Issue 561

Remote Control

Brian Donaldson finds a slew of iconic women on th

17 Oct 2006

Honestly, you wade through acres of telly for one strong female to pop by and all of sudden you can’t bleedin’ move for them. This fortnight alone, we have a president, a high-ranking police chief, a notorious killer, the first celebrity chef and the…

Mary Stuart

The History Girls

17 Oct 2006

There are a few moments in history where complex disseminations must be made about the personal and the political, where the particular personality of an individual might actually influence events which would otherwise chug along under their own mighty…

Marie Antoinette

Cherchez la femme

17 Oct 2006

Let her eat cake: Kaleem Aftab 4 stars Sofia Coppola proved with The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation that she’s incredibly adept at showcasing female alienation. In his book A Cinema of Loneliness Robert Kolker notes that not only are all the…

Big Big World

The world at your feet

17 Oct 2006

This month, Big Big World returns to Glasgow. The well-established, and, to be fair, excellent series of live shows showcases talent from all around the world, this year’s attraction coming from Scotland, Iran, Canada, Cuba, India, the US and all over…

Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams

17 Oct 2006

A LIGGER'S GUIDE TO Surely Tennessee wasn’t his real name? No, he was born Thomas Larnier Williams. His pen name was originally a nickname accorded him by his college friends, who gently mocked him for his Southern Gentleman’s accent. He was…

Dispatch

The Dispatch

17 Oct 2006

There has always been manufactured pop. As soon as the business-types worked out that they could market music at all, that art form became fair game for exploitation by those who cared little for art. But in the past a high president in songwriting was…

Ultimate Hammer Box Set, The - DVD review

The Ultimate Hammer Box Set

17 Oct 2006

HORROR That the words ‘Hammer’ and ‘horror’ are synonymous is testament to the British production company’s significance in cinema history and to the enduring appeal of the films it produced. Although Hammer Film Productions Ltd had been making films…

Jason and the Argonauts

Gilmorehill G12, Glasgow, Thu 2-Fri 3 Nov, then to

17 Oct 2006

NEW WORK There’s something about myth that short circuits history and defines an immediacy almost regardless of the historical moment you’re in. These are stories told and retold through the ages that capture defining human dilemmas about love, war…

Colours Are Brighter - CD review

Colours Are Brighter

17 Oct 2006

INDIE FOR KIDS 1. Four Tet feat. Princess Watermelon ‘Go Go Ninja Dinosaur’ ‘My friend Douglas is a dinosaur expert. He’d love this! I like the voices.’ 5 stars 2. Rasputina ‘A Skeleton Bang’ ‘This would be good for Halloween. It makes me…

Stage Whispers

17 Oct 2006

Whispers is sure you all know the feeling, and it gets more powerful as the winter months draw on. The one comfortable place to be is your pit, and as the weather gets colder, that superhuman effort it takes to haul your watusi into the cold needs to be…

Peter Sellers Collection, The - DVD review

The Peter Sellers Collection

17 Oct 2006

COMEDY Master or monster? Idol or idiot? Genius or jackass? The debate still simmers upon which side Peter Sellers’ legacy should fall, but it would be a shame if his reel life was tainted by his clear failings as a husband or father. Just prior to…

History Boys, The

The History Boys

17 Oct 2006

WEST END TOUR There might be a couple of points of added interest to this reappearance of Alan Bennett’s 2004 classic on Scottish stages. The first of these has to be the recent release of the motion picture version of the play, directed here, as at…

Curve Foundation

Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, Fri 20 & Sat 21 Oct

17 Oct 2006

CONTEMPORARY DANCE The Curve Foundation is the rainbow of the Scottish dance scene - rarely seen but well worth the wait when it finally arrives. The company has been creating quality dance for over eight years now, despite struggling to secure the…

Havoc

(18) 85min

17 Oct 2006

COMING OF AGE DRAMA Seemingly developed around Chomsky’s theory that ‘unlimited economic growth has the marvellous quality of stilling discontent while maintaining privilege’, Havoc is a film awash with promising ideas which its filmmakers proceed to…

Children's Classical Concerts

Children's Classical Concerts</h3>

17 Oct 2006

CLASSICAL MUSIC Whether it’s the latest picture book by Julia Donaldson or a juicy storyline in EastEnders, we all love a good yarn. Young or old, a well-told narrative always hits the spot, but there are as many ways of delivering a story as there…

Torchwood

BBC3, Sun 22 Oct, 9pm; BBC2, Wed 25 Oct, 9pm

17 Oct 2006

SCI-FI DRAMA It could all have been such a disaster. Revamping an old TV series tends to end in calamity and/or tedium (Randall and Hopkirk, The Basil Brush Show, The Price is Right for just three) but the all-new Doctor Who has defied nature and…

An Hour and a Half Late

King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 24-Sat 28 Oct

17 Oct 2006

SCOTTISH PREMIERE My father once gave me a piece of advice, the wisdom of which magnifies as the years pass. ‘Son,’ he said, ‘never try to get the last word in an argument with a woman - it’ll last the rest of your life.’ It’s a dilemma that Mel…

Stray Dogs

(12A) 93min

17 Oct 2006

DRAMA Samira Makhmalbaf’s At Five in the Afternoon can legitimately claim to have directly inspired two other films. Firstly, there was her sister Hana’s shrewd behind-the-scenes portrait Joy of Madness, and now her stepmother Marziyeh Meshkini’s…

Surface Noise

Music news that has bought Morrissey tickets alrea

17 Oct 2006

The just announced shows this issue include Morrissey at the SECC on 2 December, R&B soul man John Legend at Carling Academy on 19 December, gangsta rap numpties The Game at the same venue on 6 December, Lily Allen, Carling Academy, 8 March, My Chemical…

Hitlist

The best rock, pop, jazz and folk

17 Oct 2006

King Creosote It may have been last year that his incredible KC Rules OK album came out but there’s still plenty who haven’t had the chance to catch Kenny Anderson’s joyous sound live. Now here’s the perfect chance. ABC, Glasgow, Sat 21 Oct. (Rock & Pop)

Hitlist

The best theatre and dance

17 Oct 2006

The Tempest The Tron Theatre Company’s first outing of the season is a return to Shakespeare’s enchanted island. Will Caliban be as harshly treated as ever, will Miranda still fall in love with the first adult male she meets, will Prospero still have…

One Hour Before Sunrise

Theatre Workshop, Edinburgh, until Sat 14 Oct

17 Oct 2006

NEW WORK Over 400 people of 35 different nationalities remain held without charge or trial at the infamous Guantenamo Bay. We’re just beginning to question the involvement of our government, whereas for some nations torture has long been an…

Hitlist

The best books, comics and events

17 Oct 2006

Hitlist Jeremy Paxman The toughest talker on the BBC block gets all mouthy about the Royal Family. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Thu 19 Oct.

Hitlist

The best exhibitions

17 Oct 2006

Callum Innes - From Memory An excellent exhibition of abstract canvases painted by the Edinburgh-born artist. The paintings demonstrate a solid awareness of the history of abstract art, drawing on the best elements of abstract expressionism, post…

Hitlist

The best film & DVD releases

17 Oct 2006

Red Road Andrea Arnold’s voyeuristic Glasgow-set thriller stalks it’s way into cinemas. One of the best films of the year without a shadow of a doubt. Selected release from Fri 27 Oct.