit bursting forth from condemned serial killer Cletus Kasady (Harrelson, Zombieland: Double Tap) after a scuffle with Brock. And yes, this is the kind of feature that has the scenery-chewing Harrelson proclaim its subtitle with glee. He bellows "let there be carnage!" with winking jokiness, but resembles a ringmaster announcing the next act in a big top. Scripted by returning scribe Kelly Marcel, who also mined Fifty Shades of Grey for all the humour she could — and using a story co-credited to Hardy, who clearly has an attachment to his Marvel-but-not-Marvel Cinematic Universe character — Let There Be Carnage isn't burdened with much plot. After getting murderous following his separation from girlfriend Frances Barrison (Naomie Harris, No Time to Die) in their youth, Kasady will only tell his tale to Brock before he's executed. The latter goes awry due to Carnage's arrival, and a deal. The new symbiote will reunite Kasady with Barrison, whose ability to manipulate sound has seen her locked in an asylum, if the sadistic criminal assists his havoc-wreaking passenger to dispense with Brock and Venom. Cue the obvious — yes, carnage — and an inevitable showdown. Harrelson wasn't an adolescent in the 90s, but his performance nods to that decade, back when his resume spanned White Men Can't Jump, Natural Born Killers, The People vs Larry Flynt, EDtv and the like. That isn't a compliment; he's simply summoning-slash-parodying that heyday, and he's in a film that wishes it released then. Indeed, Let There Be Carnage could've been the hit of 1993, 1999 or any other year before Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy reshaped the genre, the MCU turned it into one of the predominant forms of big-screen entertainment (and now small screen, too), and superhero flicks began arriving every few weeks. Really, Harrelson's work here feels like a chaotic distraction rather than a throwback nudge, because there's only one great thing about Let There Be Carnage: Tom Hardy arguing with himself Read our full review. BAD LUCK BANGING OR LOONY PORN Banging is the certainly word for it; when Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn begins, it's with high school teacher Emi (Katia Pascariu, Beyond the Hills) and her camera-wielding husband Eugen (first-timer Stefan Steel) having loud, enthusiastic, pink wig-wearing sex — and filming it. Romanian writer/ director Radu Jude (I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians) shows the explicit three-minute snippet of footage as others will see it, because others will indeed see it: the students at Emi's school, their parents and her fellow teachers among them. All genitalia and thrusting and lustful talk (and shouted queries through the door from whoever is looking after the couple's child), this graphic opening also makes a bold and firm statement. So many people within the film's frames will take issue with it as vocally as Emi and her partner are enjoying themselves — and they're unmistakably enjoying themselves — but Jude definitely isn't one of them. 2021's Berlinale Golden Bear-winner, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn also starts with a gleeful provocation — not just to those seeing Emi and Eugen's home video within the movie, but to Jude's viewers. It's a jolting opening that's exactingly orchestrated to make audiences react, then unpack their own instant reflexes in tandem with the rude on-screen posse that may as well be waving pitchforks. The underlying question: to those who object, what makes this raunchy romp between two consenting adults so shocking? Worse exists on the internet en masse all the time, so is it its unexpected arrival? Within the picture, is it the fact that Emi is a teacher, a woman or that she's unapologetic, too? Both queries speak to ideas long internalised about what we see where, who we allow to do what, and the power that comes from enforcing arbitrary and hypocritical judgements about supposed immorality and obscenity. Indeed, loving, animated, costumed and sex toy-aided intercourse between a married couple in the privacy of their own home is the nicest thing that graces Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn — until the feature's glorious climax, that is. What follows the intimate clip is a razor-sharp satire of a world that's so indifferent to so much ghastliness and so often, yet remains so unaccepting of carnality and so quick to use it as a reason to unbridle our worst sniping impulses. The film wields that notion as a weapon, all as Emi and Bucharest's other residents also navigate the pandemic. Jude could've set his scorching feature at any time, but overtly drawing attention to the daily behaviour that's been accepted while the globe battles a decimating virus — and the fact that some here would rather fixate on a different and trivial kind of viral spread — makes a blunt but perceptive point. Accordingly, in the cinema verite-style first section, Emi rushes around the city on foot, going about an ordinary day that morphs into anything but. Actually, given that she learns of the sex tape backlash while surrounded by everyday hostilities and vulgarities, this chapter reinforces an ugly truth: that the performatively horrified responses from the parents of Emi's students are all too routine. Then, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn's second act unleashes scathing and playful cine-essay snippets about the country's past, the planet's present, human behaviour — often at its most atrocious — and how porn is used as both a scapegoat and an anaesthetic. Lastly, a mask-wearing Emi is interrogated and publicly humiliated by parents and teachers, their punitive savagery and blatant sanctimoniousness on full display. Read our full review. THE UNFORGIVABLE There's a sense of symmetry to the fact that Netflix drama The Unforgivable marks Sandra Bullock's first movie in three years — since she last graced the big screen in Ocean's 8 and also starred in the streaming platform's hit Bird Box, both in 2018. After winning her Best Actress Oscar back in 2009 for The Blind Side, Bullock has appeared on-screen sparingly, featuring in just seven films over that period; however, when she puts in a phenomenal performance, she's as excellent as ever. In The Unforgivable, she does haunted, dead-eyed and determined like it's second nature, playing against-type as a woman just released from prison after a 20-year stint for murder. That said, she's also one of the best things about a movie that's almost everything else enough — serviceable-enough, watchable-enough, engaging-enough, compelling-enough — as it tracks an overstuffed redemption quest. Bullock's Ruth Slater has had two decades to stew on the incident that sent her to prison: the killing of a sheriff (W Earl Brown, No Man of God) who was trying to evict her and her then five-year-old sister Katie (Neli Kastrinos, Yellowjackets) from their family's farmhouse following their father's suicide. Upon getting out, she's warned by her parole officer (Rob Morgan, The United States vs Billie Holiday) about the difficulties of reintegrating back into normality, but finding her sibling (Aisling Franciosi, The Nightingale) is the sole thing on her mind. That's complicated by Katherine's lack of memory of anything before her adoption, and her protective new parents (Succession's Linda Emond and The Comey Rule's Richard Thomas). And, while there's enough meat in that family reunion saga for the film's plot, that's only one of its threads. Screenwriters Peter Craig (Bad Boys for Life), Hillary Seitz (Eagle Eye) and Courtenay Miles (Mindhunter) have adapted The Unforgivable from three-part 2009 UK TV series Unforgiven; hence the jam-packed storyline that feels as if it's unwilling to trust that just one or two of its subplots could garner an emotional response. Also included: the stigma of life as a convicted cop-killer, a label that follows Ruth's every move; the sheriff's now-grown sons (Wonder Wheel's Tom Guiry and Dickinson's Will Pullen) and their revenge plans; a tentative connection with a colleague (Jon Bernthal, The Many Saints of Newark) at the fish factory where she works nights; the couple of well-off lawyers (The Suicide Squad's Viola Davis and Godfather of Harlem's Vincent D'Onofrio) who now live in the Snohomish County home that started all her trouble; and a secret that Ruth's been carrying for years. Davis is sorely underused, but also exceptional in her few scenes, carving out as much space as she can in a film that always seems hurried. There should be urgency to The Unforgivable, of course, given Ruth's desperate focus on reconnecting with her sister, but there's a sensation of rushing rather than immediacy. Still, thanks to her two biggest female names — with one yearning yet closed off, and the other segueing from affronted to understanding, Bullock and Davis' scenes together are repeated highlights — filmmaker Nora Fingscheidt (System Crasher) ensures that neither tension nor intensity is lacking in her English-language debut. With cinematographer Guillermo Navarro (Dolittle), she also smartly mines the parallels between Seattle's grey climes and the many shades in Ruth's restarted life, but The Unforgivable still never manages to quite match its best elements. BEST SELLERS Best Sellers is the latest case of casting-by-internet, or so it seems, at least: pairing up Aubrey Plaza and Michael Caine smacks of a feverish film Twitter dream. They both turn in fine performances, too, with the former coming off career-best work in Black Bear to play independent publishing house editorial director Lucy Stanbridge, and the latter getting a meatier role than his last Christopher Nolan-directed bit-part (that'd be Tenet) as cantankerous writer Harris Shaw. Lucy needs a big bestseller to save the business, which she took over from her father. Harris has been typing out manuscripts for the five decades since his sole success, which made the elder Stanbridge, but hasn't submitted the one he's under contract for to the company. Enter Lucy's solution to her pressing problem, and one that the reclusive Harris only goes along with because he's short on cash. Knowing how Best Sellers will turn out is as easy as knowing which marks the always-likeable Plaza and Caine usually hit. Indeed, it's knowing why their team-up instantly sounds like a winner on paper — she's acerbic, albeit in a slightly lighter mode than seen in her breakthrough Parks and Recreation role, while he relishes being a curmudgeonly, outdated drunk who yells "bullshite!" so much that it's soon a viral catchphrase. There's plenty to like about their scenes together, especially when sweetness seeps into the surrogate grandfather-granddaughter bond that develops while Lucy and Harris are on tour spruiking his new book anywhere and everywhere they can. In their solo moments, they both find rich notes of yearning and melancholy in their unlikely duo, too, cementing the film's tender but comic look at odd-couple kindred spirits. Nevertheless, while boasting its own shelf of charms, Best Sellers is more standard than stellar. Mostly, actor-turned-directing first-timer Lina Roessler and screenwriter Anthony Grieco, a fellow thespian-turned-debutant, remain happy doing the minimum — which is understandable when you have Plaza and Caine leading the show, but keeps the film from cutting as deeply as it could. There's hints of savvy savageness in Harris' rallying against the literary world, the commerce of publishing and everything that comes with being a celebrity, although it always sticks to the expected. The same applies in Lucy's willingness to rethink the usual relationship between art and money in order to get the new book, The Future Is X-Rated, to strike a chord with readers as the pair make dive bars their offices on their cross-country road trip. A movie can be nice and neat at once, and for one to be a pro while the other proves a con — and this is one of those movies. Even though it could've been so much more, Roessler's feature is an easy, undemanding and cosy watch, and its soft hues ensure that feeling remains as plain as an all-caps book cover. Best Sellers is also far too eager to stick to cliches, including that aforementioned gentle visual approach, which feels bluntly tailored to the weekday matinee crowd. Time might be against them — he's 88 now, and made it sound as if he might be done with acting while doing real-life promotional duties for Best Sellers, although he then walked that back — but here's hoping that Plaza and Caine get a second on-screen chance. Their first collaboration definitely whets the appetite for more; in fact, that's the firmest imprint it leaves. STRAY In gorgeous and glorious 2016 documentary Kedi, Istanbul's stray cats received their moment in the cinematic spotlight, and also expressed much about the Turkish city and its human inhabitants in the process. The result was perfect — purrfect, even — regardless of whether you're normally a feline fan. Indeed, it's the defining movie about mousers, and also about their relationship with both places and people (even trying to put the likes of Garfield, Cats, A Street Cat Named Bob and its sequel A Christmas Gift from Bob, some of cinema's other go-to kitties, in the same company is thoroughly pointless). With Stray, it's now their canine counterparts' time to shine, so animal-adoring film lovers can spread their love between cats and dogs equally. Where Kedi elicited purrs of elation, this dog-centric delight is a piece of tail-waggingly tender and thoughtful cinema, too. Istanbul isn't just an arbitrary choice of setting for this compassionate film; it has a 'no kill, no capture' law when it comes to the dogs roaming its streets, which is why there's more than 100,000 of them scampering around. That leaves documentarian Elizabeth Lo spoiled for choice, but she only spends time with a few of those woofers. They span street veterans Zeytin and Nazar, both of whom prowl the pavement as comfortably as they would someone's home, as well as puppy Kartal. As they sniff and scurry their way through their days, Lo stitches together a perceptive and textured portrait of their lives, of the city around them, and of the people who help and are helped by them — and, just like in Kedi (which she wasn't affiliated with at all), there's plenty of two-legged Istanbulites who prove forever changed by these canines' presence. Here, there's a group of young street-dwelling Syrian refugees that are especially touched by Zeytin, Nazar and Kartal as well. Making her first full-length film after a background in doco shorts, the director/cinematographer/editor lets her four-legged subjects be the stars, even though humans are an inescapable part of their existence. Lo is also happy to let her audience observe her furry heroes. More than that, she frequently places the camera at canine height so that viewers feel as if they're seeing the world through a dog's eyes, or getting as close as they can (far closer than simply watching your own pet on a home video, for instance). Forget saccharine Hollywood flicks that use that idea as a gimmick (see: A Dog's Purpose and A Dog's Journey — or, better yet, don't see them because they're terrible). In Stray, immersion and insight are the key aims. And, they're feats that the soulful and contemplative movie repeatedly, patiently and ruminatively delivers. The result is a doggie treat of a crisply lensed doco, and one of the biggest joys of both Kedi and Stray alike is the sensory experience that comes with their on-the-ground approach. Neither movie merely wants to just show audiences how their chosen animals live, but to convey as much detail as possible — which is where that canny camerawork, and also the feature's naturalistic soundscape, barks loudest. Some elements of Stray do strive a little too hard to resonate, though, such as its philosophical quotes about dogs and composer Ali Helnwein's score. But just as it's impossible to begrudge a pooch for being too energetic, it's difficult to fault a film this shrewd, earnest and heartfelt about the crucial role that canines inhabit in human civilisation, the many ways we benefit, and the sheer magic of a pure pupper-people connection. CRY MACHO Clint Eastwood has already had his animal phase, thanks to 1978's Every Which Way but Loose and 1980's Any Which Way You Can. At the age of 91, he's already had almost every phase in his career he's going to both in front of and behind the lens. Still, with Cry Macho, he takes the road already well-travelled by seemingly every other on-screen action star and tough guy. Eastwood has been far more than that across his filmography, but he's now buddying up with a child as everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vin Diesel to Dwayne Johnson and Liam Neeson have before him. Indeed, Cry Macho overtly resembles one of the latter's most recent movies, The Marksman, which only hit cinemas earlier in 2021. It stemmed from a former Eastwood collaborator, in fact, and felt like it should've starred him — which leaves his latest following in its footsteps. They aren't impressive footsteps to retread, although Eastwood and screenwriter Nick Schenk (a veteran of the actor/director's Gran Torino and The Mule) help imbue their feature with more depth than its predecessor. Their approach is straightforward and easy, yet it works, in no small part because seeing Eastwood stride across the frame always brings his wealth of prior roles to mind. Cry Macho leans into and toys with that past. That's an apt move in another way, given that this film could've been made with this star/helmer in the 80s, but he passed on it. Schwarzenegger also cycled in and out of the project a decade ago, but it seems this movie needed to wait for Eastwood. The throwback vibe it sports — that comes as much from it being penned by N Richard Nash in the 70s, rejected as a screenplay, then turned into a novel, as from being set in 1979 and 1980. A rodeo star whose life changed via injury (his own) and tragedy (losing his wife and son), Mike Milo (Eastwood) is content enough with his quiet twilight years. Alas, his old boss Howard (country singer Dwight Yoakam) now says that the cowboy owes him a favour. The rancher's teenage son Rafo (Eduardo Minett, La rosa de Guadalupe) apparently needs rescuing from his mother (Fernanda Urrejola, Party of Five), and Mike is the man reluctantly tasked with travelling to Mexico City to carry out the job. Unsurprisingly, the situation isn't as clearcut as Howard contends, with corrupt Federales, car thieves and other unhappy strangers on their path all muddying the road home even further. But a forced stopover in a small town, where cantina owner Marta (Natalia Traven, Soulmates) becomes the new female influence in their lives, helps forge a rapport. There's also a rooster called Macho, which is Rafo's best friend and his source of income via cockfighting — and the reason that Eastwood growls out the line "if a guy wants to name his cock Macho, that's fine with me". Mike doesn't take to the fowl at first but, of course, his way with animals is one of his defining traits. Cry Macho's chief struggle — its balance of what gleams and what's trite — shines through in this rooster relationship. There's something moving in the bond that obviously forms between Mike and Macho, as it does between Mike and Rafo, but it's also happy to be overly mawkish. The film looks the sun-drenched western part, and Eastwood plays his own part with grizzled grace; however, those uneasy balancing acts just keep popping up. Here, reflecting on what it really means to be macho and a hero goes hand in hand with writing off sexually confident women and having the movie's two primary female characters basically throw themselves at Eastwood, for instance. PALAZZO DI COZZO If Franco Cozzo was to spruik Palazzo Di Cozzo the same way he's promoted his baroque furniture business over the decades, he'd likely repeat one phrase: "grand documentary, grand documentary, grand documentary." He'd do so because that's what he's known for, and because his ads peppered with "grand sale, grand sale, grand sale" are a part of Melbourne's history, even inspiring a single that hit the charts. On the city's TV screens, Cozzo has been the face of his eponymous homewares store, so much so that he's a local celebrity. His lively exclamations fill much of this doco, too, through archival clips, observational footage of him at work and a to-camera interview. In the latter chat, he sits on one of the ornate chairs he's made a fortune selling, and answers interview questions like he's holding court — and for Melburnians familiar with his name and citywide fame, and for the uninitiated elsewhere, Palazzo Di Cozzo explains both the reason he's regarded as such a prominent personality. Written and directed by feature-length first-timer Madeleine Martiniello (The Unmissables), the result is a film about the hardworking jump its subject took from arriving in Australia from Sicily in 1956 to becoming part of the cultural fabric of his new home. Speaking about the mural painted of Cozzo in Footscray, graffiti artist Heesco notes that his tale is "the migrant dream"; however, while this affectionate film happily stresses that point, it also blissfully takes the easiest route. As a straightforward chronicle that covers the basics — who Cozzo is, what he's done, and also where, when, why and how — Palazzo Di Cozzo ticks the expected boxes in an informative and engaging-enough fashion. It tracks his story from making the move to Melbourne by boat and starting out as a door-to-door salesman, through to his 70s and 80s heyday, his frequent media presence, and his standing today. It lets his personality lead the way, too. And, the film also spends some of its early moments chatting to people who've decked out their houses with his wares, or watched their parents to do the same, to underscore what the rococo aesthetic has meant to Italian expats as an opulent slice of home. But even when one interviewee is in tears recounting how hard her mum and dad must've worked to spend $17,000 on Cozzo furniture in the 70s, there's always a sense that Palazzo Di Cozzo isn't scratching as deep as it should. The documentary doesn't avoid moments that Cozzo would rather forget, and even shows him getting irate when questioning heads in a direction he doesn't like; however, it also indulges rather than interrogates the persona that's leapt up around him over the years. Cue too many instances of people parroting his style of English back to him, and indulging a cartoonish stereotype — and very little effort to understand why that's the image Cozzo chose, what his popularity for playing that part says about Australia and its attitudes towards migrants, and also what the nostalgia afforded his way now says as well. Palazzo Di Cozzo is now screening in Sydney and Melbourne after opening in Brisbane earlier in the year when New South Wales and Victoria were in lockdown. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29; August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; and November 4, November 11 and November 18. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Herself, Little Joe, Black Widow, The Sparks Brothers, Nine Days, Gunpowder Milkshake, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Old, Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou and The Rescue.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. SHE SAID Questions flow freely in She Said, the powerful and methodical All the President's Men and Spotlight-style newspaper drama that tells the story behind the past decade's biggest entertainment story. On-screen, Zoe Kazan (Clickbait) and Carey Mulligan (The Dig) tend to be doing the asking, playing now Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. They query Harvey Weinstein's actions, including his treatment of women. They gently and respectfully press actors and Miramax employees about their traumatic dealings with the Hollywood honcho, and they politely see if some — if any — will go on the record about their experiences. And, they question Weinstein and others at his studio about accusations that'll lead to this famous headline: "Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades". As the entire world read at the time, those nine words were published on October 5, 2017, along with the distressing article that detailed some — but definitely not all — of Weinstein's behaviour. Everyone has witnessed the fallout, too, with Kantor and Twohey's story helping spark the #MeToo movement, electrifying the ongoing fight against sexual assault and gender inequality in the entertainment industry, and shining a spotlight on the gross misuses of authority that have long plagued Tinseltown. The piece also brought about Weinstein's swift downfall. As well as being sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York in 2020, he's currently standing trial for further charges in Los Angeles. Watching She Said, however, more questions spring for the audience. Here's the biggest heartbreaker: how easily could Kantor and Twohey's article never have come to fruition at all, leaving Weinstein free to continue his predatory harassment? In a female-driven movie on- and off-screen — including director Maria Schrader (I'm Your Man), screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Small Axe) and cinematographer Natasha Braier (Honey Boy) — She Said details all the moments where the pivotal piece of reporting could've been forced to take no for an answer, something that Weinstein wasn't known for. At the NYT, assistant managing editor Rebecca Corbett (Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects) and executive editor Dean Baquet (Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) are always supportive, starting when Kantor picks up the story, and continuing when she brings in Twohey fresh off an investigative article into Donald Trump's sexual misconduct. But, unsurprisingly, the women made victims by Weinstein are wary. Many also signed non-disclosure agreements. Kantor and Twohey's pitch: by speaking out and ideally going on the record, they can assist in ensuring that what they endured doesn't happen to anyone else. Knowing the end result, and the whole reason that She Said exists, doesn't dampen the film's potency or tension. Instead, it heightens the appreciation for the bravery of those who spoke out — at first and afterwards — and the care with which Kantor and Twohey handled their task. The two reporters knew that they were asking women to revisit their darkest traumas, make their worst ordeals public and take on a man who'd been untouchable for decades (with the spate of NDAs and settlements with many of his targets to prove it). Even Rose McGowan (voiced by The Plot Against America's Keilly McQuail) is hesitant; she's mentioned but not quoted in the final piece. Persevering to bring Weinstein's crimes to attention, Kantor and Twohey keep digging, and keep trying to persuade their potential interviewees — and She Said doubles as a lesson in compassionately and respectfully doing just that. Read our full review. BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS Everyone wants to be the person at the party that the dance floor revolves around, and life in general as well, or so Alejandro González Iñárritu contends in Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. In one of the film's many spectacularly shot scenes — with the dual Best Director Oscar-winning Birdman and The Revenant helmer benefiting from astonishing lensing by Armageddon Time cinematographer Darius Khondji — the camera swirls and twirls around Silverio Gama (Daniel Giménez Cacho, Memoria), the movie's protagonist, making him the only person that matters in a heaving crowd. Isolated vocals from David Bowie's 'Let's Dance' boom, and with all the more power without music behind them, echoing as if they're only singing to Silverio. Iñárritu is right: everyone does want a moment like this. Amid the intoxicating visuals and vibe, he's also right that such instances are fleeting. And, across his sprawling and surreal 159-minute flick, he's right that such basking glory and lose-yourself-to-dance bliss can never be as fulfilling as anyone wants. That sequence comes partway through Bardo, one of several that stun through sheer beauty and atmosphere, and that Iñárritu layers with the disappointment of being himself. Everyone wants to be the filmmaker with all the fame and success, breaking records, winning prestigious awards and conquering Hollywood, he also contends. Alas, when you're this Mexican director, that isn't as joyous or uncomplicated an experience as it sounds. On-screen, his blatant alter ego is a feted documentarian rather than a helmer of prized fiction. He's a rare Latino recipient of a coveted accolade, one of Bardo's anchoring events. He's known to make ambitious works with hefty titles — False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths is both the IRL movie's subtitle and the name of Silverio's last project — and he's been largely based in the US for decades. Yes, parallels abound. While dubbing Bardo as semi-autobiographical is one of the easiest ways to describe it, simplicity isn't one of its truths, even if the film champions the small things in life as existential essentials. Another easy way to outline Bardo: Silverio faces his choices, regrets and achievements as that shiny trophy looms, and ponders where his career has taken him, who it's made him and what that all means to him. From the filmmaker who first earned attention for telling narratives in a fractured, multi-part fashion (see: his debut Amores Perros, plus 21 Grams and Babel), and lately has loved roving and roaming cinematography that unfurls in the lengthiest of takes (see: Birdman and The Revenant), this was never going to be a straightforward affair, though. And so he weaves and wanders, and has the silver-haired Silverio do the same, while weighing up what's brought them both to this point. Bardo opens by visibly recalling Birdman, with a bounding force casting a shadow upon an arid land, but it's an early glimpse at a house from above that encapsulates Iñárritu's approach best. The home initially resembles a miniature, which Silverio then flits through — and, given its lead often segues between places and times like he's stepping through a doorway, the movie functions in the same manner. Sometimes, he's in a hospital corridor as his wife Lucía (Griselda Siciliani, The People Upstairs) gives birth to a baby boy who whispers that the world is too broken for him to want to live in, and is then pushed back into the womb. Or, he's picturing how a big TV interview with a bitter ex-colleague could go wrong, or shrinking down to childhood size to chat with his deceased father. Sometimes, Silverio is in Los Angeles holding a bag of axolotls, or striding through Mexico City streets that are empty except for corpses. Read our full review. GREENHOUSE BY JOOST When Joost Bakker helped pile 3000 kilograms of clothing waste in Melbourne's Federation Square in April 2022, all to draw attention to fast fashion, he viewed the project with his usual optimism. "Even if it's just one person who walks through that structure and gets inspired and comes up with a solution — that's what's so exciting," the renowned zero-waste campaigner noted. Those exact words could've been uttered about the venture at the centre of Greenhouse by Joost, too. A three-storey home made entirely out of recyclable materials that don't generate waste, and designed to operate as a closed food system with everything catered for onsite and not a scrap spared, it predates his spotlight on the textile industry. Clearly, it boasts the same sustainability focus. In fact, Bakker could've said the same thing about past pop-ups in the same spot over more than a decade, including fellow waste-free eateries also called Greenhouse since 2008. Scratch that — it isn't merely likely that the Dutch-born floral designer and activist could've expressed the same sentiments; it's certain he must've. Eliminating waste is Bakker's passion. Not wasting any time trying to put that aim into action is just as much of an obsession. His work doesn't merely talk the talk but walks the walk, and attempts to help the world see how crucial it is to reduce humanity's impact upon the earth. The habitable Greenhouse is quite the undertaking, though, given its purpose: building an abode that two people can get shelter, food, water and energy from, all in one cosy and clever self-sustaining ecosystem. Chefs Jo Barrett and Matt Stone (ex-Oakridge Wines) agreed to do the residing, and to put Bakker's Future Food System to the test. They were named among the world's 50 best next-generation hospitality leaders in 2021 for their efforts, for what's a vital, pioneering and fascinating enterprise. It's no wonder that filmmakers Rhian Skirving (Matilda & Me) and Bruce Permezel (The Obesity Myth) — both directing, the former writing and the latter lensing — were driven to document it. Shot since the conception and building stage, then chronicling the COVID-19 setbacks, the logistical and setup woes, and the daily reality of living in the structure, it's also no wonder that the resulting Melbourne International Film Festival Audience Award-winner makes such compelling viewing. Greenhouse by Joost is both a record and an aspirational tool: it shows what can and has been done and, as Bakker always hopes, it wants to get everyone watching following in his, Barrett and Stone's footsteps. Of course, for most, money will be a very real and practical obstacle. There's no doubting that Greenhouse stems from considerable resources, both in finances and time. But that's the thing with ambitions: they have us shooting for the stars, breaking our goals down into everyday pieces and finding ways to make even small parts of them happen. Evoking that exact response when it comes to making life's basics sustainable — what we eat and drink, where we stay and sleep, and how we power it all — is Bakker's aim, too. With Bakker as the film's on-screen guide, Greenhouse by Joost does just that itself as well, stepping through the idea and the execution like it's laying out a roadmap for its audience to chart. Viewers won't walk out of the doco ready to move into their own such dwelling, but learning plenty about the ingenious design, the bits and pieces that go into it, and the work required — to get it up, ready and operating smoothly, and also to have it function as a small-scale restaurant — comes with simply watching. Although the cooking, serving, welcoming in eager diners and sharing the titular building comes later in the movie, obviously, it's a crucial piece of the project overall and of Skirving and Permezel's feature. How much more doable does just living in the Greenhouse and taking care of yourself seem compared to running it as a mini eatery? Oh-so-much. How much easier does putting some of its principles to use in your own home seem, too? The answer remains the same. Read our full review. MILLIE LIES LOW A scene-stealer in 2018's The Breaker Upperers, Ana Scotney now leads the show in Millie Lies Low. She's just as magnetic. The New Zealand actor comes to the part via Wellington Paranormal, Shortland Street, Educators and Cousins — and the film first debuted at festivals before her role in God's Favourite Idiot — but it's an exceptional calling card. It isn't easy playing someone so committed to making such utterly questionable choices, yet remaining so charmingly relatable; however, that's Scotney's remit and achievement in this canny, savvy and amusing comedy. It also isn't easy to pull off the timing needed to highlight the hilarious side of Millie's hijinks, while ensuring that her woes, hopes and everything that's led her to lie low but lie about living it up remain understandable; consider her entire portrayal a masterclass in just that. Scotney plays the film's eponymous Wellington university student, who panics aboard a plane bound for New York — where a prestigious architecture internship awaits — and has to disembark before her flight leaves. She says she isn't anxious. She also says it isn't an attack. And by the time she realises what she's done, she's alone in the airport, the aircraft has departed and her own face beams down at her from a digital billboard. Even getting that Big Apple opportunity had made her the toast of the town, and huge things were meant to await, hence the ads and publicity. Now, a new ticket costs $2000, which Millie doesn't have. Admitting that she hasn't gone at all — to her family, friends, teachers, school and the NZ capital at large — wouldn't cost her a thing, but it's a price she isn't willing to pay. First, Millie endeavours to rustle up the cash from her best friend and classmate (Jillian Nguyen, Hungry Ghosts), and then her mother (Rachel House, Heartbreak High). Next, she hits up a quick-loan business (run by Cohen Holloway, The Power of the Dog) but is still left empty-handed. Millie's only solution, other than admitting the situation and facing the fallout: faking it till she makes it. As she searches for other ways to stump up the funds, she hides out in her hometown, telling everyone that she's actually already in NYC. To support her ruse, she posts elaborate faux Instagram snaps MacGyvered out of whatever she can find (big sacks of flour standing in for snow, for instance) and scours for every possible spot, building feature and poster that can even slightly double for New York. There's a caper vibe to Millie's efforts skulking around Wellington while attempting to finance the ticket to her apparent dreams. Sometimes, she's holed up in a tent in her mum's backyard. Sometimes, she's putting on a disguise and showing up at parties in her old flat — eavesdropping on what her mates are saying in her absence, and spying on the boyfriend (Chris Alosio, Troppo) she's meant to be on a break from. While she's doing the latter, she's also reclaiming the car she sold pre-trip to use as loan collateral, because she's that determined to get to America and leave her nearest and dearest none the wiser. Making her feature debut, director and co-writer Michelle Savill has more than just a laugh and a lark in her sights, though, as entertaining as Millie Lies Low's namesake's antics are. There's a caper vibe to the picture of Millie's supposedly perfect existence that she's trying to push upon herself as much as her loved ones as well, like she's selling herself on an unwanted fantasy. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on August 4, August 11, August 18 and August 25; September 1, September 8, September 15, September 22 and September 29; October 6, October 13, October 20 and October 27; and November 3 and November 10. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess, 6 Festivals, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Crimes of the Future, Bosch & Rockit, Fire of Love, Beast, Blaze, Hit the Road, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Orphan: First Kill, The Quiet Girl, Flux Gourmet, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Moonage Daydream, Ticket to Paradise, Clean, You Won't Be Alone, See How They Run, Smile, On the Count of Three, The Humans, Don't Worry Darling, Amsterdam, The Stranger, Halloween Ends, The Night of the 12th, Muru, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, Black Adam, Barbarian, Decision to Leave, The Good Nurse, Bros, The Woman King, Sissy, Armageddon Time, The Wonder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Velvet Queen.
Bistro Rex's Nick and Kirk Mathews-Bowden have teamed up with Chef Ben Sears (Paper Bird, Moon Park) to open Ezra — a love letter to Tel Aviv, a city on Israel's Mediterranean coast. The trio hopes to bring a taste of this city Kings Cross, where Ezra has opened inside an old terrace house. Its design takes cues from Tel Aviv's byzantine and bauhaus architecture, with many curves and lots of earthy tones. The space boasts two plant-filled courtyards — one out back and one in the front — a long walnut bar and a large mosaic archway, made using handmade Lebanese tiles. Floral sculptor Tracy Deep makes dried native arrangements for the space, too, while local artist Amy Hunter has created original pieces for the walls. Apart from table seating, diners can pull up a stool at both the bar and in front of the open kitchen. Expect family-style dining here, with the menu split into small snacks, salads and larger charcoal-grilled dishes. On the snacks front, there's spanner crab falafel ($6), gildas with salmon pastrami and pickled chilli ($5) and hummus with smoked egg ($14). We think the latter is best scooped up with pita ($4) or a Jerusalem bagel ($5). Larger dishes include chicken baked in vine leaf ($29), lamb shoulder and prune tagine ($29) and roast cauliflower with haloumi ($17), while desserts feature the likes of almond milk panna cotta ($12) and an ice cream baklava sandwich ($7). [caption id="attachment_791590" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] At Moon Park and Paper Bird, Sears was known for his riffs on Korean, Japanese and Chinese dishes, and he's incorporating some of those flavours into the dishes at Ezra, too. The whole flounder ($39), for example, is cooked in chickpea miso. To accompany the food, a relatively succinct wine list spans both "natural" and "nostalgic", meaning you can get pét-nats, orange and minimal-intervention wines alongside a classic chablis. Apart from wine, there's a short cocktail list, created by a friend from Melbourne's Black Pearl. On it is a paloma ($20), a limonana ($20) — a gin-spiked Israeli mint lemonade that's been shaken with lemon sorbet — and a play on a Brazilian batida de coco ($20). That last one is a dark rum-based drink similar to a piña colada, but the Ezra version uses natural yoghurt instead of coconut milk. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ekw85OqJck THE WITCHES What's the one thing that every movie remake has in common? No matter how it turns out, the original film still exists. So, if the latest version doesn't cast a spell, you can return to the old one — revisiting it, appreciating it anew and steeping yourself in nostalgia in the process. That's worth remembering regarding the latest screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches, even with writer/director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Polar Express) and co-writers Kenya Barris (Black-ish, Girls Trip) and Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water's) involved. Its main achievement: reminding everyone just how great the previous screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's book from back in 1990 still is. It might be unfair to think that some remakes only eventuate because a studio executive thought it was time to wring some more cash out of a beloved story, but that's how this movie feels. It's simultaneously broader and tamer — including Anne Hathaway's (Dark Waters) over-the-top performance as the Grand High Witch, although she does appear to be enjoying herself immensely — and it radiates big pantomime energy. Indeed, there's a lack of overall magic in The Witches, either of the twisted or charming type (unless sending viewers clamouring to find wherever the original is currently streaming counts). A few things have changed in this fresh iteration. It's 1968, and the the film's unnamed young protagonist (Jahzir Bruno, The Christmas Chronicles 2) moves to Alabama to live with his grandmother (Octavia Spencer, Onward) after his parents are killed in a car accident. He's grief-stricken, but they bond over her shocking revelation: that witches exist, they're everywhere, they despise children and she has experience with them. Also, once a witch sets their sights on a kid, it never lets up. That's why, after one crosses the boy's path, grandma whisks him off to "the swankiest resort in Alabama", where she's certain they'll be safe among rich white folks. Of course, she couldn't have predicted that the group of women that have taken over the Grand Orleans Imperial Island Hotel's ballroom — the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, apparently — are all witches. Or, that the Grand High Witch is in attendance, unveiling a plan to turn every kid in the world into a rodent via a potion called 'Formula 86 Delayed Action Mouse-Maker'. Much that has endeared The Witches to readers and viewers over the years remains in the latest film, but tinkering with the details and tone makes an unfortunate impact. Brimming as it is with bright colours and overdone CGI, the new version of The Witches favours gloss and shine over chills and potential nightmares. Everything here is overt to an in-your-face extreme, and also far less intricate and much more bland. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8DT_zVzxhk THE FURNACE At this point in Australia's cinema history, audiences can be forgiven for wondering if homegrown movies have unearthed and told every tale there is to be found among the vast outback. The answer: an overwhelming no, especially when Aussie filmmakers traverse the country's sunburnt and sprawling expanse to explore stories steeped in our problematic past. The Furnace is one such movie that proves the point. The first feature from writer/director Roderick MacKay, the gold rush-era western serves up a powerful interrogation of Australia as a multicultural nation — harking back to 1897, to Western Australia, and to a time when transporting freight around the country relied upon a network of cameleers trekking across the desert. The men covering great distances to move goods from one place to another hailed from India, Afghanistan and Persia, were largely of Muslim and Sikh faith, and were badged together under the label 'Ghan' by white Aussies. They were treated poorly, except by Indigenous Australians. And, they're a real but oft-forgotten part of the nation's story, so much so that The Furnace will introduce their existence to many viewers for the first time. That's just one of this vividly shot, exceptionally acted film's achievements, though. Another: posing the kinds of questions about our national identity that we should always be asking. Afghan cameleer Hanif (Ahmed Malek, Clash) didn't choose to come to Australia, or to take up this line of work. So, when he witnesses the death of his mentor at the hands of a white man, he's eager to find a way to get the cash he needs to return home. The Indigenous Yamatji Badimia people he often spends time with on his travels, including leader Coobering (Trevor Jamieson, Storm Boy) and Hanif's friend Woorak (Baykali Ganambarr, The Nightingale), suggest that he stays and joins them instead. But, after stumbling across injured thief Mal (David Wenham, Dirt Music), he's determined to use half of his new acquaintance's stolen Crown-marked gold bars to finance his escape and leave the life he hates behind. Troopers led by the fervent Sergeant Shaw (Jay Ryan, IT: Chapter Two) are swiftly on the unlikely pair's trail; however, Hanif and Mal keep traipsing towards the eponymous smelter, where Mal promises they'll be able to melt down the precious metal and remove any trace of the government's ownership. Following Hanif's journey — physically, and emotionally and spiritually as well — The Furnace is a patient film. It's a meat pie western through and through, applying the western genre's trademarks to an Australian context, and it joins The Proposition, Sweet Country and the aforementioned The Nightingale as one of the best 21st-century examples. MacKay spies the beauty and the imperfections in Australia's arid, dusty landscape, as many filmmakers have before, but he also never lets the flaws in our national character that are made plain by this chapter of history ever fall out of view. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb8ZbP6qAzE&feature=youtu.be THE MIDNIGHT SKY The Midnight Sky is George Clooney's first film role in four years (since 2016's Hail, Caesar! and Money Monster), so it's fitting that he's at his most bearded and reclusive within its frames. This sci-fi drama also joins the small but significant list of features that combine the star and space, following Solaris and Gravity — and there's something particularly alluring and absorbing about seeing Clooney get existential, as all movies that reach beyond earth's surface tend to. He clearly agrees, because he not only leads The Midnight Sky but also directs it as well. This is a big-thinking and big-feeling film, with its characters grappling with life, love and loss. It boasts aptly pensive and probing cinematography, too; however, both on-and off-screen, Clooney is the key. When the movie spends time with astronauts onboard the spaceship Aether, including the pregnant Sully (Felicity Jones, On the Basis of Sex), ship commander Adewole (David Oyelowo, Gringo), veteran pilot Mitchell (Kyle Chandler, Godzilla: King of the Monsters), and other crew members Sanchez (Demián Bichir, The Grudge) and Maya (Tiffany Boone, Hunters), it's at its most generic. Indeed, when it ventures to space, The Midnight Sky almost screams for either Clooney to head there as well, or for the feature to plummet back down to earth to join him once more. The actor/filmmaker plays workaholic research scientist Dr Augustine Lofthouse and, although The Midnight Sky rockets beyond the earth, it doesn't send its protagonist there. Instead, in 2049, after an environmental disaster has made the planet uninhabitable, he chooses to remain in the Arctic as his colleagues evacuate. He's dying anyway, and frequently hooks himself up to machines for treatment — in between downing whiskey, watching old movies, eating cereal and talking to himself. Then, interrupting his lonely decline, two things change his status quo. Firstly, a young girl (debutant Caoilinn Springall) mysteriously pops up out of nowhere, refusing to speak but obviously needing an adult's care. Secondly, Augustine realises that he'll have to trek across the oppressively icy terrain outside to connect via radio to Aether's crew, who've been on a two-year mission to ascertain whether newly discovered Jupiter moon K-23 can support life, and are now making their return unaware of what's been happening at home. The space movie genre is as busy as the sky above is vast, and The Midnight Sky proves familiar as a result, delivering plenty of elements that viewers have seen before — but this isn't merely an exercise in flinging together derivative parts. While this isn't Clooney's greatest achievement as a director in general or as an actor in a space flick, it's still an involving, engaging and poignant addition to his resume on both counts. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij8m_XQ_J2E WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS When it comes to portraying illness of either the physical or mental kind, Hollywood doesn't have the greatest track record. Case in point: this year's awful All My Life, a cancer-fuelled weepie that decided it'd rather focus on the girlfriend of its sickness-stricken character — who is based on a real-life person — than on the man fighting to survive. Accordingly, by actually directing its attention towards Adam (Charlie Plummer, Lean on Pete), a high schooler who is diagnosed with schizophrenia in his senior year, Words on Bathroom Walls immediately demonstrates a willingness to actually engage with its protagonist's predicament. The film is based on a YA novel by Julia Walton, rather than on reality, but it sees Adam as a person rather than a reason that someone else's existence increases in drama. That's a pivotal move by filmmaker Thor Freudenthal (Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters) and first-time screenwriter Nick Naveda, and one that improves their movie immensely. But Words on Bathroom Walls doesn't completely avoid cliches and tropes. Instead, it saves them for the usual teenage experiences, serving up everything from bullying classmates to first kisses, prom night antics and graduation chaos as Adam doesn't just try to cope with his condition, but with testing every treatment option there is, and also navigating the disappointments and the side effects. Adam's struggles begin in science class, where he has traumatic hallucinations, injures a friend and gets expelled. Seeing people who aren't there isn't new to him but, with the incident badged a psychotic break, his mother Beth (Molly Parker, Deadwood) devotes every waking hour to finding him the best care — when she isn't spending time with the new boyfriend, Paul (Walton Goggins, Fatman), that Adam doesn't like. For the teen himself, he's most concerned about chasing his dreams. He wants to be a chef, but he needs to get his diploma to get into his chosen culinary course. The local private school agrees to let him attend, as long as he undertakes a specific treatment plan and doesn't trouble his peers with his illness. Consequently, when he meets the studious and resourceful Maya (Taylor Russell, Waves), he keeps his condition to himself, even as a friendship and something more springs. At its core, Words on Bathroom Walls endeavours to address and break down the stigma that surrounds schizophrenia and mental illness, a feat that it perkily but thoughtfully achieves. Still, there's no missing the fact that it squeezes its empathetic intentions — and its narrative in general, and Adam's plight within it — into a well-worn teen formula. While Words on Bathroom Walls still succeeds where many other movies about health struggles fail, thanks in no small part to excellent performances all-round from Plummer, Russell, Parker and Goggins, its need to fit a template threatens to undercut its sensitive approach to its subject. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uIUUKZsEUY&feature=emb_logo ARCHENEMY Looking for a world where superheroes don't exist? Archenemy travels between two dimensions, or so the often whiskey-swilling Max Fist (Joe Manganiello, Rampage) claims, and finds the super-strong figure in both of them. That said, Fist could be a fallen fighter from another realm who is trying to stop his nemesis Cleo (Amy Seimetz, The Secrets We Keep). Or, he could be a homeless person with problem — or someone about to start waging a crusade for the forces of good after teaming up with siblings Hamster (Skylan Brooks, Empire) and Indigo (Zolee Griggs, Bit). Fist joins forces with the latter duo after Hamster starts pestering him to tell his story. The teen, who has the word 'fiction' tattooed across his face, is trying to land a photojournalism job at a clickbait-chasing website called Trendible (and to go viral doing so), and thinks that Fist could be his ticket. Their new camaraderie is reluctant on elder man's part, but he's willing to talk about his alternate-universe home world of Chromium to anyone will listen. However, complications arrive via Indigo, who works as a drug dealer for a seedy figure known only as The Manager (Glenn Howerton, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia). Although she's trying to earn enough money to send Hamster back to school, she's soon immersed deep in murky gangster business. One of the small joys of this low-key caped crusader affair is that writer/director Adam Egypt Mortimer (Daniel Isn't Real) and his co-screenwriter Luke Passmore (Slaughterhouse Rulez) aren't trying to tell the usual story, or to make it fit the usual boxes — as the fact that Fist's tale could go one of several ways illustrates. Also impressive, as well as visually striking: the hot pink and black animation that literally illustrates Fist's narrative back on Chromium, and nods to the page origins of the superhero genre at the same time. Still, Archenemy is a mixed bag of a movie. It's trying to serve up a thematic and narrative mixed bag on purpose, but that quest spills over to unintended areas. The film strives to add something different to an overpopulated field, for example, but swiftly brings the likes of Hancock and Super to mind. It attempts to subvert a plethora of recognisable tropes, but also leans on a swathe of them itself. It features a moody performance by Manganiello that screams for more screen time (and, yes, more movies), but tasks Howerton and Seimetz with being cartoonish in a one-note manner. As its actors demonstrate, Archenemy often seems as if it's hedging its bets, trying to offer something more grounded than the usual superhero blockbuster but also more outlandish at the same time — and, while often messily entertaining and definitely benefiting from an attention-grabbing score, it doesn't ever find the ideal balance. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom and Sound of Metal. Images: The Midnight Sky, Philippe Antonello/Netflix.
Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a celebration of long-standing tradition that is, first and foremost, a way for communities to honour family and friends who have passed on. But the holiday has also come to represent the very best of Mexican culture — from the tasty food to the elaborate costumes, motifs and music. So Carbòn, from the people behind Bondi's Taqiza, is jumping on board and celebrating in true Mexican style by throwing an extravagant three-day fiesta. Across October 31–November 2, you'll be knee-deep in festive cheer with traditional rituals, an abundance of mouthwatering Mexican food and ice-cold cocktails. Day one of the fiesta is the 'Day of the Dead Tamales Feast', where there'll be a special tamales menu paired with themed agave cocktails. Things ramp up on day two with a special ticketed event ($100 per person) featuring live music, costumes, face painting and a five-course menu paired with mezcal cocktails. The menu is based on authentic dishes originally created by Mexican nuns from the 17th century, who are now considered the architects of upscale Mexican cuisine. On the final day, Carbòn will host a 'Moles and Woodfire Festival', where traditional moles (those tasty thick sauces) will be served up with platters of wood-fired meat skewers, tortillas and toppings. Along with its three-day celebration, the restaurant is giving a nod to this year's NAIDOC theme, 'because of her, we can', and dedicating the altar or oftrenda to trailblazing women throughout history — think Frida Kahlo, Chavela Vargas and adelitas (rebel women who fought during the Mexican revolution). Designed by Mexican artist Raquel Duron, this shrine will include floral arrangements, candles and crosses, plus, guests are invited to add photos of important women that they wish to honour. To get involved in the Carbòn's day of the dead festivities, reserve a table online.
Staircases are structures which most of us use everyday without a second thought. But like most pieces of design, a healthy dose of intelligence and inventiveness can always be injected. With a little creative flair, staircases can become the focal point of a room, a structure of dual purpose with storage capabilities, or even a type of artistic sculpture, which goes above and beyond and it's simple architectural function. Here are ten of the most innovative and incredible staircases in the world. Jagged Wooden Staircase This staggered staircase is a highly effective use of space as it not only includes storage areas within each step, but the size of the rise is also twice that of the run. Despite appearing somewhat dangerous, these stairs made by Swedish architects Gabriella Gustafson and Mattias Stahlbom are actually both comfortable and safe. Storybook Staircase Adding the spines of your favourite storybook classics to your household staircase is a fantastic and original way to add some flavour to an otherwise boring structure. Share your stair-climbing adventures with Tom Sawyer, Peter Pan or Mowgli to ensure you never have a dull ascent of the stairs again. Lello Bookshop Staircase This beautifully ornate staircase appears in the Lello Bookshop in Portugal. The smooth lines of the stairs and railings glide seamlessly over each other as they part and rejoin and fold over each other to create a magnificent grand staircase. Tate Modern Slide Staircase Carsten Höller is an incredibly unique designer who has undertaken many exciting and interactive projects such as flying machines, frisbee houses, and sliding staircases. The above photo depicts Höller's spiral staircase at the Tate Modern Exhibition in London as part of the Unilever series. Höller is interested in the spectacle of watching people spiral down these 'slides for adults', as well as the 'inner spectacle' one has as they hurtle down the delightful structures. Light Bulb Staircase Captured perfectly by Dennis Fischer, this staircase is a marvel of art, architecture and ingenuity. Bookshelf Staircase This white bookshelf staircase provides the perfect storage space for books and ornaments. Rather than having the awkwardly sized cupboard under the stairs or a wall of wasted space, this bookshelf is a much more effective and aesthetically pleasing solution of what to do with the area beneath a staircase. Void Staircase Chic, clean and seemingly floating in mid-air, this void staircase designed by Guido Ciompi provides a novel way for guests at The Gray Hotel in Milan to ascend and descend stairs. Whilst also providing its functional purpose, the staircase is a pioneering design that is becoming much more popular in residential settings. Spiral Staircase to Nowhere This spiral staircase in Munich goes exactly where its name suggests. Wall Stairs Not only an effective use of space, these wall spaces are also a clever way to block off upstairs areas from unwanted visitors. The disappearing staircase design from Aaron Tang arose when he was asked to 'define what a door was and could be'. Undulating Steel Staircase The fluid strips of hot-rolled steel in the flagship Longchamps store in New York City were designed by Thomas Heatherwick, who is renowned for his unorthodox solutions to architectural problems. Here, he aimed to attract shoppers to the above-street-level store through the striking steel strips flowing smoothly upstairs. Tansu Cabinet Staircase This organic staircase is a seamless integration of functional stairs with a wooden cabinet set. The structure assimilates perfectly to the warm decor of the room, thanks to the inspired design by Dan Morsheim from Dorset Custom Furniture. Flying Roller Coaster Staircase This roller coaster staircase is a a public art sculpture in Duisberg, Germany named 'Crouching Tiger and Turtle'. The intricate structure takes visitors on a wild spin - and pretty intense workout - over and around the steel and zinc construction to take in the sights of the surrounding area. We can thank Ulrich Genth and Heike Mutter for this innovative design, which took eight weeks to assemble.
For half a century, no trip to the Sunshine Coast has been complete without visiting a 16-metre-high pineapple. In 1983, even Princess Diana and the then-Prince Charles went there, as throngs of tourists have before and since. Stop by now and you'll still see a giant piece of tropical fruit, but one that's had a revamp, with the Queensland big thing officially reopening after undergoing renovations. Plenty of changes have been floated for The Big Pineapple and its 165-hectare site over the years, with a craft brewery, water park, and places to stay via an RV park, an eco resort and a hotel all among the ideas under the attraction's master plan. For now, however, owner Peter Kendall and his company CMC Property have focused on repairing and restoring the main highlight itself, as well giving the location's train the same treatment. The Big Pineapple has also scored a new cafe, new viewing platform and new children's playground. If the towering sight looks extra shiny — and ready to gleam in the obligatory snaps that everyone takes while they're in its presence — that's thanks to sandblasting, repairs and marine paint by the hundreds of litres. To get a good glimpse, that's where the new viewing platform comes in. Dating back to the 50s, the train now has a similar sheen after a restoration process, including to its carriages and track. "We are awaiting some final certification for the train and hope to start public train rides soon, providing rides across the property including access to Wildlife HQ," said Kendall, also mentioning the zoo with 200-plus species of animals that's been onsite since 2014. Stopping by The Big Pineapple hasn't just been about its fibreglass namesake for some time, given that TreeTop Challenge Sunshine Coast and its high-ropes courses and ziplines also calls it home. So does coconut foods producer COYO, as well as Sunshine & Sons distillery. Come October, The Big Pineapple Festival — the locale's music festival — will return for the first time since 2021. The fest started in 2013, then ran annually surrounded by pineapple fields until its present three-year break. Getting a ticket isn't just about seeing live tunes in the location's natural amphitheatres in such close proximity to The Big Pineapple, but also pitching a tent at event's 4000-person campground. [caption id="attachment_944026" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Big Pineapple, Alpha via Flickr[/caption] "The Big Pineapple is undoubtedly the most-recognisable tourism icon of the Sunshine Coast and so I am very proud of the team's work to restore the pineapple to its original glory," said Kendall. "This is just the first stage of the regeneration project. Our number-one priority was to reopen the main pineapple structure and cafe, and to get the train running again." "Our next priority is to complete the renovations to the inside of the pineapple structure itself and we hope to reopen it for tours later on." [caption id="attachment_698027" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anne and David via Flickr[/caption] Find The Big Pineapple at 76 Nambour Connection Road, Woombye, Queensland — open 8.30am–4pm daily. For more information, visit the attraction's website.
It's that time of year when Bondi swaps beach cabanas and swimwear for ferris wheels, art shows, live music and history walks — all components of the annual Bondi Festival. And with the Bondi Pavilion revamp complete, the festival is due for an epic homecoming in 2023 with more than two dozen events planned between Friday, June 30 and Sunday, June 16. The Bondi Vista Ferris Wheel is back to send riders soaring 32 metres above the iconic Bondi sand and waves throughout the festival. If you prefer your spinning a little closer to the ground, you can do just that at the Bondi Festival Ice Rink, the fan favourite pop-up that brings a little bit of winter magic to Sydney's eastern suburbs. [caption id="attachment_902724" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sinead McBrien[/caption] Alongside those returning favourites, look for stage shows like the celebration of street dancing culture that is Betwixt, the bittersweet story of love and war in the terrific one-woman theatre piece Waterloo and, on the other end of the emotional spectrum, burlesque circus CAKE. Those with an eye for art and culture should check out Marang, a celebration of First Nations culture. If you're in the mood for some musical laughs plan for a visit to 1800-REQUEST, described as "Melbourne's favourite queer piano bar" fronted by the ever-charming Rosie Rae who makes her Bondi debut on Saturday, July 13. And for any ChatGPT users, a cutting-edge AI Tarot Reader will also be attending the festival. You can also check out crowd-friendly events like the Bondi Skate Dance, a communal disco-themed roller skate tour along the beach in the golden hour. Led by skating experts and soundtracked by EastsideFM, you'll cruise past landmarks like Bondi Skate Park and Sea Wall before ending the adventure back at the forecourt. If you plan to bring any four-legged plus ones, Bondi Pavilion will be hosting a Pavilion Paw Parade that's open for any pooches to enter, where they can enjoy artisan treats and even get their portrait sketched. [caption id="attachment_902474" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Narrative Post[/caption] Local businesses will also be joining the party in the Bondi Festival Local Program — Curly Lewis Brewing Co will be hosting night tours of their brewery and revealing the secrets behind the sips. If you know any kids with a flair for the creative, Bondi Clay Studio will be hosting kids pottery workshops, and grownups can visit The Futures Factory for open studio sessions that aim to break down the unknowns that surround AI artworks. Bondi Festival runs from Friday, June 30 to Sunday, July 16. For more information on the program and to get tickets, visit the website.
When game day is on the horizon, you'll likely be in the market for one of the best sports bar in Sydney to catch a game — thankfully, there's no shortage of excellent spots that can accommodate all the sports fans in the harbour city. Sports bars are perfect for simulating the excitement and adrenaline you feel when you're at a game — with the bonus of not having to buy a ticket. So, whether you're looking to catch an international match with your mates or looking for a great spot to pre-game before heading to the stadium, we've got a list of the best sports bars in Sydney. Read on to see if your favourite spot made it to the list and, if not, maybe your new local will be found below. Recommended reads: The Best Pubs in Sydney The Best Bars in Sydney Sydney's Best Beer Gardens The Best Sydney Restaurants
It's happened again. Last month it was Marrickville's Vic On The Park, before that it was The Colloroy, and in December last year it was The Tennyson on Botany Road. Now Bondi's Royal Hotel has been acquired by Sydney hospo monolith Merivale — which will take its tally of Sydney pubs to 13 when it gets the keys in July 2018. The Bondi Road pub has been owned by the Moulding family for 40 years and went up for sale last month. Unlike the Vic On the Park — which Merivale stated would remain as-is for the time being — the venue looks set to undergo the kind of extensive renovation Merivale is known for. In a statement released today, the group said it would announce future plans for the venue "in due course". How much Merivale paid for the venue is not yet known, but The Daily Telegraph reported just last week that it was expected to sell for around $30 million. The Royal is the group's first Bondi acquisition and further confirm it plans to spread its brand across every inner-city suburb in Sydney.
One of the best interactive museums in Sydney, Powerhouse is frequently filled with colourful, immersive and mind-boggling exhibitions. It also hosts educational courses and workshops on topics such as astronomy, writing and computer coding. Until April 2018 it is hosting the vivid Future Park. Stretching across eight different interactive installations, Future Park is fuelled by human interaction, evolving in real time as visitors engage and leave their own mark on the artworks.
No wristband or badge? No worries — SXSW Sydney's free festival hub at Tumbalong Park is open to everyone, whether you've already planned out your whole week or are just curious to see what the fuss is about. Running for the duration of SXSW, from Sunday, October 15, to Sunday, October 22, the event will feature brand activations, live music, tech demos, gaming competitions, presentations and an outdoor cinema — it's basically a self-contained sample of the entire SXSW program. Wander through the maze at CommBank House to learn about CommBank's latest innovations in tech and how they're helping young adults save and earn more, manage their money and stay safe from cybercrime. Popular bakery Lode will serve coffees and pastries at Porsche House, where tattoos, photography and art will be featured, before it turns into a bar come sunset. You (visually and figuratively) can't miss Suntory Minus 196's 12-metre-tall Extreme Vending Machine. Enjoy a cold one at the Double Lemon Garden on the ground floor before moving through the structure to a display of the brand's freezing technology and then up to the rooftop bar, where there'll be a selection of Japanese snacks, Double Lemon and Grape drinks, plus a DJ. Back on the ground, you can catch live music sets from a selection of local and international artists at the Music Festival Presentation, which will run for five days throughout the week. Young Henry's Rock & Roll Circus on Wednesday, October 18, will feature artists such as Dan Sultan, Wallice and Tyne-James Organ covering rock classics, while Touchdown Down Under on Thursday, October 19, and Friday, October 20, will showcase musical artists from Asia to the Middle East. For the film fanatics, you can celebrate the start of the screen program at the Screen Festival Opening Party with bands and DJs from 7–10pm on Sunday, October 15. There will also be a series of movie screenings at the outdoor cinema on select days throughout the week. [caption id="attachment_920356" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jess Gleeson[/caption] Gamers can tag along to the Games Festival Presentation on Sunday, October 15, and Sunday, October 22, or flex their skills at the community esports competition on Tuesday, October 17. You might not be able to hear from Chance the Rapper or Nicole Kidman, but you can still get inspired at one of the presentations, demonstrations or talks at Tumbalong Park. See rockets, rovers and go-karts designed by UTS students or watch a cooking demonstration by artist Yiying Lu (creator of the dumpling emoji) and James Beard Award-winning chef Martin Yan. And don't forget to mark your diaries for national treasure Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, who will join comedian and presenter Adam Spencer on Saturday, October 21. SXSW Sydney's festival hub will take over Tumbalong Park from Sunday, October 15, to Sunday, October 22. Check out the full program for Tumbalong Park at the SXSW Sydney website. Top image: Tumbalong Park, Vivid, Destination NSW.
Circular Quay is looking a little more stylish, as wharf-side icon Cruise Bar & Restaurant has reopened following an extensive renovation. Decked out with a fresh look and innovative menus, this well-known celebrity haunt invites budding socialites to indulge in its unmatched Sydney Opera House views and brand-new rooftop bar. Who knows, maybe you'll catch past guests like Kylie Minogue, Fleetwood Mac or Justin Bieber relishing the vistas. Transformed by award-winning design firm Luchetti Krelle, the space is now effortlessly breezy, with beachy hues and floor-to-ceiling windows making the most of Cruise's stunning vantage point. However, the most attention-grabbing change is the addition of Melba's Rooftop, a chic haven with panoramic harbour views named after iconic opera singer and jet-setter Dame Nellie Melba — perhaps Australia's first global celebrity. "Sydney has changed a lot in the past decade, but there's always been a place for a venue like Cruise," says Cruise Bar General Manager John Harvey. "It's got history, it's got views that stop you in your tracks, and now it's got an elevated experience to match." The menu has received a sizeable makeover too, with Head Chef Han Chen (a'Mare, Felix) shaping modern Australian cuisine informed by the country's native larder. Inspired by diverse landscapes, some of the most eye-catching dishes include bush tomato butter mussels, pan-seared Humpty Doo barramundi with macadamia cream, and confit duck risotto with butternut squash and crispy saltbush. The cocktail menu strikes a similar theme, as barman Tom Bulmer (Margaret, O Bar, Jane) pushes native botanicals in fun and engaging directions. For instance, the Lily Flower combines raspberry, lilly pilly, Casamigos tequila and hibiscus, while the Afternoon Fashion reinvents a classic old fashioned with croissant-washed whisky and toasted wattleseed. Meanwhile, the Berry in Sight goes bold with a blend of mulberry, bush apple, blended whisky and desert lime shrub. "We've carefully curated an offering that reflects Sydney's evolving food and drink culture. From the menu to the design, every detail has been considered to create an experience that feels fresh, exciting, and uniquely Cruise. This isn't just a comeback — it's a statement, and we can't wait to welcome Sydney back," said Harvey. Cruise Bar & Restaurant has reopened Sunday–Thursday from 11.30am–12am, Friday from 11.30am–1am, and Saturday from 11.30am–3am at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay. Head to the website for more information.
Underground CBD favourite Burrow Bar moved from its original home in De Mestre Place to 96 Clarence Street with big plans to expand into two levels and open a restaurant above the bar. Those plans became a reality with the opening of Cash Only Diner, a Vietnamese eatery serving up dishes with roots in owner Chau Tran's family heritage and the dishes of Hue, Vietnam. Tran has taken dishes she learned from her mother — a classically trained chef who studied at a French finishing school in Hue — and, with the help of co-owner Bryce McDonough and the Burrow Bar team, has put together a menu that bursts with flavour and showcases the cuisine of the coastal Vietnamese city. The venue embraces seasonality and so the menu changes day to day. Some dishes you could enjoy include the cá kho tộ, caramelised and braised salmon served in a clay pot and dripping in marinade; the giò thủ, a pork and mushroom terrine; and C.O spring rolls filled with prawn and minced pork. Every Tuesday, aka Tuesday Noodz-day, where the venue runs a new noodle special with limited bowls that showcase regional noodles and unique dishes, not many people have heard of or get to try outside of Vietnam. Cash Only Diner sits above Burrow Bar, meaning you can bet the drinks are as exciting as the food. Pair your Vietnamese feast with a selection from the cocktail menu, like the green mango negroni, a pineapple and gin creation called Napoleon's 2nd Vice, and a boozy Vietnamese iced coffee, a creative twist on the espresso martini.
When it opened 88 years ago at Milsons Point, Luna Park Sydney wasn't the world's first Luna Park, or even Australia's. But Harbour City residents and tourists alike have enjoyed its presence around multiple closures, reopenings and revamps ever since. Come December, the amusement park will unveil its latest reason to stop by and enjoy its attractions: Dream Circus, an immersive experience that's revamping the site's big top. If you've ever wanted to feel like you've walked into a movie, this is the Luna Park Sydney feature for you. Dream Circus will be filled with 360-degree projections, holograms, motion-activated LED screens, surround sound and lighting to immerse you in a Hollywood-style experience. It'll become Sydney's first permanent immersive-experience attraction, the venue advises — and a world-first type of attraction as well. Attendees can expect to enter a narrative journey, where characters and a spectacle that engages the senses will combine. The experience will take over the 3000-square-metre big top, with its sights filling a surface area of over 3500 square metres — and with Artists in Motion, TDC and Auditoria, who have ABBA Voyage, King Kong on Broadway, works at Vivid and Walking with Dinosaurs to their names, behind it. Luna Park Sydney expects people to flock to see the results when Dream Circus opens on Friday, December 22, just in time for the Christmas holidays, anticipating that 50,000 people will check it out over summer. The new attraction will help the site embrace the future, while still loving its status as an art-deco amusement park that dates back almost a century. "We are proud to build for Sydney one of the most technically advanced environments in the country. The result will be a venue without equal — capable of featuring the best immersive experiences, never-before-seen immersive live music and special events" said Luna Park Sydney CEO John Hughes. "As a world-class amusement park, we need to be more than rides, and expanding our depth of offering through world-class immersive experiences will mean that Sydneysiders won't have to travel the globe to experience these incredible environments. We want to be a reliable, magical, and affordable destination for all generations of Sydneysiders and visitors to our city". Dream Circus launches at Luna Park Sydney, 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point, on Friday, December 22 — visit the park's website for more information and tickets.
If you're a fan of Michael Mu Sung and his work with Potts Point icons, Farmhouse and Jeremy & Sons, get very, very excited. He's adding a new restaurant to the collection: a slick 20-seater ramen bar called Bones Ramen. You'll find this one across the road from Farmhouse, decked out in red brick, ocean blue tiles and parquet wood floors courtesy of design firm, Guru Projects. Ten of the seats will be overlooking the ramen action in the kitchen, and the other ten will be outside, ready for any density limit shenanigans. "Bones is our chance to serve something that we love and in our own style. The ramen dishes themselves are high-quality, something we felt was missing from the Elizabeth Bay/Potts Point dining precinct," explains Mu Sung. And the ramen? It's a tight, spicy menu, stuffed with seasonal ingredients and headed up by Jacob Riwaka — whose previous culinary experience spans years at Newtown favourite Rising Sun and Cornersmith restaurants. So let's talk food. Bones will start with four specialty ramen bowls, including a pork broth with chashu, soy egg, watercress and menma, chicken paitan with whole chicken chashu and shallots, a seafood bowl with scallops, ebi shinjo and nori, and a veggo ramen with Jerusalem artichoke and celeriac chashu, punched up with shiitake and oyster mushrooms. There's a little something for everyone. You can also top things off with lacto-fermented nuka pickles, or maybe a smoked chilli and egg yolk potato salad. "Unique to Bones will be our in-house production, barrelling and storage of taré, which is the soy seasoning for the broths. Controlling this from the restaurant means we're able to ensure continuity across our bowls at the highest possible standard," Riwaka says. In terms of nearby competition, Bones should have the strip pretty much covered. Mu Sung will be the only one slinging a dedicated ramen menu every night, backed up by Aussie craft beers like Sailor's Grave, Retches and Yulli's. So plonk yourself outside with a big bowl in the fading sunshine and prepare for meat sweats: this one's gonna be delicious. Bones Ramen can be found at Shop 4, 51 Bayswater Road, Potts Point. It's opening on Friday, January 21 from 12pm.
Every city has its traditions, but one of Sydney's midyear mainstays since 2013 takes its cues from the other side of the globe. The event: the Bastille Festival, which livens up Circular Quay and The Rocks each July, serving up French celebrations without the plane fare to Europe. Food, wine, art: if any of these pique your interest, then this four-day French fest is for you. Uniting people in the spirit of Bastille Day, the popular event is back for its tenth edition this winter. Running from Thursday, July 13–Sunday, July 16, this year's street fest will serve up everything from ten tonnes of cheese to a 1.4-kilometre wine-tasting walk around the harbour. Expect a big emphasis on vino in general, of course — and food, too. All that wandering and watching is hungry (and thirsty) work, after all, so there'll be a heap of pop-ups keeping attendees fed and watered. Highlights include a self-guided wine-tasting tour where you can check off different regions via your boozy passport, a wine and cheese feast, and French culinary classics like escargot, crepes, raclette and croque monsieur. The fun doesn't end with the food and wine, though. There will be more than 50 performers to marvel at across multiple stages, with the likes of live bands, DJs, circus performers and fire artists all popping up. And an outdoor cinema will be screening French flicks under the stars. The festival will take place across five Bastille Festival villages set up at The Rocks, The Overseas Passenger Terminal, East Circular Quay, Customs House and Quay Quarter Lanes, providing attendees with a choose-your-own-adventure-style journey through the food, drink, art and culture. Entry is free, but you'll be paying for whatever you'd like to eat and drink as you go. If you can't wait until July to get in on the French action, check out our list of the best French restaurants in Sydney.
Every season, a new cocktail trend rolls into town. Often brightly coloured and served in a frou-frou glass, the excitement of a new-to-you cocktail is enough to whip any of us into a frenzy. But among the cocktails that come and go is one classic that never goes out of style: the highball. The classic whisky-based cocktail is one that everyone should have in their repertoire, and not just because of its simplicity. So, we've partnered with popular premium mixer brand Fever-Tree to give you a a proper rundown on the simple-yet-versatile drink. Better yet, to celebrate Fever-Tree's A-class dry ginger ale, we're spicing things up with a ginger highball recipe, too, so you can whip up one at home, then get reading. [caption id="attachment_743897" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HIGHBALL The exact origin of the highball is hotly contested. However, what we do know is that during the late-19th century, there was a phylloxera (a common insect pest of grapevines) epidemic that wiped out vineyards in Europe. So, wine and spirits like brandy and cognac became less readily available than they had been. This lead the wealthier classes, who used to mix brandy and cognac with carbonated water, to opt for blended scotch whisky with soda instead. And so, most would argue, the highball was born — although the name was yet to come. So, from where does the term 'highball' stem? One story goes that English actor EJ Ratcliffe brought the concept to America in 1894, where a bartender at the Adams House in Boston dubbed it a highball, due to the vessel in which it was served. Others have sworn the name is a throwback to an old American railroad signal. It is also thought that the name's origin could be Irish or British, with the term 'ball' being common for a glass of the amber liquor in Ireland and, more specifically, it served in a tall glass in English golf clubs throughout the late-19th century. As we said, this tasty tipple's history is anything but linear. [caption id="attachment_743100" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] FUN FACTS TO IMPRESS YOUR MATES WITH Two versions of the highball appeared in an American cocktail book called The Mixicologist in 1895. One under the name Splificator, which calls for whisky and naturally sparkling water in a 'medium thin glass'. According to lauded drinks writer David Wondrich, 'splificated' was Irish slang for drunk. The other drink was dubbed the High Ball, made with whisky or brandy and carbonated water. But over the years, the name highball stuck — and the rules for making one vary as much as the story of its invention. To make a highball, some say the whisky and ice needs to be stirred 13.5 times and soda water poured down the arm of the spoon. Others tell you to keep that spoon the hell away from it. Whisky highballs are so popular in Japan that it's become a top choice for punters. It's hardly surprising since Japan is known for its top-shelf whiskies. Plus, the drink's popularity is thought to be due to many Japanese people enjoying a drink with their meal, and sipping straight whisky doesn't have the same appeal as an ice-cold mixed bevvy. HOW TO MAKE A FEVER-TREE GINGER HIGHBALL Half the fun of mixing cocktails is putting your own spin on them. If you'd like to make your highball a bit more zingy, swap soda for ginger ale, which has become a common mixer for the tipple. By doing so you not only complement the whisky, but also add a more refreshing flavour into the mix. You can also look to shake things up by making yourself one of the many riffs on the ginger highball, such as the Whisky Buck and Mamie Taylor — both of which add lime juice into the equation. Whatever you decide, there are two ingredients that remain constant: whisky and ginger ale. Fever-Tree believes if three-quarters of your drink is mixer, you should only use the best. So, this recipe calls for one-part whisky to three-parts Fever-Tree Dry Ginger Ale. However, if you like your firewater more front-of-palate, simply use less mixer. Want to get even more creative? You can trial different garnishes, which means more taste-testing opportunities. INGREDIENTS 45ml Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky (or the whisky of your choosing) 135ml Fever-Tree Dry Ginger Ale Plenty of ice Slice of grapefruit METHOD Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Pour in whisky, then slowly pour in Fever-Tree Dry Ginger Ale. With a bar spoon (or any long-handled spoon), gently stir the concoction. For a bit of extra zing, garnish with a fresh slice of grapefruit. Want to hear top Aussie whisky producers talk about their secrets to mixing up a good tipple? See Fever-Tree's video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itnMTytOJmM Keen to whip up a highball at home? Purchase Fever-Tree Dry Ginger Ale via the Woolworths website and get mixing. Top image: Trent van der Jagt
Springtime is about to bloom, and you can celebrate its return with a massive program of foodie events taking over the NSW South Coast from Milton for most of September. Running on weekends from Saturday, September 6–Sunday, September 28, there's a full program of 35 events to pick from. From food and drink to arts and crafts, you're spoiled for choice. Kick off at Barn on the Ridge, where ten local makers will host a long lunch on the opening Saturday from 12.30–3.30pm. From there, you can choose from the likes of a walking tour and wine tasting or a signature wine blending workshop at Cupitt's Estate; morning bushwalks guided by a local forager; local beverage showcases by the pool at Bannisters; and afternoon tea tours of the historic Airlie House. Other program entries include an exhibition launch at Our Gallery Milton; a four-course dinner collaboration between Dangerous Ales and the Milton Hotel; a still-life ceramics workshop; candle crafting at Black Wolf Candles; and a croissant masterclass with chef Alex Pautonnier. When the festival nears its end, don't miss the fire feast at Milk Haus, with live music and openair fire cooking over a four-course banquet, or the South Coast Craft Beer Festival, pouring refreshing tastes of local brews at the Milton Showground — both on Saturday, September 27. Tickets are already on sale for the entire program, and some events have already sold out, so don't wait too long to secure yours on the Meet the Makers website.
The skies have opened, dropping loads of snow and ensuring the après-ski season is now in full swing. And it won't get much bigger than when much-loved DJ duo Peking Duk descends on Thredbo for a free party on the slopes. Taking over the stage on Saturday, July 26, expect your favourite hits and festival anthems for what might just be the wildest night of the season. Bringing their pop and electronic dance tunes to the snow for one night only, this crowd-pleasing experience will make your winter. Presented in collaboration with Canadian Club, the headline act will get behind the decks at 6.30pm. However, this Après Club runs throughout the day, with Big Deck Energy, Fin and Michelle Owen serving up non-stop house tunes and rare grooves from 1pm. For those kicking on, the Canadian Club Afterparty is a must, with Thredbo's Keller Bar keeping the vibes going until late. Forming part of Thredbo's Après Club lineup, other acts heading to the slopes during the season include The Jungle Giants, Sneaky Sound System, Bag Raiders and more.
Quay Restaurant's Executive Chef is injecting a dose of nostalgia back onto its menu — Peter Gilmore's renowned Snow Egg is returning after six years in retirement. This throwback dessert took the country by storm upon its initial appearance at Quay Restaurant's menu back in 2008, and now it's back for a temporary residency at the eatery. The Snow Egg even featured on an episode of Masterchef, so you're guaranteed that its return is a massive deal. For ten dessert-filled days, the coveted dish will appear on Quay Restaurant's menu once more, with American Express aiding the venture. You'll be able to experience the dessert in the form of four experience packages from Saturday, May 25, to Saturday, June 15 — if all of the reservations haven't already been snapped up. Dished up in the restaurant's private Green Room, you can pair the treat with either a glass of bubbles for $98, a glass of rosé for $136, a glass of 2007 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires for $175, or a non-alcoholic feijoa fizz infused with cardamom and vanilla for $98. Slots start at 6pm each night, with final bookings available at 9.45pm.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was purely fictionalised and definitely not a documentary. Still, has Nicolas Cage ever been more relatable than when he was gushing over Paddington 2 in the 2022 action-comedy? No, probably not. Here's something else for fans of everyone's favourite bear to adore like a certain animal loves marmalade sandwiches: the first trailer for Paddington in Peru. The third film in the Ben Whishaw (Bad Behaviour)-voiced big-screen franchise that started with 2014's Paddington spells out its main point of difference from its predecessors in its title: instead of an entire picture filled with more of the coat- and hat-wearing talking bear's exploits in London, the flick is taking him and the Brown family to South America. In the sneak peek, the namesake country awaits, and the Amazon rainforest as well — after the chaos of getting a passport photo taken, of course — as Paddington decides to visit his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget) at the Home for Retired Bears. "I'm afraid she's set off on some sort of quest deep in the jungle, and we have no idea where she is," advises The Reverend Mother, the guitar-playing nun that adds Olivia Colman (Wicked Little Letters) to the Paddington realm, when Paddington arrives. Also joining the cast this time as the page-to-screen bear first created by Michael Bond goes off on his own search: Antonio Banderas (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as an adventurer and Emily Mortimer (The New Look) as Mrs Brown. The latter replaces Sally Hawkins (Wonka), who played the part in the initial two features. Hugh Bonneville (The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin) is back as Mr Brown, however, and so are Samuel Joslin (Houdini and Doyle) as Jonathan Brown and Madeleine Harris (Man Down) as Judy Brown. Behind the camera, feature first-timer Dougal Wilson is in the director's chair, following on from Paddington and Paddington 2's Paul King (Wonka). With fellow Paddington 2 alum Simon Farnaby (The Phantom of the Open) and Paddington in Peru co-screenwriter Mark Burton (Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon), King still has a story credit, though. Viewers Down Under will be starting off 2025 with the latest Paddington movie, which will hit local cinemas on Wednesday, January 1, after releasing in the UK in early November 2024. Check out the first trailer for Paddington in Peru below: Paddington in Peru releases in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
Four decades back, and three as well, Clown in a Cornfield would've stood out on a video store's shelves. It would've proven an instant hot rental, in fact. The slasher film just has that kind of title. The immediately evocative name comes from the page, where this tale of a killer jester sparking bloody mayhem rather than big laughs in a rural Missouri community initially appeared courtesy of author Adam Cesare. Not just for its moniker, the book won the 2020 Bram Stoker Award for Best Young Adult Novel. Eli Craig, the director of Clown in a Cornfield as a film — and its and co-screenwriter with Carter Blanchard (G vs E) — is no stranger to terrific titles himself. He was initially interested in this as his third feature due to its name, because who wouldn't be? That tracks across his career, however; his first two movies also had marvellous monikers. Fifteen years ago, Craig's Tucker and Dale vs Evil started earning horror- and comedy-loving devotees, and now is deservedly considered a 21st-century classic. When Little Evil arrived in 2017, it also had a title that stood out. How much stock does Craig put in a great name for a movie? "I think a great title is what gets people's attention more than almost any marketing. And it's very fun to me to mashup a title in a way that feels provocative — like you say, and unique. And feels like it tells the story," he tells Concrete Playground. "But then when you go see the movie, it actually has a lot more depth and complexity than the title gives you. So for Tucker and Dale vs Evil, it seems kind of silly and goofy — and, of course, it is a very heightened comedy. But it also has these layers of things it's about, and that is much deeper than you would think." "And it's the same with Clown in a Cornfield," Craig continues. "I think once people see it, they'll be like 'oh, this is actually saying a lot of things. It's not just a goofy movie about a clown and a cornfield'." Clown in a Cornfield is definitely a flick about a clown and a cornfield. It makes good on that promise. It also pushes horror further to the fore than Craig's past features did. This is equally a slasher that uses that high-concept premise to dig into generational divides, economic uncertainty, and both capitalism and the American dream gone wrong, though. As it follows high schooler Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas, Ginny & Georgia) and her widower father (Aaron Abrams, Children Ruin Everything) to Kettle Springs, where the latter is about to be the new town doctor — and where the existing resident adults, such as Sheriff Dunne (Will Sasso, George & Mandy's First Marriage) and Mayor Arthur Hill (Kevin Durand, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), yearn for the locale's past, while teens such as Arthur's son Cole (Carson MacCormac, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) are looking forward instead — it has societal bite to go along with its blood and gore. In Clown in a Cornfield, the character that lives up to the movie's moniker is Frendo, the mascot for the local Baypen Factory, which once kept much of the town employed. Since the corn outfit closed down, its harlequin has become a symbol of happiness and prosperity corrupted, embodying everything that Kettle Springs has lost — and sparking that chasm between its authority figures and everyone of their age with the next generation. In both the picture's 90s-set opening and its present-day bulk, a slicing-and-dicing Frendo is hardly a pal, then. It's positively homicidal, with dispensing with Quinn and her peers its aim. Craig himself has a phobia of them — "I'm terrified of clowns," he shares — but these makeup-adorned figures have long been both jovial and creepy characters in pop culture. His isn't the first feature to play up their eerie side, of course, including in the last decade. IT and IT: Chapter Two became huge box-office hits in 2017 and 2019, and a TV prequel is on the way to HBO. The currently three-strong Terrifier franchise has been getting gruesome on-screen since 2018, with a fourth flick in development. Is making a movie about a murderous clown cathartic when you're already afraid of them? Our chat with Craig started there. Also covered: Clown in a Cornfield's clear love for other slasher and horror films, what goes into a great scary-flick kill, and how the gulf between the film's younger and older characters also provides inspiration for some of its humour, including a pitch-perfect moment with a rotary phone — plus why Douglas was the right choice for Quinn, and fleshing out Sasso and Durand's parts. What does the affection now held by horror-movie lovers for Tucker and Dale vs Evil 15 years on, even if it wasn't the success that Craig was expecting when it released, mean to him, too? That was part of our discussion as well. On Being Afraid of Clowns While Making a Movie About Murderous Jesters — and No, It Isn't Cathartic "I've always found them to be very duplicitous and very not-trustworthy. And I always thought it was kind of funny that clowns would go to kids' birthday parties. I find magicians kind of scary, too. And we once had a magician to my son's birthday, but we elected not to have a clown. But in my last film Little Evil, I had a scene with a clown that spontaneously combusted on fire, because the kid had superpowers — and I really was thinking 'I have to do more with these clowns because they are just naturally disconcerting'. You'd think that maybe I'd have less fear of clowns now, but it's actually the opposite. I think Frendo has surprised me at various publicity events already, where he sneaks up behind me — and I'm always the one that's like 'aah'. So I haven't gotten over my fear of clowns, but there is something quite magical and fun about them, too. So it's that mixture of fear and loathing." On Clown in a Cornfield's Societal Bite — aka Making a Killer Clown Flick About Generational Chasms, Capitalism Gone Wrong and Economic Uncertainty "That was in the book, and that's why I wanted to make the movie, because I was really surprised at what Adam Cesare was able to get at about this generational anger, I think — and this divide between a younger generation that's more progressive and maybe cares about the earth and cares about their future, and maybe an older generation that just feels like they're just harvesting the earth for their own greed. And I thought that frustration is just really apropos to our time. And also, I would say the thing that's so interesting about using a clown to tell that story is that originally clowns were like court jesters, and they were the only ones that were kind of allowed to tell truth to power and to tell the king what maybe was really up — but they had to do it with a sense of humour and satire. So this movie, in a way, it's fun because it has these layers of truth underneath it, and it's a clown telling that story to people. That isn't necessary to love the movie. You could love the movie and not really care about anything deeper. But I think through humour and entertainment is a lot of the ways we get some of our ideas that break through the walls to meet us. So that was quite fun to play with." On Balancing the Film's Evident Love for Slasher and Horror Greats That've Gone Before with Being Its Own Addition to the Genre "I just want to embrace all the movies I saw as a kid. I grew up in the 80s and early 90s, and watched everything from the Halloween movies, Friday the 13th, all of Freddy Krueger stuff — and I also loved the comedy-horror movies like Evil Dead 2. And so a lot of it, to me, just lives in like this bouillabaisse inside my brain, and I don't necessarily know when I'm picking a trope from this movie or that, but they kind of live there. And it's funny to watch other people pick them out and say 'oh, you did this here and this here'. I just kind of feel the tropes and I start writing them, and I don't necessarily pick them all out. The one thing is Jaws, I did play directly to Jaws in this movie, because that is probably my favourite horror movie that goes under the radar as not really being a horror movie — but it definitely is. It scared the pants off me." On What Makes a Memorable Slasher-Movie Kill for Craig — and How Easy or Difficult That Is to Achieve "Well, I think a lot about how to heighten it, how to make it just a little bit more than say — I always love the Scream movies, but I find that Ghostface with this knife gets a little repetitive, so I'm trying to come up with a new way for each kill to be just slightly different. And what are the tools this farmer-type Frendo the clown might use? And so you come up with pitchforks and chainsaws and axes and sledgehammers and all kinds of tools, and then you just try to heighten that and make it something people will grin at and laugh and cheer, and also be freaked out about, all at the same time." On Skewing More on the Horror Side of the Scale Than Comedy Compared to Craig's Previous Features "I did a real comedy-first horror with Tucker and Dale, and then I did almost just a comedy with horror elements with Little Evil. And I really wanted to dive back into horror and do kind of a hard-R, gritty in some ways, horror film — but with some levity because that's just the way I am. I'm not a really dark person — and I like humour in my stories. And I think there's just humour in the darkest parts of life." On Layering the Film with Comic Touches That Also Get to the Heart of Its Generational Clash "When you have the opportunity to nail a joke that also is just inherent in the theme, it really makes me smile. It makes me really excited when I'm sitting there writing and I go 'oh, oh, this is going to be really good' — because you're not breaking out of the story to make a joke. It's just very much within the context of the film. So it's really exciting when those present themselves. I don't feel like I'm making a joke. I feel like comes to me out of the ether. And it just presents itself to me, and then that's the opportunity to do it. There's a few points in this movie that grabbed the theme and make a joke out of it." On Knowing That Katie Douglas Was Clown in a Cornfield's Lead "You'd be surprised — I wanted to cast her before even auditioning her. I had watched a ton of her work. I saw that she had been working since she was about six years old, and she actually has a ton of work under her belt — and all of the stuff I saw from her from, like Ginny & Georgia and also this show called Pretty Hard Cases, and she did some Lifetime movies and she did some short films, and I literally went in and I watched them all. And I just always saw this sort of grounded, natural performance with the toughness and an edge to her, and sort of a sarcasm to her, that I felt just was Quinn. She auditioned for it, and completely nailed the audition. And I couldn't have been more blessed to have somebody that was so ready for being number one on the call sheet. She was so ready to lead this film. And she carried the film — and she does a fantastic job." On the Kind of Guidance That You Give Actors Like Will Sasso and Kevin Durand When They're Tasked with Fleshing Out Horror-Movie Characters That Could Be Cartoonish in Other Hands "I tell them kind of exactly what you just said. I wanted this character to be deeper, and we talk about what their motivations are. So usually they're not thinking about the characters being a villain — they're thinking about them being justified. So every good actor is always justifying their hatred or villainy for their character, and it make has to make sense to them. So anytime it doesn't make sense, we have to work on it. But those guys are so talented. They brought so much of themselves to the role. Will Sasso, as the sheriff, was just fantastic because he's threatening and creepy, but he's also just funny. He just brings a sense of humour and life to everything he does. And Kevin Durand, I don't think I could get an actor that could be this role without playing into something that we've seen before. He really created a new character. And that was really important that we weren't like the Joker or something. He was really, really his own — and very grounded and more gritty and real — character." On the Response to Tucker and Dale vs Evil 15 Years on — and What It Means for It to Be So Beloved as a Horror-Comedy Cult Classic "It actually means I'm not crazy. So when I first made that film, I just believed in it naively, like with all of my heart. And I thought 'well, this is just going to be the biggest hit since Evil Dead 2'. And it wasn't that way. It didn't come out as a big hit. I thought I was making the next Shaun of the Dead or Evil Dead 2 — and it went to some great film festivals, but then once we came out, it kind of disappeared for a while. And then over the years, people discovered it, and it truly became what I always believed it would be by now. And it's kind of validated my own feeling of art and my feeling of 'what entertains me should entertain other people'. Because I'm just ultimately trying to make a film that that I want to go see. And if people start telling me they don't like what I would want to go see, it becomes much harder to make a movie. And now I feel like 'wait a minute, maybe, maybe my sensibility is a sensibility a lot of other people share'. So that means a lot." Clown in a Cornfield released in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Trust a mockumentary about the undead to keep coming back in new guises. Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's What We Do in the Shadows first came to light as a short film in 2005, then made its way to cinemas in rib-tickling feature-length form in 2014, and currently has both a werewolf-focused sequel and a US television remake in the works. As first announced back in 2016, it's also getting a Cops-style TV spinoff named Wellington Paranormal — and SBS has just announced that it will air on Australian TV later this month. The first two episodes of the much-anticipated series will air on SBS Viceland (and be available on SBS On Demand) on Tuesday, July 31, with episodes airing weekly after that. We don't even have to wait too much longer than New Zealand audiences, either — it will air on TVNZ tonight. If you haven't watched the trailer, here's a little background info. Wellington Paranormal doesn't spend more time with everyone's favourite Wellington-dwelling bloodsuckers, even though Waititi and Clement conceived the six-part series. Instead, it follows police officers Karen O'Leary and Mike Minogue, who WWDITS fans might remember came knocking at the vampire share house's door. With the help of Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu), the cop duo will keep trying to keep the city safe from supernatural happenings — and we're sure viewers will keep watching. When Wellington Paranormal's existence was first revealed, Waititi described the show as "Mulder & Scully but in a country where nothing happens" on Twitter, should you need any more reason to get excited. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=WRO2QfESbEI
A new Parisian hotel designed by French artist Matali Crasset is offering travellers a completely new hotel experience. Recently opened in the trendy Rue Chardonne area, Hi-Matic Hotel is entirely internet-based and has no traditional staff. Guests are given a unique code when they make an online reservation and that code gives them access to the building. Once inside, guests are able to check in and pay for their stay on computers (that then dispense their room keys). If they become hungry or bored, guests are able to purchase organic foods, books, music and playful objects from vending machines located in the hotel. The aim of the Hi-Matic is to create a new type of hotel - something unique and luxurious but also practical and accessible. The spaces within the hotel are bright and futuristic, with eco-friendly materials such as organic paint being used throughout. The design is simple but striking and effective. All this does not come without a price, however, with rooms starting at AUD$180 a night. [Via Design Boom]
Dry July may've come to an end, but for those who want to keep the detox going, these are Sydney's top spots for a non-alcoholic tipple. Whether it's for health benefits or you just don't like alcohol, there's nothing limiting about not drinking. And Sydney's extensive array of bars and restaurants offer everything from the norm to the whacky when it comes to mocktails.
In need of some new procrastination material? Well, you're in luck. Google image search 'Banff' and spend a few minutes (or half an hour) taking in the gorgeous pictures of snow-capped mountains, aqua water and towering pines. It's impossible to not daydream about holidaying somewhere far-flung and exciting while ogling these picture-perfect views, as we're sure you'll agree. Thankfully, you'll have the opportunity to slip into this magical world without ever leaving Sydney. The River City's Brisbane Powerhouse is hosting Banff Mountain Film Festival's 2025 tour — the event's latest stopover, after beginning back in 1976. Its stunning cinematography attracts film buffs and adventurers alike, making the festival mighty popular across the world today. [caption id="attachment_997959" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pierre Vieira[/caption] Each year, hundreds of films enter the competition with the cream of the crop chosen to entertain and amaze festivalgoers. Some of the featured flicks battled it out in categories including Best Film on Mountain Sport, Best Film on Mountain Environment, Best Film on Mountain Culture, Best Film on Exploration and Adventure, and more. Check out seven of them in May around the Harbour City, in a package featuring films about snowboarding on Antarctic icebergs, wingsuit flying in the Swiss Alps, ultra-marathon running, mountain biking in the Dolomites and more. The fest heads to Event Cinemas George Street from Thursday, May 8–Friday, May 9; Randwick Ritz on Wednesday, May 14; and the Hayden Orpheum from Wednesday, May 21–Friday, May 23, plus Sunday, May 25. Top images: Christoph Thoresen Ofa / Tamara Susa / Jerome Tanon.
Located in the ever-expanding Darling Square, this neon-lit Japanese street food kitchen is bringing a fun and vibrant menu to the inner-city dining precinct. Tsukiyo's menu is succinct, split between two primary dishes. The first is takoyaki, crispy golden fried balls of batter topped with bonito flakes and takoyaki sauce. The original flavour is also topped with kewpie mayo, but you can also order it spicy with mentaiko mayo and katsuobushi, or rotating special varieties like the Barcelona takoyaki featuring LP's chorizo, smoked paprika, aioli, tomato, fried parsley and lemon. The second style of dish is the cute fish-shaped taiyaki. These waffles come made in the shape of Japanese tai fish and are packed with a variety of fillings. The flavours include red bean, vanilla bean custard and chesnut, with each taiyaki coming with your prefered flavour of gelato and toppings. There's also a far less traditional croque monsieur taiyaiki on the menu that is filled with ham and gruyere. The final element of the menu is fruit sandos, made with fluffy slices of white bread, locally sourced Australian fruit and Calpis whipped cream. The restaurant has been developed by Zach Tan's Devon Hospitality Group and Hidetoshi Tsuboi (Hakatamon Ramen) with the help of former Zumbo pastry chef Markus Andrew. Appears in: The Best Japanese Restaurants in Sydney
This Mosman boutique knows what kind of lifestyle its shoppers are looking for: beachside chic. Offering modern and minimalist homewares, Pond (Home) is the type of store where you can drop $500 on a bamboo lampshade or $39 on the latest copy of Cereal. After you've upgraded your kitchenware, pop two doors down to Pond (Fashion) to select a dinner party outfit from racks of striking sequinned pants and linen blazers. Finish off the look with some jewellery — some wallet-friendly options include diamond-cut rings from $20. Pond (Fashion) is located at 583 Military Road, Mosman.
