Unfriended is the first truly terrifying horror movie about the evils of the internet May 1, 2015 Unfriended opens with a truly harrowing sequence: grainy smartphone footage shows a girl clutching something at arm’s length. There are shrieks of panic from an unseen crowd and you realise she’s holding a gun. There’s a bang and she collapses backward; you’re watching a snuff video, and one that looks horribly authentic. As Unfriended’s protagonist, [...]
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao earnings compared to business, film, music and football May 1, 2015 When Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally touch gloves in the MGM Grand this Saturday night, as much attention will be on their bulging bank accounts as the bludgeoning blows landed by the two legendary fighters. The long-awaited and much-hyped bout is expected to smash all pay-per-view records to become the richest single sporting event [...]
Photography review: Elliott Erwitt May 1, 2015 Beetles + Huxley | ★★★★☆ Photographer Elliott Erwitt bore witness to some of the 20th century’s most important events but some of his best loved images are of everyday moments lit up by flashes of passion and absurdity: lovers caught kissing in a rear-view mirror; an umbrella-wielding Parisian leaping over a puddle. Elliott [...]
Monsters: Dark Continent – film review May 1, 2015 Cert 15 | ★☆☆☆☆ War is always an ugly enterprise, but is it any uglier when aliens are involved? That’s the totally pointless question Monsters: Dark Continent asks. After sitting through it for two hours I can confirm that the answer is both “yes” and “who cares”. It’s a huge let-down, especially so [...]
Bournemouth and Watford in line for £130m windfall from Premier League promotion May 1, 2015 Bournemouth and Watford will enjoy a £130m windfall next season after securing promotion to the Premier League and its treasure chest of TV income. Each club will receive a promotion boost of £130m, rising to £230m if either club can survive in the top flight, according to figures from Deloitte and roughly in line with [...]
Film review: Far from the Madding Crowd is rushed, but Carey Mulligan sparkles May 1, 2015 Cert 12a | ★★★☆☆ In 19th century England, the line between fancying someone and marrying them was terrifyingly thin. Or so you might think from Thomas Vinterberg’s new adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd, in which the twinkly Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) hurdles marriage proposals like a Victorian Colin Jackson. All [...]
Theatre review: Everyman is a thrilling, touching success April 30, 2015 Olivier Theatre | ★★★★☆ The first play directed by Rufus Norris since he took over as artistic director of the National Theatre is an ambitious, frenetic production that hints at exciting times ahead for the institution. Everyman is a 15th century morality play warning of the perils of pursuing bodily pleasures over the [...]
Something for the weekend April 30, 2015 SING! BILLY ELLIOT One of the best loved musicals of recent times celebrates its tenth birthday this May – as good a reason as any to book a ticket if you’re yet to see it. Tickets £20.70 – £68.70, call the box office on 0844 248 5000 CHEER! BRENTFORD VS WIGAN Head to west London [...]
Trott backed to showcase his Test value April 30, 2015 ENGLAND skipper Alastair Cook admits his preference would be to name an unchanged side for the third and final Test against the West Indies in Barbados, which starts today. Question marks remain over the availability of Ben Stokes due to a back injury, although the all-rounder bowled in the nets yesterday, while batsman Ian Bell [...]
Ramsey: Austin a QPR player for now and has duty to keep us up April 30, 2015 QUEENS Park Rangers manager Chris Ramsey insists lingering uncertainty over the future of top scorer Charlie Austin will not sabotage their attempts to pull off an unlikely escape from relegation. Austin has been tipped to leave Loftus Road in the summer, regardless of whether QPR dodge the drop in their final four games, having impressed [...]