Sex, religion and violence are again the key driving forces behind the dramatic action in this final instalment in Ti West’s trilogy of horror films starring Mia Goth. The series began with X, in which a group of amateur filmmakers headed to a remote ranch in Texas to shoot a pornographic movie but became caught…
One of the great plays of the 20th century retains its vibrancy and bite in a stunning MTC production, headlined by a bravura showing from Nikki Shiels. Written by Tennessee Williams in 1945, A Streetcar Named Desire was first performed on Broadway two years later. Now, here I am, coming up to 80 years on,…
Slick, Cirque Bon Bon is a lively and most entertaining showcase of the circus arts. Its very funny front man is an ardent fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury. In fact, the music (and spot lighting) in this production are among its many highlights, led by a gifted cast of acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, contortionists and…
The Moon landing is a cultural touchstone in the US, so much so that it’s the topic of several big-name movies including Hidden Figures and First Man. Almost as pervasive as the event itself is the myth that someone (in some tellings, Stanley Kubrick) shot the whole thing on a sound stage. Now the two…
Yorgos Lanthimos can be polarising. Even among his own fan-base, his films can be divisive. Recently, something of a split has emerged between fans of his “old stuff” (like Dogtooth and The Lobster) and those of his “new stuff” (The Favourite and Poor Things). I’m a bit on the fence here, because I’m certainly a…
I have fond memories of Twister (1996), starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. Even though plot points may differ, I felt like I was getting a repeat dose in Twisters. This is a special effects movie, with romance thrown in for good measure. Perhaps it will resonate more strongly with those that haven’t seen the…
A striking reimagining of Shakespeare’s tale of murder and madness, Zinnie Harris approaches the tragedy from Lady Macbeth’s perspective. Macbeth’s wife is the one pulling the strings … or so she thinks. For those familiar with Macbeth, the basic plot remains … with twists. Scottish general Macbeth receives a prophecy from three witches that he…
Lots of great speculative fiction books involve steam trains. Some highlights of this China Mieville’s Iron Council, Terry Pratchett’s Raising Steam to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Express. And of course, being steam driven, trains often feature in pretty much anything written in the steampunk sub-genre. Sarah Brooks’ debut draws on some of this but also on…
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical takes audiences on an emotional rollercoaster, showcasing the extreme ups and even more extreme downs of her legendary career. She was in the music industry for many decades, from her glory Ike and Tina Turner days in the 1960s and ‘70s (at least performance-wise) to her being a ‘has been’…
The title says it all you need to know about this visceral, ultra-violent action thriller from India. Kill delivers a high body count and plenty of gore and mayhem. Most of the action is confined to a train, so it comes across like The Raid set on a train. The film takes place on a…
