tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316955732012-02-14T09:22:51.748Zclose encounters of the artistic kind...Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.comBlogger3191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-18780567346469879732012-02-10T22:09:00.005Z2012-02-10T22:21:43.207Z

It's been a busy week, with visits to Tate Modern and Occupy LSX, as well as some snowy walks through the 'stow (or #awesomestow, as it's known on Twitter--Cringe).I have also been on 't social media, uploading films to Vimeo to join my second Odd Girl Out podcast on Soundcloud. Do check them out and comment, if you like.Am quite enjoying the snow, although I am not too suited to cold climates. I

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-88738836192429421032012-02-01T16:37:00.001Z2012-02-01T16:37:33.131Z

Human Sirens in Pyhajoki from Hai Art on Vimeo.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-52341969686858948482012-01-26T19:14:00.002Z2012-01-26T19:18:19.191Z

Courtesy of Women and Hollywood comes this post on advice for women filmmakers.Chicken and Egg party from Trixie Films on Vimeo.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-34301697700402719962012-01-22T19:24:00.006Z2012-01-23T10:27:56.272Z

Some of the best theatre around these days is to be found on the streets, rather than in proscenium theatres, and I have watched the burgeoning Occupy movement with interest. While the tent cities that have sprung up around the world get the headlines, often because of clashes with the police or threats of eviction, lesser attention has gone to the very creative avenues that the protesters have

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-28546413202808965252012-01-15T21:37:00.003Z2012-01-23T10:27:26.459Z

Traipsing around south London on the coldest day of the year, I interrupted the animated conversation of these two, as they admired the clear blue sky and wondered where the warmth went.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-74361542541827695522012-01-05T21:48:00.004Z2012-01-05T21:58:29.484Z

It's good to start off the new year with a bounty of music, and Riot Grrrl Is Not Dead! comes courtesy of Riot Grrrl Berlin, who have collected bands from across Europe and North America (with a smattering from South America, the Antipodes and some place called Grrrlmany--look that up on Google Earth!) for a free download comp.I only found out about it courtesy of Twitter (yes, about four years

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-33422543415516820122011-12-31T20:19:00.007Z2011-12-31T20:36:49.277Z

So, a brief recap of 2011's brighter moments, according to yours truly. This was an unusual year, in that I never left London, and my picks reflect that. Favourite art exhibit:Pipilotti Rist: Eyeball MassageA legal psychedelic trip, with bubbles, knickers, and all manner of visual delights. Running at Hayward Gallery until 8 January. Favourite film:Dreams of a Life, dir. Carol MorleyMoving and

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-7051736278277139282011-12-25T18:58:00.002Z2011-12-25T19:00:48.967Z

This is Shirin Neshat's contribution to the New York Times' Seasons project. Sadly, there is no way to embed it.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-26359147958492989712011-12-18T12:40:00.003Z2011-12-18T12:44:21.213Z

So, farewell to Vaclav Havel, one-time dissident-turned president. I was always impressed that the first president of Czechoslovakia, Masaryk, was a philosopher and the first president of the Czech Republic was a playwright, and one influenced by the Velvet Underground, at that. It says a lot.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-57652027660670834692011-12-10T17:00:00.006Z2011-12-10T17:05:40.566Z

Today is the 63rd anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. I don't think Hillary Clinton has made an appearance in this blog, but here is her speech this week declaring that LGBT rights are human rights.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-48475053794662012982011-12-07T19:35:00.004Z2011-12-07T19:48:11.249Z

My Quietus story on Dreams of a Life is finally live, although I could have written something twice as long, such was my enthusiasm for the film and the abundance of quotes I had from my chat with director Carol Morley. There is so much to say about this documentary on Joyce Carol Vincent and about how people in cities can become strangers to each other.I reviewed the film briefly when it

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-30131736933797742062011-12-04T13:02:00.001Z2011-12-04T13:03:37.852Z

One of those days. Loads of ideas. Technical hitches. Nothing quite getting finished.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-2053128757283625802011-11-23T18:55:00.001Z2011-11-23T18:57:42.404Z

Wahey! Here's Joan Jett and her pick-up band, Foo Fighters, performing her classic "Bad Reputation" on Letterman (is he still on?).

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-31341039895137573172011-11-16T19:46:00.005Z2011-11-27T19:37:30.394Z

This intriguing specimen is a pumpkin, a Chinese pumpkin grown in Maldon, Essex, to be precise. I acquired it yesterday after fruitless weeks of searching for a pumpkin for my yearly excursion into pumpkin pie, which I guess is my reminder to self that I'm American by birth.Anyway, the market trader assured me its sweetness is unsurpassed and it should keep for two months! The day of reckoning is

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-91925999819867042882011-11-09T20:50:00.012Z2011-11-09T21:14:58.217Z

I haven't had time to blog for the last couple of days, so busy was I running around London to intriguing events.First up, the private view of For the Messengers at Woolfson and Tay, followed by a public event featuring artist Jude Cowan and newsreader Jon Snow, who proved to be a gushing fan of Ms. Cowan, pronouncing her a star and confessing that when he finds himself out on location in, say,

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-71910254582802883072011-11-07T11:44:00.003Z2011-11-07T11:51:20.172Z

Happy Birthday, Marie Curie. And Trotsky. And Joni Mitchell. Now there's a party.An amusing line in the Mirror's bio of Curie, regarding her and Pierre: "their mutual interest in magnetism drew them together". Ouch.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-87006287671231934242011-11-04T20:36:00.006Z2011-11-04T20:57:42.680Z

This is a rather startled-looking Miranda July, whom I met recently at a press junket for her film, The Future, which opened today in the UK. Although we only had 12 minutes or so to speak, she was quite chatty about her past in the DIY music and art world, which I duly wrote up for a piece in The Quietus.Imagine my surprise when I clicked on the link and found this title: "From Queercore to The

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-55723559726907326342011-11-01T13:18:00.007Z2011-11-01T13:44:37.889Z

Opening today in sunny Bermondsey is Jude Cowan's debut solo exhibit, For the Messengers, which echoes her recent poetry collection of the same name and is similarly inspired by her work at the Reuters archive.Showing along with Jude's artwork will be two films I recently shot with her, one of which illustrates the poems performed live in various locations and was shot on a gloriously sunny day

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-69479403378379170102011-10-25T18:53:00.004+01:002011-10-25T19:05:10.430+01:00

If you only see one film about elderly Japanese women bent on a bloody revenge mission, make it this one! Yes, Dendera ploughs its own furrow, turning an intriguing concept into a gory struggle.... against a bear.Let me start again. Somewhere in a Japan where it is always snowing, village protocol dictates that residents who turn 70 are dumped on a mountainside and left to die. One woman, Mei,

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-84269174608297415612011-10-23T19:24:00.004+01:002011-10-23T19:43:49.327+01:00

Three eagerly awaited films playing at this year's London Film Festival are from second-time feature directors.Marjane Satrapi, having left Iran in her teens, lives in France and her new film Chicken with Plums follows Persepolis, an adaptation of her comic strip. The first surprise is that it is live action, not animation, although it features a similarly starry cast in small roles: Isabella

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-14112511438348954622011-10-21T10:13:00.005+01:002011-10-21T10:21:40.839+01:00

A quick word about a lovely short showing at the festival. Any film with Hackney in the title takes my notice, but I was not expecting a film from Germany to choose the LBH as its subject.And what a lovely film Kiyoko Miyake's Hackney Lullabies is. The subjects are mothers with immigrant backgrounds raising their children in the People's Republic. They want their kids to be integrated, while at

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-68034336206288928472011-10-18T11:38:00.009+01:002011-10-18T11:57:34.452+01:00

Another day at the festival and another sighting of Diane Abbott. This time the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington turned up at a screening of Bernadette: Notes on a Political Journey, Lelia Doolan's precis of the life of Bernadette Devlin McAliskey. I say precis, because as Doolan herself acknowledged, her 88-minute documentary is cut down from three hours.As it stands, this version covers

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-36427415830353907712011-10-17T22:54:00.008+01:002011-10-17T23:09:39.336+01:00

Two dramas from South America were among my recent viewing. Hard Labor (dirs Juliana Rojas / Marco Dutra) is a Brazilian dramedy which is part social critique and part horror film, as a bourgeois couple face the dual challenges of starting a business (her) and finding a new job following redundancy (him). Their financial pinch doesn't stop them from hiring a maid, and the three characters orbit

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-90817067926952216772011-10-16T14:49:00.008+01:002011-10-16T15:08:25.416+01:00

Carol Morley's doc Dreams of a Life receives its world premiere tonight at the LFF. Morley is known for her flights of fancy with the documentary form, but here she reins herself in for a gripping and troubling consideration of the life of Joyce Carol Vincent. Who? Who, exactly, for Ms. Vincent was the unfortunate soul whose dead body lay undetected in her London flat for more than two years.How

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-27301090771287637292011-10-15T19:38:00.010+01:002011-10-15T20:01:06.698+01:00

Having done my LFF preview for The Quietus via preview DVDs and press screenings, it was a relief to get to the festival proper and lo! Friday turned up not one but two girl-girl dramas in the shape of Pariah and She-Monkeys.Pariah, a debut feature from Dee Rees, started life as a feature-length screenplay, reached the screen as a short and has now been realised in its original form. 17-year-old

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-1882371847532537902011-10-08T14:51:00.005+01:002011-10-08T15:20:05.821+01:00

The titular guests are inhabiting a house in Hackney Downs. But, their origin is apparently a house lived in by Rudyard Kipling in Vermont, of all places. Lang's mixed media installation is set in two rooms, one darkened with brown walls, and one brightly lit with white walls.The darkened room looks like a study and one wall is taken up with her looped video, also called House Guests. It is

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-42383572796750702002011-10-03T20:02:00.008+01:002011-10-03T20:50:48.199+01:00

Long overdue, Pipilotti Rist's retrospective at the Hayward Gallery is a bit of a tonic for the stressed Londoner. Approaching the gallery from Waterloo Bridge, one's first glimpse is of pants rustling in the wind. A bit of typical whimsy from Rist, this piece, Enlighted Hips, introduces the viewer to the artist's preoccupation with the body, as well as her sense of humour.Once inside, one can

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-89252015601749199652011-09-17T19:57:00.003+01:002011-09-17T20:05:39.709+01:00

Now into its last month or so, the Glamour of the Gods exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery delves into the John Korbal collection to showcase the so-called golden age of Hollywood, when stars were STARS.What is most striking, aside from the super-high production values of these portraits, is the extreme and, now, obvious artifice involved. Nothing was left to chance--not the clothes, the

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-19072973805347774282011-09-13T20:09:00.002+01:002011-09-13T20:15:36.889+01:00

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-21229530573728306482011-09-11T10:36:00.003+01:002011-09-11T10:37:39.145+01:00

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-26272441362276749382011-09-07T15:45:00.004+01:002011-09-07T15:50:30.463+01:00

Congratulations to PJ Harvey for scooping the Mercury Music Prize for Let England Shake. A concept album about war is a hard sell, and those extra album sales "from a low sales base" (so sayeth WENN) will be well appreciated. Amazing she's been around for 20 years already, and yet still seems like a "new" artist.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-27732516325056201632011-09-05T20:37:00.003+01:002011-09-05T20:44:33.191+01:00

This is what happens when two worlds collide south of the river on a sunny Thursday afternoon. Jude Cowan supplied the gas mask, bicycle, fan and camera. I busked the shots, in between sniffling. She edited to accompany one of her World News Vision improvised songs. Et voilà!

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-2768659127772357672011-08-29T16:50:00.003+01:002011-08-29T16:55:23.461+01:00

For those who still think Lady Gaga is the epitome of out-thereness and originality, because she appeared on the MTV VMAs in drag, here is Annie Lennox of Eurythmics weirding out John Denver at the Grammys. In 1984.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-24178704557547675992011-08-21T14:57:00.005+01:002011-08-21T15:11:17.920+01:00

To sunny Hackney to see a private view of Mermaid song and lustrous balm, a new show at The Pharmacy of Stories, tucked away behind a non-descript office building abutting London Fields. A bijou space is transformed into a fantastical grotto, which on the night was populated by singing mermaids, salty tales and audience participation. As I boarded my bus home, I noticed the paper badge I had

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-32904229704167863382011-08-13T09:19:00.005+01:002011-08-13T09:40:41.571+01:00

One of the victims of the rioting in London was the Sony DADC warehouse, which went up in flames, destroying stock from the many indie labels distributed by PIAS. The full implications of this catastrophe in such a difficult economy are as yet unknown, but in the meantime music lovers are encouraged to support the labels by buying their wares online or through local record stores. PIAS has put

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-50533118383054365362011-08-06T21:20:00.000+01:002011-08-06T21:21:27.235+01:00

Mwah. Mwah.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-51595830422135640562011-08-05T11:46:00.003+01:002011-08-05T11:51:45.940+01:00

Today marks the 25th anniversary of my receiving this piece of kit, which has been my electronic companion through thick and thin. Together we have traversed continents, attended concerts and found ourselves privy to many a fascinating conversation. Now in semi-retirement, it still manages the odd dubbing session. Though I have searched high and low, I have yet to find anything digital to replace

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-8547082667637283512011-08-03T21:55:00.003+01:002011-08-03T22:00:03.952+01:00

A bit late reporting back from Dirty Cop Friday, but I took awhile to download my pix. The one displayed here shows Dangerous Dinky onstage with the Electric Puffs, while Sista Kist from Anarchistwood dances with abandon. Dinky's crop is not in this photo, but was certainly present throughout much of the set, smacking botties aplenty. Ahem.I also made my debut as a video interviewer, but have yet

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-232651812333213342011-07-27T10:46:00.002+01:002011-07-27T10:51:16.296+01:00

Dirty Cop Friday is back in two days, with an array of bands, DJs and art at the Old Police Station. Bands:AnarchistwoodHealthy JunkiesDogshiteDangerous DinkyThe Electric PuffsDJs:Dave DogTiddlesExhibition:Cartel Show - curated by Dave Beech

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-17963150409266450092011-07-20T20:17:00.008+01:002011-08-03T22:04:44.583+01:00

This being blackberry time, I trudged up to my favourite patch and collected the first pickings of the season. I only got 1/2 kg, but it was enough for a yummy smoothie and some pancakes, so I checked back three days later and was able to gather 1 kg, with minimal blood lost (a snagged trouser leg).It wasn't enough to bother with freezing, so I pondered how to put the haul to good use and decided

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-82480427355655825692011-07-11T11:51:00.004+01:002011-07-11T11:58:42.190+01:00

Just finished watching a new doc on environmental activism and I was struck by a wave of deja-vu observing the planning and training that goes into such actions. "Oh," I thought. "We used to do that", regarding going limp and so forth. Ah, yes, back in the day, in the early '90s, when the streets of San Francisco were alive with shouting.One tactic that was new to me was "de-arresting": if

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-43541828503868251032011-07-04T21:57:00.019+01:002011-12-31T20:11:27.762Z

Now showing at the Hayward Gallery through August, this Tracey Emin retrospective is a dizzying mass of wood, neon, cut-up clothing and found objects, all filtered through the lens of La Emin. Which isn't to say Love Is What You Want is bad (Brian Sewell's bilious review notwithstanding). But, given Emin's raddled image and how much the prospective visitor thinks s/he knows about the artist, it

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-28530685634203818742011-06-25T16:31:00.004+01:002011-06-25T16:37:27.410+01:00

Quite a lot of goodies up on the BBC Glastonbury site, including a live feed from 6Music and videos of gigs, including one from Norwich's Fever Fever, whom I have played a bit on my show. Nice to see them getting some national exposure.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-62509426109757906992011-06-23T19:08:00.006+01:002011-06-23T19:22:03.699+01:00

A quick side-step to football now, with the Women's World Cup about to start in Germany. But, what drew my attention was the theme song for the competition, as sung by none other than Melanie C, "Rock Me". One can see the thinking behind this: the one-time Sporty Spice, Girl Power, u.s.w., I mean, and so forth.The song is a bit of Europop, proclaiming a desire to feel the fever. So far, so "World

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-39951657624015732312011-06-21T18:00:00.008+01:002011-06-21T18:36:40.703+01:00

Word comes via Women and Hollywood that Renée, a doc on tennis coach/ophthalmologist Renée Richards is doing the festival circuit in the USA. Richards, born Richard Raskind, was undoubtedly the first transsexual person of whom I was aware, and her struggles to play on the women's tennis tour after sex change surgery became tabloid fodder. Her becoming a coach to Martina Navratilova, my favourite

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-1253854792931790692011-06-12T11:31:00.003+01:002011-06-12T11:34:21.010+01:00

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-37219299777553314812011-06-08T12:54:00.004+01:002011-06-08T13:29:02.823+01:00

The new Sisters of Mirthy podcast (not actually downloadable) on the subject of DIY is up and features interviews with zine makers and musicians, as well as yours truly ruminating on San Francisco, Berlin and DIY film-making. It's a bit quiet, so best for headphone listening.Sisters of Mirthy, Vol. 3 by London Fields Radio on Mixcloud

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-11036760044998484732011-06-01T15:49:00.003+01:002011-06-01T16:02:42.335+01:00

If only summertime were always like this--blue skies, sun-kissed gardens, roses abloom. A great day for washing the cat, admiring the views, etc.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-23448449554284254912011-05-24T18:27:00.005+01:002011-05-24T18:30:53.608+01:00

Haven't been able to hear it myself yet, but all this week, the reclusive Kate Bush is appearing on 6Music's new Radcliffe and Maconie show, speaking about The Director's Cut, her new album of old songs.Check out the Listen Again function, which also has a handy list of tracks played, hinting at just where Ms. Bush's interview clips may crop up, facilitating fast-forwarding (I used to enjoy

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-19154081388481779782011-05-15T12:39:00.004+01:002011-05-15T12:59:09.239+01:00

Flipping stations idly trying to find some intelligent conversation or good music, I found myself on Radio 3, mid-opera. As I ran my bath, I found I recognised the language (German) and, slowly, the music. It was Wagner's Ring Cycle, but which opera? Hmmm. A baritone (probably a bad guy), tenor (probably a good guy) and soprano (could be heroine or love interest) locked in some kind of conflict.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-79600449917814205372011-05-06T15:00:00.001+01:002011-05-06T15:02:05.545+01:00

The second best arts venue sarf of the rivah, according to Ye Olde Guardian....

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-58844576088944551582011-05-01T20:12:00.006+01:002011-05-02T16:55:52.034+01:00

I haven't been to much at this year's East End Film Festival for its tenth anniversary, but tomorrow is Movie MayDay, with screenings, quizzes and other cinema-related events at 88 venues across the East End. Bank Holiday Monday and free cinema! Hurrah.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-68133351047869541342011-04-26T13:57:00.003+01:002011-04-26T14:02:28.646+01:00

First Ari Up, now Poly Styrene. Not so unexpected, as she had been fighting cancer for awhile, but still.... Aargh. Never met her, never saw her play, but am an admirer from afar of her and X-Ray Spex. And "Identity" is one of my favourite songs EVAHHH!

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-2341239974334642472011-04-24T16:07:00.007+01:002011-04-24T16:34:31.173+01:00

Just stumbled on Hit So Hard, which tells the life story of drummer Patty Schemel and had its premiere at SXSW last month. Schemel is an interesting enough subject and, naturally, the doc features interviews with her and other members of Hole. But, my eye is taken by the other names featuring, including Phranc, Gina Schock and Alice de Buhr. Sounds like it's just as interested in investigating

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-12279293514443694142011-04-15T22:29:00.004+01:002011-04-16T12:21:00.396+01:00

Record Store Day, which is 16 April this year, just gets bigger and bigger. I couldn't have missed it coming, what with all the hoopla on the BBC. Championing independent record stores is a worthwhile endeavour. And, despite the arrival of an untimely spring cold, I will do my best to support it.While New York gets a special Regina Spektor gig, London hosts all-day events at Rough Trade and a

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-11747811471414479172011-04-08T13:50:00.007+01:002011-04-10T11:06:52.396+01:00

Tonight sees the start of the film screenings at Fringe!, East London's new queer film festival.My film War With Love is showing as part of the Sapphic Subversions shorts programme.We will be upstairs at a pie and mash shop (very cockney!) on the oh-so-hip Broadway Market. It starts at 19:30, with repeat screenings later on.Last night I attended the launch party at the much vaunted Dalston

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-8384317241783575412011-04-08T00:08:00.005+01:002011-04-08T00:32:47.668+01:00

With the festival now finished, here are the last few stragglers. A Marine Story by wife-and-husband team of Dreya Weber and Ned Farr. Expelled lesbian Marine takes a teenaged tearaway under her wing and tries to get her ready for recruitment into... the Marines. Aside from the repugnant gung-ho politics, I found this surprisingly moving and Weber certainly kicks ass as the heroine. Break My Fall

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-35548330975757792132011-04-07T13:26:00.008+01:002011-04-07T16:26:25.195+01:00

This year's just concluded LLGFF featured a coachload of ensemble pieces, such as New York-based comedy The Four-Faced Liar and wartime London drama The Night Watch.The former, which closed the festival last night and is due out on DVD on Monday, is a witty take on that old trope, the conversion job, as 20-something dyke player Bridget falls for straight girl Molly, while they are, eh,

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-47736453820072326142011-04-05T20:35:00.007+01:002011-04-05T20:48:40.283+01:00

After the inter-generational lesbian clash of The Owls, it's interesting to view films pairing young gay men and straight women. Sasha is a German coming out drama whose titular character comes from a conservative ex-Yugoslav background. His pal Jiao, though disappointed by Sasha romantically, stands by him, as he negotiates the tricky terrain of lusting after his older gay piano teacher, while

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-18178793627314021302011-04-05T01:05:00.007+01:002011-04-05T20:34:57.830+01:00

Although the truncated London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival is well underway, I have only made the most cursory of visits so far. Oddly, though I have seen fewer films, I have been invited to more parties and what eye-openers those have been! Tonight, for example, I popped into a trans party and re-made the acquaintance of someone I haven't seen for five years. And there was cake!Sunday night I

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-68446101830249752752011-03-29T19:27:00.005+01:002011-03-29T20:38:32.331+01:00

More underground NYC culture, at a viewing of Lizzie Borden's dystopian future vision at the finale of Reproductive Labour.While I had seen the film years ago at a queer film festival, I didn't recall much of it. On this re-view, I found it quite thought-provoking and prescient, with its mix of female rebellion, eroding labour rights and African revolutionary struggles all conflated into one

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-54693406147706357782011-03-21T13:20:00.016Z2011-03-22T10:07:38.900Z

A visit to Laurie Anderson, Trisha Brown, Gordon Matta-Clark, Pioneers of the Downtown Scene, New York 1970s is quite the eye-opener, especially conducted under the watchful eye of the "supermoon".In truth, the moon wasn't much in evidence when I arrived at the gallery for an early Saturday evening visit. And when I emerged two hours later, the moon was nowhere to be seen. But, SOMETHING was in

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-71181407648820231832011-03-16T22:15:00.004Z2011-03-16T22:36:28.084Z

Earlier in the week I popped into the National Portrait Gallery to check out the new exhibit, tantalisingly titled Ida Kar: Bohemian Photographer, 1908-1974 (actually, having the dates in the title rather spoils the effect). That's quite a promise and the exhibit, to my mind, doesn't live up to the title. Ida Kar sounds like a fascinating character, born in Moscow, educated in Paris, an

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-33232716044365003912011-03-13T18:57:00.005Z2011-03-13T19:20:21.896Z

Friday night saw a coming together of music and silent film at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, as Birds Eye View (or was it WOW? I got confused) presented four silent films with new live scores.Of the four, I had only seen Meshes of the Afternoon, and so was intrigued to discover a plethora of old and new work, musical and cinematic. Sometimes I didn't know whether to watch the screen or the stage, as

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-90866771935155523572011-03-07T22:01:00.006Z2011-03-07T22:28:18.284Z

Tomorrow, International Women's Day, sees the premiere of the Birds Eye View festival of women's film-making (albeit missing an apostrophe). Having seen a handful of the films, I think it's a pretty strong bill, featuring features, shorts, live music and some filmmaker Q & As. Best of the bunch I've seen is Zeina Durra's debut feature, The Imperialists Are Still Alive! The title gives a clue to

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-86091469669720286802011-03-05T18:04:00.005Z2011-03-05T18:17:51.578Z

Other than Thursday's filmic forays, mostly the last two months have been spent at home, considering various improvement schemes of the personal and business kind. As I've moved around so often since I have been in London, I have fallen into the pragmatism of not bothering to do much decorating of my space. But, since this is the first place I have ever had that actually had room for a division

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-65720666942056413952011-03-04T21:09:00.010Z2011-03-04T21:43:38.303Z

Yesterday provided a double helping of alternative cinema, as I visited Reproductive Labour, Cinenova's exhibit at the Showroom. Running for another three weeks, it offers tiny section of the archive of this longstanding feminist film distributor.Each day of the exhibit a selection of films is screened. What I hadn't realised until I was in the space was that visitors could also request films.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-88484675896168973062011-02-24T23:01:00.002Z2011-02-24T23:07:27.546Z

People of Gateshead, rejoice. You are about to be blessed with a superlative bill of punk and post-punk legends. Yes, Gina Birch, Viv Albertine and Helen McCookerybook are packing their gear into the latter's car (road trip!) to play Friday night at The Central Bar, there to be joined by Pauline Murray. Wow!!! Wish I could be there. It's rockin' oop north.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-27692967484084428602011-02-21T22:46:00.004Z2011-02-23T15:52:20.931Z

Where does Shoreditch end and Hoxton begin? That's the question I asked myself as I trudged up and down the L-E-N-G-T-H of Curtain Road looking in vain for the elusive Queen of Hoxton public house. "It must be at the top end, near Hoxton," my logical brain told me. Nope. "Uh, then it must be by the bottom end, close to Liverpool Street," came the reply. Yes, there it was, sort of where I started

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-67918015955592844472011-02-18T23:42:00.006Z2011-02-18T23:58:28.420Z

This month's LCdF screening, True Homance, celebrates female friendship in its most precious form: the homance. OK, so that's a bit of a trendy-street-slang word, but nonetheless it gets the job done. For a thoughtful consideration that takes in Daphne and Velma AND Oprah and Gayle, see my colleague Annette's post on the subject.The films are Ghost World and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-79761772235896403882011-02-15T10:13:00.002Z2011-02-15T10:17:57.955Z

Should you be in London this Friday, the 18th, it may be worth making the journey down Tooting way to check out The Duke Spirit at Remedy. Here's a LiveBuzz performance they did of "Surrender" last year.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-59209706088091594232011-02-09T10:39:00.005Z2011-02-09T10:45:40.390Z

Today is Queen Polly (!) Day on 6Music. Don't know if she is a royalist, but PJ Harvey is getting some much-earned love from the station, ahead of the release of her new concept (!) album, Let England Shake. Tracks from the record are being played throughout the day, and she is also in conversation with Steve Lamacq after 16:00. Should be cool. I have only heard snippets, but it sounds as if she

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-59093666769919913922011-02-05T18:55:00.007Z2011-02-05T19:20:33.838Z

What do you do when stuck in the house? Well, review downloads, OBVIOUSLY. Don't know why I didn't think of it before. I downloaded this last week and my first listen of it was punctuated by loud mobile phone conversations from my bathroom occupants. I have now given it my undivided attention and my reaction is much the same as the first, distracted listen: very patchy.Amanda Palmer is an

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-84498501146023759072011-02-03T10:19:00.005Z2011-02-03T10:35:59.376Z

I've not been getting out much, so have little arts news to report (ah, being skint--it's like a permanent staycation). Granted, I have bit of a Brutalist installation going on in my bathroom, complete with AM radio, drilling and Russian accents, an exciting melding of form and function. But, that is only temporary and strictly private view.I have also reached the midway point of my Shunda K

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-54588132051589578172011-01-29T16:43:00.002Z2011-01-29T16:44:03.027Z

How is it that my scrupulously vegetarian flat smells of corned beef?

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-61778369323736199832011-01-25T15:24:00.003Z2011-01-25T15:27:31.619Z

These fists of fury belong to none other than your humble pacifist scribe. I have never had a tattoo (sensitive skin), but perhaps this will inspire me to reinvent myself as a hard woman. Thanks to Annette for the spiffing ink work.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-43952943842740784322011-01-19T13:44:00.004Z2011-01-24T16:29:35.488Z

It's the first outing of 2011 for the Cinema des Femmes collective's monthly events, and this time it's all about pinky violence.It's a genre that's new to me, but one of our number is quite keen and the trailers certainly look entertaining: sword fights, punch-ups and plenty of flesh on show. Ah, yes, it's one of those 1970s sexploitation cult genres that divides opinion. Seeing as we are coming

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-40894611899822269112011-01-16T20:34:00.003Z2011-01-16T20:39:48.675Z

Here's a collection of 98 films showing online, in which women from predominantly Muslim countries share stories: from a bus driver in Iran to a would-be sunglasses purchaser in Afghanistan. The films are in competition ahead of the Women's Voices Now festival in March in Los Angeles. View and vote.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-15655026281035887402011-01-14T16:11:00.004Z2011-01-14T16:18:15.918Z

Just heard the horrible news Trish Keenan of Broadcast has died, after a struggle with swine flu. Details are extremely sketchy, and I don't even know how old she was, but certainly she went way too soon. I first heard Broadcast through John Peel's show on Radio 1 in the 1990s and always found them a wonderfully atmospheric outfit, utterly lacking in the trappings of celebritism required to

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-50521312426420044692011-01-08T12:59:00.004Z2011-01-08T13:12:06.561Z

This one always creeps up on me, coming as it does so early in the new year. But, there is a plethora of interesting screenings in store, among them Queer Brit, Salon des Refusés, and Straight 8.Among the live events are two that pique my interest. Firstly, the unwieldily titled Club des Femmes and Spinster Take New Berlin, which pairs a feature film with some live performance.Also in the music +

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-63317108577016687762011-01-04T19:17:00.003Z2011-01-04T19:25:09.636Z

Have just had a marvellously entertaining Skype chat with Shunda K, some of which will go out on my show next week.What stayed with me (aside from her amusing habit of calling me "Ms. Val"--perhaps I should insist on this honorific in my daily life) was the extraordinary story of how she met her wife. I won't give all of it away, aside from saying that she turned to God and promised to remain

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-2827059435039347972010-12-27T19:51:00.008Z2010-12-27T20:37:11.097Z

While I am still not keen on lists, I do have a few memories to share from 2010.Favourite film: The Arbor. Clio Barnard's experimental documentary may have attracted attention for its miming technique, but what stuck with me was the raw emotion extracted from the audio interviews.Favourite exhibit: Gender Check at MuMok, Vienna. So huge, so expansive, it was almost draining, but this survey

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-83579941403827750192010-12-23T19:54:00.003Z2010-12-23T19:58:59.639Z

Was hoping to wrap up the year with some work on my various unfinished film projects, which live on an external hard drive that I carry with me to various public access sites, as I don't own a Mac.Alas, last week the hard drive disconnected itself from its partner and steadfastly refuses to show its face or mount, as it's known. Cue visits to the shadowy world of the internet forum to check on

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-67898709220755243992010-12-14T15:36:00.007Z2010-12-14T16:09:21.485Z

Hopped on down to the Southbank Centre on Sunday to visit the ongoing Yvonne Rainer exhibit and specifically see some films that were only on show over the weekend. What I thought were her films turned out to be "Yvonne Rainer + artists' films". Hence, over an 80-minute period I only caught about 30 seconds of one of her films and it was one I'd seen before. Doh! Ah, well. Some of them were

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-3568959288392682402010-12-07T21:15:00.003Z2010-12-07T21:20:27.714Z

Le Cinema des Femmes presents GROWING PAINS: a celebration of teenage angst, American-style.Relive those high school memories of heartbreak, hormones, fitting in, and coming out… as we bring you two classic movies featuring implausibly white-toothed teens experiencing theagony of adolescence:BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER [1999]A girl sent to a sexuality re-programming camp gains unexpected insights.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-64472634522411000162010-11-30T11:57:00.003Z2010-11-30T21:51:23.088Z

How surprised was I to awake this morning to find snow falling! Though I knew Scotland has been deluged since the weekend, I didn't think it would make it this far south. Cue frantic scrabbling for winter boots. Perhaps it is time to put the bulbs out for their ever-so-brief yearly appearance.Some things never change: while the roads were perfectly clear, the pavements were slippy and slushy.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-7864358556260571652010-11-20T20:43:00.003Z2010-11-20T20:51:12.790Z

The inaugural UnderWire festival of women's short film work is in full swing and concludes tomorrow with an awards ceremony.Visiting the third day of the festival, I caught the Editing and Directing categories, preceded by a lecture by screenwriter Linda Aronson. Speaking in rather non-linear fashion, she offered some anecdotes from her career and then moved on to a suitably convoluted

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-19279339318925424032010-11-15T00:12:00.004Z2010-11-15T00:34:18.706Z

So, finally, the thrilling conclusion of a three-day epic. A not so early start didn't really help me catch up on sleep, but I was ready to go for the afternoon start of the film programme, which started with a workshop on DIY film-making, courtesy of Kanchi Wichmann, who shared clips from her forthcoming feature, Break My Fall. I had to run up to the Resource Centre to check on the other

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-45488790966878140332010-11-14T01:08:00.007Z2011-01-29T18:10:42.243Z

Wow. Wow. Wow. So tired I can barely type, but will do a quick recap of Saturday, which started at 10 with me not taking the Victoria line to Highbury, because of engineering works. Instead negotiated a replacement bus (or Ersatzbus as we have taken to calling it) and a tube, so was a bit late.Had a brief chat with Gabriella Apicella of UnderWire film festival on the paucity of decent women

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-18881777207020912282010-11-12T22:39:00.008Z2010-11-12T22:59:44.545Z

Just back from a buzzing evening at the Horatia, watching some fantastic UK hip-hop as part of Ladyfest Ten. I only caught a few acts, but I was really impressed by Patricia Panther and Lykez, two acts who couldn't be more different in presentation but are marvellously entertaining to watch. Whereas Lykez is all streetwise teenaged cockney attitude, Patricia Panther offers a soulful Glaswegian

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-7367589884851242752010-11-12T00:09:00.005Z2010-11-12T00:21:58.904Z

So, it's finally, finally here. I have been immersed over the last couple of months in the film group for Ladyfest Ten, which is on this weekend in London.Things I have experienced in the organisation of Ladyfest Ten:unravelled the mysteries of the Ningcreated spreadsheetsuploaded Google Docsapplied zombie make-upbaked chocolate cakesaccosted a filmmaker at the London Film Festivalencouraged a

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-55059080635484800992010-10-29T20:52:00.003+01:002010-10-29T20:56:05.063+01:00

Ladyfest Ten presents... Le Cinema des Femmes: FEMME FATALITIES Halloween Horror Movie Double Feature!Indulge in some HANGOVER HORROR this Halloween Sunday and join us for a film double bill featuring our favourite fiendish femmes and grotesque grrls!Ginger Snaps + Jennifer's BodyGet zombied up, neck down some Bloody Marys and get ready to hide behind the sofa cushions!Plus:Popcorn!Cakes!Zines!

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-50659530690517161992010-10-28T23:30:00.006+01:002010-12-26T20:35:55.581Z

My final instalment from this year's London Film Festival focusses on two very different films that highlight the dangers of the abuse of power.Sabina Guzzanti's excoriating documentary, Draquila, Italy Trembles, takes as its starting point the devastating 2009 earthquake that led to the abandonment of the Italian town of Aquila. But, as the film makes clear, much of the devastation was due to

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-29807919334987840282010-10-26T21:48:00.009+01:002010-12-26T20:37:40.519Z

No, I didn't attend last night's Gala Premiere of Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right, sadly, but I have viewed several films that detail complicated teenaged lives.Spork (dir JB Ghuman Jr.) is a quirky US slacker-ish comedy, curiously '90s in feel, with an outsider heroine, bullied at school for being dorky and intersex. Her tormentors include a group of Britney-alikes (very Heathers),

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-66671227765627164272010-10-22T15:19:00.009+01:002010-10-29T21:01:31.569+01:00

A spate of films has focussed on the put-upon woman, the wife or mother who is taken for granted, the servile worker or the discarded woman. Interesting.Among these is the Argentine drama, Puzzle, in which Maria spends her 50th birthday party picking up after her nearest and dearest. It is only the next morning that she gets around to opening her presents, among them a jigsaw puzzle that catches

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-62065957339558098712010-10-21T10:32:00.004+01:002010-10-21T10:36:02.185+01:00

I was quite shocked to check my emails this morning and learn of the passing of Ari Up, singer with The Slits. Legendary band, legendary singer and so full of life, it seems incredible to think she could be gone at only 48. I only saw her perform once, but she was an extraordinary character, following her muse and her dreams all over the globe. Not many can say that.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-59048509631369162192010-10-18T21:46:00.006+01:002010-10-29T20:33:29.994+01:00

Just back from amazing film sort of based on the life of playwright Andrea Dunbar and her writings. The Arbor combines real-life interviews with her friends and family, with readings from her play The Arbor. But it is done in such an artful and moving way, that it is completely gripping. And the story of her eldest child, Lorraine, is heartbreaking. I almost didn't see the film, but am still

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-48516936815021230042010-10-17T22:10:00.006+01:002010-10-29T20:52:28.202+01:00

Five days into the festival, I can't yet say how it is shaping up. But the standout for me so far is definitely The Taqwacores. Adapted from Michael Muhammad Knight's novel about a group of punky Muslims living in a shabby group house in Buffalo, the film is a multifaceted look at how people negotiate "mismatching disenfranchised subcultures", as Mohawked punk visionary Jehangir (Dominic Rains in

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-81988976946463827592010-10-10T12:42:00.005+01:002010-10-10T12:50:13.016+01:00

Just back from a brief road trip on the boneshaker, testing out if I can still ride the thing. I picked a good day--sunny, mild, a gentle breeze and very impressive foliage changes taking place. I also diced with death, ducking under the 5 foot head railway bridge on Coppermill Lane. Definitely this should be entered as an Olympic sport. Imminent decapitation would add an element of

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31695573.post-31779375602934622492010-10-01T11:05:00.004+01:002010-10-01T11:08:44.776+01:00

Ladyfest Ten has issued two callouts for film. One is a general callout for short films. The other is for archive footage from previous Ladyfests. Celebrating the tenth anniversary of Ladyfest, Ladyfest Ten takes place 12-14 November in London.

Val Phoenix, scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00621970358271076463noreply@blogger.com0