I have been involved in the making of a few indie flicks in my time, both in front of and behind the camera, most of them understandably not available on Netflicks at present. People ask me if I ever miss the world of film. I always say, emphatically, no. Here’s a taste of why that […]
The Cougar
When I was in my late teens, during a memorably awful summer, I had a friend named Todd. Actually, most of the male kids in my class at that point were called Todd; it’s a Canadian thing, don’t ask. I got him a job at the warehouse where I was already employed. I hated the […]
Clegg: The Movie – why are Channel 4 making this exactly?
It was announced yesterday that Channel 4 are to produce a one-off, feature length programme to be entitled Coalition, centred on the events surrounding and shortly after the 2010 general election, with Nick Clegg as the main character. There has been plenty of debate around who would portray the Deputy Prime Minister, ranging from the […]
Pay to Cum: Washington’s greatest punk band, Bad Brains
My two year old daughter is going through a Hot Rats phase. In other words, she wants to incessantly listen to Frank Zappa’s 1969 magnum opus. It’s my fault, obviously; I was the one who introduced it into her life. In the same way that I’ve introduced most things of a pop cultural nature to […]
Pricing up the Cornish holiday
I spent last week in Cornwall on holidays and loved it. I have to admit upfront to having a bit of a thing for the place. Partly it’s the country’s independent mindedness (literally – it has far more non-party affiliated councillors than any other part of England), partly its extremity (geographically, I mean), and also […]
Lone Man at the Cricket
Having attempted to unload a spare ticket to the Oval to see Day Three of the test against India on Sunday, a day that was ultimately the final one of the English test cricket summer, I travelled to the ground alone. I live about twenty odd minutes walk away, so this was less daunting than […]
Was the 2005 Lib Dem “Wolf” Party Political Broadcast actually remarkably prescient?
During the 2005 general election campaign, the Liberal Democrats put out a broadcast about the Iraq War. No great surprise considering this was the party’s leading populist issue of the time, but it took a rather odd slant on events. It tried to reframe Blair taking the country into the Iraq War as the Boy […]
One of my favourite Parisian tourist attractions: the Rue Morgue Windows
Robert Berthune came to Paris in 1890, moving from his hometown of Cassel in the Pays Du Nord in hopes of becoming a world famous magician. His first year in Paris was a difficult one; he approached the Moulin Rouge as a showcase for his talents but was roundly rebuffed, literally kicked out the door. […]
Jandek: the world’s most obscure artist that you might have heard of
In 1978, a young man in Texas named Sterling Smith thought he’d start a band called the Units. Only he decided to make it a band of one. Whether this was ultimately out of choice or circumstances remains undocumented. He brought out an album entitled Ready for the House to widespread apathy. Apparently, in three […]
The death of Robin Williams and the role of sociology in suicide
Yesterday, Robin Williams committed suicide. We don’t have all the details yet, at least at the time of writing. But I’ll say this now: I hope we find out as little as possible going forward. Because all of the evidence points to suicide being contagious, in the broadest sense of the term, meaning that a […]