At a Bilbao fiesta once we saw a clan of about twenty local Bravehearts. Presumably they felt the woad and tartan worked not just as a symbol of good-humoured boozing but also as an expression of solidarity with other victims of centralising governments’ historical brutalities.
Column by CJ Magnet

Mulling it over, I’ve decided that while Che might grab the points on the martyrdom front, I reckon Marley pips him in the broader Christ-like Figures Of The 20th Century category.
Column by CJ Magnet

Caroline has just been on the phone, comparing the last six months of 2007 with a chapter in Joris Karl Huysman’s novel A Rebours, where the hero, Des Esseintes, struggles to erase the scent of frangipane from his nostrils.
Column by CJ Magnet

This year I’ll be exploiting the cold weather in other ways. A few months ago, I cut out the Joy Division fashion page, one of the highlights of The Guardian’s ten-week campaign to squeeze every drop of copy out of the appearance of Control. I’m now hoping that some frosty breathing will help make my epaulettes and skinny tie a bit more, er, atmospheric.
Column by CJ Magnet

Air Guitar is exactly the sort of thing I imagine futuristic workers watching while they snatch some down time in the bathroom. This meant that I approached Air Guitar Nation, an 81-minute documentary about the Air Guitar World Championships in Finland, with some hesitation. I thought it might not sustain my interest, like tic tacs won’t sustain huskies.
Column by CJ Magnet

Scandalous.

Are there any words so universally thrilling that they cause equal flutters in the loins of teenagers, teachers and aged thespian uncles? Revisiting Venus and Notes on a Scandal on DVD confirmed to me that there is such a word.
Column by CJ Magnet

When somebody recently told me about Giant Haystacks’ appearance in Paul McCartney’s 80s musical fondue, Give My Regards To Broad Street, I was sceptical. Surprisingly, these doubts weren’t directed at the quality of the wrestler’s performance. I didn’t get that far, my questions rested on a more fundamental point – whether he was even in the film.
Column by CJ Magnet