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
Why this sleep expert wants everyone to stop worrying about sleep
Anxiety about not getting enough sleep has become a problem in itself. Here’s what you can do about it - and a bit of late night TV is OK.
- Emma Connors
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 billionaire started his company to avoid paying bank fees
Kristo Käärmann found a cheap way to send British pounds to his native Estonia. His solution now has 16 million global users.
- James Eyers
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
Women warned of Hamas attack, but their male bosses didn’t listen
Female Israeli soldiers had cautioned for months that the resistance movement was planning something, but they weren’t taken seriously by commanding officers.
- Mary Ann Sieghart
- Analysis
- The Buzz
‘Nudify’ apps that use AI to undress women are soaring in use
The law is struggling to catch up with the rise in deepfake, non-consensual pornography.
- Margi Murphy
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
Is chasing likes on TikTok a good policy for political parties?
Harnessing the hottest memes is proving popular and for some young people it is their only exposure to the nation’s political issues. But is that good for democracy?
- Daniel Chenu
Author Anna Funder takes on her critics
Sydney Grammar School used Funder’s take on George Orwell’s wife to help its HSC students understand the author and his book,1984. Others are not so pleased.
- Emma Connors
- Opinion
- Media & marketing
A lesson in branding from Sir Richard Branson
Our intrepid reporter was given 15 minutes to get an exclusive from the irrepressible 73-year-old.
- Tony Davis
This film offers an answer for rich countries’ crises
At 87 years old, a famous director wants his audience to think the unthinkable and rediscover a shared core of humanity in “The Old Oak”.
- John McDonald
