HERE I GO AGAIN Re: film reviews One star for Mamma Mia? Would your reviewers recognise a good time if they saw one? Of course most of the leads can’t sing, but that's part of the fun. Meanwhile you give four stars to the over- hyped, Dark Knight. This is a two bit comic posing as a philosophical tract, with its gaps in plot and common sense covered by psychopathic mumblings and big bangs.
It has one moment of unintentional insight into the
contemporary state of the USA,
when finally the Bat takes the rap for other misdeeds. It doesn't matter, it suggests.
how much you cheat, torture or ?
murder. As long as you tell a big enough lie. then the peOpIe will still believe in the American way of life.
Greg Philo, Glasgow
By email
GO WEST
Re: Issue 608
I always thought Glasgow kind of gave up over the festival. But perhaps I was wrong: the events you highlighted showed there's plenty of life in the old dog yet. I'II happily take DJs like Tim Sweeney, gigs from Calvin Johnson or art classes at Dr Sketchy's rather than battling my way through the
. ' JUST THE TICKET ' An unadvertised but highly popular Fringe offering Ticketing Through the Ages (a tragedy in three acts): a unique piece which offers you the chance to be the hero in this stirring tale of ticket purchasing. ln act one, you attempt to book Fringe tickets online. After selecting tickets. entering card details. confirming details and entering card details. the system
bins your purchase.
Act two commences with an aural experience of music and nonsense verse (‘You can book tickets online') delivered via the box office telephone before you engage in a personalised conversation with one of the imposing Fringe players.
Act three is a magical journey through Edinburgh encountering weird and wonderful characters from the Festival. On the arrival at the box office you, along with all the other cast members. queue for an unspecified duration before the climax in which you receive your tickets.
Warning: May cause irritation, dizzyness, nausea. frustration,
depression.
Venue: Locations of the customer's choosing and the Fringe
Box Office.
Group: Edinburgh Festival Fringe Category: Comedy. tragedy, theatre, performance art.
Show performances: 14-30 Aug 2008. Our allocation of tickets for this performance has sold out. Please contact the venue which may still have tickets available.
Show reviews: ‘The piece would have been of greater historical richness had the hero been forced to wait while his tickets had been handwritten on parchment and authenticated with a wax seal, but this is a small criticism.‘
Mike Jackson
Comment left at list.co.uk
THE LETTER OF THE ISSUE WILL RECEIVE ONE BOTTLE OF THE FAMOUS GROUSE WHISKY
IIIP litmmis (,il’ilUSi’, Scotland's favourite whisk;
The List,
14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TE
or The List at the CCA
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Festival crowds. I Cain Marko I Glasgow
l HERE'S ONE I
MADE EARLIER Festival reviews
Two years ago I was the lucky winner of a bottle of whisky to reward me for a letter that I wrote to your magazine on how best to support the Fringe visit of a non-Scottish visitor.
Back in Edinburgh. I am now struck by how little you let your occasional readers benefit from reviews that were published prior to each current issue.
Surely it would be very simple to just summarise your earlier, say, four and five-star reviews in each subsequent issue. so that single issue buyers can . base their planning on the full experience of your reviewers. Alexander Rinnooy Kan The Netherlands By email You 've got a good point,
. Alexander. Unfortunately, the
more space we allocate to
{ repeat reviews, the less we
' would have for new reviews. We do however, have all our reviews online at www. list. co.uk and in light of your comments have set up a page on our site where you can see all our festival reviews at a glance listed by star rating. See it at www. list. co. uk/festival-reviews
Bill Bailey Playhouse Edinburgh, Thu 14 Aug
James
Student
It was alright. Maybe not quite
up to the standard of Part Troll, but I was laughing most of the
way through.
Caroline
Accountant
Yeah it was really good. especially the end. His emo jokes were definitely highlights for me. Four stars.
2 THE LIST 21 Aug—4 Sep 2008
Salvador
Farmer
It was bang on! Five out of five. ten out of ten. Everything he does is genius, everything.
Ed Student I was a bit disappointed, actually. I thought the second half wasn't great at all. I'm sure Bill Bailey can do better.
The Online Poll
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Z7.5°/o WORKING AT A SKI RESORT IN THE ALPS
‘I love the snow and it's nice to eat fresh'
‘Squishing grapes with your feet is like stamping on the eyeballs of your enemies!‘
NEXT ISSUE: As the Connect Festival lands in lnveraray for another year, what’s your festival accommodation of choice: a teepee, a yurt or a ditch by the main stage?
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