Melodrama is a constantly sub-genre appreciated by cinephiles. Historically, filmmakers like Douglas Sirk, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Pedro Almodovar earned admiration from the lovers of the seventh art, predominantly because their work approaches the structures of the melodramatic conventions. In this sense, another contemporary filmmaker admired for his oeuvre in …
There are a few artists who make a generational impact. A work that influences and emotions for multiple decades, even if they are not with us anymore. It is the outstanding beauty of artistry that breaks the geographical and time barriers. An accurate example of that concept is Selena Quintanilla, …
Future Days takes the future of new music to Birmingham in a stellar showcase of some of the best up and comers. I was eagerly anticipating first band Piss and they more than delivered – performance art on stage; warning the audience that it may be an uncomfortable set as …
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard transformed from rave set that tore up Electric Brixton into an orchestra that tore up the Royal Albert Hall in an excellent show from one of our finest chameleons. The most prolific, enduring band of our current age show they’re the best at what …
In the non-fiction medium, there is a fascinating sub-genre. In recent years, filmmakers have been documenting unconventional competitions. In both Girls State & Boys State, we follow a mock representative election by high school students who are aficionados of politics. In Pianoforte, the filmmakers narrate the International Chopin Piano Competition, …
Radar festival is the best one-day city festival outside of London and to have it return – stronger than quite possibly ever – with this first wave of announcements signifies its intent to stay – after being on the wrong side of political pressure around Bob Vylan headlining a week …
This could have been a play and may well get a second life as a play, because its single set, very talky script and clever staging keep us in the room for the 100-minute runtime. It is heavily inspired by real events but also plays fast and loose as required …
The first thing that becomes apparent when you set foot in Rotterdam; the home of Left of the Dial festival, is that there’s a statue of a dwarf with a buttplug right by the ticket collection office. The second is that it’s very, very wet – unfortunate at the best …
Giuseppe Verdi may have been dead for the past 124 years, but his legacy as Italy’s greatest 19th century opera composer is as alive as ever on stages around the world. Viva Verdi!, however, the documentary by director Yvonne Russo, shows another side of his legacy in music education and …
It’s rare that a festival can get me so excited when I’ve seen every act on the lineup before; but such is the case with Future Days festival in Birmingham at The Crossing, a one-day alternative event curated by This is Tmrw – the promoters having spotlighted some of the …
When we talk about Coldplay’s journey from a small Manchester stage to becoming one of the biggest bands in the world, one name quietly but significantly stands out – Debs Wild. A music consultant with an instinct for recognising raw talent, Wild was among the very first people to see something …
In its third year, Rally festival finally became what it was meant to be. Two years of running on the only wet day in August because of freak storms would have caused any small festival to close and you wouldn’t blame them; despite capturing star zeitgeist acts like early career …
There are few festivals like Arctangent, and that becomes clear when you set foot on the 5,000-capacity field in Somerset that this prog-rock festival calls home. It’s independent, not run by the big Ticketmaster/Live Nation backed festivals, and its small friendly appeal makes it one of the most charming, welcoming …
KPop Demon Hunters, the latest musical adventure from Sony Pictures Animation, is, in many respects, a global hit. Released in mid-June, the title is officially the most-watched animated movie of all time on Netflix, its distributor. Currently, the film sits comfortably at No. 2 on the streaming service’s Global Top …
Set in the luxurious Larmer Tree Gardens, End of the Road is a lovely, magical festival where the best of the UK’s summer music scene comes together for one final festival tour of the year. Appropriately named then – as the End of the Road, it’s a mix between punk, …
Lurker is the debut feature by Alex Russell. He is an Emmy winner for his work as a supervising producer in Netflix’s miniseries, Beef. Besides the show with Ali Wong and Steve Yeun, the young screenwriter penned episodes of FX’s Dave and The Bear. In 2017, Russell wrote a feature …
Bloodstock Open Air returns to Derbyshire with one of the best line-ups in the metal scene – spread across three days in August, it’s a festival that’s run by the fans, for the fans, with elite metal talent everywhere you look. Across multiple stages with a wide variety of treats …
Spread across multiple days from the Wednesday through to the Saturday and situated in the picturesque countryside surrounding Bristol, ArcTangent is one of the nicest, most welcoming festivals in the UK. With one of the bad lucks of being cast opposite Green Man; Wales’ premiere indie festival, it has established …
Lydia Tár is a b*tch. That’s what a student calls Cate Blanchett’s Lydia, the sociopathic lead of Todd Field’s visceral psychological thriller Tár. They’re not wrong. She is the sort of damaged soul that has hit the heights of her conducting profession, who flies so close to the sun and …
And we’re off. For another year. The sun – is appropriately baking; 40 degrees on the Tuesday. Perfect camping weather for the premiere Belgian pop/rock festival celebrating its fiftieth year. It’s a bit of a mixed bag – but the good largely outweighs the bad. As a legacy show; Werchter …