4.3 Miles From Nowhere review

4.3 Miles from Nowhere is where five teens find themselves after running out of petrol – and phone battery – on their way to a fancy dress party. It is, in a sense, a modern-day fairy tale which reminds us that sometimes we have to get lost before we can be found.


The play succeeds in capturing that teenage sense of confusion and the pressure of expectation that we all feel at one point or another as it seeks to explore our own ideas of independence and freedom.

Through the course of the night, each character finds themself wrestling with their self-confidence as they flirt, chat, drink, sing, dance and ponder. As morning dawns, so does the realisation that just being yourself isn’t so bad.

A nice element of the play is the variety between the characters and their frustrations, from family expectation to chatting up girls. Each of the five is fed-up of having to behave in a particular way and after the initial panic of being stranded in the woods wears off, they come to accept that it has in fact given them some sought-after respite from the roles they all play.

The themes touched upon here are well –trodden and there’s no real surprise in the direction the performance takes. Nonetheless, it’s an enjoyable hour with curious characters, solid acting, amusing dialogue and an emotive supporting folk-band to help walk us through the narrative.

4.3 Miles from Nowhere is mischievous, whimsical and cheeky, if not altogether original and although there is only so much you can learn about five characters in 60 minutes, you leave feeling like you have been on a journey of self-discovery with each of them.

3 stars

A review of the naughty Woof! A Werepunk

Woof! A Werepunk is the tale of a murderous punk who makes nightly visits to the window of his beloved to declare himself. Sadly, his advances go unnoticed in this comic-book inspired, dark fairy tale and the ‘Werepunk’ must find a way winning her over.

This performance is not for everyone but it’s a fresh and brave piece of work from Italian-born Paulo Faroni who penned the show, then had it translated into English.

His soliloquies are, at times, particularly poetic and touching as he attempts to woo the unknown woman, the closest glimpse of whom we ever get is when she opens a door or switches on a light and the stage becomes illuminated.

Faroni takes the notion of falling in love and twists it into something selfish and dangerous. Love itself is an inexhaustible theme and with Woof! we see a curiously new approach. For this alone it should be congratulated. Faroni would rather show us the shameful consequences of being in love through the Werepunk’s deranged anger at his rejection. Love is viewed paradoxically as it becomes a consuming force which results in frustration, loneliness and murder.

Sexuality is also explored without taboo in this work. The programme itself gives a snapshot into what we can expect from the show; it consists of creased pages seemingly torn from a wordless comic book showing a woman in varying states of undress as she… enjoys herself.

The play opts for a Watchmen-inspired comic-book flavour which on the whole works well. There is more scope for playing with the idea though, through graphic drawings and lighting effects; both of which could potentially produce a slicker show.

Woof! A Werepunk is a little bare, perhaps requiring a stronger sense of direction. That aside, it is a bold and ambitious work - both thematically and visually - and executed nicely with a strong sense of identity and style.

Three's Company, Two is a Party theatre review

Three's Company, Two is a Party @ Sweet


Three’s company, Two is a party fuses cabaret, comedy and dance theatre to poke fun at the jealousy-fuelled bitchyness of women and the insane lengths they go to in their quest for one up-man-ship. Always funny and at times, cutting, the show is a great starter to a girls’ night out.


A variety of familiar scenes appear, from the toilet conversations in clubs to the inane small-talk between ‘friends’ when they are left stuck with one another at the bar. In many ways, the show explores female insecurities and this it does to good effect. There are occasions, however, when it may seem to laugh a little too hard at the type of women it represents.

That said, there is a sense of nuance to their social commentary, most notably between the two sequin-clad girls when they construct balloon voodoo dolls of one another and move with devious purpose across the room, contorting and manipulating the other. This sequence is surprisingly dark and delves beneath the surface of harmless drunken confrontation to something more sinister.

As our two ladies exit the stage, on wanders Jayde, an unemployed comedian who is accompanied by her suitcase crammed full of costumes from MC Hammer to her Asda uniform. Jayde appears as the half-time entertainment and succeeds in winning over the audience with her Cheryl Cole impression and wonderfully terrible ‘rapping’ in her urban poetry.

The performance of all three women is playfully funny and at times, clever, and while most women will not identify with this type of character, we’ve all born witness to their kind on our own nights out.

An energetic and amusing performance, ideal if you’re looking for a light-hearted appetiser to your own night out.

3 stars

A review of one-man show Faust/us

Faust/us @ Sweet


Faustus has received countless adaptations but attempting re-tell this classic tale in a one –man show is particularly ambitious. This is obviously, a simplified version of the play and large number of interesting elements of the classic text are necessarily omitted in order to facilitate the style of the performance.

Animation, projectors, lighting and physical theatre are used to good effect. Initially Faustus communicates with God and the Devil over the phone which is a nice twist. It also means the play can develop more dramatically as the two sides, although more notably Mephistopheles, make their ominous presence known.

Two spherical projectors behind our actor are cleverly interlaced with his narrative movements, varying from Pythonesque silliness to Japanese-style horror.

Faust/us effectively captures the terror the man himself feels. He also conveys the comedic fury of Mephistopheles in all his lyrical glory. Our actor looks the part; he’s poised and doctor-like when himself, terrified and victimised when he ought to be and frighteningly ghastly when he’s the Devil. .

The roles are played well and with a good deal of gusto, no easy feat. He’s poised and doctor-like as Faustus and suitably terrified when higher powers are bearing down on him through fearsome voices booming into the room. In the grip of evil, he contorts and wrestles with his clothing and there is a convincing sense of hellish turmoil until he is finally carried off to hell.

A convincing performance, if sometimes vague or clipped in its retelling of the classic tale.

3 stars

LOL, dance and physical theatre review

LOL @ Zoo Southside

Smiley face.

A dance performance about social networking sounds awful in theory but LOL is a hugely enjoyable and thoughtful piece of work that needs to be seen to be understood.

The nature of online social networking is explored with poignancy, nuance and humour through dance, spoken narrative, multi-media imaging and a mass of tangles wires as the only prop. The six dancers – three female and three male – walk nonchalantly on stage wearing causal clothing, in fact not looking much like dancers at all. The movement between them is frenetic and they intertwine with one another, at times slotting together like a living jigsaw puzzle, and at others, moving entirely independently.

Dance is fused with speech which can be humorously robotic and is presented in a variety of forms including text-speak, emails, facebook wall-posing and instant messaging. The style of dance is distinctive and, at times, violent. Arms are wrapped around necks and bodies are jerked upright, pulled across the floor and folded over one another. When we hear the familiar log off ‘bing bong’ sound, our performers collapse, lifeless, onto the floor. This device serves as a slick way of moving from scene to scene.

Humour is an integral aspect of the performance. One particular routine begins with the sound of typing as two dancers move both together and apart with each staccato note. The two chat, flirt and argue through their movement with the varying rhythm of the intensifying typing. Despite their seemingly odd and jarring movements, there is a strong sense of cohesive narrative between their ‘conversation.’ Very clever and amusing to watch.

The notion of falling in love with someone we’ve never actually met is also explored as the dancers pair up and act out their first real meeting after chatting online. The results range from successful to comically uncomfortable and succeed in provoking thought about our willingness to give away so much of ourselves to someone we don’t really know.

LOL is all at once funny, poignant, tragic, uncomfortable and hopeful. It encourages us to consider how our use of technology is affecting the way in we interact with one other; despite our gratuitous communication, we still struggle to really communicate.

4 stars

Beowulf - A Thousand Years of Baggage review

Beowulf – A Thousand Years of Baggage is one of those shows that makes your Fringe. A riotous performance and a great example of experimental theatre and the stunning results it can achieve.


In this song-play, a seven-piece band accompany three actors, two singers come dancers and fur-clad Beowulf himself who makes a grand entrance sporting sunglasses and dripping with masculinity.

A text as mysterious as Beowulf ought to be treated as such in its performance. The 3182-line poem, based in Scandinavia sees warrior Beowulf seek to defeat the psychotic Grendel, a troubled young man akin to Psycho’s mother-loving Norman Bates.

Forget the stage. Actors and musicians roam about the spherical room, hiding behind pillars, kicking over chairs in blind rage, standing atop tables and helping themselves to drinks at the bar, even offering them to the audience. It’s messy but effective and we are immersed in an underworld of betrayal and Anglo Saxon limb extraction.

The music is thunderous and unpredictable, supported by emotive and pitch-perfect vocals. The spoken portions are poetic and melt effortlessly into the accompanying music and acting. As with all great poems, the tone constantly shifts and the audience is with them every step of the way.

The battle – both physical and vocal – between Beowulf and Grendel takes place around the auditorium and amongst the audience as we twist and turn to locate the constantly moving performers. There is also a strong sense of humour to the show and the performers succeed in communicating a whimsicality amid the madness.

The queerness of the Danse Palais Spiegel tent in George Square is the perfect setting for Beowulf; sporting a giant metal chandelier, booth seating and mirrored pillars it feels more like an elaborate gypsy cart than a venue.

While it’s cacophonous and brutal, there are moments of tenderness such as those between Grendel and his malevolent mother.

Beowulf is gritty, daring, intelligent and cleverly executed.

5 stars

Bespoke Magic - On the Fringe of Reality review

Bruce Glen, ‘the gentleman Magician’ cordially invites us into a world of make-believe with his show Bespoke Magic – On the Fringe of Reality.

He talks us through the world of wonder and amazement on our doorstep citing Edinburgh’s great fantasy writers like Robert Louis Stevenson and J K Rowling. It’s rare, but occasionally you experience a Fringe show that feels like it’s for tourists and this is one of them; the explanation about Edinburgh’s history wouldn’t feel out of place on a bus tour.

Smooth-talking Glen skilfully blurs the lines of fantasy and magic in his performance. From asking us how long a piece of string is and demonstrating that it in fact changes in length, to reciting poetry about a famous Edinburgh pilfering performer as he executes the classic cup and ball trick.

Dreamy dulcet tones envelope us throughout the show but once they’ve lulled us into his Fringe of Reality, they becomes a little irksome.

Glen’s final flourish involves borrowing three rings from the audience; consequently making them disappear and re-appear. His movements are grandiose and the overloud operatic love song that accompanies it is clichéd. This style feels dated and great magic speaks for itself, really only requiring friendly and mystical presentation.

That said, our performer is a gentleman and charmingly friendly towards his audience and as a result he manages to keep them entertained - and mystified - throughout the show.

2 (and 3/4) stars

Penny Dreadful's Etherdome review

Three dentists in nineteenth century America are seeking to create pain-free surgery. For two it is the altruistic act and scientific advancement while for another it becomes part of a money-spinning, power-hungry venture. Our three dentists concoct their own potions and elixirs – or pinch them from one another - in the hope of striking it lucky.


A delicious performance by all three actors; from squirming in pain to teeming with malevolence they immerse themselves in each of their roles. At times it wcould be unclear who was playing which character – they also play supporting roles - although this wasn’t helped by limited stage space. There were, perhaps, too many different parts outwith our central three.

The style is very much Nosferatu does dance as the performers move dramatically and dangerously across the stage, re-appearing through curtains and staring down the audience. There’s a great deal of medical rivalry between them which is played out through gothic cabaret and macabre performance.

The venue itself – a specially erected, creaking, wooden carnival tent with swing doors and soft roof – is perfect for such a show and complements the Victorian-style set which houses wooden furnishings, apothecary bottles of varying shapes and sizes and indeed the waist-coat clad actors themselves.

The subject of anaesthesia for a show is curious as it remains a questionable thread of modern surgery despite being around for over a hundred years. There’s an interesting message to the show; that three doctors were ultimately left damaged despite searching for a drug to ease the sensation of pain itself.

3 (and a bit) stars

Federer Versus Murray theatre review

Federer Versus Murray is a play about how tragedy affects the already complex strains of long-term married life. Hard-working nurse Flo is exhausted and unhappy. Jimmy has been made redundant and spends his days sprawled on the couch watching Wimbledon trying to find ways to reconnect - both physically and mentally - with wife Flo.


The awkward atmosphere and unpleasant bickering between the couple is something we’ve all witnessed, whether in our own families or others and so there’s a natural fluidity to the conversation, even if it can be uncomfortable to watch.

While the play deals with sadness and loss, there is fond banter between the two and a strong sense of Glasgow humour in the self-deprecating dialogue.

Jimmy, stifled by his wife’s reluctance to talk about the family’s loss, channels his grief into his love of sport and, in particular, Federer, while wife Flo staunchly supports Murray.

One notable scene is that of them readying themselves for the semi-final. The two paint their faces in support of their chosen athlete and to Jimmy’s dismay – and Flo’s amusement – he accidently paints a St George’s Cross.

The play does not seek to resolve, rather explore the complexities and rivalries of relationships by mirroring them with public ones. In the characters we see much of ourselves and Murray versus Federer allows us to be flawed and stubborn but also capable of forgiveness.

Jus' Like That review

Assembly Hall at the Mound, 5.30 'til 29 Aug

An homage to beloved magician and comedian Tommy Cooper

 Clive Mantle brings fez-wearing farce to life as he nails the mannerisms of the late comedian and conjurer in Jus’ Like That. The slapstick puns, the child-friendly anecdotes and the ridiculous humour is all there. Anyone (like myself) who grew up with Tommy Cooper on the telly will undoubtedly enjoy the show.

The Fringe sees comedians of every shape and size fighting to establish their own brand in a crowded arena. Love it or hate it, Tommy’s humour appeals to many and the fact a tribute act is drawing crowds 27 years after his death certainly says speaks volumes for his comic gift.

The show pays homage to Cooper’s style from the tufting hair, skipping steps and hand flourishes as he proudly presents yet another botched trick to his audience; you cannot help but crack a smile. The audience giggled and guffawed their way through Mantle’s act and while it may be simple humour, they left with a smile.

As with the bulk of the magic at this year’s Fringe, it was nothing special, a bit disappointing for seasoned magic-goers. Saying that, it is unfair to judge this show on such merits as it’s a mere sidebar to the main attraction.

4 stars

Mogic review; Magic Silliness

C Soco, 5.10pm 'til Aug 29

The best premise for a magic show I’ve seen so far.

A magician and his two assistants stumble on to the stage which also houses a huge crate labelled ‘Mail Order Magic Kit’. The would-be magician awkwardly tells us he ordered it months ago but owing to a shipping fault, has received it only half an hour before the show.

According to the accompanying audio tape, the kit boasts every trick in the magician’s arsenal and will show you how (‘with plenty of practice') to become a top-notch conjurer. Instructions are now played and what follows is magical ineptitude.

The ‘glamorous assistant’ is in fact, a twenty-something man wearing an evening gown and looking spectacularly disgruntled about it. He begrudgingly obliges when the tape instructs him to flash cleavage at the audience and fawn over our would-be magician.

The by-play between the unwaveringly calm and confident voice on the tape and the catastrophic results of the hapless performers is genuinely funny.

This would have easily attained 5-star status if the sleight of hand itself had been slicker or more complex. As it was, the tricks were very basic, even when the intention was clearly to demonstrate skilled magic.

A fun hour of slapstick but if you’re looking for jaw-dropping magic, go elsewhere.

3 stars

Shylock review

Assembly Hall at The Mound, till 29 Aug 2011

We’re so accustomed to gimmicky rehashes of Shakespeare, it’s a pleasure to discover an intelligent new take on his work; how curious it is to consider the inception of a character like Shylock, to ponder his place in society and why Shakespeare put him there.

Gareth Armstrong’s one-man show, Shylock, does just that. The troublesome character from The Merchant of Venice (one of only two Jews ever to appear in Shakespeare), is explored through his friend (and bit-part) Tubal.

Through a series of clever impersonations, Guy Masterson’s Tubal also ponders the portrayal of the typical Jew in literature. Whilst re-enacting Shylock’s key scenes, he reveals background information about Jewish oppression, citing everything from the Scriptures to Dracula and Hitler.

Humour is a key aspect of the play's success despite its heavy subject matter. Scenes detailing the sadness and oppression are left just long enough to affect us and then Tubal jauntily re-emerges grumbling about the fact he’s a bit part with a mere eight lines of dialogue. Masterson’s performance is fast and furious as he a snaps from one character to another, constantly catching us off-guard. The audience is captivated throughout as he shifts effortlessly from resentful despair to child-like excitement.

Vibrant, poignant, exceptionally well written and beautifully executed.

5 stars

Ian Kendall Obsession, a Life with Magic

Another magic review...

Whether, like me, you find magic fascinating or you’re just mildly curious, Ian has a way of making it seem utterly, well, magical.

With his aptly-titled show, Ian takes us on a nostalgic trip, sharing with us a copy of the first magic book he bought as a youngster. He talks us fondly through his career, occasionally sprinkling and adorning it with tricks and illusions from card magic to weighted dice.

Ian is not interested in gimmicks or selling his style to you, he’s only interested in sharing what he’s learned in the hope that you’ll find it as amazing as he does.

That said, there are aspects of his performance which are lacklustre which is a shame. He coyly admits he didn’t bother with music to play him on and off stage, as he’s only doing two shows this year.

The routine itself perhaps needed to be more seamless - on more than one occasion he checks his notes to see what’s next - and while he’s too much of a pro to stumble from act to act, more showmanship would have been nice.

Slight lack of organisation aside, Ian remains a talented, charismatic and gentlemanly performer who’s always worth seeing.

He doesn't really hate rabbits... a magic review

James Galea, I Hate Rabbits

The Playhouse at Hawke and Hunter 7.30pm, Until Aug 29

James Galea, in fact, has nothing against rabbits. The tongue-in-cheek title merely tells us that Mr Galea is sticking to good old-fashioned card trickery with this year’s show.

Buoyant and charming, this magician generates a great deal of excitement with his bamboozling tricks as he produces cards from impossible places whilst stealing people’s possessions. He bounds across the stage and on completion of each routine, is visibly excited by the results. Whether you’re impressed by card tricks or not, he is an infectiously chirpy character.

Galea opens his show with a montage of clips of himself performing on a variety of stages and television shows. The clumsy introduction does the man a disservice as he is more than capable of convincing the audience of his skill; the fact we’ve not heard of him is unimportant.

Galea gleefully feeds off the audience and was at his most delicious when involving them in the illusions themselves. His trick of ‘Bawttle’ and ‘Tyoobe’ with a Scottish gentleman at my performance was particularly funny.

The final flourish was touchingly introduced and a lovely way to end the show, garnering some gasps from his captivated audience.

The tricks themselves are fast and fun, although perhaps not wholly fresh or unusual. It’s Galea’s energy, charm and his love of the craft that make this show a pleasurable hour.

Three stars methinks...

Fringey Fun Times

'Nobody gives a shit about Edinburgh unless it's August.'

The full impact of these harsh words uttered by Richard Herring the other day is beginning to sink in. Between waitressing and forcing myself upon the Skinny it's turning into a busy wee time at the moment. When I'm not getting abuse from customers (actually that's kinda harsh, today they were by-and-large very pleasant) I'm being a writing monkey for the Performance side of the Skinny.

Saw a great wee dance show, Actions Irish Dance, read my (co-written) review here

More to magic stuff to follow...

Clowning around at the Edinburgh Filmfest...

Machete-wielding, bedraggled circus clown amidst vicious rebels. Some of the first words I read in the EIFF guide and I knew it was going to make my to-do list. Alex de la Iglesia’s The Last Circus marries the stunningly beautiful with the truly vicious as he explores one man’s life-struggle for happiness.


Strange as this may seem, the opening credits themselves struck me. Propaganda-ridden images of Madrid montaged with personal pictures, giant font assaulting the eyes, pulsating war-like music… when this movie began I was ready for it.

Following in the steps of Del Toro with Pan Labyrinthine-style, Iglesia’s dark tale resists classification, which was initially a bit of a problem for me. I like to know what I’m in for and while I was expecting horror what I saw was a bit of everything; one moment a horror, the next a comedy, then action. Happily though, the characters are expertly crafted – in particular our plump ‘Sad Clown’ protagonist and the tragically beautiful Bardot-esque trapeze artist – and it didn’t take me long to just enjoy the film for what it was.

Iglesia likes contrast in making his point and frankly, it works for him. The circus performers are both captivating and comedic in turn but this is not enough to save them from ruin in the grim reality of Franco’s regime. The movie not only explores, but seems obsessed with, finding sanity amidst the madness.

Happiness itself seems to evade the Sad Clown and the more he chases it, the further he alienates those around him. The resulting consequences make for a memorable finale.

Iglesia already pocketed a Silver Lion award for Best Director in Venice last year and I can’t help but feel he’ll have gained himself a cult following with this one.

Runway with me

You know when you can’t decide? You ruminate, reconsider and let your mind wander. Then go back over the possibilities which now seem totally different.

It's me, anyway, and this illogical pattern of thinking only makes itself known when i'm considering fashion.

…I love films. After viewing, my opinion is deepened and enriched with further study although it rarely, if ever, shifts to something completely different. I love outfits because when I stumble upon a discarded garment, or dare to try those outlandish shoes which will never work, every now and then, they somehow do.

The 2011 Spring/Summer collection was an example of when I couldn’t decide. The fearless colours atop dramatic shapes initially made me uncomfortable but as I digest them, they begin to make sense.
I was always of the ‘one stand-out piece’ school of thought. Rodarte, however, blew that out the water for me with funky earth-coloured Laura Ashley-styled prints mixed with sheer fabrics and irregular cuts. Bordering on Marvin the Marsian at times but nonetheless, very, very cool and weirdly wearable.

Raf Simons collection for Jil Sander seems to be a winner with everyone, although I have to say it doesn’t do much for me. White t-shirts tucked into burgeoning fluorescent skirts is modern and playful but it all feels unnecessarily garish, frumpy even. For a great look, I think you’ve got to work with the body’s curves rather than flanking them with boxy, over-long shapes.

More neon for Christopher Kane who mixed it with vintage-style flower prints on plain pencilled skirts. A contradictory collection which is, at every turn, bold, if not beautiful. I enjoyed the happy pastel-coloured summer dresses regimented by unyielding string-like detail.

Amid this appreciation of modernity and boldness it is necessary to pay homage to the classics and my favourite collection by far, Jonathan Saunders. Beautifully classic womanly shapes and lengths, floating fabrics, gorgeous greens, clean blues and caramels are the hallmarks of his collection. This embracement of 50s style is subtly modernised with minis, transparent overskirts, asymmetric fabrics, and unusual necklines.

To return to this notion of indecisiveness, it's not always the case. I dearly love a number of old and treasured pieces in my wardrobe. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s exciting to experiment and try out new looks we daren’t dream of (much like the 12” black suede platform wedges I’ve developed a relationship with in Jenners but not purchased yet. I ought to... they’re in the sale).

Hopefully these confused words have gone some way to explaining why girls can’t find anything to wear.

Have a look at the collection here

Becky's 2010 Film Round-up

Just watched Mark Kermode's video blog, 'Worst 5 Films of 2010' and have to agree with his comments on Sex and the City 2 being a colossal embarassment. Offensive for all involved.

I'm having a think over the films of 2010 and can't help but feel a bit saddened by the number of remakes and sequels on the go. Six of the top ten grossing films in the US were remakes or sequels. While Toy Story 3 is a great example of when it works, as a movie-goer I'd like to see more original stories, ideas and characters. When the audience feels the brand is being milked for all it's worth, I think it's time to move on. There's an abundance of brilliant ideas and potential adaptations just waiting to be played with. One such example of this at work is 2009's Up in the Air.

At this point, I ought to be honest with you and mention the gaps in my 2010 film viewing. I missed a couple of the biggies; The Social Network (which, I'm told is utterly brilliant), Kick Ass and Exit Through the Gift Shop, spring to mind.

One film I didn't see, though as a result of design, was the Human Centipede. 2010 had its share of horror and I love the genre but the old-school stuff, you know; suspense, excitement, dread... I'm not one for the pornographic gore of Hostel or Splice. So I politely declined the Human Centipede, the trailer for which remains etched in my memory.

On a different note, pleasant surprises last year included Predators which ticked all the boxes. I'm back-tracking to a degree here, after my quips earlier about sequels, but this one was removed enough from the original and good enough to stand alone. The storyline was well-thought out, nicely shot and convincingly acted. And seeing Adrian Brody transformed from the quellazaire-holding-Italian-suit-wearing gentleman into a sweaty, buff army-guy was a lot of fun.

My stinkers of the year have to be Sex and the City 2, Robin Hood (ahem, another remake) and Brooklyn's Finest. SATC2, I think, is a self-explanatory disaster. Robin Hood, while it had a good deal of cash thrown at the problem to make it look very pretty, just failed for me. Crowe appears to be flavour of the month just now and while I enjoy his films, I felt there were a thousand British actors who could have nailed this part (and kept the same accent throughout). Blanchett - another actress I enjoy, brilliant in Veronica Guerin- felt totally wrong for her part and dare I say this, a bit too old for Marion. As far as the storyline itself went, the historical reshuffling felt extrapolated and clumsy. It didn't take me long to lose interest in this one.

Brooklyn's Finest had one major flaw; it was just too depressing. I've no other qualms with the film except its failure to provide its audience with a lifeline as things start bad and only get worse. It's a shame beacuase they paid for a great cast with Don Cheadle, Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke. By the time it finished, my partner and I felt deflated and marginally suicidal. I guess I just don't think a film should leave you without any hope left in your bones which is why I mention it here.

2010, we doth our cap to you. As for 2011, we hope for great things.

Dunwich Horror... the forgotten film blog

This forgotten blog about the Edinburgh film festival hid on a laptop for a while so here it is making a rather late premiere...

‘We’re still not really sure what it should be billed as’ admit the cast and crew of the Dunwich Horror as they prepare for a Q&A session after the screening of their… film.

It starts much like every other cinema experience. Shuffle along the aisle, take your seat, lights go down, curtains open... But we are told, ‘open your ears and lose your mind’ as we experience this unique adaptation of H P Lovecraft’s Dunwich Horror.

Director Colin Edwards told the audience, “It’s just an idea that I have been mulling around. I wanted to do something on a really big scale, that could burst open the monster horror story. We weren’t restricted by the budget so it was really exciting and fun.”

Horror seems the best choice for such an ambitious venture, heavily reliant on sound, to drive the audience. There are certainly highly enjoyable moments as your mind sketches wild pictures and characters which drift on and off screen.
“Lovecraft’s horrors are almost indescribable. I got a blast that everyone has seen a different film, I think that’s a really nice aspect of doing this,” says Edwards.

Unquestionably, one of the most joyous aspects of the horror genre is the image we conjure up of the unspeakable, never having it confirmed on screen. Using a variety of fruit and veg, salad cream and even badgers to create the unsettling sounds, the film certainly gives you a lot to play with in the confines of your mind.

One downside is that frequently, the sounds muddle together, coming only from the front of the theatre. The monster appearing inches from your left ear would have caused some real ‘Yikes!’ but as it is, there aren’t too many hug-your-neighbour moments. Edwards acknowledges this and said it’s a drawback of such a project since cinemas are not equipped with the high-tech audio systems found in an editing suite, so the finished result may not work quite as well.

Refuting its label as a ’glorified audiobook’, sound guy, Carl said it is designed to be an ‘audio movie’. ‘It’s not a film but a cinematic experience. We wanted it in surround sound and always intended it to be experienced by a group of people.’

At times the film feels over-narrated and character dialogue borders on clumsy as the plot is extrapolates; perhaps a necessary evil of this type of project. The treat of seeing such a film in a festival is participating in new ideas and approaches to film. And without a doubt, the Dunwich Horror encourages you to think about the way you ‘watch’ horror.

Still, those involved clearly enjoyed the flagship project. Edwards confessed he is already thinking about another audio project, once again delving into Lovecraft’s anthology of horror lore and adapting the sinister ‘Rats on the Wall’. This time round he is keen to employ more full on horror. “It’s a great story, it’s seriously stark, disturbing and dark and a really brutal kick in the nuts.”