Issue 682

Poetry

A deeply moving portrayal of an elderly woman's struggles in rural South Korea

(12A) 139min The quest to write a single poem becomes a heroic act in Poetry, a poignant, intricately plotted melodrama from Secret Sunshine director Lee Chang-dong. Poetry won the Best Screenplay at Cannes but it is the central performance from…

Zookeeper

Kevin James stars in woefully bad family rom-com

(PG) 101min Part rom-com, part Doctor Dolittle style family comedy, Zookeeper, starring lardarse comic actor Kevin James (The Dilemma, Grown Ups), is a wholly unsatisfactory experience for all but the most juvenile minds. The latest offering from…

2011 Fringe for a Fiver - Theatre

Not got a brass razoo to your name? Don’t let that spoil your Fringe fun as we present 50 shows you can see for a mere five of your Scottish pound coins Alice in Wonderland and Other Adventures with Lewis Carroll Richard Smithies brings to life the…

Focus on events at Edinburgh International Film Festival

One of the departures the revamped Edinburgh International Film Festival took this year, in moving away from the glitz and glamour of red carpet premieres and must-see movies, was an increased emphasis on film-related events. By moving the festival’s…

Crate Digging: Before he lays waste to the Slam tent techno titan Dave Clarke takes us though his favourite albums

I’m going to go completely vinyl, as you are probably aware I haven’t actually played professionally with vinyl for at least nine years so I’m going to go ‘back in the box’. I’ve had Devo Freedom of Choice (Warner Brothers) since it came out, I…

Project Y

Annual summer programme by contemporary youth dance company Y Dance

From the Shetland Islands down to the Borders, the prospect of spending a summer with Project Y entices young dancers from all quarters of Scotland. Now in its sixth year, this unique programme, run by Y Dance, gives 16-21-year-olds a chance to work…

Joe Simon: My Life in Comics

Interesting autobiography from one of the pioneers of superhero comics

(Titan) This autobiography written by one of the founding fathers of the American comic books hits the bookshelves a fortnight ahead of the release of the latest Hollywood blockbuster adaptation of a superhero strip, Captain America, which…

Beginners

Whimsical, autobiographical drama from Mike Mills, starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer

(15) 104min You cannot accuse Beginners of lacking ambition. Directed by Thumbsucker's Mike Mills, this wistful, intensely autobiographical drama combines a love story, a reflection on the ties that bind the generations and a history lesson on the…

Arrietty

Studio Ghibli takes on The Borrowers and delivers charming results

(U) 94min Over three decades, the Studio Ghibli brand of animated storytelling has become a worldwide phenomenon through beloved classics My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and the recent Ponyo. Although not directed by the studio’s co-founder Hayao…

Horrible Bosses

Seth Gordon's comedy rides high with the titular bosses, but is let down by their minions

(15) 97min The blunt title of Seth Gordon’s star-packed comedy might lack finesse but it is certainly accurate: Horrible Bosses features three utterly repulsive Los Angeles-based line managers as its villains. Dr Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston) is…

Crate digging: Benedict Bull of Skull Juice

Promoter of London’s High Horse and resident at Bleed takes us inside his record box

My favourite track at the moment is Oneohtrix Point Never ‘Nobody Here’ (Memory Vague, Root Strata). It’s just an amazingly beautiful piece of music, I’ll never get tired of it. I’ve played with him a couple of times and I still get that insecure fanboy…

Alex Smoke live at Edinburgh club Definition

Glasgow-born, London-based techno DJ set to appear at Sneaky Pete's

Alex Smoke has just moved to London but he misses his home town. ‘Glasgow has one of the strongest scenes globally,’ he explains. ‘Very supportive and wide-ranging. It’s a culture that’s very proud of music and very explorative. Paris is stagnant, for…

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - A potted history

The post-rock deities set for 2011 UK tour

One should never underestimate the power of the bagpipe. It played a key role, after all, in F# A# ∞ (F-sharp, A-sharp, Infinity) – the official debut from Canadian post-rock deities Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The anarchic, enigmatic (not to…

Cars 2

Uninspired sequel fails to keep the Pixar engine running

(U) 112min After 25 years of animation production and a run of critical and commercial smash-hits, the super-smooth Pixar production line finally blows a gasket with Cars 2, a colourful but overstuffed, noisy and heartless sequel that feels more like…

A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Botanical Gardens, Glasgow, until Sat 9 Jul

Gordon Barr's outdoor production retains its Shakespearean sparkle

First things first: it is a bit of a shame that this year’s opening production for the 10th anniversary programme of Bard in the Botanics has been consigned to a small corner at the rear of the Kibble Palace. While the cast work as hard as ever and the…

New episode of Doctor Who to be screened at Edinburgh Television Festival 2011

New episodes of Fresh Meat, The Killing and Comic Strip also on offer

The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival unveiled its programme for 2011 yesterday, marking the festival’s 36th year in operation. The series of lectures, preview screenings, masterclasses, interviews and networking parties, which…

T in the Park 2011 - Running order

Running order for T in the Park 2011

Scotland's biggest music festival takes place from Fri 8-Sun 10 July 2011. Here's the running order across all stages for each of the 3 days of the festival. This will be updated with new information as we receive it.

Attention all Edinburgh Fringe performers: We take bribes!

Are you desperate for publicity? Are you willing to pay for it?

Are you desperate to get your show publicised? Are you hungry for that extra bit of exposure that will turn your no-budget show into the 5-star, million dollar production it deserves to be? And most importantly, are you willing to pay for it? We at…

The Beaver - Jodie Foster interview

The director on working with Mel Gibson on comedy drama

The Beaver is the third directorial effort from the iconic Jodie Foster. The 48-year-old actress burst onto the international scene as a child star in 1976 with films such as Taxi Driver, Bugsy Malone and Freaky Friday. Lauded as a teenager for her…

The Princess of Montpensier - Bertrand Tavernier interview

The cineaste speaks on his inspiration for returning to the past

In a career spanning four decades and some 27 films, the French director Bertrand Tavernier has often been drawn to historical subjects: think for example of his 17th century swashbuckler D’Artagnan’s Daughter, or his dramas set in the aftermath of…

Edinburgh Art Festival 2011 highlights

David Mach, Tamsyn Challenger and Anish Kapoor among picks

David Mach. Explosive and daring exhibition of large-scale collage and sculpture works inspired by and confronting the narratives of the Bible on the 400th anniversary of the publication of the highly influential King James version. 400 Women. A…

Green Lantern

Intergalactic special effects spectacle

(12A) 114min So many adaptations of superhero comic books have received the blockbuster treatment it’s now safe to say we have seen the best of them. And its questionable what more or different there is that can be done with the super-powered…

Julia's Eyes

A very well made chiller in the stalk ‘n’ slash tradition

(15) 112min In addition to directing visionary adult horror-fantasies (The Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s Labyrinth) and outstanding Hollywood blockbusters (Hellboy and its sequel), Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is also carving a second career for…

X-Men: First Class

Latest in franchise makes clever use of Cold War-era setting

(12A) 132min The novelty of the Hollywood franchise reboot has worn thin, but this re-launch of the initially excellent adaptations of the Marvel comic book benefits from a canny central concept that takes the mutant superhero team back to their…

The Governor, Being Human and Traffik among DVD highlghts

The old school fares well against newbies in TV drama releases

The Governor ●●●● features a curious performance from Janet McTeer, just four years before her 1999 Oscar nomination for Tumbleweeds. In the first season of Lynda La Plante’s excellent prison drama, she switches between giggling schoolgirl and feisty…