Uncategorized Nation on the verge of a nervous breakdown – Nomadland Posted on 09/10/202109/10/2021 By Mark Nomaldland scours the American landscape, lifting the rocks and scraping at what clings beneath to survey what’s left behind as the great American Dream rolls across the country. Blending documentary and scripted drama, Nomadland encapsulates the essence of capitalism with a softer hand than might have taken place in pure… Read more
Uncategorized Slow time in Macqueen’s Supernova Posted on 01/07/202129/01/2024 By Mark Landscapes move in slow time in Harry Macqueen’s Supernova, but it’s always Autumn. It’s always that last glimmer of warmth reflecting off the water’s edge before the seasons change. Sam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci) are taking one last journey together, visiting family and taking in the Scottish landscape…. Read more
A culture clash of one Posted on 15/11/2020 By Mark It turns out, that when you drink wine and beer in one session, you want to watch 1950s musicals. Maybe it’s the clash of the two styles and social protocols that go with each drink, perfectly reflecting the strange emotional heft that comes when two (or more) people break into… Read more
Is it time to put down the family cat? Posted on 21/04/2018 By Mark Resident advisor has just posted a short piece about artists pulling out of Resonate festival in Belgrade, Serbia. It doesn’t come as a great surprise. The emotion is closer to disappointment, but not in the artists. Artists don’t become such for the big money. It’s a career choice that is… Read more
Transmediale interviews Posted on 13/02/201813/02/2018 By Mark I need to write a few hundred words about the festival but for now, here are the interviews that form the video part of the article for Digicult. Read more
Where are all the art world wankers? Posted on 28/03/201728/03/2017 By Mark Art, as we all know, attempts to reflect our universe back to us, through a (hopefully) shattered mirror. Superimposed over that mirror, is of course, also a reflection of the artist. In what we can only assume is a pastiche/homage to the blighted concept of artist genius, from the late… Read more
A soundtrack for the dying light of contemporary dreams – Mica Levi’s Jackie. Posted on 16/02/201713/01/2020 By Mark There are no uplifting, emotional highpoints in Mica Levi’s soundtrack for director Pablo Larrain’s Jackie. As you might imagine from the composer of Jonathan Glazer’s Under The Skin (2013), Mica Levi’s compositions are as much about the unseen, unspoken, as they are about those gleaming gravity wells of emotion that… Read more
Resonate 2015 Posted on 31/10/2015 By Mark Festivals can be lonely events. Whether you’re knee deep in the back end of a tight crowd of music lovers, or sitting listening to a band twisting electronics and drawing out notes that have no right to exist in someone’s throat. Ultimately, all you have are your own thoughts reflected… Read more
Good wholesome loveliness – Sleaford Mods at Zephyr Lounge Posted on 28/03/2015 By Mark If John Cooper Clark and The Streets had a baby that was raised by Mark Fisher-reading anarcho-punks, it would probably grow up to form the Sleaford Mods. Sleaford Mods at the Zephyr Lounge, Leamington Spa put on a great show. There’s two support acts with enough distance between their styles to remind… Read more
Jan Svankmajer films at Ikon Posted on 28/11/2014 By Mark Great to see some Jan Švankmajer films at Birmingham’s Ikon gallery this week. The Czech filmmaker’s work was being shown as part of the Behind the Curtain Festival, currently running up until tomorrow (29th November), so you’ll have to be quick! I only made it to the Jan Švankmajer films, but they… Read more