Issue 697

Strictly Come Dancing's Vincent Simone discusses his new show, Midnight Tango

The TV star performs with Strictly partner Flavia Cacace

Picture the scene: a devastatingly handsome man leads you to the dance floor. Sweeping you off your feet and into that most passionate of dances, the tango, you reel with the sheer romance and excitement of it all. Then, when you think life can’t…

Woody Allen: A Documentary

A funny and occasionally insightful overview of the American filmmaker

As a filmmaker Woody Allen is anything but showy; his films focus on characters, conversations and the absurd comedy of life, and whilst they are often beautifully photographed, Allen’s pictures, turned out at a steady rate of one a year, are defined by…

Hadda and Hassan Lekliches!

One Day in Spring goes out on a high with a rich trip through Morocco's troubled recent history

The National Theatre of Scotland and Oran Mor’s One Day in Spring season goes out on a high at the Traverse this week, with a second outing for Jaouad Essounani's energetic two-hander, which takes a trip through Morocco’s troubled recent history with a…

5 sartorial influences on Django Unchained

The trailer for Tarantino's latest includes some strange wardrobe choices

Quentin Tarantino has just unveiled the trailer for his latest project, Django Unchained - a western that's already caught our attention thanks to an A list cast including Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz and featuring guest spots from…

Prometheus

Ridley Scott's return to the Alien universe is compelling but inconsistent

When contributing to a franchise with singular cultural standing and an obsessive fan base, how does one evade one’s film being largely obscured by a firestorm of nitpicking, over-interpretation and delusional theorising? If one is Ridley Scott making…

Krapp’s Last Tape/Footfalls

Meticulously choreographed and compellingly performed Beckett double bill

Dominic Hill’s pairing of two short Beckett plays, rounding off his first season in charge at the Citz, produces a fascinating and powerful portrait of old age, regret and the unreliability of memory. Gerard Murphy gives a nicely understated performance…

THEESatisfaction, Young Fathers – Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, Sun 3 Jun 2012

Soulful house party set from the Seattle hip hop duo

Seattle hip hop/soul duo Stas and Cat, aka THEESatisfaction, are perfectly suited to the DIY music scene. With just two microphones and a laptop in the way of stage set-up, you can easily imagine them playing house parties (an image aided by the video…

Oliver!

Impressively staged if sometimes trivial production of Lionel Bart's musical

Lionel Bart’s phenomenally successful musical was always a kind of Dickens-lite, the composer jettisoning much of the source novel’s gritty social commentary and satire in favour of glossy set pieces and a slightly cloying ‘lor’ love us’ attitude.

Men in Black III

Silly, lightweight, completely unnecessary but surprisingly fun

In these times of austerity Hollywood seems scared of originals ideas. Studios demand ‘brand recognition’ before they’ll stump up the multi-million dollar budgets blockbusters require. And they seem willing to latch onto almost any brand, from comics to…

Himizu

Earnest but morose drama set against the backdrop of the 2011 tsunami

Set shortly after the 2011 Japanese tsunami and ensuing Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster, Himizu considers the consequences of parental and governmental irresponsibility through its story of two troubled teens. Based on Minoru Furuya’s manga of…

Top Cat: The Movie

Unfaithful to the original cartoon but this adaptation still retains a cheeky charm

Also known as Boss Cat during his regular BBC television outings, to avoid giving advertising to a popular brand of cat food, Top Cat remains one of the most fondly remembered characters in cartoon history. Despite living in a dustbin in an alleyway…

Snow White and the Huntsman

A sinister slant on the much told tale, with Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron

This feisty fairytale from debut director Rupert Sanders takes the Brothers Grimm story and inserts feminism, viscous visual effects and a rugged love rival. Fans of the Twilight series will most likely delight at its moody aesthetic and the presence of…

Scott Agnew discusses his comedy heroes

Billy Connolly, Doug Stanhope, Johnny Vegas and Jackie Gleason are among his heavy-drinking heroes

It struck me as I was drawing up my list of comedy heroes that not only did I admire their comedy, I wanted to doff my cap to their lifestyle as well. My list of four have all been spectacular drunks. As a Glaswegian, obviously reformed boozer Billy…

The Sheraton Grand's One Square restaurant is a styled and stylish city dining experience

One Square not only describes a location that takes up the full western side of Festival Square off Lothian Road, but it’s one of those neatly vague names that provides an umbrella for various interlinked functions: café, brasserie, terrace, bar and…

The List supports artists' right to swear at the Fringe

Show titles remain uncensored in our comprehensive Fringe listings

There has been some controversy at the Fringe this year about the programme's decision to censor the swearier aspects of certain acts' shows. Liam Mullone, Richard Herring and Stuart Goldsmith have raised the issue in various interviews and statements…

Central Station: Anna Gibb

The architecture student is inspired by old maps and city panoramas

Anna Gibb has been drawing by hand since her final year at university studying architecture. Her project involved research into Edinburgh’s old town and ignited in her an obsession with city grain and, in particular, cityscape and skyline. Although…

Eat, sleep and breathe: Sean Smith, We Were Promised Jetpacks

The bassist shares the band's tour habits

What time is breakfast? It changes every day. Usually fairly late though. It’s just the adults that get up in time for breakfast. Tea or coffee? Coffee. Smoking or non-smoking? Non-smoking. Sweet or savoury snacks? Savoury, but Peter Q…

Bola - Volume 7

The Ghanaian musician's sound is an inspired meeting of tradition and experiment

A blog and now a label, Awesome Tapes From Africa has been exploring the cassette stalls of Western Africa for raw and unusual sounds since 2006. This is their second commercial release, a reissue of a 2009 tape by Ghanaian musician Bola. His sound…

Olympic Swimmers - No Flags Will Fly

Less than original but still worthwhile Scottish post-rock debut

The fact Olympic Swimmers’ debut album arrives in a summer when their Google search rankings might not be the best isn’t their biggest hindrance to standing out. Situated between the pillars of Scottish alternative music – Idlewild’s shrewd melodies…

5 Things: celebrity-endorsed fantasy products

Our favourite celeb cash-cows, from Alan Cumming, Al Pacino, Jay-Z, Bono and Meryl Streep

1 Second Cumming This one actually exists – it’s Alan Cumming’s second fragrance, after the equally silly Cumming: The Fragrance. 2 Al Cappuccino It’s just like REGULAR COFFEE, but with MORE SHOUTING! HOO-HAH! 3 Bononios Now you can give your…

Edinburgh Film Festival 2012 programme launched

Chris Fujiwara reveals extensive world cinema programme for EIFF 2012

This year the Edinburgh International Film Festival 's new director, Chris Fujiwara, has devised a brave and eclectic programme in an attempt to return the festival to its former glory. With a similar format to previous years - with several strands…

Top 5 presidents on film

In honour of Bill Murray's FDR in Hyde Park on Hudson, we look at the finest screen presidents

After his near miss at a Best Actor Oscar for 2003's Lost in Translation (seized by Sean Penn in Mystic River), Bill Murray appears to be taking another swipe at the wee gold fella with this portrayal of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Given America's love…

Olympic Torch Relay - Scottish route and dates

Information on Scottish leg of the Olympic Torch's journey around the UK

Having toured through various towns and cities in England and Wales, the Olympic Torch relay is set to head to Scotland, starting in Glasgow on Fri 8 Jun. The city will celebrate the torch’s arrival with a multi-arts programme at Kelvingrove Art…

Win tickets to see your bands from the stage at RockNess 2012

This year's RockNess Festival is offering one lucky person and a friend the chance to watch their favourite act from the side of the stage. The competition is open to anyone who has already purchased full weekend tickets, or day ticket holders who want…

Cannes 2012: Amour

Deeply sad and affecting film from Michael Haneke, and winner of the 2012 Palme D’Or

Unlike The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke’s Palme D’Or winning film from 2009), which stands out for its thematic and narrative complexities, Amour sees the Austrian director take a far simpler approach to filmmaking, with an intimate story of an elderly…