Daniel Isn’t Real review: Arnie Jr stars in this neon horror mashup February 7, 2020 ‘Keep your friends close and your imaginary friends closer’ could be the tagline for this psycho-horror starring the handsome young progeny of Arnold Schwarzenegger. It follows introverted law student Luke, whose childhood-trauma coping-mechanism, an invisible pal called Daniel, reemerges with violent intent. While Daniel Isn’t Real’s budget is relatively meagre, it brings to mind an [...]
Parasite movie review: Bong Joon Ho’s surreal social commentary is a work of rare genius February 7, 2020 Over the last 90 years, the Academy has deigned to nominate just 10 foreign language films for the Best Picture gong, with none of them walking away with the gold statue. There’s an 11th in the running this year: Bong Joon Ho’s superlative Parasite. The director, whose oeuvre spans both Korean- (The Host, Mother) and [...]
Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter Theatre review: Toby Jones delivers an acting masterclass January 31, 2020 Just as Dickens charted the plight of the underclass in Victorian England, Chekhov chronicled the slow collapse of the Russian aristocracy at the end of the 19th century. In Ian Rickson’s production of Uncle Vanya, adapted by award-winning playwright Conor McPherson, this breakdown is made literal, with trees winding through broken windows and vertiginous bookcases [...]
The Lighthouse film review: Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe shine in this tale of madness at sea January 31, 2020 From kids’ TV show Round the Twist to video game Bioshock, popular culture has painted lighthouses as, at best, weird and spooky, and at worst responsible for the complete collapse of society. Well guess what: it’s yet another bad day for the lighthouse marketing department. Robert Eggers follows up his brilliant 2016 period horror The [...]
Mushrooms: The Art, Design and Future of Fungi at Somerset House – A celebration of humanity’s great, unsung alliance January 31, 2020 There’s something about mushrooms that’s at once fascinating and horrifying. I remember opening a cupboard in an old flat and discovering a little field of pure-white mushrooms sprouting out of the carpet. Part of me was amazed that these strange things had taken up residence in my home, and part of me wanted to burn [...]
Faustus: That Damned Woman at the Lyric review – A flimsy gender-swapped adaptation January 31, 2020 The drive in British theatre to stage more plays by and about women has led to a spate of gender-swapped classics, reexamining and recontextualising their patriarchal power dynamics. Christopher Marlowe’s snappily titled The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus is the latest, and, on paper, it’s an ideal candidate. As Chris [...]
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood review: Tom Hanks’ portrayal of a beloved kids TV star is profoundly sweet January 30, 2020 Beloved children’s television host Fred “Mister” Rogers is almost entirely unheard of outside the United States, but to a generation of Americans he inspires more heartfelt nostalgia than Neil Buchanan, Dave Benson Phillips and both of the Chuckle Brothers rolled into one. His genial style of education was an eddy of peace and civility in [...]
Event: Meet van Gogh January 29, 2020 | Sponsored After captivating audiences in Beijing, Barcelona and Seoul, the official Meet Vincent van Gogh Experience will arrive in London soon. For a limited time only, let Vincent van Gogh guide you on a magical and multi-sensory journey through his extraordinary life. City A.M. Club members are offered an exclusive ticket to enjoy Meet Vincent van [...]
Event: Chineke! Orchestra January 29, 2020 | Sponsored The Chineke! Foundation was created by Chi-Chi Nwanoku in 2015 to provide career opportunities to established and up-and-coming Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) classical musicians in the UK and Europe. City A.M. Club members are offered a 20% discount on full price tickets. The code can be entered at the checkout stage online, over the [...]
Event: London Choral Sinfonia January 29, 2020 | Sponsored Join soloists from the London Choral Sinfonia (LCS) on a journey through some of the most sublime German lieder and instrumental music alongside carefully selected wines. In association with Majestic Wine, the London Choral Sinfonia presents a brumal evening for German music lovers. Together we will explore some of the most heart-wrenching and heart-warming lieder [...]