Reviews by Russell Bailey
A Real Pain [15]
Russell Bailey
The awards season brings delights of many stripes and colours each year. From sprawling epics to intimate dramas, a host of films vie for attention. 2025 is no different, but what makes it stand out ...
14 days ago
A Real Pain [15]
Cinderella
Russell Bailey
Sometimes you want a proper pantomime at this time of year. The kind of show that’s a ‘Panto!’ Those craving such a pure fix of this form of festive fun should head down to the Cornerstone Arts ...
a month ago
Cinderella
Cinderella Ice Cream Seller
Russell Bailey
Nestled away in a corner of the Story Museum you’ll find The Woodshed, a charming little studio theatre with walls covered in doors. It’s the perfect spot for a seasonal treat in the form of ...
a month ago
Cinderella Ice Cream Seller
A Sherlock Holmes Christmas
Russell Bailey
Wild Goose Theatre have a festive treat for us all, in the form of A Sherlock Holmes Christmas. Nestled away in a modest room in the Old Courthouse, the company transport us back to Victorian times ...
2 months ago
A Sherlock Holmes Christmas
Sleeping Beauty
Russell Bailey
The sparkling jewel in the Playhouse’s crown, their annual panto, is a must-see romp for families across Oxfordshire. And this year’s iteration is a fiercely inventive spin on Sleeping Beauty, a ...
2 months ago
Sleeping Beauty
Hansel & Grettel
Russell Bailey
With over a decade's experience producing festive shows at the North Wall, the reputation of Creation Theatre’s Christmas productions precedes them. Having adapted A Christmas Carol into a ...
2 months ago
Hansel & Grettel
Hayao Miyazaki’s Dreams: a tribute from Mystery Ensemble
Russell Bailey
Mystery Ensemble returned to Oxford this past weekend, bringing with them Hayao Miyazaki’s Dreams, a collection of pieces taken from the work of the animation maestro. Predominantly taken from his ...
4 months ago
Hayao Miyazaki’s Dreams: a tribute from Mystery Ensemble
Waterperry Opera Festival
Russell Bailey
With the Waterperry Opera Festival returning and in full swing, I took my eldest daughter along for Peter and the Wolf, Sergei Prokofiev’s masterful introduction to classical music, here with ...
6 months ago
Waterperry Opera Festival
As You Like It
Russell Bailey
At one point Celia utters the captivating statement, “I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it”, and this feels like the perfect way to sum up Folksy Theatre, whose approachable ...
6 months ago
As You Like It
Here Be Dragons
Russell Bailey
Landing at the StoryMuseum, Here Be Dragons is the venue's latest temporary exhibition to take up residence. The fifth such exhibition, it explores the titular creatures across literature and ...
7 months ago
Here Be Dragons
Oxford Comedy Festival 2024
Russell Bailey
The Oxford Comedy Festival is a wonderful place to see comedians on the cusp of stand-up greatness. And on Wednesday the audience was treated to a pair of stellar acts from performers who have honed ...
7 months ago
Oxford Comedy Festival 2024
Oxford Comedy Festival 2024
Russell Bailey
The Oxford Comedy Festival has returned for another month jam-packed with acts previewing their shows, and I could not be happier! I went along to the opening night on Friday and was treated to two ...
7 months ago
Oxford Comedy Festival 2024
The 39 Steps
Russell Bailey
Published in 1915, John Buchan’s The Thirty-Nine Steps has had a rich life post publication, with several adaptations including an acclaimed 30s version by Alfred Hitchcock. It’s a strong text, ...
8 months ago
The 39 Steps
Fanny
Russell Bailey
The German composer Fanny Mendelssohn (or the Other Mendelssohn) is this subject of another hit production for the Watermill Theatre. Fanny focuses on the titular figure and sister of Felix ...
9 months ago
Fanny
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes [12A]
Russell Bailey
“What a wonderful day!” the villain (Proximus Caesar) of Kingdom of the Planet of Apes proclaims as he enters the film just over an hour in. And it truly is a wonderful day to see the Planet of ...
9 months ago
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes [12A]
Challengers [15]
Russell Bailey
In the same way that Jaws is not about a shark, the much-hyped Challengers is not about tennis. While it may follow a trio of players from their exuberant youths as the next big things to the ...
10 months ago
Challengers [15]
Much Ado About Nothing
Russell Bailey
Arriving at the Watermill Theatre, recent recipient of The Stage's Theatre of the Year, you will find yourself stepping back to the 40s, with a production of Much Ado About Nothing awash in the music ...
10 months ago
Much Ado About Nothing
Dogs Don't Do Ballet
Russell Bailey
Dogs Don’t Do Ballet returned to the North Wall Arts Centre, a sweetly crafted adaptation of a family favourite in my household. If it doesn’t quite match the beauty of the original, it is at ...
10 months ago
Dogs Don't Do Ballet
Noises Off
Russell Bailey
When it premiered in 1982, Michael Frayn’s Noises Off was something of a theatrical sensation. The show offers a look behind the curtain, as we follow the first act of a bedroom farce, Nothing On, ...
12 months ago
Noises Off
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Russell Bailey
At the RSC A Midsummer Night’s Dream feels like a rite of passage for any director, and the fiercely talented Eleanor Rhode has directed one that places the focus on the Dream within the title. The ...
12 months ago
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Glacier by Alison Spittle
Russell Bailey
Every theatre has their holiday traditions, and for the Old Fire Station it is the staging of a piece of new writing aimed at adults. Eschewing pantos or a classic tale retold, these works are ...
a year ago
Glacier by Alison Spittle
Jack and the Beanstalk
Russell Bailey
The most ambitious undertaking by the Oxford Playhouse, the annual pantomime is a rich fixture in the Oxford theatre calendar. This year’s undertaking proved a fabulous treat for a family of four, ...
a year ago
Jack and the Beanstalk
Cosmo
Russell Bailey
All-you-can-eat and buffets are slowly making a comeback in the UK. At the forefront of the Oxford scene is Cosmo, who has set out to offer ‘authentic world cuisine’. The Cosmo dining experience ...
a year ago
Cosmo
Cobweb [15]
Russell Bailey
Old houses often make noises in the night. But what if there’s something else to them? What if, as Peter finds out, there’s some dark secret being hidden by the very people meant to love and ...
a year ago
Cobweb [15]
Folksy Theatre present ‘Merry Wives of Windsor’
Russell Bailey
Folksy Theatre returned to Millets Farm Centre with another romping open air Shakespeare production. Blessed with gorgeous weather, this was a perfect evening to sit and bask in The Merry Wives of ...
a year ago
Folksy Theatre present ‘Merry Wives of Windsor’
Joy Ride [15]
Russell Bailey
Arriving with festival buzz thanks to premiering at SXSW, Joy Ride takes a familiar story and gives it a modern treatment. The closest comparison is to something like Booksmart, which felt like a ...
a year ago
Joy Ride [15]
Meg 2: The Trench [12A]
Russell Bailey
Proving a surprise late summer hit in 2018, The Meg now gets the expected sequel treatment in the form of Meg 2: The Trench. Jason Statham and several cast members are back and this really feels like ...
a year ago
Meg 2: The Trench [12A]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem [PG]
Russell Bailey
Since their 1984 debut in a violent indie comic form, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been steadily reshaped into a more family-friendly product, across toys, games, TV and cinema. Mutant ...
a year ago
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem [PG]
The Lord of the Rings
Russell Bailey
Ambition is at the heart of the Watermill Theatre. The first production I saw at the theatre was a remarkable double of Alan Ayckbourn’s House and Garden, performed across theatre and the venue’s ...
a year ago
The Lord of the Rings
Talk to Me [15]
Russell Bailey
Horror is defined by the McGuffins it uses. Evil can often be found in the items its characters encounter. And the object at the centre of Talk to Me is a doozy. A ceramic, embalmed hand, reaching ...
a year ago
Talk to Me [15]
Barbie [12A]
Russell Bailey
Well this is a treat! A glorious burst of colour (mostly pink), brimming with wit, charm and just the right amount of bite. Barbie has arrived in theatres and it’s here to save cinema from its ...
2 years ago
Barbie [12A]
Oppenheimer [15]
Russell Bailey
Cinema can sometimes take strange turns. And the Barbenheimer phenomenon is not one cinephiles would have been pegged as a cinema-saving moment at the start of 2023. Yet in a release calendar filled ...
2 years ago
Oppenheimer [15]
Oxford Comedy Festival 2023
Russell Bailey
One of the great qualities of watching stand-up is that it is a medium that feels alive and works can shift in front of your eyes as they respond to the atmosphere in the room. This feels a quality ...
2 years ago
Oxford Comedy Festival 2023
Oxford Comedy Festival 2023
Russell Bailey
Over the last few years, the Oxford Comedy Festival has become a firm fixture on Oxford’s calendar. The festival’s a slice of the Edinburgh Fringe without all the hullabaloo that comes with it. ...
2 years ago
Oxford Comedy Festival 2023
Suzi Ruffell: Snappy
Russell Bailey
Snappy is the latest set from the dleightful stand-up Suzi Ruffell. It treads many topics from a new baby (and their interest in a certain part of the cat’s anatomy) to a lifetime of coping with ...
2 years ago
Suzi Ruffell: Snappy
The Signalman
Russell Bailey
Creation Theatre have returned to what they do best; intimate plays performed in unique locations in Oxford. This time they’ve take over the Wesley Memorial Church with a new adaptation, first ...
2 years ago
The Signalman
Mother Goose
Russell Bailey
Mother Goose begins with John Bishop walking on stage to introduce proceedings, setting up the stall for this, a panto in March. Instructions are given, jokes are made at the expense of the ...
2 years ago
Mother Goose
I Want My Hat Back Trilogy
Russell Bailey
During the first lockdown in 2020, one of the saviors for family theatre were the Little Angel Theatre, who produced a series of adaptations for YouTube of popular children’s books. And one of the ...
2 years ago
I Want My Hat Back Trilogy
Morgan and West's Great Big Christmas Magic Show
Russell Bailey
Morgan & West have returned to the Pegasus Theatre with a show packed with dazzling routines, well-honed audience interplay and oodles of charm for a perfect seasonal treat. Their Great Big Christmas ...
2 years ago
Morgan and West's Great Big Christmas Magic Show
Rapunzel
Russell Bailey
An annual tradition at the wonderful Watermill Theatre is a festive retelling of a classic story, eschewing the panto vibes for something of a more literary nature. And this year’s undertaking is ...
2 years ago
Rapunzel
Bugsy Malone
Russell Bailey
Since it debuted on screens in 1976, Alan Parker and Paul Williams’ Bugsy Malone has proved a firm staple of the musical theatre scene. This tale of gang warfare, performed by a cast of children ...
2 years ago
Bugsy Malone
Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival 2022
Russell Bailey
After an absence since 2019, the Oxford Comedy Festival is back, with QED Comedy bringing together over 40 comedians to preview their Edinburgh Fringe sets. Nothing quite says that our city is ...
3 years ago
Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival 2022
Jericho Comedy: Chelsea Birkby and Lanessa Long
Russell Bailey
After a tumultuous few years for the live comedy scene, the return of the Edinburgh Fringe preview show feels like nature healing itself. Being part of the process is always exciting and I ...
3 years ago
Jericho Comedy: Chelsea Birkby and Lanessa Long
Red Rocket [18]
Russell Bailey
How far will audience go with a morally repugnant lead character? This seems to be the dilemma at the core of Red Rocket, the latest work from Sean Baker (Tangerine, The Florida Project). The ...
3 years ago
Red Rocket [18]
The Batman [15]
Russell Bailey
A serial killer has begun murdering political figures in a rain-drenched city. A vigilante is prowling the streets, administering brutal vengeance against any criminal with the misfortune to cross ...
3 years ago
The Batman [15]
Magic Goes Wrong
Russell Bailey
Beginning life as a troupe of drama school students performing award-winning improv at the Edinburgh Fringe, it's been heartening to watch Mischief Theatre go from strength-to-strength over the past ...
3 years ago
Magic Goes Wrong
Nightmare Alley [15]
Russell Bailey
Guillermo Del Toro’s career to date has been a fascinating one, with stories of apocalypse-averting demons, gigantic metallic titans and a romance between a woman and a fish-man (for which he ...
3 years ago
Nightmare Alley [15]
Scream [18]
Russell Bailey
When it arrived in 1996, Scream gave the horror genre a much need shot in the arm. The original took the slasher genre and made it relevant again by layering a healthy dose of self-awareness. The big ...
3 years ago
Scream [18]
Dune [12A]
Russell Bailey
Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel is a staple of sci-fi, a towering work that has influenced the genre going forward. To attempt to explain the narrative of Dune would be folly but it is a tale of feuding ...
3 years ago
Dune [12A]
The French Dispatch [15]
Russell Bailey
An admirable celebration of journalism, The French Dispatch is a fascinating and rather frustrating entry in Wes Anderson’s career. All that is good and bad about this auteur’s style is here. ...
3 years ago
The French Dispatch [15]
Morgan & West: Fantastic Family Magic Spectacular
Russell Bailey
The comedic magician duo Morgan & West are finally back on stage, with their return perfectly timed for a five year old who has become very curious about magic (my daughter). And so we took a trip to ...
3 years ago
Morgan & West: Fantastic Family Magic Spectacular
Mamma Mia Pizzeria
Russell Bailey
Established in 1981, Mamma Mia have long been fixtures of Jericho and Summertown. And to celebrate their 40th, they invited Daily Info for a meal, the kind of birthday present we could get behind. ...
3 years ago
Mamma Mia Pizzeria
Touching The Void
Russell Bailey
In 1985, climbers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates set out to find a new path to climb Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes and achieve a small place in mountaineering history. Having conquered the peak, ...
4 years ago
Touching The Void
Wolfwalkers [PG]
Russell Bailey
With the more A-list animation studios struggling to grapple with the new constraints placed upon cinema, the current landscape has made room for works by smaller companies to get their moment in the ...
4 years ago
Wolfwalkers [PG]
Shirley [15]
Russell Bailey
A fictionalized take on the life of author Shirley Jackson (The Haunting of Hill House), Shirley is a deliciously toxic affair. We are introduced to Jackson through the eyes of Rose Nesmer. The wife ...
4 years ago
Shirley [15]
Kajillionaire [12A]
Russell Bailey
Director Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know, The Future) has a knack for tapping into a part of the American psyche and she returns to this well with the endearing, bittersweet ...
4 years ago
Kajillionaire [12A]
Herself [15]
Russell Bailey
Within the first five minutes of Herself we see familial harmony shattered by the spectre of domestic violence. The latest work from director Phyllida Lloyd is a marked departure from her most famous ...
4 years ago
Herself [15]
Bloodshot
Russell Bailey
On 16th March two events were happening near simultaneously. In Whitehall Boris Johnson was giving his first daily Covid briefing, informing millions that they should avoid trips to theatres, cinema ...
4 years ago
Bloodshot
The Invisible Man [15]
Russell Bailey
At their very best Blumhouse horrors are timely affairs, offering cultural relevant themes paired with expertly crafted chills. Think The Purge series blossoming into a potent metaphor for Trump's ...
5 years ago
The Invisible Man [15]
Portrait of a Lady on Fire [15]
Russell Bailey
"Is that how you see me?" It is a loaded question, a poisoned chalice that is lobbed at one of the protagonists here. Her response tells us much, and it becomes the central crux of this film. A ...
5 years ago
Portrait of a Lady on Fire [15]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Russell Bailey
The Watermill Ensemble return to their home, having gone from strength-to-strength in the past three years. Before they take on one of Shakespeare's trickier plays (the towering Hamlet) they've ...
5 years ago
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Greed [15]
Russell Bailey
As we live through a rather shoddy remake of the 80s now is the time for a film to come along and digs its teeth into the super rich. And Greed may be the film to do it. Armed with some aggressively ...
5 years ago
Greed [15]
Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey [15]
Russell Bailey
Birds of Prey manages to keep a terrific number of plates spinning at once. It is first and foremost a rollicking stand-alone adventure for Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn (newly single), as she finds ...
5 years ago
Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey [15]
Madam Butterfly
Russell Bailey
Since emerging on the opera scene in 2009 with their award-winning smash hit version of La Bohème, OperaUpClose have spent the past decade crafting approachable takes on an art form that can ...
5 years ago
Madam Butterfly
Parasite [15]
Russell Bailey
You may well have woken up to a pleasant surprise this morning. Before last night, the Academy Awards had never had a Best Foreign Language winner from South Korea, nor had they had a Best Picture ...
5 years ago
Parasite [15]
Ghost Stories
Russell Bailey
Oodles of chills have landed at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre this week, with the arrival of Ghost Stories. 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the play, whose journey has taken it around the world ...
5 years ago
Ghost Stories
The Lighthouse [15]
Russell Bailey
There has been a fascinating run of sophomore genre efforts of late. Ari Aster went full folk horror with Midsommar, Jordan Peele made the admirably ambitious Us and Jennifer Kent made the brutal ...
5 years ago
The Lighthouse [15]
Away with the Fairies: A Queer Drag Panto
Russell Bailey
How does a drag collective mark their second anniversary? By putting on an all-singing, all-dancing queer drag pantomime, of course! Away with the Fairies marks a new adventure for the Oxfordshire ...
5 years ago
Away with the Fairies: A Queer Drag Panto
The Nightingale [18]
Russell Bailey
We need to talk about Jennifer Kent. We need to talk about her sophomore effort, The Nightingale. We need to talk about this seemingly-ignored masterstroke, a brutal, unforgiving watch (and at times ...
5 years ago
The Nightingale [18]
Rusty Bicycle
Russell Bailey
A firm staple of Oxford, Dodo Pubs has one of the best pubs in the form of The Rusty Bicycle. Nestled halfway down Magdalen Road is a welcoming establishment that has proved an increasingly popular ...
5 years ago
Rusty Bicycle
Uncut Gems [15]
Russell Bailey
Adam Sandler was robbed at this year's Oscars. Never did I expect to write this sentence but as this year's nominations were read out a cinematic injustice was being performed. Sandler should have ...
5 years ago
Uncut Gems [15]
Cats [U]
Russell Bailey
There has never been a film like Cats. This cinematic adaptation will leave audiences with a cacophony of questions. What exactly is a jellicle cat? Why do they have human hands and feet? Can I teach ...
5 years ago
Cats [U]
Jojo Rabbit [12A]
Russell Bailey
Jojo Rabbit is an odd movie, an endearing coming-of-age story, set in the final days of Nazi rule in Germany. It follows Jojo, a ten-year-old who longs to be a proper Nazi and fit in with the people ...
5 years ago
Jojo Rabbit [12A]
Little Women [U]
Russell Bailey
Having made a remarkably good teen drama in the form of Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig turns her eye to an altogether more classic text for her sophomore directorial effort. And yet she finds the same wit ...
5 years ago
Little Women [U]
Top 10 Films of 2019
Russell Bailey
10. Marriage Story
After coming so close to winning this year’s Best Film Oscar with the outstanding Roma, Netflix went from strength to strength. Martin Scorsese returned to the gangster genre ...
5 years ago
Top 10 Films of 2019
The Kingmaker [15]
Russell Bailey
Joining a raft of outstanding 2019 documentaries (Maiden, Knock Down the House, Fyre), The Kingmaker begins as a fitfully amusing exploration of a political ghost, before blossoming out into ...
5 years ago
The Kingmaker [15]
The Prince and the Pauper
Russell Bailey
The ever-fabulous Watermill Theatre gets in the Christmas spirit with their annual literary adaptation. With hints of pantomime (there’s some audience participation, but not a dame or a ‘he’s ...
5 years ago
The Prince and the Pauper
Knives Out [12A]
Russell Bailey
Knives Out arrives as a sort-of filmmaking palate cleanser. The follow-up to director Rian Johnson’s foray into the Star Wars universe (the divisive, fitfully brilliant and occasionally maddening ...
5 years ago
Knives Out [12A]
Judy and Punch [15]
Russell Bailey
Now here’s a cinematic curio: a new take on a troubling classic fairy tale, one that attempts to align it with the #MeToo generation. Director Mirrah Foulkes makes her directorial debut with this ...
5 years ago
Judy and Punch [15]
Frozen 2 [U]
Russell Bailey
How do you follow the titanic success of Frozen? Since its release the film has firmly placed itself in Western culture and become perhaps the foremost Disney animated film of the era. A sequel seems ...
5 years ago
Frozen 2 [U]
Marriage Story [15]
Russell Bailey
Films following the start of relationships, full of swooning glances and intimate first encounters, are a common occurrence. Those focusing on the messy end of them are far rarer. So in steps indie ...
5 years ago
Marriage Story [15]
Le Mans '66 [12A]
Russell Bailey
How do you turn a film about a competition between two of the most iconic car brands (Ford and Ferrari) into a compelling drama, perfectly constructed for the awards season? You drill down and find ...
5 years ago
Le Mans '66 [12A]
Doctor Sleep [15]
Russell Bailey
Combining Hollywood's current obsession with legacy sequels with the resurgence of Stephen King adaptations (this year has already seen the climax of the IT saga, a new take on Pet Sematary and ...
5 years ago
Doctor Sleep [15]
Bear's Den
Russell Bailey
Since their inception in 2012, Bear's Den have been steadily working their folk rock magic, having recently released their third album. Now they've rolled out their tour, landing in Oxford on an ...
5 years ago
Bear's Den
The Royal Standard
Russell Bailey
Reopening in May, The Royal Standard has returned to the pub format it had two decades ago. This seems more suitable for the building, with the extensive garden at the back perfectly suited for the ...
5 years ago
The Royal Standard
The Irishman [18]
Russell Bailey
Martin Scorsese is back with a sprawling, engrossing and, in its final moments, devastating crime epic. The Irishman is a mix of the very familiar (a cast packed with the titans of the genre) and new ...
5 years ago
The Irishman [18]
Assassins
Russell Bailey
Assassins' reputation precedes it. Where the likes of Company, Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd have all found beloved status, Stephen Sondheim's 1990 musical has always been a trickier prospect. A ...
5 years ago
Assassins
The Greyhound
Russell Bailey
Residing on the outskirts of Wootton and a short drive from the centre of Oxford is the 17th-century Cotswold stone pub, The Greyhound. For all its quaint charm it offers a refreshingly varied and ...
5 years ago
The Greyhound
Ready or Not [18]
Russell Bailey
You've probably been there. Sat with your in-laws, realising that if it weren't for the person you loved there is no way this group would have come together. Awkward conversation gives way to a ...
5 years ago
Ready or Not [18]
Fast & Furious: Hobbs and Shaw [12A]
Russell Bailey
The motley crew of street racers-turned-world savers have come a long way since their seemingly minor debut eighteen years ago. Eight entries in (which have earned a staggering amount of money), they ...
5 years ago
Fast & Furious: Hobbs and Shaw [12A]
Kiss Me, Kate
Russell Bailey
Swooping in to provide much need sustenance in a barren theatrical summer (for those of us unable to make it to the Edinburgh Fringe) the Watermill Theatre revive the toe-tapping, tune-packed Kiss Me ...
5 years ago
Kiss Me, Kate
Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival
Russell Bailey
Oxford Comedy Festival: Kate Smurthwaite & Jen Brister, Tap Social Movement, 29th July 2019
Last night marked the last show for QED Comedy Lab's big summer project, a month-long series of previews ...
5 years ago
Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival
Byron Hamburgers
Russell Bailey
Exploding onto the burger scene in 2007, Byron burgers have become a dominant force, proving a popular choice with diners. With over 60 restaurants dotted across the country, including on George ...
6 years ago
Byron Hamburgers
Shakespeare's Globe on Tour
Russell Bailey
Straddling Oxford's summer theatre season is the mighty Shakespeare's Globe's Touring Ensemble, returning to the Old Bodleian courtyard with their rather fabulous thrust stage. For their now annual ...
6 years ago
Shakespeare's Globe on Tour
4500 Miles From Delhi
Russell Bailey
Nestled on Park End Street is 4500 Miles from Delhi, a contender for the best curry house in the city centre. It brings an upscale quality to the UK Indian cuisine scene, aided by a charming ...
6 years ago
4500 Miles From Delhi
The Lion King [PG]
Russell Bailey
"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."
Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park
Slamming into cinemas like a perfectly-timed, ...
6 years ago
The Lion King [PG]
Toy Story 4 [U]
Russell Bailey
Toy Story was once one of the greatest trilogies in cinematic history. Neatly tying up the Andy years with a deeply moving finale in Toy Story 3, you may well be surprised to see a fourth film emerge ...
6 years ago
Toy Story 4 [U]
Yesterday [12A]
Russell Bailey
As cinema continues to bask in the best music of the 60s, 70s and 80s, we now get a high-concept appreciation of The Beatles. Avoiding the biopic route of the likes of Bohemian Rhapsody and ...
6 years ago
Yesterday [12A]
Midsommar [18]
Russell Bailey
Joining a roster of sophomore genre flicks from potential masters of the craft (we've had Jordon Peele's Us, and Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse is on the way), Ari Aster follows up last year's ...
6 years ago
Midsommar [18]
Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival
Russell Bailey
Oxford Comedy Festival: Maria Shehata, Trinity College Beer Cellar, 6th July 2019
Upon taking my seat in Trinity College's Beer Cellar (the only venue where I have ever been able to find cans of ...
6 years ago
Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival
Garsington Opera season 2019
Russell Bailey
Fantasio, Fri 5th July 2019
Now this is a rare gem. To mark the bicentenary of composer Jacques Offenbach (and handily performing in their 30th season) Garsington Opera have the UK stage premier of ...
6 years ago
Garsington Opera season 2019
Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival
Russell Bailey
Oxford Comedy Festival: Matt Winning & Catherine Bohart, The Old Fire Station, 3rd July 2019
There are times when a good stand-up will make you want to cry. When they will use their platform to ...
6 years ago
Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival
Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival
Russell Bailey
Oxford Comedy Festival: Laura Davies & Jessica Fostekew, Tap Social Movement, 1st July 2019 Swooping in to rescue all Oxford-based stand-up fans from Edinburgh Fringe-induced FOMO blues is the Oxford ...
6 years ago
Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival
Offbeat Festival 2019
Russell Bailey
British Vogue, Burton Taylor Studio, Thursday 27th June 2019 On Thursday evening a new voice in British theatre emerged in front of a sold-out audience. Poet and actor Ashanti Wheeler-Artwell, one of ...
6 years ago
Offbeat Festival 2019
Child's Play [15]
Russell Bailey
First introduced in 1988's Child's Play, the killer doll Chucky has been through a lot, from star of one of the better supernatural slashers of the post-A Nightmare on Elm Street, pre-Scream era, to ...
6 years ago
Child's Play [15]
Offbeat Festival 2019
Russell Bailey
Rotterdam, Oxford Playhouse, Thursday 20th June 2019
Dealing with the complexities of gender and sexuality, Rotterdam is a powerful, complicated piece. At times witty, at others deeply sad, it is a ...
6 years ago
Offbeat Festival 2019
Offbeat Festival 2019
Russell Bailey
Alexander Cofield: Supernova, Wednesday 19th June 2019, Old Fire Station studio Like a runaway, rap-infused train, Alexander Cofield's Supernova hit hard, threatening to tear off the roof of the Old ...
6 years ago
Offbeat Festival 2019
Offbeat Festival 2019
Russell Bailey
Skip Skip Skip: Tuesday 18th June 2019, Old Fire Station studio One of the strengths of Offbeat Festival is the platform it gives for smaller stories, more intimate pieces that might otherwise not ...
6 years ago
Offbeat Festival 2019
X-Men: Dark Phoenix [12A]
Russell Bailey
Dark Phoenix has a lot to do to be considered a success. The film follows in the footsteps of not only the franchise's best instalment (Logan) but also its worst (the dreadful Apocalypse), as well as ...
6 years ago
X-Men: Dark Phoenix [12A]
The Secret Life of Pets 2 [U]
Russell Bailey
Illumination Studios continue their run of breezy, colourful animations with The Secret Life of Pets 2. Following on from the smash hit success of 2016's original, the latest installment focuses ...
6 years ago
The Secret Life of Pets 2 [U]
The Ridge
Russell Bailey
For fans of BBQ, Oxford can often prove slim pickings. The city lacks a good smokehouse or provider of exemplary barbecued meats. And yet nestled in the depths of the Ozxone Leisure Park is The ...
6 years ago
The Ridge
Godzilla: King of the Monsters [12A]
Russell Bailey
Since it began life in 1954 as a potent metaphor for the mid-20th century nuclear race, Godzilla has appeared in 35 feature length films. Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the third US attempt to ...
6 years ago
Godzilla: King of the Monsters [12A]
The Importance of Being Earnest
Russell Bailey
The Importance of Being Earnest seems like the perfect summer production, with its witty dialogue and fast-paced, summer house-based action. Oscar Wilde's iconic play tells the story of Jack, who ...
6 years ago
The Importance of Being Earnest
Booksmart [15]
Russell Bailey
Joining the likes of Jordan Peele, John Krasinski and Greta Gerwig, actor-turned-director Olivia Wilde makes her debut with the really quite fabulous Booksmart. Wilde makes a series of choices behind ...
6 years ago
Booksmart [15]
Dorchester Festival
Russell Bailey
Comedy Night, Friday 10th May 2019 The final weekend of the Dorchester Festival kicked off with a packed tent in the mood for an evening of laughs. There was a warm and friendly atmosphere, and ...
6 years ago
Dorchester Festival
Vox Lux [15]
Russell Bailey
Cinema right now is in a boom for films about pop music. With last year's Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born proving commercial and award-show hits, and the soon-to-be-released Rocketman promising ...
6 years ago
Vox Lux [15]
The Taming of the Shrew
Russell Bailey
How do you solve a problem like The Taming of the Shrew? Certainly one of Shakespeare's more difficult plays, it proves a challenge that each modern production must undertake. This latest version ...
6 years ago
The Taming of the Shrew
Outliars Presented by QED Comedy Lab
Russell Bailey
One of Oxford's premier providers of stand-up comedy goodness have a humdinger of a show in Outliars. The set-up is simple: six comedians tell us outlandish tales that often border on the ridiculous, ...
6 years ago
Outliars Presented by QED Comedy Lab
Glut
Russell Bailey
A new challenger has entered the crowded ring of Oxford burger providers, with Glut landing in George Street, bringing with it hefty burgers and an appreciation of all things American. As Daily ...
6 years ago
Glut
Coach & Horses Inn
Russell Bailey
One of the benefits of living in an Oxfordshire village is that you are never far from a pub. And so on a pleasant day my partner and I took a walk across to The Coach & Horses Inn, a 16th Century ...
6 years ago
Coach & Horses Inn
Eighth Grade [15]
Russell Bailey
Cinema rarely shows an understanding of the impact of social media on our lives. Often reduced to plot devices, films find it difficult to truly grasp our relationship with the likes of Twitter, ...
6 years ago
Eighth Grade [15]
Avengers: Endgame [12A]
Russell Bailey
Here it is. After 21 films over eleven years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe reaches a climax of sorts. There will be more films - sequels, prequels, new offshoots and team unions. But for some, this ...
6 years ago
Avengers: Endgame [12A]
Caroline Criado-Perez - Invisible Women
Russell Bailey
Few modern campaigners have had quite the same impact as Caroline Criado-Perez. During an introduction from our evening's host (Lucy-Anne Holmes, founder of No More Page 3), we were presented with a ...
6 years ago
Caroline Criado-Perez - Invisible Women
Cockadoo Bar & Restaurant
Russell Bailey
Nestled on the outskirts of Nuneham Courtenay and easily accessible from East Oxford, Cockadoo offers an exquisite mix of Thai and Chinese food in a smart, approachable setting. It therefore was the ...
6 years ago
Cockadoo Bar & Restaurant
Pet Sematary [15]
Russell Bailey
Few writers' influences have been felt so greatly in recent years then Stephen King, whose works have been adapted for both TV and film, and whose DNA can clearly be felt in the likes of Stranger ...
6 years ago
Pet Sematary [15]
Shazam! [12A]
Russell Bailey
As the unrelenting flow of superhero movies continues, with each year bringing a tidal wave of releases seemingly bigger then the last, it's easy to forget how much fun superpowers can be. As we ...
6 years ago
Shazam! [12A]
Missing Link [PG]
Russell Bailey
Five films in, and it's easy to take animation geniuses Laika for granted. Periodically the Oscar-nominated company releases a beautifully hard-crafted (claymation), painstakingly constructed feature ...
6 years ago
Missing Link [PG]
Nell Gwynn
Russell Bailey
Nell Gwynn is a fabulously bawdy play for the Oxford Playhouse's 17|25 Young Company to take on. Picking up at a time of change, both for theatre and politics, the play chronicles the true figure who ...
6 years ago
Nell Gwynn
At Eternity's Gate [12A]
Russell Bailey
Following on from last year's beautiful and history-making (the first oil painted animated film) Loving Vincent, the artist's life is brought to the screen in the Oscar-nominated At Eternity's Gate. ...
6 years ago
At Eternity's Gate [12A]
Oxford Literary Festival 2019
Russell Bailey
Writers Eliat Negev and Yehuda Koren (previous works include The First Lady of Fleet Street and Giants: The Dwarfs of Auschwitz) have a fascinating focal point for their new book, the life of Dorothy ...
6 years ago
Oxford Literary Festival 2019
Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth
Russell Bailey
An early work from Tom Stoppard gets a new airing in the latest-mirth filled evening from the terrifically ambitious Studio Theatre Club. The group turns the wonderfully atmospheric Unicorn Theatre ...
6 years ago
Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth
Us [15]
Russell Bailey
Reviewing a film like Us is a tricky endeavour. It is best to approach the film with as little information as possible and I must tip my hat to the marketing department who have managed to create an ...
6 years ago
Us [15]
The Funeral Director
Russell Bailey
Since it launched 2011, the Papatango New Writing Award has a knack for finding exciting theatrical gems, elevating voices that often feel marginalized. I had the privilege of seeing their first ...
6 years ago
The Funeral Director
Captain Marvel [12A]
Russell Bailey
Filling the gap between Avenger juggernauts, Captain Marvel arrives with a degree of hype. The first of the MCU to be headlined by a female protagonist (twenty-one movies in), it offers a tasty ...
6 years ago
Captain Marvel [12A]
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World [PG]
Russell Bailey
Some nine years after the release of How To Train Your Dragon, the series comes to a close with the third and final entry. The Hidden World begins with a fragile peace in affect in the town of Berk, ...
6 years ago
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World [PG]
Fighting With My Family [12A]
Russell Bailey
Based on a 2012 Channel 4 documentary, Fighting With My Family follows the Knight family who live, eat and breathe wrestling. When daughter Saraya (who takes the stage name Paige) is picked to join ...
6 years ago
Fighting With My Family [12A]
Macbeth
Russell Bailey
The Watermill Ensemble returns for their fourth year in a row, taking on Shakespeare's bloody tragedy. The group brings together a cast of actor-musicians (with a 50-50 gender split) and combine ...
6 years ago
Macbeth
The Mole Inn
Russell Bailey
Nestled in the quaint village of Toot Baldon, The Mole Inn's reputation proceeds it. Nearly ten years since the last member of Daily Info ventured through its door for a review, it seemed the perfect ...
6 years ago
The Mole Inn
Pablo's Lounge
Russell Bailey
Slap bang in the middle of Abingdon, Pablo's Lounge is an eatery perfect placed to attract both shoppers and visitors to the newly opened Abbey Cinema (a fabulous addition to the market town). ...
6 years ago
Pablo's Lounge
Alita: Battle Angel [12A]
Russell Bailey
A passion project for producer James Cameron (who passed it on to director Robert Rodriguez so he could pursue his four planned sequels to Avatar), Alita: Battle Angel is an adaptation of the manga ...
6 years ago
Alita: Battle Angel [12A]
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part [PG]
Russell Bailey
Creative duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller continue to expand their repertoire of zany, self-aware comedies with a follow-up to their smash-hit, fourth-wall-breaking, feature-length advert The ...
6 years ago
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part [PG]
If Beale Street Could Talk [15]
Russell Bailey
How do you follow up Moonlight, a feat of near cinematic perfection? By taking on a seemingly unfilmable novel in the form of James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk. Baldwin's writing, last on ...
6 years ago
If Beale Street Could Talk [15]
The Cartshed
Russell Bailey
Residing on the outskirts of Wallingford (in Preston Crowmarsh), The Cartshed is a magnificent establishment offering brunch and lunch in a converted barn. Already a hit with families and cyclists, ...
6 years ago
The Cartshed
Crazy Bear
Russell Bailey
The Crazy Bear's reputation has long preceded it. Residing on the outskirts of Stadhampton, it is known to exude class and is the sort of place you visit only on special occasions. So it seemed the ...
6 years ago
Crazy Bear
Enron
Russell Bailey
When it first premiered Lucy Prebble's Enron went down a storm. Chronicling the rise and fall of the energies corporation, which collapsed in 2001, it focused on the people who revolutionised the ...
6 years ago
Enron
Vice [15]
Russell Bailey
One of the stranger cinematic career developments is Adam McKay's emergence as a multiple Oscar-nominated director. Previously responsible for the fabulous comedies Anchorman, Step Brothers and The ...
6 years ago
Vice [15]
Destroyer [15]
Russell Bailey
Director Karyn Kusama has had a truly fascinating cinematic career. She exploded onto the scene with the award-winning Girlfight, which was soon followed by sci-fi dud Æon Flux and horror comedy ...
6 years ago
Destroyer [15]
Sorry To Bother You [15]
Russell Bailey
Activist and rapper (The Coup, Street Sweeper Social Club) Boots Riley produces one of the most audacious cinematic debuts in recent years with Sorry to Bother You. In an alternate reality, a ...
6 years ago
Sorry To Bother You [15]
Stan & Ollie [PG]
Russell Bailey
A firm staple of awards season are industry movies - those that chronicle the making of a beloved classic, or one that offers a behind-the-scenes look at a figure with an extraordinary following. ...
6 years ago
Stan & Ollie [PG]
The Comedy About a Bank Robbery
Russell Bailey
Mischief Theatre are perfectly positioned to sweep into Oxford and blow away our winter blues, even if only for a few hours. The company's third visit to the Playhouse in the past 12 months (having ...
6 years ago
The Comedy About a Bank Robbery
Atomic Diner
Russell Bailey
Very much an Oxford institute, it is wise never to leave it too long to visit Atomic Burger or Diner. The menu is regularly tweaked, and there is a monthly special that will often be an inspired, ...
6 years ago
Atomic Diner
The George Hotel, Dorchester
Russell Bailey
A stone's throw from the imposing cathedral, The George Hotel in Dorchester on Thames offers diners wooden beams, friendly service and scrumptious food. If you find yourself on a wander outside of ...
6 years ago
The George Hotel, Dorchester
Bean & Brew
Russell Bailey
Tucked away on St Mary's Street in Wallingford, Bean & Brew is a coffee house that offers a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere alongside made-to-order sandwiches and homemade cakes. It felt the ...
6 years ago
Bean & Brew
Dirty Bones
Russell Bailey
Positioned amongst the eateries on the Westgate's swanky rooftop terrace, Dirty Bones seems perfectly suited to meet the needs of those who find themselves looking for a quick, scrumptious meal. ...
6 years ago
Dirty Bones
Aquaman [12A]
Russell Bailey
Once a sort-of superhero punch line, Aquaman has morphed into the saviour of DC films. First introduced in Batman vs. Superman and taking a supporting role in Justice League, the hero is now given ...
6 years ago
Aquaman [12A]
Bumblebee [12A]
Russell Bailey
What's this? A Transformers film worth your time? Surely not! Amazingly, six films in, the robots-in-disguise have managed to transform into a decent time at the movies. This is in no small part due ...
6 years ago
Bumblebee [12A]
Top 10 Films of 2018
Russell Bailey
10. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies/Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
A pair of animated superhero fares managed to blow away much of the fatigue I felt for the particular genre. Teen Titans Go! was ...
6 years ago
Top 10 Films of 2018
Ralph Breaks the Internet [PG]
Russell Bailey
When Wreck-It Ralph came along, it managed to combine a sweet story about finding happiness with who you are with a nostalgia-filled journey through the world of gaming. Rife with references, it went ...
6 years ago
Ralph Breaks the Internet [PG]
The Seven Stars
Russell Bailey
I have been meaning to try the Seven Stars pub since I moved to the area three years ago. It has quickly become the model for a successful community-owned pub, one that offers a warm, inviting ...
6 years ago
The Seven Stars
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse [PG]
Russell Bailey
Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse bursts onto our screens, a vibrant kaleidoscope almost specifically designed to blow away superhero fatigue that I'm sure most cinema attendees are currently ...
6 years ago
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse [PG]
Columbus [12A]
Russell Bailey
A soulful, quiet masterpiece, Columbus sneaks up on audiences, with a film that is achingly romantic and deeply impactful. Focusing on two lost souls who find themselves in Columbus, Indiana due to ...
6 years ago
Columbus [12A]
Disobedience [15]
Russell Bailey
Sharing its DNA with the similarly impactful drama The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Disobedience continues a trend for tasteful explorations of LGBTQ love stories. Ronit is a photographer in New ...
6 years ago
Disobedience [15]
Mandy [18]
Russell Bailey
You may well have heard of Mandy. It is the rather bonkers tale of Nicholas Cage's axe-man taking bloody vengeance against a Manson-esque cult and a hellish biker gang. It has cult genre flick ...
6 years ago
Mandy [18]
Can You Ever Forgive Me? [15]
Russell Bailey
There is one certainty that comes to define the annual scrum for cinematic awards: films based on true(-ish) stories. This year, to name a few, we have First Man (Neil Armstrong), Bohemian Rhapsody ...
6 years ago
Can You Ever Forgive Me? [15]
Wild Rose [15]
Russell Bailey
Wild Rose is an exceptional movie, one that deftly balances some pretty heavy topics such as poverty and the class divide that exists within communities, with a thrilling story and some fabulous ...
6 years ago
Wild Rose [15]
Tap Social Movement
Russell Bailey
A fixture of the Oxford scene since 2016, Tap Social Movement has continued to grow, gaining a foothold across the city. It is hard to not find a venue that doesn't serve their delicious amber ...
6 years ago
Tap Social Movement
Carmen & Lola [TBC]
Russell Bailey
Offering an intimate and fascinating look into an often poorly represented community, Carmen & Lola is a contained but necessary story. It chronicles the blossoming friendship (and love) between Lola ...
6 years ago
Carmen & Lola [TBC]
The Grinch [U]
Russell Bailey
If you hadn't noticed, the 'Most Wonderful Time of the Year' is barrelling towards us all. And with this juggernaut comes... festive films! This year audiences are treated to the third major ...
6 years ago
The Grinch [U]
Believer [TBC]
Russell Bailey
How much you get out of Believer will depend on your affection for South Korean cinema. Though ostensibly of the same DNA as some of the finer examples of the country's cinema (I Saw The Devil, ...
6 years ago
Believer [TBC]
Wise Children
Russell Bailey
Emma Rice returned to Oxford last week a conquering champion (of sorts). Marking its first tour date after a mightily successful debut at the Old Vic, Rice's new company brought their inaugural play ...
6 years ago
Wise Children
Dead Pigs [TBC]
Russell Bailey
Cathy Yan is a director worth taking note of. Her upcoming project is an adaptation of DC Comic's Birds of Prey, one that could potentially help fix the growing pains of that particular cinematic ...
6 years ago
Dead Pigs [TBC]
Home Sweet Home
Russell Bailey
Nestled in the village of Roke is Home Sweet Home, the kind of country pub that is worth an excursion out of Oxford for. In the local area, this pub has gained a reputation for a welcoming atmosphere ...
6 years ago
Home Sweet Home
The Fight [TBC]
Russell Bailey
Making her directorial debut, Jessica Hynes' The Fight is a keen reminder that she was one of the creative forces behind the stonkingly good sitcom, Spaced, one of the best British shows of the past ...
6 years ago
The Fight [TBC]
Birds of Passage [15]
Russell Bailey
Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego's previous film, Embrace of the Serpent, has proved one of the biggest arthouse hits of recent years. Having broken out at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, the film ...
6 years ago
Birds of Passage [15]
Ash Is Purest White [15]
Russell Bailey
Sometimes a film comes along and wrong-foots an audience. Occasionally it can do this multiple times. This is the case with Ash Is Purest White, a dense, sprawling drama that initially seems to be a ...
6 years ago
Ash Is Purest White [15]
Roma [15]
Russell Bailey
Roma is a masterpiece. It is a work of such profound, emotive beauty that you have to stop and take stock of what you have just experienced. Deeply personal, intimate in its focus but epic in its ...
6 years ago
Roma [15]
The Chequers Inn
Russell Bailey
Berrick Salome, a short excursion from Oxford, has nestled in its sleepy charms a pub that may be the perfect Sunday afternoon destination. The Chequers Inn offers it all - friendly, approachable ...
6 years ago
The Chequers Inn
Museum [TBC]
Russell Bailey
There are times when cinema excels by focusing on an extraordinary, seemingly forgotten story. Museum tells the true incident of a heist of the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Taking ...
6 years ago
Museum [TBC]
The Breaker Upperers [TBC]
Russell Bailey
For fans of The Flight of the Concords and the collective works of Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople), The Breaker Upperers is an uproariously funny romantic comedy ...
6 years ago
The Breaker Upperers [TBC]
The Favourite [15]
Russell Bailey
Yorgos Lanthimos creates films that are simultaneously breathtaking masterful and horrific to endure. His last film, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, successfully managed to emulate the experience of ...
6 years ago
The Favourite [15]
The Old Man & the Gun [12A]
Russell Bailey
Robert Redford is a bonafide titan of cinema, thanks to a career taking in some of the best and most iconic dramas of the past half a century, including the likes of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance ...
6 years ago
The Old Man & the Gun [12A]
Won't You Be My Neighbor? [12A]
Russell Bailey
When Won't You Be My Neighbor? premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the film's director described the film as therapy. One wonders what the film's subject, Fred Rogers, would have made of the ...
6 years ago
Won't You Be My Neighbor? [12A]
Suspiria [18]
Russell Bailey
This new version of Suspiria is a mad and maddening prospect. A classy remake of an utterly bonkers 70s horror film, it is a film that has swollen to a bladder-testing two-and-a-half hours in length, ...
6 years ago
Suspiria [18]
Halloween [18]
Russell Bailey
When the original Halloween opened in 1978 it proved a smash hit, helping to write the rules that have dominated slasher films since. It turned its star and director into cinematic icons and spawned ...
6 years ago
Halloween [18]
The Spy Gone North [12A]
Russell Bailey
The Spy Gone North is a sprawling epic, a tense, dense film that offers fresh insight into a newly relevant geopolitical conflict. Told over several years, it follows the highly secretive plot of a ...
6 years ago
The Spy Gone North [12A]
The Front Runner [15]
Russell Bailey
In the annals of US politics Gary Hart stands as one of the great 'what ifs'. A popular senator, he entered the race to be the 1988 Democratic presidential race as the front runner, before his ...
6 years ago
The Front Runner [15]
Widows [15]
Russell Bailey
Who would have thought that Steven McQueen, artist-turned-director of such classy arthouse fare as 12 Years a Slave, Hunger and Shame, would be able to make a fabulously entertaining thriller? Widows ...
6 years ago
Widows [15]
A Star is Born [15]
Russell Bailey
There are a number of revelations at the heart of this, the fourth version of A Star Is Born. The first is that, yes, Lady Gaga can act. It isn't a surprise that she performs the songs with gusto and ...
6 years ago
A Star is Born [15]
Rachel's
Russell Bailey
Hidden out in the middle of St Clement's Street is Rachel's, a café specialising in Asian home baking. With Daily Info already being a huge fan of the pork steamed rolls that are one of the ...
6 years ago
Rachel's
The Predator [15]
Russell Bailey
I have a strong emotional attachment to Predator. It was the first 18 I ever saw, sneakily watched when I was far too young. And the original is a fabulous slice of 80s pulp, a lean action movie that ...
6 years ago
The Predator [15]
Crazy Rich Asians [12A]
Russell Bailey
Crazy Rich Asians is the latest in a group of films this year that seek to broaden the inclusivity of mainstream films. Following the likes of Black Panther and Love, Simon, this adaptation offers ...
6 years ago
Crazy Rich Asians [12A]
Cold War [15]
Russell Bailey
Warmly received at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Cold War is a fascinating watch. Simultaneously densely packed and terrifically paced the film spans two decades as it tells of the romantic ...
6 years ago
Cold War [15]
The Oxford Blue
Russell Bailey
The latest iteration of the Oxford Blue pub has come to life on Marston Street. The set-up is now pizza, pots & pints. Basically the menu is divided between pizzas cooked in a wood fire oven and ...
6 years ago
The Oxford Blue
American Animals [15]
Russell Bailey
Events are often shaped by our perspective. What can seem to one person like a roguish act of justified criminality, can be for another an unexpected and devastatingly violent intervention. The ...
6 years ago
American Animals [15]
BlacKkKlansman [15]
Russell Bailey
Auteurs reach a certain point in their career, usually a decade after they have had any serious award contention, where each film is treated as a comeback, a return to form. But what if the director ...
6 years ago
BlacKkKlansman [15]
The King's Arms, Sandford-On-Thames
Russell Bailey
With the weather seemingly turning and Autumn approaching Oxford fast, this past August bank holiday seemed like the perfect day for a pub lunch in the comfort of The King's Arms in ...
6 years ago
The King's Arms, Sandford-On-Thames
Summer of 84 [TBC]
Russell Bailey
Few films or TV shows have had quite as much impact in the last few years as Stranger Things. Liberally borrowing/stealing/paying homage to the works of Stephen King, Netflix's smash hit has set up a ...
6 years ago
Summer of 84 [TBC]
The Ranger [TBC]
Russell Bailey
With a delicious simple premise (punks vs. a park ranger) The Ranger is a stylish slasher movie that might just be worth your time. The film opens with the crack of a gunshot in a dense forest, and ...
6 years ago
The Ranger [TBC]
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Russell Bailey
When Arthur Conan Doyle did away with the detective that had made and, subsequently, dominated his career in The Final Problem, it would take eight years (and a huge public outcry) before the writer ...
6 years ago
The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Miseducation of Cameron Post [15]
Russell Bailey
Desiree Akhavan's sophomore film proved to be one of the breakout hits at this year's Sundance Film Festival and it is easy to see why it has resonated with audiences and critics. Subtle and deeply ...
6 years ago
The Miseducation of Cameron Post [15]
The Meg [12A]
Russell Bailey
The Meg is a prime example of how a great concept (Jason Statham vs. a giant prehistoric shark) and a killer marketing campaign (how can you not love this poster? Or this one?) can marry together and ...
6 years ago
The Meg [12A]
Ant-Man and the Wasp [12A]
Russell Bailey
Ant-Man and the Wasp caps a tremendous twelve months for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kicking things off with Taika Waititi's day-glo intergalactic romp Thor: Ragnarok, the franchise hit new ...
6 years ago
Ant-Man and the Wasp [12A]
Private Lives
Russell Bailey
As the open-air theatre season starts to wind down in Oxford, there is one more treat in-store for us. The Oxford Shakespeare Company continue their summer residence in the gardens of Wadham College ...
6 years ago
Private Lives
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies [PG]
Russell Bailey
For the uninitiated Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is the big screen adaptation of Teen Titans Go!, which is itself a Cartoon Network spin-off of Teen Titans, a cartoon and comic series compromising ...
6 years ago
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies [PG]
The Cow and Creek
Russell Bailey
Nestled opposite the edge of the Westgate is The Cow & Creek, a Marston's pub that offers 'beers, burgers & cocktails for every occasion'. Given the tight window I had and the speedy service offered, ...
6 years ago
The Cow and Creek
The Chequers
Russell Bailey
Situated on the outskirts of Dorchester-on-Thames, a short fifteen minute drive from the centre of Oxford, The Chequers at Burcot is the kind of pub worth travelling to, focusing on contemporary ...
6 years ago
The Chequers
Romeo & Juliet
Russell Bailey
Siege Theatre approach the text of the oft-performed Romeo & Juliet with a strong concept. Their production opens with prisoners milling around a courtyard and guards watching over them. A new inmate ...
6 years ago
Romeo & Juliet
Sweet Charity
Russell Bailey
How many people can you fit onto the Watermill stage? This question popped into my head as I watched a 12-strong cast of fiercely talented actors perform a complicated dance routine - while also ...
6 years ago
Sweet Charity
Waterfront Café
Russell Bailey
Ideally situated on the outskirts of Benson on the River Thames, the Waterfront Café has gained a reputation as a great spot for cyclists and rowers to stop to refuel before carrying on in their ...
7 years ago
Waterfront Café
The Fox & Hounds Inn (Watlington)
Russell Bailey
Nestled in the scenic beauty of the Chiltern Valley, The Fox & Hounds in the perfect spot on a gorgeous day for wanderers, ramblers, dog walkers and cyclists. Nestled away on the edge of Christmas ...
7 years ago
The Fox & Hounds Inn (Watlington)
OxPHWOARd: Pride Edition
Russell Bailey
When last I attended OxPHWOARd it offered several firsts, not least the first show I had attended undone by torrential rain. Now with Britain basking in a heatwave, it seemed unlikely that a flash ...
7 years ago
OxPHWOARd: Pride Edition
Mission: Impossible - Fallout [12A]
Russell Bailey
By now you will be very familiar with what a Mission: Impossible film entails as the series enters its sixth instalment. There will be Tom Cruise hanging above tall precipices, performing incredible ...
7 years ago
Mission: Impossible - Fallout [12A]
Maddie Campion: 20 Uses for a Lovedoll
Russell Bailey
We entered the sweltering warmth of the Boiler Room at the Jam Factory to the fabulous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle theme song. There was a screen at the back and props including a miniature Malibu ...
7 years ago
Maddie Campion: 20 Uses for a Lovedoll
Oxford Comedy Festival: Tania Edwards & Daphna Baram
Russell Bailey
QED Comedy Lab's Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival may be an unwieldy name, but it is a fabulous prospect. A whole month's worth of stand-up comedy shows, previewing before these ...
7 years ago
Oxford Comedy Festival: Tania Edwards & Daphna Baram
Shakespeare's Globe at the Bodleian
Russell Bailey
Now this is an intriguing theatrical prospect. The Shakespeare Globe returns to the Bodleian this summer with an experiment. An act of democracy to shake up the Bard, to give this production an ...
7 years ago
Shakespeare's Globe at the Bodleian
Incredibles 2 [PG]
Russell Bailey
The longest gap between the release of a feature film and its sequel is over 63 years (Bambi and Bambi 2). This puts the gap between the two instalments of The Incredibles of 14 years into context. ...
7 years ago
Incredibles 2 [PG]
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Russell Bailey
Tomahawk Theatre have become a recent fixture at the Oxford Castle with their annual open-air production of a Shakespeare play. And this year, they take on possibly the quintessential summertime ...
7 years ago
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Leave No Trace [PG]
Russell Bailey
Debra Granik has a knack for making low-key indie dramas that uncover acting talent. She previously directed Winter's Bone, which received four Oscar nominations and helped to launch Jennifer ...
7 years ago
Leave No Trace [PG]
Falstaff
Russell Bailey
Sir John Falstaff has a strong case to be considered Shakespeare's most iconic character. A huge presence in Henry IV as Prince Hal's companion and mentor figure, he survives his offstage death in ...
7 years ago
Falstaff
Skin A Cat
Russell Bailey
Crikey. This is good. Skin A Cat is an aggressively honest, often hilarious, sometimes shocking look at sex. It chronicles Alana's journey from her first period through to her mid-twenties, taking in ...
7 years ago
Skin A Cat
The Foley Explosion
Russell Bailey
A woman walks to her apartment, jangles her keys, opens and closes a door. She repeats this several times, the recorded sound looping round and round, creating an almost cacophonous effect. Welcome ...
7 years ago
The Foley Explosion
Jerusalem
Russell Bailey
The Watermill Theatre has a bit of a coup on their hands. Their latest production is the first UK revival of the colossal Jerusalem, Jez Butterworth's densely-packed, laser-focused ...
7 years ago
Jerusalem
Hereditary [15]
Russell Bailey
Some of the finest horror films use their platform to explore the impact of grief. The likes of Don't Look Now, The Descent and The Babadook are all, to varying degrees, defined by the effect loss ...
7 years ago
Hereditary [15]
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom [12A]
Russell Bailey
'Anybody hear that? It's an impact tremor, is what it is.' That's right, stomping into view and devouring all in its path is the latest behemoth from the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World: ...
7 years ago
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom [12A]
Spoiler Alert! presented by QED
Russell Bailey
QED Comedy Lab are a remarkably prolific comedic body, holding several nights a week across Oxford, with each of their showcases adding a twist to the stand-up formula. In the case of Spoiler Alert!, ...
7 years ago
Spoiler Alert! presented by QED
The Breadwinner [12A]
Russell Bailey
Powerful cinema can come in all shapes and sizes. In recent years there has been a strand of animation that has explored challenging subject matters in distinctive, often dazzling style. From ...
7 years ago
The Breadwinner [12A]
Common People 2018
Russell Bailey
Common People returned to South Park to take advantage of the sun (thankfully the threatened downpour held off). This year they brought disco legends The Jacksons and The New Power Generation ...
7 years ago
Common People 2018
OxPHWOARd: Pride Edition
Russell Bailey
Thursday night was a series of firsts for me. The first time attending OxPHWOARd, Oxford's very own queer burlesque evening (queerlesque). The first time I have seen such a diverse range of ...
7 years ago
OxPHWOARd: Pride Edition
Deadpool 2 [15]
Russell Bailey
'Maximum effort' is Deadpool's catchphrase, shouted as he runs into whichever violent encounter he finds himself in. It is also the mantra for this sequel, where Deadpool finds himself bereft of a ...
7 years ago
Deadpool 2 [15]
On Chesil Beach [15]
Russell Bailey
On Chesil Beach is a fascinating film. A prickly, difficult adaptation of Ian McEwan's novella that explores marriage and sex in a way that feels refreshingly honest, and tragically English. The film ...
7 years ago
On Chesil Beach [15]
Solo: A Star Wars Story [12A]
Russell Bailey
Alright, who's to blame for this? The team in Rogue One did not fight and lay down their lives for a mediocre Star Wars film. Do we blame Batman Begins, who started the trend for films to explain ...
7 years ago
Solo: A Star Wars Story [12A]
Sofar Sounds: Common People Special
Russell Bailey
Founded in 2009 as an outlet for low-key, intimate gigs in London, Sofar Sounds has expanded across the globe, now operating in over 400 cities. One of these is Oxford where a group of volunteers put ...
7 years ago
Sofar Sounds: Common People Special
The Old Post Office
Russell Bailey
Open all day and serving divine food for brunch, lunch and dinner, the Old Post Office in Wallingford is a key fixture at the heart of this market town. Its menu ranges from Eggs Benedict to ...
7 years ago
The Old Post Office
Julius Caesar
Russell Bailey
A new theatre company has arrived on the Oxford scene with a stellar agenda at its core. Nova Theatre has been born out of the frustration that has come from the gender imbalance in theatre, with ...
7 years ago
Julius Caesar
Pho
Russell Bailey
Taking its name from a traditional Vietnamese noodle dish, and the product of Stephen and Juliette Wall's trip to Vietnam, Pho has expanded across the UK in the last fourteen years, with twenty-five ...
7 years ago
Pho
Silvie's Bakery
Russell Bailey
Tucked away on Iffley Road is a slice of brunch heaven in the form of Silvie. A fixture in East Oxford for two years, Silvie is a café that has gone from strength to strength, thanks to an ...
7 years ago
Silvie's Bakery
Avengers: Infinity War [12A]
Russell Bailey
You've probably heard of Avengers: Infinity War. The latest under the hugely successful Marvel brand (Cinematic Universe to the fans), the film brings together most of the heroes cultivated in the ...
7 years ago
Avengers: Infinity War [12A]
Burke and Hare
Russell Bailey
Burke and Hare is the very definition of a delicious theatrical treat. Imbued with a darkness that comes from the play's source material, and with the ability to pluck delicately at our heartstrings ...
7 years ago
Burke and Hare
Périclès, Prince De Tyr
Russell Bailey
Goodness this is an odd production. One of Shakespeare's more indefinable pieces, translated into French, brutally cut down to an hour and 40 minutes and transported from its Mediterranean locale to ...
7 years ago
Périclès, Prince De Tyr
Love, Simon [12A]
Russell Bailey
On first approach Love, Simon appears to be little more then a sweet, slight teen film. Stylistically there isn't a great deal here to set this film apart from other recent teen comedies (Easy A, The ...
7 years ago
Love, Simon [12A]
Lily's Tea Room
Russell Bailey
Nestled at the heart of the Dorchester-on-Thames High Street is the charmingly quaint Lily's Tea Room. A fixture of the local community since its gestation as a greengrocers in the 1950s, the tea ...
7 years ago
Lily's Tea Room
Ghost Stories [15]
Russell Bailey
Confession time: I love horror films. I adore a dusty relic of a bygone era of cinema, before the arrival of slasher films. And there is no better example of this then a British-made portmanteau ...
7 years ago
Ghost Stories [15]
A Quiet Place [15]
Russell Bailey
A horror film can live or die on the execution of its core concept. At the centre of A Quiet Place is a world where its inhabitants can't make a sound, or else there are deadly consequences. How this ...
7 years ago
A Quiet Place [15]
Isle of Dogs [PG]
Russell Bailey
A new Wes Anderson film is always a treat worth undertaking. The director's precision and craft can sometimes threaten to make his film's cold and devoid of emotion. But Isle of Dogs, with its ...
7 years ago
Isle of Dogs [PG]
Matt Price, Paul Tonkinson, Kae Kurd, Bec Hill
Russell Bailey
For those not in the know, The Glee Club (now residing in The Bullingdon following a move across town) hosts a weekly comedy night called Stand-up Saturdays. The comedians who perform there range ...
7 years ago
Matt Price, Paul Tonkinson, Kae Kurd, Bec Hill
Ready Player One [12A]
Russell Bailey
Ready Player One might be one of the most frustrating films I have seen in a long time. Visually it's a stunner, and narratively it is compelling, if rather broad. And there are one or two ...
7 years ago
Ready Player One [12A]
The Three Horseshoes
Russell Bailey
Situated in the charming village of Garsington, The Three Horseshoes has one of the most packed menus I've come across. As well as pub standards like fish and chips, burgers, and steaks, there are ...
7 years ago
The Three Horseshoes
America's Cool Modernism
Russell Bailey
America's Cool Modernism seeks to open the door to an era of American art that may be new to many who visit the Ashmolean's new exhibition. It tells the story of a nation's artists seeking to define ...
7 years ago
America's Cool Modernism
Oxford Literary Festival 2018
Russell Bailey
It is safe to say that the Tudors is one of the most studied periods of our history. As historian Miranda Kaufmann pointed out, she had studied the era at primary, secondary and university level. And ...
7 years ago
Oxford Literary Festival 2018
The Rivals
Russell Bailey
Our evening at the (always lovely) Watermill began with actor Charlotte Bate taking to the stage, smiling as she assesses the audience in front of her. She introduces us to Sheridan's Bath (the play ...
7 years ago
The Rivals
Oxford Literary Festival 2018
Russell Bailey
Since it was established in 1901, 892 individuals have won a Nobel Prize. Of that number, 52 have hailed from the University of Oxford, and a total of 48 winners have been women. The Forgotten Women ...
7 years ago
Oxford Literary Festival 2018
The Star Inn
Russell Bailey
One of the great pleasures of living in Oxford is that it is remarkably easy to escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre, thanks to the villages that surround it. A particular standout of ...
7 years ago
The Star Inn
You Were Never Really Here [15]
Russell Bailey
There are plenty of warning signs that You Were Never Really Here would not be an enjoyable watch. Dealing with a dark subject matter, from director Lynne Ramsay whose previous film, We Need To Talk ...
7 years ago
You Were Never Really Here [15]
Game Night [15]
Russell Bailey
Cinema audiences are so geared for disappointment, with the pre-release hype machine and post-release social media autopsy that comes with most studio films, that when a film is a pleasant surprise ...
7 years ago
Game Night [15]
Jin Jin
Russell Bailey
In my constant pursuit to find the perfect Chinese restaurants to fit my tastes (I am very particular about the kind of Chinese I like), I went for a lunch time date with my partner at Jin Jin. ...
7 years ago
Jin Jin
Parsonage Grill
Russell Bailey
The Parsonage Grill resides as part of the charming Old Parsonage Hotel on Broad Street. I spent nine months working next door to it and would often walk past it, enviously gazing at its menu. From ...
7 years ago
Parsonage Grill
Loch Fyne
Russell Bailey
With 37 restaurants stretching across the country, for many Loch Fyne is the easiest way to get their fish fix. Born out of an oyster farm off of the eponymous body of water (on the west coast of ...
7 years ago
Loch Fyne
Gravitee Golf
Russell Bailey
A new adventure golf locale has landed by the Kassam Stadium, bringing with it a pair of space-themed courses. Promising heaps of fun and with strong early word-of-mouth reviews I felt it the perfect ...
7 years ago
Gravitee Golf
I, Tonya [15]
Russell Bailey
Since the birth of the 24 hour news cycle it has been easy to condense people down to a headline. If there is a figure who most encapsulates this it is Tonya Harding. In the build-up to the 1994 ...
7 years ago
I, Tonya [15]
Lady Bird [15]
Russell Bailey
Watching Lady Bird is an odd experience. This perfectly formed, charmingly constructed, quietly devastating film is not about anyone other than the central figure of Lady Bird (and, more loosely, the ...
7 years ago
Lady Bird [15]
Black Panther [12A]
Russell Bailey
In 2015 the US writer and comedian Dylan Morran began releasing videos under the banner Every Single Word. The videos edited movies down to all the lines spoken by non-white characters. The condensed ...
7 years ago
Black Panther [12A]
Loveless [15]
Russell Bailey
There is a shot ten minutes into Loveless that is so startling, so haunting that its impact resonates throughout the rest of the film. An unhappily married couple are having a fierce argument about ...
7 years ago
Loveless [15]
Early Man [PG]
Russell Bailey
Aardman Studios are amongst the very best the world of animation has to offer, joining the likes of Pixar (usually), Studio Ghibli, and Laika (Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings) in holding must-see ...
7 years ago
Early Man [PG]
Journey's End [12A]
Russell Bailey
The First World War is a strangely underrepresented event in cinema, usually reduced to an incidental moment, a footnote to add colour to a character. This is in stark contrast to cinematic ...
7 years ago
Journey's End [12A]
Phantom Thread [15]
Russell Bailey
Hitchcock made several very good thrillers after Vertigo but never reached the peak of this masterstroke. Spielberg has had a steady stream of fine films yet has never matched his output in 1993, ...
7 years ago
Phantom Thread [15]
Red Star
Russell Bailey
Residing in the middle of Cowley Road is a gem of a noodle bar. Red Star offers piping hot, scrumptious, pan-Asian food, served at exceptional speed. It has fast become one of my favourite places to ...
7 years ago
Red Star
Jam Factory
Russell Bailey
It has to be said that The Jam Factory does a lot. A restaurant fused with an art gallery, seasoned with a very good bar, it is an establishment that works just as effectively as a location for ...
7 years ago
Jam Factory
Nando's George Street
Russell Bailey
Founded in 1987, and born out of a South African restaurant known as Chickenland, Nando's has morphed into a very familiar brand spread across 30 countries with a meme generating status in the UK. ...
7 years ago
Nando's George Street
SoJo
Russell Bailey
SoJo's reputation as one of the finest Chinese restaurants in Oxford proceeds it. And so it seems the perfect establishment not only for my wife, who is a great lover of Chinese cuisine, but for ...
7 years ago
SoJo
Coco [PG]
Russell Bailey
I shouldn't have been surprised that Pixar's latest film almost made me cry. This is the studio that brought us the ten devastating minutes that is the 'Married Life' segment of Up. To add to this, ...
7 years ago
Coco [PG]
Curzon Oxford
Russell Bailey
The arrival of a sparkling new cinema is something for any cinephile to celebrate. I have found myself drawn to the latest addition to Oxford, a five screen Curzon cinema (which happens to be the ...
7 years ago
Curzon Oxford
The Play That Goes Wrong
Russell Bailey
Beginning life above a pub in Islington, Mischief Theatre's The Play That Goes Wrong (original title The Murder Before Christmas) has spent the last five years going from strength to strength. Having ...
7 years ago
The Play That Goes Wrong
The Post [12A]
Russell Bailey
The Post (produced in under a year and not quite as timely as you'd expect) tells the story of the Pentagon Papers, a classified report on the fallings of the Vietnam War. When they are leaked to the ...
7 years ago
The Post [12A]
Darkest Hour [PG]
Russell Bailey
World War II is a great source of lionisation for the Western hemisphere. Where the Americans have the D-Day landings, the British have Dunkirk. Dunkirk represents a Great British myth; the victory ...
7 years ago
Darkest Hour [PG]
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri [15]
Russell Bailey
This is indeed a peculiar award season, dominated by the fraught state of geopolitical politics and the re-balancing that the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns are bringing about. There is also an ...
7 years ago
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri [15]
All The Money In the World [15]
Russell Bailey
A pair of real-life stories are at the heart
of
All The Money In The World. The
first is the one built around the narrative: the kidnapping of John Paul Getty
III, grandson of billionaire oil ...
7 years ago
All The Money In the World [15]
Tommi's Burger Joint
Russell Bailey
Tucked away at the heart of the Westgate is the Social, serving as both an entrance to Junkyard Golf and a destination for a variety of speedy foodie treats. With restaurants serving everything from ...
7 years ago
Tommi's Burger Joint
Molly's Game [15]
Russell Bailey
The story of Molly Bloom (a towering performance from Jessica Chastain, one of her best) is an extraordinary one. Over the course of 12 years she goes from being a potential Olympic skier protégée ...
7 years ago
Molly's Game [15]
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle [12A]
Russell Bailey
In the constant pursuit for a money-spinning franchise, Hollywood has reached the 90s and has fished Jumanji out for a revival/sequel. The result is a surprisingly likeable action romp that once ...
7 years ago
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle [12A]
Top 10 Films of 2017
Russell Bailey
10. La La Land/Blade Runner 2049
I start my list with a cheat, because I really couldn't decide which Ryan Gosling film was better. La La Land is a lushly dreamy musical with some very good ...
7 years ago
Top 10 Films of 2017
Star Wars: The Last Jedi [12A]
Russell Bailey
Here it is, the much-hyped eighth Star Wars episode. The series is now firmly in the hands of Disney, this being the third film in their much-vaunted rebirth of the franchise. Following on from the ...
7 years ago
Star Wars: The Last Jedi [12A]
Junkyard Golf Club
Russell Bailey
Daily Info staff aren't known for our golfing prowess but when a bar-meet-indoor-crazy-golf pops up we definitely have to pop on our visor, grab a club and head over to try it out. Originating in ...
7 years ago
Junkyard Golf Club
Working Christmas
Russell Bailey
Last Christmas, while some were too wilfully distributing their heart to potential partners, the Old Fire Station were producing an almighty festive hit. Thirty Christmases proved a great proposition ...
7 years ago
Working Christmas
Justice League [12A]
Russell Bailey
Are the Justice League cursed? Years in the making, with a number of false starts, the superhero team arrived in cinemas with hype and baggage like few films before it. Can the film possibly reach ...
7 years ago
Justice League [12A]
The Borrowers
Russell Bailey
What do Angela Lansbury, Studio Ghibli, Ian Holm and John Goodman have in common (beyond being excessively talented)? They have all been involved in adaptations of Mary Norton's work. And now it is ...
7 years ago
The Borrowers
Pizza Pilgrims
Russell Bailey
Pizza Pilgrims has ventured outside of London for the first time and taken up residence in the Westgate, bringing their soft doughed Neapolitan pizza to Oxford. This is a restaurant that starts and ...
7 years ago
Pizza Pilgrims
Doubt: A Parable
Russell Bailey
What happens when you suspect a figure of authority of something so terrible that it could destroy the community you are part of? This is at the core of John Patrick Shanley's Doubt: A Parable, a ...
7 years ago
Doubt: A Parable
Home
Russell Bailey
Situated in the middle of the Abingdon Road is Home, a restaurant and pub that offers a relaxed atmosphere, a great menu with hints of daring, and a lavish but approachable set-up. It is nice to go ...
7 years ago
Home
Five Guys
Russell Bailey
The Five Guys juggernaut has reached the shores of the River Cherwell. Established in 1986 in Arlington, Virginia, Five Guys has spread its tentacles across the world, setting up home in nearly ...
7 years ago
Five Guys
Paddington 2 [PG]
Russell Bailey
When Paddington arrived on the big screen in 2014 it is safe to say there was a degree of scepticism. The prospect of a CGI-infused live action taking on Michael Bond's much-loved creation filled ...
7 years ago
Paddington 2 [PG]
As You Like It
Russell Bailey
As You Like It, with its narrative that begins with an escape from an urban setting into the wilderness and its playful gender politics, feels a play suitable for a modern audience. The play ...
7 years ago
As You Like It
A Fantastic Woman [15]
Russell Bailey
In these troubling times, we need a film like A Fantastic Woman. Remarkably impactful, exploring precedent themes, offering hope where there doesn't appear to be any, and announcing relative newcomer ...
7 years ago
A Fantastic Woman [15]
Call Me By Your Name [15]
Russell Bailey
Joining the likes of recent prestige triumphs Carol and Moonlight is Call Me By Your Name, from Italian auteur Luca Guadagnino (I Am Love). Adapted from the novel by André Aciman, the film tells the ...
7 years ago
Call Me By Your Name [15]
The Breakfast Club
Russell Bailey
Welcome to the newly opened 'caf' in Westgate, The Breakfast Club's term for their dining establishment. With locations across London as well as an eatery in Brighton, they have now branched out to ...
7 years ago
The Breakfast Club
Murder on the Orient Express [12A]
Russell Bailey
Your response to Murder on the Orient Express can be determined by your reaction to one element. By now you will have seen the moustache sported by Kenneth Branagh's detective. It is an absurd, ...
7 years ago
Murder on the Orient Express [12A]
The Florida Project [15]
Russell Bailey
During the period after the Second World War, a strand of neorealism rose through the ranks in cinema, primarily in Italy. Neorealism grounds itself in the real world, shooting on location, casting ...
7 years ago
The Florida Project [15]
Thelma [15]
Russell Bailey
For all the innumerable movies in recent years about superpowers, rarely do they seem to touch on the horror potentials. The X-Men series occasionally dips a toe in but feels far more comfortable ...
7 years ago
Thelma [15]
Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool [15]
Russell Bailey
One kind of film Hollywood loves (especially around award season) is the kind that explores the film industry itself. How else would we have fine though minor films like Trumbo (nominated for best ...
7 years ago
Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool [15]
Journeyman [TBC]
Russell Bailey
Paddy Considine is really quite a talent. Not only is he an exceptionally good actor, as comfortable in blockbusters like The Bourne Ultimatum and Hot Fuzz as he is in small indie films, such as Dead ...
7 years ago
Journeyman [TBC]
Israfil [TBC]
Russell Bailey
Iranian cinema currently feels like it is going through a golden age of beautifully constructed, quietly powerful dramas. In recent years we have had A Separation, Inversion and Ten, and now comes ...
7 years ago
Israfil [TBC]
The Shape of Water [15]
Russell Bailey
Sometimes you watch a film and know that it is something special. A film singularly of itself, beautifully constructed and with the kind of message that modern cinema needs more of. This is The Shape ...
7 years ago
The Shape of Water [15]
Thor: Ragnarok [12A]
Russell Bailey
Nine years after Iron Man kicked the whole enterprise off and Marvel Studios have reached the point of churning out three films a year, like clockwork. This autumn's release is Thor: Ragnorak, the ...
7 years ago
Thor: Ragnarok [12A]
Comptoir Libanais
Russell Bailey
At the rebirth of Westgate Oxford, Daily Info were lucky enough to attend a mighty feast at the newly opened Lebanese canteen, Comptoir Libanais.
The first thing you notice is the explosion of ...
7 years ago
Comptoir Libanais
The Death of Stalin [15]
Russell Bailey
If you hadn't noticed, Russia is back in the news, relevant like it hasn't been for several decades. It seems the perfect time to explore one of its darkest chapters and Armando Iannucci is here to ...
7 years ago
The Death of Stalin [15]
Last Flag Flying [15]
Russell Bailey
In an alternate universe Richard Linklater won the Best Director Oscar for his audacious cinematic experiment, Boyhood. It would have been a fine reward for a director whose career is defined by an ...
7 years ago
Last Flag Flying [15]
The Killing of a Sacred Deer [15]
Russell Bailey
Unpicking The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a tricky proposition. The film is so singular, so committed to a very specific style that to begin to delve into it almost feels like you are spoiling the ...
7 years ago
The Killing of a Sacred Deer [15]
Professor Marston & the Wonder Women [15]
Russell Bailey
Sometimes a film will surprise you, and be a marvellous watch. On the surface Professor Marston & the Wonder Women didn't seem like much; simply well-timed exploitation of a hit film. Yet this is not ...
7 years ago
Professor Marston & the Wonder Women [15]
Downsizing [15]
Russell Bailey
There is a very good concept at the core of Downsizing, a kooky alternative to the Black Mirror gloom that is so prevalent in modern sci-fi. Scientists have found a solution to the problems of ...
7 years ago
Downsizing [15]
Sweet Country [15]
Russell Bailey
In the Museum of Australia there is a room dedicated to the history of 'integration' between colonialists and Aborigines. Along the walls are a timeline of all attempts undertaken across the ...
7 years ago
Sweet Country [15]
The Boy Downstairs [TBC]
Russell Bailey
As I was watching The Boy Downstairs this question kept popping into my head. The lead character is an aspiring writer, Diana, whose day-to-day job is as a retail assistant in a wedding dress store. ...
7 years ago
The Boy Downstairs [TBC]
Battle of the Sexes [12A]
Russell Bailey
A sexist male hustler challenges a talented female star of her field to a match, which is built up in the media and turned into a circus. Sound familiar? And it has the right outcome this time. ...
7 years ago
Battle of the Sexes [12A]
I Am Not A Witch [12A]
Russell Bailey
The past year has seen several exceptional debut films from British directors. Following in the footsteps of Lady Macbeth and The Levelling, comes I Am Not A Witch, a startling film that marks out ...
7 years ago
I Am Not A Witch [12A]
Brawl in Cell Block 99 [18]
Russell Bailey
As my 15th film in my binge week at the London Film Festival, Brawl in Cell Block 99 was unlike anything else I saw at the festival, and was all the better for it. A violent, pulpy drama, chock full ...
7 years ago
Brawl in Cell Block 99 [18]
Education Education Education
Russell Bailey
May 1997 was a very long time ago. A time when it looked, politically, like the country had turned a positive corner. A time of Blur, Oasis, Spice Girls and Eurovision-winning music for the UK. A ...
7 years ago
Education Education Education
Loot
Russell Bailey
It's a very special year for the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary. And as part of their celebrations Joe Orton's seminal Loot takes up residence, bringing ...
7 years ago
Loot
All the Things I Lied About
Russell Bailey
All the Things I Lied About is a truly fascinating piece of theatre. It's a remarkable reflection of (and response to) a society that seems to be up a certain creek without a paddle, having got there ...
7 years ago
All the Things I Lied About
Mamma Mia Pizzeria
Russell Bailey
A spot of pre-theatre dinner led me to Mamma Mia on the South Parade in Summertown. It was a pleasant evening and we were able to sit outside in the heated seating area and enjoy the calming ...
7 years ago
Mamma Mia Pizzeria
Oxford Blue Smokehouse
Russell Bailey
American-style BBQ is about dedication. It is about the right cut of meat and the hours of preparation that goes into it before it reaches the plate. And tucked away between Iffley Road and Cowley ...
7 years ago
Oxford Blue Smokehouse
Mother! [18]
Russell Bailey
Disclaimer: there is an air of mystery to Mother! that means it is advisable to approach the film as blind as possible. Therefore put this review down at the end of the paragraph if this is a film ...
7 years ago
Mother! [18]
IT [15]
Russell Bailey
What really scares you? What keeps you awake at night, or creeps into your dreams? For a large number of people I would imagine it is clowns - certainly it is one of my sister's top fears - that ...
7 years ago
IT [15]
Logan Lucky [12A]
Russell Bailey
Retirement in Hollywood, like death in comic books, is often only temporary. With Jack Nicholson soon to be coaxed back to work for the Toni Erdmann remake, Hayao Miyazaki returning to Studio Ghibli, ...
7 years ago
Logan Lucky [12A]
Wagamama
Russell Bailey
Some lunchtimes all you want is the Japanese-inspired food of Wagamama delivered straight to your office/home/destination of your choosing. And so the task falls to Daily Info to review this culinary ...
7 years ago
Wagamama
Detroit [15]
Russell Bailey
The progression of director Kathryn Bigelow's career has been intriguing. Her early career saw her direct, amongst others, the best vampire movie ever in Near Dark, and the excessively silly but ...
7 years ago
Detroit [15]
Jacobs and Field
Russell Bailey
I have a great emotional attachment to Jacobs and Field. On arriving in Oxford this was the first restaurant I 'discovered' (searching for brunch destinations in Headington) and quickly came quite ...
7 years ago
Jacobs and Field
The Full Brontë
Russell Bailey
Are you an Emily, Charlotte or Anne? Are you modest with a wry humour? A visionary with a powerful imagination? Or the shy one with a big heart? Essentially, which Brontë sister are you? Well here ...
7 years ago
The Full Brontë
Atomic Blonde [15]
Russell Bailey
If there is an argument to be made for a female Bond, then Atomic Blonde is a fairly strong case for Charlize Theron being the person to take on this role. Over the course of two hours she kicks and ...
7 years ago
Atomic Blonde [15]
Thali
Russell Bailey
Newly opened on George Street, Thali promises the 'unconventional, makeshift and unexpected'. It also serves takeaway Indian food and seemed like just the restaurant for the Daily Info Team to try ...
7 years ago
Thali
Jude The Obscure
Russell Bailey
Nestled amongst the wine cafés, independent bookstores and art house cinemas of Jericho lies Jude the Obscure, a more down-to-earth and approachable establishment then one might have expected. With ...
7 years ago
Jude The Obscure
San Miguel Picturehouse Pop-up
Russell Bailey
An annual tradition has emerged where, over the course of the 'summer' months, an audience will risk the uncertainty of England's weather and decamp to an outside space to watch a classic film. This ...
7 years ago
San Miguel Picturehouse Pop-up
Dunkirk [12A]
Russell Bailey
Dunkirk has arrived in cinemas with an almighty impact. The latest from one of the few auteurs who are at the peak of their directing prowess (sorry Spielberg, Scorsese, and Malick), it has arrived ...
7 years ago
Dunkirk [12A]
Alice
Russell Bailey
Over the past 21 years Creation Theatre has gained a reputation for seriously good theatrical adaptations of literary classics. And Alice has a special place in their heart (as well as within ...
7 years ago
Alice
The White Hart, Wytham
Russell Bailey
One of the many elements to love about Oxford is the circle of lovely villages that surround the city. And within each of these you will find a pub that serves a hearty Sunday lunch. And towering ...
8 years ago
The White Hart, Wytham
The Beguiled [15]
Russell Bailey
'We could show him some real Southern hospitality.' A girl foraging for mushrooms discovers an injured soldier and brings him back to her school. From there spirals out a tale of desire as each ...
8 years ago
The Beguiled [15]
Titus Andronicus
Russell Bailey
Titus Andronicus is a rather unique experience, and for the unsuspecting audience can be quite the shock. Near the interval a person behind us whispered an expletive in response to proceedings on ...
8 years ago
Titus Andronicus
Gatineau
Russell Bailey
How to win over the Daily Info team? By sending us lovely baked goods on a Tuesday morning, which Gatineau did this past week. Thank you Gatineau! Our office is after all powered by delicious treats ...
8 years ago
Gatineau
Spider-Man: Homecoming [12A]
Russell Bailey
Here we go again. The third Spider-Man film in fifteen years has swung into cinemas, this time with the full might of the Marvel cinematic Universe on his side (it would take a large amount of this ...
8 years ago
Spider-Man: Homecoming [12A]
Wallace and Gromit Shorts [U]
Russell Bailey
It is hard not to approach Wallace and Gromit and call them British institutes. Certainly my childhood was shaped by my grandparents owning the VHS's of the three short films, and if I were to ...
8 years ago
Wallace and Gromit Shorts [U]
Much Ado About Nothing
Russell Bailey
Since 2002 Oxford Shakespeare Company has been the sparkling jewel amongst the plethora of outdoor Shakespeare productions that descend on Oxford in the summer months. Their first production was Much ...
8 years ago
Much Ado About Nothing
Il Turco in Italia
Russell Bailey
It seems that up until this point my experience of opera has consisted of prominently the melodramatic, often with tragic denouements. But not so with the light, thoroughly enjoyable Il Turco in ...
8 years ago
Il Turco in Italia
It Comes At Night [15]
Russell Bailey
When I recounted It Comes at Night to my wife her response was to inform me that I watch some depressing films. And there is no getting around the fact that the film starts at a bleak moment of ...
8 years ago
It Comes At Night [15]
Cosmo
Russell Bailey
Only in an all-you-can-eat establishment that boasts an "authentic world kitchen" can you have a plate of food where lasagna and pizza can share a space with pilau rice and chicken tikka masala, with ...
8 years ago
Cosmo
Cow
Russell Bailey
Cow is a fascinating piece of theatre. Potent in the themes it focuses on, intimate in its focus, it is equal parts funny and heartbreaking. Telling the story of Bethan who has returned home to help ...
8 years ago
Cow
Aleksandra Mir – Space Tapestry
Russell Bailey
In Jordan, there is the Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications centre (Sesame). It is the first particular accelerator in the middle east and its members include Iran, Pakistan, ...
8 years ago
Aleksandra Mir – Space Tapestry
What If The Planes Fall Out Of The Sky?
Russell Bailey
One of the strengths of a festival like Offbeat is the diversity of the programme, with shows sitting shoulder-to-shoulder that are worlds apart. Proceedings kicked off with Idiot Child's What If The ...
8 years ago
What If The Planes Fall Out Of The Sky?
Baby Driver [15]
Russell Bailey
Oh Edgar Wright, how I have missed you. The director who cultivated his unique style on TV in the form of Spaced and achieved cult auteur status with the likes of the original (and still best) ...
8 years ago
Baby Driver [15]
Semele
Russell Bailey
There seems to be nothing more perfectly escapist then a flight of resplendent operatic fantasy. Nestled in the grounds of the Wormsley Estate, Garsington Opera creates the illusion of stepping into ...
8 years ago
Semele
Wonder Woman [12A]
Russell Bailey
Finally. Finally a DC fan can be proud of one of their superhero films. Finally we have a fabulous superhero blockbuster focusing on a female lead. Finally Wonder Woman has been done justice on the ...
8 years ago
Wonder Woman [12A]
House and Garden
Russell Bailey
Alan Ayckbourn is the master of a good theatrical gimmick. Bedroom Farce is set across three separate bedrooms, Way Upstream takes place on a canal boat, requiring a small lakes worth of water on ...
8 years ago
House and Garden
Jacobs Brasserie
Russell Bailey
Jacobs Brasserie, formerly known as Jacobs Chop Shop, is one of the five pillars of the House of Jacob that have gained a reputation in Oxford for fine cuisine and a welcoming atmosphere since 2009. ...
8 years ago
Jacobs Brasserie
Alien: Covenant [15]
Russell Bailey
"We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell." Oscar Wilde It has been 38 years since Ridley Scott first launched the Alien series upon us; taking a haunted house/slasher format and ...
8 years ago
Alien: Covenant [15]
Holy Moly & the Crackers
Russell Bailey
The wonderfully named Holy Moly and The Crackers burst onto the stage at the Old Fire Station on Friday night with the intent of a) getting every member of the audience up and dancing, and b) ...
8 years ago
Holy Moly & the Crackers
We're Still Together [TBC]
Russell Bailey
Canadian indie cinema made its mark on the OXIFF with We're Still Together, written, directed and edited by Jesse Klein. The film tells the story of Chris, who has been kicked out by his mum and ...
8 years ago
We're Still Together [TBC]
Creedmoria [TBC]
Russell Bailey
Soundtracked to the likes of The Cure and Iggy Pop, Creedmoria burst onto the screen at this year's OXIFF. Telling the story of Candy and her family in Queens, New York during the 1980s, Creedmoria ...
8 years ago
Creedmoria [TBC]
Great Train Robbery
Russell Bailey
On a strikingly bare stage (with minimal props and a solitary guitar at the back) Alice Higginson strolled out (in character) and approached the audience. Spying my friend's snazzy jumper she began ...
8 years ago
Great Train Robbery
Lady Macbeth [15]
Russell Bailey
Occasionally there is a film that has such confidence in what it is offering that it knocks the viewer for six. Such is Lady Macbeth, William Oldroyd's startling debut, adapted from Nikolai Leskov's ...
8 years ago
Lady Macbeth [15]
Bannister's
Russell Bailey
Oxford is home to a plethora of cafés that serve delicious brunchy goodness. Tucked away on Iffley Road is Bannister's Café, one such venue for tasty brunch.
Bannister's has a bright, ...
8 years ago
Bannister's
Analyse Thou
Russell Bailey
"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't." Hamlet
Across a triptych of scenes Ruff Trade Theatre explores, to comedic effect, various Shakespearean characters who have exhibited signs ...
8 years ago
Analyse Thou
Tamburlaine
Russell Bailey
Six actors surround a bare (bar a white wall backdrop) stage. A tour de force of drums announces the commencement of this historical epic and the audience is transported back to fourteenth-century ...
8 years ago
Tamburlaine
The Hypocrite
Russell Bailey
Watching a new Richard Bean play is always a treat worth undertaking. The writer, who previously produced such fabulous comedies as The Heretic, The Big Fellah, Harvest and the smash hit One Man, Two ...
8 years ago
The Hypocrite
Gary Younge Talks to Matthew Stadlen
Russell Bailey
Every day in America, the average number of children and teenagers aged 19 or under killed by guns is just under seven. Of those, three are black, three are white, one is Latino, and every third day ...
8 years ago
Gary Younge Talks to Matthew Stadlen
Volcanoes
Russell Bailey
"It was all terror, horror and sublimity, blackness, suffocating gases, scorching heat, crashings, surgings, detonations." Isabella Lucy Bird (nineteenth century English explorer)
Starting with ...
8 years ago
Volcanoes
La Strada
Russell Bailey
Adapting cinema for the stage is an undertaking often fraught with challenges. This is especially true when you are taking an Oscar-winning film from the director of 8½ and La Dolce Vita and turning ...
8 years ago
La Strada
Logan [15]
Russell Bailey
Back at the beginning of the X-Men series, Hugh Jackman was seen as an odd choice for the role of Wolverine: a fresh-faced musical theatre actor, spotted by the director in a stage version of ...
8 years ago
Logan [15]
The Diary of A Hounslow Girl
Russell Bailey
How does a teenager fit into a multicultural London and remain a good Muslim? Can the two identities ever meet or do their juxtapositions keep them apart? How can the generational gap, exasperated by ...
8 years ago
The Diary of A Hounslow Girl
Cinema Under the Stairs
Russell Bailey
Once a month Cinema under the Stairs take up residency at The Cellar as Oxford's underground cult cinema. Put together by six local cinephiles, the films chosen are all cult classics, firm favourites ...
8 years ago
Cinema Under the Stairs
Get Out [15]
Russell Bailey
Politically troubled times often breed fantastic horror in American cinema. The McCarthyism and red terror of the 50s was fed into Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the civil rights movement of the 60s ...
8 years ago
Get Out [15]
Hidden Figures [PG]
Russell Bailey
Now more then ever seems the perfect time for Hidden Figures. Not only is the film a celebration of the achievements of science, but it is a powerful story about the advancement of both women and ...
8 years ago
Hidden Figures [PG]
Craft Burger
Russell Bailey
"Hamburgers! The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast." Jules,
Pulp Fiction
How good is Craft Burger? So good that is worthy of shoehorning in a quote from the mighty
Pulp Fiction. An ...
8 years ago
Craft Burger
White Lies
Russell Bailey
On Saturday I entered the O2 Academy to the fabulous sound of Tears for Fears' 'Head Over Heels'. This seems an apt start for an evening of synth-infused indie pop, heavily influenced by the 80s ...
8 years ago
White Lies
20th Century Women [15]
Russell Bailey
Like a gentle Californian costal breeze, 20th Century Women washes over audiences, proving the perfect antidote for a British winter. Meandering through a slight story, 20th Century Women is the kind ...
8 years ago
20th Century Women [15]
Portabello Restaurant & Bar
Russell Bailey
Nestled in Summertown is Portabello restaurant, 'serving a range of British and Mediterranean-inspired dishes'. It seemed the perfect post-theatre lunch, particularly with the generous 25% discount ...
8 years ago
Portabello Restaurant & Bar
The Handmaiden [18]
Russell Bailey
Sometimes a film comes along with such bravado, such an overwhelming confidence that it washes away any doubt that you are watching a supremely good film. Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden is nothing ...
8 years ago
The Handmaiden [18]
The Lego Batman Movie [U]
Russell Bailey
Batman made his auspicious debut in 1939 on the pages of
Detective Comics, and from there he has "aged phenomenally". He has had many incarnations in cinema, from the high camp of Adam West, ...
8 years ago
The Lego Batman Movie [U]
WOW! Said the Owl
Russell Bailey
Nestled in Islington, the Little Angel Theatre is at the forefront of puppet theatre in the country. One of the remits it has is to produce adaptations of popular children's books, which they then ...
8 years ago
WOW! Said the Owl
Degas to Picasso: Creating Modernism in France
Russell Bailey
This Spring the Ashmolean brings over 100 works of art together to make the journey to Modernism on the French artistic scene. It's easy to forget, with the lavish statues and collections of ...
8 years ago
Degas to Picasso: Creating Modernism in France
Dying Light
Russell Bailey
"I'm not a stranger... You know my name. You even know my disease." Terminal illness, and in particular cancer, can make for a tough theatrical viewing experience. Many of us have direct experience ...
8 years ago
Dying Light
Loving [12A]
Russell Bailey
A staple of the Oscar season is cinema revisiting the past, often highlighting painful, obscure chapters. Covering not an entirely dissimilar topic to last year's A United Kingdom, Loving tells the ...
8 years ago
Loving [12A]
El Mexicana
Russell Bailey
Nestled amongst the cafes, shops and theatres around Gloucester Green is Mexican chain restaurant, El Mexicana. Think of it in the mould of Subway/Five Guys but replace the sandwiches/burgers for ...
8 years ago
El Mexicana
Free Fire [15]
Russell Bailey
Ben Wheatley is one of the more intriguing British directors to follow. After making a huge impact with his sophomore film, occult horror Kill List, he has given cinema his warped take on the rom-com ...
8 years ago
Free Fire [15]
Moana [PG]
Russell Bailey
Between 1989 & 1994, Disney released The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. These are big, bold musicals, painting on an epic scope, complete with instantly iconic ...
8 years ago
Moana [PG]
Silence [15]
Russell Bailey
The start of the year is always a time of rich cinematic treats as we enter award season. It brings powerful dramas (Manchester by the Sea), evocative musicals (La La Land), potent true stories ...
8 years ago
Silence [15]
Richard III
Russell Bailey
“England hath long been mad”. So utters Richmond in the final moments of Richard III and never has it felt more relevant. The figure at the centre of this play fits perfectly into today’s ...
6 years ago
Richard III
