THEGAYUK

Author: Tim Baros

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Las Iguanas Restaurant, Royal Festival Hall

    ★★★★ | Las Iguanas (Royal Festival Hall)

    It’s a new year, so it’s time to try new things. And I highly recommend Las Iguanas restaurant – they’ve got a new menu, and it sits perfectly alongside their other yummy dishes and drinks.

    With branches practically all over London, including Spitalfields, the Brunswick Centre, Stratford, the O2 and many more, the most centrally located is located on the busy walking path between Charing Cross Bridge and Waterloo Train Station. Right next to the Royal Festival Hall – it’s a pathway where people are in a rush to catch their trains home, so they’re focusing on either the north or south of the river train station. Well, I highly recommend a stop at Las Iguanas because there is so much on offer you’ll have a hard time deciding what to eat, so will need to go back just to satisfy your curiosity.

    Their new menu has an excellent selection of new dishes that must be tried. First and foremost may I recommend the Seco de Cordero (Dry Lamb) – but it is not dry at all! It’s a lamb shank (a huge portion), slow cooked in a golden ale, red wine and Amarillo chilli sauce, served with amazing roasted sweet potato mash & crispy chilli and onions, and at only £18.95 it’s worth every pound! From their Mexican menu, try their Vegetarian Burritos. It’s sweet potato, butternut squash & chickpea chilli all nicely rolled up in a wheat tortilla and also stuffed with rice, refried beans and comes with crunchy slaw & cheese with salad, sour cream, guacamole & roasted tomato salsa on the side, and that’s a whole lot of food for only £10.50. How about going for something entirely different and try a Cuban Sandwich. If you’ve never had one before, I highly recommend one. It’s Roasted pork belly, Emmental cheese & ham with sweet mustard & green pickle relish layered in a buttery toasted bun, with slaw & choice of fries or salad (£10.50). Also very very different is the Cauliflower & Corn Quinotto. What’s a Quinotto? It’s Peruvian-style quinoa risotto that comes with smoked cheese, roasted cauliflower & charred baby corn, topped with puffed quinoa & crispy chilli (£9.95). Besides these amazing (and new) dishes, Las Iguanas still also serves your favourites from Brazil. Dishes like Bahian Coconut Chicken being one of them, Cuba (Havana Club & Jerk BBQ Pork Ribs – yummy!), Argentina (Gaucho Steak will do nicely thank you), and Mexican (Enchiladas, Chilli Con Carne, Fajitas, etc.).

    I mean there’s just so so so much on the menu I could go on and on…like, for instance, their amazing Taco Planks where you can mix and match what type of filling you want. Tortilla chips & dip while you are waiting to order; as well as of course Nachos, Calamari, Mussels, salads – there are just too too many to mention. And speaking of a mention, you also need, need, to try their Piña Colada Mess for dessert. It’s Piña Colada ice cream with caramelised pineapple salsa, crispy pineapple pieces & toasted coconut chips (£5.50).

    Now, why else would you go to a Latin Amercian restaurant if you weren’t going to sample their drinks, and Las Iguanas has it all. From their refreshing Strawberry Daquiris to their amazing Mezcal Watermelon Smash, and of course, you really need to have one of their Mojitos if you are feeling Cuban, or if you are feeling a bit Mexican than of, course have a Margarita. I urge you, urge you, to have a look at the drinks menu as you will not be able to narrow your choices down to five – there’s just so much to choose from.

    Las Iguanas lives for, and brings, food alive. They also bring and deliver, an entire Latin American experience with energy and enthusiasm. Everything on the menu is mouth-watering, and you’ll have a good time, I guarantee it when you visit one of their many restaurants. You will discover more tastes, experience new things, and will want to return again and again, like I did, to try different dishes and drinks. It’s a fun experience I want to repeat muchos veces (many times!)

    To find your nearest Las Iguanas, and for opening times visit: https://www.iguanas.co.uk

  • GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics Announces Dorian Award Film/TV Nominations for 2017

    GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA.org) comprised of nearly 200 critics and journalists in the US, Canada and UK, today released its ninth annual Dorian Award nominations for the year’s finest in film and TV.

    Call Me By Your Name reigns with nine nominations, starting with Film of the Year. Earning both best actor and rising star nods: Timothée Chalamet, who plays the film’s teen protagonist besotted by 20something Armie Hammer — who received a nomination for supporting actor.

    The Shape of Water, director Guillermo del Toro’s fantastical love story coupling a woman and a creature plucked from the Amazon River, landed seven nominations. Meanwhile, the horrors-of-racism drama Get Out earned six nominations, four for writer-director Jordan Peele alone (in addition to helming and screenplay nods, he’s up for “Wilde Wit” and “Wilde Artist” kudos).

    Also ranking high with GALECA members: Margot Robbie, a nominee for Film Performance of the Year — Actress for her gritty turn, twist and twirl as ice-blooded figure-skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya. Joining Robbie on the ring is Chilean actress Daniela Vega for her work as a transgender waitress dealing with loss and indignities in A Fantastic Woman.

    As for epics, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk did not get a best film nomination, but Nolan made GALECA’s Director of the Year shortlist — and the WWII epic is also up for Visually Striking Film of the Year alongside the likes of Blade Runner 2049. Meanwhile, BPM (Beats Per Minute), French director Robin Campillo’s dramatic account of friends facing the AIDS epidemic in 1990’s France, scored an impressive five nominations, from Foreign Language Film of the Year to Unsung Film.

    In TV categories, awards-season darlings Big Little Lies, Feud and The Crown — as well as women surnamed Kidman, Witherspoon, Foy and Lange — obviously delighted GALECA members as well. The male actor race includes a couple of nice surprises: Kyle MacLachlan for Twin Peaks: The Return and Jonathan Groff for Netflix’s droll crime thriller Mindhunter. Other shows getting some love include Hulu’s departing Difficult People, Netflix’s series version of Dear White People and Starz’s electric and provocative fantasy American Gods.

    And, for TV Musical Performance of the Year, Lady Gaga, Pink, RuPaul’s Drag Race favourite Sasha Velour and comic John Mulaney all vie against Kate McKinnon’s Broadway-worthy sendup of Kellyanne Conway on Saturday Night Live.

    The final Dorian verdicts, including GALECA’s latest pick for Timeless Star (a career achievement honour), will be announced Wednesday, January 31. Then, on Saturday afternoon, February 24, the group will gather to celebrate some of the winners at its annual, intimate Winners Toast in Los Angeles.

    Enjoy our posts via @DorianAwards on Facebook • Twitter • Instagram

    GALECA 2017/18 DORIAN AWARDS NOMINEES:

    FILM OF THE YEAR
    BPM (Beats Per Minute) – The Orchard
    Call Me By Your Name – Sony Pictures Classics
    Get Out – Universal
    Lady Bird – A24
    The Shape of Water – Fox Searchlight

    DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR (FILM OR TELEVISION)
    Sean Baker, The Florida Project – A24
    Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water – Fox Searchlight
    Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird – A24
    Luca Guadagnino, Call Me By Your Name – Sony Pictures Classics
    Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk – Warner Bros.
    Jordan Peele, Get Out – Universal

    BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — FEMALE
    Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water – Fox Searchlight
    Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Fox Searchlight
    Margot Robbie, I, Tonya – Neon
    Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird – A24
    Daniela Vega, A Fantastic Woman – Sony Pictures Classics

    BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR – MALE
    Nahuel Perez Biscayart, BPM (Beats Per Minute) — The Orchard
    Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name – Sony Pictures Classics
    James Franco, The Disaster Artist – A24
    Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out – Universal
    Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour – Focus Features

    SUPPORTING FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — FEMALE
    Mary J. Blige, Mudbound – Netflix
    Tiffany Haddish, Girls Trip – Universal
    Allison Janney, I, Tonya – Neon
    Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird – A24
    Michelle Pfeiffer, mother! – Paramount

    SUPPORTING FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — MALE
    Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project – A24
    Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name – Sony Pictures Classics
    Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water – Fox Searchlight
    Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Fox Searchlight
    Michael Stuhlbarg, Call Me By Your Name – Sony Pictures Classics

    LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
    BPM (Beats Per Minute) — The Orchard
    Battle of the Sexes – Fox Searchlight
    Call Me By Your Name – Sony Pictures Classics
    A Fantastic Woman – Sony Pictures Classics
    God’s Own Country – Samuel Goldwyn Films

    FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
    BPM (Beats Per Minute) — The Orchard
    A Fantastic Woman – Sony Pictures Classics
    First They Killed My Father – Netflix
    The Square – Magnolia Pictures
    Thelma – The Orchard

    SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR (ORIGINAL OR ADAPTED)
    James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name – Sony Pictures Classics
    Jordan Peele, Get Out – Universal
    Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird – A24
    Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water – Fox Searchlight
    Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Fox Searchlight

    DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
    (theatrical release, TV airing or DVD release)
    Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story – Zeitgeist/Kino Lorber
    The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson – Netflix
    Faces Places – Cohen Media Group
    Jane ­– National Geographic/Abramorama
    Kedi – Oscilloscope

    VISUALLY STRIKING FILM OF THE YEAR
    (honouring a production of stunning beauty, from art direction to cinematography)
    Blade Runner 2049 – Warner Bros.
    Call Me By Your Name – Sony Pictures Classics
    Dunkirk – Warner Bros.
    The Shape of Water – Fox Searchlight
    Wonderstruck – Amazon

    UNSUNG FILM OF THE YEAR
    BPM (Beats Per Minute) – The Orchard
    Beach Rats
    God’s Own Country – Samuel Goldwyn Films
    Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
    Wonderstruck – Amazon

    CAMPY FLICK OF THE YEAR
    Baywatch – Paramount
    The Disaster Artist – A24
    The Greatest Showman – 20th Century Fox
    I, Tonya – Neon
    mother! – Paramount

    TV DRAMA OF THE YEAR
    Big Little Lies – HBO – HBO
    The Crown – Netflix
    Feud: Bette and Joan – FX
    The Handmaid’s Tale – Hulu
    Twin Peaks: The Return – Showtime

    TV COMEDY OF THE YEAR
    Better Things – FX
    GLOW – Netflix
    The Good Place – NBC
    The Marvelous Mrs Maisel – Amazon
    Will & Grace – NBC

    TV PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR – FEMALE
    Clare Foy, The Crown – Netflix
    Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies – HBO
    Jessica Lange, Feud: Bette and Joan – FX
    Elizabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale – Hulu
    Reese Witherspoon, Big Little Lies – HBO

    TV PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR — MALE
    Aziz Ansari, Master of None – Netflix
    Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us – NBC
    Jonathan Groff, Mindhunter – Netflix
    Kyle MacLachlan, Twin Peaks: The Return – Showtime
    Alexander Skaarsgård, Big Little Lies – HBO

    TV CURRENT AFFAIRS SHOW OF THE YEAR
    Full Frontal with Samantha Bee – Comedy Central
    Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – HBO
    Late Night with Seth Meyers – NBC
    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – CBS
    The Rachel Maddow Show – MSNBC

    TV MUSICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
    Lady Gaga, “God Bless America,” “Born This Way,” etc., Super Bowl LI – Fox
    Kate McKinnon, “(Kellyanne) Conway!” Saturday Night Live – NBC
    Brendan McCreary, John Mulaney, “I’m Gay,” Big Mouth – Netflix
    Pink, “Beautiful Trauma,” American Music Awards – ABC
    Sasha Velour, “So Emotional,” RuPaul’s Drag Race – VH1

    LGBTQ SHOW OF THE YEAR
    Difficult People – Hulu
    RuPaul’s Drag Race – VH1
    Sense8 – Netflix
    Transparent – Amazon
    Will & Grace – NBC

    UNSUNG TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
    American Gods – Starz
    Dear White People – Netflix
    Difficult People – Hulu
    At Home with Amy Sedaris – TruTV
    The Leftovers – HBO

    CAMPY TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
    Dynasty
    Feud: Betty and Joan
    Riverdale
    RuPaul’s Drag Race
    Will & Grace

    ‘WE’RE WILDE ABOUT YOU!’ RISING STAR AWARD
    Timothée Chalamet
    Harris Dickinson
    Tiffany Haddish
    Daniel Kaluuya
    Daniela Vega

    WILDE WIT OF THE YEAR AWARD
    (honouring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse)
    Samantha Bee
    Stephen Colbert
    Kate McKinnon
    John Oliver
    Jordan Peele

    WILDE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
    (honouring a truly groundbreaking force in the fields of film, theatre and/or television)
    Guillermo del Toro
    Greta Gerwig
    Patty Jenkins
    David Lynch
    Jordan Peele

  • THEATRE REVIEW | La Bohéme – Trafalgar Studios, London

    ★★★★★ | La Bohéme

    La Bohéme, an opera in four acts, had its world premiere in 1896 in Turin, Italy. Since then, it’s been copied and re-interpreted in so many different ways that each version is unique in its own way. Another reincarnation of this very famous opera has just recently opened up at Trafalgar Square Studios, and it’s definitely one Londoners can identify with.

    This version of La Bohéme, written by Adam Spreadbury-Maher and Becca Marriott, had its debut at the King’s Head Theatre last year. And luckily for us, it’s making a return in a central London venue. Set in present-day East London, the show presents to us broke and down and out young men and women who can barely scrape together money for the rent, or in one case, to buy drugs.

    Ralph and Mark (Roger Paterson and Thomas Isherwood) are roommates in a flat on Christmas Eve in Dalston, and when someone knocks on their door, they instinctively hide because they suspect it’s their landlord collecting rent – they even have a window that acts as a backdoor to escape. Then there is Mimi (Marriott), broke and very thin, and always cold, who finds her way into the boys’ flat and meets Ralph – they have an instant connection and take a liking to each other.

    Then there is Musetta (Honey Rouhani), who, with her beautiful looks and luscious lips and curves that go on for miles, is the troublemaker and ingénue who sweeps in and out and leaves her mark. If these characters sound familiar, they also make up some of the cast of the characters of Rent – that classic 1990’s musical rock opera that won a slew of awards, with very memorable songs such as “Seasons of Love” and “Take Me (For What I Am)”. Rent has withstood the test of time as one of the greatest musicals ever made.

    La Bohéme is also very good – it’s an opera for this generation, a generation that seems to live life through their mobile phones 24/7. And this La Bohéme involves a bit of audience participation – Musetta gets cosy with some uncomfortable-looking male members of the audience, while Mimi asks for spare change – it’s surreal and hard-hitting but even more so when those who get asked all shake their heads and say no, with a look of guilt on their faces. Trafalgar Studios is quite a cosy place to put on a show this big, but it works. The cast is all amazing, and by the end, I almost really believed what I saw was real. The cast (some of the actors rotate with other actors on various nights) are accompanied by the Musical Director, Panaretos Kyriatzidis, on piano and Alison Holford on cello. It’s a must see!

    La Bohéme is now playing at Trafalgar Studios until January 6, 2018

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Victory Mansion, Stoke Newington, London

    ★★★★★ | Victory Mansion

    Dalston is a hive of Kabob shops, loud bars and clubs, and lots and lots of Turkish supermarkets. But a bit further north in Stoke Newington is a place that stands out on Stoke Newington High Street just down the road from the local Wetherspoons – it’s Victory Mansion.

    Victory Mansion is both a restaurant and a bar and is doing things a bit different, delicious and decadent, than most, if not all, of the places on this side of town.

    Victory Mansion, named after a mansion block that used to be on this site, is a restaurant/bar that intertwines its food and drinks with literature to create an amazing and memorable experience.

    Victory Mansion, first off, has an absolutely amazing cocktail menu that’s practically scientific in its design. There’s an amazing array of drinks, drinks that are named after characters in famous books. There’s the Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye), a drink includes Aylesbury duck vodka, lillet rose, raspberry, apple and soda and the Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird) which has Wild turkey bourbon, plum sake, lychee, lime, chilli & peach bitters and ginger, among many others. We had a few of the others – one was the Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) which was a superbly delicious blend of Calle 23 tequila, banana and chocolate wine – it needs to be tasted to be believed! If you like it sweet, and who doesn’t, then please try the Henry Chinaski (the literary alter ego of Charles Bukowski) which was blended with Plantation pineapple rum, cognac, limoncello and pineapple sugar – it’s so sweet and so good. Victory Mansion’s cocktail menu is like a book, and I recommend you read it from cover and cover and sample as many as you can. It’s is an absolute standout menu.

    But it’s not just the drinks where Victory Mansion is king, it’s their new Ta-Ko menu, introduced a month ago, that’s also a standout.

    There are so so many choices of tacos (or as they would like to call them Ta-Ko) that you’ll be spoiled for choice. I highly recommend their Crispy Cauliflower, black bean & tamarind ragu with avocado and pepper mayo. It’s crunchy and is absolutely delicious. The charred sprouting broccoli & spring onion is also a standout – it sits in a nice dollop of salted duck egg relish for a creamy delight. Both the Nahm jim chicken and the Palm Sugar glazed beef short rib are deliciously filled – the chicken with pickles, crispy onions and mayo – and the short rib with pickled watermelon and blackberry sriracha, which were a burst of flavours in the mouth. All their Asian-inspired tacos are so good they really need to be tried. And while they are not Mexican-style (i.e. large) tacos, if you order several of them they will quickly fill you up. Each flavour comes with two tacos – so perfect for sharing for two so that you both are able to try each one. Other tacos that we didn’t get to try, but no doubt probably just as delicious as the ones we had include tacos with Blackened river trout, torched seabream, red pepper pork neck as well as one with fermented yellow bean leas, halloumi, sweet potato and mustard relish – it’s one I would definitely go back for. As a matter of fact, I would go back to Victory Mansion for pretty much the entire experience again. My dining companion and I enjoyed everything so so much, we want to go back again, and next time bring more friends. It’s just that kind of place, warm, hip but not trying to be, knowledgeable and very friendly staff, it just ticks all the boxes. Even the prices – those amazing cocktails previously mentioned go for between £8 to £10 each, and the Ta-Ko’s range in price from £3.50 to £4 and their absolute must sides (Asian cole slaw, charred corn, shredded beetroot, and MSG fries – basically Nori friend potatoes that are a must), all go for between £3 to £4 each. So there you go, all the above are reasons why you should go to Victory Mansion – what are you waiting for?

    Victory Mansion does a 2 for 1 – 12 pm to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday Brunch where you get brunch Ta-Ko’s and £5 brunch cocktails.

    There is also a basement that is perfect for private birthdays or dinner parties, for 30 – 70 guests.

    18 Stoke Newington High Street
    London N16 7PL

    https://www.victorymansion.co.uk

    Closed Mondays
    Bar
    Tuesday – Thursday
    5 pm – 1 am
    Friday
    5 pm – 2 am
    Saturday
    Noon – 2 am

    Restaurant
    Tuesday – Friday
    6 pm – 11 pm
    Saturday and Sunday
    12 pm – 5 pm
    6 pm – 11 pm

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Boys in the Buff, Kings Head Theatre, London

    ★★★ | Boys in the Buff

    The Full Monty. Naked Boys Singing. And put Boys in the Buff in that category.

    Yes, these are shows where the male cast take their clothes off and sing and act (a bit) for the audience. Of course, The Full Monty was the biggest of the bunch (biggest I mean most popular – ahem). Naked Boys Singing was the gayest, and Boys in the Buff is in a category all by itself – the campiest!

    Four good-looking young men and a voluptuous compere entertain us with their flare, razzle-dazzle, and their bits (well not the compere – who is female!) in a show with witty and cute songs and dialogue but perhaps lacking in good taste, and in a couple of cases, passable acting! But singing, and acting, is not what this show is all about – we’re left in anticipation of waiting, and wanting, for the boys to take their clothes off. In the meanwhile, we are treated to really fun songs like ’Size Doesn’t Matter,’ ‘Does My Bum Look Big in This,’ and ‘Let it All Hang Out,’ and dreadful ones that include ‘Dancing in the Semi-Nude’ and ‘My Foreskin and Me.’ There’s also audience participation much to the delight (not) of the audience. But in the intimate confines of the Kings Head Theatre, where the first two rows are so close to the stage it’s almost a crime, the boys really pour out their hearts, and display their bits, for us soldieringly. Adam Mroz is so cute and sexy; you just want to take him home and put him on your bookshelf! Hunky Adam O’Shea, who was in the original production at the Lost Theatre this past summer, brings his muscles with him, – he’s certainly got pecs-appeal! Daniel Timoney is along for the ride, as is Eli Caldwell. But Shani Cantor is just fab fab fab as the hostess with the mostest! All in all, it’s one hour of fun!!!

    Boys in the Buff plays at The Kings Head Theatre until Dec 9th, 2017

     

  • FILM REVIEW | Beach Rats

    ★★★★ |  Beach Rats

    A young man plays it very cool with his friends while he hides his true sexuality in the new film Beach Rats.

    19-year old Frankie (Harris Dickinson) lives with his mother and dying father in Brooklyn, New York. His mother constantly nags him to get a job but he spends his days doing drugs and hanging out with his gang of homeboys. They are all very macho and straight and while away the hours hanging out on the boardwalk and chatting up local girls. But what they don’t know about Frankie is that he secretly spends his time on gay hookup sites and meets other men at a local cruising spot for sex.

    There is one girl, however, from the neighbourhood (Madeline Weinstein) who he hooks up with – he really likes her and she really likes him, but expectedly it doesn’t go anywhere. And when he gets involved in an incident with his friends that involves a gay man his life suddenly takes a turn.

    UK born Dickinson is very good as Frankie. He nails down the accent and the attitude almost perfectly. With no previous film credits, he’s a natural and very compelling to watch on the big screen (and boy is he sexy)! Director Eliza Hittman gets almost everything right in this film, with the exception of the last 20 minutes that gets a bit too unbelievable. But it’s Dickinson you’ll remember when the screen credits go up. He’s on to bigger and better things.

  • FILM REVIEW | The Florida Project

    ★★★★★ |  The Florida Project

    From filmmaker Sean Baker, writer and director of 2015’s critically acclaimed film Tangerine, comes another film about living life on the edge in the bittersweet The Florida Project.

    Tangerine, which was shot on iPhones, told the story of two trans sex workers surviving by any means possible in Hollywood. The Florida Project, shot on 35mm, has a similar trajectory involving a single mother and her adorable 6-year old daughter surviving by any means and barely eking out a living in a rundown motel on the tacky fringes of Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. It’s an area filled with cheap motels (with tacky names such as Futureland Inn) and even cheaper and tackier gift shops and fast food restaurants (Orange World). And like in Tangerine, Baker uses non-professional actors in this film.

    Bria Vinaite is excellent as Hailey, a single young mother who struggles to find money to pay the weekly rent and to care for her very adorable six-year-old daughter Moonee (an excellent and natural Brooklynn Prince). Moonee has made friends with all of the little children at their motel complex (appropriately called The Magic Castle) in an area where Disney did not sprinkle magic dust on. The children spend their days getting up to no good, causing mayhem wherever they go, much to the annoyance of the motel manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe – in an award-worthy performance). Hailey’s downstairs neighbour Ashley (Mela Murder) works at the nearby Waffle House and gives them free food, but after an incident that involves her son and Moonee, she forbids her son to hang out with Moonee, and severs her friendship with Hailey. One thing leads to another and slowly the magic seeps out of The Magic Castle.

    The Florida Project is just fantastic. While it doesn’t quite come close to Tangerine with its sarcastic and biting humour, it nonetheless is a cute and charming movie of childhood through a little girl’s eyes and the hard truths that reality will eventually rear its ugly head. And the cast are just superb. Baker, who co-wrote the script with Chris Bergoch, has another winner on his hands.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Gaucho Restaurant Broadgate, London

    ★★★★★ | Gaucho Restaurant Broadgate

    Gaucho Restaurant Broadgate, London

    Are you looking for a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon? Look no further, Gaucho Restaurant Broadgate in the City is the place to go.

    Gaucho Restaurant, which sits right in the middle of the UBS buildings right near Broadgate Circle, is hosting Saturday Electro Brunch. It’s an excellent, fun and perfect mix of music, food, and alcohol, and it’s also the perfect place to while away a Saturday afternoon. And it’s not just brunch, it’s Electro Brunch, and it’s an orgy of food and alcohol, and a real live D.J. spinning electro beats, in a sumptuous and very classy atmosphere, all for the low price and excellent valued £49.99.

    Yes, for just £49.99 you get all you can eat and drink, from 11-4 on Saturdays, and the excellent price of £49.99.

    We went on a recent Saturday afternoon to have a taste, and we were not disappointed at all. Brunch being the keyword in the name, the food are all brunch items, and I tried to have as much as possible to get a real flavour, and taste, of the menu, as the portions are appetizer size, and that was not a problem. The 2 small sizes of the French Toast were perfect. Served with peanut butter and strawberries. The Avocado on Toast popular as it is now on menus, couldn’t have been fresher. And my lunch companion wanted gluten-free bread, and Gaucho accommodated her, no problem! She also asked for, and got, salmon on toast, a dish that wasn’t even on the menu!

    Of course, I had to have the Steak & Eggs, and it came out as ordered. Small portion, but the steak was mighty tender, and with Chimichurri dressing which is on every table, it made it all the more superb. And the oven baked chorizo was practically a main meal in itself and consisted of a nice slab or chorizo, fried eggs, delicious mushrooms and served in a small frying page, and while the chorizo was not as well cooked as I would’ve liked, it was very good. And the coup de gras were the pancakes. Though small, the two had almonds and just the right amount of syrup, dessert size portion, but a dish that I would highly recommend – tres Bueno! Also on the menu include Eggs Florentine, Fried Provoleta, Beans on Toast, Eggs Royale, and Bacon or Choripan Sandwich – there’s just so so so much!

    And let’s not forget the drinks. You get a choice of the Gaucho Bloody Mary, the Aperol Spritz, Rubia Pilsener Lager, and Domaine Chandon or non-alcoholic refreshing juices such as the Apple Gone Loupe or Orange Zinger, both very refreshing and cool. For £10 more you can upgrade to the Electro Brunch Premium, which includes the above as well Pornstar and Espresso Martinis! So you owe it yourself to experience this – you’ll have an amazing time with a staff that’s so very nice and lovely in a setting that’s delectable and delicious.

    Gaucho’s Electric Brunch is on every Saturday from 11 – 4 at Broadgate, Canary, Chancery, Piccadilly, Sloane, Smithfield, Tower Bridge

    £49.95 PER PERSON
    BIRMINGHAM, LEEDS & MANCHESTER – £45.00PP

    Gaucho requires a deposit of £10 per person to secure your booking
    Guests can have as many plates as they like within two hours.
    All dishes and beverages are included in the price for 2 hours from the time of seating, so indulge yourself.

    Home

     

  • FILM REVIEW | Body Electric

    ★★★★ | Body Electric

    Life is one big party for the characters in the new film Body Electric.

    Elias (a sexy Keiner Macedo) is the assistant manager in a factory somewhere in Brazil. He’s only 23 and quite young to hold such a responsible job, but his female boss, who is always jet-setting from here to there on business, trusts Elias completely to run the factory while she’s gone. It’s a factory that makes clothes, and Elias sees his fellow employees not just as co-workers but as friends, and they all spend lots of time hanging out with each other after work and on weekends.

    They’re all friends, very close friends. And when a new employee starts work at the factory, a West African man called Fernando (Welket Bungue), Elias welcomes him into the fold and nothing much changes for these happy-go-lucky group of people who work hard and play much much harder.

    And play is just what Elias likes to do. He’s openly gay at work and in his personal life, and there appears to be no issue with his colleagues when he takes up with fellow young co-worker Wellington (Lucas Andrade). Wellington introduces Elias to a gaggle of drag queens with a queen bee who wonders out loud where all the fabric Wellington and Elias brought to them comes from. But it doesn’t matter for these folks, life is one big party, and with that comes alcohol and sex.

    In Body Electric, director Marcelo Caetano relies on lots of lingering shots to portray his cast in ways that make them look and feel so real, it, at times makes you feel like you’re eavesdropping on their lives, and loves. But Body Electric is all about Elias and how happy he is, and how happy his co-workers are who toil away at the factory day in and day out, and we are very happy for all of them.

    Available to buy from Amazon

  • FILM REVIEW | Call Me By Your Name

    ★★★ | Call Me By Your Name

    FILM REVIEW | Call Me By Your Name

    There is a gay-themed film that has just been released that is getting rave and five-star reviews. And while it is very good,  it’s also not your typical gay relationship film.

    Call Me By Your Name tells the story about an adult who has an affair with a younger man. The adult in question is the actor Armie Hammer (who in real life happens to be 31, but looks older, and in this film he is playing a 24-year old) who is playing is Oliver. The young man in question is Elio, played by Timothée Chalamet (who happens to 21 in real life but plays a 17-year old in the film but looks a lot younger). The story, based on the 2007 book of the same name by André Aciman, is about a sexual relationship between Oliver and Elio.

    Oliver, you see, has been hired by Elio’s parents, wealthy couple the Perlmans (Michael Stuhlbarg and Amira Casar), to help Mr. Perlman with his archeological work. But what happens is that the closeted Elio (who is wooed by the local girls who vie for his attention) becomes enamoured with, and by, Oliver. Oliver, who is a man’s man, with a chest full of hair, is a very confident man who can practically have anyone he wants. He, however, enters into a relationship with Elio. It’s really hard to believe that a man of the world like Oliver could be sexually attracted to Elio. And while Elio is a good-looking young man, he’s still quite young for someone whom Oliver could fancy.  So it’s a bit inappropriate for a man like Oliver to be sexually attracted, and to sexually satisfy Elio, in various locations, including having interludes in the Perlman family home where they conveniently have adjoining rooms which allow for lots of loving glances across their rooms. Elio’s parents do realise what’s happening and turn a blind eye to the relationship and let nature take it’s course.

    Call Me By Your Name is a beautiful and lush film, directed with care by Italian director Luca Guadagnino. It lovingly highlights the Italian countryside and the small cityscapes of Lombardy; the film has beautiful camerawork and the acting by all involved is top notch. Chalamet is a real find – his Elio commands the screen. Chalamet looks very very comfortable in front of the camera, clothes on or off (there is absolutely no full frontal nudity in this film, though some of the sex scenes look all too real). Hammer is also very good in this role – a role that is not a typical role for him to play. And there is scene, which you must have heard about by now, that involves a peach. Yes, a peach, which Elio uses, and which involves Oliver, that was a bit too much for me. But it’s the scene where the credits roll up at the end of the film where you can’t leave your seat or avert your eyes – it’s these few minutes where Chamalet as Elio will mesmerize, and seduce you. So it’s at this point that you think that perhaps you can’t blame Oliver for falling for him because it’s at this point you will do the same as well.

    In selected Cinemas now

    Pre-order from Amazon | iTunes

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Exorcist, Phoenix Theatre, London

    ★★★★ | The Exorcist

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Exorcist, Phoenix Theatre, London

    Breaking news: There is a young girl who is possessed by the devil in the West End.

    Her name is Regan, and she is 12 years old. She once used to be a playful little girl, happy, singing, always with a smile on her face. Then one day she started mentioning to her mom that she had an imaginary friend in her room. This friend, which went by the name Captain Howdy, would talk to her, and tell her to do things. But eventually Captain Howdy started to take over her life, and her body, while mysterious and strange goings-on take place in the house (windows opening, doors not closing, strange writing on the wall). But the worst was yet to come. Regan started to harm herself, and harm others, and the sight of blood didn’t phase her. But she was becoming extremely dangerous, not just to herself, but to the people in her household, which includes her actress mother’s best friend and film director, Burke Dennings. At some point, Regan needs to be tied to her bed, and it’s then, and only then, that we realize that Regan is possessed by the devil. She spews vomit, turns her head at a 360-degree angle, and levitates over her bed – actions that only can be performed by something that is very very evil – not of this world. Regan’s mother by this time has lost her wits – she doesn’t understand and can’t cope with all this, so she brings in Father Damien Karras whose job it is to determine if Regan is actually possessed, and soon enough he realises this is the case. So it’s time for the Exorcism and it will take the work, and expertise, of one Father Merrin to free Regan of the evil inside of her, an evil that could kill Regan if it’s not exorcised out of her in time.

    Based on the hit, and terrifying movie of the same name, and now cleverly adapted for the stage by John Pielmeier, The Exorcist is scaring audiences at The Phoenix Theatre, and scaring is putting it mildly. What the director, Sean Mathias, and cast have done is to have successfully brought the story to a live audience and all of its bone-chilling and terrifying moments. With the excellent performance by Clare Louise Connolly who lives and breathes Regan and the voice of the devil by Ian McKellan in tandem they practically make is a believable experience. Peter Bowles chews up his scenes as Father Merrin and Adam Garcia is a very good as Karras while Tristram Wymark as Dennings has the much needed funny lines in the show to relieve the chills. The Exorcist is downright scary, not suitable for children, but nice and scary for the adults. Perfect for this time of year.

     

    The Exorcist plays at the Phoenix Theatre until 10th March 2018