Review: The Hunger Games

Written by Laura Fitzgerald Sunday, 15 April 2012 14:52

The ‘dog eat dog’ mentality of the ’Hunger Games’ parodies today’s world
The depiction of a deranged dystopian realm is not an un familiar one to cinema goers. Last year there was the chilling Never Let Me Go with Kiera Knightly and Carey Mulligan, and the re-discovery of V for Vendetta (2006) by the “Indignados” and “Occupy” protesters. The Hunger Games, a film adaption of the first novel of a bestselling teenage trilogy by Suzanne Collins, in that sense is not groundbreaking or exceptional. However, with the captivating appeal of its feisty heroine, Katniss Everdeen, played with subtlety and intelligence by Jennifer Lawrence, and its portrayal of themes such as extreme inequality, lack of democracy, dictatorship, the depravity of the tabloid media and reality television that echo many of the themes of the ‘Occupy’ movement, mean that ‘Hunger Games’ packs quite a punch.

We live in a political world: Bob Dylan and the Communist Party

Written by Administrator Thursday, 30 December 2010 00:30

This autumn saw the death of Irwin Silber who, as a member of the American Young Communist League and editor of the US folk-music magazine Sing Out! in the 1960s, arguably began the campaign against Bob Dylan for allegedly ‘betraying’ the radical movements of that decade. FRANK RILEY, a former Labour deputy leader of West Lancashire council, looks at the relationship between Dylan and the Communist Party.

Seldom has a popular artist received such venomous attacks and opprobrium than Bob Dylan on his appearance at Newport Folk Festival in May 1965 and after when he ‘went electric’. Indeed, this continued for years, and even has echoes today. Dylan’s performance at Newport had tremendous repercussions, not only in the folk music world, but throughout popular music based on American traditions, especially rock music.

Review: Is Red Plenty possible?

Written by Peter Taaffe, general secretary Socialist Party (CWI England & Wales) Tuesday, 09 November 2010 12:13

The planned economy and the struggle for socialism (first published in Socialism Today)

Red Plenty, by Francis Spufford, mixes fact and fiction to describe post-second world war Russia. The author sets out to expose Stalinist mismanagement and authoritarian rule – and, by extension, any notion of socialist planning. Inadvertently, however, he also shows the great potential of socialism – if it were truly run under the democratic control of the working class. PETER TAAFFE reviews this fascinating book.

Review: Dancing Shoes: The George Best Story

Written by Tommy Black Saturday, 25 September 2010 07:30

In an obituary of George Best, comrade Peter Hadden wrote “George Best composed poetry with his feet”. What a wonderful complement to a football genius from the working class streets of Belfast. And now Marie Jones and Martin Lynch have gone one further. They have “Besty” using those poetic feet dancing. And that soft Northern Irish accent singing in their unforgettable play “Dancing Shoes - The George Best Story”.

‘The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui’

Written by Tommy Black Friday, 12 March 2010 14:56

Written by Bertolt Brecht

It has been a long time since the people of Belfast, has had the opportunity to enjoy ‘Left Wing Theatre’.  This opportunity recently took the form in the presentation of Bertolt Brecht’s most notable and potent play ‘The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui’.