It doesn’t go on general release until next Friday, but we got hold of a clip from upcoming horror flick The Devil Inside to whet your appetite a whole week early. Directed by William Brent Bell and set in Italy, it’s the story of a woman who becomes involved in a series of unauthorized exorcisms during her mission to discover what happened to her mother, who allegedly murdered three people during her own exorcism. Take a look…
New Adele track folks. On first listen I’m thinking - okay.. good beat. Quite a catchy tune. Great vocals as would be expected from Adele. Still sticking in my head the more I listen to it but can’t help but think there’s a bit that just blatantly sounds like another bit from a Bee Gee’s song. It does seem to be another song about a torn relationship but of course, make your own interpretation of it. Love the structure of the song. Good mix of instruments. The track is set to footage of her recording the album ’21′ in Malibu last summer. Check it out below.
Out this week, Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood tells the tale of Sir Robin, who returns from the Crusades to find his homeland under the tyranny of the Sherrif of Nottingham. Robin vows to free the people, while also attempting to woo the fair Marian. Russell Crowe plays Robin in his fifth collaboration with Scott. Frankly, I’ve never been a huge fan of Crowe. He always seems to me to be pointlessly brutish and a little naive, even in the likes of A Beautiful Mind or The Insider. Although strangely, the role I loved him in most was when he played the brutish and naive Bud White in L.A. Confidential. There’s no ignoring the fact that Crowe does give everything of himself to his roles though. Having loved the character of Robin Hood since childhood, Crowe spent nearly a year reading books about the character and his historical basis, wanting to … There’s more
The Tales of Ballycumber is playing at the Abbey Theatre - it’s opening this week in fact, as part of the 2009 Dublin Theatre Festival. I’ve was invited down to the theatre to watch the set being built. It started out in the design phase as just a model: where only certain details could be seen: and then progressed onto the main stage where it’s taken on a life of its own, including a startling 5,000 daffodils!
On Sunday 4 October at the National Concert Hall at 1:05pm, RTÉ and Rhythm Labs present a PERCUSSION SPECTACULAR where there’ll be 20 top percussionists on stage, led by Noel Eccles in a show that’s about rhythm, beat and getting the full audience to participate! I was at a workshop at the Concert Hall this morning thanks to the RTÉ Performing Groups where I watched as Noel taught George Hook and seven volunteer who won a competition on his radio show for a workshop with Noel and to appear on stage with him on Sunday. Here’s how we got on: Noel, a master percussionist who played principal with the National Symphony Orchestra, is a member of Moving Hearts, toured with Riverdance and has performed worldwide with U2, Van Morrison, Sting, The Chieftains, Hothouse Flowers, Elvis Costello and Sinead O’Connor. He’s also behind the amazing percussion piece at the 2003 Summer … There’s more
Avast ye landlubbing sons of Culchurs! Saturday be International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Yahrrr. I knows this because I be a matey over on the fair ship Facebook where there’s swag to be blagged, booty to be heaved and tickets to be won to see THE LOST PIRATES down at the Metro Bosco Theatre in Dublin tomorrow night. Their gig be one of “fusing Pirate Shanties with Disco, Ska, Punk, and Rum” while telling the story of Captain Porkbelly vs the dreaded Siamese Pirate Twins. It sounds like a raucous night out. There be people already talking like pirates for this, the 14th International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Started in 1995 by John Baurand Mark Summers, it’s become a pretty much worldwide celebration of all things pirate. Take a look at what people - everyone from the Wall Street Journal to Trivial Pursuit - have said in past … There’s more
What it’s called: Broken Croí/Heart Briste Where it is: Filmbase, Temple Bar When it is: 7pm every evening until Saturday, September 19 How long it is: 40 mins How much it is: €16 or €13 I sat down with the cast - Manchán Mangan and Eva O Connor - after this play in Gaeilge and English to find out how it developed and how the run was going for them: You can read my review and more about the play below.
I have to tell you - I love the idea of the new Dublin bike scheme, launched today. They’re now available on the streets of Dublin and I’ve already seen people around on them this morning. The connection to pop culture here? No, not tenuous. I could put in something like “You can get to your events faster” just to fill criteria, but I think this goes deeper. Suddenly we have introduced another factor to make our Capital City more modern, cosmopolitan and even that bit more colourful. A change in culture - “You don’t need to bus it or taxi it, just bike it” has been kicked off. If Dublin, as a city, can adopt these bikes by (a) using them properly, (b) not vandalising them and (c) promoting their use, we could see, like The Luas, like The Spire and many more features, the bikes being adopted into … There’s more
I’m delighted to be able to bring you this exclusive competition, thanks to Guinness. So, Arthur’s Day is September 24… (but I may have told you that already) Here’s the blog post featuring the full line-up for each venue Here’s the chat with Simon from The Chapters, one of the bands who’ll be playing Here’s the chat with Mik Pyro from Republic of Loose about their plans for the day Here’s the chat with Bresy and Lynchy from The Blizzards about their gig on the day Here’s the post announcing the ticket sales Here’s the post about Arthurs day and its launch So, we’re giving tickets to one lucky Culch.ie reader to one of the best - sold out - gigs of the entire celebration. You could win two tickets to Whelan’s of Wexford Street, Dublin 2 to raise a Guinness to Arthur at 17:59 that evening and see the … There’s more
What it’s called: ABSOLUT ORIGINALS (it’s an art exhibition) Where it is: ABSOLUT Fringe Factory, Smock Alley Theatre, Lower Exchange St, Dublin 2 When it is: Daily between 5pm and 10pm until September 20 How long it is: That’s up to you - how long do you want to spend? How much it is: FREE I was at the launch talking to artists Asbestos and BrenB from The Small Print among others to find out more: There’s a brilliant exhibition of art at the ABSOLUT FRINGE Factory, a venue down at the Smock Alley Theatre near Temple Bar which is running until September 20. Called ABSOLUT ORIGINAL, it features the work of sixteen local Irish artists whose brief simply was to produce their own artistic interpretation of the ABSOLUT bottle.
What it’s called: THE BLANCH Where it is: Filmbase, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 and The Axis, Ballymun When it is: Tonight to Saturday September 12 at 7pm and September 16 to 19 at the Axis at 8pm How long it is: 60 minutes How much it is: €16 or €13 What they say: Welcome to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, where you can always be sure of a bargain …especially when you use your 5-finger discount. Outsize Orlagh is after a designer fit and Enda is shopping for the latest thing but the kids are driving them mad. Jacintha and Dijon shop for free, while the Cavan farmers are after some ham. Security has his eye on everyone, but the economy is crumbling, credit cards are crunching, and everyone’s going out of control. A band of Bouffons (outcast clowns from god-knows-where) take over the theatre to present a phantasmagorical escalator ride through … There’s more
What it’s called: The Cirque de Légume Where it is: Filmbase, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 When it is: Tonight to Saturday September 12 at 9m How long it is: 55 minutes How much it is: €16 or €13 What they say: Quite simply the Greatest Vegetable Circus on Earth! In this piece of comic absurd theatre we meet Mister & Missus, two genius performers who find a hidden beauty in cast-off vegetables from which they make a wonderful show full of excitement, danger, and sensuality! Marvel at the Veget-animal! Gape at the Magical Carrot! Enthrall at the Leek of Power! Fantasise over the Onion Strip Tease! The Cirque de Légume shows us how beautiful life can be if we only stop to play with it. You’ll never look at an onion the same way again. What I say: The only proper way to start this review of Cirque de Légume, … There’s more
Shot this after the premiere of The Yellow Bittern at Liam Clancy‘s 74th birthday celebrations on September 2 in Smithfield, Dublin.
An important Irish film is being released this Friday. It’s a documentary charting the rise of Liam Clancy and is directed by Alan Gilsenan. It’s called The Yellow Bittern: The Life and Times of Liam Clancy. I saw the movie at its premiere last week at the Lighthouse Cinema and got speaking to some people after the show to see what they thought: (My thanks to Paul Brady, Eamon Ryan TD, Glen Hansard and the other lovely contributor for all their feedback.)
I first met Mr Mike Scott (he of The Waterboys) at the Abbey Theatre, at the launch of their 2009/10 season. The striking poster above caught my eye immediately and I turned to David, the Abbey’s Press Officer to express my surprise and delight at the inclusion in the programme when he gestured towards the man himself, deep in conversation with someone. I was awestruck. I try to control my fanboy-ness, it being most unbecoming for a “professional”, don’t ya know. All around actors, playwrights and media people swanned, greeting each other as equals where-as I’m looking at Mike Scott - MIKE SCOTT!! - and thinking “Wow, it’s you, in the same room as me. WOW!” See, I’m a big fan of Mike Scott’s lyrical writing and of the Waterboys music. It’s one of the first “Celtic” groups I remember listening to and understanding as a teenager. A cousin had … There’s more
