Author: - The Reykjavik Grapevine

The Beautiful Era Returns to Bíó Paradís

by

In these Trumpian times, what better way to relax than to take a trip back to the Belle Époque, you…

Medieval Revival: Young Bands Play (Very) Old Songs

by

Umbra Ensemble is a five-piece band whose repertoire consists of pop songs reaching back a thousand years. Among the newest…

The Gandhi of Punk: Sex Pistols Singer Opens the Icelandic Punk Museum

by

Johnny Rotten is having a smoke outside Lækjarbrekka, traditionally one of Iceland’s fancier restaurants. It is somehow as I always…

Happening Tonight: Kris Kristofferson

by

You may know him as the old dude from the Blade movies, as Barbra Streisand’s co-star in ‘A Star is…

Search And Rescue With Tom Cruise

by

Most Reykvíkingar tend to think that being born outside of the capital is some terrible accident that needs to be…

Why Cats Are Better Than Dogs

by and

The most characteristic sound of Reykjavík is neither the desperate noise of drunkards during the weekend nor the lonely song…

Movie-Star, Painter, Man Of The World: The Story Of Muggur

by

“From Iceland’s Frigid Shore, Where Women Vote, Come Wondrous Fairy Tales.” Thus read a headline in the Evening Sun on…

The Look Of Silence: Our Darkest Natures Exposed

by

We all know what a communist victory in Southeast Asia can look like. But what would it look like if…

A Civilized Way to Die: A German director talks about his on-screen suicides.

by and

Everyone knows that Heartbreak Hotel is located down at the end of Lonely Street, but what happens if you keep…

The Brits Are Coming! Again!

by

The British Occupation that started in 1940 has certainly been dealt with a lot in Icelandic culture, as we at…

Finding True Iceland Part 2: Dentist, Sailors, Soldiers, Smelters

by

Entering the eastern fjords of Iceland, one gets a sense of being closer to Europe. They have ferries here, and…

An Almost Totally Random Selection Of David Cronenberg Films, Described

by

Videodrome (1983) Back in the early 80s, we all believed VHS would slowly take over first our minds and then…

Film Review: ‘Everest’ Pits Man Vs. Mountain

by

Things that once looked unassailable turned out not to be. Everest must have seemed impossible to climb until one day,…

A Heartfelt Love Letter To David Mitchell, On The Occasion Of Reykjavík LitFest

by

No, the novel lies not dead. It‘s merely sleeping. And the person to rouse it for the 21st century is one…

Finding True Iceland Up North: The Sagas Of Skagafjörður, A Siglufjörður Gold Rush, Húsavík Whales

by

There are many ways to get to the North from dear old Reykjavík. One entails flying, which provides an impressive…

Searching For New Iceland Part 5: The Mystery Of The Goolies

by

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that the Icelanders in Manitoba were nicknamed “Goolies,” which started out as a slur…

Origin Stories, Or: Why We Believe We Are Who We Think We Are

by

Every nation has an origin story. Unique about Icelanders in this regard, at least from the European perspective, is that…

Scandinavia Explained To The English Speaker

by

To the outsider, the Scandinavian countries tend to all look the same. This is, in fact, not entirely true. First…

What Does It Take To Become A “Friend Of Iceland”?

by

The term Íslandsvinur, “Friend of Iceland,” first appeared in Iceland’s media in 1874, in the annual Fréttir frá Íslandi (“News from Iceland”)….

Home Of The Prairie Wind: Searching For New Iceland Part 4

by

Prairie. Nothing but prairie as far as the eye can see. It must have been terrifying for the New Icelanders…

How To Insult An Icelander: Searching For New Iceland Part 3

by

What do you call an Icelander? Would an Icelander by any other name still smell as sweet? Being small island…

Searching For New Iceland Part 2: At The Heart Of It All

by

Somewhere between Selfoss and a Springsteen song lies the town of Gimli, Manitoba. If any town can be said to…

Searching For New Iceland Part 1: Celebrating June 17 In Toronto

by

Maybe it’s the friendliness of the bus driver, or perhaps just the scorching heat, but it’s pretty clear I’m not…

What Can The Recent British Elections Teach Us About Icelandic Politics?

by

Two things of note happened in the United Kingdom on May 7. One of them, as you may have heard,…

Film Review: A Dark Horse With A Good Heart – ‘Fúsi’ (“Virgin Mountain”)

by

Icelandic cinema seems to be doing rather well with upwards of twelve premieres expected this year. For those who worried…