As Valentine’s Day doth approacheth, I take a look at the enduring classic, as reimagined by Australian director Baz Luhrmann. I bloody HATED Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet when I first saw it at the cinema in 1996. I felt that transposing the Shakespeare classic to Venice Beach and bringing in nineties slackers in HawaiianContinue reading “30 Years Of Baz Luhrmann’s “Star Cross’d Lovers””
Category Archives: Pop culture
The Lolita Problem
Kidcore; Jenna Ortega as ‘Wednesday’, ‘St Trinians’, ‘Pretty Baby’, Jodie Foster in ‘Taxi Driver ‘, a young Britney Spears, Natalie Portman’s early roles, Kawaii, groupie tales, sexy young models, schoolgirl strippers, Page 3 and of course, the book from which the fetish arose- these are all massive cultural touchstones for many fans of pop culture.Continue reading “The Lolita Problem”
*Film Review : Melania
This radical, wholly impartial new documentary from Brett Ratner and Amazon follows the thrilling upward trajectory of one Melania Knauss Trump, as she finally finds her feet on the global stage. Melania is now her own unique brand. She’s right up there with Beyonce, Madonna, Oprah and … yes, possibly, even God. Melania is everyContinue reading “*Film Review : Melania”
Lost In Music: Before Lana Del Rey … Mazzy Star
She Hangs Brightly was the debut album from Mazzy Star, aka guitarist Dave Roback and vocalist Hope Sandoval. Previously, with singer Kendra Smith, they were Opal, but she was replaced, and the (ugh, I hate this word) jailbait prettiness and sleepy drawl of Sandoval proved more marketable, it seems. Released in 1990, essentially the duoContinue reading “Lost In Music: Before Lana Del Rey … Mazzy Star”
Catherine O’ Hara Has Gone
The versatile actor with the lovely voice has passed away at 71 and it’s such a big loss. To a whole generation she’ll forever be Kevin’s mom Kate McCallister in ‘Home Alone’, to another, Moira Rose in ‘Schitt’s Creek’, to older comedy fans she started out on Canadian TV as a sketch comedian, but forContinue reading “Catherine O’ Hara Has Gone”
Film Review: Marcel The Shell With Shoes On
Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slate’s mockumentary is one of the most lovely family films I’ve ever seen. In the hands of Disney, it probably would have been a treacly exercise in trite sentimentality, but leave it to independent filmmakers to create something pithy, poignant and rather beautiful. Marcel (adorably voiced by Slate) is indeedContinue reading “Film Review: Marcel The Shell With Shoes On”
Young
And just like that, I’m catapulted back in time, back into the mid-nineties. Social media means phoning your friends to talk about films, clubbing is still the preferred choice of our weekends, and we can handle drinking culture and the occasional pill or spliff. Pulp, Bjork and Husker Du ring out on the dancefloor. It’sContinue reading “Young”
Bad Cover Versions: The Damned- See Emily Play
Oh… Dear. The Damned have always been a huge source of joy and affection for me, as they were the first live band I ever saw, back in their ‘Phantasmagoria’ era. They were great, even though they were already past their best by then. And I love the original version of this by Pink Floyd,Continue reading “Bad Cover Versions: The Damned- See Emily Play”
Overlooked Classics: Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
Years before ‘Trainspotting’ cemented its place in literature and film history, auteur Gus Van Sant, along with screenwriter Daniel Yost, created a brilliant film about a bunch of junkies and the rigmarole of fixing. Here, the setting is Portland and the decade, the early seventies. Matt Dillon is the lead character, Bob, putting his broodingContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: Drugstore Cowboy (1989)”
Favourite Cover Versions: Radiohead Homage The Smiths
Two of the greatest British bands of all time feature in this post today… What’s not to like? Radiohead covering The Smiths ‘ peerless, typically arch song ‘The Headmaster Ritual’ is a glorious thing to behold indeed. Here it is. Notice how lovely Thom cracks up and can’t get through the line, “spineless bastards, all”.Continue reading “Favourite Cover Versions: Radiohead Homage The Smiths”
Hit The North 