Netflix movie hits 164 million views as top films of 2025 so far are revealed
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
17 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 review
Sometime in the 1980s, Anthony Braxton left this 3am announcement on his record producer's answerphone: 'Leo Feigin, I'm telling you, our children will be dancing to my music! Bye bye.' At that moment, the awesomely virtuosic and intellectually formidable multi-reeds improviser and composer had probably heard one too many carps from traditionalists that his ideas were too cerebral and unswinging for jazz. Now 80, Braxton's cross-genre visions have since fascinated jazz bands, symphony orchestras, opera and experimental modern-dance companies, and the influential imaginations of younger admirers including John Zorn and Mary Halvorson. Feigin's Leo Records label, and Switzerland's Intakt, have kept the immense resource of his influence simmering for years. Now the enterprising Burning Ambulance Music (which has also brought much of the now-retired Feigin's invaluable Leo Records catalogue to Bandcamp) releases Quartet (England) 1985, catching the sound of one of Braxton's most skilfully intuitive groups on that year's UK tour. Salvaged by state-of-the-art tech methods from former Wire magazine writer and Braxton chronicler Graham Lock's original lo-fi cassette recordings, the set celebrates Braxton's conviction that triggering loose improv through tightly challenging compositions can mirror the everyday flux of living. On the Sheffield gig, Braxton's alto sax (the constructions of Charlie Parker, Warne Marsh, John Coltrane and many more fly by) over jostling four-note patterns takes off into flying avant-bebop. Leicester's show similarly launches on stop-start bop-reminiscent figures that stretch into free-collective passages powered by bassist Mark Dresser's pizzicato and bowing skills, drummer Gerry Hemingway's muscularity and mercurial pianist Marilyn Crispell's cauldron of delicacy and Cecil Taylor-esque intensity. The Bristol takes emphasise that the audio quality of quieter subgroups survives better than the band's full-on jams, but the brief soundchecks on standard songs are enchanting, and Lock's notes on Braxton's methods are essential reading. Pianist Fred Hersch (an early teacher of Brad Mehldau) has long been one of jazz's undercover maestros. Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans are his guides, but almost everything he plays sounds fresh. The Surrounding Green (ECM) shares originals and covers with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Joey Baron – including a spirited account of Ornette Coleman's Law Years and pieces by Egberto Gismonti, Charlie Haden and the Gershwins. Shifa (Discus Music) joins the quirky and inquisitive UK tenor saxophonist Rachel Musson with eclectic pianist Pat Thomas and free-jazz drummer Mark Sanders on a straight-through improv set showcasing Musson's free-blowing ensemble power and spacious lyricism. And French-Martinican pianist Tony Tixier's Poems Never End (Whirlwind) takes a seductively global-jazz slant on a hip original repertoire plus Work by Monk, in which his sharp trio is augmented by saxophonists Seamus Blake and Logan Richardson, plus a guest appearance from Miles Davis percussion legend Mino Cinélu.
Time Out
20 minutes ago
- Time Out
The Shortmarket Club finds a bold new home at The Greenhouse
The Greenhouse, already known for its stylish supper club vibe, has just upped the ante. One of Cape Town's most iconic restaurants, The Shortmarket Club, has officially taken up residence at this immersive dining destination, and Joburg foodies are in for a treat. This high-profile culinary collaboration merges the signature flair of The Shortmarket Club with The Greenhouse's high-energy setting, marking a fresh chapter for fine dining in Johannesburg. Think elevated eats, seductive cocktails, and a lively atmosphere where dinner effortlessly melts into late-night dancing. Behind the new menu is Chef Siya Mlaba, whose culinary artistry takes diners on a flavour-filled journey through Mediterranean, French, and Asian influences. Whether you're craving flame-grilled lamb chops, creamy chicken pasta, or a bold 950g T-bone steak with peppercorn sauce, each dish balances luxury with approachability. Seafood lovers are also well looked after, with prawns in bisque and buttery truffle risotto making a strong case for indulgence. Start your night with vibrant small plates like seared sesame-crusted tuna, burrata with basil pesto, and crispy halloumi drizzled with hot honey. Vegetarians can dive into grilled cauliflower or a roasted pepper hummus platter, while dessert fans should save space for the blueberry crème brûlée or the decadent chocolate fondant. Of course, no visit is complete without sipping on one of The Greenhouse's signature cocktails, from the Watermelon Fix to the Berry Deluxe, Daytime Dreaming and the Henny Pot; these drinks bring as much personality as the venue itself. Open Thursday to Saturday from 4 pm until late, The Greenhouse is now the go-to for sundowners, date nights, and high-energy evenings. Please note: it's strictly no under-21s for ladies and no under-23s for guys. Created by the trio behind Johannesburg's most buzzworthy venues, and with new concept Ocaso (a Mexican collab with Corona), this team continues to reshape the local dining scene, one unforgettable night at a time.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Keeley Hawes is a perimenopausal James Bond in The Assassin
The Assassin (Netflix) is Mamma Mia! with a sniper rifle, and it's a treat. Keeley Hawes is in the Meryl Streep role, wearing dungarees on a picturesque Greek island. Her son comes to visit, wanting to know the truth about his father. But they don't get very far into that conversation, because she's a retired hit-woman and things are about to get very bloody. How bloody? Well, the credits include a 'blood specialist'. But there's nothing too grim here. It's a tongue-in-cheek action caper. The tone is reminiscent of Black Doves, the Netflix hit starring Keira Knightley as a gun-toting spy, although a key aspect of Black Doves was the unlikeliness of Knightley as an assassin; by contrast, middle-aged women everywhere will quickly buy into the idea of Hawes capably dispatching victims in between taking her HRT tablets and getting exasperated with her lily-livered son. 'Is that why you only eat mushrooms now? Are you in Extinction Rebellion?' she snorts, when Edward (former child star Freddie Highmore) expresses concern for the environment. Her character, Julie, is referred to in the script as a 'perimenopausal James Bond'. At one point, she murders somebody with a cheese fork. While Julie is forced to flee the island and go on the run with Edward and a handsome village shopkeeper (Gerald Kyd), there are various subplots going on. Billionaire's children Kayla and Ezra (Shalom Brune-Franklin and Devon Terrell) are holidaying on the family super-yacht off the Greek coast and get drawn into the action. In a Libyan prison, a terrified IT specialist (David Dencik) is wondering how he's going to survive in a cell full of homicidal heavies. The series is written by brothers Harry and Jack Williams, who can do serious (Baptiste, The Missing) and silly (The Widow, in which Kate Beckinsale battled through the Congolese jungle for several weeks while her vest remained Persil-white). They also made The Tourist, and The Assassin has the same deadpan humour and sense of the absurd. Highmore is great as the nervy Edward, coming to terms with the bombshell news that when his mum used to tell him she was a 'headhunter', she didn't mean in recruitment. Terrell is also very funny as the dumb billionaire offspring. Summer is usually a dead time for TV, so The Assassin is very welcome. Admittedly, the pace slackens after the first two episodes and it becomes a little less satisfying as the novelty wears off. There are also a couple of logical inconsistencies: why would a professional hitman waste dozens of bullets cutting down bystanders instead of concentrating on their target? Don't think too hard about it. Just enjoy the ride. And beware an angry woman with a cheese fork.
