Alastair Stewart

Discussion focussing on new UK PM Rishi Sunak, and what he means for the Scottish independence debate. 

Discussing Scottish independence and Brexit. 

Trussed up like a Prime Minister: will our new PM stick to the Tories' mandated menu or serve up something less palatable and, either way, how do we ease Scotland's constitutional constipation?

This week we welcome friend of the podcast Alastair Stewart of Orbit Communications and discuss the new Scottish Council on Global Affairs. Enjoy! ScottishPoliticsScottishParliamentScottishPoliticsParliamentScotlandUKUKpolitics

"This week we welcome Alastair Stewart of Orbit Communications back to the podcast to talk about the SNP/Green deal and Scotland’s approach to international affairs. Enjoy!"

In this episode we talk with Alastair Stewart of Orbit Communications about the position of the Scottish Tories and about innovation in community engagement & consultation. Enjoy!

Coronavirus straight up with a twist of Scottish politics. Made remotely whilst working from home. Not a baked potato but hey, still a treat! With returning guest, Alastair Stewart of Orbit Communications. "From a social distance there is harmony."

Happy New Year! We're back, talking about independence. No not that one, we mean for Scottish Labour and the Scottish Tories! We're joined by Alastair Stewart of Orbit & The Scotsman, who raises the intellectual level of the podcast to unheard of highs! Enjoy!

Alastair Stewart defends Sir Winston Churchill against charges of war criminality and white supremacy on BBC Radio Scotland with John Beattie and guests Ross Greer MSP and Professor Lucy Robinson. (January 2019)

Fleming gives us his best Bond book. Brutal and heartbreaking it’s the best characterisation of his signature creation in the entire series.

A few thoughts on some of the best places in the city that you can sit, relax and enjoy the Festival atmosphere. 

One of, if not the best, restaurants in Almerimar, Spain to visit. 

What a missed opportunity Gotham was, and how frustrating we only got to see the Dark Knight for a moments in its final scene. When are we going to get the Batman series we deserve? 

Fantastic North Indian cuisine in Glasgow. Worth visiting if you're through from Edinburgh and a little lost with what to choose for dinner!

Can Apple Music come out on top? Can Apple continue to defend its circular economy and high prices? 

Teenage nostalgia yes, but the film sequels are truly appalling.

The grand finale for Sherlock? Not quite.

The film we didn't need at the time, but filled with the optimism we desperately deserve now. 

A very serious contender for the best film ever made. 

Does this classic pass the test of time? 

A disappointing and deeply flawed film that could have, and should have had, the making of a masterpiece character study of the realities of war. 

  ‘Digital Inferno’ is available to buy here.

Remember the paranoia of the 2000s with Blair and George W.Bush? The Ghost is a refreshing hark back to almost simpler days; brilliantly playful and highly enjoyable. Both a must-watch and a must-read. 

One of the best hidden treats in the city. 

 A wonderful series of books from author and ex-military man Ian Gardiner published by Pen & Sword books.  The Yompers: With 45 Commando in the Falklands War The Flatpack Bombers: The Royal Navy and the ‘Zeppelin Menace’ In the Service of the Sultan: A First-Hand Account of the Dhofar Insurgency

Maybe just the best Indian food in Edinburgh. 

One of the better horror movie's of the last 10 years; Devil's Pass is a good, nice play on the found-footage horror drama. 

Can you salvage Western adaptations of Japanese horror movies? Possibly, but you need to understand what made them terrifying in the first place. 

Perhaps, maybe just, the best time-travel movie ever made? 

If you love cats, you'll love here. A bit expensive to be sure, but a lovely way to spend an hour with family or friends. 

A spectacularly underated film from 2003.

A wonderful book, well worth a read to understand contemporary Scotland to find out the real, social story of the country. 

Doctor Who really should have taken a well deserved break after Peter Capaldi's departure from the show. Why? Because he really showed us what the character was capable of. 

I''m worried that Better Call Saul is in danger of harming Breaking Bad with going on past season 5. A finite story is what made Breaking Bad great and now would be a terrible time for its prequel and sequel show to break that tradition. 

A fabulous must-read on a near forgetten era of Scottish history.

 If you're a fan of Flashman and 'The Man Who Would Be King' - this is the book for you.  ‘Sikunder Burnes: Master of the Great Game’ available from Birlinn 

Alastair gives his theory as to why DC films are lagging behind their Marvel counterparts

Was the O.J Simpson trial the beginning of reality television as we know it? Alastair discusses. 

Meryl Streep struggles in a highly pointless film. Listen to find out why.

Aren’t you tired of knowing everything about a film before you see it? Worse still it looks great but turns out to be terrible.

I'm struggling for words other than masterpiece and genius.

Sadly it was never Top Gear, but even Clarkson's-era had run it's course. Isn't it time to wind up shop? 

With Bond 25 on the way, it's time to kill the character. Just in this film. Let's give him a damn good send off because while Daniel Craig may be leaving we all know...Bond will return, anyway. 

One of the problems DC faces is it's failing at the box office and the TV shows are avoiding their central heroes - Batman and Superman. Isn't it time to give the public what they want and launch brand new Batman and Superman TV shows to rival the success of Marvel? 

Absolutely, underrated comedy gold. A must watch: Watch Churchill: The Lost Interviews here.   Website: Churchill: The Lost Interviews Presented by Toby DeWinter and Kaylosia Productions Starring Richard Beenham

Dystopian TV adaptations are on the rage these days but how are these systems held in place? What technology operates to make sure the people are kept compliant? 1984 and Big Brother has passed into the political lexicon, but also cliche. A Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451 and A Clockwork Orange offer a more explicit, more specific, explanation. 

A mildly hyperbolic title, but Alastair makes the case for why Christopher Nolan's 2010 film Inception is not only his defining work, but why the film is one of the best films ever made. 

Why has Star Trek: Discovery failed to live up to expectations? Why have the reboot movies not had the same emotional resonance? The answer comes from a curious source, Aristotle's 'Rhetoric' and his 'modes of persuasion'.  Alastair discusses. 

As Boris Johnson assumes the premiership, what options are available to him as he goes forward to bring the country back together?

Alastair & Zorica (ft. Alastair) discuss The Handmaid’s Tale. Is The Handmaid’s Tale good television? Does it work best as a keyhole look into the world of Gilead or are you desperate to understand how this world came about? Also Josh from The West Wing is in it.

Oh, goodness please make sure it’s not Discovery. Zorica Ilin and myself chat about our hopes and dreads for he new Picard series. Will it boldly go?

Is Batman Forever maybe, just maybe, the best of the 'original' Batman movies? 

What does the new Star Trek series offer? Can a prequel possibility serve as a realistic run-up to the time of Kirk's Enterprise? 

Does the finale of Sherlock live up to its original potential? 

Where next for House of Cards? 

Alastair chats with environmentalist Cameron Mackay about his conservation work and efforts to highlight the real-life effects of global climate change. 

What did Peter Capaldi bring to his role on Doctor Who? Should the show have concluded with his departure? 

This Christmas Doctor Who classic is not only poignant, but one of its finest episodes. Should the show have ended here, or at the very least taken an extended hiatus? 

A timeless look at race relations in the United States and a brutal take down of the white supremacist doctrine.  

How well has this cult-alien classic aged? 

No words. Just...perfect? 

A harrowing but necessary film, subtle and powerful. A must watch with Michael Keaton. 

Was this a dawn of justice, or of total failure? A disappointment, or a missed opportunity? 

As the final film approaches, did the new trilogy offer the new hope fans craved? 

A stunning film that not only surprised, but was a stunning history of a misunderstood genre. 

Who else was surprised by this stunning movie that went so far beyond a mere homage? 

A delightful, if violent, treat. Is Denzel Washington the new Liam Neeson - an unexpected action star? 

A violent but stunning drama that rightly defined as the perfect Denzel Washington. 

Patrick Stewart's comedy never quite lives up to its potential, and remains a disappointment for Captain Picard fans out there. 

Prime Minister Winston Churchill's severe stroke was hidden from the public in 1953. Does this production do that story of triumph from defeat justice?  

Alastair looks back on Star Trek: Generations and why it still stands the test of time as a grand finale for Captain Kirk. 

Looking back at the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight series, Alastair Stewart & Alan Graham discuss what made it great and what future Batman films can learn from it.