Today
Naughty and nice: seven Christmas films for a cooler Yule
Whether you love a sappy classic or a darker take on the festive season, here are some of our favourites to help you escape some viewing nightmares before Christmas.
The hidden history of Magic Eye pictures
Thirty years ago, a book of bizarre images took the world by storm.
- Tom Nicholson
Deep-fried mince pies are worth trying, really
The batter coating adds crunch, while the filling becomes richer and gooier.
- Silvana Franco
Yesterday
Ten of the best music books of 2023
From a biography of Aboriginal band No Fixed Address to the last word on Barbra Streisand, this year’s crop of music-themed books has something for everybody.
- Michael Bailey
- Opinion
- Review
Here are 11 of the best albums of 2023
This year’s best music features songs to make you think, laugh and dance, plus something special from one of our own.
- James Thomson and Alex Gow
‘Wonka’ is a banquet for Timothée Chalamet fans
Director Paul King and script-writer Simon Farnaby have produced a prequel to ‘Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’ that imagines an origin story for Willy Wonka.
- John McDonald
This Month
Exclusive offer: River by The Australian Chamber Orchestra
Special offer for subscribers - 20% off tickets
See inside Michelangelo’s ‘secret’ Florence room
In 1530, when the Medici family returned to power in the city, the artist went into hiding. He spent his days drawing on the walls of his tiny refuge, and you can now view the artworks for yourself.
- Josephine McKenna
‘May our gladioli bloom in celebration’: Barry Humphries farewelled
King Charles, Rupert Murdoch, Elton John and Andrew Lloyd Webber led tributes at a state memorial at Sydney’s Opera House for the man who ‘invented a language’ for Australia and took it to the world.
- Samantha Hutchinson
Think you know this week’s news? Answer these 10 questions
Have you been paying attention this week? Test your knowledge across politics, business and world news.
- Ingrid Fuary-Wagner
How Rachel Ward went from Vogue cover model to farmhand at 60
The actor and director has had an unexpected second act as a farmer. A new documentary follows her “bloody crusade”.
- Lauren Sams
This man created an $84m Netflix series you’ll never see
Filmmaker Carl Erik Rinsch gambled a chunk of his production budget on shares, then bought a fleet of Rolls-Royces. Now he says the streaming giant owes him.
- John Carreyrou
Paris Hilton v the Crunchy Tradwives: a modern parenting story
The reality TV star is not so different from many of you, it turns out, as she baulks at changing her child’s nappy.
- Monica Hesse
This film looks set for a best actor nomination at the 2024 Oscars
Maestro’s patchwork narrative will polarise its audiences, but it perfectly echoes the personality of its subject, Leonard Bernstein.
- John McDonald
This woman is Spain’s hottest model – but she’s not real
She works all hours of the day and night, never takes holidays or falls ill or complains.
- Ed Cumming
Ron Walker’s mansion clearance sale ‘as good as it gets’
The auction of the former F1 boss’s Huntington home items had a low estimate of $93,000, but drew unparalleled interest and a bidding frenzy that totalled $419,250.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
- Opinion
- Satire
We apologise for this email, which may offend everyone
A newspaper expresses regret for mentioning the merry, the dead, the Romans and Barack Obama.
- Guy Kelly
The first Australian writer to make politics and sex sing
Frank Moorhouse was one of Australia’s most adventurous and productive authors. A new biography explains his rise.
- Andrew Clark
Why parents in Japan can’t give their kids whacky names
About 4000 people a year change their moniker in a country where it’s frowned upon to stand out.
- Hikari Hida
The Jewish band losing friends as arts world divides
Chutney, a klezmer band from Sydney, has faced a backlash after pivoting from its previous pop direction after October 7.
- Michael Bailey
