The changing face of sports governing bodies: why investment talk misses the real evolution February 9, 2020 Since private equity company CVC paid £200m for 27 per cent of Premiership Rugby just over a year ago, new money entering sport has gathered pace. While talk of this trend has focussed on the size and value of such investments, it has missed the most interesting aspect of what is happening: that the world [...]
Premier League plots launch of Netflix-style streaming service February 9, 2020 The Premier League is plotting the launch of a Netflix-style streaming platform in a bid to boost revenue from TV rights in overseas markets. Richard Masters, the Premier League’s new chief executive, has confirmed that plans to set up a direct to consumer offering are already underway. The service, which would allow viewers in some [...]
Underwater review: Kristen Stewart’s wet monster movie is part Alien-homage, part environmental warning February 7, 2020 In her latest attempt to escape the fading shadow of the Twilight franchise, Kristen Stewart heads to the one place vampires fear to tread: the bottom of the ocean. In subnautical science-fiction horror Underwater, she plays a mechanical engineer aboard an imperilled deep sea drilling station, tasked with rescuing herself and her dwindling crewmates after [...]
British Baroque at Tate Britain review: A compelling journey through an unsung period of history February 7, 2020 At some point over the past few years, you might have fantasised about going back to a time before politics as we know it existed. To do that, you’d have to set your time machine about as far back as the Baroque period. Running from the late 17th to early 18th century, it began with [...]
Radical Figures at the Whitechapel Gallery review: Is painting really dead? February 7, 2020 “This is an exhibition that testifies against the death of painting,” says Lydia Yee, curator of Radical Figures: Painting in the New Millennium at the Whitechapel Gallery. “Since painting was pronounced dead in the 1980s, a new generation of artists has been revitalising the expressive potential of figuration.” So painting died in the 1980s? Yes – [...]
Endgame at the Old Vic review: Samuel Beckett double bill is delightfully taxing February 7, 2020 There was a club night in Glasgow in the early 2000s called Optimo, which occasionally used the slogan: “You won’t like it, sugar” (taken from the lyrics of a Whitehouse track that you really shouldn’t google). It always struck me as a brilliant bit of marketing, at once embracing and ridiculing musical elitism. I can [...]
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 [...]
Faltering England face a tough test of their mettle in feisty Six Nations clash with Scotland at Murrayfield February 6, 2020 England face Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday in a match which carries huge significance, both historically and for the tournament. Eddie Jones has opted to make five changes as England attempt to wrestle back momentum following their disappointing 24-17 defeat against France in the opening game. They were poor in Paris, but I [...]
Kell Brook goes back to basics ahead of make-or-break fight with Mark DeLuca February 6, 2020 His boxing career at a crossroads, ahead of Saturday night’s showdown with Mark DeLuca Britain’s Kell Brook has stripped his preparations back down to the basics. The 33-year-old has been waiting 14 months for his 41st professional bout, a hiatus partially inflicted upon himself as he awaited dream fights against Terence Crawford or Amir Khan [...]