Category Archives: Pop culture

Film Review: A Complete Unknown

Another year, another music biopic about a problematic genius. James Mangold has of course got previous with Walk The Line. A Complete Unknown isn’t much of a departure from the Johnny Cash film, as it’s also a good character study. Here, the truculent rebel is one Bob Dylan, right at the start of his career.Continue reading “Film Review: A Complete Unknown”

Film Review: The Public Image Is Rotten (2017)

Director Tarrbert Fiiller’s documentary on Public Image Ltd. is downbeat, insightful and strangely touching, poking at the open wounds involved when working alongside the inimitable John Lydon. With rare access to interviews with the imp himself, plus ex-band members like Keith Levene, Allan Dias and Martin Atkins, it’s more intimate and candid than your average,Continue reading “Film Review: The Public Image Is Rotten (2017)”

Goodbye Glesga… For a bit.

Glasgow is a glorious city, full of contrasts: it’s the “Dear Green Place”; yet struggles with violence and gangland beefs. It’s modern, yet can be reactionary as hell. People can be wonderful, and I lived there over two decades. The buzz, bands, dance and theatre on my doorstep and the multiculturalism were glorious. However, theContinue reading “Goodbye Glesga… For a bit.”

I Like Anti-Musicals

Poor old Joker: Folie a Deux. Todd Phillips ‘ sequel absolutely TANKED last year, because nobody wanted to see a musical that depressing. I’ve only got round to watching it myself, as I’m not the biggest admirer of Lady Gaga. But guess what? I loved it. For me, it succeeds as an anti -musical, becauseContinue reading “I Like Anti-Musicals”

TV Review: Video Nasty

This dark comedy drama series arrives at an interesting time, in the wake of eighties nostalgia franchises like ‘Stranger Things’ and more recently Tim Burton’s underwhelming sequel, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’. Written by Hugh Travers and directed by Christopher Smith and Megan K Fox, it’s steeped in the pop culture of that decade, right down to MaryContinue reading “TV Review: Video Nasty”

Lost In Music: Klaus Nomi

Klaus Nomi is all too often rendered a footnote in musical history, a quirk in queer culture’s lineage, as his musical outpourings veered from the sublime to the ridiculous. He’s there, lurking like a camp Zelig figure on the disco dancefloors along with his more respected peers, or wiggling on TV behind Bowie like aContinue reading “Lost In Music: Klaus Nomi”

The Queen Is Dead, Long Live The Queen

James Lee Williams, who has sadly passed away aged just thirty two, was a brilliant all-rounder. The Vivienne, his drag queen alter ego named after legendary designer Vivienne Westwood, was the epitome of Scouse fierceness: witty, no-nonsense and extremely smart. I saw them perform in Drag Race UK Live in 2019 (they were the firstContinue reading “The Queen Is Dead, Long Live The Queen”

Freelancer’s Blues

It isn’t easy being a freelance arts writer. While I’m fully aware there are worse jobs to have (I previously worked in a call centre, a hotel and in retail, uggghhh) there are a few issues with this bizarre occupation. Firstly, some publications insist that they will pay you, only to renege at the lastContinue reading “Freelancer’s Blues”

Vintage Films: Cabaret

If Sally Bowles was around today, she’d most likely be chronically online, binging on TikTok make-up tutorials and dance crazes.She’d be oblivious to the outside world, unaware of the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, or the orange menace that is Trump. Bob Fosse’s film has endured, because the theme of “divine decadence” amid the encroachingContinue reading “Vintage Films: Cabaret”