Latest news with #Malcolm
Scotsman
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
The Man on the Endless Stair by Chris Barkley review: 'an ambitious first novel'
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... This is a first novel, and an ambitious one. This means that one should treat it carefully, indeed gently, neither hailing it as a masterpiece (which very few novels are) or condemning it as pretentious and confused. In truth, it's a mixture, now compelling, now irritating. Chris Barkley The publishers describe it as 'Agatha Christie meets Italo Calvino' – certainly an attractive idea. Still, the detective side of the novel lacks Christie's ruthless morality, while the Calvino side doesn't quite achieve the Italian novelist's ability to make the fantastical appear as natural as our home town. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, the somewhat extravagant comparison does say something about the novel. It is set on a Scottish island, murders take place while there is no communication with the mainland, and there is fantasy presented as realism. The novel is set a few years after the end of the Second World War. Euan, a veteran of the Normandy Campaign and now an aspiring Scottish novelist, has caught the attention of Malcolm Furnivall, a successful author of highbrow crime novels. (They sound like the sort of thing that CS Lewis's friend Charles Williams used to write.) Euan has written an article about Malcolm in Cyril Connolly's magazine, Horizon. All this is excellent fooling and agreeably done, even if Malcolm is an absurd and unconvincing character. The same may be said of his island, where he has built a mansion, already falling into disrepair; his books are written in a 'writing shed' in the grounds. Fair enough, though the shed with its tunnels in the basement is not very convincing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Malcolm, finding his powers failing, drenched in whisky too, is seemingly stuck on what should be the final volume of what sounds like a sadly pretentious sequence, and so he invites Euan to the island, where he will be, as it were, consecrated as his heir. Malcolm has a son and daughter, also a wife and various hangers-on, all of whom may resent Euan. But Malcolm makes it clear that Euan is to be entrusted with the work of completing his last manuscript. This is not a popular decision. Then Malcolm is shot and – the Christie touch – the telephone line to the mainland goes dead. Moreover, the manuscript cannot be found. Euan has to search for it and try to solve the murder. He sets about it energetically, if not all that intelligently. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad So The Man on the Endless Stair becomes a quest novel, as Euan tries to find a way through the maze. His method is not the best: he throws out accusations without evidence. Well, he is of course confused, and his own mind is as disturbed as Malcolm's for he is obsessed with a sister who vanished years ago. Still, even if his quest teeters at times on the brink of absurdity, as other characters disappear and his own life is threatened, it's all entertaining enough. Sometimes Barkley writes very well, sometimes badly; he has the tiresome habit, one even school teachers warn their pupils against, of saying 'I decided to do etc'. Don't say decide, one tells pupils, just do it. The plot is extravagant, conversations often absurd, and yet one keeps reading and doing so with pleasure. Barkley has imagination and talent, and one has to remember this is only his first novel. It's confused and confusing at times, but he is richly talented and, with self-discipline, will write better.
Tom's Guide
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
HBO Max just got a live sports upgrade for every tier — here's what's coming
HBO Max is giving us another reason to keep it our top pick for the best streaming service out there — Banana Ball. Yes, the baseball sensation that's sweeping the nation is coming to HBO Max. Starting with The Savannah Bananas vs. The Firefighters at Rate Field in Chicago (home of the White Sox) on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 8 p.m. ET, you'll be able to watch Banana Ball live on TruTV and HBO Max. For those of you who've heard of the Bananas, you already know this is awesome news. The one-time collegiate summer league baseball team has transformed into the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball, ditching traditional baseball for fast-paced, two-hour games featuring everything from dancing grandmas (the "Banana Nanas") to iconic 2000s pop-punk band The All-American Rejects performing an impromptu concert during a game. As someone lucky enough to attend a game in person, I promise you that the hype around this sports sensation is earned. My wife does not like baseball in the slightest, and she had a blast, as this live sporting event is easily as much about the entertainment as it is about the baseball, if not more. And when I say "lucky," I mean it. These games sell out fast, so watching on TruTV or HBO Max might be the best chance you have at seeing what all the fuss is about. Unlike with most live sports, everyone will get access to these Savannah Bananas live broadcasts. Back in February, HBO Max announced that its Bleacher Report Sports add-on, which gives subscribers access to live sports streaming, would become free for most users. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. HBO Max gives you tons of hit shows and movies, from HBO Originals to A24 movies and more. But there was a catch: only Standard and Premium subscribers got this free perk. If you had the Basic with Ads plan, you wouldn't get it, including those who get HBO Max through the Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle With Ads Plan. Not this time, though. All 19 Banana Ball games on truTV will be free to all HBO Max subscribers, including those on the ad-supported plan. So tune in on Aug. 16 and get ready to go Bananas. If you don't have HBO Max, don't worry. As these games are on TruTV, you can also get them through most of the best live TV streaming services. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
AC/DC fans are only just realising unlikely inspiration behind band's name after 51 years
AC/DC fans are only just figuring out where the rock legends got their name ahead of a sole UK appearance from the Back in Black rockers, whose name comes from an unlikely machine An unlikely inspiration led to the naming of rock legends AC/DC. Fans are only just figuring out the origins of the group's name, 51 years on from their founding. The hitmakers behind Thunderstruck and Back in Black are still touring as of 2025, with a sold out show at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh set for this year. But listeners are only just figuring out the strange origins of the band's name, and are delighted to hear of the oddity. A post to the r/ACDC Reddit page had fans share the origin story, with some truly impressed by where the band picked up their name. A post to the subreddit reads: "What was the reason for AC/DC 's name? I always though it was something that had to do with maths or geometry." Neither is true for AC/DC, with fans correcting the listener. One user shared: "Alternate Current/ Direct Current, something to do with electricity, apparently Angus and Malcolm's older sister would make the bands stage clothes in the early days and they saw it on her sewing machine." Malcolm Young, who passed away in 2017, and his brother Angus, who is now 70, are the founding members of the iconic rock band. Another fan added some extra detail on the "simple suggestion" which made for the "greatest, most catchy name a rock band can have." They wrote: "Wasn't it that their sister came up with the name after seeing it on her sewing machine. "Quite funny how Angus and Malcolm were struggling to come up with a catchy name and then their sister comes up with a simple suggestion, yet it's the greatest, most catchy name a rock band can have." AC/DC has since confirmed the origins of their name. Dave Evans, who as part of the line-up from their formation in 1973 and was replaced by Bon Scott in 1974, explained the story to Podpokas: "When we all arrived together, Malcolm Young said to us, 'Look, my sister-in-law' [wife of his older brother, George] has suggested a name… AC/DC'. And I thought it's an easy name to remember and it was on the side of a lot of electrical appliances. "AC/DC means alternate current and direct current [and] a lot of appliances were AC/DC. I thought: 'Free advertising… free advertising on the side of all these appliances, and it's easy to say, and it means power.' It all went through my head very quickly. And I said yes." Critics have since praised the AC/DC name, which also features a lightning bolt after the first two letters. Gerard Huerta would design the logo for the band, which first appeared on Let There Be Rock. Adam Behr added: "[its] type font conveyed the sense of electricity implicit in their name." The Australian band has been touring since the 1970s, and are set to perform later this year at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. Fans were left livid during ticket sales for the now sold out show, which is the group's only UK date this year. One fumed: "Here you are in line for AC/DC at Ullevi. 22316 before at 10.00 "When you got down to 4911 you were kicked out and had to start over with 23000 before. What the hell kind of f**king system do you have? You can shut down your f**king business because you never learn. Hell, sitting in a 30-minute queue and getting kicked out. Yes, I'm so pi**ed off. #Ticketmaster."
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
AC/DC fans are only just realising true meaning of band's name after 51 years
Australian rock band AC/DC have been touring since the 1970s, with the group's name a hot topic of conversation amongst fans who are just realising the origins of the rock outfit's name An unexpected source of inspiration sparked the naming of rock legends AC/DC. Fans are only now discovering the origins of the group's moniker, five decades after their formation. The masterminds behind Thunderstruck and Back in Black continue performing into 2025, with a completely sold-out gig at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium scheduled for this year. However, listeners are just now uncovering the peculiar backstory of the band's title, and are thrilled to learn about this curiosity. A submission to the r/ACDC Reddit page prompted supporters to share the origin tale, with some genuinely amazed by how the band acquired their now legendary name. A message to the subreddit reads: "What was the reason for AC/DC's name? I always though it was something that had to do with maths or geometry." Neither assumption holds true for AC/DC, with fans setting the record straight. One user shared: "Alternate Current/ Direct Current, something to do with electricity, apparently Angus and Malcolm's older sister would make the bands stage clothes in the early days and they saw it on her sewing machine." Malcolm Young, who died in 2017, and his sibling Angus, now 70, established the legendary rock band. Another enthusiast provided additional insight into the "simple suggestion" which created the "greatest, most catchy name a rock band can have." They penned: "Wasn't it that their sister came up with the name after seeing it on her sewing machine. "Quite funny how Angus and Malcolm were struggling to come up with a catchy name and then their sister comes up with a simple suggestion, yet it's the greatest, most catchy name a rock band can have." AC/DC have since verified where their moniker originated from. Dave Evans, who featured in the original line-up from their formation in 1973 before being succeeded by Bon Scott in 1974, revealed the tale to Podpokas: "When we all arrived together, Malcolm Young said to us, 'Look, my sister-in-law' [wife of his older brother, George] has suggested a name... AC/DC'. And I thought it's an easy name to remember and it was on the side of a lot of electrical appliances. "AC/DC means alternate current and direct current [and] a lot of appliances were AC/DC. I thought: 'Free advertising... free advertising on the side of all these appliances, and it's easy to say, and it means power.' It all went through my head very quickly. And I said yes." Music experts have subsequently celebrated the AC/DC moniker, which also boasts a lightning bolt following the opening two letters. Gerard Huerta would craft the emblem for the group, which initially emerged on Let There Be Rock. Adam Behr noted: "[its] type font conveyed the sense of electricity implicit in their name." The Aussie rockers have been performing since the 1970s, and are scheduled to take the stage later this year at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. Fans were left absolutely furious during ticket sales for the now sold-out gig, which marks the band's sole UK performance this year. One raged: "Here you are in line for AC/DC at Ullevi. 22316 before at 10.00". "When you got down to 4911 you were kicked out and had to start over with 23000 before. What the hell kind of f**king system do you have? You can shut down your f**king business because you never learn. Hell, sitting in a 30-minute queue and getting kicked out. Yes, I'm so pi**ed off. #Ticketmaster."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Doctor who tried to rescue Malcolm-Jamal Warner breaks silence
The doctor who tried to save the late Malcolm-Jamal Warner from 'rough' waters in Costa Rica last weekend has broken their silence. The 'Cosby Show' star, 54, died by drowning last Sunday after he and his 8-year-old daughter got caught in a riptide, the latter of whom was rescued by a bystander. His death was ruled accidental and the cause was confirmed as asphyxiation by submersion. 'There were very few people on the beach, and the sea was rough,' the vacationing doctor, who requested to remain anonymous, told Us Weekly, adding they were about 660 feet (200 meters) away at the time they heard people crying for help. 'I ran to the area and entered the sea with my surfboard, heading into the rip current toward the person being pointed at by some beachgoers. After a few minutes, I saw a shadow, dove down and pulled the person out.' He spotted another good Samaritan, who'd tried to assist 'without any rescue equipment,' lying on the shore and trying to breathe. 'Immediately, [first responders] began providing first aid to Malcolm, but he had no vital signs,' said the doctor. 'Two tourists ran over to help. They identified themselves as doctors, making a total of three physicians at the scene.' A defibrillator was among the resuscitation efforts employed to save the beloved actor, to no avail. 'The people who take part in this kind of rescue are always deeply affected,' said the doctor. 'You have to understand it's not easy, and it also takes time to heal.' The Caribbean Guard previously confirmed that at the time of Warner's death, no lifeguard was on duty at Playa Grande, 'one of our most challenging beaches.' 'It's a beach known by local surfers and there are signs (in English and Spanish) that warn of the danger of death by drowning,' continued the statement.
