John Wick plays the hits in this fourth instalment film review Nine years ago, John Wick went on a violent rampage of revenge over the death of his pet dog. The grimy, low budget 2014 action film bucked the trend. Using an old school formula just as the Marvel Universe was taking flight, the film was the start of an unlikely franchise, and cemented star Keanu [...]
80 For Brady is pure cinematic comfort food film review Four elder stateswomen of Hollywood team up for 80 For Brady, which follows a group of friends (Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sally Field and Rita Moreno) who embark on one last girls’ trip to the Superbowl to see their hero, Tom Brady, play for the New England Patriots. However, a series of misadventures mean their [...]
Vault Festival reports record year but still hangs in balance after eviction Vault Festival has reported a record-breaking year as it prepares to be turfed out of its decade-long home by its landlord. The second largest arts festival in the UK after the Edinburgh Fringe welcomed more than 81,000 guests over the eight-week festival, with over 4,000 artists performing in the space beneath Waterloo Station and the [...]
Succession star Brian Cox opened financial markets at London Stock Exchange March 24, 2023 Succession star Brian Cox swapped TV for LSE this morning, as the actor behind Logan Roy opened the London Stock Exchange. Ahead of the much-vaunted fourth and final season of the show on 27 March, the Scottish actor opened financial markets accompanied by a musical quartet playing the series’ iconic theme tune. Speaking after opening [...]
London loves Thursday! 3.3m use Tube in return to (co-working) office – and the pub March 24, 2023 Thursday is now the most popular day for London workers to head into the office – with over 3.3m jumping on the tube to join colleagues for after work drinks. According to the latest ridership from TFL and WeWork shared exclusively with City A.M, Thursday is now the most popular weekday to travel on the [...]
Infinity Pool review: Brandon Cronenberg is no clone of his father March 24, 2023 In an industry currently debating its own nepotism, Brandon Cronenberg is setting himself apart from the crowd. The son of legendary director David, he shares his father’s interest in surreal imagery, but takes it in new and interesting directions. In his third film, Infinity Pool, Alexander Skarsgård stars as James, a writer who escapes to [...]
Turandot at the ROH: Stunning production can’t mask a problematic opera March 23, 2023 The operatic canon offers many examples of the spectacular being mingled with the problematic. In this respect, Puccini is a regular offender. Despite many of his operas representing the very pinnacle of classical music, there is no denying the blatant orientalism present in the heart-breaking Madam Butterfly. This even tarnishes his last opera, the magnificently [...]
John Wick Chapter 4 review: More of the same bubblegum violence March 23, 2023 You could make a strong case for John Wick being a satire. The first movie took the tropes of an action movie – a relentless, taciturn hero reluctantly dragged back into the underworld, motivated by his love for a dead/kidnapped family member – and reduced them to absurdity by making the trigger for his triple-figure [...]
How Succession became the must-watch TV show of the decade March 23, 2023 The first episode of Succession, aired all the way back in June 2018, only hints at the Shakespearian epic that would follow. On first watch it seemed a little goofy: Kendall rapping along to the Beastie Boys in the back of his car; cousin Greg puking from behind the eyes of a fairground mascot. It’s [...]
You have been ordering McDonald’s fries wrong your whole life March 21, 2023 Life is full of mysteries, such as how to reconcile quantum mechanics with the general theory of relativity, or how a person can attend a party and simultaneously be unaware that a party is taking place. These are, to quote Donald Rumsfeld, known unknowns. But there are other mysteries lurking in plain sight, strange phenomena [...]