It’s that time of year again. The Edinburgh Festival is both a blessing and curse, as it can make or break careers. Even The Guardian recently acknowledged that it’s increasingly pricing out young actors, playwrights, directors and so on as landlords hike prices up to astronomical levels, meaning you’d better have rich parents or patronsContinue reading “Annie Griffin’s Festival”
Category Archives: Humour
DVD Review: The Sparks Brothers
Edgar Wright’s The Sparks Brothers is more than a traditional rock doc. A visually glorious pop art paean to the shapeshifting nature of pop music, Ron and Russell Mael, aka Sparks, represent longevity, invention and playful erudition. From their LA childhood on the beach, absorbing their artist father’s paintings, and being driven by their motherContinue reading “DVD Review: The Sparks Brothers”
Pink Flamingos at 50
Nothing- now or ever- arguably, will be as outrageous as John Waters’ Pink Flamingos. Celebrating its half century, this film from Waters and his team of miscreants, AKA the Dreamlanders, tackles every taboo you care to mention. Ostensibly a mockumentary gone rogue, the deranged masterpiece still holds up with its questionable mores centring around theContinue reading “Pink Flamingos at 50”
Fluffy Easter Bunnies
I sincerely hope that the parents and caregivers of all involved could afford adequate therapy.Truly the stuff of nightmares…
Just Step Sideways: Dee Dee Ramone’s Hip Hop Career
How many drugs are too many drugs? Well, many people may not know this, but lovable goofball Dee Dee Ramone, bass player for the legendary NY punks, had a brief side project as Dee Dee King in 1989. In a deleted scene from the Ramones biopic End Of The Century directed by Michael Gramagia andContinue reading “Just Step Sideways: Dee Dee Ramone’s Hip Hop Career”
Quentin Smirhes v the Fisher Price Box
He is a rum one, that Quentin Smirhes. Mustard of knitwear, mercurial of mood, you never quite know what to expect from him. He is a little tetchy, sans tea and custard creams, of an afternoon. So we thought a toy jack in the box would be tickety-boo to lift his mood. We were wrong,Continue reading “Quentin Smirhes v the Fisher Price Box”
The Joy Of Kenneth
Drink up your strawberry Nesquik/Creamola Foam, finish the last crumbs of Findus Crispy Pancakes, peas and oven chips, and make a spirited dash to the wood-panelled TV set. It’s Kenneth time! Not a Kenny, most certainly not a Ken, Kenneth is a benign, smiling presence in a world of doubt. He’s crimplene- lean, a clean,Continue reading “The Joy Of Kenneth”
The Great Scottish Diet
Nothing brings a Proustian rush of nostalgia quite like the consumption of sugary Scottish snacks. Tunnocks Tea Cakes are a popular one, after decades, made with either mallow, jam and chocolate, or chocolate and whipped icing sugar, depending on which option you go for. Either way, it’s diabetes on a plate. This goes for ourContinue reading “The Great Scottish Diet”
My First All Emoji Review: Dig! (2004)
❤️🎥📽️☢️🎧🎤🎹🎙️🎻🎺⭐🤩📀🤑💲💲💲 🎸🎵🎼➕🎨🚩🚩🚩🚩💊💊💊💊💊💊💊💊💊💊💉💉💉💉💉😠😠😠😡😡😡😡😡😒😒🤬🤬🔥🔥🔥🔥💥💥💥💥🧔👦 ⭐⭐⭐🥃🥃🥃🥃🍾🔪🌎🎉🎉⭐⭐⭐👅🗣️🗣️💪💪🤥😵😬🤒🤒🤒🤒😜😜😜💊💊💊💉💉💉 🎼🎼🎼🎵🎵🤒😵😜🚛🚛😠📀📀🍸🤑🤑🤑🤑😥😥😠🤔🤔😍🤩🤩🤩🙂🙂⭐⭐⭐🎹🎧🎤🎸 🎻🎬🎸🎸🎺🎷🎸❤️❤️❤️💯🎉👋👋👋
Slang King
It’s been four years since Mark Edward Smith passed away and I can’t think of many curmudgeons who inspired so many bands and people, despite being such a divisive figure (Moz, maybe). My favourite lyrics by Smith can also be found in some of my favourite Fall songs. He’s particularly scathing when it comes toContinue reading “Slang King”
Hit The North 