The power of print

On today's visual art pages, Duncan Macmillan explains why Edvard Munch's iconic artwork The Scream is even more effective as a print than as a painting, as he reviews the Edvard Munch Prints show at the Hunterian Gallery in Glasgow. You can read his review online here.

Also today, Susan Mansfield reviews Cerith Wyn Evans at Inverleith House in Edinburgh, and Roni Horn at the Common Guild in Glasgow.

100 Fringe shows you must see

In today's Critique magazine, our top team of critics name the 100 Edinburgh Fringe shows you must see this August, in our five-page festival preview.

Plus eight pages of books, seven-day TV, radio, going out and cinema listings, and games and DVD reviews.

This blog is not about Michael Jackson

As you may have heard, Michael Jackson died last night. You can read our news coverage here, and a full tribute in tomorrow's newspaper.

Also in tomorrow's Scotsman, look out for our five-page guide to the 100 Edinburgh Fringe shows you must see this year.

Meanwhile, the Edinburgh International Film Festival is drawing to a close. On today's arts pages, read Alistair Harkness's final round-up from the event, as well as reviews of this weekend's film releases.

Our friends in the north

In today's newspaper, our theatre critic Joyce McMillan sings the praises of the National Theatre of Scotland's Transform Orkney project, as she visits the St Magnus Festival. You can read her report online here.

Plus, our movie critic Alistair Harkness's verdict on Adventureland at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

A film from hell

Lars Von Trier's much-hyped horror film, Antichrist, is a tedious, glib joke that would feel like an arthouse parody of a torture porn movie it wasn't so hard to take, says Alistair Harkness in his latest round-up from the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which also includes reviews of Humpday, Spread and The Girlfriend Experience.

Also in today's paper, Valery Gergiev interviewed, and Jim Gilchrist celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Newcastleton Traditional Music Festival.

Remembering Ian Hamilton Finlay

Ian Hamilton Finlay was an original and difficult artist, but a new show in Edinburgh, and an extension to his world famous garden at Little Sparta, offer a fresh chance to explore his work, says Duncan Macmillan on today's visual art pages. You can read his feature online here.

Also today, read Susan Mansfield's verdict on Glasgow School of Art's MFA Degree Show at Tramway, and Grey Matter at Talbot Rice in Edinburgh, an exhibition by Edinburgh College of Art MA students.

Storytelling

Today's album of the week is God Help The Girl, Stuart Murdoch from Belle and Sebastian's new girl group project, which he's likened to 'having a go at building Motown in Glasgow'. You can read Fiona Shepherd's verdict on the album on the arts pages of today's newspaper, and online here.

Also reviewed today, new albums by The Gossip, Lord Cut-Glass and Spinal Tap.

Big fish

Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank confirms her status as one of Britain's best new film directors, says our movie critic Alistair Harkness in his latest round-up from the Edinburgh International Film Festival. You can read our exclusive interview with Andrea Arnold here. Fish Tank has its British premiere at the Film Festival on Sunday 21 June.

Also in today's Scotsman, Alistair offers his verdict on all this weekend's film releases, including Telstar, Sugar, Gigantic, and a little movie called Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen.

And away we go...

The Edinburgh International Film Festival is now in full swing, and full of promise -even if the opening film is something of a disappointment. You can read our critic Alistair Harkness's review in today's newspaper, and online here.

Alistair will be filing regular reports from the festival over the next week-and-a half. Meanwhile, you can read his top 20 festival picks, and interviews with Andrea Arnold, Duncan Jones, Ardal O'Hanlon and Humpday director Lynn Shelton in our Film Festival preview.

Also in today's paper, read David Pollock's verdict on Oasis at Murrayfield Stadium, Joyce McMillan on Dundee Rep's Billy Mackenzie tribute, Balgay Hill, Susan Mansfield on Huntly's Slow Down Festival, and the League of Gentlemen's Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton on their new TV show, Psychoville.

Finally, a decent film about Iraq

"A movie about Iraq that's actually worth watching" - that's how our film critic Alistair Harkness summed up Kathryn Bigelow's new war movie The Hurt Locker on the first day of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. To read his review, click here.

Also in the paper today, our classical music critic Kenneth Walton looks forward to the St Magnus Festival, and as the Glasgow Jazz Festival gets underway, Jim Gilchrist talks to one of its star acts, Benin-born guitar-slinger Lionel Loueke.

Standing ovations for Boyle

Britain's Got Talent star Susan Boyle received multiple standing ovations for her performance at the SECC in Glasgow last night. For Fiona Shepherd's review of the concert click here and for reaction from some of Boyle's legion of fans click here.

Also in the paper today, our critics take in the degree shows at Scotland's art schools. To read Duncan Macmillan on Edinburgh and Glasgow, click here; to read Susan Mansfield on Aberdeen click here and to read Susan's earlier review of this year's Dundee show click here.

Today is music day

In today's Scotsman, Fiona Shepherd is impressed by the Proclaimers' workrate but underwhelmed by their latest release; Kenneth Walton is blown away by Steven Osborne's recording of Rachmaninov's Preludes; and Michael Church reviews the new album from Lebanese oud master Andre Hajj.

Film Festival special

In today's weekend culture magazine, Critique, read our five-page Edinburgh International Film Festival preview, including interviews with Andrea Arnold, Ardal O'Hanlon, Lynn Shelton (director of Sundance Film Festival hit Humpday) and Duncan Jones, son of David Bowie, whose directorial debut Moon (above) is set to be a festival highlight.

Plus, our film critic Alistair Harkness picks his 20 unmissable events from the Film Festival line-up.

Also in the magazine, eight pages of books and seven-day TV, radio, cinema and going out listings. It's all in Critique, available with today's Scotsman newspaper, on sale now.

New Town Thriller

He's been pretty scathing about some of Richard Jobson's films in the past, but our chief film critic Alistair Harkness was pleasantly surprised by his latest offering, the Edinburgh-set chase flick New Town Killers, starring Dougray Scott. You can read his review here.

Also in the Scotsman today, our pop critic Fiona Shepherd is distinctly unimpressed by Elton John's performance at the SECC in Glasgow and books editor David Robinson reports from the launch of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Underground theatre

In today's Scotsman Joyce McMillan reports from Naples, where Andy Arnold and his Tron Theatre Company have been hard at work, co-producing a new work for the city's fledgeling theatre festival. Entitled Monaciello, The Little Monk, it's a site-specific piece, set far beneath the city in a network of underground tunnels, and the locals seem to be extremely excited about it. Click here to read more

Also in the paper today: new Fringe supremo Kath Mainland launches this year's programme and promises there will be no repeat of last year's box office fiasco, and Tim Cornwell wonders what a French film crew are doing in the Scottish Borders.

From the Fringe to Frank Zappa, via the Proclaimers

The Proclaimers are back with a new album, Notes and Rhymes - here's the video for the first single, Love Can Move Mountains. You can read Alice Wyllie's interview with the duo in the Scotsman today, and online here.

And as the Edinburgh Fringe announces its line-up, find out who's coming to the world's greatest arts festival in our news story.

Also in the Scotsman today, Kenneth Walton talks to Scottish classical pianist Steven Osborne about finding inspiration in jazz, and Barry Gordon interviews Dweezil Zappa about paying tribute to his late father, musical maverick Frank Zappa.

Today is visual art day

In today's Scotsman, you'll find part two of our critic Duncan Macmillan's report from the Venice Biennale. Read the online version here.

Plus, Susan Mansfield reviews this year's Society of Scottish Artists Annual Exhibition, in Dundee.

A Little goes a long way

Ingenious home-made YouTube videos like this one played a big part in building a buzz around Little Boots. Now that her debut album is out, though, is she really the future of pop? Or is Hands, as our critic Fiona Shepherd writes in her review today, just the present of pop - Teflon coated, safe and commercial? Judge for yourself - it's on sale now, along with the other CDs reviewed on our music pages.

Look, here's Susan Boyle covering the new Little Boots single on Britain's Got Talent. Maybe.



We didn't make this clip, by the way. If only we had that much time on our hands...

In memory of Billy

Here's a beautiful sight - the Associates looking impossibly glamorous on Top of The Pops back in 1982 (with the added bonus of a clunky introduction by an already doddery looking Jimmy Saville). Look at the hair! Look at that vest! What IS that woman wearing? Now imagine how this must all have looked to a teenager growing up in Dundee, Billy Mackenzie's home town. That's the theme of Balgay Hill, playwright Simon Macallum's new show at Dundee Rep, a tribute of sorts to Mackenzie's life and legacy. Here's Macallum talking about the play, courtesy of Dundee Rep's YouTube page.



You can read our preview of Balgay Hill in the Scotsman's Critique magazine today.

Also in Critique, as Edvard Munch's The Scream comes to Scotland for the last time, Susan Mansfield looks at the life of the troubled artist.

Romance and Venice

Smart, attractive woman seeks rude 73-year-old man for romance. Only in Hollywood, says our critic Alistair Harkness, as he reviews Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson in cliched romcom Last Chance Harvey. You can read his review, and his verdict on the rest of the week's releases, here.

Our art critic Duncan Macmillan is at the Venice Biennale this week. In today's Scotsman, read his verdict on the work of Martin Boyce, who is representing Scotland at the prestigious international art fair.

You can read Susan Mansfield's Saturday magazine interview with Martin Boyce online here. And you can read Duncan's full reviews of Scotland's previous Venice Biennale shows at the links below.

2003: Claire Barclay, Simon Starling and Jim Lambie

2005: Cathy Wilkes, Alex Pollard, Joanne Tatham and Tom O'Sullivan

2007: Charles Avery, Henry Coombes, Louise Hopkins, Rosalind Nashashibi, Lucy Skaer and Tony Swain

A View From The Bridge

In today's Scotsman, you'll find our theatre critic Joyce McMillan's full verdict on A View From The Bridge, starring Ken Stott, Hayley Atwell and Mary Elizabeth Manstrontonio. You can find the review online here.

And as Wayne Traub's show Mary-Magdalena opens at Tramway in Glasgow, read our interview with the leading multi-media theatre maker.

Terminate this movie now

The much-hyped Terminator Salvation is in cinemas from today, but it's a one-star disappointment that sorely lacks any humanity, says our critic Alistair Harkness. Read his review online here.

Also on today's arts pages, our classical music Kenneth Walton previews opera singer Lisa Milne's return to Scotland.

And, on a very different note, Kate Copstick explains the Scotsman's role in her becoming the first female owner of the Erotic Review.

Today is visual art day

On the Scotsman arts pages today, read Susan Mansfield's verdict on the latest contemporary art residency at Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute, while Roger Cox talks to Carnoustie artist Alan Macdonald about his irreverent updates of paintings by the Old Masters. To see more of Alan's work, visit his website.

It's Paolo Nutini day

Our arts coverage today has a distinctly Paolo Nutini-ish flavour to it. Fiona Shepherd's CD of the week is Nutini's new album, Sunny Side Up. And you can read Alice Wyllie's interview with the singer here.

Meanwhile, Paolo Nutini has just announced a UK tour in September and October, including a date at Dundee Caird Hall (13 October) and two nights at the O2 Academy in Glasgow (14 and 15 October). You can book tickets from 12 June, here.