The Weekender

Published on Friday 31 October 2008 15:27

SEPARATING the cultural wheat from the chaff...

FILM

Ah, Mr Bond, you have split your audience, I see. Yes, Daniel Craig may have rebranded Bond in one swift, modernising punch with Casino Royale, but so far opinion is split on the latest 007 escapade, Quantum Of Solace. That's not to say that it's bad, just that Casino Royale was excellent and left audiences wanting more.

Craig's hardened, less clichd and far less flirty Bond made room for faster and grittier action scenes, as well as Bond girls with enough wit to match their man. Quantum finds Bond out to avenge the death of Vesper Lynd, and as a result has little time for loving. The result is as steely a thriller as the franchise may have produced, which will either leave you shaken or stirred.

There's not much light entertainment on release tonight, but Steve McQueen's Hunger is a British film worth the watch. The Turner Prize-winning artist has made a dramatisation of Bobby Sands' 1981 Maze hunger strike, and the results are stunning. In particular, a 17 minute single shot scene over a prison desk sees Michael Fassbender (Sands) and Liam Cunningham (Father Moran) debate the politics and humanity behind Sands' actions. It alone is already viewed as a classic cinema moment, but Fassbender's performance throughout is magnetic.

MUSIC

As part of the Tennents Mutual festival, in which acts, venues and ticket prices are voted for by music fans, Glasvegas, Laura Marling and Malcolm Middleton will be performing at Ayr Town Hall tonight, 7.30pm. www.tennentsmutual.com.

Edinburgh's 7-piece indie folk heroes Broken Records celebrate Monday's release of their new single, Lies, with a gig at Edinburgh's Bongo Club, Saturday.

www.myspace.com/brokenrecordsedinburgh

Sunday sees the Borders town of Denholm host its own folk festival with appearances from Michael Marra and former Fame Academy star Ainslie Henderson, until Sunday. www.denholmfolkfest.co.uk

If you fancy something you can dance to, then you could do worse than get yourself along to see those intelligent dance floor masters Hot Chip, who are at Carling Academy, Sunday.

www.myspace.com/hotchip

DAYS OUT

After the goodie bags of trick or treating, some might not be able to think about feasting on even more delights, but if you can stomach it then the BBC Good Food Show is on at the SECC this weekend until Sunday. Gordon Ramsay, Nick Nairn, James Martin and Tom Kitchin will be there to offer demonstrations and tips, and there is a Producers' Village for food lovers to browse, taste, and buy from.

glasgow.bbcgoodfoodshow.com/

While you're there you could wash it all down with a visit to Whisky Live Glasgow, also at the SECC, today until Sunday.

www.whiskylive.com