Tableau 7 - Dump général #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268871|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=cinema;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Film * Film Reviews All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Review: Timbuktu For all its terrors, this story about fundamentalism in Mali never drags or seems worthy Donald Clarke Timbuktu: a determinedly accessible film Timbuktu: a determinedly accessible film Film Title: Timbuktu Director: Abderrahmane Sissako Starring: Abel Jafri, Hichem Yacoubi, Pino Desperado, Kettly Noël Genre: Drama Running Time: 100 min Thu, May 15, 2014, 15:52 First published: Thu, May 15, 2014, 15:52 * * * * * I trust Abderrahmane Sissako, director of this powerful plea for sanity, will forgive us if we start with a facetious reference, because, in the early scenes of Timbuktu, it is hard not to be reminded of a gag from one of Woody Allen’s early, funny films. Islamic fundamentalists have taken over the Malian city and are pressing home a series of rigid cultural restrictions. Football is banned. Music is forbidden. In one particularly absurd moment, the bullies insist that, as instructed, an older man roll up the legs of his trousers. One thinks of the dictator in Allen’s Bananas who demanded that underpants now be worn on the outside. It is part of this film’s singular power that it manages to slip from conscious absurdity to appalling atrocity with such confidence. The picture hangs around a family – Kidane (Ibrahim Ahmed), Satima (Toulou Kiki) and their daughter – who, living just outside the city, are drawn into the madness following an accidental tragedy. Perhaps their life is a little too idealised: playing guitar in their tent while musing mildly on life. But this is a determinedly accessible film that, for all its terrors, never drags or seems worthy. From the beginning, we are made aware of the fundamentalists’ hypocrisy. They claim to shun all western corruption, but remain addicted to their mobile phones, and use the language of Madison Avenue when making their propaganda videos. The absurdity of their philosophy is elegantly expressed when a group of local boys play a complex game of football without a ball. Timbuktu turns on its axis following the death of Kidane’s ox and his clumsy attempts to exact retribution. Hitherto composed largely of static mid-shots, the film suddenly admits one very long, very beautiful long-shot of our hero walking steadily across a gloomy, silty river. We are clearly moving from satire to tragedy. What we end up with is a film that adeptly meshes political anger with strong traditional narratives. Sofian El Fani’s cinematography is luminous. The music is uplifting. But the message ultimately is dire. Thu, May 15, 2014, 15:52 First published: Thu, May 15, 2014, 15:52 * * * * Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Music Pop Corner: Selena marks her ex’s spot; Zayn chaffed at control * Books An illustration from Aharon Appelfeld’s Adam & Thomas Children’s book reviews: a trio of compelling stories * Art & Design Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ * Food & Drink The Drift Inn in Buncrana: an upturned boat with huge, semicircular beams divides the main bar. Barfly: the Drift Inn, Buncrana ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268873|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=cinema;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Create Account Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email to verify your account. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close Your Comments Sign In Sign Out We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 3 days from the date of publication. The Film Show The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room 7:47 The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War 6:55 The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268872|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=cinema;cookie=info;] Film Reviews Room The walls close in on a mother and child in Lenny Abrahamson’s moving, harrowing adapation of the acclaimed novel Creed Creed firmly overthrows any notions that the Rocky films are trading on an elaborate Great White Hope mythology The Revenant ‘The Revenant’ is short on dialogue and thin on characterisation; however the misery is well worth enduring A War (Krigen) The war in Afghanistan is the inspiration for a tense Danish courtroom drama Shem the Penman Sings Again A delightful, playful study of the relationship between Joyce and McCormack The Hateful Eight Tarantino sinks deeper into his auto-mythology with more haphazard plotting, gooey violence and endless dialogue, writes Donald Clarke Last Hijack: a real-world prequel to Captain Phillips Last Hijack Tommy Pallotta’s documentary is nicely presented but lacks a coherent narrative Ballerinas get bolshie in Babylon Bolshoi Bolshoi Babylon “The world of theatre is cruel . . . It looks beautiful from the outside, but inside it's boiling” Donald Clarke's Movie Quiz You can see Twilight twinkling in the eye of this week's quiz... Screenwriter 10 things to note about yesterday’s Oscar nominations * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke We had Charlotte, but not Carol. The Force Awakens encounters unfamiliar failure. And an actor who wasn't nominated steals the show Movie quiz for January 15th * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke Warm yourself up with a good hard quiz Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesCulture&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_fac es=true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Film News Director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board, at a party in the Light House cinema in Dublin. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Irish Oscar nominations exceed all expectations Pictured celebrating four Oscar nominations for Irish film Room are director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika, and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board at a party in the Lighthouse cinema last night.Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Oscars: ‘You have to mark an event like this,’ Lenny Abrahamson says Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has paid tribute to ‘magnificent actor’ Alan Rickman on his death. Photograph: Jas Lehal/Files/Reuters J.K. Rowling pays tribute to ‘magnificent’ Alan Rickman Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268878|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=He ritage;kvcat=unrest,+conflicts+and++war;kvloc=France:Germany:Russia:Ser bia:United+Kingdom;kvorg=Irish+Brigade;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Heritage * Books * Film * Music * Stage * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Treibh All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X An appetite for war A peaceful graveyard and Irish soldiers’ graves ... how Germany wrote a “blank cheque” to Austria-Hungary for its revenge on the Serbs and the corner of a German field that is forever Irish Wed, May 14, 2014, 01:00 Derek Scally German soldiers leaving Munich for Paris, 1914. (Photo Agence Rol Bibliothèque nationale de France, dpt. des Estampes et de la photographie) German soldiers leaving Munich for Paris, 1914. (Photo Agence Rol Bibliothèque nationale de France, dpt. des Estampes et de la photographie) High cross to honour the 45 Irish PoWs who died at the Dietkirchen camp outside Limburg between 1914-18 with the names of the 45. Photograph: Derek Scally High cross to honour the 45 Irish PoWs who died at the Dietkirchen camp outside Limburg between 1914-18 with the names of the 45. Photograph: Derek Scally High cross to honour the 45 Irish PoWs who died at the Dietkirchen camp outside Limburg between 1914-18 with the names of the 45. Photograph: Derek Scally High cross to honour the 45 Irish PoWs who died at the Dietkirchen camp outside Limburg between 1914-18 with the names of the 45. Photograph: Derek Scally German soldiers leaving Munich for Paris, 1914. Photograph: Agence Rol Bibliothèque nationale de France, dpt. des Estampes et de la photographie German soldiers leaving Munich for Paris, 1914. Photograph: Agence Rol Bibliothèque nationale de France, dpt. des Estampes et de la photographie The Dietkirchen camp outside Limburg, and daily life of Irish PoWs at the camp. Photograph: “Wartime Snapshots in Limburg 1914-1919” by Robert Bender The Dietkirchen camp outside Limburg, and daily life of Irish PoWs at the camp. Photograph: “Wartime Snapshots in Limburg 1914-1919” by Robert Bender (BUTTON) Previous Image (BUTTON) Next Image * German soldiers leaving Munich for Paris, 1914. (Photo Agence Rol Bibliothèque nationale de France, dpt. des Estampes et de la photographie) * High cross to honour the 45 Irish PoWs who died at the Dietkirchen camp outside Limburg between 1914-18 with the names of the 45. Photograph: Derek Scally * High cross to honour the 45 Irish PoWs who died at the Dietkirchen camp outside Limburg between 1914-18 with the names of the 45. Photograph: Derek Scally * German soldiers leaving Munich for Paris, 1914. Photograph: Agence Rol Bibliothèque nationale de France, dpt. des Estampes et de la photographie * The Dietkirchen camp outside Limburg, and daily life of Irish PoWs at the camp. Photograph: “Wartime Snapshots in Limburg 1914-1919” by Robert Bender (BUTTON) Previous Images (BUTTON) More Images A field of lush grass and a 3m-high Celtic high-cross in the German countryside are the last clues to a sad chapter of Irish history. A century ago this field outside Limburg, near Frankfurt, was the site of a camp for 10,000 prisoners of war, including 2,200 Irish officers in the British army. The Irish men captured by German forces in the opening months of the first World War were collected here at the request of diplomat and revolutionary Roger Casement. He travelled to Berlin in October 1914 and found German officials were agreeable to assisting in his Irish liberation struggle in the hope of destabilising the British empire. Key to Casement’s mission to Germany was establishing an “Irish Brigade”, drawing recruits from the Limburg camp. He travelled at least twice to the camp but sceptical Irish prisoners booed him out and Casement secured only 56 conscripts. In the Limburg town archive, silvery images show how the empty field outside town was once a sprawling camp with half-timbered, single-storey barracks, a tidy hospital and even an ornate chapel. Other propaganda images in a crumbling photo album show smiling men exercising or taking disinfection showers. A striking picture shows a coffin being carried to its grave with full military honours as a brass band plays. That was the scene the day before Christmas eve in 1914 at the funeral of Fredrick Reilly. The 50-year-old Irish officer in the British army succumbed, records indicate, to a lung infection. Before the war ended in 1918, at least 44 more Irish prisoners would die in the Limburg camp. All were buried with full military honours by their German captors. Today, a Fredrick Reilly Strasse overlooking the camp remembers its first Irish casualty. “It was a completely different attitude to war that’s hard for us to fathom today,” says local man Bernd Eufinger. “In the war a century ago, death ended the enmity.” The respect shown to the Irish dead didn’t end there. On May 25th 1917, Irish prisoners in the Limburg camp were allowed to erect a Celtic cross in the graveyard to honour their fallen comrades. Financed by the prisoners and created by a German stonemason the Nassauische Bote, a local paper, praised its “glorious” depiction of St Patrick. The cross was a worthy memorial both to the fallen soldiers and of British colonial oppression, the report said before concluding: “May the hour of liberation beckon soon for the Irish people.” In a yellowing school chronicle, in a hardbacked ledger, a Limburg school teacher also records the unveiling of the cross. “The dog (on the cross) is the emblem of alertness and looks to the future,” he wrote in a fine copperplate script. “The Irish people want to remain alert for the suitable moment for their liberation from long suffering.” For town archivist Christoph Waldecker, these reports about the camp and its Irish internees indicate the prominent role both played in the area. “Having the camp has kept the first World War alive for people here, more so than elsewhere in Germany,” he said. The lead-up to war For most Germans the first World War is many worlds away. Reaching pre-1914 Germany is a reverse obstacle of historical hurdles: German division and unification; the chill of the Cold War; the shadow of the Third Reich and the humiliating chaos of the Weimar Republic. Only then do you reach the moustached, bombastic figure of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Prussian king and unpredictable German emperor. His Germany was a young imperial power, a collection of kingdoms united under Prussian rule in 1871 following the victory over France, the despised Erbfeind, or “hereditary enemy”. This German Reich was a place of rapid industrialisation, technical progress and grinding poverty – overseen and exploited by an apathetic industrial class and a self-serving military elite. Late to the table of world powers, this Germany felt pressure to justify a club membership it feared could be easily revoked. Behind the propaganda image of Kaiser Bill, the strings were pulled by a clique of generals, paranoid about being trapped between the military allies of France and Russia. This overriding concern prompted Count Alfred von Schlieffen, Germany’s military chief of staff, to devise, in 1905, his eponymous war strategy. Germany could best secure its status in Europe, he argued, first by defeating France on the western front before, if required, shifting German troops quickly to face down Russia in the east. His deputy, Friedrich von Bernhardi, in the 1912 book Germany and the next war, portrayed war as a biological necessity and the basis for a healthy human development. In short, military conflict was an unavoidable obligation for the new German Reich. Such views coloured opinion among Germany’s national conservative elite and dominated the middle-class media. In the lead-up to 1914, with fears of Russian militarisation driving Germany’s own arms build-up, the Schlieffen plan was adopted and modified by his successor as chief military strategist, Helmuth von Moltke. He shared a common view that it would be better to take on Russia before it became too strong. Incoming foreign intelligence was framed accordingly for the Kaiser, such as news on April 1914, from German spies in London, that the British had signed a navy agreement with Russia. This, the generals argued, was proof that the wheels of war had been set in motion. Two months later, Kaiser Wilhelm was shocked by the assassination of the Austrian heir apparent, who he had met just a fortnight previously. For his generals it was a welcome opportunity to test the waters with Russia. Would the tsar step in to assist his traditional Serbian allies if Vienna moved on Belgrade? If so, would France and Britain assist Russia or decide Serbia was not worth the risk of a wider conflict? Most German historians see imperial Berlin’s war-guilt here, egging on Vienna in July to see how Russia would react, like a child encouraging another to set the curtains alight to see if they burn. For them, the spark was Kaiser Wilhelm’s “blank cheque” of July 5th, 1914, promising to “stand by Austria-Hungary, as is required by the obligations of his alliance and of his ancient friendship” – a reference to the alliance with the Danube monarchy dating back to 1879. For the next month, Berlin’s pursued a mixture of half-hearted and even duplicitous diplomacy, confusing other European powers about Germany’s intentions. Records suggest even the kaiser was confused. In early July he noted in his diary that it was “now or never . . . the Serbs need to be sorted out”; weeks later, seized by doubt, advisers reported Wilhelm delivered “confused speeches that make clear he doesn’t want a war anymore”. He urged Vienna to go easy on Serbia but failed to withdraw his blank cheque offering support. When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 29th, Russia mobilised a day later. After a reportedly tearful Kaiser signed the declaration of war on August 1st, he had little to say on military strategy: von Moltke activated his war plan. Germany’s declaration of war was portrayed at home as a defensive step against Russian aggression and helped unite Berlin’s political parties behind the leadership. On August 4th the Social Democrats (SPD) vowed they would “not let down the fatherland in its hour of need” and backed crucial loans to fund the war effort -- to the disgust of SPD voters who, a month earlier, had protested in their millions against “criminal warmongers” in Berlin. The strategic shortcomings of von Moltke’s plan soon became apparent. He had not reckoned with Britain entering the war to support Belgium, nor had he anticipated strong Belgian resistance to the marching of his troops to France. With hopes dashed of a quick victory over France and the Russians mobilising faster than Berlin anticipated, Germany now faced the very two-front war it had feared. The war deviated dangerously from his plan and, in September 1914, von Moltke suffered a nervous breakdown and was removed. The nerve of the German populace was similarly unstable. Behind the cheering propaganda images of soldiers marching to war, diaries of ordinary people reveal anxiety and doubt from the outset. Artist Käthe Kollwitz reproached herself in her diary for letting her under-age son go to war: “What will the fatherland and the kaiser do when you’re all dead?” Germany’s cultural elite was starkly divided. Heinrich Mann watched as the serialisation of his novel Der Untertan (The Subject) was halted, so vicious was his satire of Prussian militarism. His brother Thomas, meanwhile, supported the Kaiser’s effort to destroy the “depraved police state” of Tsarist Russia. The mood of Germany’s war supporters darkened within weeks as the scale of the war unleashed became clear. By September German newspapers apologised to readers for no longer being unable to reprint in full the endless lists naming fallen soldiers. By October 1914 a depressed Kaiser Wilhelm suggested the only option was for Germans to “go down with dignity”. After Germany’s defeat four years later, he took his own advice – albeit with considerably less dignity – and abdicated. The prisoner of war camp in Limburg survived both conflicts until post-war shortages of building materials saw the barracks dismantled to house German refugees. The remains of the fallen Irish soldiers were reinterred near Kassel in the 1960s and only the sandstone cross has remained. Uniquely in Europe, Limburg locals are rightly proud of the massive structure. A poppy wreath is laid every Remembrance Sunday and, seven years ago, they restored the crumbling stone and added a bronze plaque listing the names of all Irish men once buried here. Experiencing first-hand the love, care and respect with which the graveyard is maintained by Limburg volunteers is deeply humbling. “Young people today have everything ahead of them but these men died so young and not even for their own country,” said local woman Annegret Moth, choking back tears. “Every one of these names is important.” Those important people lay here during those decades when it was a taboo to speak the names of Irish soldiers who died serving the British crown. Here in Limburg they were always remembered: John Nolan, 21; William Keane, 22; Patrick Kearns, 25; and 42 others. Almost a century on, the Celtic cross is a small but important piece of an appalling wartime puzzle in a peaceful graveyard of terrible beauty. Breaking the silence, a bird chirps overhead then flies away. * Topics: * Alfred Von Schlieffen * Fredrick Reilly * Helmuth Von Moltke * Roger Casement * Wilhelm Kaiser * Irish Brigade * France * Germany * Russia * Serbia * United Kingdom Read More * Profile: Kaiser Wilhelm II * Profile: Helmuth von Moltke Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Stage Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . * Books Lebanon * People Impossibly photogenic: the Tiger’s Nest, or Taktsang Palphug, monastery, Bhutan’s most sacred site. Photograph: EyesWideOpen/Getty Bhutan: the price of paradise * Travel A Walk For The Weekend: Glendalough ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268879|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=He ritage;kvcat=unrest,+conflicts+and++war;kvloc=France:Germany:Russia:Ser bia:United+Kingdom;kvorg=Irish+Brigade;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Create Account Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email to verify your account. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close Your Comments Sign In Sign Out We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 3 days from the date of publication. ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268881|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=He ritage;kvcat=unrest,+conflicts+and++war;kvloc=France:Germany:Russia:Ser bia:United+Kingdom;kvorg=Irish+Brigade;cookie=info;] [image.jpg] IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playl ists/72151780&color=b74f7d&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comm ents=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesCulture&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_fac es=true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Book Offers Book Offers From The Irish Times Book of the Year to Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales, you'll find books for all tastes and ages. Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268900|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Mu sic;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Music * David Bowie * Album Reviews All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X An ironic twist to the Eurovision Opinion: There’s such a chorus of irony in popular culture that it’s hard to make out the genuine Sat, May 10, 2014, 00:01 Donald Clarke ‘In north-western parts of our continent, the Eurovision Song Contest has been enjoyed as a roaring joke for at least a third of its 58 years.’ Above, singers celebrate on the stage after the second semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday. Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP ‘In north-western parts of our continent, the Eurovision Song Contest has been enjoyed as a roaring joke for at least a third of its 58 years.’ Above, singers celebrate on the stage after the second semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday. Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP In what sense is the Eurovision Song Contest like rain on your wedding day? If the caterwauling Canadian moan-machine Alanis Morissette is to be credited, the two concepts are connected by stubborn old irony. It’s been over 20 years since Morissette released her semantically insecure dirge, Ironic – other supposedly ironic constructions include “a black fly in your Chardonnay” and “a free ride when you’ve already paid” – so we probably don’t need to pull the unfortunate ditty apart any further. Suffice to say that, as the comic Ed Byrne once pointed out, rain would be ironic only if either bride or groom were a weather person. The Eurovision Song Contest is another matter. Attitudes to this strange jamboree, which takes place tonight, vary throughout Europe. But, in northwestern parts of our continent, the competition has been enjoyed as a roaring joke for at least a third of its 58 years. All this would have puzzled the hairy, flared, mid-1970s incarnation of your current correspondent. Kitsch was always a part of the event. But almost nobody tuned in purely to savour the rampaging wretchedness. Only maniacs sought out nasty food. We didn’t buy bad records on purpose. Folk didn’t go out of their way to decorate their homes with vulgar ornaments. No, sir. We actually liked sherbet fountains, lava lamps and Benny Hill’s Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West). Irony is now such a fervent strain in popular culture that it is often hard to tell whether one is pretending to like something, liking the awfulness of something or actually liking something as it was meant to be liked. Take the film of the hugely popular musical Mamma Mia! Most everyone now accepts that Abba wrote some of the best tunes in the history of popular music. The lyrics are, however, worth sniggering at. Moreover, surely only somebody with suet for frontal lobes could, without employing their irony gland, derive enjoyment from the film’s absurdly convenient plot or from the noise Pierce Brosnan calls singing. Mess of sarcasm We have come to use the word “irony” for this conscious appreciation of agreeably bad art, drama, interior design or cross-continental bun-fight. It’s more than that and less than that. We’re not talking about the dramatic irony that colours everything from Hamlet’s soliloquies to the grandiloquent self-deceit of David Brent. This is not the loaded irony of a satire by Swift or Juvenal. What we’re dealing with here is a mess of sarcasm, kitsch and camp that allows us to derive easy pleasure from trash when we could be extracting more nuanced appreciation from romantic symphonies, Renaissance frescoes and other stuff that doesn’t feature Latvians singing about cake. Blame the relatively prosperous, relatively stable 1990s. It was in that decade that quite ordinary shops began flogging lava lamps to customers whose cheeks were permanently distended by the application of knowing tongues. Towards the middle of the decade, we encountered the very strange surge of interest in lounge music. Records that our parents played after contract bridge and before driving drunkenly home without seatbelts – Andy Williams, Perry Como, Burt Kaempfert – could be heard emerging from clubs cluttered with standard lamps and leather sofas. The Mike Flowers Pops had a hit with their easy-listening version of Wonderwall. This really happened. We had too much stuff. We had too much money. We had too much time. In a depression, nobody wastes money on useless art or impractical lamps. We swallowed it all up and now, in worse times, we’re stuck with restaurants serving artisan spaghetti hoops in rooms decorated with Vladimir Tretchikoff paintings. Ironic, isn’t it? Icon of critic News reaches us that the good people of Champaign, Illinois, have erected a statue to late film critic Roger Ebert. It’s not the loveliest of objects, but the unveiling is, for reasons I will get to, good news. Positioned outside the cinema that used to host the annual Ebertfest, the statue finds Roger sitting, thumb characteristically aloft, between two empty cinema chairs. More than a few big serious cineastes enjoyed poking fun at Ebert. Yes, the thumbs up/thumbs down shtick he devised on TV with Gene Siskel was a bit reductive. True, he became a little too easy to please in later years. But few other critics bridged the highbrow and the populist with such aplomb. That’s not, however, why we’re calling it good news. Anybody who has worked as a critic will be familiar with the smart ass posting “No statue has ever been put up to a critic,” beneath a review. Yes, they have, Mr Jerk. You’ll find it a hundred miles south of Chicago. Now go away. Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Books An illustration from Aharon Appelfeld’s Adam & Thomas Children’s book reviews: a trio of compelling stories * Travel Down under and dirty in the real Outback * Fashion Image one: Brown hat €235, Wrap €355; Gushlow & Cole, Arnotts. Image two: Ear muffs €155, Arnotts. Image three: Coat €530, Reiss, Arnotts. Image four: Coat €230, Coast; Blouse €115, Theory, Brown Thomas. Fashion: Animal magnetism with faux fur * Heritage Carved stone head of a member of the Dublin Metropolitan Police at Pearse Street Garda station in Dublin. Photograph: Frank Miller An Irishman’s Diary on the Dublin Metropolitan Police ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268901|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Mu sic;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Create Account Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email to verify your account. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close Your Comments Sign In Sign Out We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 3 days from the date of publication. ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268899|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Mu sic;cookie=info;] Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE Album reviews Three Cane Whale: Palimpsest The Natural History Museum: Attenborough Shearwater: Jet Plane and Oxbow Daughter: Not to Disappear Eleanor Friedberger: New View Lizzo: Big Grrrl Small World On The Record The playlist – the tunes of the week at OTR HQ * On The Record * Jim Carroll David Bowie, Anderson .Paak, Nicolas Jaar, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Kendrick Lamar, Tommy KD, Khotin and more on the stereo New Music – Pumarosa, Joon Moon, Angus Dawson * On The Record * Jim Carroll Your new music selections for this week from London, Paris and Perth Pop Life Heathers – ‘November’ * Una Mullally The twins return with a new tune and video. A golden moment at the dawn of a golden age * Una Mullally Irish cinema storms the Oscars IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesCulture&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_fac es=true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Classical Veronica Dunne with competition hopefuls Maria McGrath, Niamh O’Sullivan, Rachel Croash, Aoife Gibney and Sarah Richmond. Photograph: Leon Farrell/Photocall 'If you learn how to breathe properly, you learn how to sing' * Music * Michael Dervan Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Dunne began teaching in 1962. At 88 her passion is still obvious and she is alarmingly direct in her opinions about what it takes to be a singer You could look at Boulez’s always baton-less hands and see suggestions of refinements that had not yet actually made it into the playing. Photograph: Christophe Ena/File/AP Photo/ Pierre Boulez thrilled the adventurous and appalled the conservative * Music * Michael Dervan Boulez was the last of a great avant-garde line. But was Gilbert Kaplan, another conductor who died last week, just faking it? LIVE: reviews Mos Def. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA Wire Yasiin Bey : the artist formely known as Mos Def | Electric Picnic Rosie Carney: a polite thirty minutes of feathery folk music | Electric Picnic It’s about time Electric Picnic present Richie Egan with a commemorative clock. Jape: not resting on laurels | Electric Picnic Electric Picnic Lapsley: soaring pop, late-night bliss | Electric Picnic Electric Picnic | FKA Twigs: harsh and bruised, rushing and distended The Villagers. Photograph: Aidan Crawley Villagers: Beautiful and stomping | Electric Picnic Florence and the Machine, main stage, Electric Picnic. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos Florence and the Machine: Storming good show | Electric Picnic The campsite: Some 47,000 tickets were sold for this year’s Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally, Co Laois Electric Picnic: Delays expected as thousands leave Stradbally Electric Picnic 2015. Photograph: Niall Bouzon/INPHO/Red Bull 51,000 people, one field: Electric Picnic in numbers Fast friends: You can’t go wrong by the main stage Electric Picnic: The Ticket’s 2015 awards for best in class Seen and heard: Top of the Tweets Tweeted and overheard: The weekend in tasty soundbites LISTEN HERE! The Ticket's new music podcasts. Hear the hottest new sounds from the underground Music Videos The homeless rapper, who put beats to his story 3:15 The homeless rapper, who put beats to his story Nicky Byrne: 'we have a catchy pop song' 1:57 Nicky Byrne: 'we have a catchy pop song' Sunlight: Nicky Byrne to represent Ireland at Eurovision 3:10 Sunlight: Nicky Byrne to represent Ireland at Eurovision Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #Screenwriter » Feed Screenwriter » Comments Feed Screenwriter » The 11 best football films Comments Feed Jupiter Ascending gets kicked back to February Movie quiz for June 13th IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Property * Cars * Dating * Family Notices * Jobs * Crosswords * Subscriptions + Home Delivery + epaper + Archive [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334454|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Ir ish+Times;cookie=info;] [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334452|0|2530|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=I rish+Times;cookie=info;] The Irish Times Sunday 17th January 2016 Screenwriter The Irish Times (BUTTON) Menu * News * Sport * Business * Debate * Life & Style * Culture * Offers ____________________ (BUTTON) Search www.irishtimes.com Culture / Screenwriter Donald Clarke Whingeing about cinema and real life since 2009 The 11 best football films As the World Cup takes over, we manage to drag up a first 11 of movies concerning the beautiful game. It was a struggle. Donald Clarke Donald Wed, Jun 11, 2014, 17:57 * * * * You know how how the question goes. Is it possible to list 10 worthwhile football films without mentioning the awful Escape to Victory or the not-terribly-good Bend it Like Beckham? Just about. Indeed, after adding in Gregory’s Girl as a late addition (thanks, Joe O’Shea), we managed to get the numbers up to a neat first 11 Despite the best efforts of various national and international bodies, the US still regards “soccer” as a sport for children and milquetoasts. So, the biggest studios have left the game well alone. As a result, we’ve ended up with a list that includes only one American film (and that’s a documentary about the ultimate failure of the US professional game). Now, we have had to stretch our definitions a little. One picture takes place almost entirely outside a football stadium. Another is more about football as a metaphor. But they are all fine films. Yes, even the somewhat maligned first entry… MIKE BASSETT: ENGLAND MANAGER (2001) YouTube Preview Image I could never understand why everyone was so down on this very amusing satire on the barn-door target that is the English national side and its poor, harried managers. We award Ricky Tomlinson and his team three and a half turnips out of five. THE GOALKEEPER’S FEAR OF THE PENALTY (1972) YouTube Preview Image Wim Wenders (before he went mad) and Peter Handke? Now there’s an austere combination. Wenders’s adaptation of Haneke’s novel nods to Camus as it follows a disgraced goalkeeper in thrall to murderous despair. Not as jolly as Bend it Like Beckham. LOOKING FOR ERIC (2009) YouTube Preview Image Ken Loach really has cheered up in recent years. His lovely 2009 picture starred Steve Evets — late of The Fall, recently of Rev — as a depressed man who imagines that Eric Cantona has come to visit. The French deity plays himself. OFFSIDE (2006) YouTube Preview Image Jafar Panahi’s cracking film concerns a young Iranian girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to attend a World Cup qualifying game between her own nation and Bahrain. She is caught and detained tantalisingly close to the action. Touching and satirical. ZIDANE: A 21ST CENTURY PORTRAIT (2006) YouTube Preview Image Gird your loins. Douglas Gordon gives it the full gallery-friendly art attack in this study of the great French player’s movements during one game. Characteristically superb score by Mogwai. NEXT GOAL WINS (2014) YouTube Preview Image The travails of the fabulously unsuccessful American Samoan team offer the potential for a terrific documentary. Mike Brett and Steve Jamison really deliver in this hilarious, ultimately touching film. SHAOLIN SOCCER (2001) YouTube Preview Image “Kung Fu is perfect for sport!” You’re not wrong. Stephen Chow’s hilarious martial arts comedy has developed a deserved cult following over the past decade. The right kind of soccer hooliganism. THE MIRACLE OF BERN (2003) YouTube Preview Image Never write off the Germans. Sönke Wortmann’s very moving film hangs around the 1954 World Cup game that saw West Germany bounce back to beat the Hungarians and usher in an economic miracle. But it’s really about a boy and his dad. ONCE IN A LIFETIME: THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE NEW YORK COSMOS (2006) YouTube Preview Image So, why the hell didn’t football take off in the US? Look to this documentary for answers. The game really did become a phenomenon in 1977, then it all went depressingly pear-shaped. A great portrait of an entire era to boot (no pun intended). THE DAMNED UNITED (2009) YouTube Preview Image Forget that awful Goal! trilogy, Tom Hooper’s brilliant take on the decline of Brian Clough — derived from a cracking David Peace book — is not just the best film on the English league, it’s the only half-decent one. How can this be so? GREGORY’S GIRL (1981) YouTube Preview Image Do you remember when it was released as a double-bill with Chariots of Fire? Never mind. Bill Forsyth’s film concerning a GIRL on the school football team still works brilliantly. “It’s unnatural!” Wed, Jun 11, 2014, 17:57 * * * * The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Submit Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email for the activation code. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 10 days from the date of publication. Sign In Sign Out ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334451|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Ir ish+Times;cookie=info;] Recent Posts DownloadImage 10 things to note about yesterday’s Oscar nominations young-jpg Movie quiz for January 15th 000a2498-630 The Razzies are still not funny 05photo David Bowie on film trump_flicker_face_yess Donald Trump does know that Paris is in France Archives [Select Month________] Categories [Select Category_________________________________] Browse * News * Sports * Business * Debate * Life & Style * Culture * Offers About us * Advertise * Contact us * The Irish Times Trust * Career Opportunities * Help * Sitemap Connect * Facebook * Twitter * Google + Subscriptions * Home Delivery * Epaper * Crosswords * Archive * Dating * Ancestors Policy & Terms * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Policy * Community Standards * Copyright Partners * rewardingtimes.ie * myhome.ie * irishracing.com * entertainment.ie * myantiques.ie * top1000.ie * The Gloss * irishtimestraining.com © THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268908|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Th eatre;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;kvorg=Broadway+League;cooki e=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Stage * Stage Reviews All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X O’Dowd and Greene lose out in Tony Awards The Cripple of Inishmaan, which was nominated in six categories, failed to secure a prize Mon, Jun 9, 2014, 14:01 Updated: Mon, Jun 9, 2014, 14:33 Actor Chris O’Dowd arrives for the American Theatre Wing’s 68th annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York, last night. Actor Chris O’Dowd arrives for the American Theatre Wing’s 68th annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York, last night. Irish actor Chris O’Dowd lost to Bryan Cranston for best actor as LBJ in All The Way at the 68th annual Tony Awards last night. O’Dowd, from Boyle, Co Roscommon, received the nomination for best performance by an actor in a leading role for his performance in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men opposite Hollywood star James Franco. Cork actress Sarah Greene, who starred in the 2011 film The Guard , was also nominated for best performance by an actress in a featured role for her performance in a revival of Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple of Inishmaan. The award for best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical went to Lena Hall, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The Cripple of Inishmaan, which stars Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe and Irish actor and comedian Pat Shortt, received six nominations, including best revival of a play, but did not win an award. Actress Audra McDonald made Broadway history by winning her sixth Tony as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, took home the top musical prize and Jessie Mueller was named best actress for her starring role in Beautiful - The Carole King Musical. McDonald, with her best actress prize in a play, became the only woman to win a Tony in all four acting categories. She also tied with the late actress Julie Harris, who had six wins, including a special lifetime achievement award. With tears streaming down her face, a trembling McDonald acknowledged her parents, family and the women who came before her. “I want to thank all the shoulders of the strong and brave and courageous women that I am standing on,” she said. “And most of all Billie Holiday. You deserve so much more than you were given when you were on this earth.” With four awards including Darko Tresnjak’s statuette for best director, the musical satire A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder tied with Hedwig and the Angry Inch with the most Tonys. Cranston had been a favourite to win in his Broadway debut as US president Lyndon B. Johnson in All the Way, Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Schenkkan’s acclaimed play. “When you can effect emotional change in the audience it’s like a powerful drug. It’s as strong as blue crystal meth,” he said, referring to his Emmy-winning role as a teacher turned ruthless drug kingpin in TV’s Breaking Bad. Harris was also a main contender for lead actor in a musical as the transgender rock star in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Lena Hall nabbed her first Tony for her supporting role in the production, which was also named best musical revival. “Playing Hedwig is an absolute joy. It was a role I was terrified of, in taking it on. It has changed me and challenged me,” he said. Award-winning actor Hugh Jackman hosted the ceremony at Radio City Music Hall for the fourth time. The show included performances by Tony nominee Idina Menzel, music legend Gladys Knight and rock star Sting, who performed a song from his upcoming Broadway debut musical The Last Ship. British actor Mark Rylance took home his third Tony, winning for featured actor in a play as the Countess Olivia in the all-male Shakespeare Globe production of Twelfth Night. “We would very much like to come back (to Broadway) with some more Shakespeare and we are talking about it but we haven’t settled what it will be,” said Rylance, who praised the late blacklisted American actor Sam Wanamaker, the force behind the recreation of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. A flustered and surprised Sophie Okonedo accepted the featured actress prize in her Broadway debut, as Denzel Washington’s wife, in the revival of A Raisin in the Sun. Lorraine Hansberry’s acclaimed 1959 work also won the Tony for best revival of a play, and the best directing prize for Kenny Leon. “That was shocking and stunning, surprising. But I thought the production was well deserving of a Tony Award,” Leon said backstage. James Monroe Iglehart, who plays the larger-than-life genie in Aladdin, jumped up and shouted to loud audience applause after winning the featured actor prize in a musical. The Tony Awards are presented by the theatre industry association, The Broadway League, and the American Theatre Wing, a not-for-profit organization. * Topics: * Audra Mcdonald * Billie Holiday * Bryan Cranston * Chris O Dowd * Countess Olivia * Daniel Radcliffe * Darko Tresnjak * Denzel Washington * Gladys Knight * Harry Potter * Hugh Jackman * James Franco * James Monroe Iglehart * Jessie Mueller * John Steinbeck * Julie Harris * Kenny Leon * Lady Day * Lena Hall * Lorraine Hansberry * Lyndon B Johnson * Mark Rylance * Martin Mcdonagh * Pat Shortt * Robert Schenkkan * Sarah Greene * Sophie Okonedo * Broadway League Read More * Irish actors Chris O’Dowd and Sarah Greene nominated for Tony Awards * The Tony Nominations are out Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Books An illustration from Aharon Appelfeld’s Adam & Thomas Children’s book reviews: a trio of compelling stories * Travel Down under and dirty in the real Outback * People Impossibly photogenic: the Tiger’s Nest, or Taktsang Palphug, monastery, Bhutan’s most sacred site. Photograph: EyesWideOpen/Getty Bhutan: the price of paradise * Music Pop Corner: Selena marks her ex’s spot; Zayn chaffed at control ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268906|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Th eatre;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;kvorg=Broadway+League;cooki e=info;] ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268909|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Th eatre;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;kvorg=Broadway+League;cooki e=info;] [image.jpg] IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playl ists/72151780&color=b74f7d&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comm ents=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesCulture&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_fac es=true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true TV Guide IFRAME: //api.entertainment.ie/bannermpu/TVWidget/search.asp?s=irishtimes.com no non-iframe version yet Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #Pop Life » Feed Pop Life » Comments Feed Pop Life » Draw Something Comments Feed Jonah Hill goes into damage control Daily Digest IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Property * Cars * Dating * Family Notices * Jobs * Crosswords * Subscriptions + Home Delivery + epaper + Archive [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334445|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Ir ish+Times;cookie=info;] [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334446|0|2530|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=I rish+Times;cookie=info;] The Irish Times Sunday 17th January 2016 Pop Life The Irish Times (BUTTON) Menu * News * Sport * Business * Debate * Life & Style * Culture * Offers ____________________ (BUTTON) Search www.irishtimes.com Culture / Pop Life Una Mullally Society, life and culture on the edge Draw Something Some of my favourite pop culture tributes and their artists at the moment. Una Mullally Una Thu, Jun 5, 2014, 17:51 * * * * Jon White is the guy behind the amazing ’17 People’, an online tribute to the West Wing episode of the same name. It’s an epic piece of fandom, analysing themes, characters, and so much more. Fatti Burke is a brilliant Dublin illustrator. I love her Simpsons and Scott Pilgrim-inspired pieces. Mick Minogue is lashing out some brilliant Game of Thrones action figures. So good. Sarah Fox envisaged this amazing John Cage app to celebrate Cage’s 100th birthday. Stephen Byrne is an Irish cartoonist living in Seattle with a penchant for spot on pop culture references; pin-up superheroes and a Disney Doctor Who are just a couple of his recent concoctions. Fuchsia MacAree’s booklet on moral panics on Irish radio is an amazing simultaneous homage to and satire of Joe Duffy’s Liveline. Thu, Jun 5, 2014, 17:51 * * * * The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Submit Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email for the activation code. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 10 days from the date of publication. Sign In Sign Out ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334449|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Ir ish+Times;cookie=info;] Recent Posts heathers Heathers – ‘November’ room A golden moment at the dawn of a golden age Screen Shot 2016-01-12 at 09.40.34 Three podcasts Screen Shot 2016-01-12 at 09.21.57 PopLives #96: Matthew Smyth David_Bowie_-_TopPop_1974_09 David Bowie Archives [Select Month________] Categories [Select Category_____] Browse * News * Sports * Business * Debate * Life & Style * Culture * Offers About us * Advertise * Contact us * The Irish Times Trust * Career Opportunities * Help * Sitemap Connect * Facebook * Twitter * Google + Subscriptions * Home Delivery * Epaper * Crosswords * Archive * Dating * Ancestors Policy & Terms * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Policy * Community Standards * Copyright Partners * rewardingtimes.ie * myhome.ie * irishracing.com * entertainment.ie * myantiques.ie * top1000.ie * The Gloss * irishtimestraining.com © THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] -- #Screenwriter » Feed Screenwriter » Comments Feed Screenwriter » David Cronenberg and Julianne Moore joust with the press Comments Feed Cannes review of White God So are the Dardennes really now the favourite? IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Property * Cars * Dating * Family Notices * Jobs * Crosswords * Subscriptions + Home Delivery + epaper + Archive [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334454|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Ir ish+Times;cookie=info;] [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334452|0|2530|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=I rish+Times;cookie=info;] The Irish Times Sunday 17th January 2016 Screenwriter The Irish Times (BUTTON) Menu * News * Sport * Business * Debate * Life & Style * Culture * Offers ____________________ (BUTTON) Search www.irishtimes.com Culture / Screenwriter Donald Clarke Whingeing about cinema and real life since 2009 David Cronenberg and Julianne Moore joust with the press The director and star are in Cannes for Cronenberg’s Hollywood satire Maps to the Stars Donald Clarke Donald Mon, May 19, 2014, 16:51 * * * * Tonight David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars has its official screening at the Lumiere Theatre. Reactions to the film have, so far, been pretty positive. One or two hysterical critics have even suggested that it might be worthy of (and a serious contender for) the Palme d’Or. I’m not so sure. The picture is certainly an improvement on Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, which competed here two years ago, but, to me, the film seemed a little to keen on taking cheap shots at easy targets. It’s a satire of Hollywood’s venality and triviality, you see. And we’ve seen a few of those down through the years. Anyway, Cronenberg joined Robert Pattinson and Julianne Moore for a press conference this morning. Not surprisingly, the director was asked whether he was now biting the hand that once fed him. “To see it only as an attack on Hollywood is, I think, shortchanging the movie,” he parried. “You could set this in Silicon Valley or on Wall Street: anyplace people are desperate and fearful. You could set it anywhere and have the same ring of truth.” Ms Moore was equally keen to avoid suggestions that she was involved in an assault on neighbours and colleagues. “I love the movie business, I’m not here to disparage it,” she said. My favourite moment came when somebody pointed out that, for at least the third time in his career — after Crash and Cosmopolis — Mr Cronenberg depicted grubby sex in motor cars. Indeed, Mr Pattinson does get it on with Ms Moore in the back of a limousine. Cronenberg remembered that Ted Turner, who financed Crash, tried to suppress that film because he thought it might encourage folk to have sex in their vehicles. “I said, you know there’s an entire generation of Americans who have been spawned in the back seat of a 1954 Ford,” Cronenberg commented. “So it’s not like I invented sex in cars.” He wasn’t finished. “You have to remember that part of the sexual revolution came about because of the automobile,” he laughed. “Because of the fact that young people could get away from their parents without being supervised. So I don’t think I’m breaking any new territory.” Mon, May 19, 2014, 16:51 * * * * The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Submit Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email for the activation code. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 10 days from the date of publication. Sign In Sign Out ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334451|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Ir ish+Times;cookie=info;] Recent Posts DownloadImage 10 things to note about yesterday’s Oscar nominations young-jpg Movie quiz for January 15th 000a2498-630 The Razzies are still not funny 05photo David Bowie on film trump_flicker_face_yess Donald Trump does know that Paris is in France Archives [Select Month________] Categories [Select Category_________________________________] Browse * News * Sports * Business * Debate * Life & Style * Culture * Offers About us * Advertise * Contact us * The Irish Times Trust * Career Opportunities * Help * Sitemap Connect * Facebook * Twitter * Google + Subscriptions * Home Delivery * Epaper * Crosswords * Archive * Dating * Ancestors Policy & Terms * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Policy * Community Standards * Copyright Partners * rewardingtimes.ie * myhome.ie * irishracing.com * entertainment.ie * myantiques.ie * top1000.ie * The Gloss * irishtimestraining.com © THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268878|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=He ritage;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Heritage * Books * Film * Music * Stage * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Treibh All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X An Irishman's diary: Monty Python’s cycling circus An Irishman’s Diary about back-pedalling Wed, Jul 9, 2014, 01:00 Updated: Wed, Jul 9, 2014, 12:26 Frank McNally On July 4th, ‘Le Monde’ had to publish a correction to the effect that the “former prime minister of Ireland, Brian Cowen” was not, and had never been, a member of the British comedy troupe Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Photograph: Alan Betson On July 4th, ‘Le Monde’ had to publish a correction to the effect that the “former prime minister of Ireland, Brian Cowen” was not, and had never been, a member of the British comedy troupe Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Photograph: Alan Betson First l would like to reassure concerned readers and the French police that, contrary to my previous confession (July 4th), I was not “peddling” a Velib bicycle in the Belleville area of Paris any time last week. As some of you have since pointed out, that would have been illegal, since the Velibs are all owned by the city council. I was entitled only to borrow one, for half an hour at a time, and then return it. But concerned readers and the gendarmerie can relax. The activity I meant to describe was “pedalling”. And I’m sure that’s what I was doing for most of the trip from Belleville back to the city centre. Then I must have dropped the middle vowel somewhere – probably on that rough, cobbled section around the Place de la Bastille – and didn’t notice until the word was in print. Nevertheless, I can now clarify that the bike was returned, in compliance with the rules. I’m almost certain I left it at the Velib station on Rue St Jacques. But wherever I left it, if the Mairie de Paris is reading this, I trust there won’t be any unpleasantness over my €150 credit card deposit. Embarrassing as such misspellings are, it could be worse. I could be Le Monde newspaper which, also on July 4th, had to publish a correction to the effect that the “former prime minister of Ireland, Brian Cowen” was not, and had never been, a member of the British comedy troupe Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Yes, in a feature the previous day about the Python reunion concerts, the newspaper had suggested they would take place without one of the original members, Mr Cowen, who had died in 1989. Of course the reporter meant Graham Chapman. And part of the mistake, clearly, was to conflate Chapman with his title role in The Life of Brian (where the character’s surname is “Cohen”). Even so it took another leap, less explicable, to arrive at the name Cowen and then go so far as to spell it correctly. The day of my controversial Velib trip, there were headlines in many newspapers, including this one, about former French president Nicolas Sarkozy being arrested for “influence peddling”. This must have planted the word “peddling” in my head, where it waited to be picked up by mistake, like somebody else’s lookalike coat. That’s my excuse, anyway. But how do you explain confusing the real-life Brian Cowen and the fictional Brian Cohen? Was Le Monde half-remembering that the former Irish politician had also once been mistaken for a Messiah, with tragicomic results? Was it hinting that some of Cowen’s old colleagues, a highly influential group of comedians, were now trying to make a comeback without him? I just don’t know. IN ANY case, the incident provides me with an almost seamless link to mention the annual Swift Satire Festival in Trim, the seventh edition of which takes place this coming weekend. It promises the usual intoxicating mixture of politics and comedy, with David McSavage among the comedians who will attempt to be even more cutting than the Le Monde features section. Keynote events include a two-course satirical lunch, with Val O’Donnell performing his one-man show on Flann O’Brien, followed by former Mountjoy governor John Lonergan, who will deliver this year’s festival lecture on Swift. I can also safely predict that the weekend will involve some earthy humour, if only because, for one of the events, a bag of clay has had to be imported from Antrim. Details of this and the rest of the programme are at swiftsatirefestival.com. Patrick Kavanagh once wrote poetically about the “tremendous silence of mid-July”. That was the era before summer schools and satire festivals, obviously. Now, he himself is adding to the annual cacophony around this time, thanks to another of his poems, which since last year has become the most literally translated event in the cultural calendar. Thus the second annual Inniskeen Road July Evening, which also takes place this weekend (see patrickkavanaghcountry.com), on Sunday. A sort-of rural Bloomsday (but with any Joyceans kept on a tight leash), the event recreates the poem’s 1930s locale, and period dress is encouraged. As you’ll remember, the bicycles in the poem went by “in twos and threes”. So cycling, especially on machines of the time, will also feature. This may be an ideal opportunity to dust off your old Sturmey Archer 3-Speed. But remember, if pedalling in Inniskeen or anywhere else this weekend, make sure to use three vowels as well. @FrankmcnallyIT fmcnally@irishtimes.com Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Stage Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . * Books Lebanon * People Impossibly photogenic: the Tiger’s Nest, or Taktsang Palphug, monastery, Bhutan’s most sacred site. Photograph: EyesWideOpen/Getty Bhutan: the price of paradise * Travel A Walk For The Weekend: Glendalough ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268879|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=He ritage;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Create Account Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email to verify your account. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close Your Comments Sign In Sign Out We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 3 days from the date of publication. ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268881|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=He ritage;cookie=info;] [image.jpg] IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playl ists/72151780&color=b74f7d&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comm ents=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesCulture&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_fac es=true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Book Offers Book Offers From The Irish Times Book of the Year to Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales, you'll find books for all tastes and ages. Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268871|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Film * Film Reviews All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Lindsey Lohan confirmed to make West End stage debut in Speed-the-Plow Troubled star to step into Madonna’s old shoes in David Mamet’s Hollywood satire Fri, Jun 27, 2014, 13:23 Updated: Fri, Jun 27, 2014, 13:48 Robert Dex Lindsay Lohan in London last week. It has been comfirmed that she will join the West End production of Speed-the-Plow. Photograph: Tim P Whitby/Getty Images) Lindsay Lohan in London last week. It has been comfirmed that she will join the West End production of Speed-the-Plow. Photograph: Tim P Whitby/Getty Images) Lindsay Lohan is to make her stage debut in London’s West End in a play about the movie business.She will appear in Speed-The-Plow, by US writer David Mamet, from September 24th. The play, described as a “satirical portrayal of Hollywood”, will run at the Playhouse Theatre in London until November 29th. Lohan will play Karen — portrayed by Madonna in the original 1988 production — with further casting details yet to be announced. Speaking to the New York Times about joining the production, the actor said: I’m nervous but I’m excited.” Lohan, who first found fame as a child star in Mean Girls and Freaky Friday, has been in the headlines more recently for her troubled private life. Recent roles include playing Elizabeth Taylor in the TV film Liz And Dick about the star’s relationship with Richard Burton. Mamet is one of America’s most respected dramatists and the author of critically-acclaimed plays including Glengarry Glen Ross. He has worked in Hollywood as a screenwriter on films including The Untouchables, Hoffa and Hannibal. – PA * Topics: * David Mamet * Elizabeth Taylor * Lindsay Lohan Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Music Pop Corner: Selena marks her ex’s spot; Zayn chaffed at control * Books An illustration from Aharon Appelfeld’s Adam & Thomas Children’s book reviews: a trio of compelling stories * Art & Design Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ * Food & Drink The Drift Inn in Buncrana: an upturned boat with huge, semicircular beams divides the main bar. Barfly: the Drift Inn, Buncrana ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268873|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Create Account Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email to verify your account. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close Your Comments Sign In Sign Out We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 3 days from the date of publication. The Film Show The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room 7:47 The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War 6:55 The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268872|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Film Reviews Room The walls close in on a mother and child in Lenny Abrahamson’s moving, harrowing adapation of the acclaimed novel Creed Creed firmly overthrows any notions that the Rocky films are trading on an elaborate Great White Hope mythology The Revenant ‘The Revenant’ is short on dialogue and thin on characterisation; however the misery is well worth enduring A War (Krigen) The war in Afghanistan is the inspiration for a tense Danish courtroom drama Shem the Penman Sings Again A delightful, playful study of the relationship between Joyce and McCormack The Hateful Eight Tarantino sinks deeper into his auto-mythology with more haphazard plotting, gooey violence and endless dialogue, writes Donald Clarke Last Hijack: a real-world prequel to Captain Phillips Last Hijack Tommy Pallotta’s documentary is nicely presented but lacks a coherent narrative Ballerinas get bolshie in Babylon Bolshoi Bolshoi Babylon “The world of theatre is cruel . . . It looks beautiful from the outside, but inside it's boiling” Donald Clarke's Movie Quiz You can see Twilight twinkling in the eye of this week's quiz... Screenwriter 10 things to note about yesterday’s Oscar nominations * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke We had Charlotte, but not Carol. The Force Awakens encounters unfamiliar failure. And an actor who wasn't nominated steals the show Movie quiz for January 15th * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke Warm yourself up with a good hard quiz Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesCulture&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_fac es=true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Film News Director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board, at a party in the Light House cinema in Dublin. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Irish Oscar nominations exceed all expectations Pictured celebrating four Oscar nominations for Irish film Room are director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika, and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board at a party in the Lighthouse cinema last night.Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Oscars: ‘You have to mark an event like this,’ Lenny Abrahamson says Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has paid tribute to ‘magnificent actor’ Alan Rickman on his death. Photograph: Jas Lehal/Files/Reuters J.K. Rowling pays tribute to ‘magnificent’ Alan Rickman Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268871|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Film * Film Reviews All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X In praise of: Lauren Bacall One of the most original and beguiling actresses of her generation Sat, Aug 16, 2014, 01:00 Donald Clarke Lauren Bacall: cleverness informed every disgraceful anecdote and every barbed aside on long-deceased legends Lauren Bacall: cleverness informed every disgraceful anecdote and every barbed aside on long-deceased legends Coming a day after the more surprising death of Robin Williams, Lauren Bacall’s passing at 89 did not get the coverage it deserved. Moreover, too many obituaries felt the need to focus on her famous marriage to Humphrey Bogart. Let us offer a corrective. Ms Bacall was among the most original and beguiling actresses of her generation. She utilised her experience as a fashion model to hone a feline walk that caused everything else in the frame to wither. Her husky voice found unique rhythms in the most ordinary lines. But, most importantly – unlike too many of the cosier female stars that followed her in the 1950s – Ms Bacall allowed her characters to radiate wit and intelligence. In later years, as she climbed aboard the chat-show circuit, that cleverness informed every disgraceful anecdote and every barbed aside on long-deceased legends. While her contemporaries retired to distant mansions, she continued to do good work on film and television. As recently as 2007, Paul Schrader made terrific use of her in his sombre social satire The Walker. She seemed as sharp and as charismatic as ever. We just don’t get actors with that degree of presence any more. We must “identify” with them. We can’t avoid paparazzi shots of them buying milk in tracksuits. You never saw Lauren Bacall in the 7-11. Good for her. * Topics: * Lauren Bacall Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Music Pop Corner: Selena marks her ex’s spot; Zayn chaffed at control * Books An illustration from Aharon Appelfeld’s Adam & Thomas Children’s book reviews: a trio of compelling stories * Art & Design Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ * Food & Drink The Drift Inn in Buncrana: an upturned boat with huge, semicircular beams divides the main bar. Barfly: the Drift Inn, Buncrana ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268873|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Film Show The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room 7:47 The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War 6:55 The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268872|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Film Reviews Room The walls close in on a mother and child in Lenny Abrahamson’s moving, harrowing adapation of the acclaimed novel Creed Creed firmly overthrows any notions that the Rocky films are trading on an elaborate Great White Hope mythology The Revenant ‘The Revenant’ is short on dialogue and thin on characterisation; however the misery is well worth enduring A War (Krigen) The war in Afghanistan is the inspiration for a tense Danish courtroom drama Shem the Penman Sings Again A delightful, playful study of the relationship between Joyce and McCormack The Hateful Eight Tarantino sinks deeper into his auto-mythology with more haphazard plotting, gooey violence and endless dialogue, writes Donald Clarke Last Hijack: a real-world prequel to Captain Phillips Last Hijack Tommy Pallotta’s documentary is nicely presented but lacks a coherent narrative Ballerinas get bolshie in Babylon Bolshoi Bolshoi Babylon “The world of theatre is cruel . . . It looks beautiful from the outside, but inside it's boiling” Donald Clarke's Movie Quiz You can see Twilight twinkling in the eye of this week's quiz... Screenwriter 10 things to note about yesterday’s Oscar nominations * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke We had Charlotte, but not Carol. The Force Awakens encounters unfamiliar failure. And an actor who wasn't nominated steals the show Movie quiz for January 15th * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke Warm yourself up with a good hard quiz Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesCulture&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_fac es=true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Film News Director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board, at a party in the Light House cinema in Dublin. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Irish Oscar nominations exceed all expectations Pictured celebrating four Oscar nominations for Irish film Room are director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika, and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board at a party in the Lighthouse cinema last night.Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Oscars: ‘You have to mark an event like this,’ Lenny Abrahamson says Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has paid tribute to ‘magnificent actor’ Alan Rickman on his death. Photograph: Jas Lehal/Files/Reuters J.K. Rowling pays tribute to ‘magnificent’ Alan Rickman Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268861|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Bo oks;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Books * Book Reviews * The Book Club * Poetry * Hennessy NIW * IT Books All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Ireland’s Favourite Failure Review: An engaging manifesto for underachievers Stand-up writer: Karl MacDermott Stand-up writer: Karl MacDermott John Fleming Sat, Aug 2, 2014, 01:00 First published: Sat, Aug 2, 2014, 01:00 * * * * [] Book Title: Ireland’s Favourite Failure ISBN-13: B00JNWFO7K Author: Karl MacDermott Publisher: Amazon Kindle Guideline Price: £1.84 A grown man dons shorts and a stripy T-shirt and, bearing a bright orange football, calls to the house of a former childhood friend. A frail version of his one-time pal’s mother answers the door, at first not recognising the fortysomething. “Is Dermot there?” “No, Lar love. He’s in Botswana. He’s an engineer.” The tragicomic and wistful gags of Ireland’s Favourite Failure are typified by this incident, including the feeling of being left far behind by dispersed peers. Karl MacDermott’s Galwegian hero, Lar Gibbons, will chime with anyone born in the 1960s, as will his yearly World Going Back in Time Day. Events such as raiding an orchard are nods to innocent thrill as much as flights of fancy from adult chains. In more than 30 episodes, allegedly written for a defunct western-seaboard literary journal, MacDermott hops around a life’s moments: losing jobs, seeking jobs; losing women, seeking women; imagining artistic endeavours, failing to accomplish them; emigrating to London, coming home. The Salthill setting is one of many elements that suggest this Galway-incubated comedian and writer is rather familiar with the ways of his fictional character. These pages brim with nostalgia – for analogue simplicity, for irresponsibility, for the crazy prison of the child. They are laced with the begrudgery and self-loathing that once permeated Ireland, offering a healthy dose of pre-Tiger Ireland where many felt they had to apologise for being Irish. Lar’s contempt for the nation – television presenters, show business, weather – is inherited. He and his father are happy only when they are giving out stink. MacDermott is an amusing and tight writer; his set-piece vignettes weave small everyday adventures. Whimsy, satire and farce – and a flavour of Richmal Crompton – are all found in the silliness of situations. In one scene Lar spots an attractive woman entering a building. He peers through a window to see her stand up and announce, “My name is Siobhán and I’m an alcoholic.” Lar determines to join this AA group to meet her. But he does not drink, so he must first set about becoming an alcoholic. This engenders the task of acquiring drinking companions. And so the episodes roll, playing with slapstick, mishap and the humour of coincidence. Standup comedy, of which MacDermott is a pioneering past master, is briefly explored in all its promise and terror. A spirited defence of why there is no point in going out is neatly presented. A date means Lar is reluctantly all set to go out for the evening. But then she cancels, and he is even more delighted with a “surprise night in”. Someone once posited a definition of the novel as a long piece of prose with something wrong with it. For MacDermott’s book that flaw may be its lack of murder, mystery or cunning plot. But, if a novel is really about men, morals and society, Ireland’s Favourite Failure is an engaging manifesto for underachievers, slackers and people who think themselves out of it. There is a real danger its author has punctured his own philosophy: this book is an engrossing and amusing achievement. Sat, Aug 2, 2014, 01:00 First published: Sat, Aug 2, 2014, 01:00 * * * * Subscribe. [image.jpg] Click here to sign up to the Irish Times Book Club More from The Irish Times * Books Lebanon * Music Pop Corner: Selena marks her ex’s spot; Zayn chaffed at control * People Impossibly photogenic: the Tiger’s Nest, or Taktsang Palphug, monastery, Bhutan’s most sacred site. Photograph: EyesWideOpen/Getty Bhutan: the price of paradise * Opinion “The Red Hand, that ubiquitous symbol of Ulster, straddles the political and sectarian divide.” Right hand, wrong foot – An Irishman’s Diary about political and religious symbolism ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268859|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Bo oks;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268858|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Bo oks;cookie=info;] [image.jpg] IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playl ists/72151780&color=b74f7d&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comm ents=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher Thomas Morris: the stories may not range very far geographically, but Morris manages to display remarkable range for a young man in his cast of characters, proving himself equally at home in a middle-aged woman’s heels or an old man’s slippers. The Book Club Click to join in the discussion about this month's book: We Don't Know What We're Doing by Thomas Morris Hennessy short story of the month How to Float by Niamh Donnelly: Two girls drift through a polluted paradise in this month’s winning Hennessy New Irish Writing short story Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesBooks&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_faces =true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Short stories All the Boys, a short story by Thomas Morris Eilís Ni Dhúibhne New Zealand Flax, a short story by Eílís Ní Dhuibhne Alan McMonagle: has written two collections of short stories, Liar Liar (Wordsonthestreet, 2008) and Psychotic Episodes (Arlen House, 2013) and has just signed two-book deal with Picador Bleeding Boy, a short story by Alan McMonagle Book reviews At Home in the Revolution review: the Rising’s clan na gals Review: Perspectives for a pathbreaker 1916: A Global History review: midpoint for a world engulfed in war High Treason: The Appeal of Roger Casement. By courtesy of Rosensteil’s on behalf of the Estate of Sir John Lavery UK Government Art Collection Making 1916: The stuff of history John De Lorean: a high-octane outline, a glittering absence, always on the move. It’s tempting to see him simply as a gambler where the game always means more than the outcome. But he was also a talented engineer and an innovator, responsible for that classic muscle car the Pontiac Firebird. Photograph: PA Gull by Glenn Patterson: John DeLorean, taking us all for one hell of a ride Sign up to the weekly Irish Times books newsletter for features, podcasts and more Google ID ____________________ Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Email ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up [X] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times New poetry Lebanon Liz Quirke Poems: Nurture and Juno Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markiewicz: inspiration for WB Yeats, Kevin McAleer, Fintan O’Toole ... and you? Photograph: Sligo County Library Improve on Kevin McAleer’s WB Yeats meme: win two silk kimonos and gazelle* Great reads From crosswords to great wines and the best bits from The Irish Times - Buy an Irish Times Book today Brought to Book What lessons has Danielle McLaughlin learned about life from reading? “To question. To see things from different viewpoints. That there are as many versions of a particular story as there are people involved. That some stories don’t get told at all” Danielle McLaughlin: ‘I think we need different books at different times’ Frankie Gaffney: I did fill an artist’s notebook with anecdotes and phrases once I’d decided to write a book. I’d recommend this to anyone; daily life is instantly transformed into research, and life itself becomes more rewarding when you start finding and recording value in the mundane Frankie Gaffney’s advice to writers: ‘give up the booze and break some rules’ Shelved: a selection of books by Irish women writers. Might some of these names figure in the final 12? Women writers Putting Irish women writers back in the picture Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Life & Style [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268946|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Li fe+&+Style;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Life & Style * Food & Drink * Homes & Property * Health & Family * People * Travel * Motors * Fashion All Life & Style * Food & Drink + Recipes + Restaurants + Drink * Homes & Property + New to the Market + Property Clinic + Interiors + Take 5 + Fine Art & Antiques + Gardens * Health & Family + Parenting + The Health Centre + Get Swimming + Get Running * People + New to the Parish + Obituaries * Travel + Ireland + Europe + Long Haul + Walks * Motors + Car Reviews * Fashion + Beauty * Generation Emigration + Emigrant Voices + Destinations + Irish Business Abroad * Specials + Inside Out + Best Shops * Podcasts + The Women's Podcast + Róisín Meets + Ross O'Carroll-Kelly * Partner Sites + MyHome.ie By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Do you want your old Molly washed down? Dublin’s statue of Molly Malone is an ever-stoic victim of the impulse to spray-paint, tag and otherwise deface our surroundings Sat, Jul 26, 2014, 01:00 Shane Hegarty Dab hand: cleaning the graffiti off Molly Malone this week. Photograph: Eric Luke Dab hand: cleaning the graffiti off Molly Malone this week. Photograph: Eric Luke It had to be the cleavage. It’s always the cleavage. You can bet that when they first pulled the sheet from Molly Malone, and unveiled her to the world, nobody’s eyes fell on the wheelbarrow first. Since then the Dublin statue’s bosom must have been painted every shade under the Dulux colour chart, although variations on the tricolour have always seemed a particularly popular choice of patriotic vandals. During Euro 2012 she was so painted that she was only short of holding a Davy Keogh Says Hello flag. This week the cleavage was red. (A witty take on “scarleh for her”? Not a chance.) She had been only a week at her temporary home outside the Discover Ireland tourist office on Suffolk Street when she was defaced. That time span was considered brief enough for it to make the news. (It seemed more newsworthy that she survived that long without having paint scrawled on her.) So Molly will be cleaned down again. Vandalised again. Cleaned. Vandalised. And on it will go. Because Molly Malone stands as an ever-stoic victim of the impulse some people feel to spray-paint spaces, deface public art, tag statues, look at a piece of street furniture and wonder in just what way they can wreck it. Vandalism isn’t inevitable. An early success of the Dublinbikes scheme was that its bicycles didn’t end up in the Liffey. Dubliners had steeled themselves for that, presumed half of them would be missing and the other half banjaxed before the first month was out. Instead the bikes became an epitome of civic pride and responsibility. Other cities learned from Dublin. But the anticipation of vandalism had been understandable, because Ireland had a thick file on the subject. Most obvious had been CowParade, in 2003, when 10 decorated model cattle were spread across the city, as had been done in cities across the world. Within a week every one had been vandalised. And not just with graffiti. One literally had its wings clipped. Another lost its head in an act that required serious hacking. “The awful thing is,” a spokeswoman said at the time, “we were kind of expecting it in Dublin.” Not that it was particular to the capital. A week later a resin pig was taken from a floating sculpture in Galway. The city had previously seen Pádraic Ó Conaire’s beheading in Eyre Square. Drink had been taken, just as it was when Phil Lynott’s Dublin statue was damaged last year. It has been argued that the regular giving over of our town centres to drunkenness – and all its byproducts – has bred a disrespect for public spaces, facilitating graffiti and vandalism. It has also been suggested that the destruction of monuments is a legacy of a long history of nationalists damaging empire-era monuments – although that’s a stretch when it comes to tagging Molly Malone’s heaving bosom. Nevertheless, there has long been a cynicism towards sculptures and public art in particular, and the artefacts must work hard to win over a prejudiced population. The Spire of Dublin was derided long before it was erected, partly as a hangover from the way the Anna Livia fountain had been turned into the city’s biggest rubbish bin – and occasional bubble bath – until it was finally removed from O’Connell Street. That in turn followed the Bowl of Light, which sprawled the length of O’Connell Bridge from 1953 and was the focus of derision from the off. Myles Na gCopaleen slated it. The Royal Hibernian Academy called for the removal of the “tawdry contraption”. Within days a Trinity student had torn the plastic flames from the bowl and flung them in the Liffey. That art had its nickname, the Tomb of the Unknown Gurrier, just like almost every well-known piece since. There is the thought that such cherished waggishness feeds an undercurrent of disrespect for street furniture. And still vandalism occasionally rises above mere nuisance. When someone put a plaque on O’Connell Bridge in 2006, commemorating a “Fr Pat Noise” and his supposed plunging of his carriage into the Liffey, the damage to the stone was greeted with amusement rather than anger, because the combination of effort and mystery brought an audience and earned a respect. In 2009 Conor Casby placed his Brian Cowen nudes, and accompanying captions, in the National Gallery and the RHA. Crude as their satire was, they ended up shedding a grim light on the humourlessness of the government, and the ludicrous deployment of gardaí, and briefly made the artist an anti-authoritarian hero. The statue of Molly Malone is popular and uncomplicated, though, and its repeated defacement seems to be purely about a lack of respect for public spaces and the ubiquity of graffiti. But most of all it’s about her cleavage and the fact that it’s a siren to every lazy vandal in the city. shegarty@irishtimes.com @shanehegarty * Topics: * Molly Malone Subscribe. ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268949|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Li fe+&+Style;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Create Account Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email to verify your account. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close Your Comments Sign In Sign Out We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 3 days from the date of publication. ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268948|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Li fe+&+Style;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Most Read in Life & Style 1 Impossibly photogenic: the Tiger’s Nest, or Taktsang Palphug, monastery, Bhutan’s most sacred site. Photograph: EyesWideOpen/Getty Bhutan: the price of paradise 2 Staying put: Conor Hynes – looking over the Gurteen Bay and Dog’s Bay beaches, in Connemara – decided to try to ride out the recession here Was I right to stay in Ireland instead of emigrating? 3 He gives me what would have to be described as a fatherly hug, then he says hello to Sorcha with an enthusiasm that would be grounds for sexual harassment if he was paying her a salary. Ross O’Carroll-Kelly: ‘These apartments will be so small, there won’t be room for two people to break wind’ 4 Our Wedding Story: She first noticed him in a facebook photo 5 Domini Kemp’s Fiery Roast Cod. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw Domini Kemp: high quality food with minimal prep 6 Sweet potato is perfect as a base for soups, stews, chillies and salads Give Me Five: Sweet potato falafel 7 Banish daddy guilt: 10 tips for frazzled working fathers 8 Sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you. Well, wasn’t that the biggest, fattest lie they ever told you growing up? Róisín Ingle ... on a collision course 9 Down under and dirty in the real Outback 10 Photograph: Thinkstock Hilary Fannin: No more fasting and failing, failing and fasting Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE Galleries Ilse brass bowl £105 skandium.com What we like: copper and brass Artemis the tiger cushion, £30, kinshipofoxford.com What we like: cushions [image.jpg] IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/users /173613173&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comment s=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher Irish Times Life & Style Follow @IrishTimesLife IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com% 2FIrishTimesLife&send=false&layout=standard&width=300&show_faces=false& font&colorscheme=light&action=like&height=35&appId=422102134490557 [image.jpeg] IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/users /86703071&color=ff6600&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_artwork=f alse&show_comments=false&show_playcount=false&show_user=false Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher Sign up to the weekly Generation Emigration newsletter for news, features and destination guides for overseas readers Google ID ____________________ Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Email ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up [X] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times Just married? See this week’s wedding stories and send us your own tales and photographs Life & Style Videos Falling down under: skydive into Australia's Red Centre 1:04 Falling down under: skydive into Australia's Red Centre Owner occupied: Playboy Mansion to go on sale for $200m 0:55 Owner occupied: Playboy Mansion to go on sale for $200m Dance and bamboo: a traditional Borneo performance 1:25 Dance and bamboo: a traditional Borneo performance Sign up to Rewarding Times weekly newsletter for premium offers, brought to you by partners of The Irish Times Google ID ____________________ Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Email ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up [X] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times Something For The Weekend Something For The Weekend Sign up to receive our email sent every Friday featuring offers, competitions and a preview of what’s coming up in the weekend edition. Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268868|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Cu lture;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Books * Film * Music * Stage * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Treibh All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X The top 50 films on Netflix The classics section is surprisingly small, and the same schlock keeps coming up again and again, but there are plenty of movie gems lurking around Netflix Fri, Oct 10, 2014, 14:18 Updated: Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 23:40 Donald Clarke, Tara Brady Family fun with the Jamaican bob-sledding team in Cool Runnings Family fun with the Jamaican bob-sledding team in Cool Runnings Amour, a thoughtful but terrifying look at death Amour, a thoughtful but terrifying look at death Eternal Sushine of the Spotless Mind, a romantic film starring Kate Winslet and Jim Carey Eternal Sushine of the Spotless Mind, a romantic film starring Kate Winslet and Jim Carey (BUTTON) Previous Image (BUTTON) Next Image FIVE BEST FAMILY FILMS Bridge to Terabithia (2007) Directed by Gábor Csupó Starring Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, 95 min The films from Walden Media, a vaguely faith-based studio, can occasionally be a little preachy, but this touching take on Katherine Paterson’s fantasy novel communicates intelligence about mortality and adolescence with great sensitivity. DC Holes (2003) Directed by Andrew Davis Starring Shia LaBeouf, Sigourney Weaver, 117 min Deeply strange, hugely original drama concerning a young man who undergoes life-changing events while trapped in a class of desert detention centre that requires the daily digging of, yes, holes. Made a star of LaBeouf. DC The Muppets (2011) Directed by James Bobin Starring Jason Segel, Amy Adams, 103 min How to explain the Muppets to an audience that didn’t grow up with them? Make a film in which the poor beasts have fallen on hard times and must be rediscovered by younger enthusiasts. DC Cool Runnings (1993) Directed by Jon Turteltaub Starring John Candy, Leon, Doug E Doug, Rawle D Lewis, 98 min Based on the unlikely true story of the Jamaica national bobsled team’s 1988 Olympic debut, this charming sporting underdog comedy is deservedly an all-ages classic. Big-hearted fun, of the classic Candy school. TB Enchanted (2007) Directed by Kevin Lima Starring Amy Adams, James Marsden, 107 min Classic Disney characters – the princessy princess (Adams), the gallant prince (Marsden), the evil queen (Susan Sarandon) – arrive in contemporary New York to the bafflement of divorcee Patrick Dempsey. Hilarious deconstruction ensues. TB FIVE BEST COMEDIES Airplane! (1980) Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker Starring Leslie Nielsen, Robert Hays, 87 min Surely, the funniest comedy of all time? That is certainly arguable. And stop calling me Shirley. It’s hard to imagine a world without this compilation of great gags delivered with a straight face. DC The Other Guys (2010) Directed by Adam McKay Stars Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, 107m Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L Jackson are the toughest cops in the precinct. Ferrell and Wahlberg are different sorts of raving idiot. That’s the joke and it’s a funny one. DC Clueless (1995) Directed by Amy Heckerling Starring Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd, 97 min Amy Heckerling’s brilliant, funny reworking of Jane Austen’s Emma doubles up as a lively satire on Beverly Hills vanity. Alicia Silverstone’s ditzy Valley Girl Cher remains one of cinema’s most appealing characters. TB Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991) Directed by Peter Hewitt Starring Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, 93 min The sequel to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure proved too whacky for some tastes on its initial release. But Bogus Journey’s extravagant set pieces – Bill and Ted versus Death in a Seventh Seal-inspired game of Twister – has spawned an adoring cult following. TB Annie Hall (1977) Directed by Woody Allen Starring Diane Keaton, Woody Allen, 96 min The lobster! Marshall McLuhan! Sparks fly when neurotic New York comedian Alvy Singer (Allen) meets the flighty, mannishly attired Annie Hall (Keaton). But are men and women just too damned different to really get along? TB FIVE BEST DOCUMENTARIES Man on Wire (2008) Directed by James Marsh Starring Philippe Petit, 94 min Chronicling Philippe Petit’s high-wire walk between New York’s Twin Towers in 1974, Marsh’s film doubles as a tale of daring and a study of a distant era. DC Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present (2012) Directed by Gilbert Roswell Starring Marina Abramovic, 106 min A film on Ms Abramovic’s famous (notorious?) performance that featured the Serbian artist unmoving on a chair does not sound like a cavalcade of fun. But the film gets to unexpected truths about humanity. DC Beware of Mr Baker (2012) Directed by Jal Bulger Starring Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton, 100 min You may have some idea about the craziness of Ginger Baker – sometime drummer with Cream and Blind Faith – but nothing can prepare you for the violent energy on display here. Scary. DC Tabloid (2010) Directed by Errol Morris Featuring Joyce McKinney, 87 min In 1977, a Mormon missionary named Keith May, then based in London, told a magistrates’ court how he was “raped” by an apparently deranged American beauty queen. Oscar winning documentarian Morris investigates the compelling tale of Joyce McKinney. TB Bill Cunningham New York (2010) Directed by Richard Press Featuring Bill Cunningham, 87 min When Vogue editor Anna Wintour says that “we all get dressed for Bill,” she means “all New York”. The New York Times photographer’s work coalesces into an impossibly romantic portrait of New York and New Yorkers, beating on against the current in impossible heels. TB FIVE BEST EUROPEAN FILMS Amour (2012) Directed by Michael Haneke Starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, 127 min Haneke’s thoughtful – but terrifying – film examines the slow, painful death of an elderly woman following a stroke. Hard to watch, but impossible to forget. DC Bicycle Thieves (1948) Directed by Vittorio De Sica Starring Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, 93 min There are endless riches in De Sica’s deceptively simple story of a man who, in a time of poverty, must search endlessly for his stolen bicycle. The ultimate moral compromise remains painful to contemplate. DC Beyond the Hills (2012) Directed by Cristian Mungiu Starring Cosmina Stratan, Cristina Flutur, 150 min The director of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days returns with an intense, rewarding drama set in the Romanian outlands. Drawing from journalist Tatiana Niculescu Bran’s investigations into a real-life exorcism tragedy, Mungiu’s screenplay pivots noiselessly around abstract ideas of separation and loss, superstition and ideology. TB The Turin Horse (2011) Directed by Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky Starring János Derzsi, Erika Bók, 146 min In a remote windswept location, an old man and his daughter live a life composed of simple rituals. Béla Tarr’s latest, and reportedly final, film incorporates an awareness of encroaching mortality into a feverishly oppressive microcosm. First rate. TB The Conformist (1970) Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci Starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, 111 min A man prepares to assassinate his old college professor. A Freudian backstory. Modernist storytelling. Existential angst. Art-house cinema doesn’t get more artistic than Bertolucci’s masterpiece. TB FIVE BEST ROMANCES Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013) Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche Starring Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos, 179 min The hugely explicit lesbian love scenes kicked up controversy following this lengthy film’s triumph at Cannes, but it is the emotional honesty that sets it apart. Prepare for real, snotty, heaving sobbing. DC Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Directed by Michel Gondry Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, 109 min Written by boffin Charlie Kaufmann and directed by whack-job Michel Gondry, Sunshine concerns a man whose memories are being slowly erased. Lighter and airier than it sounds. DC His Girl Friday (1940) Directed by Howard Hawks Starring Rosalind Russell, Cary Grant, 92 min Yes, this tale of news reporters in furious competition is among the fastest comedy ever made. But it also offers a very touching romance between two hardened cynics. Russell and Grant are sublime. DC 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Directed by Gil Junger Stars Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, 99 min Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is cleverly reworked as a high school teen comedy. Two lovely central performances by attracting opposites Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, propped up by a supporting cast that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt. TB Harold and Maude (1971) Directed by Hal Ashby Starring Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, 91 min Oh for the peculiar experiments of the 1970s. Ashby’s timeless drama posits a sort of romance between septuagenarian Gordon and fresh-faced Cort. The results are off-beat and amusing. TB FIVE BEST HORRORS Carrie (1976) Directed by Brian De Palma Starring Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, 98 min Carrie was Stephen King’s first novel, and De Palma’s film is the first adaptation of his work. Yet – with the possible exception of Kubrick’s The Shining – this menstrual shocker still looks like the best take on one of the master’s horror stories. DC The Mist (2007) Directed by Frank Darabont Stars Thomas Jane, Jeffrey DeMunn, 126 min From one of the most famous Stephen King adaptations to one of the most underrated. There is much to recommend Darabont’s tale of apparent Armageddon, but it is most notable for its bleak ending. DC Army of Darkness (1992) Directed by Sam Raimi Starring Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, 88 min One of the few sequels that shifts its series to a new genre, Raimi’s follow-up to Evil Dead II dumps poor Ash – now with a chainsaw for a hand – into a world of fantastic violence and weird magic. Mad fun. TB Funny Games (1997) Directed by Michael Haneke Starring Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Mühe, 109 min Haneke’s horrible home-invasion thriller is meant as a warning on the evils of screen violence. Ironically, it also works very well as a grotesquely unsettling slasher flick. Sorry, Michael. TB Excision (2011) Directed by Richard Bates Jr Starring Anna Lynne McCord, Traci Lords, 81 min If you’ve ever wondered what Tron directed by Pasolini might have looked like, then check out the diseased fancies of this hip, original US shocker. In her own troubled mind, Pauline (McCord) is a demented surgeon conducting weird, eroticised procedures by neon light. In reality, she’s a greasy, awkward teen. TB FIVE BEST ASIAN FILMS Oldboy (2003) Directed by Park Chan-Wook Starring Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, 120 min One of the defining action films of its era, Park’s South Korean revenge thriller follows a man as he is inexplicably released after 15 years in equally inexplicable detention. Warning: features consumption of live cephalopods. DC Battle Royale (2000) Directed by Kinji Fukasaku Starring Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, 113 min Yes, yes, it’s the film every one “in the know” mentioned when The Hunger Games came out. Fukasaku’s romp – in which Japanese schoolchildren fight to the death – is considerably nastier and more frantic. DC Shaolin Soccer (2001) Directed by Stephen Chow Starring Stephen Chow, Vicky Zhao, 112 min You wanted something noisy, deranged and fun? Well, look no further than Chow’s mash-up of martial arts and the beautiful game. Unlikely to be confused with Escape to Victory. DC Planet of Snail (2012) Directed by Yi Seung-jun Starring Young-Chan, 89 min Young-chan is a young, deaf and blind writer who describes his life as being adrift in space. His wife Soon-ho has spinal deformity that has limited her height. Together they live the slow, touch-dependant life of the title. Moving South Korean documentary. TB Hard Boiled (1992) Directed by John Woo Starring Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung, 128 min An unfeasibly cool Hong Kong cop (Chow Yun-Fat) takes on an army of mobsters and saves a hospital in John Woo’s classic shoot-‘em-up. Gunplay doesn’t get more balletic or more exhilarating. Probably the best action movie ever made. TB FIVE BEST THRILLERS The Parallax View (1974) Directed by Alan J Pakula Starring Warren Beatty, Hume Cronyn, 102 min Arriving a decade after the Kennedy assassination, just as Watergate set in, Pakula’s film is the ultimate paranoid conspiracy thriller. Beatty is smashing as an investigative journalist. DC The Insider (1999) Directed by Michael Mann Starring Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, 157 min Hugely acclaimed on release, Mann’s study of investigations into big tobacco has slipped into undeserved obscurity. Seek it out. As beautifully made as the same director’s Heat. DC Reservoir Dogs (1992) Directed by Quentin Tarantino Starring Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, 99 min The colour-coded villains. The suits. The seventies-tastic soundtrack. The pop culture references. That ear slicing scene. Quentin Tarantino’s debut feature exploded onto the cinematic landscape in 1992. Often imitated, never equalled. TB Arbitrage (2012) Directed by Nicholas Jarecki Starring Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, 107 min Richard Gere’s performance as a hedge fund manager with lots of murky dealings rightly won the actor a hatful of awards last year. But a superb supporting cast – Marling, Sarandon – help make this a compelling financial thriller. TB The Sixth Sense (1999) Directed by M Night Shyamalan Starring Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, 107 min Is there a person on the planet who doesn’t know the twist? Even if you do understand what’s going on, Shyamalan’s breakthrough remains a beautifully made cinematic conundrum. TB FIVE BEST INDIES Clerks (1994) Directed by Kevin Smith Starring Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, 104 min Oh Lord. Can it be 20 years since Smith’s no-budget tale of chattering shop assistants helped change Hollywood (just a little)? Yes. And it still looks like his best. DC Winter’s Bone (2010) Directed by Debra Granik Starring Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, 100 min Jennifer who? Granik’s hard-edged tale of backwoods intrigue helped launch a star as it cleared a space in the mainstream for gritty tension. DC Frances Ha (2013) Directed by Noah Baumbach Starring Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, 86 min “It’s hard to say what I do.” “Why?” “Because I don’t really do it.” The ultimate monochrome, upmarket New York slacker comedy. Go Gerwig. DC Simon Killer (2012) Directed by Antonio Campos Starring Brady Corbet, 105 min A horrible American in Paris: we piece together Simon from the passive-aggressive emails that he sends, unanswered, to his old lover and from his increasingly disturbing actions. Brady Corbet’s anti-hero makes Shame’s Brandon look like Mickey Mouse. TB Prince Avalanche (2013) Directed by David Gordon Green Starring Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch, 83 min Alvin (Rudd), a slightly uptight fellow with a major moustache, finds himself painting those lines with the somewhat less ordered brother of his girlfriend (Emile Hirsch). At first, the couple seem set to drive each other bananas. Touching, funny comedy. TB FIVE BEST ODDITIES Primer (2004) Directed by Shane Carruth Starring Shane Carruth, David Sullivan Carruth’s attempt to do the impossible and create a credible time-travel film is among the most rewarding and confusing entertainments of its decade. Bring paper and pencil. DC Blue Velvet (1986) Directed by David Lynch Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, 120 min A film that should need no further introduction, Lynch’s picket-fence thriller combines surrealism and small-town values as only that director can. Still unsettling. DC Computer Chess (2013) Directed by Andrew Bujalski Starring Patrick Riester, Kriss Schludermann, Tom Fletcher, Wiley Wiggins, Gerard Peary, 92 min Winner of the prestigious Alfred P Sloan Feature Film Prize at last year’s Sundance, this innovative, playful story takes place at a 1980 computer chess tournament where pioneering nerds pitch chess programs against each other and, finally, against a human chess master. Weirdness soon follows. TB Donnie Darko: The Director’s Cut (2001) Directed by Richard Kelly Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, 133 min A suburban teenager survives a freak accident only to be plagued by apocalyptic visions of a man in a bunny suit. Both the physical universe and picket fence America are soon subverted by Richard Kelly’s startling, surreal sci-fi fantasy. TB Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) Directed by Colin Trevorrow Starring Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, 86 min Parks and Recreation’s Aubrey Plaza is superbly deadpan as a magazine intern sent out with cynical elder reporter Jeff (Jake Johnson) and studious science major Arnau (Karan Soni) to find the person or persons who placed a mysterious plea for a time-travelling companion. Lo-fi, sci-fi romcom. TB Read More * Netflix, All4, Vimeo, YouTube... The best TV shows to binge-watch on the web Subscribe. ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268867|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Cu lture;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Create Account Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email to verify your account. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close Your Comments Sign In Sign Out We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 3 days from the date of publication. x 1916 guide People, places and events: The Irish Times guide to the 1916 centenary ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268866|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Cu lture;cookie=info;] Galleries September 2014:Alan Rickman arriving for the screening of his movie 'A Little Chaos' at the closing of the 39th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), in Toronto, Canada. Rickman has died at the age of 69 in London, after suffering from cancer. Photograph: Warren Toda/EPA In pictures: British actor Alan Rickman Photograph: Dermot Barry David Bowie at Slane Castle [image.jpg] IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/users /138142444&color=b74f7d&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_user=fa lse&show_playcount=false&show_artwork=true Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE The Film Show The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room 7:47 The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War 6:55 The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War Pop Life Heathers – ‘November’ * Una Mullally The twins return with a new tune and video. A golden moment at the dawn of a golden age * Una Mullally Irish cinema storms the Oscars Children and the Revolution 1916: A guide for children, teenagers and teachers The Hunger Strikes Microsite: 35 years on, exploring the legacy of the Hunger Strikes [image.jpg] IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playl ists/72151780&color=b74f7d&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comm ents=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher Thomas Morris: the stories may not range very far geographically, but Morris manages to display remarkable range for a young man in his cast of characters, proving himself equally at home in a middle-aged woman’s heels or an old man’s slippers. The Book Club Click to join in the discussion about this month's book: We Don't Know What We're Doing by Thomas Morris Hennessy short story of the month How to Float by Niamh Donnelly: Two girls drift through a polluted paradise in this month’s winning Hennessy New Irish Writing short story Culture Videos DiCaprio: Oscar nominations 'feel great' 0:50 DiCaprio: Oscar nominations 'feel great' The homeless rapper, who put beats to his story 3:15 The homeless rapper, who put beats to his story Oscar-nominated director Lenny Abrahamson talks about 'Room' 3:24 Oscar-nominated director Lenny Abrahamson talks about 'Room' The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room 7:47 The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room Film Reviews Room The walls close in on a mother and child in Lenny Abrahamson’s moving, harrowing adapation of the acclaimed novel Creed Creed firmly overthrows any notions that the Rocky films are trading on an elaborate Great White Hope mythology The Revenant ‘The Revenant’ is short on dialogue and thin on characterisation; however the misery is well worth enduring A War (Krigen) The war in Afghanistan is the inspiration for a tense Danish courtroom drama Shem the Penman Sings Again A delightful, playful study of the relationship between Joyce and McCormack The Hateful Eight Tarantino sinks deeper into his auto-mythology with more haphazard plotting, gooey violence and endless dialogue, writes Donald Clarke Last Hijack: a real-world prequel to Captain Phillips Last Hijack Tommy Pallotta’s documentary is nicely presented but lacks a coherent narrative Ballerinas get bolshie in Babylon Bolshoi Bolshoi Babylon “The world of theatre is cruel . . . It looks beautiful from the outside, but inside it's boiling” Game Reviews Tearaway Unfolded Angry Birds 2: Bigger, badder, birdier? Not quite. Angry Birds 2 | Game Review Yoshi’s Woolly World | Game Review Twit or Miss | Game Review On The Record The playlist – the tunes of the week at OTR HQ * On The Record * Jim Carroll David Bowie, Anderson .Paak, Nicolas Jaar, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Kendrick Lamar, Tommy KD, Khotin and more on the stereo New Music – Pumarosa, Joon Moon, Angus Dawson * On The Record * Jim Carroll Your new music selections for this week from London, Paris and Perth Screenwriter 10 things to note about yesterday’s Oscar nominations * Donald Clarke We had Charlotte, but not Carol. The Force Awakens encounters unfamiliar failure. And an actor who wasn't nominated steals the show Movie quiz for January 15th * Donald Clarke Warm yourself up with a good hard quiz The Razzies are still not funny * Donald Clarke It really is time to do something about the terminally unamusing awards for worst film x Dragons Stirring As part of our Century series, we capture that moment just months ahead of Easter 1916 Great reads From crosswords to great wines and the best bits from The Irish Times - Buy an Irish Times Book today Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268850|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Vi sual+Art;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;kvloc=Africa:County+of+E ssex;kvorg=United+Kingdom+Independence+Party;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Art & Design * Books * Film * Music * Stage * TV, Radio, Web * Treibh All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Banksy mural removed after complaints it was ‘racist’ Mural features four pigeons holding signs including one reading ‘Go Back to Africa’ Thu, Oct 2, 2014, 09:16 Updated: Thu, Oct 2, 2014, 09:25 One of street artist Banksy’s newest works has been removed following complaints it was racist. One of street artist Banksy’s newest works has been removed following complaints it was racist. One of street artist Banksy’s newest works has been removed following complaints it was racist. The mural — featuring a group of pigeons holding anti-immigration banners — appeared this week in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, where a by-election is due to be held next week following MP Douglas Carswell’s defection from the Conservatives to Ukip. It featured four pigeons holding signs — including one reading “Go Back to Africa” — directed at an exotic looking bird. Other signs read “Migrants not welcome” and “Keep off our worms”. Tendring District Council said it did not know the work was by Banksy but it had received a complaint it was offensive and racist. “The site was inspected by staff who agreed that it could be seen as offensive and it was removed this morning in line with our policy to remove this type of material within 48 hours,” the spokesman said. “We would obviously welcome an appropriate Banksy original on any of our seafronts and would be delighted if he returned in the future.” Banksy has not commented on the decision but posted pictures of the mural on his website along with images of the wall with the piece obscured. The graffiti artist is famous for his dark humour and political satire The by-election is due to take place on October 9. PA * Topics: * Banksy * United Kingdom Independence Party * Africa * County of Essex Read More * Banksy linked to street art about government surveillance * Charity shop sells Banksy’s Nazi artwork for €450,000 * Banksy art sold for $60 on New York street Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Film Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ * Food & Drink The Drift Inn in Buncrana: an upturned boat with huge, semicircular beams divides the main bar. Barfly: the Drift Inn, Buncrana * Interiors Handmade and handcrafted items for our homes will become increasingly sought after this year instead of mass-produced products Time to pare back with simple, clean aesthetics * Fine Art & Antiques Three Studies for a Self-Portrait, oil on canvas, by Francis Bacon. Bacon’s work routinely sells for millions – Three Studies of Lucien Freud sold for a record $142.4 million in 2013. Photograph: Sothebys/PA Wire Bacon’s brilliance bound up in a new catalogue ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268853|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Vi sual+Art;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;kvloc=Africa:County+of+E ssex;kvorg=United+Kingdom+Independence+Party;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT Latest Culture ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 11:00 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 16 Jan Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 16 Jan Children’s book reviews: a trio of compelling stories 16 Jan Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks: Northern Ireland, the 1,500th Victim, by Robert Ballagh 16 Jan ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268852|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Vi sual+Art;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;kvloc=Africa:County+of+E ssex;kvorg=United+Kingdom+Independence+Party;cookie=info;] Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE Crossword Club Crossword Club Over 6,000 crosswords from The Irish Times. Book Offers Book Offers From The Irish Times Book of the Year to Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales, you'll find books for all tastes and ages. Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268871|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Film * Film Reviews All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Human Capital review: a cracking social satire and a mystery story Donald Clarke Valeria Golino in Human Capital Valeria Golino in Human Capital Film Title: HUMAN CAPITAL Director: Paolo Virzì Starring: Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Valeria Golino, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Fabrizio Gifuni, Matilde Gioli Genre: Drama Running Time: 109 min Fri, Sep 26, 2014, 00:00 First published: Fri, Sep 26, 2014, 00:00 * * * * Well, you know where to look for the best yarn of the week. On the surface, Human Capital sounds like a 1980s soap operas about decadent industrialists with harridans for wives. There’s some of that going on. But the knottiness of the plot and the brilliance of the performances mark it apart. Set in Milan, the picture – told in discrete chapters, each of which covers the same period – follows several unfortunate folk connected to Giovanni (Fabrizio Gifuni), a corrupt property developer. Dino (Fabrizio Bentivoglio), a local buffoon whose daughter Serena (Matilde Gioli) dated the crook’s son, is persuaded to invest money in an unstable venture. Giovanni’s wife Celia (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) becomes involved in redev- elopment schemes. In the final breathless section, we follow Serena as her story connects dots and solves mysteries. The story hangs around a late-night car accident. Some may argue that the late discovery of a hitherto unseen character is a bit of a cheat, but that trickery does allow Virzì to sideswipe carefully built-up assumptions. At any rate, the film is as much a social satire as a mystery story and, in that area, it works very well indeed. IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/7VnEFuYWND4?rel=0 Human Capital, whose title is drawn from the world of insurance, is sickened and dizzied by the inequality and recklessness that characterises modern commerce. The weak are misused. The strong prevail. Unscrupulousness brings its own sordid rewards. The baddies have fun with their roles, Gioli is charismatic, but the most interesting performance comes from the gifted Bruni-Tedeschi (sister to Carla Bruni). Celia is inclined towards virtue, but hasn’t quite got the courage to fight against her husband’s tyranny. She’s not a hero. She’s not quite a coward. She’s like most of the rest of us. Fri, Sep 26, 2014, 00:00 First published: Fri, Sep 26, 2014, 00:00 * * * * Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Music Pop Corner: Selena marks her ex’s spot; Zayn chaffed at control * Books An illustration from Aharon Appelfeld’s Adam & Thomas Children’s book reviews: a trio of compelling stories * Art & Design Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ * Food & Drink The Drift Inn in Buncrana: an upturned boat with huge, semicircular beams divides the main bar. Barfly: the Drift Inn, Buncrana ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268873|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Film Show The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room 7:47 The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War 6:55 The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268872|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Film Reviews Room The walls close in on a mother and child in Lenny Abrahamson’s moving, harrowing adapation of the acclaimed novel Creed Creed firmly overthrows any notions that the Rocky films are trading on an elaborate Great White Hope mythology The Revenant ‘The Revenant’ is short on dialogue and thin on characterisation; however the misery is well worth enduring A War (Krigen) The war in Afghanistan is the inspiration for a tense Danish courtroom drama Shem the Penman Sings Again A delightful, playful study of the relationship between Joyce and McCormack The Hateful Eight Tarantino sinks deeper into his auto-mythology with more haphazard plotting, gooey violence and endless dialogue, writes Donald Clarke Last Hijack: a real-world prequel to Captain Phillips Last Hijack Tommy Pallotta’s documentary is nicely presented but lacks a coherent narrative Ballerinas get bolshie in Babylon Bolshoi Bolshoi Babylon “The world of theatre is cruel . . . It looks beautiful from the outside, but inside it's boiling” Donald Clarke's Movie Quiz You can see Twilight twinkling in the eye of this week's quiz... Screenwriter 10 things to note about yesterday’s Oscar nominations * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke We had Charlotte, but not Carol. The Force Awakens encounters unfamiliar failure. And an actor who wasn't nominated steals the show Movie quiz for January 15th * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke Warm yourself up with a good hard quiz Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesCulture&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_fac es=true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Film News Director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board, at a party in the Light House cinema in Dublin. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Irish Oscar nominations exceed all expectations Pictured celebrating four Oscar nominations for Irish film Room are director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika, and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board at a party in the Lighthouse cinema last night.Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Oscars: ‘You have to mark an event like this,’ Lenny Abrahamson says Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has paid tribute to ‘magnificent actor’ Alan Rickman on his death. Photograph: Jas Lehal/Files/Reuters J.K. Rowling pays tribute to ‘magnificent’ Alan Rickman Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268871|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Film * Film Reviews All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Wish I Was Here review: Zach Braff disappears up his own hipster naval Donald Clarke Film Title: WISH I WAS HERE Director: Zach Braff Starring: Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin Genre: Drama Running Time: 107 min Thu, Sep 18, 2014, 17:23 First published: Thu, Sep 18, 2014, 08:02 * * * * I was not among those who paid towards the campaign that allowed Zach Braff to make this largely terrible unintended satire of the previous decade’s hipster aesthetics, but, if asked, I would happily contribute any sum required to dissuade him from shooting another. Braff focuses his attentions on a frustrated actor in early middle age facing up to the death of his mildly authoritarian father. Considering its attempts to address the trials of growing up in a Jewish background, we are reminded of a story about the recording of Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica (stay with me, here). It is said that the Captain positioned the musicians in different rooms so they could almost hear one another, but not quite. This, I imagine, is how Braff watched the Coen brothers’ masterly A Serious Man when he was plotting his indescribably inferior knock-off. Anyway, what’s it about? Oh this and that. The protagonist – married to Kate Hudson’s underwritten nonentity – is currently failing to secure enough acting gigs to put his kids through private school. Then terminally ill dad (underused Mandy Patinkin) announces that, now saddled with medical bills, he will be unable to offer any financial assistance. Pop is also in a really bad mood all the time. Why are dying people so bloody selfish? What about poor Zach and his broken dreams? IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/aCponfeWNOI?rel=0 All this awful solipsism is, of course, scored to the school of post-millennial folk that seemed dated even as it became the anthem of that earlier era’s zeitgeist. We can blame Braff. But we should also hold back some opprobrium for the members of the public who financed it. Thu, Sep 18, 2014, 17:23 First published: Thu, Sep 18, 2014, 08:02 * * * * Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Music Pop Corner: Selena marks her ex’s spot; Zayn chaffed at control * Books An illustration from Aharon Appelfeld’s Adam & Thomas Children’s book reviews: a trio of compelling stories * Art & Design Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ * Food & Drink The Drift Inn in Buncrana: an upturned boat with huge, semicircular beams divides the main bar. Barfly: the Drift Inn, Buncrana ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268873|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Film Show The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room 7:47 The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War 6:55 The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268872|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Film Reviews Room The walls close in on a mother and child in Lenny Abrahamson’s moving, harrowing adapation of the acclaimed novel Creed Creed firmly overthrows any notions that the Rocky films are trading on an elaborate Great White Hope mythology The Revenant ‘The Revenant’ is short on dialogue and thin on characterisation; however the misery is well worth enduring A War (Krigen) The war in Afghanistan is the inspiration for a tense Danish courtroom drama Shem the Penman Sings Again A delightful, playful study of the relationship between Joyce and McCormack The Hateful Eight Tarantino sinks deeper into his auto-mythology with more haphazard plotting, gooey violence and endless dialogue, writes Donald Clarke Last Hijack: a real-world prequel to Captain Phillips Last Hijack Tommy Pallotta’s documentary is nicely presented but lacks a coherent narrative Ballerinas get bolshie in Babylon Bolshoi Bolshoi Babylon “The world of theatre is cruel . . . It looks beautiful from the outside, but inside it's boiling” Donald Clarke's Movie Quiz You can see Twilight twinkling in the eye of this week's quiz... Screenwriter 10 things to note about yesterday’s Oscar nominations * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke We had Charlotte, but not Carol. The Force Awakens encounters unfamiliar failure. And an actor who wasn't nominated steals the show Movie quiz for January 15th * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke Warm yourself up with a good hard quiz Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesCulture&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_fac es=true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Film News Director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board, at a party in the Light House cinema in Dublin. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Irish Oscar nominations exceed all expectations Pictured celebrating four Oscar nominations for Irish film Room are director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika, and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board at a party in the Lighthouse cinema last night.Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Oscars: ‘You have to mark an event like this,’ Lenny Abrahamson says Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has paid tribute to ‘magnificent actor’ Alan Rickman on his death. Photograph: Jas Lehal/Files/Reuters J.K. Rowling pays tribute to ‘magnificent’ Alan Rickman Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - News Irish Times Politics RSS [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4269113|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Po litics;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * News * Politics * Election 2016 * Oireachtas * Poll * Banking Inquiry All News * Ireland + Irish News * World + UK + Europe + US + Africa + Middle East + Asia-Pacific * Politics + Election 2016 + Oireachtas + Poll * Crime & Law * Social Affairs + Religion & Beliefs * Health * Education + Student Hub * Courts * Irish Times Data * Environment * Science * Consumer * Offbeat * In Depth * Specials + Year in Review + State Papers 1985 + Floods + Exodus * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View * Subscriptions + ePaper + Newspaper Archive + Digital Message By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X When is a water charge not a water charge? Opinion: ‘A Quit Yizzer Protesting Here’s A Hundred Quid Initiative (QYPHAHQI) would have less of a ring to it’ Mon, Nov 17, 2014, 12:00 Una Mullally ‘I’d imagine Government is absolutely raging that the term “water charges” ever even gained traction, that they never managed to call it the Water Support System, or the Facilitatory Programme for Liquid Assets.’ Photograph: Getty Images ‘I’d imagine Government is absolutely raging that the term “water charges” ever even gained traction, that they never managed to call it the Water Support System, or the Facilitatory Programme for Liquid Assets.’ Photograph: Getty Images One of the finest pieces of Irish satire in recent years is Irish Pictorial Weekly’s depiction of civil servants sitting around a table inventing spin. There’s a great scene with Enda Kenny’s fictional speechwriters heading to the pub before being halted by a call from the Taoiseach looking for a speech. “You know the way you like to say the words starting with the same letter?” one speechwriter begins. “‘I have the commitment, the compassion, and the competence’ – compassion means caring, Taoiseach – ‘to lead the people of Ireland to recovery. Together with my team, I draw confidence from the spirit, the tenacity, and the togetherness.’ I know they don’t all begin with T, Taoiseach . . . ” Another speechwriter grabs the phone. “‘Together, we’ll turn this around, and will overcome this crisis, when we’re together.’ And then just say ‘you’ll never beat the Irish’ or something.” The first one wrestles the phone back. “‘You’ll never beat the Irish.’ No, don’t sing it, Taoiseach. Just say it like a Taoiseach would.” Being in opposition is great because your language can be totally populist, whereas language on the government side has to do merry dances through filters and around obstacles to give the unpalatable realities enough sheen that hopefully distracts people from what the initiatives actually are. Non-straight talk The garbled language that comes from Government was highlighted recently with the Water Conservation Support Payment. Water charges are no longer water charges, they are a conservation exercise, and the Water Conservation Support Payment (WCSP) makes sure of that. A “Quit Yizzer Protesting, Here’s a Hundred Quid Initiative” (QYPHAHQI) would have less of a ring to it. I imagine Government is raging that the term “water charges” ever gained traction, that they never managed to call it the Water Support System, or the Facilitatory Programme for Liquid Assets. The most offensive of all terms is Universal Social Charge (USC), which doesn’t mean anything, but suggests we would universally benefit from some sort of collective monetary contribution to society. Using its actual name – Infinite Pit of Banking Debt Sucker Payment (IPBDSP)– is just a bit too real. “Spare me the grim litany of the realist, give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day,” as former US secretary of state Colin Powell once said. Presumably he wasn’t thinking of that the day he presented cartoon drawings of “WMDs” in Iraq, dressed up in spin to the UN. Another of my favourites is the “Student Contribution”. In reality, a student contribution is the offering that third-level graduates make to society. In Government language, it’s a few grand. When you say “Student Contribution Charge” three times in the mirror, Niamh Bhreathnach (the former minister who abolished fees) appears wearing a stripy pantsuit and hits you in the face with a hard-bound thesis. Try it. Spin speak Labour is on board when it comes to mangling language, but Fine Gael’s obsession with marketing-speak is typical of a party that is enthralled by the language of PR and gloss. Why have sense when you can have a soundbite? There’s a vibe of laundry detergent ads about the Government’s use of language. You know those washing powder ads, where the voiceover informs you that this latest stain remover is twice as good as the last, automatically undermining the commitments made in a previous commercial? Bang! and the D.I.R.T. is gone. Advertising offers the ultimate distortion of language, making up terms to simultaneously confuse us and impress upon us a necessity by manufacturing fear. This must be good for you: Fine Gael, the L Casei Immunitas Party. George Orwell’s depiction of “doublethink” in 1984 is often referenced regarding the distortion of language and thought, but he sums it up better in his 1946 essay Politics and the English Language. “In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible. Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness . . . The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms.” The language of advertising is central to the Government’s marketing of information – so much so that there’s been a movement in Government and its agencies to come up with ads for even ourselves. The most recent 1916 commemoration video manufactures Ireland as some kind of pitch to a richer investor. This contemporary narrative is almost jaded now, reinforcing our modern “rebranding” with the slogan “The best small country in the world in which to do business”. Our Government seems to prefer a version of Ireland that is a marketable product dressed up in spin-speak rather than an actual society. * Topics: * Irish Water Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Crime & Law Gardaí search the Grand Canal bank in Ardclough, Co Kildare, where the body of a man was found in a suitcase on Saturday afternoon. Photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times. Gardaí say remains those of man who died in recent days * Opinion “The takeaway message from its negative poster this week might be that it has ceded control of the narrative to Fine Gael.” Photograph: Eric Luke / The Irish Times Fianna Fáil is changing but not quickly enough * Politics Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, flanked by party colleagues, waves to supporters after his ardfheis speech at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin. Photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times. 5:35 Coalition has not delivered a fair recovery - Martin * European Cup Leinster’s Sean Cronin celebrates after scoring a try in their clash with Bath in the European Champions Cup. Photo: Billy Stickland/Inpho Fountain of youth comes good for Leinster with fighting victory ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4269110|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Po litics;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Create Account Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email to verify your account. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close Your Comments Sign In Sign Out We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 3 days from the date of publication. News, analysis and a prediction for every #ge16 constituency Latest Ireland Gardaí say remains those of man who died in recent days 14:43 Arson attack in Drogheda had potential ‘for loss of life’ 14:07 Cork school to host launch of Catholic Schools Week 12:56 Man (37) dies after car crash in Co Tipperary 12:53 Two held on suspicion of attempted murder in Belfast 12:33 ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4269112|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Po litics;cookie=info;] Our politics team offer their unique take on political events of the day Google ID ____________________ Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Email ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up [X] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times L-R: John Leahy (Renua), Eoin O’Broin (Sinn Fein), Jack Chambers (Fianna Fail). Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill People to watch in 2016 Harry McGee points to five expected do well at the ballot boxes Most Read in News 1 Conservative Germany is ‘mad as hell’ over Merkel’s policies 2 Gardaí say remains those of man who died in recent days 3 Isis ‘kills 300 people’ in Deir al-Zor, Syrian government says 4 Irish nanny plans to sue over wrongful detention in US 5 Woman who was asked to leave River Island awarded €7,500 Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE Features & Opinion Fine Gael’s John Perry has no problem being an outcast * Fiach Kelly Fine Gael’s John Perry has no problem being an outcast On the canvass with the Sligo-North Leitrim TD who survived legal battle with his party What’s wrong with going negative? * Hugh Linehan What’s wrong with going negative? Weekend Read: Political parties are defining the narrative of the upcoming election, and the first signs of ‘negative campaigning’ have met with outrage. But highlighting your opponent’s shortcomings is part of politics Miriam Lord: PJ Mara was a charming, disarming spin doctor * Miriam Lord Miriam Lord: PJ Mara was a charming, disarming spin doctor The FF strategist gave the impression he found the whole political thing a bit of a lark PJ Mara: five attributes that defined former strategist * Harry McGee PJ Mara: five attributes that defined former strategist Part of the reason Mara was effective was his character traits made him well suited to role Taoiseach Dr Gatret FtizGerald and the British prime minister Margaret Thatcher at the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in Hillsborough Castle, Co Down. Photograph: Matt Kavanagh Anglo-Irish Agreement A special collection of articles 30 years on [image.png] Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher News - direct to your inbox Which Daily Digest would you like? * ( ) Morning * ( ) Lunchtime * (*) Both Google ID ____________________ Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Email ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up Politics on Twitter Tweets from @IrishTimesPol/oireachtas Follow @IrishTimesPol Connect IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com% 2Firishtimes&send=false&layout=standard&width=300&show_faces=false&font =trebuchet+ms&colorscheme=light&action=like&height=35&appId=42210213449 0557 Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Debate Irish Times Letters [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268940|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Le tters;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Opinion * Letters * Editorials * Columnists * An Irishman's Diary * Opinion & Analysis * Martyn Turner By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Science and religion Mon, Oct 27, 2014, 01:06 Sir, – David McConnell (October 13th) should be commended not just for bringing a number of the major issues into clearer focus, but for his tolerance towards Christians. It is indeed refreshing to see such a prominent member of the Humanist Association allow that Christianity is itself a humanism; all the more so given the tendency of some humanists to assume that the very word “humanism” is commensurate with “atheism”. Nonetheless, it is understandable that Patrick Davey (October 20th) should find in Prof McConnell’s attitude that “limitation of allowable evidence” that some would apply not only to science but to the empirical philosophical tradition as a whole. A famous comic stage routine, now of venerable age, which emerged, I believe, in the closing years of the Austro-Hungarian empire, has achieved a certain longevity because it has been interpreted as a satire on positivism (or science in its most assertive form). On the stage is revealed a man walking around in circles under a street-lamp, apparently searching for something he has lost, with the benefit of the limited illumination the lamp affords. He is joined by a second man, who asks: “Have you lost something?” To which the first man replies: “Yes, a valuable coin”. So the second man joins the first in his circular quest. Nothing is found. The second man then asks the first: “Are you sure you lost it here?” To which the first man replies, pointing to the surrounding darkness; “No, I lost it over there – but there’s no light over there . . .” Rather than spell out the allegory, it seems more appropriate, given the context, to let this stand as a parable. Readers are well able, one assumes, to join the necessary dots. One might further add the pithy admonition given by Blaise Pascal: that there are not one, but “two extremes” – not only “to exclude reason”, but “to admit reason only”. The interpretation of our existential situation requires the application of the full range of our faculties; and there are those, not only Christians, who feel that a strict reliance on reason and empiricism will not disclose all we feel the need to know. – Yours, etc, BRIAN COSGROVE, Dublin 18. Sir, – I find it ironic that most of my godfaring friends believe in only the god or gods of one religion and not in the gods of all religions. There is much documentation on the number of deities that have been documented since the beginning of recorded history. (I am basing this on the invention of writing by the Sumerians 6,000 years ago but other measures are possible.) Records put this number somewhere between 2,870 and over 12 million. The current Hindu religion records more that 300 gods at present. Using the lower number here, then most of the Irish monotheistic religious would agree with atheists on at least 2,869 of the documented gods and all 300-plus of the Hindu gods. The only difference between the sides is the tiny increment of extending that agreement to one further god. – Yours, etc, ANDREW DOYLE, Bandon, Co Cork. Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Opinion “The takeaway message from its negative poster this week might be that it has ceded control of the narrative to Fine Gael.” Photograph: Eric Luke / The Irish Times Fianna Fáil is changing but not quickly enough * Opinion Soldiers attend Mise Eire. George Morrison’s film showed over twenty years of Irish history, from the 1890s to 1918, through existing archive material. Its soundtrack, an orchestral score by Sean O’Riada, became hugely popular Anne Harris: O’Riada’s epic clash of cymbals became a clash of symbols * Opinion The General Post Office from Abbey St after the 1916 Easter Rising: Royal Irish Academy JT Westropp RIA Opinion: Did the 1916 Rising meet the requirements for a ‘just war’? * Opinion Breda O’Brien: Ultrasound is the biggest enemy of abortion on demand ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268939|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Le tters;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT Letters Crisis in emergency departments French Jews and wearing the kippa Mathematics at third level Women’s rights here and abroad Protecting children online National anthem and copyright law Walking routes and public health Global factors and the economy Investing in rural Ireland Oscar bravo ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268941|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Le tters;cookie=info;] Most Discussed Our Columnists Breda O'Brien Breda O'Brien - Breda O’Brien: Ultrasound is the biggest enemy of abortion on demand Cliff Taylor Cliff Taylor - Election 2016: Get ready to be hit by a digital deluge Paul Gillespie Paul Gillespie - Worldview: Ireland should recognise Palestine if peace talks fail Donald Clarke Donald Clarke - Chief Film Correspondent Donald Clarke: Irish Oscar nods were due to great expectations Most Read 1 Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Conservative Germany is ‘mad as hell’ over Merkel’s policies 3 Gardaí say remains those of man who died in recent days 4 Bhutan: the price of paradise 5 Isis ‘kills 300 people’ in Deir al-Zor, Syrian government says Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE Crossword Club Crossword Club Over 6,000 crosswords from The Irish Times. Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Life & Style [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268946|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Li fe+&+Style;kvcat=health;kvcompany=Apple:Facebook;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Life & Style * Food & Drink * Homes & Property * Health & Family * People * Travel * Motors * Fashion All Life & Style * Food & Drink + Recipes + Restaurants + Drink * Homes & Property + New to the Market + Property Clinic + Interiors + Take 5 + Fine Art & Antiques + Gardens * Health & Family + Parenting + The Health Centre + Get Swimming + Get Running * People + New to the Parish + Obituaries * Travel + Ireland + Europe + Long Haul + Walks * Motors + Car Reviews * Fashion + Beauty * Generation Emigration + Emigrant Voices + Destinations + Irish Business Abroad * Specials + Inside Out + Best Shops * Podcasts + The Women's Podcast + Róisín Meets + Ross O'Carroll-Kelly * Partner Sites + MyHome.ie By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Apple and Facebook’s egg-freezing policy isn’t anti-family. Quite the opposite No intelligent woman will freeze her eggs because her boss thinks it’s a good idea Sat, Oct 18, 2014, 01:00 Jennifer O'Connell Productivity drive?: egg-freezing is complex and uncomfortable, not an easy way to keep women at their desks. Photograph: LWA/Getty Productivity drive?: egg-freezing is complex and uncomfortable, not an easy way to keep women at their desks. Photograph: LWA/Getty Productivity drive?: egg-freezing is complex and uncomfortable, not an easy way to keep women at their desks. Photograph: Peter Dazeley/Iconica/Getty Productivity drive?: egg-freezing is complex and uncomfortable, not an easy way to keep women at their desks. Photograph: Peter Dazeley/Iconica/Getty (BUTTON) Previous Image (BUTTON) Next Image Perhaps it was inevitable that the news that Facebook and Apple pay for their employees to have their eggs frozen – a procedure costing up to €15,000 – would be met with cynicism. But to read some of the reactions last week you could be forgiven for thinking that what the tech giants were actually proposing was to strap female employees of child-bearing age down and forcibly harvest their eggs, before tethering them to their desks for the next decade. “This latest offering from Apple and Facebook is a devil’s deal in the guise of a gender equity perk,” offered the New York Post. “Dear Facebook, please don’t tell women to lean in to egg-freezing,” said the Huffington Post. “Don’t be fooled by Apple and Facebook. Egg-freezing isn’t cool,” the Daily Beast cautioned. The Financial Times took a snarkier approach – because, of course, a subject as sensitive as fertility problems is the perfect fodder for satire. “Will an Apple-frozen egg still be compatible with its mother after a couple of years of new product releases?” Here’s a revolutionary idea: not everything that facilitates women to have both children and a career automatically has a darker, anti-woman or anti-family message. Maybe, just maybe, these initiatives by Apple and Facebook are not, as the Huffington Post warned, about “paying women not to have a family” but are designed to do precisely the opposite. The two companies may simply be recognising the reality that women and men are starting their families later, and in response are offering their employees one more route to parenthood, a route that they might not otherwise be able to afford. Facebook, in particular, has a good record of supporting families: it already offers financial support for surrogacy and IVF. Employees are eligible for more than €3,000 in cash when they become parents, and the company subsidises daycare and offers nursing rooms on campus. Part of the reason for the negative reception is that “egg freezing” seems to have been adopted as a shorthand for everything that society has decided is wrong with the modern woman. Invariably, articles on the subject conjure up images of twenty- and thirtysomethings blithely popping a few eggs in the freezer, alongside their kale soup and Cosmopolitan-flavoured ice cubes, to store them until they find a window, between all the promotions and around-the-world trips, in which to have a baby. Or they focus on “egg-freezing cocktail parties”, apocryphal gatherings at which wealthy Manhattanites (they’re always Manhattanites) discuss baby names and preschools over Martinis and vials of hormones. The reality for most women is very different. Egg-freezing is a complex and uncomfortable procedure that offers some hope of having a baby in the future to women and couples who, for whatever reason, know that their reproductive options are likely to be limited. Perhaps they’re about to undergo chemotherapy, or they already have fertility issues and want to maximise their chances of having more than one child, or maybe they haven’t found someone to have a baby with yet. There may well be women who wake up one day in their late 30s and remember – with the same horror they realise they forgot to send a birthday card to their mother or to unplug their hair straightener – that they forgot to have a baby. But I’ve never come across one. Egg-freezing is not a procedure any intelligent woman is likely to enter into lightly or without doing her research, let alone because her boss seems to think it’s a good idea. Aside from everything else, as the countless pieces on it this week have been so keen to point out, it is not a magic wand to preserve fertility. Data on success rates is still sketchy, but it’s thought that women who freeze their eggs before they are 35 have somewhere between a 10 per cent and a 12 per cent chance of giving birth per egg. Once they reach 35 the success rates fall to less than 8 per cent. The process itself lasts two weeks and involves hormone injections and egg extraction under sedation, and it takes at least another two weeks to recover. It is not known whether the chemicals used in the freezing will have an adverse affect on the eggs. According to the journal Nature, in 2011 fewer than 10 babies worldwide were born from eggs frozen for women aged 38 or older. The total number of babies born through egg-freezing is about 2,000. But I’m willing to bet the women who choose to go through it – at a cost of about €12,000 a cycle – already know all this. They know it will be physically difficult and emotionally draining, with limited chance of success. They know that a wave of their credit card is not going to make Tinkerbell swoop down from the sky to sprinkle her magic baby-making dust on their eggs. If they make the decision to go ahead with it, they’re not doing it because they want to secure a promotion, or because they fancy yachting around the world before they are lumbered down with children. They do it for the same reason other people put themselves through gruelling round after round of IVF: because it seems to offer them the best shot at parenthood. * Topics: * Jennifer O Connell * Apple * Facebook Subscribe. ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268949|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Li fe+&+Style;kvcat=health;kvcompany=Apple:Facebook;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Create Account Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email to verify your account. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close Your Comments Sign In Sign Out We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 3 days from the date of publication. ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268948|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Li fe+&+Style;kvcat=health;kvcompany=Apple:Facebook;cookie=info;] Most Read in Life & Style 1 Impossibly photogenic: the Tiger’s Nest, or Taktsang Palphug, monastery, Bhutan’s most sacred site. Photograph: EyesWideOpen/Getty Bhutan: the price of paradise 2 Staying put: Conor Hynes – looking over the Gurteen Bay and Dog’s Bay beaches, in Connemara – decided to try to ride out the recession here Was I right to stay in Ireland instead of emigrating? 3 He gives me what would have to be described as a fatherly hug, then he says hello to Sorcha with an enthusiasm that would be grounds for sexual harassment if he was paying her a salary. Ross O’Carroll-Kelly: ‘These apartments will be so small, there won’t be room for two people to break wind’ 4 Our Wedding Story: She first noticed him in a facebook photo 5 Domini Kemp’s Fiery Roast Cod. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw Domini Kemp: high quality food with minimal prep 6 Sweet potato is perfect as a base for soups, stews, chillies and salads Give Me Five: Sweet potato falafel 7 Banish daddy guilt: 10 tips for frazzled working fathers 8 Sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you. Well, wasn’t that the biggest, fattest lie they ever told you growing up? Róisín Ingle ... on a collision course 9 Down under and dirty in the real Outback 10 Photograph: Thinkstock Hilary Fannin: No more fasting and failing, failing and fasting Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE Galleries Ilse brass bowl £105 skandium.com What we like: copper and brass Artemis the tiger cushion, £30, kinshipofoxford.com What we like: cushions [image.jpg] IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/users /173613173&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comment s=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher Irish Times Life & Style Follow @IrishTimesLife IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com% 2FIrishTimesLife&send=false&layout=standard&width=300&show_faces=false& font&colorscheme=light&action=like&height=35&appId=422102134490557 [image.jpeg] IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/users /86703071&color=ff6600&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_artwork=f alse&show_comments=false&show_playcount=false&show_user=false Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher Sign up to the weekly Generation Emigration newsletter for news, features and destination guides for overseas readers Google ID ____________________ Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Email ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up [X] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times Just married? See this week’s wedding stories and send us your own tales and photographs Life & Style Videos Falling down under: skydive into Australia's Red Centre 1:04 Falling down under: skydive into Australia's Red Centre Owner occupied: Playboy Mansion to go on sale for $200m 0:55 Owner occupied: Playboy Mansion to go on sale for $200m Dance and bamboo: a traditional Borneo performance 1:25 Dance and bamboo: a traditional Borneo performance Sign up to Rewarding Times weekly newsletter for premium offers, brought to you by partners of The Irish Times Google ID ____________________ Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Email ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up [X] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times Something For The Weekend Something For The Weekend Sign up to receive our email sent every Friday featuring offers, competitions and a preview of what’s coming up in the weekend edition. Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268861|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Bo oks;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;kvloc=Greece:Médéa:Provincia+ di+Roma;kvcompany=Oxford+University+Press;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Books * Book Reviews * The Book Club * Poetry * Hennessy NIW * IT Books All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Why bother to read the Classics today? Ancient Greek and Latin texts provide ancient ideas still relevant in modern times Tue, Dec 16, 2014, 12:11 Christopher Pelling, Maria Wyke Can we afford the luxury of spending time reading ancient texts in this modern world? Pictured is Achilles Defeating Hector, 1630-32 (oil on panel) by Peter Paul Rubens. Photograph: Bridgeman/Getty Can we afford the luxury of spending time reading ancient texts in this modern world? Pictured is Achilles Defeating Hector, 1630-32 (oil on panel) by Peter Paul Rubens. Photograph: Bridgeman/Getty Why bother to read the Classics today? Haven’t those ancient Greek and Latin books gone way past their user date? Can we afford the luxury of spending time on them in this modern world? Yes we can - or that is what we argue in our book, Twelve Voices from Greece and Rome: Ancient Ideas for Modern Times. One of the reasons for reading these texts is simply that they are so good, and our twelve authors are among the best. Some readers may find Sappho or Horace striking home, as they talk of love or growing old (or, in the case of a Sappho poem recently discovered and published just in time to be included, of a sister’s fears for her wayward brothers); some will prefer the hard-edged analysis of Thucydides or Tacitus, or the risk-taking narrative of Caesar; some may simply like the fun of Lucian, imagining how disconcerted the smooth god Hermes would be when the goat-horned Pan greets him as “Dad”. The quality, however important, is only one of the things that this book is about. We also face head-on the question of “ancient ideas for modern times”, and probe deeper into the reasons why these texts could continue to mean so much to people in a very different modern world. Why, for instance, did the Nazis care enough about Tacitus’ Germania to want to steal the manuscript from an Italian mansion? Tacitus requires us to consider precisely what we can learn to our benefit from the past. Can writing the history of despotism, as Tacitus does, help to free the world from its disease? Why is it that international relations theorists spend so much time on Thucydides, and find him speaking very directly to modern power-politics - but do they overdo it? Problems of imperialism loom large in the history of Herodotus, as he describes the glorious freedom-fighting of the Greeks as they struggle with, and finally overcome, the invading masses of autocratic Persia: but is his history a foundation text of racism and smug western assumptions of superiority over Orientals? Or is it a critique of those assumptions, suggesting that these Greeks, even these democratic Athenians, are not ultimately so very different after all? There is a lot of striking rhetoric in these texts on, for example, duty, sacrifice, patriotism and citizenship. But if Barack Obama’s rhetoric might make him the new Cicero, why do his enemies see him as a new Caesar instead? Is Caesar’s own account of his own triumphant yet genocidal campaign a safe text to put in the hands of the young? Still on warfare, what about Homer’s Iliad? “Stand in the trench, Achilles….”, is the cry of the first-world war poet Patrick Shaw-Stewart: how could it be that Homer’s Achilles, the most special of special cases, could mean so much to some amid the horrors of the trenches? And is the Iliad only a tale for boys, or is it Homer’s women who really understand what war is all about? Are there other areas too where we can find a distinctly woman’s voice? There’s Sappho, obviously; and how much difference does it make that her love was same-sex? Later figures in the ancient world dwelt on her sexiness rather than her sexuality, but are so many moderns so wrong to read her differently? Is love between two females presented as a more equal relationship than heterosexual love? What, too, do we make of Euripides’ Medea, as she decries the dual standards of society when it comes to failing marriages? “I’d stand in the front line of battle three times rather than give birth once,” she cries. What would a shocked male in the audience make of that, and is there any answer he could possibly give? And why do we cry for Virgil’s Dido? Is her sacrifice for Rome’s destiny unfortunate collateral damage, just regrettable necessity, or do her unbearable love and her suicide invite us to share in the suffering that imperialism causes? Is Horace really fit only for the middle-aged? When winter is replaced by spring, do we appreciate (as he does) that there is no cycle of seasons to our own lives. Only death follows on our winter. What does carpe diem, that perennial favourite for tattoos, actually mean? (Not, in fact, just “seize the moment”.) Do we sneer along with the satire of Juvenal or of Lucian, or find them the butts of their own posturing wit? How far would we really go along with rants against immigrants, aristocrats, the nouveaux riches, prostitutes, transvestites or uppity women? And do Lucian’s gods undermine belief in religion, or might we wonder if polytheism might make more sense than monotheism after all? This book, based on our contributions to a Radio 3 series, deals with our own and others’ “conversations” with twelve classical authors. That notion of a conversation is important to us: we have chosen texts to which readers can keep going back, and bring new questions, find new things, and go away with new reactions. We have certainly chosen writers that have meant a lot to us personally as readers, as teachers, and in several cases as the teenagers we once were. The convent girl reading Tacitus furtively in the lunch-break for the juicy bits and the Welsh grammar-school boy on a caravan holiday who can’t wait to get back to the Odyssey - both make their appearance. What matters more, though, is these authors’ capacity to stimulate thoughts and reflections about the modern world: “ancient ideas for modern times”, indeed. “Why should I mention Io?”, sing the chorus in A.E. Housman’s Fragment of a Greek Tragedy, playing on the mythical heroine Io, one of many girls that Zeus fell for. It is the sort of thing that tragic choruses often say. “Why indeed?”, Housman wickedly makes them go on; “I have no notion why.” We have tried to give some of the reasons why Io and all those other figures and texts might indeed still be worth mentioning, reading about, and thinking about. We hope that our readers will be prompted to some good conversations of their own. Twelve Voices from Greece and Rome: Ancient Ideas for Modern Times, published by Oxford University Press at £18.99 * Topics: * Barack Obama * Patrick Shaw Stewart * Oxford University Press * Greece * Médéa * Provincia di Roma Subscribe. [image.jpg] Click here to sign up to the Irish Times Book Club More from The Irish Times * Books Lebanon * Music Pop Corner: Selena marks her ex’s spot; Zayn chaffed at control * People Impossibly photogenic: the Tiger’s Nest, or Taktsang Palphug, monastery, Bhutan’s most sacred site. Photograph: EyesWideOpen/Getty Bhutan: the price of paradise * Opinion “The Red Hand, that ubiquitous symbol of Ulster, straddles the political and sectarian divide.” Right hand, wrong foot – An Irishman’s Diary about political and religious symbolism ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268859|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Bo oks;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;kvloc=Greece:Médéa:Provincia+ di+Roma;kvcompany=Oxford+University+Press;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Create Account Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email to verify your account. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close Your Comments Sign In Sign Out We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 3 days from the date of publication. ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268858|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Bo oks;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;kvloc=Greece:Médéa:Provincia+ di+Roma;kvcompany=Oxford+University+Press;cookie=info;] [image.jpg] IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playl ists/72151780&color=b74f7d&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comm ents=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false Subscribe on iTunes Follow on Soundcloud Listen on Stitcher Thomas Morris: the stories may not range very far geographically, but Morris manages to display remarkable range for a young man in his cast of characters, proving himself equally at home in a middle-aged woman’s heels or an old man’s slippers. The Book Club Click to join in the discussion about this month's book: We Don't Know What We're Doing by Thomas Morris Hennessy short story of the month How to Float by Niamh Donnelly: Two girls drift through a polluted paradise in this month’s winning Hennessy New Irish Writing short story Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesBooks&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_faces =true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Short stories All the Boys, a short story by Thomas Morris Eilís Ni Dhúibhne New Zealand Flax, a short story by Eílís Ní Dhuibhne Alan McMonagle: has written two collections of short stories, Liar Liar (Wordsonthestreet, 2008) and Psychotic Episodes (Arlen House, 2013) and has just signed two-book deal with Picador Bleeding Boy, a short story by Alan McMonagle Book reviews At Home in the Revolution review: the Rising’s clan na gals Review: Perspectives for a pathbreaker 1916: A Global History review: midpoint for a world engulfed in war High Treason: The Appeal of Roger Casement. By courtesy of Rosensteil’s on behalf of the Estate of Sir John Lavery UK Government Art Collection Making 1916: The stuff of history John De Lorean: a high-octane outline, a glittering absence, always on the move. It’s tempting to see him simply as a gambler where the game always means more than the outcome. But he was also a talented engineer and an innovator, responsible for that classic muscle car the Pontiac Firebird. Photograph: PA Gull by Glenn Patterson: John DeLorean, taking us all for one hell of a ride Sign up to the weekly Irish Times books newsletter for features, podcasts and more Google ID ____________________ Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Email ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up [X] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times New poetry Lebanon Liz Quirke Poems: Nurture and Juno Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markiewicz: inspiration for WB Yeats, Kevin McAleer, Fintan O’Toole ... and you? Photograph: Sligo County Library Improve on Kevin McAleer’s WB Yeats meme: win two silk kimonos and gazelle* Great reads From crosswords to great wines and the best bits from The Irish Times - Buy an Irish Times Book today Brought to Book What lessons has Danielle McLaughlin learned about life from reading? “To question. To see things from different viewpoints. That there are as many versions of a particular story as there are people involved. That some stories don’t get told at all” Danielle McLaughlin: ‘I think we need different books at different times’ Frankie Gaffney: I did fill an artist’s notebook with anecdotes and phrases once I’d decided to write a book. I’d recommend this to anyone; daily life is instantly transformed into research, and life itself becomes more rewarding when you start finding and recording value in the mundane Frankie Gaffney’s advice to writers: ‘give up the booze and break some rules’ Shelved: a selection of books by Irish women writers. Might some of these names figure in the final 12? Women writers Putting Irish women writers back in the picture Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #Pop Life » Feed Pop Life » Comments Feed Pop Life » Daily Digest Comments Feed The Review: Other Voices 2014 Book update! IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Property * Cars * Dating * Family Notices * Jobs * Crosswords * Subscriptions + Home Delivery + epaper + Archive [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334445|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Ir ish+Times;cookie=info;] [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334446|0|2530|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=I rish+Times;cookie=info;] The Irish Times Sunday 17th January 2016 Pop Life The Irish Times (BUTTON) Menu * News * Sport * Business * Debate * Life & Style * Culture * Offers ____________________ (BUTTON) Search www.irishtimes.com Culture / Pop Life Una Mullally Society, life and culture on the edge Daily Digest Interesting things to read, listen to and watch. Una Mullally Una Tue, Dec 16, 2014, 16:49 * * * * On The Dry is a campaign encouraging people to go off the booze for January. Love the lighting in this video from The Minutes: YouTube Preview Image Catch up on Serial before the final podcast this week. The Year In Shonda Rhimes. Speaking of Shonda check out this transcription of her speaking about glass ceilings. Patrick Freyne talks to The Gleesons. You can buy my book here. That D’Angelo album. There will be two new TV dramas by Russell T Davies in early 2015 on 21st century gay life. Speaking of gay lives on screen, here’s some more news about James Franco’s latest film ‘I Am Michael’. Anthea McTiernan talks to Stephanie Roche about that goal. How weather forecasting has become a collaboration. Here’s a project I worked on about the road to Other Voices. Brilliant satire from SNL on one-dimensional female characters in male-driven comedies: YouTube Preview Image Tue, Dec 16, 2014, 16:49 * * * * The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Submit Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email for the activation code. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 10 days from the date of publication. Sign In Sign Out ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4334449|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Ir ish+Times;cookie=info;] Recent Posts heathers Heathers – ‘November’ room A golden moment at the dawn of a golden age Screen Shot 2016-01-12 at 09.40.34 Three podcasts Screen Shot 2016-01-12 at 09.21.57 PopLives #96: Matthew Smyth David_Bowie_-_TopPop_1974_09 David Bowie Archives [Select Month________] Categories [Select Category_____] Browse * News * Sports * Business * Debate * Life & Style * Culture * Offers About us * Advertise * Contact us * The Irish Times Trust * Career Opportunities * Help * Sitemap Connect * Facebook * Twitter * Google + Subscriptions * Home Delivery * Epaper * Crosswords * Archive * Dating * Ancestors Policy & Terms * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Policy * Community Standards * Copyright Partners * rewardingtimes.ie * myhome.ie * irishracing.com * entertainment.ie * myantiques.ie * top1000.ie * The Gloss * irishtimestraining.com © THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Sport [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4269214|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Go lf;kvcat=sport;kvorg=Golf+Digest;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Sport * Golf * Rugby * Soccer * Gaelic Games * Racing * Other Sports * Women in Sport * Comment All Sport * Rugby + International Rugby + European Cup + Pro 12 * Soccer + National League + International Soccer + English Soccer + Champions League * Gaelic Games + Gaelic Football + Hurling * Golf * Racing * Other Sports * Women in Sport + Sportswoman of the Year * Comment + Columnists * Specials + Sportswoman of the Year * Podcasts + Second Captains * Partner Sites + Irishracing.com By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Woods furious with parody interview Dan Jenkins’ satirical Q&A “a grudge-fuelled piece of character assasination”, says Tiger Wed, Nov 19, 2014, 15:56 14-time major winner Tiger Woods was incensced after veteran golf writed Dan Jenkins, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, wrote a parody interview for Golfer’s Digest 14-time major winner Tiger Woods was incensced after veteran golf writed Dan Jenkins, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, wrote a parody interview for Golfer’s Digest Tiger Woods has lashed out at veteran golf writer Dan Jenkins for penning a fake satirical interview with the 14-times major winner, describing the parody as “a grudge-fueled piece of character assassination”. Jenkins, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011, wrote the piece for Golf Digest and among various topics he took aim at Woods’ reputation as a bad tipper, his failed marriage and his six-year title drought in the majors. Woods has rarely taken exception to negative articles previously but on Tuesday he responded in a column on Derek Jeter’s website, The Players Tribune (www.theplayerstribune.com). Second Captains IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/track s/177817042&color=ff6600 “Did you read Dan Jenkins’ interview with me in the latest Golf Digest? I hope not. Because it wasn’t me,” Woods wrote in a piece entitled ‘Not True, Not Funny”. “It was some jerk he created to pretend he was talking to me. That’s right, Jenkins faked an interview, which fails as parody, and is really more like a grudge-fueled piece of character assassination. “Journalistically and ethically, can you sink any lower?” Woods went on to say he felt he had a good sense of humour and was “more than willing” to laugh at himself. “In this game, you have to,” he wrote. “I’ve given lots of interviews to journalists in all that time, more than I could count, and some have been good and some not so much. “All athletes know that we will be under scrutiny from the media. But this concocted article was below the belt,” said Woods, who has not played since his missed cut at the PGA Championship in August as he recovers from a back injury. Jenkins wrote his comments in a column titled ‘My (Fake) Interview With Tiger’, followed by an asterisk and the sub-title: ‘Or how it plays out in my mind’. In the article, the 84-year-old Jenkins ‘questioned’ Woods on the car crash in late 2009 that led to revelations about his multiple extramarital affairs and the break-up of his marriage. Q. You haven’t talked about it, but after all of those New York Post front pages during the scandal, what’s the moral of your story? A. That’s easy. Don’t get caught. Q. You named your yacht Privacy. Because you’re a worldwide celebrity, do you really expect and demand privacy? A. I thought about renaming it Serenity, but that pretty much went out the door when the nine-iron hit the window of the Escalade. After Woods had published his response, Jenkins tweeted: “My next column for Tiger: defining parody and satire. I thought I let him off easy.” * Topics: * Dan Jenkins * Tiger Woods * Golf Digest Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * European Cup Leinster’s Sean Cronin celebrates after scoring a try in their clash with Bath in the European Champions Cup. Photo: Billy Stickland/Inpho Fountain of youth comes good for Leinster with fighting victory * Sport IAAF president Sebastian Coe. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA Wire Does Sebastian Coe care or is he merely in love with own loftiness? * Sport Wexford camogie star Ursula Jacob, who is embarking on her 14th year with the county team. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho Jacobs experience intercounty career highs and lows * Racing Our Duke and Trainer Jessica Harrington after victory in the Coral.ie ‘Best Price Guaranteed On Irish Racing’ Maiden Hurdle. Photograph: Pat Healy/PA Wire Henry Higgins scoops Coral.ie Hurdle for JP McManus ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4269215|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Go lf;kvcat=sport;kvorg=Golf+Digest;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Irish Times Logo Sign In Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy (BUTTON) Sign In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot Password? The Irish Times Logo Sign Up First Name ____________________ Surname ____________________ Screen Name ____________________ The name that will appear beside your comments. Email Address ____________________ Confirm Email Address ____________________ Password ____________________ Confirm Password ____________________ [ ] I agree to the Terms & Conditions, Community Standards and Privacy Policy [ ] I would also like to receive occasional update emails from The Irish Times (BUTTON) Create Account Have an account? Sign In The Irish Times Logo Forgot Password? Please enter your email address so we can send you a link to reset your password. Email Address ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Sign In or Sign Up The Irish Times Logo Thank you You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. The Irish Times Logo Hello, . Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. Your screen name should follow the standards set out in our community standards. Screen Name ____________________ (BUTTON) Confirm The Irish Times Logo Thank you for registering. Please check your email to verify your account. (BUTTON) Sign In (BUTTON) Close Your Comments Sign In Sign Out We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form. New comments are only accepted for 3 days from the date of publication. asfv Second Captains IAAF and Putin's pals, LA money, Tom Brady science, comparing Rocky villains ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4269216|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Go lf;kvcat=sport;kvorg=Golf+Digest;cookie=info;] Most Read in Sport 1 Fountain of youth comes good for Leinster with fighting victory 2 Too little too late but Munster show huge heart at Thomond 3 Brendan Rodgers: ‘I’ve had a few offers since I’ve been out to go abroad’ 4 Darren Clarke skippers Europe to lopsided EurAsia Cup win 5 Third round 69 leaves Padraig Harrington well adrift in Hawaii Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE Latest Sport Henry Higgins scoops Coral.ie Hurdle for JP McManus 15:04 Brendan Rodgers: ‘I’ve had a few offers since I’ve been out to go abroad’ 13:47 Third round 69 leaves Padraig Harrington well adrift in Hawaii 11:55 Darren Clarke skippers Europe to lopsided EurAsia Cup win 11:28 Late drama in Brive leaves Connacht’s hopes hanging by a thread 22:05 Handy Guide to Sport on Television this Week Handy Guide to Sport on Television this Week Monday, Jan 11th – Sunday, Jan 17th Our Writers Keith Duggan Keith Duggan - Chief Sports Writer Does Sebastian Coe care or is he merely in love with own loftiness? Ian O'Riordan Ian O'Riordan - Ian O’Riordan: Parkrun may just be the perfect antidote Liam Toland Liam Toland - Rugby Analyst Liam Toland: Precision, not passion, is Munster’s challenge Sonia O'Sullivan Sonia O'Sullivan - Sonia O’Sullivan: Wiping out all world records not way forward Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- #work rss Apple RSS The Irish Times - Culture [p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9Q373 * Search * Newsletters * Crossword * Notices * My Account * Sign Out * Subscribe * Sign In [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268871|0|225|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Menu The Irish Times Sun, Jan 17, 2016 ^Sign In Welcome * The Irish Times * News * Sport * Business * Opinion * Life & Style * Culture * More * Video * Podcasts * Executive Jobs * Subscribe * My Account * Sign Out * Sign In * * Culture * Film * Film Reviews All Culture * Books + Book Reviews + The Book Club + Poetry + Hennessy NIW + IT Books * Film + Film Reviews * Music + Album Reviews * Stage + Stage Reviews * Art & Design * TV, Radio, Web * Photography * Treibh * Heritage * Specials + David Bowie + Century + Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks * Podcasts + Off Topic By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy. (BUTTON) X Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) review: Keaton in flight again Cinematically dazzling and brimming with drama, ’Birdman’ walks a fine line between pretentious and brilliant Donald Clarke Film Title: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Emma Stone Starring: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Lindsay Duncan Genre: Drama Running Time: 119 min Fri, Jan 2, 2015, 12:00 First published: Fri, Jan 2, 2015, 12:00 * * * * It is worth noting that the two most successful films in the continuing awards season involve audacious, nearly complementary structural gambles. Whereas Boyhood features discrete episodes compiled over 12 years, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s undeniably dazzling Birdman gives the illusion of being filmed in one continuous shot. The differences could hardly be more marked. Boyhood constantly reminds the viewer that such an experiment could only happen on screen. For all the effects on display in Birdman, the extended, unbroken stretches of dialogue and cinematic business only serve to emphasise the piece’s theatricality. We know that (unlike, say, Hitchcock in Rope) Iñárritu can use digital wizardry to splice any number of cuts together. But the impression is still of brave actors speaking their way through three acts of unmediated drama. This may be deliberate. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) [sic] is very much a film about the theatre. Allowing pounding comparisons to be drawn with his own career, Michael Keaton, once Batman, plays Riggan Thomson, a mildly washed-up actor who, years after achieving fame as the superhero Birdman, is staging a production of Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love on Broadway. Complications come in legions. On the eve of the first preview, a light falls on a cast member’s head and forces Riggan to recast Mike (Norton), a supremely important theatre actor, in the key role. Laura (Riseborough), Riggan’s unexpectedly pregnant girlfriend, and Lesley (Watts), Mike’s much-misused other half, are also in the cast. Riggan’s sour daughter (Stone) hangs out in the literal wings. IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/uJfLoE6hanc Birdman begins with Riggan suspended magically in the lotus position before a backstage mirror. Throughout the film, when alone, he exhibits superpowers, thus allowing the slim possibility that Birdman is real and inviting the more likely conclusion that stress, booze and disappointment have sent him round the bend. So dazzling is the cinematic footwork that it proves easy to overlook the uneasy blend between genuine theatrical navel-gazing and satire of the theatrical navel-gazing mindset. There is not a weak performance on display. Keaton allows all dignity to fall away as he makes an insufferable prig of the increasingly fraught central character. Norton sends up his own persona as an actor who believes the oily hype about his supposed brilliance and perfectionism. He is the sort of fellow who insists on drinking real gin on stage and, though romantically inattentive at home, attempts real intercourse before the audience. Emmanuel Lubezki’s frantic camerawork and jazz drummer Antonio Sánchez’s brilliant score wrestle one another to a brave, endlessly engrossing draw. The texture of the movie alone secures it a place in the pantheon. Yet, for all this admirably odd film’s virtues, its pretensions do let it down at times. Or do they? The choice of the Carver story is perfect for a man who wishes to be perceived as brighter than he actually is. Iñárritu’s own script is certainly wary of Riggan’s self-absorption. But the importance given to the awful trials of being a thespian do suggest scenes from Nigel Planer’s satire I, An Actor. Copies of Jorge Luis Borges’s Labyrinths are waved conspicuously. Darling, that subtitle. “The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance”? I ask you. Either these are all jokes, in which case the film doesn’t amount to very much, or we are touching down too often with adolescent concerns. Still, it is nice that the film- makers feel such affection for a romantic, largely vanished version of Broadway. Lindsay Duncan chews the optics as a theatre critic who lives in a Martini at one end of a Great White Way tavern. Those days are long gone, Alejandro. Fri, Jan 2, 2015, 12:00 First published: Fri, Jan 2, 2015, 12:00 * * * * Subscribe. More from The Irish Times * Music Pop Corner: Selena marks her ex’s spot; Zayn chaffed at control * Books An illustration from Aharon Appelfeld’s Adam & Thomas Children’s book reviews: a trio of compelling stories * Art & Design Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ * Food & Drink The Drift Inn in Buncrana: an upturned boat with huge, semicircular beams divides the main bar. Barfly: the Drift Inn, Buncrana ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268873|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] ADVERTISEMENT The Film Show The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room 7:47 The Irish Times Film Show: The Revenant, Creed & Room The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War 6:55 The Irish Times Film Show: The Hateful Eight & A War ADVERTISEMENT [adserv|3.0|826.1|4268872|0|170|ADTECH;loc=300;target=_blank;kvtopic=Fi lm;kvcat=arts,+culture+and+entertainment;cookie=info;] Film Reviews Room The walls close in on a mother and child in Lenny Abrahamson’s moving, harrowing adapation of the acclaimed novel Creed Creed firmly overthrows any notions that the Rocky films are trading on an elaborate Great White Hope mythology The Revenant ‘The Revenant’ is short on dialogue and thin on characterisation; however the misery is well worth enduring A War (Krigen) The war in Afghanistan is the inspiration for a tense Danish courtroom drama Shem the Penman Sings Again A delightful, playful study of the relationship between Joyce and McCormack The Hateful Eight Tarantino sinks deeper into his auto-mythology with more haphazard plotting, gooey violence and endless dialogue, writes Donald Clarke Last Hijack: a real-world prequel to Captain Phillips Last Hijack Tommy Pallotta’s documentary is nicely presented but lacks a coherent narrative Ballerinas get bolshie in Babylon Bolshoi Bolshoi Babylon “The world of theatre is cruel . . . It looks beautiful from the outside, but inside it's boiling” Donald Clarke's Movie Quiz You can see Twilight twinkling in the eye of this week's quiz... Screenwriter 10 things to note about yesterday’s Oscar nominations * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke We had Charlotte, but not Carol. The Force Awakens encounters unfamiliar failure. And an actor who wasn't nominated steals the show Movie quiz for January 15th * Screenwriter * Donald Clarke Warm yourself up with a good hard quiz Most Read in Culture 1 Family sugar audit: Eva Orsmond with Louise and Ollie Ryan Television: A sugar-crash course in how we are poisoning ourselves 2 Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed ‘Apollo Creed meant everything to African-Americans’ 3 Did Philip K Dick dream of electric sheep? Much worse 4 Final bow: Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc at the end of the final Friends, in 2004 Friends: they lived perfect lives in a time of plenty. Of course we want them back 5 ‘I think cognitive enhancers should be allowed for academics’ Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants? 6 Dublin Rapper Tommy KD: “I never dreamt I’d be doing stuff like this, like getting the album out or playing my own shows. But at the same time, it’s important to say that everything’s not rosy.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne / THE IRISH TIMES Tommy KD: the Dublin rapper with one of the toughest stories in Irish music 7 Giant’s staircase: Utec, Lima has ‘opened up exciting new frontiers for Peruvian architecture’. Photograph: Grafton Architects, Iwan Baan Studio Bravo Lima: the Irish architects designing the ‘new geography’ 8 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards: And the nominees are . . . 9 Joseph O’Connor on David Bowie, pictured here in 1965: “Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only plausible mission of the artist is ‘to make people feel they’re glad to be alive, at least a little bit.’ There are not many artists who’ve ever managed to achieve that highest of accolades. In my own life, David Bowie was one of them. He was part of my soundtrack, my passport, my pillow. I feel I was enriched to be around during his spell on the planet.” Photograph: CA/Redferns/Getty Images David Bowie: Irish writers pay tribute 10 The dialogues the author creates between Plato and various contemporary characters, including a marketing agent, a Google employee, a Tiger Mum, a radio host and a neuroscientist, convincingly demonstrate the value of continuing the job that Socrates started in ancient Greece. But they also show just why Plato would struggle to be heard today. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Never miss a story. SUBSCRIBE IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2FIrishTimesCulture&width=292&height=258&colorscheme=light&show_fac es=true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Film News Director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board, at a party in the Light House cinema in Dublin. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Irish Oscar nominations exceed all expectations Pictured celebrating four Oscar nominations for Irish film Room are director Lenny Abrahamson, his wife Monika, and James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board at a party in the Lighthouse cinema last night.Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times Oscars: ‘You have to mark an event like this,’ Lenny Abrahamson says Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has paid tribute to ‘magnificent actor’ Alan Rickman on his death. Photograph: Jas Lehal/Files/Reuters J.K. Rowling pays tribute to ‘magnificent’ Alan Rickman Subscribe About Us Policy & Terms Subscribe * Subscription Bundles * Gift Subscriptions * Home Delivery Irish Times Products & Services * ePaper * eBooks * Crosswords * Newspaper Archive * Dating * Ancestors * Email Alerts & Newsletters * Article Archive * Executive Jobs * Page Sales * Photo Sales About Us * Advertise * Contact Us * The Irish Times Trust * Careers Download on the App Store Download on Google Play * Our Partners * Rewarding Times * MyHome.ie * Irish Racing * Entertainment.ie * Top 1000 * MyAntiques.ie * The Gloss * Irish Times Training * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Information * Community Standards * Copyright * FAQs © 2015 THE IRISH TIMES For the best site experience please enable JavaScript in your browser settings Sign In ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Forgot Password? Don't have an account? Subscribe * Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account * Sign Out SUBSCRIBE ____________________ (BUTTON) Sun 17/1/2016 * News + Election 2016 + Ireland + World + Politics + Crime & Law + Social Affairs + Health + Education * Sport + Rugby + Soccer + Gaelic Games + Golf + Racing + Other Sports + Women in Sport + Comment * Business + The Economy + Your Money + Companies + Technology + Work + Commercial Property + Comment * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Columnists + An Irishman's Diary + Opinion & Analysis + Martyn Turner * Life & Style + Food & Drink + Homes & Property + Health & Family + People + Travel + Motors + Fashion * Culture + Books + Film + Music + Stage + Art & Design + TV, Radio, Web + Treibh * More + You are what you read + eBooks + Offers + Jobs + Family Notices + Dating + Competitions * Video + Film Show + New to the Parish + Give Me Five + Feast * Podcasts + Inside Politics + World View + Second Captains + Business + Róisín Meets + Off Topic + The Women's Podcast * Executive Jobs * Crosswords * Newsletters * Notices ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ ____________________ Forgot Password? (BUTTON) Sign In Invalid email or password. Subscriber quick links * Newspaper Archive * Crossword Club * ePaper desktop app * IT Sunday * eBooks * Subscriber Benefits * My Account -- [tr?id=901398199913408&ev=PageView&noscript=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-NFRQLH * Subscriptions from £4.49 » * User * * Log in ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Log In Forgotten Password? Need an account? * Need help? + FAQ + Contact us * Notices * Horoscopes * Today's paper Irishnews Logo Logo * Share on facebook * Share on twitter * Share via email * * * Logo * * News * Sport * Business * Life * Arts * Notices * Opinion * Puzzles * Photos * ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Sections * Northern Ireland news * UK News * Republic of Ireland news * World news * Political news * Education news * Healthcare news * Nama * Refugee Crisis Stories Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast Northern Ireland news Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour News DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum News Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum Sections * GAA Football * GAA Fixtures * Club Call * Hurling and camogie * Soccer * Boxing * Rugby * Golf * Athletics * Off The Fence * Racing * Opinion * Other Sports Stories Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster Rugby Union Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Football/Soccer John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace Football/Soccer Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final GAA Football McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final Sections * July Budget * Business news * Economics * Personal finance * Business columnists * Business Insight * Markets Stories BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog Business BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Business Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Business Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Sections * Family and Parenting * Property * Holidays & Travel * Fashion & Beauty * Motors/drive * Food & drink * Celebrity * Gardening * Environment * Health * Faith Matters * TV and Radio Stories Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Life TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Life Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Sections * Film * Music * Books * Pipe Band Digest * Stage * Irish language Stories Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Irish language Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Film Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Film Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Sections * Family Notices * Lives Remembered Stories Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lives Remembered Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh Lives Remembered Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Lives Remembered ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Notices Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Sections * Letters to the Editor * Leading article * Cartoons * Columnists Stories Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Columnists Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Columnists Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Leading article Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Sections * Photo of the Day * Graduation pictures * Picture galleries * Video diaries Stories Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow Picture Galleries Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow New Year celebrations from around the world Picture Galleries New Year celebrations from around the world Storm Frank lashes Ireland Picture Galleries Storm Frank lashes Ireland Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 Picture Galleries Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 (BUTTON) Irishnews Logo (BUTTON) * Login User / Logout * Subscriptions * Home * Today's paper * News Sections + Back + Northern Ireland news + UK News + Republic of Ireland news + World news + Political news + Education news + Healthcare news + Nama + Refugee Crisis * Sport Sections + Back + GAA Football + GAA Fixtures + Club Call + Hurling and camogie + Soccer + Boxing + Rugby + Golf + Athletics + Off The Fence + Racing + Opinion + Other Sports * Business Sections + Back + July Budget + Business news + Economics + Personal finance + Business columnists + Business Insight + Markets * Life Sections + Back + Family and Parenting + Property + Holidays & Travel + Fashion & Beauty + Motors/drive + Food & drink + Celebrity + Gardening + Environment + Health + Faith Matters + TV and Radio * Arts Sections + Back + Film + Music + Books + Pipe Band Digest + Stage + Irish language * Notices Sections + Back + Family Notices + Lives Remembered * Opinion Sections + Back + Letters to the Editor + Leading article + Cartoons + Columnists * Puzzles * Photos Sections + Back + Photo of the Day + Graduation pictures + Picture galleries + Video diaries * Our journalists * Horoscopes ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Life 100 years of Dubliners 100 years of Dubliners * * * * * 12 June, 2014 00:00 For nine years, James Joyce struggled to make ends meet as publisher after publisher rejected what is now considered one of the greatest collections of short stories ever assembled. Belfast journalist Michael Collins looks at the story behind Dubliners, which finally saw the light of day 100 years ago this week JAMES Joyce wrote the majority of Dubliners in Trieste, in 1905, just one year after his self-imposed exile from Ireland. His first major work was composed, by his own admission, "in a style of scrupulous meanness". He attributed this to the Trieste heat, complaining of working "while the sweat streamed down my face on to the handkerchief". In reality it was more than just the Mediterranean climate that stirred up resentment and anger in Joyce's pen. He was embittered by the state of Irish society at the turn of the last century; a period which he considered to be of stagnation and "paralysis". Ireland at this time languished culturally and economically under British rule and the infrastructure of Dublin had fallen into disrepair. Corroding Georgian architecture and monuments from British colonialism formed the landscape of the Irish capital. Buildings like the Four Courts and Trinity College were blackening with age and in their deterioration stood like symbols of an ailing empire. Dublin's prosperous districts were abandoned by its middle classes and the city's slums soon extended far beyond the back alleys. Once-prosperous neighbourhoods became filthy, overcrowded and disease-ridden ghettos. Joyce depicted these scenes of colonial poverty in the Dubliners story A Little Cloud when Chandler walks the streets to meet Ignatius Gallaher. He emerges "from the feudal arch of the King's Inns" where "a horde of grimy children populated the street" and picks his way through the "minute vermin-like life under the shadow of the gaunt spectral mansions in which the old nobility of Dublin had roistered". Writing with such realism about inner-city Dublin stood Joyce in stark contrast to other Irish writers of his day. Well established figures such as WB Yeats and Lady Gregory neglected to portray the realities of life in Dublin, instead devoting their energies to the Irish Literary Revival, a movement which found artistic expression through folklore and romanticised notions of the Irish peasantry. For Joyce, this was nothing but "ill-informed, formless caricature" and signified a step backwards for Irish literature. For him a story like two Two Gallants, a tale of two vagabonds who coerce some money out of an aristocrat's maid and wander Dublin's streets aimlessly in the hope of procuring a drink, was much more reflective of contemporary Ireland and represented a more progressive form of literature. He argued: "Two Gallants - with the Sunday crowds and the harp in Kildare Street and Lenehan - is an Irish landscape." The marked difference between Joyce and his contemporaries was expressed famously when he told Yeats during their first meeting: "I have met you too late. You are too old." Yeats described the charismatic 20-year-old as "A young poet, who wrote excellently, but had the worst manners". Despite this, the two had a huge amount of respect for each other and Yeats, acknowledging Joyce's talents, helped him by recommending him to publishers. In this area Joyce needed all the help he could get. Despite having completed Dubliners in 1905 it would be another nine years before his collection of 15 short stories found their way to a bookshop shelf. Joyce's unflinching realism and controversial satire led him into conflict with over 40 publishers who feared libel charges and public uproar. Objections ranged from the petty and unwarranted, such as use of Dublin pub names, to the perfectly understandable given the period in which he was writing. It was a time when the authority of the Catholic Church was still hugely influential over Irish state and society. For Joyce, a self-confessed socialist, the Church's influence was a stranglehold which was morally and culturally repressive. He resolved to wage war against it through literature. This is evident in Dubliners from the story Counterparts. The tale follows Farringinton, a man defined by his anger with mundane circumstance, who drowns his frustration in alcohol and returns home to beat his son with a shillelagh. The boy pleads with him: "I'll say a Hail Mary for you, pa, if you don't beat me". Many of Joyce's publishers refused to print such sentences and argued they contained anti-Irish sentiments. Joyce was dismayed, professing to one: "It is not my fault the odour of ashpits and old weeds and offal hangs around my stories. I seriously believe you will retard the course of civilisation in Ireland by preventing the Irish people from having one look at themselves in my finely polished looking glass." Joyce's reflection of an Irish people suppressed by repetitive routines and trapped in circles of monotonous frustration made uncomfortable viewing for some publishers. For nine years he struggled to make ends meet while a work now regarded as one of the greatest collections of short stories ever assembled lay unrecognised in his desktop drawer. He took up jobs in admin and teaching as a means to sustain himself and his family and continuously borrowed money from family members to put food on the table. Poor living conditions and a confined domestic situation fuelled Joyce's frustrations. In one moment of anger and disillusionment he threw the unfinished manuscript of his first novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, into a burning fire. Luckily its scorched pages were saved by his sister Eileen who was living with Joyce at the time. He thanked her, acknowledging there were "pages here I could never have rewritten". Over the course of nine frustrating years he chopped and changed Dubliners to appease publishers. He omitted six uses of the word bloody from his original text despite believing that without such swear words the book was "like an egg without salt". He even did the unthinkable and wrote to King George V, seeking his approval, after a publisher warned him of referring to the queen mother as "that bloody old bitch of a mother" in Ivy Day at the Committee Room. If not for the help of established writers like Yeats and Ezra Pound, who understood Joyce's importance as an artist, Dubliners might never have been published. When it was finally released this week in 1914, Yeats said that it showed "the promise of a great novelist and a great novelist of a new kind". Today, 100 years on, Dubliners remains as highly acclaimed and relevant as ever. It is impossible to read it without feeling an affinity for the city of it's setting, and at the same time, it is impossible, having read the book, to walk Dublin's streets without feeling a special connection to the most famous Dubliner of them all - James Joyce. * * * * * 12 June, 2014 00:00 Life More in Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Most Read * Beware of tax on gifting property to family members * Increase in babies born with 'tongue-tie' * Diagnosing Dyspraxia in your child * Irishman in breastfeeding London Underground row Today's horoscope Horoscope __________________________________________________________________ See a different horoscope: [Select sign] Stay connected Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up __________________________________________________________________ Sections News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 1. PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 2. Families question delays in charging 'Stakeknife' Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 1. Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 2. Cairn Wood: Battle to save amenity from being sold off Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 1. ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 2. Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 1. Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 2. Catch up with: The X-Files on Amazon Prime Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 1. Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 2. Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Sport Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 1. Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 2. Darren Clarke delighted as Europe claim three-point lead Tackle today's puzzles Crosswords From gentle to deadly - Crosswords, Suduko, Codewords, Wordwheels and quizzes Irishnews Logo * Supplements * Send us your story * Contact us * FAQ * About us * Our Journalists * Photo Sales * Careers * WEA * Memoriam Cards * Coaching Days -- [tr?id=901398199913408&ev=PageView&noscript=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-NFRQLH * Subscriptions from £4.49 » * User * * Log in ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Log In Forgotten Password? Need an account? * Need help? + FAQ + Contact us * Notices * Horoscopes * Today's paper Irishnews Logo Logo * Share on facebook * Share on twitter * Share via email * * * Logo * * News * Sport * Business * Life * Arts * Notices * Opinion * Puzzles * Photos * ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Sections * Northern Ireland news * UK News * Republic of Ireland news * World news * Political news * Education news * Healthcare news * Nama * Refugee Crisis Stories Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast Northern Ireland news Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour News DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum News Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum Sections * GAA Football * GAA Fixtures * Club Call * Hurling and camogie * Soccer * Boxing * Rugby * Golf * Athletics * Off The Fence * Racing * Opinion * Other Sports Stories Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster Rugby Union Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Football/Soccer John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace Football/Soccer Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final GAA Football McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final Sections * July Budget * Business news * Economics * Personal finance * Business columnists * Business Insight * Markets Stories BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog Business BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Business Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Business Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Sections * Family and Parenting * Property * Holidays & Travel * Fashion & Beauty * Motors/drive * Food & drink * Celebrity * Gardening * Environment * Health * Faith Matters * TV and Radio Stories Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Life TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Life Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Sections * Film * Music * Books * Pipe Band Digest * Stage * Irish language Stories Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Irish language Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Film Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Film Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Sections * Family Notices * Lives Remembered Stories Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lives Remembered Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh Lives Remembered Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Lives Remembered ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Notices Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Sections * Letters to the Editor * Leading article * Cartoons * Columnists Stories Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Columnists Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Columnists Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Leading article Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Sections * Photo of the Day * Graduation pictures * Picture galleries * Video diaries Stories Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow Picture Galleries Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow New Year celebrations from around the world Picture Galleries New Year celebrations from around the world Storm Frank lashes Ireland Picture Galleries Storm Frank lashes Ireland Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 Picture Galleries Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 (BUTTON) Irishnews Logo (BUTTON) * Login User / Logout * Subscriptions * Home * Today's paper * News Sections + Back + Northern Ireland news + UK News + Republic of Ireland news + World news + Political news + Education news + Healthcare news + Nama + Refugee Crisis * Sport Sections + Back + GAA Football + GAA Fixtures + Club Call + Hurling and camogie + Soccer + Boxing + Rugby + Golf + Athletics + Off The Fence + Racing + Opinion + Other Sports * Business Sections + Back + July Budget + Business news + Economics + Personal finance + Business columnists + Business Insight + Markets * Life Sections + Back + Family and Parenting + Property + Holidays & Travel + Fashion & Beauty + Motors/drive + Food & drink + Celebrity + Gardening + Environment + Health + Faith Matters + TV and Radio * Arts Sections + Back + Film + Music + Books + Pipe Band Digest + Stage + Irish language * Notices Sections + Back + Family Notices + Lives Remembered * Opinion Sections + Back + Letters to the Editor + Leading article + Cartoons + Columnists * Puzzles * Photos Sections + Back + Photo of the Day + Graduation pictures + Picture galleries + Video diaries * Our journalists * Horoscopes ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Life Still looking on the bright side of life Still looking on the bright side of life * * * * * 17 July, 2014 00:00 Cult comedy act Monty Python will perform live together for the very last time this weekend. Jeananne Craig finds out why it's time for a change once the circus leaves town THE Monty Python stars have dusted off their dead parrot and are busy strutting their silly walks on stage, but for those who can't make it to London's O2 Arena, there's a chance to catch them on screen before they hang up their lumberjack gear for the very last time. More than four decades since the Flying Circus first hit screens, the comedy quintet have reunited for 10 Monty Python Live (Mostly) shows, featuring their best-loved surreal sketches and songs, alongside new material. And the 10th and final gig, featuring the fish-slapping, septuagenarian stars John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Terry Jones, will be shown live on the Gold channel and in cinemas around the world. "Our motto has been, 'Leave them wanting a bit less'," says Idle (71), who directed the extravagant stage show and penned its famous closing number, Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, back in 1979. "It really is a very high-powered, energetic show. Especially for 70-year-old men," adds American-born Gilliam (73). "I like to think of it as a pre-posthumous memorial service, with all the dancing and joy one would hope for at a funeral." Monty Python's Flying Circus aired on TV between 1969 and 1974, and the act performed their last big stage show, a four-night stint at the Hollywood Bowl, in 1980. They also shared a stage at the Aspen Comedy Festival in 1998. Welshman Jones (72), breaks into laughter as he recalls the Hollywood Bowl gig: "All the audience were smoking marijuana, so when John and I went into the audience, we came out pretty high." These days, Palin jokes, the only drug involved is "some Viagra in our dressing rooms". The Pythons had originally planned to do one reunion show, but more dates were added as demand grew. The July 20 gig "really is the last show", Cleese (74), insists. "We all feel very content with that now. We weren't sure at one stage. I certainly thought it might be fun to go and do America but, the more I thought about it, I thought, 'I don't really want to'. "I think it's much better to try and do it once, really well, in England, where it started, and just leave it at that." Almost 45 years since Monty Python's Flying Circus first hit screens, Idle believes the material is still relevant. "We followed a satire boom in England and everything was topical. When we came on, we tried to not do that. "Our humour tends to be just general types and funny things rather than particular, and so it doesn't date as fast." The team admit it's been hard work performing the high-octane shows at a 20,000-seater venue. "I'm quite worn out, even after the first number," says Palin (71). "A slight madness takes over you and you just leap about at certain points. Well I do, anyway." "It's the next day you realise what you've done to your body," filmmaker Gilliam adds. * SNAKES ALIVE: The Monty Python high flyers n continues overleaf * * * * * 17 July, 2014 00:00 Life More in Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Most Read * Beware of tax on gifting property to family members * Increase in babies born with 'tongue-tie' * Diagnosing Dyspraxia in your child * Irishman in breastfeeding London Underground row Today's horoscope Horoscope __________________________________________________________________ See a different horoscope: [Select sign] Stay connected Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up __________________________________________________________________ Sections News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 1. PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 2. Families question delays in charging 'Stakeknife' Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 1. Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 2. Cairn Wood: Battle to save amenity from being sold off Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 1. ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 2. Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 1. Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 2. Catch up with: The X-Files on Amazon Prime Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 1. Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 2. Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Sport Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 1. Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 2. Darren Clarke delighted as Europe claim three-point lead Tackle today's puzzles Crosswords From gentle to deadly - Crosswords, Suduko, Codewords, Wordwheels and quizzes Irishnews Logo * Supplements * Send us your story * Contact us * FAQ * About us * Our Journalists * Photo Sales * Careers * WEA * Memoriam Cards * Coaching Days -- [tr?id=901398199913408&ev=PageView&noscript=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-NFRQLH * Subscriptions from £4.49 » * User * * Log in ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Log In Forgotten Password? Need an account? * Need help? + FAQ + Contact us * Notices * Horoscopes * Today's paper Irishnews Logo Logo * Share on facebook * Share on twitter * Share via email * * * Logo * * News * Sport * Business * Life * Arts * Notices * Opinion * Puzzles * Photos * ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Sections * Northern Ireland news * UK News * Republic of Ireland news * World news * Political news * Education news * Healthcare news * Nama * Refugee Crisis Stories Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast Northern Ireland news Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour News DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum News Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum Sections * GAA Football * GAA Fixtures * Club Call * Hurling and camogie * Soccer * Boxing * Rugby * Golf * Athletics * Off The Fence * Racing * Opinion * Other Sports Stories Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster Rugby Union Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Football/Soccer John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace Football/Soccer Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final GAA Football McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final Sections * July Budget * Business news * Economics * Personal finance * Business columnists * Business Insight * Markets Stories BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog Business BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Business Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Business Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Sections * Family and Parenting * Property * Holidays & Travel * Fashion & Beauty * Motors/drive * Food & drink * Celebrity * Gardening * Environment * Health * Faith Matters * TV and Radio Stories Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Life TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Life Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Sections * Film * Music * Books * Pipe Band Digest * Stage * Irish language Stories Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Irish language Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Film Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Film Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Sections * Family Notices * Lives Remembered Stories Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lives Remembered Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh Lives Remembered Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Lives Remembered ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Notices Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Sections * Letters to the Editor * Leading article * Cartoons * Columnists Stories Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Columnists Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Columnists Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Leading article Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Sections * Photo of the Day * Graduation pictures * Picture galleries * Video diaries Stories Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow Picture Galleries Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow New Year celebrations from around the world Picture Galleries New Year celebrations from around the world Storm Frank lashes Ireland Picture Galleries Storm Frank lashes Ireland Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 Picture Galleries Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 (BUTTON) Irishnews Logo (BUTTON) * Login User / Logout * Subscriptions * Home * Today's paper * News Sections + Back + Northern Ireland news + UK News + Republic of Ireland news + World news + Political news + Education news + Healthcare news + Nama + Refugee Crisis * Sport Sections + Back + GAA Football + GAA Fixtures + Club Call + Hurling and camogie + Soccer + Boxing + Rugby + Golf + Athletics + Off The Fence + Racing + Opinion + Other Sports * Business Sections + Back + July Budget + Business news + Economics + Personal finance + Business columnists + Business Insight + Markets * Life Sections + Back + Family and Parenting + Property + Holidays & Travel + Fashion & Beauty + Motors/drive + Food & drink + Celebrity + Gardening + Environment + Health + Faith Matters + TV and Radio * Arts Sections + Back + Film + Music + Books + Pipe Band Digest + Stage + Irish language * Notices Sections + Back + Family Notices + Lives Remembered * Opinion Sections + Back + Letters to the Editor + Leading article + Cartoons + Columnists * Puzzles * Photos Sections + Back + Photo of the Day + Graduation pictures + Picture galleries + Video diaries * Our journalists * Horoscopes ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Life An old firm favourite An old firm favourite * * * * * 02 October, 2014 00:00 WHAT happens when you lock up a Celtic fan with a Rangers fan on 'old firm day'? Playing at Theatre at The Mill in Newtownabbey from October 7 to October 12, Des Dillion's acclaimed comedy drama Singing I'm No A Billy He's A Tim puts two rival football fans in a shared courtroom cell. This satire of '90-minute bigotry' finds the mismatched pair taking turns to watch the big match on TV through their cell door - a winning bet offers their only hope of paying their fines and getting out. As the terrible twosome bicker their way through every stereotype of 'Scotland's shame', only their jailer Harry's worries for a sick grandson can put their tribal rivalry into perspective. * Tickets, Theatreatthemill.com or on 028 9034 0202. * * * * * 02 October, 2014 00:00 Life More in Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Most Read * Beware of tax on gifting property to family members * Increase in babies born with 'tongue-tie' * Diagnosing Dyspraxia in your child * Irishman in breastfeeding London Underground row Today's horoscope Horoscope __________________________________________________________________ See a different horoscope: [Select sign] Stay connected Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up __________________________________________________________________ Sections News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 1. PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 2. Families question delays in charging 'Stakeknife' Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 1. Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 2. Cairn Wood: Battle to save amenity from being sold off Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 1. ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 2. Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 1. Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 2. Catch up with: The X-Files on Amazon Prime Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 1. Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 2. Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Sport Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 1. Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 2. Darren Clarke delighted as Europe claim three-point lead Tackle today's puzzles Crosswords From gentle to deadly - Crosswords, Suduko, Codewords, Wordwheels and quizzes Irishnews Logo * Supplements * Send us your story * Contact us * FAQ * About us * Our Journalists * Photo Sales * Careers * WEA * Memoriam Cards * Coaching Days -- [tr?id=901398199913408&ev=PageView&noscript=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-NFRQLH * Subscriptions from £4.49 » * User * * Log in ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Log In Forgotten Password? Need an account? * Need help? + FAQ + Contact us * Notices * Horoscopes * Today's paper Irishnews Logo Logo * Share on facebook * Share on twitter * Share via email * * * Logo * * News * Sport * Business * Life * Arts * Notices * Opinion * Puzzles * Photos * ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Sections * Northern Ireland news * UK News * Republic of Ireland news * World news * Political news * Education news * Healthcare news * Nama * Refugee Crisis Stories Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast Northern Ireland news Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour News DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum News Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum Sections * GAA Football * GAA Fixtures * Club Call * Hurling and camogie * Soccer * Boxing * Rugby * Golf * Athletics * Off The Fence * Racing * Opinion * Other Sports Stories Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster Rugby Union Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Football/Soccer John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace Football/Soccer Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final GAA Football McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final Sections * July Budget * Business news * Economics * Personal finance * Business columnists * Business Insight * Markets Stories BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog Business BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Business Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Business Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Sections * Family and Parenting * Property * Holidays & Travel * Fashion & Beauty * Motors/drive * Food & drink * Celebrity * Gardening * Environment * Health * Faith Matters * TV and Radio Stories Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Life TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Life Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Sections * Film * Music * Books * Pipe Band Digest * Stage * Irish language Stories Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Irish language Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Film Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Film Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Sections * Family Notices * Lives Remembered Stories Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lives Remembered Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh Lives Remembered Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Lives Remembered ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Notices Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Sections * Letters to the Editor * Leading article * Cartoons * Columnists Stories Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Columnists Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Columnists Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Leading article Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Sections * Photo of the Day * Graduation pictures * Picture galleries * Video diaries Stories Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow Picture Galleries Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow New Year celebrations from around the world Picture Galleries New Year celebrations from around the world Storm Frank lashes Ireland Picture Galleries Storm Frank lashes Ireland Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 Picture Galleries Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 (BUTTON) Irishnews Logo (BUTTON) * Login User / Logout * Subscriptions * Home * Today's paper * News Sections + Back + Northern Ireland news + UK News + Republic of Ireland news + World news + Political news + Education news + Healthcare news + Nama + Refugee Crisis * Sport Sections + Back + GAA Football + GAA Fixtures + Club Call + Hurling and camogie + Soccer + Boxing + Rugby + Golf + Athletics + Off The Fence + Racing + Opinion + Other Sports * Business Sections + Back + July Budget + Business news + Economics + Personal finance + Business columnists + Business Insight + Markets * Life Sections + Back + Family and Parenting + Property + Holidays & Travel + Fashion & Beauty + Motors/drive + Food & drink + Celebrity + Gardening + Environment + Health + Faith Matters + TV and Radio * Arts Sections + Back + Film + Music + Books + Pipe Band Digest + Stage + Irish language * Notices Sections + Back + Family Notices + Lives Remembered * Opinion Sections + Back + Letters to the Editor + Leading article + Cartoons + Columnists * Puzzles * Photos Sections + Back + Photo of the Day + Graduation pictures + Picture galleries + Video diaries * Our journalists * Horoscopes ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Life Aprescient spin down memory lane Aprescient spin down memory lane * * * * * RALPH McLEAN 03 October, 2014 00:00 The Rise And Rise Of Michael Rimmer MADE in 1970 and rarely seen since, The Rise And Rise Of Michael Rimmer is both fascinating and oddly prescient. Providing a rare big-screen starring role for Peter Cook, it's a cold hearted but slickly entertaining satire on political spin and media manipulation of the public that could just as easily have been made today. As a surreal and anarchic spoof of Westminster and its wicked ways it deserves to be reclaimed as a true cult classic of the genre. Cook is the mysterious Michael Rimmer, who ghosts unannounced into the offices of a clueless advertising agency dressed in his finest Carnaby Street suit and armed only with a clipboard and stopwatch. The employees, led by the idiotic Ferret (Dad's Army stalwart Arthur Lowe) assume he's a time-and-motion man sent by the firm's owner Mr Fairburn (Dennis Price) and their collective guilt at sitting around all day practicing ballroom dancing, flirting with the secretaries or watching the cricket when they should be working allows Rimmer to swiftly take control. By introducing sex and endless opinion polls to their campaigns he soon turns the business into a huge success that sees both the ruling Labour party and the Tories come running to his door for help. A slimy spin doctor of the highest order, Rimmer sides with the Conservatives and plots their successful return to power, eventually landing himself the role of prime minister in the process. As his greed for power grows he pushes for full control of the country and runs to become Britain's first ever president. Cook is remarkable throughout this broadest of broad satires. Aloof and distant, he uses superficial charm to con the public and his sleazy political paymasters. Rimmer feels brilliantly new Labour even though we never get to understand just what motivates his devilish character. Cook co-wrote the script with director Kevin Billington and his old satirical running mates John Cleese and Graham Chapman and there's much of the classic sketch show vibe at play here. Frantic, Pythonesque skits are played out by a cast that is practically creaking at the seams with great British comedy talent. Ronnie Corbett pops up as an ineffectual pollster, Cleese dances his way through a brief turn as a bored adman and Denholm Elliott slimes his way through proceedings as Rimmer's intellectual henchman. Despite its A-list cast (Harold Pinter even turns up as a TV host) there are very few actual laughs. The film looks sublime, however, with great London locations, and is directed beautifully by Billington who adds a swish, almost Stanley Kubrick-style glamour to just about every shot. There's super-funky score from John Cameron and great cameos from the likes of supremely statuesque Valerie Leon but there's a coldness at the heart of proceedings that prevents you caring about Rimmer. As the final shot freeze frames on our new president's enigmatic and faintly diabolical half smile maybe that's the reaction Cook and co wanted us to have. * * * * * 03 October, 2014 00:00 Life More in Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Most Read * Beware of tax on gifting property to family members * Increase in babies born with 'tongue-tie' * Diagnosing Dyspraxia in your child * Irishman in breastfeeding London Underground row Today's horoscope Horoscope __________________________________________________________________ See a different horoscope: [Select sign] Stay connected Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up __________________________________________________________________ Sections News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 1. PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 2. Families question delays in charging 'Stakeknife' Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 1. Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 2. Cairn Wood: Battle to save amenity from being sold off Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 1. ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 2. Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 1. Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 2. Catch up with: The X-Files on Amazon Prime Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 1. Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 2. Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Sport Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 1. Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 2. Darren Clarke delighted as Europe claim three-point lead Tackle today's puzzles Crosswords From gentle to deadly - Crosswords, Suduko, Codewords, Wordwheels and quizzes Irishnews Logo * Supplements * Send us your story * Contact us * FAQ * About us * Our Journalists * Photo Sales * Careers * WEA * Memoriam Cards * Coaching Days -- [tr?id=901398199913408&ev=PageView&noscript=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-NFRQLH * Subscriptions from £4.49 » * User * * Log in ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Log In Forgotten Password? Need an account? * Need help? + FAQ + Contact us * Notices * Horoscopes * Today's paper Irishnews Logo Logo * Share on facebook * Share on twitter * Share via email * * * Logo * * News * Sport * Business * Life * Arts * Notices * Opinion * Puzzles * Photos * ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Sections * Northern Ireland news * UK News * Republic of Ireland news * World news * Political news * Education news * Healthcare news * Nama * Refugee Crisis Stories Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast Northern Ireland news Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour News DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum News Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum Sections * GAA Football * GAA Fixtures * Club Call * Hurling and camogie * Soccer * Boxing * Rugby * Golf * Athletics * Off The Fence * Racing * Opinion * Other Sports Stories Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster Rugby Union Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Football/Soccer John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace Football/Soccer Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final GAA Football McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final Sections * July Budget * Business news * Economics * Personal finance * Business columnists * Business Insight * Markets Stories BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog Business BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Business Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Business Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Sections * Family and Parenting * Property * Holidays & Travel * Fashion & Beauty * Motors/drive * Food & drink * Celebrity * Gardening * Environment * Health * Faith Matters * TV and Radio Stories Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Life TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Life Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Sections * Film * Music * Books * Pipe Band Digest * Stage * Irish language Stories Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Irish language Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Film Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Film Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Sections * Family Notices * Lives Remembered Stories Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lives Remembered Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh Lives Remembered Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Lives Remembered ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Notices Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Sections * Letters to the Editor * Leading article * Cartoons * Columnists Stories Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Columnists Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Columnists Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Leading article Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Sections * Photo of the Day * Graduation pictures * Picture galleries * Video diaries Stories Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow Picture Galleries Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow New Year celebrations from around the world Picture Galleries New Year celebrations from around the world Storm Frank lashes Ireland Picture Galleries Storm Frank lashes Ireland Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 Picture Galleries Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 (BUTTON) Irishnews Logo (BUTTON) * Login User / Logout * Subscriptions * Home * Today's paper * News Sections + Back + Northern Ireland news + UK News + Republic of Ireland news + World news + Political news + Education news + Healthcare news + Nama + Refugee Crisis * Sport Sections + Back + GAA Football + GAA Fixtures + Club Call + Hurling and camogie + Soccer + Boxing + Rugby + Golf + Athletics + Off The Fence + Racing + Opinion + Other Sports * Business Sections + Back + July Budget + Business news + Economics + Personal finance + Business columnists + Business Insight + Markets * Life Sections + Back + Family and Parenting + Property + Holidays & Travel + Fashion & Beauty + Motors/drive + Food & drink + Celebrity + Gardening + Environment + Health + Faith Matters + TV and Radio * Arts Sections + Back + Film + Music + Books + Pipe Band Digest + Stage + Irish language * Notices Sections + Back + Family Notices + Lives Remembered * Opinion Sections + Back + Letters to the Editor + Leading article + Cartoons + Columnists * Puzzles * Photos Sections + Back + Photo of the Day + Graduation pictures + Picture galleries + Video diaries * Our journalists * Horoscopes ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Opinion Time for poetry to find its punk * * * * * Tony Bailie 21 October, 2014 00:00 AMONG the Celts the poet was one of the most admired and feared members of society. The satire of a poet could bring about misfortune and even death to those who had wronged him. It was believed that a bard's poetic inspiration was a gateway to the 'otherworld' and that poets had the power of prophecy. Such beliefs are shared by indigenous cultures throughout the world - the tribal shaman who goes into a trance and reports his experience through song, stories and poetry. Quite often the poet used ritual or meditation to achieve inspiration. Scottish Gaelic poets of the 17th century would lie in a completely darkened room for days with a stone on their stomach to induce a trance-like state. In Celtic Ireland there was a ritual known as tarb feis, which translates as 'bull sleep; whereby a poet would be wrapped in a bull's hide to help him achieve prophetic insights. However, despite this impressive heritage our society has sidelined poets - they are no longer regarded as visionaries who can bring insights from the otherworld, prophesise or cause an enemy to die with a satirical quatrain. Walk into a pub and recite a couple of sarcastic couplets at a drunken prat pumped up with steroids ranting about his favourite football team and see who walks out in one piece. Of course poets do feature in our society, but for many they have become slightly ridiculous figures. In the populist mindset poetry is the domain of men who speak with pompous lisps and women with whining, affected accents. It is perceived as the preserve of an elite of academics, although a couple of select lines will be dusted down by politicians on solemn state occasions or to mourn the passing of a well-loved actor. No US president dares set foot in Ireland without quoting a couple of lines of Seamus Heaney or WB Yeats. In fact, the passing of Heaney last year and the virtual state funeral that he was given has, in a roundabout way, highlighted how poetry has been marginalised. He was without doubt Ireland's best-known contemporary poet and his death drew accolades from throughout the island and its various traditions. But, you got the impression that many of those queueing up to sing Heaney's praises were trotting out tributes by rote and desperately hoping that no-one asked them what they actually thought of his poetry. In many ways Heaney was quite a safe poet to admire. There is no doubt that his verse had a rich musicality, which became more apparent when you heard him recite it in his soft, south Derry lilt. However, while he is credited with trying to articulate a response to the conflict in the north, he always seemed to hold it at a distance, without directly engaging. Compare him to the much more visceral and gritty verse of the west Belfast poet Padraic Fiacc whose sparse, stripped-back poems engage with the violence of the 1970s in an often appallingly blunt but effective way that combines modernity with a knowing nod to his Celtic predecessors. However, Fiacc's treatment of the Troubles was too raw for many. In his poem Glass Grass he wrote: "My fellow poets call my poems 'cryptic, crude, distasteful, brutal, savage, bitter'." In some ways he should be a model for how poetry too can be relevant again, to shake off the respectable veneer and become dangerous and marginal while drawing on a rich vein of tradition. Poetry needs a to undergo a punk-like revolution. Official recognition or academic acclaim in no way diminishes those poets who have achieved it and some of our 'established' poets are among the most subversive - that is the power of poetry, you can say things or imply them with an image or clashing of words that you could not say in prose. But like every art form, in poetry there is good, bad, mediocre and, as Robert Graves used to say, god-awful - and there is a fair-share of the god-awful in Irish poetry. However, there is also interesting stuff going on at the margins, coming out from small presses like the north Belfast-based Lapwing Publications or in journals such as the Limerick-based Revival or Crannog in Galway city. And, in the true spirit of punk, the internet provides a rich source of ezines, blogs and websites publishing poetry, criticism and debate. Somewhere not too far from where you are sitting as you read this someone may be lying wrapped in a bull hide and waiting for the otherworldly image that sparks the first line of a poem. t.bailie@irishnews.com * Anita Robinson is away. * VISCERAL AND GRITTY: Padraic Fiacc with his book Sea: Sixty Years of Poetry and portraits of the Markets poet in Bittles bar Belfast * * * * * 21 October, 2014 00:00 Opinion More in Opinion Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Most Read * Beware of tax on gifting property to family members * Increase in babies born with 'tongue-tie' * Diagnosing Dyspraxia in your child * Irishman in breastfeeding London Underground row Today's horoscope Horoscope __________________________________________________________________ See a different horoscope: [Select sign] Stay connected Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up __________________________________________________________________ Sections News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 1. PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 2. Families question delays in charging 'Stakeknife' Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 1. Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 2. Cairn Wood: Battle to save amenity from being sold off Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 1. ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 2. Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 1. Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 2. Catch up with: The X-Files on Amazon Prime Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 1. Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 2. Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Sport Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 1. Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 2. Darren Clarke delighted as Europe claim three-point lead Tackle today's puzzles Crosswords From gentle to deadly - Crosswords, Suduko, Codewords, Wordwheels and quizzes Irishnews Logo * Supplements * Send us your story * Contact us * FAQ * About us * Our Journalists * Photo Sales * Careers * WEA * Memoriam Cards * Coaching Days -- [tr?id=901398199913408&ev=PageView&noscript=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-NFRQLH * Subscriptions from £4.49 » * User * * Log in ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Log In Forgotten Password? Need an account? * Need help? + FAQ + Contact us * Notices * Horoscopes * Today's paper Irishnews Logo Logo * Share on facebook * Share on twitter * Share via email * * * Logo * * News * Sport * Business * Life * Arts * Notices * Opinion * Puzzles * Photos * ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Sections * Northern Ireland news * UK News * Republic of Ireland news * World news * Political news * Education news * Healthcare news * Nama * Refugee Crisis Stories Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast Northern Ireland news Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour News DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum News Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum Sections * GAA Football * GAA Fixtures * Club Call * Hurling and camogie * Soccer * Boxing * Rugby * Golf * Athletics * Off The Fence * Racing * Opinion * Other Sports Stories Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster Rugby Union Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Football/Soccer John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace Football/Soccer Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final GAA Football McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final Sections * July Budget * Business news * Economics * Personal finance * Business columnists * Business Insight * Markets Stories BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog Business BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Business Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Business Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Sections * Family and Parenting * Property * Holidays & Travel * Fashion & Beauty * Motors/drive * Food & drink * Celebrity * Gardening * Environment * Health * Faith Matters * TV and Radio Stories Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Life TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Life Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Sections * Film * Music * Books * Pipe Band Digest * Stage * Irish language Stories Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Irish language Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Film Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Film Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Sections * Family Notices * Lives Remembered Stories Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lives Remembered Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh Lives Remembered Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Lives Remembered ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Notices Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Sections * Letters to the Editor * Leading article * Cartoons * Columnists Stories Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Columnists Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Columnists Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Leading article Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Sections * Photo of the Day * Graduation pictures * Picture galleries * Video diaries Stories Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow Picture Galleries Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow New Year celebrations from around the world Picture Galleries New Year celebrations from around the world Storm Frank lashes Ireland Picture Galleries Storm Frank lashes Ireland Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 Picture Galleries Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 (BUTTON) Irishnews Logo (BUTTON) * Login User / Logout * Subscriptions * Home * Today's paper * News Sections + Back + Northern Ireland news + UK News + Republic of Ireland news + World news + Political news + Education news + Healthcare news + Nama + Refugee Crisis * Sport Sections + Back + GAA Football + GAA Fixtures + Club Call + Hurling and camogie + Soccer + Boxing + Rugby + Golf + Athletics + Off The Fence + Racing + Opinion + Other Sports * Business Sections + Back + July Budget + Business news + Economics + Personal finance + Business columnists + Business Insight + Markets * Life Sections + Back + Family and Parenting + Property + Holidays & Travel + Fashion & Beauty + Motors/drive + Food & drink + Celebrity + Gardening + Environment + Health + Faith Matters + TV and Radio * Arts Sections + Back + Film + Music + Books + Pipe Band Digest + Stage + Irish language * Notices Sections + Back + Family Notices + Lives Remembered * Opinion Sections + Back + Letters to the Editor + Leading article + Cartoons + Columnists * Puzzles * Photos Sections + Back + Photo of the Day + Graduation pictures + Picture galleries + Video diaries * Our journalists * Horoscopes ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) News Two to see today... * * * * * 23 October, 2014 00:00 AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE Tonight at the Grand Opera House at 7.30pm and running until Saturday. Tickets £15 to £31.50. SCHAUBUHNE Berlin's contemporary take on Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy Of The People gets its Irish premiere tonight. Directed by Thomas Ostermeier, the play centres around Dr Stockmann, who discovers that the source of drinking and spa water in his town is contaminated. He wants to publish the findings and demands that the council reroutes the water pipes. However, his brother Peter - the mayor - is worried that the economic prosperity of the spa town will be threatened. Suddenly the support for Stockmann's concerns begins to wane. This satire of greed and corruption with a modern twist includes live music and songs including Changes by David Bowie. It brings Ibsen's parable to a boil and a solitary whistleblower to his knees. (Performed in German with English subtitles) BOB HARRIS Tonight at 8.30pm. Elmwood Hall. Tickets £8/£10 THE ever-popular BBC Radio 2 presenter Bob Harris brings his distinctive voice and music industry tales to Belfast tonight. Also known for the days when he presented The Old Grey Whistle Test, Harris has been described as "one of the greats of British contemporary music broadcasting" and "the John Peel of country music" - even though his musical tastes are in no way just confined to country. Tonight's Music Club talk will be hosted by fellow broadcaster and Irish News cult-movies columnist Ralph McLean. * Visit BelfastFestival.com or call 028 9097 1197 for tickets and full festival listings. Brian Campbell * * * * * 23 October, 2014 00:00 News More in News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum Most Read * Beware of tax on gifting property to family members * Increase in babies born with 'tongue-tie' * Diagnosing Dyspraxia in your child * Irishman in breastfeeding London Underground row Today's horoscope Horoscope __________________________________________________________________ See a different horoscope: [Select sign] Stay connected Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up __________________________________________________________________ Sections News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 1. PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 2. Families question delays in charging 'Stakeknife' Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 1. Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 2. Cairn Wood: Battle to save amenity from being sold off Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 1. ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 2. Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 1. Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 2. Catch up with: The X-Files on Amazon Prime Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 1. Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 2. Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Sport Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 1. Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 2. Darren Clarke delighted as Europe claim three-point lead Tackle today's puzzles Crosswords From gentle to deadly - Crosswords, Suduko, Codewords, Wordwheels and quizzes Irishnews Logo * Supplements * Send us your story * Contact us * FAQ * About us * Our Journalists * Photo Sales * Careers * WEA * Memoriam Cards * Coaching Days -- [tr?id=901398199913408&ev=PageView&noscript=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-NFRQLH * Subscriptions from £4.49 » * User * * Log in ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Log In Forgotten Password? Need an account? * Need help? + FAQ + Contact us * Notices * Horoscopes * Today's paper Irishnews Logo Logo * Share on facebook * Share on twitter * Share via email * * * Logo * * News * Sport * Business * Life * Arts * Notices * Opinion * Puzzles * Photos * ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Sections * Northern Ireland news * UK News * Republic of Ireland news * World news * Political news * Education news * Healthcare news * Nama * Refugee Crisis Stories Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast Northern Ireland news Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour News DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum News Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum Sections * GAA Football * GAA Fixtures * Club Call * Hurling and camogie * Soccer * Boxing * Rugby * Golf * Athletics * Off The Fence * Racing * Opinion * Other Sports Stories Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster Rugby Union Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Football/Soccer John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace Football/Soccer Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final GAA Football McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final Sections * July Budget * Business news * Economics * Personal finance * Business columnists * Business Insight * Markets Stories BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog Business BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Business Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Business Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Sections * Family and Parenting * Property * Holidays & Travel * Fashion & Beauty * Motors/drive * Food & drink * Celebrity * Gardening * Environment * Health * Faith Matters * TV and Radio Stories Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Life TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Life Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Sections * Film * Music * Books * Pipe Band Digest * Stage * Irish language Stories Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Irish language Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Film Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Film Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Sections * Family Notices * Lives Remembered Stories Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lives Remembered Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh Lives Remembered Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Lives Remembered ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Notices Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Sections * Letters to the Editor * Leading article * Cartoons * Columnists Stories Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Columnists Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Columnists Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Leading article Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Sections * Photo of the Day * Graduation pictures * Picture galleries * Video diaries Stories Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow Picture Galleries Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow New Year celebrations from around the world Picture Galleries New Year celebrations from around the world Storm Frank lashes Ireland Picture Galleries Storm Frank lashes Ireland Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 Picture Galleries Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 (BUTTON) Irishnews Logo (BUTTON) * Login User / Logout * Subscriptions * Home * Today's paper * News Sections + Back + Northern Ireland news + UK News + Republic of Ireland news + World news + Political news + Education news + Healthcare news + Nama + Refugee Crisis * Sport Sections + Back + GAA Football + GAA Fixtures + Club Call + Hurling and camogie + Soccer + Boxing + Rugby + Golf + Athletics + Off The Fence + Racing + Opinion + Other Sports * Business Sections + Back + July Budget + Business news + Economics + Personal finance + Business columnists + Business Insight + Markets * Life Sections + Back + Family and Parenting + Property + Holidays & Travel + Fashion & Beauty + Motors/drive + Food & drink + Celebrity + Gardening + Environment + Health + Faith Matters + TV and Radio * Arts Sections + Back + Film + Music + Books + Pipe Band Digest + Stage + Irish language * Notices Sections + Back + Family Notices + Lives Remembered * Opinion Sections + Back + Letters to the Editor + Leading article + Cartoons + Columnists * Puzzles * Photos Sections + Back + Photo of the Day + Graduation pictures + Picture galleries + Video diaries * Our journalists * Horoscopes ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Life Lots of laughs in creepy comedy * * * * * The 'Burbs RALPH McLEAN 31 October, 2014 00:00 SUBURBIA has always offered rich pickings to those wishing to shine a comical light on American society and its well hidden underbelly. All those perfect white picket fences, neat and tidy cul-de-sacs full of big houses peopled with aspirational neighbours desperate to show off their fancy cars and neatly trimmed hedgerows just screams out for satirical re-invention. The 'Burbs first arrived on cinema screens in 1989 but a brand new Blu-ray release from Arrow Video proves how much quality comedy material can be squeezed out of that middle class world. The cul-de-sac in question here is Mayfield Place and the seemingly all American residents are the focus of a satire that is both very much of its time yet oddly still relevant today. At the forefront of these characters are hard working everyman Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks), his dim-witted friend Art (Rick Ducommun) and their war veteran neighbour Lt Rumsfield (Bruce Dern). All seems hunky dory in the residents' world, bar a huge Gothic mansion that looms large over their cheery surroundings. Inhabited by the mysterious Klopeks - three oddball outsiders who are forever digging up their garden in the dead of night and generally behaving suspiciously - the house is bringing down the neighbourhood and the good citizens of the area make it their business to find out why. Joe Dante knows how to make a quality comedy and imbues our trips into the gloomy mansion with a kind of 1930s creepiness that's both fresh and funny. Shadows loom at windows, horrible creaking noises emanate from basements and blokes in dungarees lope clumsily along just like Leatherface in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. If the mood is Abbot and Costello Meet The Monster then much of the comedy on offer is of a similarly simple nature. Good oldfashioned slapstick is the name of the game here and barely a minute of screen time passes without a traditional pratfall, comedy explosion or cartoon-like chase taking place. Al the cast have tons of fun here with Tom Hanks in particular proving himself to be a natural for this sort of comic capering. While everything plays out with a good-natured cartoonish attitude - so much so that you can easily imagine a feature length Tex Avery animation of the film - there are a few pertinent points being made here as well. Ray is essentially a coward whose life around the house is clearly forced upon him when he loses his job (something he doesn't get round to telling his family), Art is a traditional bully forcing his will on others and Rumfield is a blustering military type who's incapable of listening to anyone else's viewpoint bar his own. The witch-hunt they instigate seems sadly relevant today as well. There are excellent extras on offer in this re-issue including a full length Making Of documentary that is genuinely funny and revealing at the same time. There are commentaries, Dante's original working cut of the film and much more besides but, as always, it's the film that really matters. As a dark, mirth making satire on American middle class values The 'Burbs delivers. * * * * * 31 October, 2014 00:00 Life More in Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Most Read * Beware of tax on gifting property to family members * Increase in babies born with 'tongue-tie' * Diagnosing Dyspraxia in your child * Irishman in breastfeeding London Underground row Today's horoscope Horoscope __________________________________________________________________ See a different horoscope: [Select sign] Stay connected Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up __________________________________________________________________ Sections News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 1. PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 2. Families question delays in charging 'Stakeknife' Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 1. Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 2. Cairn Wood: Battle to save amenity from being sold off Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 1. ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 2. Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 1. Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 2. Catch up with: The X-Files on Amazon Prime Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 1. Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 2. Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Sport Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 1. Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 2. Darren Clarke delighted as Europe claim three-point lead Tackle today's puzzles Crosswords From gentle to deadly - Crosswords, Suduko, Codewords, Wordwheels and quizzes Irishnews Logo * Supplements * Send us your story * Contact us * FAQ * About us * Our Journalists * Photo Sales * Careers * WEA * Memoriam Cards * Coaching Days -- [tr?id=901398199913408&ev=PageView&noscript=1] IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-NFRQLH * Subscriptions from £4.49 » * User * * Log in ____________________ ____________________ (BUTTON) Log In Forgotten Password? Need an account? * Need help? + FAQ + Contact us * Notices * Horoscopes * Today's paper Irishnews Logo Logo * Share on facebook * Share on twitter * Share via email * * * Logo * * News * Sport * Business * Life * Arts * Notices * Opinion * Puzzles * Photos * ____________________ (BUTTON) ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Sections * Northern Ireland news * UK News * Republic of Ireland news * World news * Political news * Education news * Healthcare news * Nama * Refugee Crisis Stories Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast Northern Ireland news Two men arrested after attempted murder in Belfast PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour News DUP lack necessary 'element of skill' for Guinness records honour Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum News Rembrandt masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum Sections * GAA Football * GAA Fixtures * Club Call * Hurling and camogie * Soccer * Boxing * Rugby * Golf * Athletics * Off The Fence * Racing * Opinion * Other Sports Stories Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster Rugby Union Farrell shines for Saracens in commanding win over Ulster John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Football/Soccer John Terry rescues point for Chelsea in six-goal thriller Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace Football/Soccer Aguero strikes twice as Man City ease to win over Crystal Palace McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final GAA Football McKenna Cup Liveblog: Tyrone v Fermanagh - semi-final Sections * July Budget * Business news * Economics * Personal finance * Business columnists * Business Insight * Markets Stories BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog Business BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE cleared by competition watchdog ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Business Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Business Drinks Inc planning 12 redundancies says Siptu union Sections * Family and Parenting * Property * Holidays & Travel * Fashion & Beauty * Motors/drive * Food & drink * Celebrity * Gardening * Environment * Health * Faith Matters * TV and Radio Stories Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Life TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Life Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Sections * Film * Music * Books * Pipe Band Digest * Stage * Irish language Stories Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Irish language Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Film Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Film Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Sections * Family Notices * Lives Remembered Stories Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lives Remembered Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh Lives Remembered Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Lives Remembered ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Notices Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Sections * Letters to the Editor * Leading article * Cartoons * Columnists Stories Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Columnists Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Columnists Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Leading article Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Sections * Photo of the Day * Graduation pictures * Picture galleries * Video diaries Stories Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow Picture Galleries Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow New Year celebrations from around the world Picture Galleries New Year celebrations from around the world Storm Frank lashes Ireland Picture Galleries Storm Frank lashes Ireland Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 Picture Galleries Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 (BUTTON) Irishnews Logo (BUTTON) * Login User / Logout * Subscriptions * Home * Today's paper * News Sections + Back + Northern Ireland news + UK News + Republic of Ireland news + World news + Political news + Education news + Healthcare news + Nama + Refugee Crisis * Sport Sections + Back + GAA Football + GAA Fixtures + Club Call + Hurling and camogie + Soccer + Boxing + Rugby + Golf + Athletics + Off The Fence + Racing + Opinion + Other Sports * Business Sections + Back + July Budget + Business news + Economics + Personal finance + Business columnists + Business Insight + Markets * Life Sections + Back + Family and Parenting + Property + Holidays & Travel + Fashion & Beauty + Motors/drive + Food & drink + Celebrity + Gardening + Environment + Health + Faith Matters + TV and Radio * Arts Sections + Back + Film + Music + Books + Pipe Band Digest + Stage + Irish language * Notices Sections + Back + Family Notices + Lives Remembered * Opinion Sections + Back + Letters to the Editor + Leading article + Cartoons + Columnists * Puzzles * Photos Sections + Back + Photo of the Day + Graduation pictures + Picture galleries + Video diaries * Our journalists * Horoscopes ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Life MICHAEL UNMASKED MICHAEL UNMASKED * * * * * 02 January, 2015 00:00 In Birdman, Michael Keaton plays a washedup Hollywood star on the verge of a nervous breakdown, desperate to prove he's more than the superhero he once played. Albertina Lloyd catches up with the former Batman star and can't help but question the irony HE MAY not be superhuman, but Michael Keaton is super-energetic. He talks nineteen to the dozen, making constant asides and asking rhetorical questions, so at times, it's almost as if he is debating with himself. But though he is enthusiastic, there is no arrogance or bravado about him. When I enter the room we've arranged to meet in, he's busy using a smartphone with a bright red cover that stands out boldly against his black jacket. He looks up, greets me warmly, and excuses himself, explaining, "I am sending a message to my son". It's a level of social etiquette one can rarely expect from a friend or family member in this modern digital age, let alone a Hollywood star. We're here to discuss his latest film - to give it its full title, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance). Keaton plays Riggan, an actor who hopes to revive his flagging career by directing and starring in an ambitious Broadway production of a play he has also rewritten himself. Riggan is riddled with self-doubt and a fear of failure. As a result, his subconscious has started to speak to him in the voice of his former character Birdman; the superhero role that made him famous, whose poster looms over his dressing room. The film - by Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, of 21 Grams and Babel fame - is a brilliant satire on a film industry dominated by blockbuster comic book sequels. It is both darkly thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud funny. Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts and Zach Galifianakis all give notable performances. And it invites audiences behind the scenes of the acting world - showing the human frailty behind celebrity. "It was fun to play, but at the same time, this movie's tricky - you can't enjoy it while you're doing it," confesses Pennsylvania-born Keaton. "It's odd. You really enjoy it, but it was so hard to do these scenes - you have to be locked in." One of the comic highlights is when Riggan pops out for a cigarette between scenes and the stage door blows shut, trapping his dressing gown. The fragile actor is forced to run around the side of theatre and through Times Square to get back in through the front of the theatre - wearing only in his underpants. It was filmed on location, so Keaton ran almost naked through one of the most crowded parts of New York, while people pointed and filmed it on their phones. "I just did that this morning in Hyde Park," he quips, when asked about it. "It's more fun in Hyde Park, actually. "It was really weirdly fun," he adds of filming the scene. "It's fun to play a guy who's this screwed up. To literally get naked, I guess, I didn't think I'd enjoy it so much. You get naked emotionally and then you get almost naked physically." The parallels between Keaton and Riggan are obvious. Inarritu has said he wrote the role for him. The 63-year-old began acting on TV in the 70s. In 1988, he starred in Tim Burton's dark family comedy Beetlejuice, and a year later, the director cast him as the Caped Crusader in his film adaptation of Batman. Burton's gothic interpretation of Gotham was critically acclaimed, the film was a hit and, in 1992, they made a successful sequel, Batman Returns. Since then, Keaton's kept making movies. He had a role in Tarantino's Jackie Brown, some successful comedies, voice work in hit animations Cars and Toy Story 3, but Batman has remained the peak of his career. So does he relate to Riggan's scenario -- has the Caped Crusader loomed over him all these years? "Oh no, no, no," he insists. "Obviously, I relate to him in, 'Oh yeah, I played Batman', he plays a character called Birdman, it's not coincidental," he adds quickly. "I'd be insane if I didn't go, 'Yeah, I did that too'. "The thing is, this movie's about Alejandro, more than any of us. And we're just the vessels. So I relate to the fact that I'm an actor, and I had to play that. I just don't relate to the type of personality this guy is. "But I'm human, he's human. I relate to how sometimes you feel good, sometimes you don't feel so good. Sometimes you feel secure, sometimes you don't feel so secure. But I'm not that type of personality, which makes it easier to look at the guy and go, 'Well, what happened in his life that made him like that, besides the entertainment business?' That's in his personality, regardless of what he does for living." If Keaton had ever felt as insecure and down about his own career as Riggan, he certainly has no need to now. The film has already begun garnering awards, and the industry is all atwitter with Oscar buzz for Birdman. As well as looking at a film industry and fame, Inarritu also turns the camera back on the world of social media. Just hours after Riggan has run semi-naked through Times Square, the video is all over the internet, and it helps draw publicity for his flagging play. When Keaton played Batman, Hollywood stars were still treated as real superheroes. Fans looked up to them and respected them. Now, the insatiable appetite for internet gossip seems to make them a target. Tear them down from their pedestal and expose them for what they really are - flawed human beings, just like the rest of us. "I wonder if people always did that?" muses Keaton, with the voice of one who knows. "Anyway, it's more so now, because of technology. You can catch people looking horrible or doing things that they actually do. It's more intense now than ever." But he doesn't seem that bothered, and why should he be? Keaton doesn't need to worry about having his mask ripped off, because he's not hiding behind one. And while for some, he will always be Batman, soon he is sure to have some awards to put on the shelf next to the superhero memorabilia. Keaton is an actor, and in Birdman, he is a superb one. n Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) is in cinemas now. See Brian Campbell's review P39. * * * * * 02 January, 2015 00:00 Life More in Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Most Read * Beware of tax on gifting property to family members * Increase in babies born with 'tongue-tie' * Diagnosing Dyspraxia in your child * Irishman in breastfeeding London Underground row Today's horoscope Horoscope __________________________________________________________________ See a different horoscope: [Select sign] Stay connected Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up __________________________________________________________________ Sections News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 1. PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 2. Families question delays in charging 'Stakeknife' Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 1. Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 2. Cairn Wood: Battle to save amenity from being sold off Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 1. ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 2. Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 1. Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 2. Catch up with: The X-Files on Amazon Prime Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 1. Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 2. Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Sport Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 1. Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 2. Darren Clarke delighted as Europe claim three-point lead Tackle today's puzzles Crosswords From gentle to deadly - Crosswords, Suduko, Codewords, Wordwheels and quizzes Irishnews Logo * Supplements * Send us your story * Contact us * FAQ * About us * Our Journalists * Photo Sales * Careers * WEA * Memoriam Cards * Coaching Days -- #alternate IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-9CS6 * Jobs + Findajob.ie + Search Jobs + Advertise a Job + Upload CV + Career Advice + Education & Training * Cars + CarsIreland.ie + Used Car Search + Car Dealers * Homes + Globrix.ie + Buy Property + Rent Property + Advertise Properties * Deals + Grabone.ie + Dublin + Cork + Galway + Limerick + Kerry + South East + GrabOne Escapes + GrabOne Store * Dating + TheMeetingPoint.ie + Mature + Gay * Death Notices + Announcement.ie + Deaths + In Memoriam + Book a Notice * Book an Ad + Book a Print Ad + Book an Online Ad * Facebook * Twitter herald Sunday 17 January 2016 Icon Hi °C | Lo °C Change * Athlone * Bray * Cork * Drogheda * Dundalk * Galway * Kilkenny * Limerick * Navan * Waterford * News + News + Weather * Courts * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports + School Sports Van Gaal denies 'in transition' United could suffer the same title drought visited on Anfield Griffiths helps Celtic go six clear Des Berry: Boy Racers up to speed on Bath A long way from Croker rout ... Ranieri wants Foxes to savour taste of success Arsene Wenger says Arsenal are more experienced this season to deal with Stoke Photo: Getty Wenger: we can cope at lofty Stoke * Staying In + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Horoscopes Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance', gender pay gap and science Why Ryan Tubridy was 'moved to tears' at Toy Show rehearsals When I got to Ireland I instantly felt connected to it and the people - Mara 'Detective Dishy is best thing I've been called', says Red Rock's Chris Domhnall's Star Wars charity set to benefit Dublin hospice Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children * Going Out * Lifestyle * Opinion Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go Herald.ie› Entertainment› TV & Radio› Weird has become the new normal ZOMBIES, SERIAL KILLERS, TORTURED COPS . . . THESE ARE THE HEROES OF THIS GLEEFULLY WARPED TV AGE 28 June 2014 02:30 PM 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size WHO would have imagined, say, a decade ago that viewers and critics alike would be thrilled by stories of zombies stalking a post-apocalyptic landscape of one sort or another? For that matter, who would have believed back then that zombies, historically the least scary, most boring of all horror movie monsters (even the great George Romero essentially used the shuffling undead as props to shore up his satires on consumerism), would be the focal point of not one but four hit series, each with its own unique style? Dead Set carried on Romero's satirical legacy by letting rabid zombies loose in the Big Brother house. The Walking Dead put flesh on comic book characters and then let the hungry hordes tear it back off in gloriously gory, unflinching fashion. Eerie French chiller The Returned offered a singularly . . . well, French vision of zombies, in which those back from the grave have hearty appetites for food (but not, so far, the human variety), drink and sex. In the Flesh took zombies away from the usual stomping grounds of graveyards and spooky woods and into the narrow laneways and narrower minds of an English village rife with fear and prejudice. Welcome to 21st century television, where what were once regarded as niche interests have infiltrated the mainstream to the point where they've begun to dominate it. Weird is now the new normal, and the result is some of the best, most imaginative, most thought-provoking TV drama the medium has 
ever spawned. It's not all just about scary stuff, although the success of American Horror Story and especially the superb Penny Dreadful, with its ingenious deployment of famous characters from the literature of the macabre, proves the audience for things involving creatures of the night stretches well beyond incurable old horror buffs like me. 
Television drama in general has taken a turn for the weird - and more often than not, the wonderful too. The last 12 months or so have been a fertile time for quirky, off-centre dramas. Channel 4's Utopia, a thriller about the hunt for a mysterious graphic novel that was itself styled to look like a graphic novel, was one of the most eerie, spellbinding and beautiful things I've ever seen, and terrifying into the bargain. The magnificent True Detective showed that it's possible to take even the most familiar tropes of the police procedural and serial killer genres and reassemble them into something dazzlingly new - and entrancingly weird. But for sheer weirdness (and indeed sheer wonderfulness), Fargo leaves every other drama series we've seen this year, including awards bait like Line of Duty and Happy 
Valley, at the starting gate. Plenty of people, me included, have showered superlatives over the way Fargo mixed thriller, dark comedy, farce, romance, graphic violence, and homespun values of honesty and decency with an expert hand that never once lost control of any of these elements. But it's only when you sit back and reflect on all 10 episodes that you fully appreciate just how jaw-droppingly strange a series it was. Given that Fargo's odd structure and startling changes of tone from one scene to another were even more extreme than anything in the Coen brothers' source movie, it's remarkable it was given the green light at all, let alone by Fox, one of America's major networks. The fact that it was lapped up with equal relish by viewers and critics signifies just how much television drama has changed in recent years. When David Lynch and Mark Frost unleashed Twin Peaks on an unsuspecting world back in 1990, the world responded with a gasp; here was a drama series unlike anything ever seen before. I suspect that if Twin Peaks were to debut in the current television climate, it would fit right in. RAP BATTLE: This, as I'm sure you've noticed, is the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. It appears the BBC, which has undertaken an epic, four-year commemoration of the conflict, fears some viewers haven't noticed. Namely, Britain's young people. [INS: :INS] In an effort to get the yoof up to speed, the BBC has made a YouTube video featuring actors dressed up as key figures behind the conflict and rapping about the causes behind the war. According to The Guardian newspaper, in one sequence Emperor Franz Josef of Austro-Hungary raps: "Russians, Mongols, Turks, my bitches, better watch out 'cos my finger trigger itches." I was about to say you couldn't make this stuff up. You could, of course; it's just that nobody would believe you. TIGHT-LIPPED: I happened to flick over to Watchdog on BBC1 this week and briefly thought my satellite signal had frozen. Nope, it was just that host Anne Robinson's face has been so immobilised by Botox and plastic surgery, the only part that moves any more is her mouth. "Hey, Doctor, you missed a bit!" DING-DONG: The sound of millions of former teenagers' illusions being shattered will soon echo around the globe when US channel Lifetime airs a new TV movie set to expose the unsavoury behind-the-scenes secrets of popular, squeaky-clean 80s kids' comedy Saved by the Bell. You have to wonder, though, how much damage a mere drama can do to unfortunate erstwhile cast member Elizabeth Berkley, left, who effectively wrecked her nascent movie career by getting her kit off in the notoriously sleazy and toxic turkey Showgirls. 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size [INS: :INS] * Most Read * Most Emailed * Most Shared 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2Fpages%2FThe-Herald%2F167882646558086&width=300&height=290&colorsc heme=light&show_faces=true&header=true&stream=false&show_border=true&ap pId=1390335914588500 Promoted articles Entertainment News Elaine Whyte of the ISPCA Appeal after dog shot dead and dumped The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to... Holly Carpenter Holly Carpenter: 'I can’t understand people getting a thrill out of being so... In the past week, I’ve... Little angels: Children from St Joseph’s School, Dublin 8, meet live animals at the IFA crib in the Mansion House. Pic: Finbarr O’Rourke Top 10 things to do in Dublin at Christmas Oh, the weather outside is frightful… And you could... The Edge and Conor McGregor Champion Conor McGregor touches down in Dublin with The Edge It WAS a beautiful day... UFC fighter Paddy ‘The Hooligan’ Holohan takes down Herald reporter Ryan Nugent at the Straight Blast Gym on the Naas Road The day I became a UFC fighter, took on The Hooligan ... and lost As Conor McGregor said,... Bono gets the crowd going in Paris 'Tonight we are all Parisians', says emotional Bono Almost a month after the Paris terrorist attacks... Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children Tiger Woods says he has... NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 09: Actors Daniel Radcliffe (L) and James McAvoy attend the AOL BUILD Speaker Series: "Victor Frankenstein" at AOL Studios In New York on November 9, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance',... Daniel Radcliffe and... Sir Bruce Forsyth is among the stars helping out for Text Santa Bruce Forsyth will miss Christmas Strictly after operation Bruce Forsyth has pulled... Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood... By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy [cookie_bar_close.png] This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. See our Privacy & Cookie Policy * News + Breaking News + News + Weather * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports * Entertainment + Around Town + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Competitions * Lifestyle + Health & Beauty + Motoring + Travel * Opinion * Jobs * Property * Directory * Cars * Follow us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter * Add us on google+ * Download our apps * Subscribe to our newsletters * Sitemap * Contact * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Statement * Advertise with Us * Group Websites Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go © Herald.ie Logo Inm A * News * Courts * Sport * Staying In * Going Out * Lifestyle * Opinion * Facebook * Twitter one pixel graphics -- #alternate IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-9CS6 * Jobs + Findajob.ie + Search Jobs + Advertise a Job + Upload CV + Career Advice + Education & Training * Cars + CarsIreland.ie + Used Car Search + Car Dealers * Homes + Globrix.ie + Buy Property + Rent Property + Advertise Properties * Deals + Grabone.ie + Dublin + Cork + Galway + Limerick + Kerry + South East + GrabOne Escapes + GrabOne Store * Dating + TheMeetingPoint.ie + Mature + Gay * Death Notices + Announcement.ie + Deaths + In Memoriam + Book a Notice * Book an Ad + Book a Print Ad + Book an Online Ad * Facebook * Twitter herald Sunday 17 January 2016 Icon Hi °C | Lo °C Change * Athlone * Bray * Cork * Drogheda * Dundalk * Galway * Kilkenny * Limerick * Navan * Waterford * News + News + Weather * Courts * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports + School Sports Van Gaal denies 'in transition' United could suffer the same title drought visited on Anfield Griffiths helps Celtic go six clear Des Berry: Boy Racers up to speed on Bath A long way from Croker rout ... Ranieri wants Foxes to savour taste of success Arsene Wenger says Arsenal are more experienced this season to deal with Stoke Photo: Getty Wenger: we can cope at lofty Stoke * Staying In + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Horoscopes Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance', gender pay gap and science Why Ryan Tubridy was 'moved to tears' at Toy Show rehearsals When I got to Ireland I instantly felt connected to it and the people - Mara 'Detective Dishy is best thing I've been called', says Red Rock's Chris Domhnall's Star Wars charity set to benefit Dublin hospice Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children * Going Out * Lifestyle * Opinion Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go Herald.ie› It's no laughing matter, Mario's show won't be
screened in 2014 By Melanie Finn – 18 July 2014 02:30 PM 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size COMEDIAN Mario Rosenstock's top-rated show has been "delayed" and won't be returning to our screens this year. Despite being well-received by viewers, the Herald can reveal his satirical show won't feature on RTE's autumn schedule launch in what will come as a huge surprise to his fans. The renowned impersonator (43) has also been in talks with TV3 as he keeps his options open, saying that "nothing is set in stone". Meanwhile, his rival Oliver Callan's new comedy sketch show has moved into the Late Late Show slot on RTE One for a six-week run. creator Written by Callan and Republic of Telly creator James Cotter, the show had its TV pilot on New Year's Eve before being given a summer slot. Gift Grub creator Mario revealed that he has been in negotiations with RTE about making a third series of his programme. But he said he was going to be too busy with his new nationwide tour to make the TV show this year. His 'Rosenstock Show' director, Damien Farrell, is also working on the new Star Wars movie at the moment. "There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between myself and RTE. It's a case of watch this space. They wanted me to do a series in the autumn but I'm on tour then so I had to put it back," Mario said. "There's talks with RTE about 
something a lot more ambitious so that's also why the show has been delayed." He also confirmed that he had been approached by TV3 about possible future projects. The Ballymount station first featured his hilarious impersonations on the Vincent Browne show before he was poached by RTE to make two series of his hit TV show. performed "Nothing is set in stone anywhere and I do have a good relationship with TV3. I started with them after all and had a great time working with them," he continued. He's also flying high with his stage shows, Gift Grub Live, having recently performed to 3,500 fans at the Live at the Marquee in Cork festival, which he said was "amazing." Rosenstock is now gearing up to take to the road again with a new nationwide Gift Grub tour which will start in late September and run until the start of December. A spokeswoman for RTE said they were hopeful of working with Mario in the future. [INS: :INS] "We are in talks for the next series of his show as it performed really well for RTE2 and he's a talent we really admire," she said. Asked if it was a case of choosing Callan's sketch show over Mario's, she replied: "That's not the case. " She added that Oliver's show was a six-part series running for the summer months. Mario's show enjoyed massive success with Irish audiences when it first aired in November 2012. compliment This was swifly followed by a second installament in September 2013 as the nation gobbled up his impersonations - with RTE commissioning it 
before the first one was even finished its run. Rosenstock, who can do 22 impersonations in two minutes, has pilloried everyone from Miriam O'Callaghan, Donal Skehan, Jose Mourinho and Marty Morrissey. But he cited mum-of-eight Miriam as his favourite character to take off, giving her the catch-phrase of 'genuinely.' For her part, she said she took it as a huge compliment and wasn't in the least bit offended by his comedy sketches - but she's now more careful about using the word 'genuinely' on TV now. hnews@herald.ie 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size [INS: :INS] * Most Read * Most Emailed * Most Shared 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2Fpages%2FThe-Herald%2F167882646558086&width=300&height=290&colorsc heme=light&show_faces=true&header=true&stream=false&show_border=true&ap pId=1390335914588500 Promoted articles Entertainment News Elaine Whyte of the ISPCA Appeal after dog shot dead and dumped The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to... Holly Carpenter Holly Carpenter: 'I can’t understand people getting a thrill out of being so... In the past week, I’ve... Little angels: Children from St Joseph’s School, Dublin 8, meet live animals at the IFA crib in the Mansion House. Pic: Finbarr O’Rourke Top 10 things to do in Dublin at Christmas Oh, the weather outside is frightful… And you could... The Edge and Conor McGregor Champion Conor McGregor touches down in Dublin with The Edge It WAS a beautiful day... UFC fighter Paddy ‘The Hooligan’ Holohan takes down Herald reporter Ryan Nugent at the Straight Blast Gym on the Naas Road The day I became a UFC fighter, took on The Hooligan ... and lost As Conor McGregor said,... Bono gets the crowd going in Paris 'Tonight we are all Parisians', says emotional Bono Almost a month after the Paris terrorist attacks... Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children Tiger Woods says he has... NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 09: Actors Daniel Radcliffe (L) and James McAvoy attend the AOL BUILD Speaker Series: "Victor Frankenstein" at AOL Studios In New York on November 9, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance',... Daniel Radcliffe and... Sir Bruce Forsyth is among the stars helping out for Text Santa Bruce Forsyth will miss Christmas Strictly after operation Bruce Forsyth has pulled... Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood... By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy [cookie_bar_close.png] This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. See our Privacy & Cookie Policy * News + Breaking News + News + Weather * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports * Entertainment + Around Town + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Competitions * Lifestyle + Health & Beauty + Motoring + Travel * Opinion * Jobs * Property * Directory * Cars * Follow us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter * Add us on google+ * Download our apps * Subscribe to our newsletters * Sitemap * Contact * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Statement * Advertise with Us * Group Websites Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go © Herald.ie Logo Inm A one pixel graphics -- #alternate IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-9CS6 * Jobs + Findajob.ie + Search Jobs + Advertise a Job + Upload CV + Career Advice + Education & Training * Cars + CarsIreland.ie + Used Car Search + Car Dealers * Homes + Globrix.ie + Buy Property + Rent Property + Advertise Properties * Deals + Grabone.ie + Dublin + Cork + Galway + Limerick + Kerry + South East + GrabOne Escapes + GrabOne Store * Dating + TheMeetingPoint.ie + Mature + Gay * Death Notices + Announcement.ie + Deaths + In Memoriam + Book a Notice * Book an Ad + Book a Print Ad + Book an Online Ad * Facebook * Twitter herald Sunday 17 January 2016 Icon Hi °C | Lo °C Change * Athlone * Bray * Cork * Drogheda * Dundalk * Galway * Kilkenny * Limerick * Navan * Waterford * News + News + Weather * Courts * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports + School Sports Van Gaal denies 'in transition' United could suffer the same title drought visited on Anfield Griffiths helps Celtic go six clear Des Berry: Boy Racers up to speed on Bath A long way from Croker rout ... Ranieri wants Foxes to savour taste of success Arsene Wenger says Arsenal are more experienced this season to deal with Stoke Photo: Getty Wenger: we can cope at lofty Stoke * Staying In + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Horoscopes Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance', gender pay gap and science Why Ryan Tubridy was 'moved to tears' at Toy Show rehearsals When I got to Ireland I instantly felt connected to it and the people - Mara 'Detective Dishy is best thing I've been called', says Red Rock's Chris Domhnall's Star Wars charity set to benefit Dublin hospice Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children * Going Out * Lifestyle * Opinion Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go Herald.ie› Lifestyle› A FUNNY SORT OF HEARTBREAK... Abbey Theatre> CHRIS WASSER 23 August 2014 02:30 PM 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size Captain Shotover runs a mad house. Lots of swinging doors, heated arguments, characters popping out in fancy-dress (well, just Hector and his extravagant moustache) and, at one stage, a comical act of hypnotism. There is more to Heartbreak House, however, than farcical proclamations. It's got the First World War on its doorstep, too. Essentially a dinner-party piece without the dinner party, George Bernard Shaw's witty portrayal of familial disorder at the top wraps itself up in so many affairs of the heart that it should probably come with a handbook. For a start, Ellie Dunn is due to be married to a wealthy businessman, Alfred Mangan. Alas, she is secretly in love with the aforementioned Hector. But wait, Hector is the husband of Ellie's mate, Hesione (and she knows all about her partner's philandering). Throw them all under the one roof - a glorious, country abode that sort of looks like a ship - and chaos ensues. BANKRUPTCY Everyone agrees that Mangan is too old to marry Ellie, and besides, she's only going ahead with the wedding so as to save her father from bankruptcy. Oh, and he got the invite to stay at the Captain's gaff, too. As did Mangan. Did I mention the fact that the Captain's eldest daughter, Ariadne, has also come home for the weekend? She's also mad about Hector. That handbook would prove useful right about now, wouldn't it? It's a good thing that Heartbreak House is entertaining, and its satirical look at British high society in the early 20th century (all greed, vanity and idleness) is what keeps this one going. The language throughout is tremendous, even when a ridiculous running time almost causes it to fall in on itself (nearly three hours… bring a cushion). The cast members overdo it, but that's the beauty of Heartbreak House. Its leading lothario (a super Nick Dunning) prances and preens through all the best lines. Old man Mangan (the always reliable Don Wycherley) throws spectacular temper tantrums, and the women (not least the fabulous Kathy Kiera Clarke as Hesione) just about steal the show. An eerie finale puts them all in their place (director Roisin McBrinn's final shot will stay with you for hours). Though we're not too sure about that heavy-handed score. A wacky, frock-and-dinner coat drama, with solid comedic performances, this was Bernard Shaw's "favourite play". It's not his best, mind, but it's still a good laugh. Running until September 13 HHHII [INS: :INS] 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size [INS: :INS] * Most Read * Most Emailed * Most Shared 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2Fpages%2FThe-Herald%2F167882646558086&width=300&height=290&colorsc heme=light&show_faces=true&header=true&stream=false&show_border=true&ap pId=1390335914588500 Promoted articles Entertainment News Elaine Whyte of the ISPCA Appeal after dog shot dead and dumped The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to... Holly Carpenter Holly Carpenter: 'I can’t understand people getting a thrill out of being so... In the past week, I’ve... Little angels: Children from St Joseph’s School, Dublin 8, meet live animals at the IFA crib in the Mansion House. Pic: Finbarr O’Rourke Top 10 things to do in Dublin at Christmas Oh, the weather outside is frightful… And you could... The Edge and Conor McGregor Champion Conor McGregor touches down in Dublin with The Edge It WAS a beautiful day... UFC fighter Paddy ‘The Hooligan’ Holohan takes down Herald reporter Ryan Nugent at the Straight Blast Gym on the Naas Road The day I became a UFC fighter, took on The Hooligan ... and lost As Conor McGregor said,... Bono gets the crowd going in Paris 'Tonight we are all Parisians', says emotional Bono Almost a month after the Paris terrorist attacks... Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children Tiger Woods says he has... NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 09: Actors Daniel Radcliffe (L) and James McAvoy attend the AOL BUILD Speaker Series: "Victor Frankenstein" at AOL Studios In New York on November 9, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance',... Daniel Radcliffe and... Sir Bruce Forsyth is among the stars helping out for Text Santa Bruce Forsyth will miss Christmas Strictly after operation Bruce Forsyth has pulled... Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood... By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy [cookie_bar_close.png] This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. See our Privacy & Cookie Policy * News + Breaking News + News + Weather * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports * Entertainment + Around Town + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Competitions * Lifestyle + Health & Beauty + Motoring + Travel * Opinion * Jobs * Property * Directory * Cars * Follow us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter * Add us on google+ * Download our apps * Subscribe to our newsletters * Sitemap * Contact * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Statement * Advertise with Us * Group Websites Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go © Herald.ie Logo Inm A one pixel graphics -- #alternate IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-9CS6 * Jobs + Findajob.ie + Search Jobs + Advertise a Job + Upload CV + Career Advice + Education & Training * Cars + CarsIreland.ie + Used Car Search + Car Dealers * Homes + Globrix.ie + Buy Property + Rent Property + Advertise Properties * Deals + Grabone.ie + Dublin + Cork + Galway + Limerick + Kerry + South East + GrabOne Escapes + GrabOne Store * Dating + TheMeetingPoint.ie + Mature + Gay * Death Notices + Announcement.ie + Deaths + In Memoriam + Book a Notice * Book an Ad + Book a Print Ad + Book an Online Ad * Facebook * Twitter herald Sunday 17 January 2016 Icon Hi °C | Lo °C Change * Athlone * Bray * Cork * Drogheda * Dundalk * Galway * Kilkenny * Limerick * Navan * Waterford * News + News + Weather * Courts * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports + School Sports Van Gaal denies 'in transition' United could suffer the same title drought visited on Anfield Griffiths helps Celtic go six clear Des Berry: Boy Racers up to speed on Bath A long way from Croker rout ... Ranieri wants Foxes to savour taste of success Arsene Wenger says Arsenal are more experienced this season to deal with Stoke Photo: Getty Wenger: we can cope at lofty Stoke * Staying In + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Horoscopes Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance', gender pay gap and science Why Ryan Tubridy was 'moved to tears' at Toy Show rehearsals When I got to Ireland I instantly felt connected to it and the people - Mara 'Detective Dishy is best thing I've been called', says Red Rock's Chris Domhnall's Star Wars charity set to benefit Dublin hospice Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children * Going Out * Lifestyle * Opinion Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go Herald.ie› Opinion› Blood, guts and glory One ends, another begins... this week, there's more than one battle being fought 01 November 2014 02:30 PM 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size World War One aficionados have had more than enough to satisfy their interests in this centenary year of the start of the Great War. (One hopes that the centenary of its end will be as well marked in four years time.) Harrod-Eagles knows her way around a massive cast of characters: her Morland Dynasty series, following the titular family from the War of The Roses up to 1931, is now in its 35th volume. This is the first instalment in the author's new series, which presumably follows the war year by year. Since she's already tread this path in the past, via the Morlands, die-hard fans of her work may find themselves if not disappointed, then at least bemused by this apparent back-tracking and perhaps rather let down that there isn't merely another book in the beloved series instead. It's summer in England, 1914. One can almost see the dust motes floating on air as the sun reaches its zenith in the fictional town of Northcote. We become immediately absorbed in the personalities and relationships of the major players: the Wroughtons, who are the local gentry, especially Charles, the heir; the Hunters who are members of the new, growing middle class, who are neither here nor there, with their family beauty Diana longing for a match with the taciturn Charles; and the lower classes, the servants and the like, who populate the kitchens and stables and shops. War is not declared until well into the novel, and Harrod-Eagles manages to incorporate the big events with those that are more mundane - up to a point. There are passages in which information is disseminated rather starkly, mainly through the person of Hunter patriarch Edward who is a banker. His conversations with influential government-types ring extremely falsely, like great chunks of a history book inserted between quotations marks. These are the only sour notes hit throughout though, as everyone gets a fair share of the spotlight, and each character becomes more complex as we go along. Harrod-Eagles also takes pains to bring in the burgeoning Suffragette movement and the unrest in Ireland. Since I only got hooked into her work very late in the game, I didn't have any déjà vu as regards the subject matter; I won't however, be picking up the previous novels that cover this time period. A pity, as her books are really satisfying reads. SOME LUCK By Jane Smiley Pan Macmillan (2104) €17.99 HHHHH From the fields of France to the acres of Iowa: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley begins a trilogy covering one hundred years of life in America, almost where Harrod-Eagles plans to leave off. Walter Langdon, husband to Rosanna, father to Frank, Joe, Lillian, Henry and Claire, served his time Over There and having seen Paree, was happy enough to stay down on the farm after it was all over. This has all the earmarks of a saga - lengthy period of time covered; dizzying number of innovations to be integrated into daily life; births, deaths, etc - all these boxes are ticked. Yet this is no pot-boiler, with drama for drama's sake. Indeed, Smiley's tone is so gentle, so measured, even in times of great upheaval and grief, that it is almost hypnotic - in fact, it's almost as hypnotic as living one's own life: waking, sleeping, eating, moving forward sometimes without knowing that one is being moved, thrusting one's dreams into reality without having known how one has gotten the energy to do so. Whilst every character is drawn cleanly and clearly, and every personality fully realised, the overall authorial tone reigns, one of detached omniscience that allows for all the saga/drama without losing its perspective or descending into the depths of chaos or ascending the heights of joy. It is not cold or uncaring, it merely is, in the way that the Langdons, in the great scheme of things, merely are: despite their hopes and dreams, they are going round the wheel of life along with many other souls. Despite the apparent detachment, Smiley's tone is full of warmth and humour; it comes with a touch of satire when needed, but is always leavened by the sheer fondness of a writer writing about something that touches her heart. In turn, it touches the reader's heart. Cannot wait for the next one! It was shockingly difficult to choose only a few well-known or classic books about armed conflict. Here are a few more, with two that go farther afield. WAR HORSE By Michael Morpurgo Egmont (2011) €10 [INS: :INS] HHHHH Joey is horse and he narrates his life story from the age of six months, when he is ripped from his mother's side and sold, through to his being torn from the side of his beloved boy Albert to be sent to serve in WWI. Joey is then torn from his pal Topthorn (he's a horse) and his officer - poor Joey! Morpurgo does an amazing job telling the story from an animal's point of view, and puts a different slant on the suffering experienced during that conflict. SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE By Kurt Vonnegut RosettaBooks (1969; 2010 reissue; eBook) €4.50 HH Based on Vonnegut's experience serving in Dresden, and released on the cusp of the Vietnam War, this is considered an American classic, and it certainly showcases the unfortunate reality that the war-like are always among us. When I first read this in high school, I was sure I was missing something; time has not changed this perception. Non-linear time plays the large part in this, and we jump all over the place as the hapless Billy Pilgrim goes off to war, and comes back a broken man. Or at least a confused one. Aliens figure largely. Nope, still am not getting this. DISPATCHES By Michael Herr Picador (1977; reissue 2015) €11.99 HHHH A well-deserved reissue and the precursor, if not the granddaddy, of the embedment of journos in Afghanistan. Herr wrote for Esquire Magazine and this book is the result of his front line involvement in the Vietnam War (I'll stick to book reviews, thanks.) He also figured largely in the productions of Apocalypse Now and Platoon, which tells you everything you need to know about this. It is definitely an on-the-ground recounting of the madness of the jungle, the extreme youth of the soldiers, and of the general mayhem; those seeking a more historical account may look elsewhere. 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size [INS: :INS] * Most Read * Most Emailed * Most Shared 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2Fpages%2FThe-Herald%2F167882646558086&width=300&height=290&colorsc heme=light&show_faces=true&header=true&stream=false&show_border=true&ap pId=1390335914588500 Promoted articles Entertainment News Elaine Whyte of the ISPCA Appeal after dog shot dead and dumped The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to... Holly Carpenter Holly Carpenter: 'I can’t understand people getting a thrill out of being so... In the past week, I’ve... Little angels: Children from St Joseph’s School, Dublin 8, meet live animals at the IFA crib in the Mansion House. Pic: Finbarr O’Rourke Top 10 things to do in Dublin at Christmas Oh, the weather outside is frightful… And you could... The Edge and Conor McGregor Champion Conor McGregor touches down in Dublin with The Edge It WAS a beautiful day... UFC fighter Paddy ‘The Hooligan’ Holohan takes down Herald reporter Ryan Nugent at the Straight Blast Gym on the Naas Road The day I became a UFC fighter, took on The Hooligan ... and lost As Conor McGregor said,... Bono gets the crowd going in Paris 'Tonight we are all Parisians', says emotional Bono Almost a month after the Paris terrorist attacks... Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children Tiger Woods says he has... NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 09: Actors Daniel Radcliffe (L) and James McAvoy attend the AOL BUILD Speaker Series: "Victor Frankenstein" at AOL Studios In New York on November 9, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance',... Daniel Radcliffe and... Sir Bruce Forsyth is among the stars helping out for Text Santa Bruce Forsyth will miss Christmas Strictly after operation Bruce Forsyth has pulled... Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood... By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy [cookie_bar_close.png] This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. See our Privacy & Cookie Policy * News + Breaking News + News + Weather * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports * Entertainment + Around Town + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Competitions * Lifestyle + Health & Beauty + Motoring + Travel * Opinion * Jobs * Property * Directory * Cars * Follow us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter * Add us on google+ * Download our apps * Subscribe to our newsletters * Sitemap * Contact * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Statement * Advertise with Us * Group Websites Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go © Herald.ie Logo Inm A one pixel graphics -- #alternate IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-9CS6 * Jobs + Findajob.ie + Search Jobs + Advertise a Job + Upload CV + Career Advice + Education & Training * Cars + CarsIreland.ie + Used Car Search + Car Dealers * Homes + Globrix.ie + Buy Property + Rent Property + Advertise Properties * Deals + Grabone.ie + Dublin + Cork + Galway + Limerick + Kerry + South East + GrabOne Escapes + GrabOne Store * Dating + TheMeetingPoint.ie + Mature + Gay * Death Notices + Announcement.ie + Deaths + In Memoriam + Book a Notice * Book an Ad + Book a Print Ad + Book an Online Ad * Facebook * Twitter herald Sunday 17 January 2016 Icon Hi °C | Lo °C Change * Athlone * Bray * Cork * Drogheda * Dundalk * Galway * Kilkenny * Limerick * Navan * Waterford * News + News + Weather * Courts * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports + School Sports Van Gaal denies 'in transition' United could suffer the same title drought visited on Anfield Griffiths helps Celtic go six clear Des Berry: Boy Racers up to speed on Bath A long way from Croker rout ... Ranieri wants Foxes to savour taste of success Arsene Wenger says Arsenal are more experienced this season to deal with Stoke Photo: Getty Wenger: we can cope at lofty Stoke * Staying In + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Horoscopes Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance', gender pay gap and science Why Ryan Tubridy was 'moved to tears' at Toy Show rehearsals When I got to Ireland I instantly felt connected to it and the people - Mara 'Detective Dishy is best thing I've been called', says Red Rock's Chris Domhnall's Star Wars charity set to benefit Dublin hospice Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children * Going Out * Lifestyle * Opinion Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go Herald.ie› Opinion› We really like you ... we just wouldn't give you the satisfaction 07 November 2014 02:30 PM 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size "I wouldn't give her the satisfaction." There's no doubt that somewhere in Dublin this week, someone who spotted Eva Longoria, uttered those words. It means, of course, acting with complete indifference towards her. And there's also little doubt that someone was up in her face telling her how "ammmmmmaaaazing" she is and they "looooooooooovvve" her, while attempting to have the craic and take a selfie. It's our uniquely Irish take on celebrities who come here. approval Because we're mostly used to z-elebrities and don't have any real A-listers - bar Bono - we either seek their A-listers approval like a toddler or act like they don't exist. Or rip the utter Michael out of them. When Kimye was honeymooning here this year, the entire country was inventing sightings. Katie Durocher from E! News apparently planned a piece on how Kimye was spotted eating breakfast rolls in Centra, helped to take down election posters and wellie-shopped in Aldi. All this after a tweeter posted: "Just saw Kim Kardashian in the Aldi in Grange looking through the running gear, a turnip and a pair of wellies in her hands." One satirical website also reported that Kim became "posterially wedged" between two stalagmites in the Aillwee caves. Mind you, had the couple flicked on Tonight with Vincent Browne, they would have been disabused of the notion that they are the most famous couple on the planet, with his attempts to pronounce their name. "Gimme" were in Ireland, according to Vincent. Conversely, the need for approval from celebs comes in several forms. If they're on the Late Late, they're asked what they think of the country. Think about it. Have you ever heard any English presenter ask any Hollywood celeb what they think of London? But we need to know that they have Irish ancestors and that they think we're great craic, altogether. sound [INS: :INS] We love an attempt at the obligatory cupla focail (go raibh maith agat, Obama and The Queen). We beam when they tell us how much they just love Guinness, Barry's Tea and Taytos. (Eva, of course, obliged. Though it's hard to imagine that you look like that if you scoff crisps, porter and a full Irish). Wear a county jersey, go to match or attempt a puck-out and we'll defend you forever as being 'sound out'. See, we love celebs. Just as long as you're not too flashy. And you're sound. Sound about letting us take photos and bothering you, when we feel like giving you the satisfaction. 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size [INS: :INS] * Most Read * Most Emailed * Most Shared 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2Fpages%2FThe-Herald%2F167882646558086&width=300&height=290&colorsc heme=light&show_faces=true&header=true&stream=false&show_border=true&ap pId=1390335914588500 Promoted articles Entertainment News Elaine Whyte of the ISPCA Appeal after dog shot dead and dumped The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to... Holly Carpenter Holly Carpenter: 'I can’t understand people getting a thrill out of being so... In the past week, I’ve... Little angels: Children from St Joseph’s School, Dublin 8, meet live animals at the IFA crib in the Mansion House. Pic: Finbarr O’Rourke Top 10 things to do in Dublin at Christmas Oh, the weather outside is frightful… And you could... The Edge and Conor McGregor Champion Conor McGregor touches down in Dublin with The Edge It WAS a beautiful day... UFC fighter Paddy ‘The Hooligan’ Holohan takes down Herald reporter Ryan Nugent at the Straight Blast Gym on the Naas Road The day I became a UFC fighter, took on The Hooligan ... and lost As Conor McGregor said,... Bono gets the crowd going in Paris 'Tonight we are all Parisians', says emotional Bono Almost a month after the Paris terrorist attacks... Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children Tiger Woods says he has... NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 09: Actors Daniel Radcliffe (L) and James McAvoy attend the AOL BUILD Speaker Series: "Victor Frankenstein" at AOL Studios In New York on November 9, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance',... Daniel Radcliffe and... Sir Bruce Forsyth is among the stars helping out for Text Santa Bruce Forsyth will miss Christmas Strictly after operation Bruce Forsyth has pulled... Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood... By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy [cookie_bar_close.png] This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. See our Privacy & Cookie Policy * News + Breaking News + News + Weather * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports * Entertainment + Around Town + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Competitions * Lifestyle + Health & Beauty + Motoring + Travel * Opinion * Jobs * Property * Directory * Cars * Follow us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter * Add us on google+ * Download our apps * Subscribe to our newsletters * Sitemap * Contact * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Statement * Advertise with Us * Group Websites Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go © Herald.ie Logo Inm A * News * Courts * Sport * Staying In * Going Out * Lifestyle * Opinion * Facebook * Twitter one pixel graphics -- #alternate IFRAME: //www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-9CS6 * Jobs + Findajob.ie + Search Jobs + Advertise a Job + Upload CV + Career Advice + Education & Training * Cars + CarsIreland.ie + Used Car Search + Car Dealers * Homes + Globrix.ie + Buy Property + Rent Property + Advertise Properties * Deals + Grabone.ie + Dublin + Cork + Galway + Limerick + Kerry + South East + GrabOne Escapes + GrabOne Store * Dating + TheMeetingPoint.ie + Mature + Gay * Death Notices + Announcement.ie + Deaths + In Memoriam + Book a Notice * Book an Ad + Book a Print Ad + Book an Online Ad * Facebook * Twitter herald Sunday 17 January 2016 Icon Hi °C | Lo °C Change * Athlone * Bray * Cork * Drogheda * Dundalk * Galway * Kilkenny * Limerick * Navan * Waterford * News + News + Weather * Courts * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports + School Sports Van Gaal denies 'in transition' United could suffer the same title drought visited on Anfield Griffiths helps Celtic go six clear Des Berry: Boy Racers up to speed on Bath A long way from Croker rout ... Ranieri wants Foxes to savour taste of success Arsene Wenger says Arsenal are more experienced this season to deal with Stoke Photo: Getty Wenger: we can cope at lofty Stoke * Staying In + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Horoscopes Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance', gender pay gap and science Why Ryan Tubridy was 'moved to tears' at Toy Show rehearsals When I got to Ireland I instantly felt connected to it and the people - Mara 'Detective Dishy is best thing I've been called', says Red Rock's Chris Domhnall's Star Wars charity set to benefit Dublin hospice Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children * Going Out * Lifestyle * Opinion Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go Herald.ie› Entertainment› Film› From superhero to zero and then back again... In Birdman, Michael Keaton plays a washed-up star on the verge of a breakdown. Albertina Lloyd can't help question the irony 02 January 2015 03:00 AM 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size He may not be superhuman, but Michael Keaton is super-energetic. He talks 19 to the dozen, making constant asides and asking rhetorical questions, so at times, it's almost as if he is debating with himself. But though he is enthusiastic, there is no arrogance or bravado about him. We're here to discuss his latest film - to give it its full title, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance). Keaton plays Riggan, an actor who hopes to revive his flagging career by directing and starring in an ambitious Broadway production of a play he has also re-written himself. Riggan is riddled with self-doubt and a fear of failure. As a result, his sub-conscious has started to speak to him in the voice of his former character Birdman; the superhero role that made him famous, whose poster looms over his dressing room. The film is a brilliant satire on a film industry dominated by blockbuster comic book sequels. It is both darkly thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud funny. Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts and Zach Galifianakis all give notable performances. And it invites audiences behind the scenes of the acting world - showing the human frailty behind celebrity. "It was fun to play, but at the same time, this movie's tricky - you can't enjoy it while you're doing it," confesses Pennsylvania-born Keaton. "It's odd. You really enjoy it, but it was so hard to do these scenes." One of the comic highlights is when Riggan pops out for a cigarette between scenes and the stage door blows shut, trapping his dressing gown. The fragile actor is forced to run around the side of theatre and through Times Square to get back in through the front of the theatre - wearing only in his underpants. It was filmed on location, so Keaton ran almost naked through one of the most crowded parts of New York, while people pointed and filmed it on their phones. "It was really weirdly fun," he adds of filming the scene. "It's fun to play a guy who's this screwed up. To literally get naked, I guess, I didn't think I'd enjoy it so much." The parallels between Keaton and Riggan are obvious. The 63-year-old began acting on TV in the 70s. In 1988, he starred in Tim Burton's dark family comedy Beetlejuice, and a year later, the director cast him as the Caped Crusader in his film adaptation of Batman. Since then, Keaton's kept making movies. He had a role in Tarantino's Jackie Brown, some successful comedies, voice work in hit animations Cars and Toy Story 3, but Batman has remained the peak of his career. So does he relate to Riggan's scenario? "Oh no, no, no," he insists. "Obviously, I relate to him in, 'Oh yeah, I played Batman', he plays a character called Birdman, it's not coincidental," he adds quickly. "I'd be insane if I didn't go, 'Yeah, I did that too'. [INS: :INS] "I relate to how sometimes you feel good, sometimes you don't feel so good. Sometimes you feel secure, sometimes you don't feel so secure." If Keaton had ever felt as insecure and down about his own career as Riggan, he certainly has no need to now. buzz The film has already begun garnering awards, and the industry is all atwitter with Oscar buzz for Birdman. When Keaton played Batman, Hollywood stars were still treated as real superheroes. Fans looked up to them and respected them. Now, the insatiable appetite for internet gossip seems to make them a target. Tear them down from their pedestal and expose them for what they really are - flawed human beings, just like the rest of us. "I wonder if people always did that?" muses Keaton, with the voice of one who knows. "Anyway, it's more so now, because of technology. You can catch people looking horrible or doing things that they actually do. It's more intense now than ever." But he doesn't seem that bothered, and why should he be? Keaton doesn't need to worry about having his mask ripped off, because he's not hiding behind one. And while for some, he will always be Batman, soon he is sure to have some awards to put on the shelf next to the superhero memorabilia. Keaton is an actor, and in Birdman, he is a superb one. Birdman is out in cinemas now 0 Comments * Email * Print * Font Size [INS: :INS] * Most Read * Most Emailed * Most Shared 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam 1. Man who tried to rob jailed gangster's home 'must have death wish' 2. 'He wouldn't stop stabbing me with the screwdriver' 3. Man who burnt his ex-boyfriend with a cigarette avoids jail 4. Children took photos of murder victim's body but were afraid to tell gardai 5. Roofer intimidated pensioner (84) in ‘despicable’ €3k scam IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook. com%2Fpages%2FThe-Herald%2F167882646558086&width=300&height=290&colorsc heme=light&show_faces=true&header=true&stream=false&show_border=true&ap pId=1390335914588500 Promoted articles Entertainment News Elaine Whyte of the ISPCA Appeal after dog shot dead and dumped The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to... Holly Carpenter Holly Carpenter: 'I can’t understand people getting a thrill out of being so... In the past week, I’ve... Little angels: Children from St Joseph’s School, Dublin 8, meet live animals at the IFA crib in the Mansion House. Pic: Finbarr O’Rourke Top 10 things to do in Dublin at Christmas Oh, the weather outside is frightful… And you could... The Edge and Conor McGregor Champion Conor McGregor touches down in Dublin with The Edge It WAS a beautiful day... UFC fighter Paddy ‘The Hooligan’ Holohan takes down Herald reporter Ryan Nugent at the Straight Blast Gym on the Naas Road The day I became a UFC fighter, took on The Hooligan ... and lost As Conor McGregor said,... Bono gets the crowd going in Paris 'Tonight we are all Parisians', says emotional Bono Almost a month after the Paris terrorist attacks... Tiger Woods and his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren 'I was to blame' - Tiger Woods explains marriage break-up to children Tiger Woods says he has... NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 09: Actors Daniel Radcliffe (L) and James McAvoy attend the AOL BUILD Speaker Series: "Victor Frankenstein" at AOL Studios In New York on November 9, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy open up about their Victorian 'bromance',... Daniel Radcliffe and... Sir Bruce Forsyth is among the stars helping out for Text Santa Bruce Forsyth will miss Christmas Strictly after operation Bruce Forsyth has pulled... Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Gaiety Theatre Little Red Riding Hood... By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy [cookie_bar_close.png] This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. See our Privacy & Cookie Policy * News + Breaking News + News + Weather * Sport + Soccer + GAA + Rugby + Horse Racing + Other Sports * Entertainment + Around Town + Music + Film + TV & Radio + Competitions * Lifestyle + Health & Beauty + Motoring + Travel * Opinion * Jobs * Property * Directory * Cars * Follow us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter * Add us on google+ * Download our apps * Subscribe to our newsletters * Sitemap * Contact * Terms & Conditions * Privacy Statement * Advertise with Us * Group Websites Search ____________________ (BUTTON) Go © Herald.ie Logo Inm A one pixel graphics --