Take Scottish institution The Broons, put something in their tea, and you’re halfway to understanding the genius of Ivor Cutler. I’m a wee bit late to the table here, but January the 15th marked what would have been the great Ivor Cutler ‘s 100th birthday. Born into a Scots Jewish family, his dour, sweetly subversiveContinue reading ““God Bless You, Mr Cutler! “”
Tag Archives: Satire
Annie Griffin’s Festival
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”
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”
Overlooked Classics: Bauhaus- In The Flat Field
We need to talk about Bauhaus. No, not the German art movement, although it’s hugely influential and important. The debut album from the English band is also the very first album ever released on 4AD. I feel Bauhaus are often unfairly dismissed as pretentious pretty boys and mere Goths, like a haircut that you growContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: Bauhaus- In The Flat Field”
Lost In Music: Aphex Twin- Come To Daddy
In these terrible days of Boris and his cronies’ collective hubris, we need an anthem to guide us into the light- a song which, heads raised aloft like Boudicca, we sing to raise spirits and gladden hearts. It’s what Dame Vera stood for and by jingo, it’s what we need right now. Bollocks we do.Continue reading “Lost In Music: Aphex Twin- Come To Daddy”
Frankenweenie(1984)
In many ways, the original short film version of Frankenweenie is a sharp satire on horror cinema and its tropes: after all, Shelley Duvall plays the Mom, which foreshadows the macabre undertow (isn’t she the archetypal horror film Mom as resilient Wendy Torrance in The Shining?) Written by Lenny Ripps and directed by a youngContinue reading “Frankenweenie(1984)”
Generic White Middle-Class Performance Poet
I’m getting so bored of this crap that I thought I’d homage them myself. Took me roughly three minutes. Ooh, it’s enough to make you spit out your flat white in Costa Coffee. Generic White Middle-Class Performance Poet I’m jabbing at you Jabbing with my ire With my flat tyre Flat out, tired Well-worn dropletsContinue reading “Generic White Middle-Class Performance Poet”
Why Midnight Cowboy Remains Relevant
It may be nigh-on impossible to watch any Dustin Hoffman these days without hearing Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon parodying his nasal New York accent, but I watched John Schlesinger’s classic Midnight Cowboy the other night and it still remains an astute metaphor for the mess America is in, now as then. Joe Buck (JonContinue reading “Why Midnight Cowboy Remains Relevant”
Hit The North 