Steve Timms‘There may be trouble ahead.’ In difficult times, people look for an exit. That was the case when the original RKO movie ‘Top Hat’, with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, arrived in 1936 at the height of the Great Depression. Arguably...
It’s debatable whether the world needs another Tom Ripley adaptation. The part of the amoral, art loving con man and psychopath has been played by several respected actors including Alain Delon (Plein Soleil), Dennis Hopper (The American Friend)...
In a cine literate world, critics happily acknowledge the combined effort that goes into film production, from the contributions of the director, writer, and set designer, right down to the grips, stunt men and dolly operator. Even caterer Madge...
The 90’s and noughties was a golden age for television comedy. Looking back, it’s hard to believe Father Ted, The Day Today, Knowing Me Knowing You, Big Train, The Fast Show, League of Gentlemen, Smack the Pony, The Mighty Boosh, Brass Eye, and The...
Gizza Job. Welcome to the gig economy. The game may have changed but the rules of a capitalist society remain the same: for the powerful to thrive, the working class must be oppressed. Zero hours contracts usually involve working for companies who...
I’ve never felt drawn to the work of Jane Austen (whose modest output totals six novels), for various reasons. Middle class characters who do little except play the harpsichord, and visit other people’s houses, seems a narrow seam to mine. Rom-coms...
Not every popular novel transfers successfully to the stage. If you want proof, check out this touring production from Simon Friend Entertainment and Josh Andrews. The Girl on the Train is a clunky, lukewarm mess – albeit one with...
The Smiths remain one of Manchester’s most beloved bands. The musical alliance between Morrissey and Marr gifted the world a catalogue of melodic pop songs with lyrics which spoke to those on the margins of life: the lonely, depressed and...
In the world of movie directing, there’s the auteur, and there’s the journeyman. The craftsman occupies the middle ground, motivated more by story and character than a need to stamp his personality on the finished product. Sydney Lumet was one of...
You don’t need to have read Fast Food Nation to know modern meat is created in an environment which would fit happily into the pictorial world of Hieronymus Bosch. A fake food advert in Charlie Brooker’s TV Go Home book – for a product named...