REVIEW: Batman - The Long Halloween

This week I finished reading the Batman novel The Long Halloween.

Essentially it's a murder mystery involving a killer known as "Holiday" who is killing off relatives of mob families in Gotham - each on a significant public holiday. To solve the crimes, Batman, Commissioner Gordon have joined forces with the city's new District Attorney - Harvey Dent.

So, of course, one of the main arcs of the novel is the transformation of Dent into the psychopathic "Two-Face", but the murder story itself provided enough suspense that I 'forgot' that Harvey's downfall was inevitable - it did actually catch me off guard!

The novel was apparently used as a resource during the creation of the "The Dark Knight" and you can see the novels influences in the movie - with some frames appearing as exact shots in the film.

I always enjoy a story where you know the outcome at the beginning - it's the seeing the pieces of the jigsaw fit together that makes it so interesting.

And, as the pieces of Two Face fell in place, I couldn't help but read on.

REVIEW: "Slick"

Robert Jack, Jordan Young, Cara Bissett, Angela Darcy (photo by Jethro Collins)

Is it wrong to love a production which features a nine-year-old boy (puppet) restoring an old woman's collapsed anus, complete with stomach churning sound effects?

The Vox Motus production, "Slick", is set in a world "somewhere between cartoons, puppet theatre and a magic show" and tells the story of a young boy, Malcolm, his cruel family and a twisted plot involving skateboards, crude oil and a penis pump. Yes, this is a production which takes puppet humour further than "Avenue Q" and "Team America: World Police" would dare!

Although the storyline would make the kids of South Park blush, it's the strong visual style which makes the show so appealing, and the energy and enthusiasm of the cast which creates a memorable experience. The comic book feel is further enhanced by a fantastic set, which the cast manipulate: sliding panels in and out to create new locations. The sound and lighting also deserve special mention, really allowing us to believe in the world that these outrageous characters inhabit.

It's the collaboration between the different artists which has really made this production stand out. It's great to see a Scottish theatre company creating a show in this way - and the finished product speaks for itself.

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The current run of "Slick" has now ended. The show toured Edinburgh, Inverness, Rutherglen, St Andrews, Kilmarnock, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Stirling. Visit the Vox Motus website here.
Image used with permission.

REVIEW: Batman RIP: Mid-Arch Review

My Batman RIP checklist in trusty hands

I'm currently about half way through the DC Comics Batman RIP Storyline.
Batman RIP is a basically the finale to Scottish writer Grant Morrison run on the Batman series.

This story arc has been hyped as a major milestone in the history of the Caped Crusader and includes "possibly the most shocking Batman revelation in 70 years." And so far, the story has not disappointed - a new super league of villains, mind control, and strong hints suggest that Bruce Wayne may not be an orphan after all.

As Batman prepares to attend the 'Danse Macbre', I strongly doubt this will be the end of Batman. His fate will be "so much better than death" according to Morrison. And I'll continue to follow the story with baited breath...

REVIEW: "Only The Brave"

Tonight, I went to see the closing night of the new musical - "Only The Brave" which had its world premier at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

"Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Second World War, "ONLY THE BRAVE" is a passionate new musical inspired by the true life stories of men and women who lived, loved, and fought for freedom. A husband and wife separated by war, a soldier and a nurse who find true love on the battlefield, and a band of soldiers who would give up their lives for one another."

As a musical, it's got all the right components. Firstly, an emotive score by Matthew Brind sweeps the audience into this fast paced production. Similarly, the luxury of a full orchestra (rare in a fringe show!) gives it that "epic musical" feeling. With the music comes some fantastic performances - it's not often you have the chance to experience West End Stars including Gerard Bentall (Les Miserables), Cassidy Jenson (Wicked) and Tom Solomon (Phantom of the Opera) in such an intimate environment.

The production is, however, very much in its development stage, even at this World Premier event.

The most notable change is the run-time has been dramatically shortened to around 90 minutes. While this gives us a real taste for what is to come in a full-production, I also feel slightly cheated. It leaves the show feeling rushed, incomplete and more underwhelming than it deserves to be. Even the "World Premier Cast Recording" which is on-sale isn't even a complete recording of the reduced show. Dare I also mention the fact people are paying up to £25.00 a ticket to see what is at-worst a glorified preview.

For me, the only thing I didn't like about the production is the book itself. The setting of the Second World War, while no doubt stirring, feels a bit overdone. Especially when we are presented with a rather one-sided account of the events - it almost feels like propaganda at times.

Despite this, I can see this becoming the next big British musical and a London run must surely be on the cards soon. I look forward to seeing it again in it's completed form.

Have you seen "Only The Brave"? Leave your thoughts in the comments

"Only The Brave" ran between 31st July to 25th August at George Square Theatre, Edinburgh

REVIEW: The Onion Movie

I have always been a fan of satirical newspaper The Onion both in print and website form, and its daily Onion Radio news podcast series, and the more recent video podcast series have had be chuckling on the train to University with it's close-to-the-bone take on current events.

It is with this in mind that I looked forward to The Onion Movie which has been released last week straight-to-DVD. The "straight-to-DVD" really should have given me a hint about the hit and miss nature of this film. The film takes the format of a series of sketches, some nicely tied into a rough storyline involving a large corporate conglomerate's take over of The Onion News Network and there attempts to commercialise news broadcasting. Some sketches go over well (The "Cockpuncher" movie really nails the summer blockbuster industry), and some bomb (some more literally than others.)

The style of the movie is very similar to the Kentucky Fried Movie, and it came as no surprise to me that it was co-produced by David Zucker ("Airplane!", "The Naked Gun" trilogy, "Scary Movie 3") and the film seems to follow a very similar format.

The main thing I disliked about the movie was that it, unlike its current video podcasts, didn't seem to have the right mix of satire - at times it was just trying to be a silly sketch comedy. It's also my understanding that the production was actually filmed back in 2003, and the release was delayed, this perhaps explains why the content and delivery of the current video podcasts seem much more developed than this first attempt into the video world.

Although a watchable length (under 90 mins) and worth watching for Steven Seagal and his cockpunching fists of fury, my suggestion is stick to the podcasts.