Location: set your location

Murray Robertson

Sorted by date / most viewed. Showing 25, 50, 100 per page.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

Revisiting: Twin Peaks - Fire Walk With Me

David Lynch and his troubled relationship with television

17 Feb 2012

In May 1990, David Lynch controversially stormed the Cannes Film Festival with his adaptation of Barry Gifford’s Wild at Heart, picking up the prestigious Palme d’Or. Two years later, when he premiered Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me – the feature length…

Preview of 2012 - Games

Preview of 2012 - Games

A look at the videogames that'll rule your world this year, including GTA V, Halo 4 and Max Payne 3

9 Jan 2012

First off the biggie: Grand Theft Auto V. We’ve seen the trailer and it looks like we’re back in Los Angeles, sorry Los Santos, for the latest instalment of the world conquering videogame developed by Edinburgh’s own Rockstar North. The shoot outs, car…

Battlefield 3 vs Modern Warfare 3 - review

Battlefield 3 vs Modern Warfare 3 - review

The two big first person shooters go head-to-head

13 Dec 2011

First out of the blocks is Battlefield 3 PC/PS3/Xbox 360 (EA) ●●●●, sequel to the 2005 tactical FPS. For the first time in the series’ history we have a single player campaign and it’s a turgid affair, plagued by over-scripting and infuriating enemy AI.

The Adventures of Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn

The Adventures of Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn

Distills essence of 1980s adventure cinema but lacks Hergé’s light touch

(4 stars)27 Oct 2011

In an interview shortly before his death in 1983, Hergé, the creator of Tintin, said that the only person who could bring his creation to life on the big screen was a young director called Steven Spielberg. The director himself had only been turned on…

Sammy J and Randy: Ricketts Lane

Sammy J and Randy: Ricketts Lane

Extraordinary performances in an endearing show

(4 stars)30 Aug 2011

It’s been a busy month for comedian Sammy J and his antipodean compatriot Randy the purple puppet (performed by Heath McIvor). As well as their respective solo shows they pair up for this high-energy musical about companionship and tax evasion. After…

John Scott: Totally Made Up

John Scott: Totally Made Up

Exemplary observational material worked hard in stifling venue

(4 stars)30 Aug 2011

Winner of last year’s Take the Mic competition, John Scott has his work cut out in this stifling venue. That he manages to get laughs out of our sticky situation is a testament to his immense likeability. There’s some racy stuff but Scott’s charm takes…

Randy is Sober

Randy is Sober

A puppet with incredible range and comedy timing

(4 stars)23 Aug 2011

For an inanimate puppet, Randy’s capable of an enormous range of expression. He’s a captivating flirt and turns his shortcomings (his eyes don’t work) into moments of joy. With a deft turn of phrase and subtle shift in posture, he reacts with impeccable…

Peacock and Gamble’s Emergency Broadcast

Peacock and Gamble’s Emergency Broadcast

Childish mischief and stupendous invention

(4 stars)23 Aug 2011

Combining the childish mischief of John Belushi with the victimised protestations of the underdog, Ray Peacock almost walks away with this show. But Ed Gamble is the perfect foil, selflessly teasing out moments of stupendous invention. Their take on…

Pete Bennett's Tourette's and Stuff

Pete Bennett's Tourette's and Stuff

Unpolished but candid and funny set from Big Brother winner

(3 stars)17 Aug 2011

Back in 2006, Pete Bennett spent the summer trapped in a building making people laugh. Now free of the shackles of Big Brother, he presents his one-man show, an autobiographical highlights package of his life with Tourette’s Syndrome. Interestingly…

Paul Sinha: Looking at the Stars

Paul Sinha: Looking at the Stars

Perfectly-judged swipe at celebrities, politicians and Twitter twats

(4 stars)16 Aug 2011

Despite the assertion that he’s tired of being asked about current affairs, Paul Sinha has plenty on his mind. He reckons he’ll never be part of the A-list and so delivers a perfectly-judged swipe at celebrities, politicians and Twitter twats. There is…

Shane and Eddie: Picking up the Pieces

Shane and Eddie: Picking up the Pieces

50-minute avant-garde nightmare beyond redemption

(1 star)16 Aug 2011

This avant-garde performance possibly follows an obnoxious couple’s attempts to live like plebs. However, it’s difficult to be sure and impossible to care. It must be scripted because the duo have a great knack of not speaking over each other, though…

Keeping the Captain Warm

Keeping the Captain Warm

Faltering sketch comedy with moments of greatness

(3 stars)15 Aug 2011

Rather like a live rehearsal, about half-way through this show, the four-piece sketch act finally hits the ground running, and what began as a middling muddle of cliché actually finds its feet. Some of the performances tower over others and there is a…

The Hermitude of Angus, Ecstatic

The Hermitude of Angus, Ecstatic

Absurdist comedy that starts well but quickly deteriorates

(2 stars)15 Aug 2011

Shambling onstage like a demented Where’s Wally?, early signs seem promising for this rubbery performer. An absurdist narrated life story plods from one chapter to the next (in no particular order), carrying Angus’ near-wordless adventures. But, like a…

Chris McCausland

Chris McCausland

Disappointingly unoriginal set from the London comic

(2 stars)14 Aug 2011

McCausland’s London-centric material never rises above the mundane in a slow hour where jokes occasionally waft by. There’s some Neolithic stuff about budget airlines and how he’s joined a gym mixed in with the odd well-crafted gem. He’s capable of much…

August games review round-up

August games review round-up

Gran Turismo 5, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 and Bulletstorm reviewed

10 Aug 2011

Gran Turismo 5 ●●●● PS3 (Sony) After five years of protracted development, Gran Turismo 5 features over 1,000 cars and 71 tracks. It’s a petrolhead’s dream, although its claim to be ‘the real driving simulator’ is somewhat undermined by moronic AI…

David Reed: Shamblehouse

David Reed: Shamblehouse

Great lines but lots of filler

(3 stars)8 Aug 2011

Luckless losers have great comic potential. From Brent to Fawlty, classic comedy is littered with the hubris of idiots. Branching out from Fringe stalwarts The Penny Dreadfuls, David Reed welcomes a collection of ‘tragic, lonely characters’ into his…

John Robertson - Blood & Charm: Disturbing Stories for Disturbing Bedtimes

John Robertson - Blood & Charm: Disturbing Stories for Disturbing Bedtimes

Tightly-scripted surreal monologue full of fascinating true stories

(3 stars)8 Aug 2011

Australian Idol reject Robertson has constructed a tightly-scripted monologue full of fascinating true stories. He wraps his infectiously toothy grin around an autobiographical tale festooned with convoluted gags and dreamlike meanderings. The surreal…

Tom Price

Tom Price: Say When

Torchwood actor ebullient, warm and thoroughly engaging

(4 stars)8 Aug 2011

Torchwood actor Price spins a scattershot, shaggy yarn from the schoolyard to Billie Piper. From the off, he’s ebullient and thoroughly engaging, delicately interweaving material about his disabled mum that absolutely drips with warmth while still being…

Rayguns Look Real Enough: Balls Deep

Rayguns Look Real Enough: Balls Deep

Thematically-arranged medleys from emphatic performer with laboured set of puns

(2 stars)8 Aug 2011

Glee fans are well catered for in this mash-up of thematically-arranged medleys, but the laughs come thin and slow. Frontman Ray Gun is an emphatic performer, tucking into lead vocals with relish, but his cat costume is a gimmick that long outstays its…

Interview - The Noise Next Door

Their Finest Hour - The Noise Next Door interview

Lean and hungry improv machine 2011 Edinburgh Fringe

26 Jul 2011

‘Edinburgh audiences push you a bit more and they challenge you because they’re generally more intelligent.’ Sam Pacelli, one-fifth of improv troupe The Noise Next Door, clearly hasn’t performed at one of the Fringe’s more salacious late-night venues.

Age of Dragons' flawed take on Moby Dick a sea of flat performances

Age of the Dragons

Flawed take on Moby Dick a sea of flat performances hampered concessions to original text

(2 stars)7 Apr 2011

(12A) 90min This loose retelling of Moby Dick boasts some sumptuous cinematography and the unlikely star pairing of Danny Glover and Vinnie Jones. But transplanting the action to a fantasy land (an effectively shot Utah) and swapping dragons for…

Hall Pass high on gross-out but low on entertainment

Hall Pass high on gross-out but low on entertainment

Farrelly Brothers’ take on wife-sanctioned adultery is just unfunny

(2 stars)1 Apr 2011

(15) 105min From its preoccupations with midlife crises and marital woes, it’s tempting to think that Hall Pass represents the Farrelly Brothers having grown up. Rest assured however, there are plenty of gross-out gags – culminating in what may be…

Take the Mic competition final 2010

Take the Mic competition final 2010

'Homeless Bee Gee' John Scott win £12,000 cash prize

27 Aug 2010

Described by one comedian as a cross between a POW camp and Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, Edinburgh’s Caledonian Brewery played host on Sunday to the grand final of this year’s Take the Mic competition (also sponsored by The Scottish Sun). Hosted by…

Carole Jahme

Carole Jahme

Barren, baffling and humiliating for all involved

(1 star)23 Aug 2010

Dressed as a ‘humanzee’ in a cocktail dress and accompanied by a toy monkey in a baby chair, Jahme presents a bizarre affectation of a lecture featuring a series of home videos with children dressed as apes. Later we’re treated to slide shows where she…

The Ginge, The Geordie & The Geek

The Ginge, The Geordie & The Geek

Well complemented titular trio

(3 stars)23 Aug 2010

This titular trio complement each other well with varying shapes and sizes and some sketches play to their strengths, such as the scarecrow who falls in love with the very bird he’s supposed to shoo. There’s patchy work here and a poorly-conceived early…

52 articles.

Sorted by date / most viewed. Showing 25, 50, 100 per page.

RSS feed