Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues review: Beauty in complication November 4, 2022 A lot of recent documentaries have been built around the discovery of archive recordings of legendary stars, hoping that the first-hand perspective will make old subjects feel new. For Apple’s new documentary Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues, the voice of a jazz icon is just part of a fascinating deep dive. Sacha Jenkins, who won [...]
Call Jane film review: An essential education, but this film plods along November 4, 2022 In new abortion drama Call Jane, one female character ends up pregnant because she believes men can’t pull out once they’ve started having penetrative sex. Another didn’t know that standing up having sex could lead to pregnancy. Call Jane is stuffed with revealing moments about the discrimination women who needed abortions faced in the middle [...]
Reasons You Should(n’t) Love Me’s Amy Trigg on self love, laughter and disabled representation November 4, 2022 This interview is part of our The Lowdown interview series. This time, we speak to Amy Trigg, the first wheelchair user to graduate from a performance course at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, about her one-woman show. WHAT’S THE LOWDOWN ON YOUR ONE-WOMAN SHOW? The show is about love in all different forms. Self love, platonic [...]
Triangle of Sadness review: Utterly bonkers satire is one of the best films of the year November 4, 2022 Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund is one of the breakthrough modern satirists. Force Majeure, a black comedy released in 2014, quickly became a cult hit, and new film Triangle of Sadness confirms the 48-year-old as a director who doesn’t give a shit about the rules. It is ridiculous, hilarious and utterly vulgar. Arriving hot on the [...]
Living film review: Bill Nighy is majestic in poetically crafted ode to life November 4, 2022 If culturally we’re still clinging onto Bill Nighy as zany pirate radio presenter Billy Mack in Love Actually, then this film will help further establish him as a worthwhile actor in his own right. It follows 2018’s Sometimes Always Never, an underrated drama in which Nighy also shone. Living is a stylish rumination on old [...]
He’s got the X-Factor! Presenter Dermot O’Leary awarded Freedom of the City of London November 1, 2022 Dermot O’Leary has been honoured with the freedom of the City of London, inspired by his charity work and Irish heritage. The radio host and personality was recognised for his patronage with the London Irish Centre, saying he was “genuinely honoured” to get the accolade. Former X-Factor presenter who currently presents a BBC Radio 2 [...]
Barbarian film review: Overstretched but inventive October 28, 2022 A surprise hit internationally, Barbarian has come out of nowhere to become a modern cult favourite. Set in Detroit, Georgina Campbell (Broadchurch) plays Tess, a woman in town for a job interview who has booked herself a rundown Airbnbstyle property. Upon arrival, she finds Keith (Bill Skarsgård) is already there, a double booking from another [...]
David Grutman, the “King of Miami” gives us his take on hospitality October 28, 2022 David Grutman is a hospitality impresario behind a string of restaurants, hotels and nightclubs in Miami. As he takes part in the AMEX Shaping Insights podcast, we caught up with him to quiz him on the state of hospitality Tell us about yourself I’m originally from Naples, which is about two hours from Miami, so [...]
Bros film review: Worthwhile LGBTQ rom-com October 28, 2022 Like Love, Simon a few years ago, new comedy Bros has had a fight getting to the big screen. The first gay romantic comedy released by a major studio, the film’s Imdb page was review bombed by online bigots prior to its release, while a disappointing opening weekend in the US led to some unfortunate [...]
Immerse yourself in Scorn’s thrilling hellscape this Halloween October 28, 2022 Scorn is the kind of game that makes you wonder what the whole deal is with humans. It’s designed in every way to be as unnerving, unpleasant and uncomfortable as possible, and yet it’s a compelling, even thrilling seven hours of your life. Designed by Serbian studio Ebb Software, it’s a love letter to Alien [...]