Madonna has always been resolutely Madonna, bitch. From 2024, this documentary directed by Michael Ogden follows her early career trajectory like a tracking pigeon. It’s extremely insightful, like a scrapbook bursting to life, full of interviews with those who knew her back in the day, like late brother Christopher who became one of her backingContinue reading “Film Review : Becoming Madonna”
Tag Archives: Female representation
Vintage Film Review: How To Marry A Millionaire (1953)
On the surface, the classic 1953 Hollywood comedy How To Marry A Millionaire directed by Jean Negulesco, is the usual sexist nonsense, very much of its time, focusing as the title suggests on three models each of whose sole purpose in life is to be an attractive gold digger, dedicating all their time to seekingContinue reading “Vintage Film Review: How To Marry A Millionaire (1953)”
Archive Review: Grimalkin 555, Buzzcut 2017
thetempohouse April 18, 2017 • Spoilt Victorian Child Grimalkin 555: ‘No Demoniacs!’ Govan Parish Church We are gathered here tonight to bear witness to horror screen misogyny: to torture; mutilation, stabbing, strangulation, asphyxiation, hurtling bodies off buildings.All in glorious monochrome and Technicolor: women in the final death throes, hysterical and helpless, dying, endlessly dying,and all so beautifully.Continue reading “Archive Review: Grimalkin 555, Buzzcut 2017”
Margo Channing Was Badass
Has there ever been such a brutal takedown of Hollywood- and the agency and ageing process of actresses- as Joseph L Mankiewicz’ peerless 1950 classic All About Eve? Margo Channing, portrayed by the immortal Bette Davis, is usurped in her signature theatre role by her most ardent fan, Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) a passive-aggressive andContinue reading “Margo Channing Was Badass”
Archive Theatre Review: BATSHIT
close search menu BATSHIT More than just a provocative title ★★★★ theatre review (edinburgh) | Read in About 2 minutes Batshit Photo by Joel Devereux By Lorna Irvine Published 03 Aug 2024 With a typically taboo-baiting Edinburgh Fringe title, Leah Shelton’s one-woman show, directed by Ursula Martinez, could have been a clichéd romp through performance art tropes. But it’sContinue reading “Archive Theatre Review: BATSHIT”
Documentary Review: The Myth of Marilyn Monroe
What an utter train wreck of a documentary, The Myth of Marilyn Monroe is. Directed by Oliver Elphick, it charts her rise and fall, with some historical context of America in the fifties, as opposed to telling her life story with any nuance. Instead, fairytale rags to riches clichés abound. The American Dream symbolismContinue reading “Documentary Review: The Myth of Marilyn Monroe”
TV Review: Girlbands Forever
Following on from last year’s Boybands Forever documentary, produced by Louis Theroux and Nancy Strang, comes the sister companion Girlbands Forever. And it’s equally as fascinating, yet pretty flawed. Suga(babes) and Spice (Girls) is all very nice, but of course, as with the previous three part series, the reality was anything but. As before, ex-bandContinue reading “TV Review: Girlbands Forever”
Film Review: Josie and The Pussycats (2001)
Before Barbie and the Lego movie franchise, there was Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont’s Josie and The Pussycats, a sleek little subversion of tween fandom, spending power and the evils of capitalism The lowdown: Du Jour are a “wicked” US boy band, pitched somewhere between N’Sync and Backstreet Boys. Every kid in America loves them,Continue reading “Film Review: Josie and The Pussycats (2001)”
We Need To Talk About Lisa
I watched Girl, Interrupted for about the fifth time the other evening, having seen Leah Shelton’s brilliant show Batshit. (My review of it is up on Fest magazine). I was wondering if it still held up, having not watched for a while. It’s good, if flawed : James Mangold directs brilliantly, but the narration andContinue reading “We Need To Talk About Lisa”
Interview: Carolyn Yates and Linda Duncan McLaughlin Talk ‘Gazing’
A powerful, challenging, provocative and funny new play, Gazing, looking at female representation and autonomy, has been inspired by Kim Ayres’ photography exhibition ‘Women over Fifty’. It starts on Saturday at Dumfries and Galloway’s DG Arts Festival. Ahead of its run this weekend, Lorna Irvine caught up with the creator, playwright Carolyn Yates, and castContinue reading “Interview: Carolyn Yates and Linda Duncan McLaughlin Talk ‘Gazing’”
Hit The North 