Zombie Nation

A decomposing Colonel Gaddafi lurches along a main road accompanied by a rabble of other creatures from beyond the grave.

Halloween in Shawlands does tend to be a colourful affair but there were even more eyebrows raised than usual when the Southside Film Festival came to town.

Festival founder and director, Karen O’Hare, has embarked upon a run of special Halloween events to publicise next years’ event which will take place on the weekend of May 18.

Along with a sell-out screening of The Cabinet of Dr Caligari in Pollokshaws Burgh Hall with live Wurlitzer organ accompaniment, Karen organised a showing of cult classic Night of the Living Dead on the eve of Halloween in south side nightclub The Shed.

She is keen not only to bring films to a more local venue for southsiders but also to provide a more sociable experience that “engages” people from all across the city.  In keeping with this, cinema-goers were encouraged to take part in a “zombie walk” before the film began on Sunday.

Prizes were given to the aforementioned “Zombie Gaddafi” and his rather gruesome one-armed companion for their imagination and dedication to character during the walk.

One zombie, Flora Munroe 27, had been to the festival in May and felt the audience participation was a real draw.

“I thought it would be great to dress up as a Zombie and I also really wanted to watch the film, it’s been a fantastic night” she said.

The event is a labour of love for Karen and mainly self-funded.  Her passion is in bringing local and unusual films to a south side audience: “It’s also normally quite hard to distribute local films or Scottish films in general so the festival is a way of getting those movies out there.”

“It’s fun more than anything else and a great way to see films you wouldn’t normally see” she added.

There are also plans to have screenings on the run up to Christmas, most likely these will be two favourites of Karen’s: A Muppet Christmas Carol and the classic 1951 version of A Christmas Carol featuring Alistair Sim as Scrooge.

Submissions are still being taken for next year and films will be accepted for free before January 16.

For more information check out http://southsidefilmfest.blogspot.com/

Bottom's Up!

The finale of Gram Cummings’ show “Bottom's Up” on Saturday ensured this aspiring musical sensation finished his Glasgay festival with a bang.

Backed by his wonderful “Gastric Band” and backing singers “The Lilets” (ahem…) he describes the show as “rude, honest and brutal” and that it is.

When “Gram with a G” burst out of his closet and on to the stage this audience knew they were in for a treat. With legs to die for and long silky locks, the Aberdonian laid himself bare (quite literally at points) with his “fusion of Musical Theatre/Camp Classics and personal story telling.”

His fabulous singing voice and sparkling wit were a pleasure to behold, from Shania Twain’s “Man, I feel like a woman” to Whitney Houston’s classic “I will always love you”, this guy can fairly belt them out.

Most exceptional however was Gram’s original material, the fact it is generally un-publishable merely means you’ll have to catch him in person next time. This reviewer’s personal favourite was his modified version of “Tragedy” to reflect a typical night in a gay bar. The immortal line “Gonna dance all night then start a fight” would surely have the Bee Gees stewing in their juices and showed the delightful juxtaposition of a gay man living in Glasgow.

As the night drew to a close we saw a more sensitive side as he emotionally talked us through his struggle with his identity and quest for love. The bravado was gone and many a tear was shed by the audience which included his mother and her irrepressible best friend Margaret.

It was here we saw Gram’s “true colours” and how vibrant and dazzling they really are.

Watch out for this one, his mum says he’s the next Michael Ball and I’m sure he’d have a field day with that analogy...

Check out more on

http://www.glasgay.co.uk/blog-entry/id/41

http://www.merchantcityglasgow.com/blog-entry/id/79

We didn't start the fire...

People will be hot-footing it over a fiery bed of coals at Hampden Stadium this weekend - and it’s all for charity.

The Stroke Association Scotland have organised for around 25 people to take part in a firewalking event hoped to raise over £2000 for their cause.

The experience will take place on Sunday November 6^th in celebration of Guy Fawkes.

Karen Hodgins, the charity’s fundraising manager, says that this occasion will be made entertaining for those involved.

“They will enjoy a ‘behind the scenes’ experience and will have the opportunity to do something completely out of the ordinary.”

She added: “We chose Hampden because it’s an iconic location and we thought that it added something special to the event for participants.”

Louise MacQueen, events coordinator at Hampden, also feels the stadium makes an ideal location: “Not many places have the outdoor space and health and safety experience to host such an event.”

She added that the stadium is delighted to help such a worthwhile cause: “We are happy to take on any charity events but we are particularly pleased to help such a fantastic charity as the Stroke Association.”

The night will begin at 6pm with an hours training, a necessity when the coals can reach up to 1300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fear not however, the participants will be in the safe hands of Guinness World Record holder for the longest ever firewalk, Scott Bell.

Mr Bell has a long-standing relationship with the charity and says it is a wonderful experience for anyone to take part in.

“The main thing that comes through is just how excited people are: usually on their first attempt the adrenalin means they don’t even feel the heat below them”, he said.

The Stroke Association is the only UK charity solely concerned with helping everyone affected by stroke across the UK:  victims, carers and families.

Night Of the Living Shed

The Southside Film Festival is hosting a special Halloween screening at The Shed nightclub in Shawlands.

George Romero’s cult classic Night Of The Living Dead will be shown on Sunday October 30 in a bid to boost the profile of the event which was held for the first time in May this year.

Karen O’Hare, founder and director, said: “The inaugural event was a great success: it gave people in the south side a chance to see quality films in a local setting.”

The Shed was well received as a location during the one of a kind festival and it was for this reason it was chosen for the Halloween special.

Ms O’Hare said: “It (The Shed) is an excellent space with a central location and young clientele.”

These thoughts were echoed by manager of the club Gemma Blair who felt the club provided a unique cinematic venue.

“With the closure of Muirend Cinema a few years ago, many south-siders have missed having a cinema on their doorstep.”

She added: “The Shed was delighted to take part in the first Southside Film Festival… we hope to in time do regular film screenings.”

In a quirk to proceedings Ms O’Hare will lead a “zombie walk” through Shawlands before the movie starts at 7pm and there will be a prize for “best zombie”.

Rather than a run-of-the-mill trip to the flics Ms O’Hare is keen to “give people an experience”.

“The idea is to create a buzz about the occasion and add a fun dynamic to it.”

The event is designed to raise awareness for next year’s festival and is likely to be replicated at Christmas and throughout next year before the opening in May.

Tickets are available from Tickets Scotland for £5 or are available on the night for £6.

 

Cathcart MP offers internship to high school students

MSP James Dornan is offering high school students in the south side of Glasgow the chance of a paid internship.

Students from St Margaret Mary's High School, Castlemilk High School, Hillpark Secondary and Kings Park Secondary are competing for a 3 month placement to shadow Mr Dornan and “experience political life.”

The MSP is passionate about giving young Scottish students the chance to feel they are doing something “worthwhile for their community.”

He also feels it would “help them considerably with their CV and give them great contacts for their future career.”

The winning pupil will perform tasks such as scheduling Mr Dornan’s diary, help to write motions and “become familiar with a mix of parliamentary and constituency duties.”  

Students will earn six pounds per hour to make the position a “more viable option” for them.

Brian Brady, head teacher of St Margaret Mary’s is putting forward two “high achievers” and echoed this saying: “making the internship paid has widened the number of young people who can consider it.”

Fellow head teacher, Margaret Barr of Kings Park High School said of the initiative: “we are delighted to be invited to enter the competition, and we believe it will be an excellent opportunity for the successful candidate.”

Each of the competing schools can propose up to three students who will be interviewed by Mr Dornan and submit essay for consideration before the winning candidate is announced in January.

The politician hopes to run the contest annually in the future.

There's no substitute for success

Who would be a football manager?

With salaries inflating at the same rate as egos, it is no easy task to keep these sporting celebrities in line and Manchester City gaffer Roberto Mancini has found this out in dramatic fashion.

When Carlos Tevez allegedly refused to go on during Man City’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, shockwaves echoed around the footballing world.  The row has since escalated to seismic proportions with the Argentinian striker currently serving a two week suspension until the outcome of the club’s investigation on Wednesday.

Tevez has now blamed the incident on a misunderstanding and apologised to his team’s fans saying that he did not actually refuse to play, rather that: 'There was some confusion on the bench and I believe my position may have been misunderstood.”

The million pound a month footballer claims that his comments were not translated properly, although independent analyses do not corroborate this.  At the very least he could certainly invest a little more of his huge salary in a better interpreter.

Mancini made the point that this behavior would not be acceptable in any other of the top European clubs but, although this rebuttal was rare in the extreme, it is not the first time it has happened.

Keiron Dyer refused to play in a right wing position when his team Newcastle took on Middlesbrough in 2004.  Boss Sir Bobby Robson was sacked just a few games later and Dyer says “I can’t believe now that I acted the way I did” and that he took some of the blame for Robson’s dismissal “on his shoulders”.

It is hard to imagine Tevez showing such remorse and there is talk that the club will attempt to offload him at a cut price during the January transfer window.

Mancini now has a fight on his hands to regain control of his dressing room and the footballing prima donnas that occupy it. With even the player Tevez was intended to replace, Edin Dzeko, throwing a tantrum at his retiral the former Lazio manager must now stamp his authority.

The City manager has made it explicitly clear that he will never play the striker again while he is boss, so what will happen then if the investigation does not rule in his favour?

Hopefully unlike Carlos Tevez, Mancini is prepared to put his money where his mouth is.

Amanda Knox: Vixen or Victim?

A young girl returned to a massive homecoming in Seattle last week, that girl was Amanda Knox.

Knox has become a media obsession and the decision to overturn her conviction for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher has divided opinion in the most cavernous way.

To some she is the victim of a grievous miscarriage of justice while to others she is a cunning and libidinous creature whose feminine wiles have outwitted an asinine Italian police force.

But what is the truth?

From the outset Perugian local prosecutor Giuliano Mignini asserted this was a crime of passion and that it had the hallmarks of a female perpetrator.

The way the victim’s body was left protected by a duvet was suspicious: “only a woman would have covered her up after killing her” he is reported to have said.

What then ensued was a modern day witch-hunt.

Despite accurate physical evidence to prove it, Mignini formed the hypothesis that Kercher’s murder was the result of a sordid sex game gone awry.

This is a man whose phone tapping exploits would put the News Of the World to shame; he chose a theory and doggedly stuck to it for four years while the case fell around his ears.

Many of the police tactics shared this willfulness: Knox’s defamatory indictment of local bar owner Patrick Lumumba came after a mammoth 53hrs of questioning over a four day period and wasn’t even recorded.

Such blasé disregard for the rules was characteristic of the whole operation: the seriously inept gathering of forensic evidence was the real reason the case fell apart.

Even the prosecution of Rudy Guede was not enough to stem the flow of suspicion toward Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito.

Guede’s were the only reliable forensic traces found in the fateful room and he only named the couple after they had been accused, at first insisting that it was another man who had killed Kercher.

Whether the lack of physical evidence is down to ineptitude or to Knox’s innocence we will never know, even judge Claudio Pratillo Hellmann who delivered the not guilty verdict made a crucial distinction between “judicial truth” and the “truth of reality”.

What is certain is that the highly sexualised portrayal of “Foxy Knoxy” by Italian prosecutors and the media almost put a ‘judicially’ innocent if slightly oddball and uninhibited girl in jail for a very long time.