Posts in tag

Glasgow Film Festival


As the arguments over nurture versus nature rumble on, the likely ‘correct’ answer seems to be somewhere in the middle. We inherit the genes of our parents which influence many elements of our development and lives. However, we also make individual decisions and whilst they are heavily influenced by the people around us, our choices …

There’s something intrinsically fascinating about serial killers which drives people to fixate on them, read magazines and books about their killing sprees and become obsessed with getting inside their heads. It’s not so much the fact they’re inherently evil or corrupted, but more their ability to get away with it for so long that seems …

mother and son

While there have been great steps forward over the last couple of decades, the film industry is still a male-dominated world. The level of access afforded to women fluctuates between different countries, with the more progressive at least seeming to have a level playing field. On the face of it, anyway. Access and support are …

Mallory

It is estimated that there are currently over sixty-five million domestic workers around the world. Mostly women, they are normally from poorer backgrounds and are afforded some of the weakest legal protections within the countries they live. Expected to work long hours and dedicate their lives to the families they work for. While they are …

The family butcher

As people turn away from meat in increasing numbers, let’s not kid ourselves that the alternatives are entirely perfect. Nevertheless, there is no doubting that we need to eat far fewer of our animal cousins. We cannot sustain the current levels of production and veganism is rapidly offering a viable and increasingly varied solution. There’s …

A notorious killer released from prison

A mandrake is the root of a plant belonging to several of the nightshade family. The species which grow around the Mediterranean are often to be found in folklore and legend. This is largely down to their roots, which can often resemble human forms, and their poisonous and hallucinatory properties. They have therefore played a …

Maybe it’s the prevalence of shopping centres, but there’s something about the concept of zombies which takes a bit out of culture and just won’t let go. Since Victor Halperin’s White Zombie was released back in 1932, the undead hordes have gradually come to dominate genre TV and cinema. The likes of The Walking Dead, …

father and daughter

It’s not like the old days. A phrase often used but almost always incorrectly applied. An exception to the rule is that of family units and generational bonds. Today, in a global world where most work is concentrated in urban centres, families are often scattered far and wide, both nationally and internationally. Children are increasingly …

Martin goes shopping

Modern life can be rubbish. Working all the hours under the sun to pay for a house you never have time to really enjoy. In a job which is unrewarding and to fund a lifestyle which costs more by the week. I think we’ve all thought, at some point, of packing it all in. Moving …

Lora and Sonja

When the USSR began to rupture at the end of the twentieth century, the transition from Communism to Capitalism wasn’t exactly a smooth one for most countries. Even countries which have now been integrated into the EU aren’t exactly the most progressive when it comes to human rights, diversity, multiculturalism, LGBT+ rights and gender equality. …