Red Hook Summer is a disturbing and brave masterpiece. Clarke Peters deserves an Oscar, because he was directed into delivering an indelible performance by one of the most prolific American filmmakers in the last two decades; Spike Lee.

"I always try to make stuff that affects me and I think that if given the chance, a lot of music that doesn't seem like the formula of what might be a hit would be more popular. There's a lot of great music that doesn't sound like whatever. Everything sounds very dance-y now."

What is/are The Crazy Coqs? They is a new cabaret room, and in these parlous times when it's more usually reported that an intimate boite is shuttering, the fact that one has opened is a cause for celebration.

Red Hook Summer is nowhere near Spike Lee's best film, but it feels like his most personal theatrical work in a decade or so.

The link between The Wire and the works of Shakespeare has been a popular strand amongst both fans of the show and critics alike, ever since it was first aired on U.S. screens back in June of 2002.

Treme, like a well-cooked meal, it reveals its pleasures gradually -- not all in the first bite. This isn't a hot dog -- it's a gumbo, with layers of flavor to surprise, delight and move you.