Christian Kriticos

The Guardian • 30th June 2026

The 1926 documentary that inspired a Disney blockbuster

This week, Disney will release a live-action remake of its animated hit Moana. But 100 years ago, cinemagoers got an earlier glimpse of Polynesian life in a largely forgotten film of the same name.

The i Paper • 18th June 2026

Hard-Fi return with their first album in 15 years

Like many bands of the period, Hard-Fi burned brightly but briefly. But this week the alt-rock quartet are making a comeback with the release of their first album in 15 years.

BBC Culture • 3rd June 2026

The female filmmaker who beat Disney by a decade

Released a century ago in 1926, The Adventures of Prince Achmed is recognised as the world's oldest surviving animated feature film – despite what Walt Disney's publicists might prefer you to think.

The Telegraph • 19th May 2026

The synthesiser genius behind Stevie Wonder's classic period

Robert Margouleff brought new sounds to some of Wonder's best songs, including 'Superstition' and 'Living for the City'. “We were changing the world,” he says. “We changed the way people listened to music.”

BBC Culture • 24th April 2026

The enchanting history of Oxford's 750-year-old library

Predating the Aztec Empire, Merton College Library in Oxford has been used by everyone from celebrated 14th-Century mathematicians to Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien.

The i Paper • 7th April 2026

Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson reflects on 60 years of rock 'n' roll

As the 60th anniversary of Jethro Tull approaches, frontman Ian Anderson is living proof of one of their most famous lyrics: “You’re never too old to rock and roll, if you’re too young die.”

Los Angeles Review of Books • 12th February 2026

A Long, Strange Literary Tradition

In the wake of Bob Weir’s death, a new book explores the Grateful Dead’s overlooked engagement with literary cultures: from the gothic tradition to the modernist movement and the Beat Generation.

The New York Times • 27th January 2026

Greenland’s Biggest Band Is Thrust Into an Uneasy Spotlight

They've toured by dog sled and fallen through ice on video shoots. Now, as their country dominates global headlines, more curious listeners are discovering Greenlandic rock group Nanook.

The Telegraph • 23rd December 2025

The quiet dismantling of a major historical archive

For decades, researchers have used the archive to uncover stories on countless aspects of British history. But their work would no longer be possible today.

Quillette • 22nd December 2025

Alfred Hitchcock’s Christmas Movie

A handful of studies have noted that Psycho is technically a Christmas movie, taking place during the advent season. But none have examined what significance this has for the film’s meaning.

Los Angeles Review of Books • 17th December 2025

Isengard in Oxford: Tolkien’s satire of a motorized world

Tolkien is often at his funniest when filled with rage, and The Bovadium Fragments is a work brimming with his fury—specifically, ire over mankind’s obsession with motor vehicles.

Den of Geek • 9th November 2025

Malcolm in the Middle: The Best Episodes Ever, Ranked

As Malcolm in the Middle returns for a new miniseries next year, here are the best episodes of the original show to help keep you occupied during the final countdown to the revival.

The Telegraph • 15th October 2025

The incredible disappearance of Licorice McKechnie

At the height of her fame, Licorice McKechnie played everywhere from the Royal Albert Hall to Woodstock. But in 1990, she mysteriously disappeared. No one has heard from her since.

BBC Future • 10th October 2025

The forgotten knowledge trapped on floppy disks

When most people think of archives, they picture old bits of paper. But as the earliest digital generations start to donate their collections, more archivists are having to deal with materials trapped on floppy disks.

The Telegraph • 30th September 2025

A conversation with Donovan

Donovan helped create the sound of the 1960s. But his spirit belongs to a more distant past. “People have said to me, ‘You feel you’re a minstrel from an ancient time.' And yes, I’ve always felt part of that tradition.”

The New York Times • 15th September 2025

Snap, crackle and pop music

Decades ago, singles by everyone from The Monkees to The Jackson 5 were printed on cereal boxes as cutout prizes. Now, a dedicated few are working to save these cardboard treasures from extinction.

Los Angeles Review of Books • 4th September 2025

Louis Sachar's fantasy novel for adults

If Sachar’s children’s novels give us answers, then The Magician of Tiger Castle leaves us with questions. Living today, in what we call an age of reason, can we truly say that magic doesn’t exist?

Quillette • 28th August 2025

The Censorship of John and Yoko

John Lennon was always the most controversial Beatle. Now, 45 years after his death, Lennon is at the centre of new debate, as one of his most politically direct songs is edited out of an album reissue.

Quillette • 24th June 2025

The Forgotten Ford

Before Han Solo and Indiana Jones, there was another Harrison Ford – star of silent cinema. Reconstructing his life through archival materials reveals a poignant reminder on the impermanence of fame.

The i Paper • 11th June 2025

John Mason: My 50 years as a pop lawyer

“I’ve made a career of only representing talent,” Mason explains, emphasising a unique closeness to his celebrity clients. “I don’t go for representing record companies that take advantage of artists.”