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Issue 623

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The Class: To Sir, with love

The Class: To Sir, with love

19 Feb 2009

Laurent Cantet’s Palme D’Or winner The Class is the best film ever made about education. Paul Dale explains why every MSP should be made to watch it

Jason Donald

Choke Chain - Jason Donald

19 Feb 2009

‘I found it difficult torturing an eight-year-old boy, but I knew I had to.’ The couple at the table next to Jason Donald shoot him a sideways glance over the top of their coffee cups. He definitely doesn’t seem like the torturing kind. He carries on…

Scottish Opera - Five:15

Scottish Opera - Five:15

19 Feb 2009

As a savvy soul once surmised, ‘the more opera is dead, the more it flourishes.’ Just take the rise and rise of Scottish Opera. While the opera cynic waxed lyrical about the need to redefine the remit for a noughties audience, there they were setting…

Dorothy

Glasgow Film Festival: FrightFest

19 Feb 2009

There’s something primal about being scared, that jolt of adrenaline that makes us feel alive. Going back to the monsters of Greek and Roman mythology to scary stories told round the campfire, the horror genre is one of the oldest recorded forms of…

Gaza

Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace

19 Feb 2009

With the strikes on Gaza receiving near blanket coverage across all media, it’s been impossible to ignore the situation in Israel and Palestine recently. Inevitably, and perhaps understandably, when communicating the realities of life in a war zone…

Hot Leg

New Bands: The audacity of hype

19 Feb 2009

It’s not a shock to see a write-up for a new band, barely a handful of singles old, lauded as the best new band this century. But for every Arctic Monkeys there’s scores of Menswears, Towers of Londons and Mumm-Ras. Bands are expected to show up fully…

Little Boots

Cabaret Voltaire The Fourth Birthday: Life’s a cabaret

19 Feb 2009

For four years now, Cabaret Voltaire has been the hard act which every other club in Edinburgh has had to follow. The hard work and determination of owner Sarah David accounts for much of this success, although this year we decided to let some of her…

The Phantom Band

The Phantom Band

19 Feb 2009

The Phantom Band are a riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped inside an enigma. OK, they’re not really, they’re just six guys living in Glasgow making music, but as their ephemeral name suggests there is something shadowy and unfathomable about both the…

Young Fathers

New Bands

19 Feb 2009

Young Fathers Although those in the neighbourhood know that Scottish hip hop has been active for many years now, it’s still the kind of unlikely concept which can make the national media gasp, sit up and scratch their head. Take the good tidings that…

Richard Milward: Tall tale

Richard Milward: Tall tale

19 Feb 2009

Bedraggled old residential tower blocks are gradually being demolished in towns and cities across the UK. Yet, young Middlesbrough author Richard Milward has reversed the trend in his own small way, by erecting a sky-high tale from a solid stack of…

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf

19 Feb 2009

All of us know couples to whom argument is salt and pepper to the relationship. There is indeed plenty of precedent in the theatre for work centring on the dysfunctional marriage; in the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe, this was exemplified by James Brally’s Life…

Daniel Depp

Daniel Depp - Loser’s Town

(2 stars)19 Feb 2009

(Simon & Schuster) CRIME DRAMA Daniel Depp’s claim to fame to date is being the half-brother of movie star Johnny and co-writing The Brave, which was nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or prize at Cannes in 1997. As a former Hollywood…

Bruce Campbell

Bruce Campbell

19 Feb 2009

Bruce Campbell is the unrepentant king of the Bs. He burst onto the world of underground cinema with the ultimate video nasty, The Evil Dead, its two sequels, and a string of unacknowledged classics such as Maniac Cop, Crimewave, Man With the Screaming…

Al Pitcher

Al Pitcher - Phil Kay My Comedy Hero

19 Feb 2009

Al Pitcher: 'Have you ever seen a comedian try to capture lightning in a bottle? Go and see Phil Kay. I first saw him at the Red Rose Comedy Club in London. I hadn’t tried comedy at the time and was greeted by the strange pre-show sight of a bearded and…

Colin Steele

Colin Steele - Miles Davis: Kind of Blue

19 Feb 2009

It was one of the most historic recording sessions in jazz. On 2 March 1959, Miles Davis took a group of musicians that included John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, both Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb into Columbia’s 30th…

Che: Part Two

Che: Part Two

(4 stars)19 Feb 2009

WAR/BIOPIC (15) 127min Che Guevara’s final fatal campaign in Bolivia gets bold and bleak treatment in the second part of Steven Soderbergh’s extraordinary bio-historical epic about the ultimate revolutionary. It’s 1967 and Guevara (Benecio…

Gran Torino

Gran Torino

(4 stars)19 Feb 2009

(15) 116min DRAMA/THRILLER Clint Eastwood attempts a light-hearted reproach to some of the more reactionary values of his previous films in this, his acting swansong. Recently bereaved Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) lives in a Michigan…

Year of the Horse

Year of the Horse

19 Feb 2009

PREVIEW EXPERIMENTAL WORK In January 2007, Resonance FM called up Tam Dean Burn, who produced occasional live plays for them, looking for a new piece. He promised them he’d think about it, then picked up a newspaper. Front page news was the death…

Defender of the Faith

Defender of the Faith

(3 stars)19 Feb 2009

NATURALISTIC DRAMA The problems inherent in Andy Arnold’s new production are almost all in the writing. Which is strange, because Stuart Carolan’s debut script, written in 2004, won awards and a transfer to Broadway on its first run. It’s not that…

The Mystery of Irma Vep

The Mystery of Irma Vep

19 Feb 2009

PREVIEW GOTHIC COMEDY For those of us whose childhood was steeped in black and white horror films of the 1940s and 50s, the Lyceum’s latest production looks a treat. Charles Ludlam’s camp epic presents a pastiche of every nostalgic device of the…

Tiffin Rooms

Tiffin Rooms

19 Feb 2009

Glasgow’s original curry king, Balbir Singh Sumal opened the Ashoka in 1973, later selling to colleague Charan Gill who went on to build the Harlequin Restaurant Group while crediting Balbir as his mentor. Balbir made a significant return to the scene…

Flash of Genius

Glasgow Film Festival: Flash of Genius

19 Feb 2009

As those old seat belt safety films (‘clunk click every trip’) fronted by Sir Jimmy Saville taught us – it’s difficult to make car safety stimulating. Flash of Genius, a David and Goliath style story based on the true story of university professor and…

Lazy Town Live!

LazyTown Live!

19 Feb 2009

If you ever bump into Magnus Scheving in the street, one thing’s for certain – he won’t snub you. As the creator, producer and star of TV sensation, LazyTown, Scheving knows a certain amount of responsibility comes with the territory. He also remembers…

Glasgow Roller Girls

Women-only roller derby: Glasgow Roller Girls

19 Feb 2009

Mistress Malicious meets me, as arranged, in the foyer of the sports centre. She’s easy to spot: she’s tall and elegant, with tattoos and bright scarlet hair. Oh, and she’s on rollerskates. I’m here to train with the Glasgow Rollergirls and learn…

Jimmy Robert: Grey Flannel Suits Any Man

Jimmy Robert: Grey Flannel Suits Any Man

19 Feb 2009

In an adaptation of Yoko Ono’s ‘Cut Piece’ for his show Figure de Style at London’s Cubitt Gallery last year, Jimmy Robert bound his torso in strips of tape, which were then ripped off by members of the audience. The performance didn’t stray too far…

Anvil

Interview: Anvil - The Story of Anvil

19 Feb 2009

You’ve probably never heard of Anvil, but bands like Slayer, Metallica and Anthrax all cite them as an influence. Formed by childhood friends Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow (on vocals and guitar) and drummer Robb Reiner in 1973, they tasted success in the 80s with…

Rob Da Bank

Last Word: Rob Da Bank

19 Feb 2009

First record you ever bought The theme tune to ET by John Williams. It made me cry! Last time you were chatted up I’ve gone beyond realising when that’s happening after 18 years with my wife. I just think people are being pleasant. First…

Douglas Fairbanks

Film Books Roundup

19 Feb 2009

There’s something of a publishing boom in books about cinema at the moment. Whether anyone is actually going to buy these books is obviously a moot point, the current mantra of publishers and university presses is ‘publish and be damned, libraries will…

Three Monkeys (Uc Mayman)

Three Monkeys (UC Mayman)

19 Feb 2009

(15) 109min DRAMA/THRILLER Following on from Uzak (Distant), his melancholic portrait of troubled masculinity, and his intimate study of a relationship meltdown in 2006’s Climates, Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan ambitiously branches out into…

An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls

19 Feb 2009

REVIVAL Before Oscar glory reached British director Stephen Daldry, he won plaudits at the English National Theatre in 1992 with a powerful re-imagining of JB Priestley’s An Inspector Calls. The production won four Tony and three Olivier awards, and…

Claire Barclay: Openwide

Claire Barclay: Openwide

(4 stars)19 Feb 2009

SCULPTURAL INSTALLATION You would have to be made of stern critical stuff to leave Openwide without being profoundly impressed by Claire Barclay’s work. The artist is known for her installations, which often consist of a supporting structure or frame…

Gay Zombie

LGBT interest DVDs

19 Feb 2009

ROUND-UP The re-release on DVD of Wong Kar Wai’s Happy Together (Artificial Eye) ●●●● is cause for celebration. The award-winning film follows the fortunes of a gay couple from Hong Kong, who part company shortly after arriving in Argentina, leaving…

Franz Ferdinand

Future of Scotland's Music Festivals

19 Feb 2009

The law of averages suggests that what goes up must come down. And so it seems that, while the Scottish music scene is generally enjoying rude health, some of its more innovative offshoots are heading for troubled times. This month brought news that…

Hot chocolate

Taste Test - Hot chocolate

19 Feb 2009

Beanscene Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Soup Hot Chocolate, Green and Black’s Organic Hot Chocolate Drink, Coco Hot Chocolate, Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate, Options Belgian Choc

Donnie Darko

Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival and goNORTH

19 Feb 2009

The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival is offering budding filmmakers the chance to have their work screened across the country. The winner will see their work up on the big screen in cinemas across Scotland this October, with entries…

Celtic Connections

News in brief

19 Feb 2009

Organisers at Glasgow’ s Celtic Connections have reported ‘an extremely successful’ year, with ticket sales reportedly on a par with 2008. Festival heads also announced that they had secured sponsorship for another year. The Greek Film Festival…

Benga

Profile - Benga

19 Feb 2009

Name Benga Occupation DJ and producer who, alongside Tempa labelmate and childhood friend Skream, has been operating at the forefront of dubstep since the genre emerged. Where’s he from? Croydon, Greater London, where Benga started making a name…

Baby Loves Disco

Baby Loves Disco

19 Feb 2009

You know you’re doing something right when a TV Dragon wants to invest in you. Better still if you can leave the ‘Den’ with your business still intact and make a success of it on your own. Which is exactly what happened to Naomi Timperley, the UK…

John Harris

Noisy Nights

19 Feb 2009

Although it sounds like it’s something to do with closing time at the weekend, Noisy Nights is actually a Monday evening happening all about new music. Taking place in the bar of Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre, performances will be of new scores which…

RKGB/Wrong Island

RKGB/Wrong Island

19 Feb 2009

The debut of this monthly joint residency came about by complete accident, but sometimes that’s how the magic happens. ‘We were promised the last Friday of the month by the V Club,’ says RKGB’s Dema, ‘and Wrong Island were promised the fourth Friday of…

Jonathan Owen

Jonathan Owen

(4 stars)19 Feb 2009

SCULPTURE At Doggerfisher’s 2001 inaugural show Edinburgh College of Art graduate Jonathan Owen exhibited a series of irreverent yet deeply ornate cut-outs from lads’ mags, manuals and books. Menacingly splicing together nuclear armour with penises…

Timecode

Timecode

(4 stars)19 Feb 2009

MIXED MEDIA (GROUP SHOW) ‘Time’ may not seem like the most original theme for an exhibition, but in this case it’s, well, timely. 2009 marks DCA’s tenth birthday and their current show is designed to usher in a celebratory year culminating in the…

Zoey Van Goey

Hitlist - Music

19 Feb 2009

● Shhh! Zoey Van Goey and My Latest Novel take on the task of performing a live musical interpretation of a classic film in one of the Glasgow Music and Film Festival’s more imaginative events. The Arches, Glasgow, Sun 22 Feb. (Rock & Pop) ● Butcher…

Amadou & Miriam

Amadou & Miriam

19 Feb 2009

When asked to define Jazz, Duke Ellington declared that there were only two kinds of music: good music and bad. Nevertheless, pigeonholes have proved a necessary evil in the pursuit and commoditisation of music, and rarely have the categories been as…

Blind dining

Side dishes - Food News

19 Feb 2009

Following in the footsteps of established ‘blind’ restaurants in Berlin, Paris and London, the Grill Room in Edinburgh’s Sheraton Hotel is now offering a quarterly Sensory Dining meal, with a full five-course meal plus accompanying wines served to…

Skint & Demoralised

Skint & Demoralised

19 Feb 2009

Wakefield/Sheffield duo Skint & Demoralised’s stuff at first sounds like a shamelessly derivative take on The Streets’ geezery ruminations on life and love, sung in an Arctic Monkeys-esque brash northern lilt and produced in the Mark Ronson…

Playdoe at Mixed Bizness

Playdoe at Mixed Bizness

19 Feb 2009

Playdoe: that squidgy stuff you tried to eat when you were a kid, or a fresh new electro rap duo from Johannesburg. Either way, it’s great fun. Former scratch champion Sibot and local rapper Spoek are the sound of modern Africa. A raucous mix of funk…

Modeselektor

Hitlist - Clubs

19 Feb 2009

● Numbers Numbers with Modeselektor. That’s all you need to know. The Arches, Glasgow, Fri 20 Feb. ● Death Disco Brodinski, Jokers of the Scene and Filthy Dukes are all appearing. But The List really can’t see past the fact that London’s filthiest…

Companhia Paulo Ribeiro

Companhia Paulo Ribeiro

19 Feb 2009

CONTEMPORARY DANCE Making a welcome return to this year’s New Territories festival, choreographer Paulo Ribeiro’s new works Masculine and Feminine were born out of his youthful fascination with the late poet, Fernando Pessoa. ‘When I was a…

Educating Rita

Educating Rita

(3 stars)19 Feb 2009

MODERN CLASSIC A full-length two-hander with a single setting has to be made of really special stuff to avoid outstaying its welcome. Jeremy Raison’s production of Educating Rita for the Citz manages to keep its audience onside – just – but in spite…

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