The A-Z of Things We Love Right Now (Part I)

By creammagazine, August 21, 2015

Cream presents an A-Z of things we love in pop culture, trending, entertainment, travel and leisure, beginning this weekend with our first half, A-L.

 

A IS FOR ALPHABET

It’s the new business entity that now wholly owns Google and it’s the name that currently has the internet in a spin. Reasons for the company name-change? So as to be able to diversify into riskier projects (think driverless cars, Google glasses) without tarnishing the Google brand, for one. Also to keep things afresh with a ‘start-up’ mentality still important to its owners. But while punters may have been fooled into thinking Google would actually be changing its name/logo/practise, the good news is you’ll still be able to ‘Google’ stuff into the same ol’ search engine and see daily-updated doodles. And no, you won’t be seeing Google branding replaced everywhere by Alphabet. The word looks daft in the traditional Google font, anyway…  Antonino Tati

 

B IS FOR BEYOND YOUR AVERAGE MUSIC FESTIVAL…

Who said music festivals were on the way out? This year sees several festivals growing into bigger and better affairs, moving to new locations, and providing more days of entertainment – all of the above applying perfectly to Beyond The Valley, hosted in country Victoria on New Year’s Eve. With its new location amongst the lush rolling hills of stunning Lardner Park – just 90 minutes from Melbourne City – Beyond The Valley promises patrons a one-of-a-kind experience across three jam-packed days. This year’s bill include Flight Facilities, Jamie xx, Miami Horror, San Cisco, The Rubens, Last Dinosaurs, Pusha T and more. Jeepers, just getting these musos to the countryside on New Year’s Eve would be a feat in itself! Tickets through www.beyondthevalley.eventbrite.com.au.  AT

 

C IS FOR CALVIN KLEIN TAKING OVER DETAILS MAGAZINE

Just like Baskin Robbins but possibly more delicious, designer Calvin Klein has done the seemingly impossible and dressed 31 male models head-to-toe in his tasteful labels – each and every one of them currently featured on the cover of Details magazine. The publication, which hits international stands August 18, sees the spunky and hunky likes of Adrien Lundqvist, Brad Kroenig, Clark Bockelman, David Agbodji and a host more hotter-than-hot dudes dressed variously in Calvin Klein Collection, Calvin Klein White Label, and Calvin Klein Jeans designs. Now that’s what we call strong vertical branding.  AT

 

D IS FOR DAVID SEDARIS TOURING DOWN UNDER

Funny-man and best-selling author David Sedaris will return to Australia in January 2016 for a third tour down under. Thanks to his trademark sardonic wit and incisive social critique, Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humorous trainspotters. Fans of Sedaris – the brother of funny-woman Amy – might also be familiar with his multiple best-selling books that include Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family In Corduroy And Denim. Expect plenty of ironic laughs per minute – and the occasional pop cultural epiphany. Tickets available through www.davidsedaristour.com.au.  Lisa Andrews

 

E IS FOR ESTEE LAUDER’S EXCELLENT NUTRITIOUS VITALITY8 RANGE

If there’s one thing we’ve resorted to admitting while we witness newbies taking over the e-waves, it’s that we aren’t getting any younger. Which is why we’re excited to see that trusted beauty brand Estée Lauder has released a fast and effective solution for youthful, healthy and radiant-looking skin. The Nutritious Vitality8 collection takes its inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine – adopting eight powerful natural ingredients like pomegranate, mangosteen and berry extract, to deliver eight changes in just eight days (eight being the luckiest number in Chinese culture, wouldn’t you know it). Our pick of the new product batch? The Nutritious Vitality8 Radiant Overnight Concentrate which works to detoxify the skin, leaving it smoother, softer, brighter… and generally yummier. For stockists visit www.esteelauder.com.au.  AT

 

F IS FOR FRANK GREEN SMARTCUP

Coffee lovers rejoice: you needn’t feel bad about throwing away disposable cups morning after morning… in fact, you needn’t throw them away at all thanks to the Frank Green SmartCup. Fusing form with function, this cup takes ‘reusable’ to a whole new level with its innovative payment technology. Embedded with a microchip, each SmartCup provides the user with the ability to go cash-free; tapping the lid of the cup to a sensor to process their payment instantly and securely at their local café. Users can even sync their SmartCup with the Frank Green CafePay smartphone app, which allows them to pre-order coffee or gift coffees to friends. Generous to the environment and your loved ones, then. To help bring this coffee revolution to a café near you, visit www.frankgreen.com.au/shop.html.  Michael Mastess

 

G IS FOR GUCCI CUSTOMISED FIAT

The Fiat 500 (also dubbed the ‘Cinquecento’ – Italian for ‘500’) has proved a hit with auto buyers ever since it appeared on the market in 1957. The auto got its name for the original inclusion of a nifty 500cc engine and – while its engine sizes today are well over 500cc – it still promises a sportier drive, thanks to gears that smooth out in fourth and fifth. In our books, it’s the Fiat 500 customised by Gucci that wins hands-down in the aesthetics department. Sure its design has been around for a year-and-a-half but we still feel it beats the mixed-up, muddled-up chaotic cavalcade of MINIs that have saturated the market. And, given that Gucci sell handbags at a price of $6,000, with a tag of around $20,000 the Gucci Fiat is a snip!  MM

 

H IS FOR ‘HOLDING THE MAN’

Timothy Conigrave’s novel Holding The Man became an instant cult-classic in queer circles in the mid-1990s. It’s strange that it’s taken almost two decades to see this brilliant memoir translated into celluloid, especially since it’s already been an award-winning international stage production. A true-life coming-out story that speaks across generations, sexualities and cultures, Holding The Man is bought to the screen by acclaimed director Neil Armfield and stars spunky Ryan Corr in the lead role. The film also stars Kerry Fox, Sarah Snook, Guy Pearce and Anthony LaPaglia, while it boasts a soundtrack that features fab classics by Bryan Ferry, T-Rex, Pete Shelley and – of course – Bronski Beat. In cinemas August 27 – including Luna and Luna SX in Perth.  AT

 

I IS FOR (MORE) INDIE CINEMA DEALING WITH THE TOUCHY TOPIC OF SEX

While on an indie cinema tip, another film that might be low on budget but high on our must-see list is The Diary Of A Teenage Girl which recounts the coming-of-age adventures of Minnie Goetze, a San Francisco teenager growing up in the counterculture haze of the 1970s. Lonely but with a creative bent, Minnie chronicles her trials through expressive drawings and honest missives confided to a tape recorder. One fateful night, alone with her mother’s boyfriend, Minnie is confronted with her burgeoning sexuality for the first time, and suddenly this precocious teen is in way over her head. Stars Bel Powley, True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgård and Kristen Wiig, this is a film that might just make Almost Famous look tame… Releases October 1, including screenings exclusive to Luna Leederville in WA.  LA

 

J IS FOR JACKIE COLLINS’ SURVIVAL INSTINCT

People read Jackie Collins novels for one of two reasons. Either they find them riveting and believe they’re as great as seductive and scandalous literature is ever going to get (remember, Jackie’s Lucky saga began way before all that Fifty Shades fuss and some readers just can’t see past it). Or they read Collins with tongue firmly planted in cheek, seeing right through the cheesiness and tack that her books stand for. We fall into that latter category, and have been keeping up with the author’s debauched characters’ lives since the very beginning.

The latest in the saga, The Santangelos is just as cheesy, just as tacky, a read as anything before it; indeed, it goes one step further in an age of dumbed-down lit (thank you citizen journalism on the net) by keeping the diction frank, simple and, yes, often just plain stupid.

There’s a marked increase in the number of dodgy Latin American characters (no doubt in part due to the rise in popularity of the telenovela in American culture) but at the core is the upperclass-but-still-white-trash family who personified greed-and-lust in the 1980s and have continued to drag it through three decades of try-hard political correctness. And that, in our books, makes Jackie Collins a champion in modern literature.  AT

The Santangelos is published through Simon & Schuster, RRP $32.99 in paperback, $13.99 in eBook.

 

J IS ALSO FOR JOLIE & JENNER

As if it weren’t enough that the tabloids assert transgender icon Caitlyn Jenner is trying more and more to look like Angelina Jolie, the pair are quickly becoming pals. Hot on the rumour mill, too, is that Angie is now wanting to direct a movie of Caitlyn’s life. Pity the words Mr & Mrs have already been used in a Jolie-related film title…  LA

 

K IS FOR KLAYLIFE LIGHTING

Klaylife is a brand that not only delivers stunning lighting products but is a shining example of eco-consciousness at work. The brand is assisting a small group of South African women to become self-sufficient in supporting their families and the larger local communities by keeping them in steady work. Every Klaylife chandelier comes with a handmade promise: African craftsmanship in the creation of each hand-rolled bead. The beads are then dried, kiln fired and dip-dyed before being masterfully strung onto unique wrought iron frame made by the local ironmonger. Also, each Klaylife chandelier is numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Pricing and information about this fabulous artisan product is available at www.curiousgrace.com.au.  AT

 

L IS FOR LANGKAWI

Just 30km off the northwest coast of Malaysia lies an archipelago of 99 islands amid the Andaman Sea, together known as Langkawi. Quickly becoming the go-to destination for honeymooners and ardent travelers alike, Langkawi could well be described as one of the most serene places on earth.

Being a duty-free island, it is also a great stopover destination for international shoppers. And there are plenty of things-to-do for the outdoor adventurist. Besides eagle-spotting and mangrove safari-ing, there are watersports aplenty including catamaran sailing, coastal kayaking, waterfall hiking and, of course, snorkeling. Or for the less adventurous, you can kick back and enjoy a cable car ride over the ancient forest escarpment of Mount Machincang.

As for accommodation, travelers are spoilt for choice. Choose from family-friendly establishements, like Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa (www.meritushotels.com) or opt for upscale and truly unique such as The Danna Langkawi (www.thedanna.com).

More information is available at www.langkawi-info.com.  Antonino Tati

 

Yes, be a sticky beak! Check in next Friday for the M-Z of things we love right now…