King Richard review: Will Smith swings for an Oscar in Williams sisters biopic November 19, 2021 Will Smith dominated the 90s box office, creating a public persona that still commands the loyalty of millions. Bad Boys For Life was the last pre-pandemic smash hit, coming 17 years after the last instalment. One thing he hasn’t been able to manifest, however, is an Oscar. Every few years, the one time nominee releases [...]
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a hit of nostalgia with a modern twist November 19, 2021 Like so many things in 2016, Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters drew people into unedifying online wars. The all-female reboot was far from spectacular, but neither was it the childhood-ruining disaster others claimed. The debate became toxic, the film tanked, but that didn’t stop a franchise-hungry studio from forging ahead. This week sees the release of Ghostbusters: [...]
Spotify takes synchronised lyrics feature global and reveals merchandise data November 19, 2021 Spotify has taken its synchronised lyrics feature global, having launched it in 26 countries last year.
Royal Court’s Rare Earth Mettle tarnished by antisemitism controversy November 19, 2021 There may be no such thing as bad publicity, but casually offending the Jewish community in a play that counts cultural sensitivity among its themes must come pretty close. Ambitious satire Rare Earth Mettle centres on the megalomaniac billionaire previously known as Hershel Fink, a man with no apparent ties to the Jewish community apart [...]
The Great British Buzz: 157 per cent surge in baking businesses following hit show November 18, 2021 Ahead of The Great British Bake Off final next week, business insurer Simply Business has revealed there was a 157 per cent increase in home baking businesses across the UK between 2019 and 2020.
Government invests 300k into indie music scheme generating £51m for UK economy November 18, 2021 Independent and major labels trade association British Phonographic Industry (BPI) announces its latest round of Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) funding, which will support 20 independent UK artists as they look to grow their international profile.
Frida Kahlo painting auctioned for record £25m November 17, 2021 A painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has sold at Sotheby's in New York for a record $34.9m (£25m), making it the highest price paid at auction for a Latin American artwork.
Arts sector output more than halved as one in two creatives were furloughed November 17, 2021 The arts, culture and heritage sectors suffered a 60 per cent decline in output due to pandemic restrictions with a “catastrophic effect”, according to a new report. Around 55 per cent of jobs – 450,000 people – were furloughed in the sector, which was second only to hospitality and well above the national average of [...]
Climate scientists reject Science Museum feature after Shell sponsorship November 16, 2021 Pollution experts refuse to let Science Museum feature work over its links to Shell and willingness to be associated with oil giants.
Little Scratch at Hampstead Theatre: A challenging adaptation November 15, 2021 The idea of the “unadaptable” novel has been repeatedly debunked, with film and theatre directors finding ways to bring works of impossible abstraction or density to the stage or screen. Fitting neatly into the category of “possibly unadaptable” was Little Scratch, the debut novel from Rebecca Watson, a free-flowing stream of consciousness that blurs the [...]