Flesh and Flash crush it in the makeover challenge. What an emotional week. The family makeover is always heartwarming, regardless of the outcome, as it’s lovely seeing the queens reunited with loving family members, but this was a close call, in terms of styles. Naya Thorn and her mum as River Thorn were a realContinue reading “Drag Race UK Series 8 – Family Makeover Time”
Category Archives: Pop culture
A Bad Week And The Antidote
This week was bad. Horrible news, shit weather, and a bad reaction to my medication, meaning I couldn’t cover a dance show which looked beautiful. But then I remembered an image. One to gladden the heart more than kittens, hot buttered toast and hot chocolate, and the music of Alien Sex Fiend. An icon, quickContinue reading “A Bad Week And The Antidote”
Too Much Nostalgia
Recently, I heard a radio interview with Adam Curtis, the brilliant documentary maker, whose style is that of cross-reference and visual metaphor. Broadly speaking, his intertextuality focuses on politics, lived experience and the way media is consumed. Often, he’s been criticised for a bleak worldview, a tendency to zoom in on all things Orwellian. ButContinue reading “Too Much Nostalgia”
Film Review: Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
Jesus And Mary Chain, neon pink, Bauhaus poster, set of hair crimpers and a novelty telephone means we’re firmly in the 1980s, in a teen horror comedy. But this is penned by Diablo Cody, so it’s much smarter than your average ‘American Graffiti Risky Time Machine Scream’. In actual fact, it’s more like ‘Sexy Beetlejuice’.Continue reading “Film Review: Lisa Frankenstein (2024)”
Iggy And The Stooges- Raw Power
Mick Rock’s book on Iggy And The Stooges, circa 72-3, the ‘Raw Power’ era, doesn’t just capture the proto-punk era. It captures the feral energy of the best band in the world at that time, except for Bowie’s Ziggy and the Spiders. Iggy Pop at 25 was beyond rock, beyond roll, beyond entertainer, beyond androgyny,Continue reading “Iggy And The Stooges- Raw Power”
Film Review: The Substance (2024)
Coralie Fargeat’s horror film fights more than just the seven signs of ageing. Like a reverse Dorian Grey, Elisabeth Sparkle, an iconic aerobics instructor on TV (Demi Moore) is let go of by her sexist boss Harvey (Randy Quaid, hilarious and gross) for having the sheer audacity to simply age. Furious at being forced intoContinue reading “Film Review: The Substance (2024)”
Drag Race UK Series 8: Bye,Bye, Baby
The insufferable Paris Baby sashayed away. I couldn’t be happier. Spoilt, constantly creating drama, fat -shaming, sulking when critiqued ..and that was just before lunchtime.I get really big female stereotype vibes from her, bordering on internalised misogyny. She managed to annoy everyone- even ally Naya Thorn- and her looks were basic on the catwalk, regardlessContinue reading “Drag Race UK Series 8: Bye,Bye, Baby”
Film Review: Late Night With The Devil (2023)
Who killed Mr Midnight? Well, the viewers, obviously. As once- popular seventies chat show host Jack Delroy’ s ratings slump, so, he needs to do something notorious to claw them back. A psychic, and sceptic conjurer based on James Randi should (literally) do the trick. David Dastmalchian excels as the obsequious Delroy: he’s classic sleazyContinue reading “Film Review: Late Night With The Devil (2023)”
The Oscar Problem
Oscar Branning, portrayed by Pierre Counihan-Boullier, in ‘Eastenders’, has to be one of TV’s most problematic characters in decades. Oversexed and manipulative, he represents the bisexual representation problem. In fact, he embodies it. Flitting between two lovers, Jasmine and Josh, who both happen to be twins, he goes to one- or both- of them whenContinue reading “The Oscar Problem”
Overlooked Classic: Japan – Gentlemen Take Polaroids
Stroking that rare sweet spot between art and pop, Japan eschewed easy or definitive classification. Of course, they were always inextricably linked to Japanese artist Yellow Magic Orchestra and in particular Riuyichi Sakamoto, who wrote the final track here- ‘Taking Islands In Africa ‘ – but there are classical influencers in the won ton soupContinue reading “Overlooked Classic: Japan – Gentlemen Take Polaroids”
