Like many American boys, I grew up watching superhero cartoons on Saturday mornings. Among them were the programmes that featured “The Justice League of America”: Superman, Batman, Aquaman and Wonder Woman were all present and each week they battled Lex Luthor and his minions. My favourite character was the Green Lantern: I not only admired [...]

I open this review with a bit of a confession. When the last book in the Harry Potter series was released, I was out at midnight in my town, queued around the corner to get into Waterstones. My ex-girlfriend had introduced me to the books; prior to her suggestion, I’d been reluctant to embrace something [...]

Red Plenty Francis Spufford. Faber and Faber 2010, Hardcover, 448 pages, £4.99 It’s rare to see anything brave or daring emerge from a mainstream publisher these days. For the most part, they are inhibited by those who cling more dearly to accounts ledgers than fine literature and as a result are perpetually unprepared to take [...]

Food, Inc [DVD] [2009] Eric Schlosser (Primary Contributor). Dogwoof 2010, DVD, £5.74 It’s difficult to diet. It’s usually at the point that one decides to cut back that chocolates, cakes and cookies seem to lay in wait in supermarkets and farmers markets, ready to pounce upon one’s tastebuds. The scent of sizzling steak or bacon [...]

Capitalism Michael Moore (Primary Contributor). Paramount Home Entertainment 2010, DVD, £3.06 I am not a big fan of Michael Moore’s work. This isn’t because of a big difference in political outlook, but rather, it’s because he suffers from a condition endemic in Hollywood: a tendency to oversimplify. I do understand that the market he is [...]

Nothing to Envy Barbara Demick. Granta Books 2010, Paperback, 272 pages, £10.94 If there was a competition for the “most pointless” country in the world, North Korea would be a strong contender. It has built up a preposterous cult of personality around a political non-entity, and military might on top of a base of impoverished [...]

The End of the Party Andrew Rawnsley. Viking 2010, Hardcover, 816 pages, £20.00 I bought this tome shortly after its publication; however, I didn’t get around to reading it until I had to contend with less than optimal circumstances. On March 17, my paternal grandmother died; a day later, I was on my way to [...]

Movies about the apocalypse are commonplace. Late last year, audiences were “treated” to the latest in a long line of films which contemplated the end of the world, namely “2012″, which was based on a ridiculous misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar. Like many of its ilk, it was little more than a demonstration of advanced [...]

Apart from “I love you”, perhaps the most dangerous statement in the English language is “Things couldn’t get worse”. In my experience, uttering this phrase is an invitation for evil to arrive. Indeed, I have wondered if the present Prime Minister has said it more than a few times. Faced with a teetering economy, he [...]

Going to see a Harry Potter film bears a similarity to attending a family reunion, particularly if the relatives live far away. At each event, one expects changes, one sees changes: the kids grow up, the adults get older. There are interesting stories to tell about the intervening period and much to catch up on, [...]