Product Magazine

Bells from the deep

Golden Teacher have collated their first three storming singles into one glorious disc, writes Neil Cooper

The Gift

Isao Takahata’s stunning fable The Tale of Princess Kaguya is unlike any other major studio animation, writes Nathanael Smith

Winter Wonderland

Photographer Robyn Braham looks back over her time in a Canadian mountain town.

Style in full swing

In the third part of his sleevenotes to the new Boots for Dancing compilation, Neil Cooper looks at the band’s timely embrace of funk

Portrait of teacher John Hunter at his home in Richmond Virginia

World turned upside down

The story of an unconventional primary teacher’s multi-dimensional peace game challenges assumptions about human capacity for co-operation, writes Patrick Small

Keep On Keepin’ On

Thirty years on from the miners’ strike, photographer James Parker documents Yorkshire’s last remaining coal mines

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith on Star Wars’ affinity with animation

Asleep on a sunbeam

Stuart Murdoch’s directorial debut is a sparkling but flawed love letter to Glasgow’s west end, writes Alistair Braidwood

Ian Bell

An appreciation of a unique and inspirational writer, by Patrick Small

Down the rabbit hole

DTRH talks to Phillip Vaughan, animation course director at DJCAD

Just the ticket

In the second part of his sleevenotes to the new Boots for Dancing compilation, Neil Cooper traces the band’ s roots

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith dons a giant Santa hat and unconvincing beard to choose his five favourite Christmas animations

Back to Black

Lucy Parker’s moving exhibition chronicles the experience of blacklisted construction workers, writes Neil Cooper

Let them in

Martin Creed’s succinct protest songs bely a hefty emotional power, writes Neil Cooper

Leaders of the pack

Teen Canteen reprise a timely, all-star benefit gig for Scottish Women’s Aid, writes Neil Cooper

Down the rabbit hole

Pixar’s mix of  invention and creative intervention looks to have paid off again in The Good Dinosaur, writes Nathanael Smith  

Braw lassies, honest lads

Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert documents the old tradition of the Common Riding festivals in the Scottish Borders.

Down the rabbit hole

Happy 20th birthday Toy Story! Nathanael Smith on the movie which changed animation forever

How soon is now?

Two very different books on Scotland’s post-indyref options are united by a glaring omission, says Paddy Bort

The Bings

Photographer Jack Luke records the way in which bings, once little more than a dumping ground for industry, have been reclaimed by nature and the community.

The boy done good

As Billy Bragg releases a new book of lyrics Alistair Braidwood assesses the career of Britain’s finest political songwriter

Louder than bombs

A new campaign to persuade the Scottish parliament to stop investing in arms is launched today, writes Kat Hobbs

Other voices, other rooms: part one

In the first of a series of interviews with contemporary American writers, Lisa Locascio meets Francine Prose

Down the rabbit hole

As Halloween looms, DTRH looks at the scariest monsters in animation. Quivering behind the sofa: Nathanael Smith

Women at War

A powerful insight into the lives of women engaged in conflict, organised by Beyond Borders Scotland.

Down the rabbit hole

As the Africa in Motion Film Festival opens, Nathanael Smith celebrates the rise of African animation

The filth and the fury

Uncompromising, inventive and oppositional, Sleaford Mods provide a perfect soundtrack to the age of austerity, writes Neil Cooper

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith assesses some of this week’s new animation releases

Here Comes Everybody

A strangely beguiling collection by kennardphillipps, aka London artists Peter Kennard and Cat Phillipps.

Valley of the malls

A small sales outlet in Leith could challenge the power of Big Retail, writes Peter Burnett

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith looks forward to the sixth Scotland Loves Anime festival

Edge Lands

In the ‘Edgelands’ project, photographer and illustrator James Sinfield explores the hinterland between urban areas and the ‘proper’ countryside.

Product Talks

Product is organising a series of events with some of Scotland’s finest speakers, writers and artists, which will be available to listen to online. The first of these featured Robin McAlpine  

Down the rabbit hole

Animator Satoshi Kon still inspires long after his untimely death, writes Nathanael Smith 

Down the rabbit hole

George Lucas’ new animation movie is half-baked, writes Nathanael Smith

Down the rabbit hole

Mark Kermode is over-optimistic about the current state of animation, writes Nathanael Smith 

 

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith on the vile ubiquity of the Minions

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith meets Song of the Sea director Tomm Moore

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith highlights the best animation shorts from EIFF.

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith on Pixar’s five brightest ideas.

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith on the work of Barry Purves, the master of stop motion, who visits Edinburgh Filmfest this week.

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith previews the animation on show at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith meets the directors of the magnificent Shaun the Sheep movie

Mark Ellen

The Zelig of pop

Alistair Braidwood enjoys exquisite storytelling from a self-effacing writer who covered every major music event of the last 40 years

Down the rabbit hole

Xavier Picard’s hand-drawn animation captures the charm of the original Moomins, writes Nathanael Smith

Product Events

This summer, Product will be hosting a series of events with some of Scotland’s finest speakers, writers, film makers and artists. The first one is held next Tuesday in Edinburgh.

Down the rabbit hole

Nathanael Smith  looks at the five most exciting directors working in animation today

When we ruled the school

Alistair Braidwood is charmed by Stuart David’s typically-understated memoir of the early days of Belle and Sebastian

Down the rabbit hole

Launching a new column on animation, Nathanael Smith argues the art form is a more than a match for “real” movies in technical skill and story-telling panache.

Lost classics

Samantha Jones’ second single is a peerless piece of gutsy ’60s melodrama, writes Neil Cooper

don mclean american pie

The day the music died

A manuscript of original lyrics to Don McLean’s epic American Pie was recently auctioned in New York. Simon Warner explores the backdrop to the song’s conception and the hidden meanings behind its much-coveted words

Tracks of my tears

Simon Frith salutes a brilliant piece of music writing which returns the song to centre stage

emily

Emilie Anderson

Emilie Anderson is a Glasgow-based artist

Games without frontiers

Everyone looking for a lasting peace in Ukraine should read Andrew Wilson’s incisive book, writes Stephen White.

A city of tears

Patrick Small is charmed by “The Possibilities are Endless”, a new documentary about Edwyn Collins

The Divers

A short story by Katya Apekina

Dinner with my No voting friends

For years, Scots reacted to right wing Westminster policies by saying: “I didn’t vote for that.” If they win on Thursday, No voters won’t have that luxury, writes Peter Arnott.

We need to talk about leadership

Laura Eaton Lewis on how to overcome subtle, recurrent gender bias

Eileen Budd

Eileen Budd is an an artist, scuba diver and surfer based in Edinburgh.

Illustration by David McCue

The man whose head expanded

The follow up to You’ve Been Trumped illuminates the transglobal fight between Big Money and local communities, writes Patrick Small

Democracy in the Dark

Have pro-independence arguments been marginalised in the run-up to the referendum?
Iain MacWhirter examines charges of media bias – and why more editorial and
political diversity is needed.

portrait of judith Freeman 1986

Other voices, other rooms: part 2

Part 2: Lisa Locascio talks to author Judith Freeman about writing, madness and the creative spark.

Bryan M Ferguson

Bryan M Ferguson is a photographer and filmmaker based in Glasgow.

The Observer - The Forgotten Prisoners

I see my light come shining

Siobhan Reardon on 50 years of Amnesty International

Newbattle Viaduct

Blood on the tracks

Rail benefits the environment, business, quality of life and the public purse – only neo liberals in their rank 4X4s object, writes Christopher Harvie

Photo: Friends of Craighouse

The lunatics have taken over the asylum

One of Scotland’s most treasured beauty spots will soon be buried under concrete, the victim of a planning system which favours corporate greed over the needs of people and commons. By Rosy Barnes

North Kelvinside Meadow

For those families living nearby in Garrioch Road, Kelbourne Street, Sanda Street and Clouston Street, the name is synonymous with the green space that has greeted them each morning as they open their curtains for generations. Bought from private owners by Glasgow City Council in 1939, the land has remained undeveloped throughout its existence. It…

Illustration by Stewart Bremner

Shot by both sides

Following an explosive documentary about Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez, Alastair McKay picks through impassioned arguments about propaganda, cinema vérité and the ethics of storytelling

Illustration by David McCue

Pretty green

Director Anthony Baxter on the unexpected global appeal of You’ve Been Trumped

Coastal Aerial View by Alison McGill, Oil and wax on board

The pipeline

A short story by Frank Rennie, inspired by Alison McGill’s painting ‘Coastal Aerial View’.