Latest news with #TheOutsider
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Book Review: Quirky private eye tracks a couple more killers in Stephen King's 'Never Flinch'
Stephen King's favorite private investigator returns in 'Never Flinch,' the sixth novel by King featuring Holly Gibney, who readers first met in the Bill Hodges trilogy ('Mr. Mercedes,' 'Finders Keepers,' 'End of Watch') and who then helped solved the murders at the heart of 'The Outsider' and 'Holly.' In 'Never Flinch,' Holly cracks two more cases, one as the lead security escort for a polarizing author touring the nation to talk about women's reproductive freedom, and the other back home in Ohio, as a serial killer preys on jurors following a miscarriage of justice.
RTÉ News
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
The Murder Capital: life on the road with Ireland's most ferocious band
The Murder Capital are back in Ireland to play the Iveagh Gardens this July. We caught up with front man James McGovern as the band take their blistering live show around Europe If it's Tuesday, it must be Zurich. James McGovern, the brooding front man of The Murder Capital, is somewhere in the Swiss city, psyching himself up to unleash his band's primal post-punk onto another audience on another night of their seemingly never-ending tour. Following shows in Australia in April, the road hardened Irish five-piece are deep into their latest foray around Europe. After their Dublin gig at Iveagh Gardens in Dublin on 19 July, they embark on UK and US dates, which will take them up to October on their campaign of world domination by stealth. 27-year-old McGovern has the demeanour of a man constantly on the move with barely time to take it all in. Originally from Cork via Dublin, the deep thinking and articulate singer now lives in London but these days, he spends most his life on the road. He is talking today to plug that Iveagh Gardens gig and it's a place very close to his heart. In fact, he used to live around the corner from the Dublin city centre park, which has hosted some memorable gigs over the past decade, including The The, Burt Bacharach, Pixies and Richard Hawley. "Yes, and my dad still does," he says. "I feel a big connection with the Iveagh Gardens. Having started my life off in Dublin, I went to school in Cork but both are my home. "Iveagh Gardens was always one that was in our sights to play. It has such an unbelievably atmosphere for shows and for an outdoor show in particular, it always captures big energy. It really feels electric there and I couldn't be more buzzing for this show." Like their mates Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital really are gigging relentlessly. But what is life like on the road for Ireland's most riveting live act? Is it a tale of late night excess or bed at 10pm with a battered copy of The Outsider by Camus? McGovern smiles wryly and says, "I play a lot of pool, I play a lot of pool . . . " The Murder Capital have earned their reputation as one of the most ferocious live acts in the world. They're a band who hammer mere rock `n' roll angst into something far more elemental and meaningful and all eyes are on McGovern, an electrifying and menacing stage presence who looks like he's having an out of body experience when he performs. "No matter how you're feeling you have to find a way to connect with the audience," he says. "It is about the show for us. Because of the nature of our band, I always feel very connected to the songs, very connected to what the music is about and what it is we're trying to express." McGovern and his band mates - Damien Tuit (guitars/sampler), Cathal Roper (guitars/keys), Gabriel Paschal Blake (bass) and Diarmuid Brennan (drums) - first shot out of the traps in 2019 with their critically acclaimed debut album When I Have Fears, followed by 2023's enigmatically titled Gigi's Recovery (a No.1 album in Ireland). Last February, they released Blindness, their starkly atonal, urgent and expressive third album. Recorded in just three weeks in LA, it is a raw departure from the almost poppy Gigi's Recovery and finds The Murder Capital in ambitious form with a lot to say. "On every album we've made, we've always wanted to evolve and not repeat ourselves," McGovern says. "That's a natural state for us. For this album we wanted to understand what first lit the fire under us. We also wanted to make an album that excited us and made room for unpredictability on stage. "We didn't want to overthink anything. We recorded it quicker and we were a bit less harsh on ourselves. It is easy to be cruel to the songs as you're recording. We had to let them be what they are." Two songs from Blindness have become talking points in the past few months - Born Into the Fight, a bloodletting maelstrom about Catholic education, and Love of Country, a blunt rejection of the warped nationalism that reared its ugly head over the past few years in Ireland. Last December, The Murder Capital announced a special 7" vinyl edition of the song, with all proceeds going to Medical Aid For Palestinians as the war in Gaza rages on amid an increasingly loud chorus of international condemnation. In fact, just a few days after I speak to McGovern, The Murder Capital are in the news after their show in Berlin's Gretchen club was cancelled after the venue refused to allow a Palestinian flag on stage, just weeks after Irish rap trio Kneecap had several concerts in Germany and the UK axed. In a statement at the time, McGovern said, "It's not just about national flags, it's about political statements, and to us, this isn't just a political statement, it's a humanitarian statement. It's about people who are dying and are being slaughtered every day and that's happening right now." In a post on social media, the Gretchen club said it was "very sorry" that the show did take place and that it has had a "no national flag" policy for many years. "That means that we do not tolerate any kind of national flags in our venue," the venue said, adding, "We try to be a safe place for many different communities and really believe that music is able to build bridges, beyond borders and nationalities. Therefore, we deeply believe that national flags are not helpful at all." Naturally, it leads onto a question about the ongoing controversy around Kneecap, who have been condemned after historical video footage emerged of them appearing to support Hamas and Hezbollah and urging their fans to attack Tory politicians. It has led to a very live debate about freedom of expression and the limits of artistic licence. Last Wednesday, Kneecap's Mo Chara was charged with a terrorism offence by British police over the alleged display of a flag in support of Hezbollah at one of the band's gigs in London last November. The Murder Capital were among hundreds of signatories of the recent letter defending Kneecap's right to free speech and artistic expression. "Look . . . we did sign the letter because I do believe it was the right thing to do," McGovern says, haltingly. "It's not easy to separate things into completely right, total moral uprightness, I believe, in its essence, it was the right thing to do to sign it and I think there is more nuanced conversation that needs to come from the situation itself. "Obviously, what Kneecap said are stupid things to say. I think they could have very much have been said in jest. Blindboy did a good thing of pointing out that `kill your local' is a memetic turn of phrase, which it is, and is used as a way of protesting against the way landlords treat people in this country, often times you see that spray painted around. "I don't think it means anyone is wanting blood, I don't think anyone is saying it in that way. What was said, `up, Hamas, up, Hezbollah,' are not the best f***ing thing to be saying. I think Kneecap have come out and said that." He adds, "Of the three lads in Kneecap, nobody could say they're trying to cause harm in any way. I think they're standing up for people who don't have a voice and they're doing it again and again and again and they're doing it in a way that is causing conversation to occur." He pauses and says: "It's also weeding out people like Sharon Osborne and her schtick. It's a powerful thing. They're affecting the culture. They will be fine I believe, they'll be fine. I think they'll probably be a little bit more careful with their words. "People get full of adrenaline on stage and say stupid s***. As Massive Attack so eloquently put it, `Kneecap is not the story. The story is the genocide in Palestine'. It is hard to reckon with the fact that this is the world we're living in." It might be said that it is good that music is finding its voice again and having an impact on the culture and politics. "Totally," McGovern says. "There are plenty of bands around the world who are too cowardly to say anything and it's clear as day that there are plenty of them at home as well." Would he care to elaborate on that? "There's no need to. It's obvious." Right now, the stage is calling and it's nearly time for The Murder Capital to once again deliver maximum ferocity. "I'm enjoying being on the road more than ever but I also love being at home," says McGovern. "I'm subconsciously hugging my suitcase as we speak. That's where I'm at." The Murder Capital with special guests Soft Play and Mary In The Junkyard play The Iveagh Gardens, Dublin on 19 July. Tickets priced €39.90 are on sale now through
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Vir Das takes a dig at ‘film people' for expressing displeasure over influencers walking the Cannes red carpet
Comedian Vir Das took to social media to call out film personalities who expressed displeasure over influencers walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. In a note he posted on X and Instagram, he shared that he understood the appeal and eyeballs walking on a red carpet can bring to largely 'unknown designers' and went on to appreciate them for their hustle. He added, 'It's not for me, but I can respect the underdog energy.' Look. I work largely with new unknown designers. So I get the appeal and eyeballs that a red carpet brings. I also respect the hustle that it takes to get your ass there. It's not for me, but I can respect the underdog energy. So all that being said….Can I just say…..'Film'… — Vir Das (@thevirdas) May 22, 2025 The comedian also took a jab at 'film people' by asking them to stop going on podcasts hosted by influencers and avoid collaborating with them to promote their projects if their presence at the festival evoked such negative reactions in them. 'Consider the possibility that they may not be as well dressed as you, or as good looking as you, but are more interesting. Cannot believe I'm defending influencers but the elitism is off the hook,' he said. In the last few years influencers like Kusha Kapila, Nancy Tyagi, Ranveer Allahbadia, Ankush Bahuguna, and Dolly Singh walked the red carpet and this year saw people like Anushka Sen, Sarah Sarosh, and Nitibha Kaul make an appearance at the festival. Just last month, the Comedian announced the title of his memoir, The Outsider, which is set to be published by Simon & Schuster. The memoir recounts several key incidents from Das's life, including a moment when he was stranded on a pier in Cozumel, Mexico, after his cruise ship left without him due to visa issues.
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Stephen King's favorite recurring protagonist shines in his new novel
There are two ways that authors typically write with recurring characters. In series like Arthur Conan Doyle's early Sherlock Holmes stories or Sue Grafton's 'alphabet' mysteries, the perennial protagonists never change much, and neither do their relationships with other characters. Consequently, such stories can be read in any order. In serial fiction, on the other hand, recurring characters mature over time, so their narratives make the most sense when read in chronological order. Each installment adds something to your understanding of the central figures, because their personalities and skills continually evolve. Such is the case with Holly Gibney, whom author Stephen King has proclaimed his favorite returning player in his work. Gibney has a supporting role in King's Bill Hodges trilogy — 'Mr. Mercedes' (2014), 'Finders Keepers' (2015) and 'End of Watch' (2016) — as well as 'The Outsider' (2018). She became a main character in the novella 'If It Bleeds' (2020) and then again in 'Holly' (2023), one of King's best horror novels. She now leads King's latest nail-biter, 'Never Flinch.' To say that Holly has evolved over the years is an understatement. She enters 'Mr. Mercedes' as a mentally ill middle-aged woman, so bullied by her mother that she reminds Detective Hodges of 'a dog that's been beaten too many times with a newspaper.' King characterizes her as 'a spinster' who 'never speaks above a mutter and seems to have a problem making eye contact.' 'The Outsider' is set only seven years later, but by then Holly has transformed into an independent private investigator leading the hunt for a child-killing monstrosity that resembles the Hispanic bogeyman El Cuco. Holly still has trouble making eye contact and small talk — traits that have led some critics and fans to identify her as neurodivergent — but she's gained confidence and shows more bravery than any of her associates. In 'Never Flinch,' she's a force to be reckoned with, and she knows it. All the Holly stories involve antagonists with unstable or split identities that arguably reflect Holly's own vulnerable sense of self. This psychological complexity adds depth and substance to her narratives, making them popular among readers not ordinarily drawn to horror or detective fiction. Fans enjoy rooting for Holly because, despite her many successes, she can never get her mom's old criticisms out of her head. She's highly competent yet insecure and prone to underestimating herself, particularly in 'Holly,' where she squared off against two retired professors who had become ghouls. In 'Never Flinch,' Holly faces two threats at once. One is a serial killer with a perverted sense of justice; the other is a religious zealot out to assassinate the feminist firebrand Holly's been hired to protect. Both adversaries suffered childhood abuse that disrupted their personal development. One will remind readers of Norman Bates long before King name-checks 'Psycho.' Alas, 'Never Flinch' never captivated me because of that disagreeable precedent. Not only was Norman's psychosis based on dubious psychological principles, but Alfred Hitchcock's homophobic representation of him also established a template for demeaning representations of gender-variant villains that persists to this day. King enters this fray with more empathy than most, but one wonders why he decided to go there at all. King has never been one to repeat a plot or a villain, but in his late career he's taken up the challenge of organizing books around archetypal monsters. 'Cell' (2006) was his zombie novel, 'Revival' (2014) his Frankenstein narrative and 'Bag of Bones' (1998) his ghost story. 'Never Flinch' fits right into that pattern, though King never grants his gender-ambivalent killer the depth or dignity he confers on other classic bugaboos. We never learn why gender dysphoria drove this person insane, and their origin story doesn't honor their individuality. Instead, it rips off the trans-monster movie 'Sleepaway Camp.' Reading his 21st-century novels, I've often gotten the sense that King is sincerely attempting to compensate for some of the sexism, homophobia and racism of his early work. He hasn't yet crafted a fully believable queer or trans character, however, and that shortcoming stands out in 'Never Flinch.' Fortunately, intertextual allusions aren't all 'Never Flinch' has going for it; it also engages with the culture wars, addiction and recovery, and abusive parents. Addiction and abuse, in particular, are themes that have run though King's fiction since 'Carrie' (1974), providing fodder for his most terrifying novels. Holly lends King a fresh perspective on his signature motifs. Neurodivergent or not — I personally don't see the point in diagnosing fictional people — Holly faces the mess of existence with curiosity, compassion and genuine intelligence. She may be the smartest character King's ever created, and her experiences with addiction, neurosis and family dysfunction usually help her and the reader better comprehend the monsters she encounters. Some are supernatural and others the result of bad upbringings, but Holly understands them all as part of the same reality. Evil is evil, she explained in 'The Outsider,' and dismissing some evildoers as aberrant or impossible belies the fact that we are all progeny of the same chaotic, indifferent universe. That open-minded worldview has been King's stock in trade for more than 50 years, which makes Holly the quintessential King protagonist and her stories a great entry point into King's work for new readers. King acknowledges in an afterword that 'Never Flinch' didn't meet his own expectations for it, allowing only that he was 'happy enough' with the finished product — but that doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable. King is one of the best genre novelists writing today, so to say that 'Never Flinch' isn't as good as 'Holly' or 'The Outsider' is like saying that 'Cannery Row' isn't as good as 'The Grapes of Wrath.' As with all King novels, its propulsive plot will keep you turning pages long past your bedtime. His evocative prose still makes characters come alive and ensures that they linger long after their stories are over. 'Never Flinch' has a serious shortcoming that some readers might find offensive. I am one of them, and I still couldn't put it down. Caetlin Benson-Allott is a professor in the department of English at Georgetown University and the author of 'The Stuff of Spectatorship: Material Cultures of Film and Television.' By Stephen King. Scribner. 439 pp. $32
Gizmodo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Casey Means
If You Liked Cynthia Erivo's Poker Face Appearance, You Have to Check Out The Outsider 5/8/2025, 5:30 pm
