3 h. ago Giving a review zero stars sets a dreadful precedent. But here are the one

A singularly horrendous TV show has crashed the star-rating review economy. But if zero stars is the new benchmark for critical rage, three films deserve the big 0 Kim Kardashian’s world-historically horrendous TV show All’s Fair has detonated a firestorm of critical horror which, as well as everything else, may have undermined the currency of the star-rating review economy. My colleague Lucy Mangan gave Kardashian’s show an all-but-unprecedented zero stars and zero stars are in fact very rare on this paper.Yet perhaps in the post-Kardashian world they will become more commonplace. I actually have the distinction of giving the first zero star review in the Guardian’s history — for Cuba Gooding’s terrible comedy Boat Trip back in 2002. But it’s weird. There have been worse films than that which didn’t get zeroed. Not many. But some. Continue reading...

Politics

10 h. ago Is Kim Kardashian’s legal drama All’s Fair really the worst TV show of all time?

Ryan Murphy’s glossy, star-packed new show has received some of the most shocking reviews we’ve seen for a long time, including many zero star takesIf you get a secret thrill from reading bad reviews, this week has basically been your Christmas. This is when the embargo dropped for Ryan Murphy’s new Kim Kardashian-starring Hulu legal drama All’s Fair, and hoo boy. Lucy Mangan’s zero-star extravaganza was a classic of the form, starting with the line “I did not know it was still possible to make television this bad,” and only getting more despairing from there.But then something incredible happened. More All’s Fair reviews started popping up, and they were just as scathing. Every last one of them, without exception, absolutely hated it. In his zero-star review, The Times’s Ben Dowell observed that the show felt like it had been written “by a toddler who couldn’t write ‘bum’ on a wall.” USA Today’s Kelly Lawler wrote: “It’s so stilted, artificial and awkward not even a glass of wine a...

Events

28 h. ago Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling audiobook review – an all

Cush Jumbo, Hugh Laurie and Matthew Macfadyen bring extra twinkle to Rowling’s magical taleIt has become tradition for Audible to bring out the big guns in the run-up to Christmas and deliver star-studded adaptations of well-known novels; the last few years have brought terrific productions of Dickens’s Oliver Twist, Bleak House and David Copperfield.Now attention has turned to younger listeners with a new, full-cast recording of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first of the Potter books in which the orphaned Harry, consigned to sleep in a cupboard in his aunt and uncle’s house, learns he is a wizard and is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Good Wife’s Cush Jumbo is our narrator, steering the story alongside a cast including Hugh Laurie as venerable wizard-in-chief Albus Dumbledore; Michelle Gomez as Professor McGonagall; Riz Ahmed as Professor Snape; Mark Addy as Hagrid; Matthew Macfadyen as Lord Voldemort; and newcomers Frankie Tre...

Politics

33 h. ago I travelled on the new Star Princess cruise and fell in love with its stellar design

On the latest offering from Princess Cruises, Marc Shoffman was dazzled by expansive panoramas and immersive performances

Politics

51 h. ago Predator: Badlands review – a pointless but unkillable franchise that has started to eat itself

The toothy villain is humanised and made sympathetic in this disappointing horror sci-fi – at which point it ceases to be the Predator There is disappointment in store for those hoping the Terrence Malick classic Badlands had been rebooted as a horror sci-fi, with Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek menaced by a great big space alien with a peculiar mouth. No: this is actually the umpteenth iteration of the Predator franchise, which has a roach-like unkillability itself, having started in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger facing an extraterrestrial creature rustling and snarling in the Central American jungle.Predator: Badlands is just about kept from flatlining by Elle Fanning’s effortless charm, though it shows what happens when the Predator in question must, in the service of narrative development, be humanised and made sympathetic and vulnerable and kinda nice? What happens is that it ceases to be the Predator, so something or someone else has inevitably to fill the Predator role. Conti...

Events

52 h. ago Benson Boone review: Star shows his incredible vocal range as he flies at O2

The Beautiful Things crooner blew the roof off The O2 Arena with a performance full of stunts, vocal tricks and banter - here's exactly what the Daily Star though

Politics

6 d. ago Labour struggles to contain fresh NHS strike threats as unions dismiss 2.5% pay rise... despite ministers warning taxpayers can't afford more

The government's evidence to the NHS pay review body has delivered a stark warning that any increase above that level next year could force cuts to services and staff.

Events

8 d. ago Skechers that are 'as comfy as slippers from first wear' get 44% discount on Amazon

Over 4,400 shoppers have left these Skechers a glowing five-star review on Amazon.

Politics

1 week ago NBA memo reveals league concerned about its integrity amid gambling allegations

Memo comes after arrests of two prominent figuresBetting has caused issues across US sportsThe NBA, in reaction to the arrests of Miami guard Terry Rozier and Portland coach Chauncey Billups last week for their alleged role in gambling schemes, has started a review of how the league can protect not just the integrity of the game but its players and coaches as well.The league made those revelations in a memo sent to all 30 teams, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Pressure piles on BBC to cut ties with Louis Theroux as British Airways ends support for his podcast over controversial interview with Bob Vylan singer

The BBC is under pressure to 'review one of its biggest stars' after British Airways pulled its support for Louis Theroux's podcast over platforming Bob Vylan 's lead singer.

Events

2 w. ago I Deliver Parcels in Beijing by Hu Anyan review – startling stories of China’s new precarity

The viral blog turned book details the exhausting life of a courier, but something may have been lost in translationFrom the early 2000s until the Covid lockdowns, Hu Anyan was one of China’s vast army of internal migrants, moving between cities in pursuit of work. He did 19 jobs – shop assistant, hotel waiter, petrol attendant and security guard, among other things – in six cities. Although all these jobs were atrociously paid, they still earned him more than the one he tried for two years in the middle of this period: writer. (An 8,000-word story earned him less than 300 yuan – about £30.) Then, during Covid, he wrote a blog about his night shifts in a logistics warehouse, and it went viral. The blog expanded and became I Deliver Parcels in Beijing, which has sold nearly 2m copies in China since being published in 2023, and now appears in Jack Hargreaves’s English translation.The low-paid Chinese worker is at the mercy of an entirely unrestrained market. The jobs Hu does dema...

Politics

2 w. ago 100 Nights of Hero review – Emma Corrin leads starry cast in a queer fable with a serious streak

London film festival: Gender, sexuality, status and power are all in flux in Julia Jackman’s playful medieval fairytale, adapted from Isabel Greenberg’s graphic novel, also starring Maika Monroe and Charli xcxJulia Jackman has followed Bonus Track with this queer fantasy-fable that has a streak of earnestness to go with the romantasy energy and gorgeous costumes from designer Susie Coulthard. It’s adapted by Jackman from Isabel Greenberg’s 2016 graphic novel of the same title, and inspired generally by Scheherazade and the One Thousand and One Nights – and also I think by Julie Dash, Peter Greenaway and maybe the theatricality of Agnès Varda’s One Hundred and One Nights. Emma Corrin and Maika Monroe star, with Nicholas Galitzine and Amir El-Masry in support; Charli xcx makes an appearance, and there’s also a tiny intriguing cameo for critic Sophie Monks Kaufman. It adds up to a likable movie, a little fey but unexpectedly subtle – although the meta-level of storytelling sometimes ha...

Politics

2 w. ago La Fille mal gardée at the Royal Ballet review: a real live pony on stage? Five stars!

This 1960s ballet from Frederick Ashton is endearingly bucolic

Politics

2 w. ago Wilfred Buck review – rewarding life of Indigenous American astronomer laid out in the stars

This hybrid documentary about the Cree astronomer offers evocative, poetic insight into a formidable community leaderFor Cree astronomer Wilfred Buck, the stars hold an immense power that extends beyond the realm of science. Coming from an Indigenous group whose stories have been systematically effaced by official narratives, he looks to these clustered dots of light as both historical document and spiritual manifestation. Echoing Buck’s holistic approach to astronomy, Lisa Jackson’s hybrid documentary draws from a wealth of eclectic visual styles, all woven into a stunning portrait of a formidable community elder.Someone always on the go, Buck is often seen behind the wheel, heading from one job to another. Speaking at academic conferences and workshops, and leading lectures and presentations for young students, he not only makes astronomy accessible but also builds lasting connections between different generations. This sense of togetherness is especially touching considering Buck...

Events

3 w. ago Starmer orders review of antisemitism in NHS as part of wider crackdown

The Prime Minister said the review would be led by the Government’s independent adviser on antisemitism Lord John Mann.

Politics

3 w. ago Nissan Leaf third generation: We review new version of the first mass

The Nissan Leaf started EV uptake. But it got left behind - until now that is. It's back for a third-generation and we test drove it on its launch to find out if its back to being a leading EV.

Politics

3 w. ago Jade review – pop’s quirkiest star transcends manufactured past

Brighton Centre Fans sing along to debut album at synth-laden show that showcases former Little Mix singer’s appealing, unvarnished and at times deeply odd schtickHarry Styles aside, the solo careers of former members of TV talent show-manufactured bands seldom grip the public imagination. They usually follow certain rules – either an attempt at a toughened-up R&B sound, replete with at least one single featuring a guest appearance by an American rapper, or a lunge towards “grownup” Radio 2-friendly smooth pop-rock territory – and they usually amount to a dimly remembered placeholder, the sight and sound of someone gamely killing time in the years before the inevitable reunion tour.It’s a state of affairs that makes the idiosyncratic path thus far followed by Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall oddly invigorating. She’s certainly not above doing the kind of things that former talent show band members are wont to do, among them loudly underlining that she’s no longer subject to the media...

Politics

3 w. ago Roy Keane turned the air blue in scathing review of England star and he got it so wrong

Manchester United legend Roy Keane came for the head of one England player on international duty as some fans speculate whether a change of guard is on the cards

Politics

3 w. ago Robbie Williams review – tiny Camden gig offers blinding star wattage – and a surprising new song about Morrissey

Dingwalls, LondonPreviewing new album Britpop to an audience of 600, the star promises ‘no stadium bravado’ and delivers droll new songs alongside stripped-back oldiesWhat do you do if you’re a superstar who has pulled well over a million people to a stadium tour? If you’re as contrary as Robbie Williams, you play a gig in a shoebox. This late-night show at the 600-capacity Dingwalls, the smallest venue of his career to date, is a rum event. It was originally a launch evening for a new album, Britpop, now postponed to February. Williams makes no bones about why. “It’s because of Taylor Swift,” he admits, in a week where her new album The Life of a Showgirl is outselling the rest of the UK Top 20 put together. “I could pretend it’s not, but it is. It’s selfish. I want a 16th No 1 album.”Bounding on stage just as the pubs are closing, a grinning Williams clearly relishes the intimate environment. “I’m not doing all that stadium bravado and pointing,” he vows, launching into a full, st...

Politics

3 w. ago John Candy: I Like Me review – starry but treacly tribute to comedy legend

The much loved actor has no shortage of celebrity fans, but this documentary avoids his more complex traits in favour of his sweet-natured on-screen personaHere is a film containing some heartfelt but often quite treacly and solemn obsequies to the late John Candy, almost as if he died a few days ago, with stirring, sad music running almost all the way through. There’s an amazing lineup of collaborators and stars, and it’s good to see Candy’s uniquely likable and buoyant screen personality, but the tone borders on the stultifyingly reverential.Candy was the much loved Canadian actor and comic who was a star graduate of Toronto’s Second City comedy troupe and its small screen offshoot SCTV; he was a contemporary of Dan Aykroyd, Catherine O’Hara and Bill Murray, and went on to star in movies such as Stripes, Uncle Buck and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. His death in 1994 at 43 was due to a heart attack caused by his weight issues, and drinking and smoking (though the movie rather pri...

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