Perfect Saturday July 2, 2015 LATE MORNING INDEPENDENCE DAY BRUNCH It’s Independence Day this Saturday, and to celebrate, Covent Garden’s trendy, New York-influenced Balthazar will be serving an American-inspired brunch including fancy hot dogs and Scotch beef brisket braised in barbecue sauce. Available from 10am till 4pm, call 02033011155 for details. AFTERNOON STIMULATION JOSEPH CORNELL The enigmatic and devoutly religious [...]
Film review: In Terminator Genisys the future isn’t as frightening as it used to be July 2, 2015 Cert 12a | ★★★☆☆ Not even the most ardent Terminator fan wanted another sequel. Not after Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, with its lazily re-hashed storyline and absurd villain. Not after the bloated robot-opera Terminator Salvation, which even Christian Bale couldn’t make palatable. And that TV series… Oh God. But here we are. Arnold [...]
Theatre review: Bend it like Beckham July 2, 2015 Phoenix Theatre | ★★★☆☆ New British musicals have had a tough time of late. Made in Dagenham sank without a trace earlier this year, despite decent reviews and an A-List lead, and Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sir Tim Rice both had new shows suffer similar fates the year before. Compared to the above, Bend [...]
Theatre review: The Trial is a cultural vegetable July 2, 2015 Young Vic | ★★★☆☆ New York Times writer Dan Kois popularised the phrase “eating your cultural vegetables” – the idea that you need to wade through challenging material you don’t necessarily enjoy to offset the times you feel like binging on candyfloss. For all its prophetic brilliance, Kafka’s The Trial would qualify on most people's list [...]
Film review: Magic Mike XXL is a fun but inferior summer sequel July 2, 2015 Cert 15 | ★★☆☆☆ When a modestly budgeted film goes on to make $100million, a sequel is near-enough guaranteed. The follow up to Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike finds the eponymous Mike living a life away from dancing. He’s successful but somewhat unfulfilled until he receives a call from his old colleagues, “The Kings of Tampa”, who [...]
Film review: Amy is a moving, sober tribute to a tragic genius July 2, 2015 Cert 15 | ★★★★☆ “Amy had the most emotional connection with music of anyone I’ve ever known,” says Winehouse’s pianist Sam Beste in Asif Kapadia’s documentary, Amy. “It was like a person in her life who she loved. She would die for it.” He doesn’t need to say it, it’s clear from the very first [...]
Wimbledon 2015: Victory nets James Ward £100k July 2, 2015 British wildcard James Ward insists there are greater rewards than the minimum £100,000 he has earned by beating big-serving Czech Jiri Vesely and reaching Wimbledon’s third round yesterday. Read more: Boost for James Ward as eighth seed Ferrer withdraws On a day when fellow Briton and world No3 Andy Murray also progressed after [...]
British Grand Prix: Jenson Button resigned to more pain at Silverstone July 2, 2015 Former world champion Jenson Button admits he is unlikely to break his British Grand Prix curse this weekend when Formula One returns to Silverstone. Read more: Button ditches the fast lane to promote life on two wheels Button has never finished on the podium in 15 attempts at his home race and the 35-year-old [...]
Ben Stokes: I won’t back down if Aussies target my short fuse at Ashes July 2, 2015 England all-rounder Ben Stokes insists he will not shy away in the face of Australian attempts to rile him during the Investec Ashes series this summer. Read more: We’ll fight fire with fire in Ashes, England boss Trevor Bayliss tells Aussies The 24-year-old has reaffirmed his international quality this season with the standout [...]
Australia toil in final Ashes warm-up vs Essex July 2, 2015 Australia bowlers were made to toil on the second day of their final Ashes warm-up clash against Essex at Chelmsford yesterday. Read more: England outcast Kevin Pietersen tips Australia to win Ashes Essex closed on 299-3 but still trailed the tourists by 263 runs after Michael Clarke’s side had earlier been dismissed for 562. [...]