Author Archives: Lottie

The Picture of Dorian Gray – An Afternoon Tryst

  By Lottie | April 17, 2010 – 11:53 am | The Culch, Theatre
2 Comments

The Picture of Dorian Gray Bewley’s Tea Rooms – 15th April – 1st May 2010 The tea-room was filled with the rich odour of brewing coffee, and when the light spring sun cast it’s gentle rays across the spanning windows the dim roar of Grafton Street was no more than the bourdon note of a distant organ. No, you haven’t fallen into a decadent drawing room circa 1890 but an afternoon of delicious temptation with a production of Oscar Wilde’s masterpiece, The Picture of Dorian Gray. “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” Wonderland Productions, in association with Dublin One City One Book present afternoon tea with a Wilde twist in the James Joyce Tea Rooms in Bewley’s, Grafton Street. Acted and narrated by Lord Henry (Simon Coury), Basil (Michael James Ford) and Dorian (Michael Winder) the play is intimate and thoroughly charming. … There’s more →

Moses, Voldemort and Godzilla Save Middle Earth

  By Lottie | March 31, 2010 – 8:46 am | Movies & TV
7 Comments

A remake of the 1981 film starring Laurence Olivier, Clash of the Titans is the tale of Perseus (Sam Worthington), demigod and son of Zeus who forges a battle with the humans to defeat Medusa, the mighty Kraken and a hoard of hellish beasts in order to save Argos (no, not that one) and the beautiful Princess Andromeda. Bored yet? I certainly was. I am not suggesting that this is the worst film of the year so far but it’s certainly the dullest. Released in 3D, the effect of which is redundant, as it does not seem to be used to any great effect, the action sequences (surely the main draw for this movie) are lacklustre clumps of indistinguishable digital sequence. The script is as flat as Worthington’s acting. The only grace in the film is Irish Actor Liam Cunningham who manages a few chuckles through charm if not sheer desperation. Oh … There’s more →

Philip Morris, You’re Not My Type

  By Lottie | March 22, 2010 – 11:28 pm | Movies & TV
5 Comments

Jim Carrey is not without sin, Liar Liar for instance or Batman Forever, Ace Ventura 2, The Cable Guy…cringe, but while his standard of movie making wouldn’t exactly be classed as high brow drama or even intelligent comedy we all know the man can act; Man on The Moon, The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind. So as a result I am always interested to hear when he is making something with a little more backbone. “I Love You Phillip Morris” is based on a true story “no, really, it is”. An gay-romantic-biographical drama about Steve Russell (Carrey) a good guy, family man, lawman, con-man living a secretly gay life, who, while in a stint in prison falls madly in love with Phillip Morris (McGregor).

Micmacs: A Review

  By Lottie | March 22, 2010 – 5:36 pm | Movies & TV, The Culch
3 Comments

I have never before seen a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film but please, save your looks of admonishment becuase I have seen the error of my ways and I am willing to learn. I started with the new release Micmacs and now, I am in love at first sight. Micmacs is a revenge comedy drama about Bazil (Danny Boon) who, in the wrong place at the wrong time ends up with being shot in the head by a stray bullet. Having miraculously survived the shooting Bazil’s life quickly disintegrates. He looses his job, his home and ends up taking refuge with a gang of homeless misfits living in a scrapyard. It is then that Bazil is presented with an opportunity to wreak revenge on the weapons manufacturers responsible for making the bullet in his brain and the landmine that killed his father years before.

Being A Superhero May Be Bad For Your Health But It’s Totally KICK ASS!

  By Lottie | March 21, 2010 – 11:54 pm | Featured Post, Movies & TV, The Culch
9 Comments

The last time I had anticipated a movie so much was back in 2008 when Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight hit cinema screens with an unrelenting, unapologetic thwack. Now, I never deluded myself into thinking that another hero action flick of Dark Knight standard was going to fall off the shelves of a Hollywood studio anytime soon but Matthew Vaughn’s KICK-ASS really had me interested. I must be honest, I have never read the KICK-ASS comics and was indeed entirely oblivious to the concept until Summer of last year and even then I scoffed at the concept of Nick Cage in a faux Batman role and imagined a re-telling of the under-rated 1999 movie Mystery Men but the more I heard about the tone of the movie, the outlook, then the posters I was hooked. “Okay you cunts… lets see what you can do now!”

Review: Christ Deliver Us!

  By Lottie | February 17, 2010 – 2:40 pm | The Culch, Theatre
1 Comment

The Abbey Theatre opened it’s stage doors last night to a star speckled audience for the World Premier of Thomas Kilroy’s Christ Deliver Us! Inspired by German dramatist Frank Wedekind’s ‘Spring Awakening’, Christ Deliver Us! is a story focusing mainly on the lives of three teenagers growing up in 1950s Ireland. Beautifully staged as almost everything at The Abbey is it opened with a first; a hurling match on the stage of the Abbey Theatre. Voices were raised as a sliotar flew at speed back and forth across the stage, not making me at all uncomfortable in my rather exposed seat five rows from the front.

Do It In The Dark

  By Lottie | January 27, 2010 – 1:10 pm | The Culch
1 Comment

This Valentines night The Science Gallery welcomes acclaimed New York-based Dark Dining Projects’ artist and creator, Dana Salisbury, for her first European dark dining event. They are inviting adventurous foodies and lovers of surprise to plunge into darkness as we heighten your senses in this sultry, two-hour experience. The evening includes a four-course aphrodisiac tasting menu and performances designed for the dark dining experience. Tickets cost €60 per person for which you get: • Two glasses of wine• Three surprise performances designed for the dark dining experience• Four-course aphrodisiac tasting menu, including palette cleanser For more information visit www.darkdiningprojects.com

We Will Rock You, It Will Drive You Ga-Ga

  By Lottie | January 26, 2010 – 3:06 pm | Music, The Culch, Theatre
6 Comments

Ah yes, I remember the good ole days when The Point Theatre, now the O2 (although certain generations will never acknowledge the change) would have a big stage musical every other year. I would scrimp and save my pocket money and live for the big trip to Dublin to see Chicago, Jesus Christ Super Star or Les Miserables. And while Mama Mia didn’t overwhelm me I am a huge Queen fan and thought I’d give “We Will Rock You“, the latest big show to hit Dublin a go. Written by Ben Elton with music and lyrics by the band Queen “We Will Rock You” opened in the O2 Theatre, Dublin last Wednesday and runs to Sunday 31st January 2010. Unfortunately I do not come bearing good tidings of a foot-stomping, rip-roaring good time. Heavy with irony that I’m not convinced is intentional ,the plot is mediocre to say the least … There’s more →

Spreading the Word: The Book of Eli

  By Lottie | January 18, 2010 – 2:09 pm | Movies & TV, The Culch
2 Comments

I went out last night hunting some brainless action to fill the void of a Sunday evening. The choices were John Hilcoat’s “The Road” or this weeks new release “The Book of Eli”. With “Eli” the poster promised Apocalypse-pow action and the grief stricken faces emerging from The Road screening was all I needed to choose door number two. The Book of Eli is based in the starched, water parched years after The Flash, a not entirely explained worldwide disaster. Civilization has been all but destroyed. Rape, murder and cannibalism are the norm and in the midst of this Denzel Washington is going West.