Liz Overs: Nightjar review – a shimmering debut rich in folklore
Folk's connection to the mythic and magical traditions of our isles has been in the ascendant for several years, spurred on by cinematic 'folk horror' and the lingering influence of The Wicker Man. This debut from singer Liz Overs is thick with pagan references – unsurprising given that shehas hosted a monthly radio show devoted to Sussex folklore, and has for years sung with local group Chalk Horse Music.
Opening track Prayer to the Year salutes the winter solstice; the final song reveres a little-seen nightbird. Overs sings in a small, bright voice given heft by occasional double-tracking and by classy accompaniments from Neill MacColl (guitars) and Ben Nicholls (bass, banjo) among others. Between them and Overs's sprightly autoharp they create a hushed atmosphere laden with mystery, whether Overs is hymning lunar cycles on Snow Moon or coaxing elementals on Fairy Charm, while voices whisper and shimmer in the undergrowth.
To counter such mysteries come a clutch of traditional numbers: Cruel Sister and Bramble Briar are a pair of especially bloody murder ballads while Bad Girl laments a 'fallen woman' hovering at death's door ''all dressed in white linen'. A cunningly executed tribute to Albion Dreamtime.
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Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Nicolas Cage's 'meme-worthy' moment in new movie was inspired by classic film
Nicolas Cage stars in Lorcan Finnegan's new thriller The Surfer, which sees the Hollywood icon spiral into madness In his latest outing, The Surfer, directed by Lorcan Finnegan, Nicolas Cage revisits the offbeat, manic energy he's renowned for, plunging into a sun-drenched abyss of insanity. Cage plays a nameless surfer who travels back to his hometown in Australia with the intention of repurchasing his childhood residence. However, his plans are foiled when he and his son (played by Finn Little) are met with aggression by a clique of hostile locals at the beach, spearheaded by the captivating yet confrontational Scally (Julian McMahon). This unwarranted hostility relentlessly chips away at Cage's character's sanity. As the surfer's mental state continues to deteriorate, his desperation reaches new depths when he resorts to scavenging for food and entertains the notion of feasting on the dead body of a rat he had encountered before. Director Lorcan Finnegan shared an insider's perspective with Express Online, recalling the details of the scene: "We had two rats, one that had a mechanical part to bite him and another one that was soft for whacking against the card", reports the Express. "So he threw that away and he's supposed to find it the next day and think about taking a bit out of it. He picked it up and that's as far as it was in the script." Cage's penchant for injecting a bit of the unconventional into his characters ensures that each portrayal is nothing less than fascinating. Movie buffs and Cage aficionados, prepare for a scene set to join the ranks of the iconic 'Not the bees!' moment from The Wicker Man. In this moment, the surfer pockets a rat, turning it into an impromptu tool against Pitbull (Alexander Bertrand), one of Scally's henchmen. Director Finnegan revealed: "But then Nic put it in his pocket and he wasn't really sure why yet, but he was kind of formulating an idea. "The art department wanted the rat back, they were like, 'We need to keep that, we only have one', and he's like, 'No, no, I need to keep it in my pocket'." As it turns out, the wacky fight sequence was a brainchild of Cage himself, taking inspiration from a film icon in a classic flick from the '50s. Finnegan continued, explaining Cage's inspiration: "Then, I think it was the next day, he was telling me he had this idea that's related to Sabrina, the Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart movie. "There's a scene where Humphrey Bogart takes an olive out the jar and puts it into another guy's mouth and says 'Eat it!' "He'd rewatched that film just before coming to Australia and thought it was just hilarious, so he had this weird connection and wanted to take the rat and shove it into Pitbull's mouth during the fight and say 'Eat it!' So that was another bit of Cage magic. "I think there are little lines he'll give the film if he loves the process of it because he feels like it needs a little bit of something." Film enthusiasts can celebrate as Sabrina is now available for streaming on both NOW and Paramount+, offering an opportunity to delve into the roots of Nicolas Cage's most recent bout of inspired madness.
Metro
09-05-2025
- Metro
Nicolas Cage's instantly iconic 'deranged' moment in new film was all his idea
Nicolas Cage has revealed that he is personally responsible for a glorious new entry in his enviable quote canon from new film The Surfer. The Oscar-winner, 61, has long built a reputation for his unique delivery when it comes to lines and how he interprets them. Combined with his capacity to play intense characters who often flip out in movies like Vampire's Kiss, The Wicker Man and Colour Out Of Space, and it's no secret that Cage is a popular meme and star of many 'losing his s**t' YouTube montages. But this latest line might just be the best – so it's no surprise it came from his own mind and a slightly unusual Hollywood inspiration. In The Surfer, Cage's character is bitten by a rat, which he quickly kills by smacking it against a car door. Later, when he's so hungry he can't see straight, he finds the dead rat and bites into it. After being interrupted he pockets the rat to use later, which comes during a fight when he truly snaps – resulting in his character pulling the rat from his pocket and shoving it into his opponent's mouth. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'Eat the rat!', he exclaims wildly – and thus another iconic Cageism is born, joining his collection of iconic quotes. In a new interview with The Guardian, Cage confirmed that it was him who wanted to say 'Eat the rat!' before being inspired by the quality of the rubber prop to go one step further. 'I had gotten the idea from an old Billy Wilder movie called Sabrina, where Humphrey Bogart takes an olive out of a martini glass, puts it in his uncle's mouth and says: 'Eat it'. 'I couldn't stop laughing when I saw that moment. When I saw the prop rat, I said, 'I'll put it in my pocket,' because I liked the way the rubber tail was moving,' he explained, adding that he found it 'amusing' and felt he could 'use' it in some way. Cage decided to 'channel it in more of a punk rock way than Bogart did with the olive, by shoving the rat in Pitbull's [Alexander Bertrand] mouth'. He continued: 'It was a cathartic moment. By that point in the movie, I thought my character has gone through enough suffering and that he's earned the right to go big and shove a rat in the guy's mouth.' In the film, Cage plays a man who returns to his beach side hometown in Australia, only to be humiliated in front of his teenage son (Finn Little) by a local group of surfers who claim ownership over the secluded beach of his childhood. This territorial behaviour slowly starts to drive Cage's character crazy as he contends with what is basically a cult of gangster surfers. Without giving too much away, it's a gradual journey that builds up to the Longlegs star barefoot, covered in bird poo and hallucinating thanks to severe dehydration. And he really wants his surfboard back. The star himself has previously shared his understanding of fans catching onto this one, as he whipped the audience at Cannes up into a frenzy by roaring 'Mangez le rat!' (his meme-worthy line, translated) during the film's six-minute standing ovation when it premiered last May. 'Eat the rat!' is destined to become the battle cry of discerning Midnight moviegoers & drive-in denizens, once they get a gander at Nic Cage's latest gonzo turn,' predicted Toronto Star movie critic Peter Howell on X after seeing it a Cannes. 'A sunburnt miragic descent into madness and male ego' with 'reliable crazy man Nicolas Cage' @The13Ben then praised from the BFI London Film Festival screening, while @AlecSaracen described it as a 'deranged in-your-face nightmare comedy'. 'Only Nic Cage could bring the unhinged energy and dedication needed for The Surfer to work,' added @KatieMayBone. When the footage of Cage's reaction from Cannes was posted online by Variety's London Bureau Chief Alex Ritman, fans were into it with @pamela_lpz_ replying: 'Oh we are so back!!!' More Trending 'He's the only actor ever actually,' added @m_midniter. The Surfer, directed by Lorcan Finnegan, also stars Julian McMahon and Nicholas Cassim. The Surfer is in UK cinemas from today. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Netflix viewers rediscover 00s sci-fi thriller with 'unexpected' twist as it climbs the charts MORE: It's Gary Oldman's 'alcoholic era' but he isn't tempted to even take a sip
Daily Record
08-05-2025
- Daily Record
Cast and crew of The Wicker Man join fans at Dumfries and Galloway filming locations
Actress Lesley Mackie, associate director of music Gary Carpenter and musician Matt Deighton joined Mostly Ghostly at Anwoth Old Kirk. Cast and crew of The Wicker Man joined fans for a special tour of some of the cult classic's filming locations on Saturday. Mostly Ghostly held a tour of Anwoth Old Kirk and graveyard, which was used for some of the scenes in the original 1973 production. And guests of honour were actress Lesley Mackie, who played Daisy in the original film, associate director of music Gary Carpenter and musician Matt Deighton. The event was part of a special weekend of celebrations to mark the debut screening of a new documentary about the film. Fergal O'Riordan – who was also at Anwoth on Saturday – gave Return to Summerisle – Something About Sacrifice – its premiere at Newton Stewart Cinema on Saturday night. Despite being released more than half a century ago, the film – which starred Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland and Christopher Lee – still generates interest, as proven by the number of people who visited Dumfries and Galloway over the weekend. Many scenes were filmed around the region – including the film's finale, the burning of a giant wicker man. And that was recreated on Sunday night, when a 25 foot high wicker woman – created by Girvan-based willow artist David T Powell – was burned on the cliffs at Burrowhead Holiday Park, where the original sculpture was burned in the movie. There was also a Wicker Man evening, an after party following the documentary's debut screening and the release of a new beer brewed for the occasion by Isle of Whithorn's Five KingdomsBrewery.
