Freelance creatives could fall through cracks of Rishi budget March 4, 2021 This week Rishi Sunak announced his investment-led recovery budget, pledging an additional £408m stimulus package for the culture sector. This is fantastic news for a creative sector particularly vulnerable to the impact of the COVID pandemic. The government has divided this relief package into three parts: £300m for the Cultural Recovery Fund (supporting cultural organisations [...]
The Dissident examines Saudi murder of Jamal Khashoggi March 4, 2021 On 2 October 2018, Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by agents of the Saudi Arabian government at their consulate in Istanbul. The assassination sent shockwaves around the world, as it came to discover the unthinkable act of a government brazenly killing a writer known for his criticisms of them. What this meant for [...]
Should you pay-per-view £20 for Raya and The Last Dragon? March 4, 2021 The pandemic has forced movie studios to think differently. Paramount sold many films in its 2020 slate to streaming services, while Warner Bros threw everything on to HBO Max. Disney has been more cautious, preserving its mega blockbusters for the big screen while also testing the waters with a pay per view offering of Mulan, [...]
Jordan B Peterson interview: The unlikely conservative superstar March 1, 2021 As Jordan Peterson’s new book Beyond Order is released, we revisit our 2018 interview with the unlikely conservative superstar, discussing the high price of fame, causing offence and that interview with Cathy Newman. ••• Professor Jordan B Peterson’s apartment smells of meat. It’s 8am and his wife, Tammy, is fastidiously slicing a pile of steaks, [...]
How Bloodborne dragged me through the dark days of lockdown February 27, 2021 In the before-times, people like me – people in the prime of their working lives, three decades away from collecting a pension – would occasionally drift into reverie about what it might be like to retire. The books we would read, the places we would visit, the things we would create. Somewhere, the mother of [...]
British family sells $10m Van Gogh to avoid rise in capital gains tax February 26, 2021 A British family are selling a Vincent Van Gogh drawing for a record breaking $10m (£7.1m) to avoid a potential rise in capital gains tax in next Wednesday’s budget. Thomas Gibson, a London art dealer, and his three sons have decided to sell the Van Gogh alongside seven other works, including art by Lucian Freud [...]
Toast This Morning with a glass of Phillip Schofield’s own wine February 26, 2021 People say watching This Morning with Phillip Schofield is like having a nice cup of tea with an old friend. Well, you can go one better than that now, after the beloved presenter launched his own wine brand. The talk show host is a knowledgeable wine enthusiast who began collecting wine after he was introduced [...]
WandaVision Episode 8 review: S1E8 revels in last week’s reveal February 26, 2021 If you’ve been watching WandaVision every week (and if you haven’t, why are you reading this?), you’ll have been humming a certain theme tune for the past week. Yep, it was Agatha All Along! Or was it? Following the jaw-dropping twist last week that kindly neighbour Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) was in fact a powerful witch [...]
The United States Vs Billie Holiday biopic film review February 25, 2021 ‘Based On A True Story’ is a common phrase that pop ups around Oscar season, with several of this year’s contenders being adaptations of real life events. Lee Daniels, who shot to fame with 2009’s indie hit Precious, hopes to repeat that success with a biopic of the one and only Billie Holiday. The United [...]
Judas and The Black Messiah: Kaluuya a shoo in for awards February 25, 2021 Two of the most exciting actors of their generation reunite to share the screen in Judas and The Black Messiah, a drama that is hoping to be among the winners come awards season. This true story stars Lakieth Stanfield (Sorry To Bother You, Uncut Gems) as Bill O’Neal, a petty car thief caught by the FBI [...]