Secret Headquarters review – A sub-par Spy Kids August 10, 2022 Director Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, who brought superheroes to streaming with Netflix’s Project Power, do the same for Paramount+ with family adventure Secret Headquarters. Walker Scobell stars as Charlie, a teenager struggling to connect with his father Jack (Owen Wilson), who is always away for work. While staying home alone at his house, Charlie [...]
Where Is Anne Frank review – A touching testament to an icon, with a twist August 10, 2022 There have been a spate of animations in recent years that can deliver heart-breaking stories with the lightest of touches – think 2017’s The Breadwinner, or 2006 Oscar nominee Waltz With Bashir. The director of the latter, Ari Folman, returns to tell one of history’s best-known stories with a new twist. Where Is Anne Frank [...]
Gritty business: the power of passion and perseverance August 10, 2022 | City Talk What’s more important to success — talent or effort? Most of us would say talent. But according to psychologist and best-selling author Angela Duckworth, most of us would be completely wrong. That’s one of the main takeaways from her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. In an interview at Alpha Summit GLOBAL from [...]
Thirteen Lives sees Ron Howard tackle the Tham Luang cave rescue August 6, 2022 Some moments in history are described as being “like something from a movie”, and the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue certainly fits that description. Thirteen Lives is the third film based on the rescue, and has Oscar-winning director Ron Howard behind the camera. Four years ago, a boys’ football team explored a cave after practice. [...]
Prey is the Predator prequel we didn’t know we needed August 6, 2022 At a time when legacy sequels are all the rage, Prey is a bit of an oddity. It’s a prequel to 1987’s Predator, but you wouldn’t know that from the posters or publicity, with the film going in a different direction to John Mc Tiernan’s classic, and its many mediocre sequels. Coming straight to streaming [...]
South Pacific review: It’s shocking how contemporary this simmering musical feels 70 years on August 5, 2022 Mid century American writer and lyricist combo Rodgers and Hammerstein are having a moment. A new experimental version of their most famous musical, Oklahoma!, played at the Young Vic earlier this summer, and now there’s a fresh version of South Pacific. Over 70 years since its 1949 Broadway premier it still feels shockingly contemporary in [...]
All or Nothing: Arsenal review – Amazon puts The Gunners in the spotlight August 5, 2022 Fans of North London’s Arsenal may wince at the thought of reliving last season through Amazon’s annual All or Nothing documentary series. As with fierce rivals Tottenham last year, the cameras came at a time of tremendous turmoil that includes a historically bad start to the season, and a protracted saga involving club captain Pierre [...]
Tom, Dick and Harry at Alexandra Palace is a musical Great Escape August 5, 2022 This summer, as temperatures soar and international flights don’t, Alexandra Palace Theatre offers Londoners escapism, rather than escape. From the producers of Six the Musical and The Play That Goes Wrong, Tom, Dick and Harry, is an engaging retelling of allied POWs’ attempts to break out of Stalag Luft III. The Great Escape is a [...]
Bullet Train review: new Brad Pitt vehicle derails August 5, 2022 Original movies have made a small comeback in 2022. While the big money still lies with sequels and reboots, films like The Lost City, The Bad Guys, and Everything Everywhere All At Once have found an audience despite not being based on any pre-existing franchise. Hoping to continue that momentum is Bullet Train, David Leitch’s [...]
Phantom Peak review: £34 without any drinks? Call the sheriff – let’s shut this place down August 5, 2022 Workers are spending more than seven pounds on a pint these days in London. I have been one of those people. Getting ripped off is tiring, but so many places rip you off in London that it feels impossible to keep track of what’s actually a good price, and what feels acceptable but actually isn’t. [...]