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CONTEMPORARY CULTURE REVIEWS
Ben-X
Film Reviews: Ben-X is a film about an autistic emo teenager who's bullied at school and retreats to a world to online roleplaying games, aided only by Scarlite, a beautiful princess. But what happens when he meets her in real life? If you like Sigur Ros, Requiem for a Dream, geek references and gut-wrenching lip-chewing tension, it's time to find out more about the darkly intriguing world of Ben-X.
Street cred - Banksy's latest UK exhibition
Art Reviews: A hoodie/grim reaper self-harming and the council worker cleaning off cave paintings. It's got to be the artwork of Banksy! Holly Kirkwood takes a look at how graffiti artist Banksy came to be the latest darling of the art world, and wonders if graffiti can make the transition from pavement to art gallery.
Freaks - the movie
Reviews: Freaks is one of the all-time horror movie greats. It has hugely overblown acting and it's made in the 1930s, but the plot is fantastic and its B-movie royal status lies in all the freaks in the cast being genuine. From the 'human worm' to the 'pinhead' family to the question of what a freak really is, this film is a novelty must-see.
Tank Girl: Armadillo!
Reviews: She's back! Join everybody's favourite beer-swilling, chain-smoking, kangaroo-luvvin' lunatic as she embarks on her first 'proper' literary excursion. Violence! Time travel! Midgets! Yes, tremble in fear at Tank Girl: The Novel!
Tank Girl: Armadillo!
Music: On September 11th Ani DiFranco (singer, songwriter and activist folk-hero) released a career retrospective entitled 'Canon'. It spans all 19 of her albums, including those on her own label 'Righteous Babe Records'. As one of the few DIY-ethic anti-establisment people to have made it, Ani DiFranco has reworked the face of modern folk and deserves a place in musical history. At the very least, she deserves to have you listen to her 'Best Of'.
'Canon' by Ani DiFranco
Music: On September 11th Ani DiFranco (singer, songwriter and activist folk-hero) released a career retrospective entitled 'Canon'. It spans all 19 of her albums, including those on her own label 'Righteous Babe Records'. As one of the few DIY-ethic anti-establisment people to have made it, Ani DiFranco has reworked the face of modern folk and deserves a place in musical history. At the very least, she deserves to have you listen to her 'Best Of'.
Frightfest!
Film: If you love your horror, Frightfest 2007 brings the most exiting in gore, shock and schlock to Leicester Square this bank holiday weekend...
Top 10 alternative summer reads
Book: Our lovely Wendy says: 'I am the most voracious reader I know. While many of my friends are absorbed in manga and Wikipedia, I still prefer literature. Over the summer, I've managed to read quite a bit. So, I have decided to release the top 10 books that have graced my shelves over the past few months...'
PostSecret.com - We all have secrets...
Website: We all want to know what is going on in someone's head. Roswell Ivory uncovers the nosy girl's Holy Grail, a delicious website that lets you see other people's secrets... and maybe confess your own.
Alegria: The greatest show on earth
Culture: When one particular circus came to town it was seen as the future of all things circusy, giving us all of the breathless wonder and none of the animal cruelty. The Cirque du Soleil is 100% human, and the talent of its performers and costume designers shines through in this photographic report by the intrepid Miss E_Diva.
Casino Royale
Film: Daniel Craig has brought the sexy back! Made furious by a recent scandal surrounding journalists reviewing Casino Royale without seeing it, Holly Kirkwood puts her money where her mouth is - and says that, yes, Casino Royale is a safe bet.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Film: There are comparisons to be made to the Star Wars trilogy and Pirates of the Caribbean is definitely borrowing heavily from The Empire Strikes Back. But any film which has the amazing Captain Jack Sparrow cannot be faulted...
Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood
Book: The 'Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood' is a collection of cuttings, photos and momentoes kept in a scrapbook kept over the years by a small but perfectly-formed band of girls and brings to life the fabulous adventures and friendships of the mad, bad, dangerous and downright hysterical Ya Yas.
Bite Me: Vampire magazine
Zine: People interested in vampires will adore getting their elegant, crimson-nailed hands on 'Bite Me' magazine as it celebrates all things vampire with a fresh new voice and masses of style...
Fables: Legends in Exile (graphic novel)
Comic: In 'Fables' the DC Vertigo stable has brought out a fantasy world where famous characters from fairy tales have to run away from their homeworlds and build a secret city in crime-filled stinking New York...
Nell
Film: Jodie Foster shines as Nell, the girl raised as a wild animal who speaks her own eerie, unearthly-sounding private language and runs by moonlight. Although it's not a horror film, you'll find yourself thinking about the spooky spine-tingling atmosphere of the film for days, says Amanda Prouten.
Easy guide to online comics
Comics: They say comics are the new rock'n'roll. Okay they said that in the eighties, but they're saying it again. So it's okay to look at comics online and not feel nerdys. If you haven't checked out comics online already, Amber Rules gives you a map to a whole new (free) online world.
Bad Girls: Tough Girl Cinema
Film: There's an exploding genre of action films with uber-tough sassy girls. They kick righteous ass but never smudge their lipstick... and only bat their eyelashes at a guy for smooches, not for assistance. Tough girls of cinema, we salute you!
Facercise: The natural facelift
Book: We all want to look as sexy as we can (in our own way, sure) so that boys will, well, know we're sexy. This book will show you how to facercise your way to the top of the heap!
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Book: If you haven't heard David Sedaris yet, don't waste another second. His anecdotes of growing up in a family even more eccentric than yours have created an army of fans you'll be proud to join...
Brief Encounter
Film: It's too easy to get turned off by black-and-white films but you really should see 'Brief Encounter'. It's kitsch, it's slow-moving, it's old-fashioned, it's black and white, there are no sudden plot twists and it's so, so British...
As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning
Book: In winter you need a magic spell to transport you into a world of freedom, light-heartedness and sunshine, and this book has no plot, no philosophy, no agenda - it is that spell.
MR STARLIGHT
Book: Sel Boff makes his way from downtown clubs to the lights of Vegas, wooing the ladies with his smarmy showmanship and hiding his liasons with young sailors on the way...
HOW TO CATCH HIM AND KEEP HIM
E-book: Have you ever known halfway through a fumble that romping with the guy you just met really wasn't a good plan after all? Sue Nedwell reports on an E-book that promises to cut down on life's romantic blunders.
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
Book: How would you feel if your father made you believe you murdered your mother? Amanda Prouten reviews 'The Secret Life of Bees', a tale of civil rights and sixties America wrapped up in a magical story of two child fugitives.
AS MEAT LOVES SALT
Book: Literature about gay boys is still fun to read for girls! Stephanie Minns coos over a gay love story between two men, set in the English Civil War. Not a good time to be gay, we suspect.
