45 Magazine - #2 Edition (November 2014)

Ella Eyre | The 1975 | Lonely the brave

Fortyfive #2 Edition // November ‘14

a wor ld without

B atm a n

We delve into this Autumn’s top shows including the brand new Gotham.

P l us

G o n e Gi r l Dracu la U n told Lo st : 10 Ye a rs on

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Contents #2 Edition // November ‘14

Album Reviews

6: Johnny Marr - ‘Playland’ 8: The Wharves - ‘At Bay’ 11: Kele - ‘Trick’ 12: Julian Casablancas & The Voidz - ‘Tyranny’ 13. The Barr Brothers - ‘Sleeping Operator’

45RPM

14: Singles of the month

Music Interview 18: Lonely the brave

Live Music 22: THE 1975 24: Ella Eyre

FILM & TV Reviews 38: GONE GIRL 42: Dracula Untold 45: The Equilizer

Film & TV Interviews

46: Pollyanna McIntosh

Cover story

26: 3 shows to watch 32: Lost Revisited: 10 years on

Contributors Editor-in-Chief: Jason Broadhurst Music Editor: Thom Williams Film & TV Editor: Jayna Patel www.45-magazine.com

Writers: Luke Smith, Bradley Lengden, Nic Jones, Steph Sverldoff Jayna Patel, Anthony Stones

Photographer: Jason Broadhurst

Social: 45magazine @45_magazine 45_Magazine Contact jay@45-magazine.com 3

MUSIC Photography Contact jay@seeyouatthefront.com

@Ghostsiv www.seeyouatthefront.com

Editor’s Word First of all I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who took the time to read our first magazine.

This month’s cover story features 3 TV shows that have been handpicked by 3 of our contributors including a personal favourite of mine, Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Alongside this we revist Lost on the 10th anniversary of the show and talk about how it influences TV shows even today.

We also have a massive interview with actress Pollyanna McIntosh who stars in her new horror film Let Us Prey. We also speak to Lonely The Brave and talk about their recent tour with The Marmozets.

I would like to say a massive thanks to everybody who has contributed to the magazine and the website itself not only over the past month but since it was started without them there would be nothing for you to read.

Once again thank you for taking the time to read our second edition of 45 Magazine. Hopefully we will be back doing this again next month. Any feedback you have we would love to hear it, get in touch on our social pages or at jay@45-magazine.com.

J. Broadhurst Editor-in-Chief

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Advertising For information on how to see yourself featured in either the magazine or on our website, 45-magazine.com please email jay@45-magazine.com

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Album Review

“​​Playland is another incredible piece of work for Johnny Marr” - Bradley Lengden

Rating: If there’s anyone in music who knows proper ​R​ock​‘n’​ Roll, it’s Mancunian hero, Johnny Marr. Safe to say the ex​-​Smiths man has been around the block more than most​and has r​ efus​ed​to sit on the legacy of the iconic Manchester band​. ​Working with the likes of The Cribs, Modest Mouse​, Electronic and Paul McCartney, and not to mention picking up the “Godlike Genius A ward” along the way​, Marr has seen and done it all.

So one might ​think his latest solo record is in pretty good stead, to be another fantastic bit of work. W ​ ell, o ​ ne would be completely correct. ‘​Playland’ takes on a predictably guitar driven ​ sound, b ​ ut by no means i​s this a bad thing​,​we’re talking about arguably one of the most influential guitar players

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in history​: it’s Johnny Marr​. ​It would almost be wrong ​if this wasn’t ce​ntered around his distinctive guitar style​. ​Though, on ‘Playland’, there does seem to be an almost 60s psychedelic element to​​ it, ​with big spacey looping riffs, like in ‘Speak Out Reach Out’ and closing track ‘Little King’. These intertwine jaw droppingly well with the more typical huge distortion driven ​ riffs M ​ arr has perfected in his later career as present in opening track ‘Back In The Box’.

It’s not all big​‘in your fac​e’ ​ Rock’n’Roll though, we see a much more slowed down, but still just as impressive side to Marr’s musicianship.

‘Candidate’ sees a more basic structured track, creating an atmospheric build up to a meteoric chorus and repe​tition.

With the shifts between styles, ​ you won’t want to skip any track, it keeps the listener entranced from beginning to end, ​and it’s​also infectious as hell from the off​. ​The lead single ‘Easy Money’ ​opens the record with an enticing sin​ g​-a​-long ​chorus that’ll have you hooked before you even kno​w the words​; or rather just making noises where lyrics should be​until you’ve learned them, one of them. ​In short,​ ​​‘Playland’ is another incredible piece of work for Johnny Marr to add to his already illustrious and incomparable back catalogue of work​. ​Bow down mere mortals, the Godlike Genius has stepped up to the plate and impressed ​once again. ​Words: Bradley Lengden

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Rating:

The Wharves - ‘At Bay’

‘At Bay’ is an album brimming with dastardly witchcraft, potent chemistry and enviable ideas.

Ever wondered what it would have sounded like if Riot Grrrl had happened as a movement in 1967? Nope us neither.

Thankfully London trio The Wharves have ripped space and time apart for the curious like-minded to find out.

And the result sounds pleasingly like Stealing Sheep teaming up Sleater Kinney.

The slick alt-rock guitar groove ala Thurston Moore of “Left, Right and Centre” sets the album off to a pacy start as the siren-song beckons you inwards with beguiling harmonies. ‘The Grip’ is a bewitching ode to 70s progfolkers Pentangle with the

suitably foreboding male voice choir sending the listener under.

Whilst The Wharves can’t be faulted for their ambitions in sonic wizardry, unfortunately like Googling their name (Defin: “a structure built on the shore of, or projecting into, a body of water”), after a few plays the guise the band don is perhaps less fantastical than it promises. Slipping too often into the well worn jeans of slacker rock on tracks like ‘By Hook or By Crook’ and ‘Mother Damnable’ are a little too safe and forgettable, spared only by spell binding harmonies.

Whilst Wharves as mythical creatures are yet to be written into world of fantasy, it seems likewise these Londoners will have to wait a little longer themselves to be written into the music history books. ‘At Bay’ is an album brimming with dastardly ideas, potent chemistry and enviable ideas, but alas this time around the finished elixir is slightly lacking that overall sense of magic.

Words: Thom Williams

Kele - ‘Trick’

Trick is album that sounds like the present. Fresh and exciting but with a lyrical hindsight that makes for a hugely rewarding listen.

Rating: Though his fetish for electronica is well known, it is only as a solo musician that Kele has truly found the freedom to pursue the music that he has always wanted to make without the dead weight of indie fan-boy expectancy that can only have been holding him back.

After the illadvised attempt to rejuvenate the flagging corpse of indie rock’n’roll on Bloc Party’s last album, the flabby ‘Four’, this latest release under his solo moniker instead embraces the future sounds he has always stretched out for but with a competence that was lacking in his first effort (2010s ‘The Boxer’).

Opener, ‘First Impressions’ is www.45-magazine.com

Deep House delight primed for the late-night dance-floor.

Lead single ‘Doubt’ is a smash worthy of the Crosstown Rebels label that given the solo artist their consent.

Elsewhere, ‘Like We Used To’ has all the trance trickles and progressive beats to give the impression Sasha may already have got his hands all over it, whereas the heart on sleeve honest of ‘Humour Me’ combines the clunking beats of Route 94 with a lyrical sensitivity that is so often overlooked in dance music smashes: “Two lovers fearing for the end of what they both can see, before what came to be... Why won’t you hold me,

humour me..” pleas Okereke compassionately.

After the initial rush, the album decelerates gracefully through the pensive agitation of ‘My Hotel Room’, to the XXXY on valium sedation of ‘Silver and Gold’ before letting the listener down gently into sleepy soulful electronica of ‘Stay the Night’.

‘Trick’ s an album that sounds like the present. Fresh and exciting but with a lyrical hindsight that makes for a hugely rewarding listen. On this effort, Kele sounds not only the most comfortable, but also the most relevant than he has been in years.

Words: Thom Williams 11

Rating:

Julian Casablancas + The Voidz - ‘Tyranny’

In ‘Tyranny’, Casablancas has created a protest record that there is more to protest about than there is to rally with.

After Julian Casablancas’ surprisingly fresh sounding debut solo record ‘Phrazes’ for the Young, you may be right to approach this new effort with the sense of optimism and excitement that has long evaded that of The Strokes’ releases in the last 10 years.

Well, you’d be wrong. Despite the new band (The Voidz), new image (studded biker gear), new influences (“Jazz and punk – amazing melodic things and flavours” JC informed us in pre-release hints) and an awakened sense of social responsibility (“corruption [is] king now and forever and always”), there is little to savour here.

The warped Depeche Mode electronics of ‘Take Me in Your Army’ offers a sombre opener that submerges the listener in its pleasingly oily textures.

Album highlight and lead single ‘Where No Eagles Fly’ distils

the essence of Casablancas’s grand vision best as its serrated post-punk guitars hack apart the 8-bit synths of the late Crystal Castles with demented discordance.

However, whilst these tracks may have your fingers ready for a long-player of chin stroking, it’s more than likely they’ll soon be reaching for the skip button.

With a lust for experimentation, ‘Tyranny’ splices styles, time signatures and chord progressions with wild abandon at the expense of the audience’s sanity.

Mutilated guitar parts throb at your temple, whilst throaty grated vocals yearn for their own self-destruction and ours whilst they’re at it. Too often Casablancas loses sight of exotic soundscapes of “the future” he envisages, only to enslave the listener in a hellish dystopia where melody

and joy seem outlawed. The nauseating fair-ground hurl of ‘Crunch Punch’ sounds like your eardrums are managing to have a bad trip. Elsewhere, the frenetic electro-cumafro-beat abattoir of ‘Father Electricity’ ends up feeling like light relief when it clocks in at just over 7 minutes, well, compared to ‘Human Sadness’ before it anyway; an eyewatering 11 minute gruel-athon that is enough to reduce anyone to tears.

In ‘Tyranny’ Casablancas has created a protest record that there is more to protest about than there is to rally with.

Though, few would argue it’s a less impressive effort than the previous three Strokes’ records.

Words: Thom Williams

The Barr Brothers - ‘Sleeping Operator’

By and large, ‘Sleeping Operator’ is a success that will have most listeners caught up in a daydream.

Rating: After The Barr Brothers emerged with a sparkling début in 2011 of folk-pop gems crystallised with their trademark soothing vocal harmonies and unique orchestrations, the Canadian duo had no trouble winning over fans from David Letterman to the 40,000 that turned up to see them headline the Montreal Jazz Festival. However, a 3 year album break and a rumoured 40 songs written for ‘Sleeping Operator’ only 13 made the final cut.

Thankfully, the crashing cymbals, militant drum beat and weighty chord progressions of the rousing ‘Love Ain’t Enough’ immediately announce the band’s intent for a sound that is altogether bigger on this record. This is a melancholic anthem their former touring

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buddies The National would be proud to call their own.

‘Even the Darkness’ has tongue twisting lyrical couplets that will knot themselves in your memory for weeks to come, leaving no dispute as to why it was chosen as lead-off single.

The late-period Lennon parallels to be found in ‘Come in the Water’ again hints at The Barr Brothers’ capability for the long forgotten art of classic song-writing. It’s laid back drum patters and levitating organs arrive at a sudden rising chorus: “On the day that you were born, Legions lay down their arms, On the day you lost control, legions leapt for the throne” that is delivered with a tangential finesse reminiscent of key change in ‘Jealous Guy’.

Elsewhere the yawning slide guitars of ‘Wolves’ are reminiscent of Ryan Adams, along with the angelic harp glitters that take the listener all the way through to the soothing backing vocals that appear in album closer ‘Please Let Me Let It Go’ that ensures a dreamy listen from start to finish.

And yet, herein lies ‘Sleeping Operator’s’ only downfall. At times operations sound too weary for their own good.

By and large though, ‘Sleeping Operator’s’ is a success. This is an album that ensures most listeners will be able to, for the most part, share in the daydream The Barr Brothers’ have created on this record.

Words: Thom Williams

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FF ei al tmu rRee v i e w

First Aid Kit: ‘Stay Gold’ - (LS) First Aid Kit have yet again proved that they can write hits. Beautiful vocals, swelling violins and a minimal arrangement, it’s almost faultless.

Packed full of emotion and charm, it’s a hard song not to love.

45 rpm

Our writers look at the month’s new singles and try their best to convey their delights, or frustrations, in 45 words or less...

Death Rattle: ‘Weak Joints’ - (TW) With vocals that sound reminiscent of Bat for Lashes over an abrasive electronic backing not dissimilar to The Knife, this first taster of the forthcoming debut In Shade gives listeners something very meaty to sink their teeth into.

Free from their Soundcloud too.

Noel Gallagher: ‘In the Heat of the Moment’ - (LS) Gallagher returns with chiming church bells, an arena ready chorus and a Brit-pop melody in tow. It’s sticking to High Flying Birds formula we’ve become accustomed to, and is a safe effort by the ex-Oasis songsmith. A confident return but somewhat underwhelming, to the expectation his name carries.

Blonde Bunny: ‘While We’re Sleeping’ (TW) Freight train sonics whizz at neck-turning speeds across proggy guitar arpeggios

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straight from the Relics-era Floyd repertoire. Whilst this might not be as psychedelic a beast as (Jefferson Airplane’s) “White Rabbit”, this Blonde Bunny is one of the strangest things you’ll meet this year.

Kate Boy: ‘Open Fire’ - (LS) Open fire is gutless. It hasn’t got a lasting identity in a genre that is so competitive. It’s electro melody and singalong chorus is inoffensive and will probably receive plays in night clubs but it’s the kind of song you’ve forgetten before it’s even over.

Bad Breeding: ‘Chains’ - (BL) Extremely British, extremely aggressive and extremely loud, the essence of a cracking little punk track are all here. Yet, the vocals at times do get a little too drowned out, still definitely worth a listen though!

Wampire: ‘Wizard Staff’ - (TW) Rocky Tinder and Eric Phipps

have contributed a lot in recent years. Combining the freeform guitars of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and with the scrappy psych of their Foxygen, here the Portland duo have spawned a piece that is the best of both.

The Wilde: ‘Until Next Time, It’s A One Time Thing’ - (BL) The Wilde stray too closely to yet another You Me at Six sound here. It’s as if the instrumentation is trying to break into something heavier but is weighed down by the poppy vocals.

The Veronicas: ‘You Use Me’ - (LS) The Aussie two piece have been out of the music circuit for 7 years now, and on the basis of this track, it’s hard to see what they’ve been doing for all that time. You Ruin Me seems like the product of listening to X Factor flops’ first singles. Its got the same embarrassing and forgettable feel of a Leon Jackson or Sam Bailey record.

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Film Review Wretch 32: ‘6 Words’ (Nora En Pure Remix) - (TW) Nora En Pure do their best to polish a turd here. Whilst not much can be done to erase the tacky chart chorus “I found my treasure with you”, the mysterious Swiss remixers take the helm off Cap’n Wretch and steer it back towards banger territory.

Choir Vandals: ‘At Night & In the Rain’ - BL A stripped back, simplistic electric / acoustic tune, the no strings attached fashion of the instrumentation really mixes well with the laid back style of vocals on this track. Easy listening indeed.

BEA: ‘Like the Hard Born’ - (LS) Totally disappointing. The pleasing electronic beat and impressive vocal is completely overshadowing by obscurity. For reasons unbeknown to frankly anyone, on the accompanying video an animated dog delivers a lazily down tuned vocal break on the chorus, that’s too absurd and distracting.

Pusher: ‘On My Own’ - (TW) Hurtling slide guitars zoom past a galloping drum ruckus that never lets up as front-man

James Gilroy’s melancholic vocals bellow after.on this post-rock titan. As the first track lifted from the 10,000 Hours EP, this is something The Horrors would be proud of themselves.

Furs: ‘An Eye on The Vicious’ (LS) If Lana Del Ray looked at life through Yellow hue tinted sunglasses, this is probably what the result would be. A strong catchy indie full band arrangement with a dark vocal that blossoms like a bud to a flower as the sing progresses.

It’s evocative of summer and the band would slot in nicely to a festival line up. Keep an eye on them!

PVRIS : ‘My House’ (Acoustic) - (TW) Pinching the lonely reverb arrangements of the XX and coupling them with the still OTT whine of Lynn Gunn’s vocal, the song could be a formidable entry for the inevitable reality show: The XX Factor then.

Girlpool: ‘Blah Blah Blah’ - (BL) Pretty surreal, high pitched vocals laced solely over a old fashioned blues style rock and roll riff, another really simple concept for a track, but the

simplicity gives it a nice honest tone, extremely catchy tune.

Stars: ‘From the Night’ - (LS) It’s got elements of electronics, commercial house music in terms of its arrangement, full of dynamic changes in volume and texture as elements scuttle in and out. You get the sense it sounds better live, but packed with enough nuance and interest to sustain repeated listens.

18+: ‘All The Time’ - (TW) “I can play all day , with my eyes shut, with you on my mind, all the time” tease the 18+ duo Boy and Sis. A crisp R’n’B beat underpins ice crystal synthesisers on this sleazy charmer. An unsettling listen for fans of FKA Twigs.

Pink Floyd: ‘Louder than Words’ - (BL) Spacey looping riffs, daydream inducing, essentially what you’d expect from a Pink Floyd track, the surreal sound effects still find their way in even after all these years, and it still sounds pretty damn fantastic.

Never in doubt though was it?

Fit For A King: ‘Slave To Nothing’ - (BL) Absolutely colossal noise, immensely impressive drumming throughout really packs a punch and stands out, the contrasting screams are a properly nice touch as well, gives it a sense of unpredictability which seems to work well.

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Interview

Q. It’s your debut album (‘The Day’s War’) and you’ve just nailed top reviews in NME, Kerrang! and Rock Sound. That’s living the dream right?

A. Totally. All those guys have been incredibly supportive.

To get such nice things written about your band is always amazing, but with it all being directed at our first album makes it even more heartwarming and special.

Q. Now you’re on the Big Cheese 2014 tour with the anarchistic Marmozets? How have you both influenced each other both onstage and backstage?

A. It’s been an incredible tour so far with those dudes.

With us being two completely different bands I think we both feed off each other and both take things from each other’s performance. We get on really well so it’s been a really fun, positive couple of weeks, and with both our albums being

out early this month there has been an exciting energy surrounding the tour.

Q. Any tales of Rock’n’Roll mayhem to share so far?

A. We have been fairly well behaved on this tour. Those Marmozets scamps are a bad influence though. Sam is partial to insane cocktails consisting of basically sugar and rum. Think alcoholic slush puppy and you’re there. When they are made you have to sample such delights.

Q. Is there any cities on the tour you always look forward to playing?

A. Cities we love to play in particular are places like Southampton, Nottingham and Liverpool. The crowds are

always wild and it’s mega fun.

We love playing anywhere where people have come to see us though - if you have made the effort to come, we will always give 100%.

Q. After a stellar year, you’ve also been on bills alongside titans such as Neil Young and Aerosmith. Did you learn anything by watching or from a “Bono talk” with these elder statesmen of Rock?

A. Playing with such amazing artists as Neil Young, you always take something away.

From that particular show it just showed me that as long as you have passion for your music, you shouldn’t let anything stop you playing for as long as you can. He still has so much energy and such a huge sound.

Q. If you could warn other bands that may be up and coming on a similar path to the one you have taken about

“Playing with such amazing artists as Neil Young, you always take something away�

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one thing to be careful of, what would it be?

A. One piece of advice you must listen to is, if you are in a shared dressing room never, ever use the toilet for a number two. Blockage on tour doesn’t go down well. Quite literally.

Q. So after this and then a December tour with Deaf Havana, what next?

A. More touring, writing and recording. Basically carrying on doing what we are doing and what we love to do. We have already started on new ideas for album twi which is exciting and sounding great, so we’re just looking forward to everything that comes our way.

Q. And finally, La Roux recently said she’s never

made any money from album sales. In the following weeks U2 “gifted” their album to 500 Million Itunes users and Thom Yorke put his new record on a torrent site. Although this is only your first album - how do you see the future of the album and its means of consumption?

A. It’s obviously harder than it it ever has been, but that doesn’t mean the album is dying out like a lot of people are suggesting as you can see with the huge increase in popularity of vinyl, there is still a significant number of people who adore the album. As long as albums keep getting made, they will be out there, and actually think in years to come it will mean more than ever before.

Words: Thom Williams

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LIVE R e v i e w Artist: The 1975 Venue: Manchester o2 Apollo Date: 27/09/2014 One of NME’s hype bands for 2013 Circa Waves, played the main support slot for the 1975. They fulfill the perfect indie boy band formula: trebly Fender gender guitar tones; energetic; fast and young. A previous single ‘Stuck In My Teeth’ was their strongest performance, a jangly twee number with a killer hook “I’m a little too young with not enough time.” Their relatable lyrics and chord driven melodies made them a suitable pairing of acts.

In the interval waiting for The 1975 to emerge, copious of dry ice plumed out of the smoke machines every 2 minutes to be greeted with piercing wails that created a scene more comparable with Ridley Scott’s Alien than a pop rock band performance.

A swooning sax approached our ears, strobes began to flutter, smoke began pouring out the machines again and out emerged the band. Most notable of all was Singer Matt Healy who began spiralling to his guitar clutching a bottle of red wine.

The perfect picture of flamboyance and arrogance intertwined.

They started strongly playing hits, ‘The City’ and ‘Milk’. Third track ‘M.O.N.E.Y’ approached full electronic-soul sticking closely to the usual thematic lyricism of a man on the town taking intoxicants and breaking shit. It was the nuance guitar tone that made that song striking with a half reverse delay and half phase sound.

They played each song as confidently as the last, playing their whole début without mistake punctuated with the frontman

stating how “fucking” happy he was to be in Manchester, which was met with delight by the adoring crowd.

Whilst the band have made it no secret that they don’t stick to one genre, it soon becomes apparent they could easily be labelled ‘brand-rock’. Whereas ‘Sex’ doesn’t sound awfully similar to ‘M.O.N.E.Y’ or ‘Settle Down’, there are themes that tie them all together. This all combined with the black and white motifs, the smoky and hazy show they put on figureheaded by five white neon rectangles, it all just feels over styled and fake.

Overall, this gig showed that whilst the majority of the 1975 songs aren’t offensive, They’re just morbidly average. ‘The City’, ‘M.O.N.E.Y’, ‘Sex’, ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Girls’ are all worth seeing live, yet regrettably the latter three of which formed the closing moments of the show meaning you’d be in for a long and patient wait to get to them.

Although there is thrills to be found in the 80s pop harmonious, electronic flares, catchy hooks and crooning vocals by the camp, cocky and flamboyant Matt Healy, it all feels a bit smoke and mirrors. Yes there are glimmers of a great pop band and their ability to put on a good show but most of the time these qualities are disfigured by the band’s penchant for a Top Shop image sheen for teenage girls to ogle at and a sleazy on stage demeanour sadly mistaken for swagger.

Words: Luke Smith Photographs: Jason Broadhurst

“This gig showed that whilst the majority of The 1975 songs aren’t offensive, they’re just morbidly average.”

- Luke Smith

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“You can imagine her doing this in five years time in a venue twice the size and still completely dominating it.�

- Nic Jones

LIVE R e v i e w Artist: Ella Eyre Venue: Manchester Ritz Date: 07/10/2014 Ella Eyre. Have you heard that name yet?

It’s time to get acquainted. Eyre has burst onto the music scene in the past two years, rapidly establishing herself as one to be watched. We went down to The Ritz in Manchester to catch her current UK tour and to see if her live show lives up to the hype.

Clothes Off’ is received well by the crowd, but I would argue that is stands out the least.

Eyre is at her best when full of spiky, fiery attitude, and perhaps the fact she claims to have put just one ballad on her album shows that her team realises that.

Eyre is a fireball; hitting the stage with a sizzling energy that remains for her entire set. She kicks off with ‘Deeper’, rocking across the stage and shocking the room to life. To hear Eyre live is to fully appreciate her distinctive tone; raspy and husky she wields it with finesse, transitioning between rock, pop and soul sounds. The Manchester crowd greats her so enthusiastically and it’s hard not to be amazed by how full the venue is considering Eyre really is just starting to make a name for herself.

The gig reaches its climax with mega-hit Rudimental collaboration ‘Waiting All Night’.

It’s at this point that the famous sprung dance floor of The Ritz bounces to life. She gives the audience no time to catch their breath and immediately follows it up with a cover of Sigma’s hit featuring Paloma Faith, ‘Changing’ (which Eyre co-wrote), which is completely owned with a high octane performance. The crowd’s euphoria in response to the change in pace is reflected in Eyre’s exuberance. She knows it’s at this point that she has the room in her hands.

Early in the show Eyre speeds through a number of tracks from her forthcoming debut album and her first EP ‘Deeper’.

Track ‘Typical Me’ shows the most promise and establishes Eyre as an artist with big personality and something different to say.

The most likeable thing about Eyre is that she is unique but she doesn’t seem like she’s trying too hard. Everything about her performance and music style seems very natural, giving her credibility. Her performance is polished but not overly so. It captures your attention and refuses to let go.

Final song ‘Comeback’ (recently released as a single) is a triumphant end to a gig that showcases Eyre’s ambition and potential.

There’s a lot of room to grow, but to put on such a show at 20 years old is a powerful statement of intent. You can imagine her doing this in five years time in a venue twice the size and still completely dominating it.

With the right management of her career, quality songs and a strong work ethic, Eyre could have all the ingredients for a long and successful global career. Catch this rising star now.

While her voice is flawless throughout, ballads suit her less. Her popular cover version of ‘We Don’t Have To Take Our

Words: Nic Jones Photographs: Jason Broadhurst

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Gallery

Ed Sheeran

Manchester arena - 28/10/14

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Feature

TV this autumn

We preview 3 of the most heart-pumping, breath-stopping, addictive and un-missable shows TV has to offer this winter.

With those dark and gloomy winter months really starting to set in, what better way to unwind cosily than in front of the TV? We picked out some of October’s best TV programmes that promise to bring your screen to life and offer the scares, thrills, suspense and entertainment we all need.

If you wanted a hotly anticipated new superhero television series to sink your teeth into this autumn/winter then Steph Sverdloff thinks Gotham is the one to watch.

Gotham isn’t just about Batman and his origins. It’s about the city that made him but we look at the dark side of Gotham, with the villains that run the entire city, but we also take a close look at the other good guys.

The series follows Detective James ‘Jim’ Gordon, who later in his life becomes Commissioner, and his partner, Detective Harry Bullock as they try to bring justice to an underworld of seediness and villainy.

We get to understand the back stories of some of Batman and Gotham’s biggest villains such as Falcone, The Riddler, Penguin, Fish Mooney and Cat Woman. This is a chance for fans of the Batman franchise to get to know the villains and the other hero, Detective Gordon, of Gotham a little better.

From the trailers that have aired I truly believe this is going to be one of those series that people are going to be discussing for a while and the stories look very juicy!

The series started on Monday 13th October on Channel 5 at 9pm. Missed an episode? Then catch up on Demand 5!

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Staying with the superhero theme is Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, returning after its explosive debut series and Jayna Patel reckons it’s only a shade or so lighter than Channel 5’s Gotham: With Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D having returned to our UK screens on Friday October 24th, it’s definitely time to see what lies ahead for our patchwork team of kick ass agents, or more like fugitives given the epic climax of season one, with HYDRA being exposed as a poison embedded deep within the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D. The betrayal was a bit too close to home for computer hacker turned S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Skye (Chloe Bennet) with her mentor and budding love interest, Grant Ward (Brett Dalton) turning out to be the mole and right hand man to the deranged HYDRA villain, John Garrett. This season will hopefully see Skye’s character develop, maybe flex her field agent muscles as well as her super computer hacking abilities and maybe even manifest some powers?

Either way, they can only tease viewers for so long about Skye’s mysterious (and quite horrific sounding) backstory of being an O-84-, aka an object of unknown origin. And by the sounds of it, with sly Raina, who’s agenda is always an enigma, showing a unknown man implied to be Skye’s biological father a photo of her at the end of last season, Skye’s old man

makes John Garrett seem like a pussy cat. Watch this space for a more perilous villain I reckon.

Speaking of cliff-hangers, we last saw Phil Coulson, who is now tasked with the daunting task of rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D

by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) himself, as furiously etching a symbolic language onto the wall in a zombie-fied manner in an eerie scene.

Garrett had also produced the symbols claiming they were the “Words of Creation”, another puzzle likely to unravel slowly in this next series.

With the fate of bumbling but loveable scientist, Leo Fitz’s (Iain De Caestecker) being uncertain, Grant Ward being otherwise engaged with being imprisoned and all this “rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D” business, this season will most likely see some new faces, which will refresh the show.

Although at times during the first season some episodes were a little laborious to watch, the various storylines only being nudged along at a painfully slow pace, I’m sure the second season of Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D will stay true to its legendary comic book inspiration, hopefully entertaining audiences with gripping plot twists and suspense, whilst maintaining some sense of continuity with the other big screen Marvel superhero franchises and comics.

Catch Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D on Fridays at 8pm on Channel 4.

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Spooky scares make for just as good and gripping entertainment and Anthony Stones believes American Horror Story’s fourth season Freak Show is the perfect show to satisfy all those craving the grisly and gruesome, returning just in time for Halloween.

As with the previous seasons, several of the main cast are returning. Mainstays Evan Peters, Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, and Frances Conroy all have major roles, while actors from other previous seasons including Emma Roberts, Kathy Bates and Denis O’Hare are also back. New to this season’s main cast are Michael Chiklis (The Shield) and Finn Wittrock.

The cornucopia of strange characters this year includes conjoined twins Bette and Dot (Paulson), “Lobster Boy” Jimmy (Peters), strongman Dell (Chiklis), bearded lady Ethel (Bates), and manager Elsa (Lange), as the members of the titular freak show. Meanwhile, Conroy, Wittrock, Gabourey Sidibe, Patti LaBelle, and Grace Gummer play some of the key townspeople.

The story takes place in 1952 in Jupiter, Florida, with one of the last remaining travelling freak shows in the US. The members have to deal with the decline of their business and their struggle to keep their show alive. As they arrive in Jupiter, a disturbing entity threatens the ‘freaks’ and the townspeople.

The main antagonist for the season is Twisty the Clown, played by John Carroll Lynch. Twisty has retired in Jupiter and when the freak show arrives in the town, he is unhappy to say the least. He takes it upon himself to make life a living hell for Elsa and her freaks and run them back out of Jupiter.

If trailers for Freak Show, and the past three seasons, are anything to go by, then this season should definitely be another macabre treat. Strong performances from the impressive cast in another set of lively and peculiar characters, coupled with another 13 episodes of terrifying stories and despicably evil bad guys should make for one of this winter’s must-watch TV shows.

American Horror Story: Freak Show is broadcast 10pm on Fox.

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Feature

L O S T Rediscovered

On September 22, 2004, the world was first introduced to Lost, the serial mystery drama that gripped the imagination of millions of viewers, keeping them guessing until the show’s final episode in 2010. 10 years, 121 episodes and 6 seasons later, the impact of Lost on modern TV is difficult to overstate.

The suspense-driven, cliffhanger-riddled formula of the show has become something of a blueprint for serial dramas in the US and around the world. Its hightension narrative, an engaging mystery of both plot and character explored further depths in each of its myriad enigmatic subplots than any drama really had before.

Each of the 6 seasons dealt with a considerable cast of characters, their individual histories and their current relationships, the mystery of the island setting and its inhabitants, the circumstances www.45-magazine.com

and purpose of their crash, and the overall struggle to get back to civilisation.

Lost’s first season introduced us to the diverse cast of main characters – an unusually high 14 regular speaking roles, which would expand in later seasons. The show was notable for its international main and supporting characters originating from Iraq, South Korea, the UK, Australia, France, Nigeria and Brazil.

The initial plot dealt with the immediate aftermath of the

plane crash, the survivors’ struggle to stay alive and reach the outside world, and the group’s uneasy relationships with each other.

As the season progressed, several of the mysteries that would become integral to the show’s core later on were introduced as unexplained outside threats to the group’s survival. Elements like the Numbers sequence, the hatch, and the presence of the Others would all become driving forces in the overall narrative, while polar bears and a black smoke monster posed direct dangers.

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It was the survivors’ search for answers that would keep audiences glued to their screens throughout the first season and beyond.

Cliffhanger after cliffhanger and twist after twist ensured that the series’ exasperatingly unpredictable narrative would always provide new questions whenever answers appeared to be imminent.

But also important to keeping the show grounded in its fantastical reality was the interpersonal chemistry between the expansive cast.

The tensions, romances, humour, and absorbing histories of each of the characters allowed Lost to remain deeply personal amidst the bewildering conundrum of the sci-fi and fantasy elements.

One of the core relationship dynamics established early on and accentuated in seasons 2 and 3 was the conflict between group leader Jack (Matthew Fox) and the abrasive Sawyer (Josh Holloway) for the affections of Kate (Evangeline Lilly). The rivalry spiralled and also included feuds over resources and guns on the island, which eventually led to a Lord of the Flies-esque power struggle for leadership of the group.

The third season revolved heavily around the Others – a group of seemingly antagonistic islanders whose reasons for being on the island and motives with the survivors are among the main questions as the group looks for a way off. Eventually, a potential means of escape looked to www.45-magazine.com

present itself, but a difference in beliefs about the island led to a schism between Jack and Locke (Terry O’Quinn).

The dramatic third season finale, “Through the Looking Glass”, saw several major plot points resolve and several new questions arise. The conflict between Jack and Locke came to a dramatic head as one rushed to lead the survivors to their first (and perhaps only) chance to leave, while the other rushed to prevent them ever escaping.

Several characters were killed off, including the popular Charlie (Dominic Monaghan).

But most important was the introduction of the flashforward.

Flashbacks had been a crucial device throughout the show to explore the characters’ backgrounds and their relations to the island mythos. But the flash-forward at the end of “Through the Looking Glass” revealed that at least some of the survivors eventually do leave the island, setting up a significant new narrative and keeping the show fresh going forward.

In season four, with the idea of escape stifled by the previous finale, the main focus shifted to the post-island future, and a new set of characters arriving via freighter. The show’s science-fiction elements were played up with the increasing use of time travel, further complicating the already intricate narrative. Both flashbacks and flashforwards expelled any sense of linearity.

Most notably, the show’s time travel was used in

fourth season episode “The Constant”, focusing around Scottish character Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick). Desmond finds his consciousness shifting between his past in 1996 and his present on the island in 2004, and must find a constant in both lives to stop the time travelling – his lover Penny (Sonya Walger).

The episode was one of the best examples of Lost as a very personal drama. The touching emotional content was lauded by critics and fans, and the episode has since been named by many as the greatest episode in the entire run of the show.

Despite continuous critical acclaim, season five saw the lowest ratings Lost would receive, as episodes regularly dipped below the 10 million mark for the first time.

Compared to the 15 and 20 million figures being achieved by the first and second seasons, this culminated a period of decline since season three. The figures represented growing frustrations with the increasingly complex narrative and the lack of definitive answers. But the producers tried to reassure viewers that the show did still have direction, as the sixth season was announced to be the last.

The sixth season was perhaps the most crucial, as it would potentially build to answering all of the major questions that had been raised over the past 5 years. Naturally, season 6 received masses of hype from the media and fans alike, as one of the most cryptic dramas in television history began to unravel its remaining 37

secrets. The narrative dealt with the aftermath of a nuclear explosion, and introduced an alternative parallel timeline to the island present. It wrapped up many of the show’s previous threads and mysteries, including the story of the Others, and the black smoke monster from season one.

This lead up to a two-hour finale that would resolve the fates of the survivors – those who escape back to civilisation, those who chose to remain on the island, and those who died. It also resolved the ‘flash-sideways’ alternate timeline as a sort of limbo purgatory for the characters.

Unfortunately, Lost’s twopart finale, titled “The End”, received mixed reviews, polarising audiences and critics who weren’t given the definitive answers they were looking for. But was it ever possible for the finale of a show that engaged so many with such intensity to live up to the enormity of the fans’ expectations, or to match the monumental hype that the series had generated for itself?

Perhaps the show’s incredible success was a hindrance for its own ending.

In spite of the oft-maligned finale however, the lasting impact of Lost has not been besmirched. The consistently meandering nature of the show, punctuated by breathtaking shocks and surprises has changed the face of popular TV drama. In the immediate aftermath of the show’s broadcast (and even while it was on the air), several shows like Heroes, Prison

Break and Mad Men all found success.

Today, years after Lost concluded, fantasy, sci-fi, and other serial genre dramas have become abundant, adapting a similar model to Lost in their use of twisting narratives and cliffhangers.

Original series like Homeland, Breaking Bad and JJ Abrams’ own Fringe have seen major success and ratings up to the tens of millions, while other shows have done the same with material adapted from books, such as Under the Dome, The Leftovers and fan phenomenon Game of Thrones.

Lost’s impact can also be seen beyond the US. In the UK, Doctor Who, a cultural institution of over 50 years, has been updated with greater budgets and grander ambition.

Doctor Who has, since its revival, adopted an American model of hour-long episodes and series with overarching storylines. Undoubtedly, this change has been brought about by the success of American serial dramas that have transitioned to British viewers, much as Lost did in 2004.

The massive success of Lost has also had a notable impact in film as well, namely through one of its co-creators – J.J. Abrams. Abrams has become a major Hollywood director and writer. His directorial debut came while Lost was on the air, 2006’s Mission: Impossible III, which he also wrote.

Abrams’ work with a major film franchise represented just how hot a prospect Abrams had become during the course of

Lost’s broadcast.

He followed this with producer credits on Cloverfield in 2008, Morning Glory in 2010, and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in 2011, and his first (and so far only) non-franchise film, sci-fi thriller Super 8.

Steven Spielberg was one of the film’s producers, a sign that even after the conclusion of Lost, Abrams had cemented himself in Hollywood to an extent where he could rub shoulders with big-name players like Spielberg.

But perhaps the most substantial signifier of Abrams’ place in the Hollywood mainstream is the fact that he was trusted to helm new films for arguably the two biggest science fiction franchises in cinema history – Star Trek and Star Wars. Abrams was given directorial duties for both the Star Trek reboot in 2009, and the first of a new Star Wars trilogy – Episode VII – to be released in 2015.

A decade after Lost first appeared on screens, the show has left an incredible legacy, featuring one of the most compelling stories on television, with an exceptional cast of unforgettable characters. Few shows have quite captured the collective imaginations of millions of viewers like Lost, and its impact on TV drama and even film is obvious in the plethora of cult serial dramas today.

Words: Anthony Stones

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39

Film Review

“this could be the film of the year” - Steph Sverldoff

89% STARS:

Rosamund Pike, Ben Affleck, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens.

If there was one film that’s going to be spoken and read about for a while it is this one.

Fincher’s Gone Girl is, for me anyways, the best thriller out in a long time. It takes you on a brilliant journey that keeps you thinking and guessing all at once.

Firstly Rosamund Pike is outstanding in this film; the way she manipulates not only her on screen partner, Ben

Affleck, but the audience at the same time is wonderful to watch. Affleck himself is in probably the best film role I’ve seen him in for a long time.

Normally Affleck is an actor I do not tend to watch but playing Nick Dunne in this is starting to change my mind about the him– his on screen chemistry with Pike was captivating. It’s within their acting that makes the plot so believable and so thrilling.

Then there’s the twistingly, brilliant plot. The screenplay was written by the author of the book (Gillian Flynn) so those who’ve read the book already will know how the story goes. For me it was a great and clever twist so exceptionally portrayed on screen.

The main thing I www.45-magazine.com

shall tell as not to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it is – perception is key. Our initial perception of Amy and Nick gets twisted, broken and re-assembled within the hundred and forty nine minutes. At first we hate Nick, then we hate Amy and then I did not quite know where to stand

at the end – they were both flawed in very different ways by the film’s close.

It’s because of this constant switching of how I felt about these characters that I believe that come award season this film should and hopefully do well. It’s a thriller that keeps on thrilling you throughout, not

like many others that will just have that one twist and be done. No, Gone Girl will keep twisting you round until you’ve done a complete 360, twice or more. It could send you a little dizzy.

The look of the overall film for me is what sells it as a modern thriller; the realistic 41

feel to the characters and their surroundings makes it that much more sinister than a hyper reality world would.

The links to recession and dealing with a dying loved one are things that happen quite often in our own world, so for me that made the whole idea of this film a possibility ( quite a scary thought actually).

It’s with this aspect that I

believe it will do well not only with audience but critics; it’s a modern reality that could potentially happen.

can’t nit-pick at – trust me I do tend to nit pick tiny things; yet with Gone Girl it’s hard, very hard.

I might be saying this a little early, but there’s not much of 2014 left now, however this could be the film of the year for me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been completely bowled over by a film that I

If there is to be any film you seen in the next couple of weeks then go see Gone Girl.

You won’t regret it!

Words: Steph Sverdloff

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Film Review

“Luke Evans’ enthralling acting means this film stands out from previous adaptions.”

- Jayna patel

Stars: Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, Art Parkinson, Charles Dance and Dominic Cooper.

If you’re looking for escapism then Dracula Untold is where it’s at, with all the ingredients of a perfect alluring fantasy to get lost and wrapped up in.

Shaking off the religious subtexts and time period of 1992’s Dracula, starring Gary Oldman as the notorious vampire, Dracula Untold embodies the widely feared Transylvanian born prince Vlad III, who is said to have murdered hundreds of thousands of European civilians, usually by impaling and is widely thought to have inspired Bram Stoker when he was penning the infamous character. The film puts a unique spin on Dracula’s origin story that he was simply a desperate yet noble leader searching for peace and protection for his people against their enemy, the Turks.

When Vlad’s peaceful reign is interrupted by Sultan Mehmed II demanding that 1000 young Translyvanian boys be given to him, including Vlad’s only son, Ingeras, to fill his swelling army ranks, Vlad makes the courageous decision to return to the liar of a cursed and evil ancient sorcerer and obtain

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the power of a vampire to defeat the Turks and protect his family and people. The catch is he has three days to resist the voracious thirst for human blood or else he will remain in his cursed and dark state for eternity and the sorcerer will be free to walk the Earth enacting deadly revenge.

I don’t know if it was Luke Evans’ charming good looks or enthralling acting but the film had a romantic renaissance flair marking it out from previous adaptions. Instead of having his wife commit suicide after being misinformed about her husband’s death like in Bram Stoker’s Dracula ( 1974), Mirena makes the ultimate sacrifice in the end, making this interpretation a tale of tragedy and turbulent inner torment. However, to lighten the mood, Dracula Untold strikes a flawless balance of intense action and endearing family scenes to keep an unwaveringly entertaining pace.

hundreds and stunning slow motion CGI overlayed with captivating voiceovers telling compelling fables to set and add to the scene, make for an faultless medieval medley of suspense, perilous battles and love and resilience.

This film also works if you’re seeing it for the horror factor, with Charles Dance making a chilling villain in any film (Last Action Hero, Game of Thrones) but with his haunting demeanor and disturbingly realistic costume, he really excels at radiating pure evil, resonating fear within even the most seasoned horror viewers in Dracula Untold.

With the door left wide open for a gripping sequel, possibly bringing in more original characters like Dr. Van Helsing, Dracula Untold is definitely one to watch out for.

Words: Jayna Patel

The thunderous amplified clash of steel, epic special effects of swarms of bats ambushing enemies in their

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“There is more than meets the eye, in this gritty character led crime thriller.”

- Jayna Patel

77% Stars: Denzel Washington, Chloe Grace Moretz, Johnny Skourtis and Marton Csokas.

On the surface The Equalizer seems to be your everyday, violent crime thriller with a simple narrative and concept.

A quiet man, with a mysterious past, who doesn’t seem all he appears to be is seduced back into the world of mafias, combating crime and a questionable quest for justice when his young teenage friend (Chloe Grace Moretz) is severely assaulted by her Russian pimp (David Meunier).

His actions prove to be the catalyst that spell danger for Russian mob leader Vladimir Pushkin Vladimir Kulich), who sends his enforcer, Teddy/ Nikolai (Marton Csokas) to eliminate the threat to his carefully constructed criminal empire.

Yes it is edgy, yes it’s gritty, revolving around the grimy criminal underbelly of the city and casting light on the seedy goings on in shadowy back www.45-magazine.com

alleys, but a powerful script and Denzel Washington’s compelling portrayal of such a complex character sets this film apart.

A lot of screen time is devoted to helping the audience get a feel for Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), perhaps it’s dragged out too much and the pace is too slow, but persevere with it.

His lethal skill set of combat, gun fire and security surveillance soon become apparent as he takes on the role of an understated ‘crusader for justice’, it is hinted through-out the film that Robert has suffered an emotional ordeal of some kind and suffers daily inner torment as a consequence, with his young teenage friend, Teri, branding him ‘lost’. What sets Robert apart from his enemy, Nikolai is his sentimentality.

Following the usual convention of anti-heroes in films, similar to the likes of Wolverine: they lose someone close to them

which explains why they are so closed off. In this case, it is revealed that Robert lost his wife, Vivian. In comparison Nikolai is pure cold, clinical and calculating. Ralphie’s character is just so lovable that it’s not hard to find yourself rooting for him more.

Surprisingly, the ending was climatic and not the expected let down, with the warehouse serving as the perfect arena for a suspense filled, high stake gun fight. A nod has to go to the prop team, with a nail gun being brilliantly used to kill in the final and deadly gun battle.

This film certainly has all the hallmarks of a great action thriller, but unexplained gaps in the plot let it down-like Robert’s lack of back story and his wife’s unexplained death.

Perhaps the blanks will be filled in by a, what will most likely be a hotly anticipated, prequaliser?

Words: Jayna Patel 47

IFni tl emr vRi e w view

Polyanna mcintosh Making a name for herself in indie horror films, Polyanna McIntosh starred in chilling mystery horror, ‘White Settlers’ disturbing short horror, ‘The Herd’ in 2014 and creepy crime flick, ‘The Woman’ back in 2011. A talented and versatile actress, she also starred alongside James McAvoy in comedy ‘Filth’ last year. Here she talks about filming ‘Let Us Prey’, which premiered in Manchester at the opening night of Grimmfest.

Q: What was it like filming ‘Let Us Prey’ in Scotland, where you were born?

A: Oh God, yeah, where I was born, that was a long time ago! So we shot some of it in Scotland and some of it in Ireland, a lot more of it was shot in Ireland than in Scotland actually. We shot it in Roger Corman’s old studios in Spiddal by Galways so it’s really pretty and then we were there tearing it up, causing havoc. Shooting in Scotland was lovely because we were shooting just outside of Glasgow and it was really cobblestone-y and very pretty, but again it was in the evening so it had darkness to it. And then they’d be people hanging out the windows of their houses going: [puts on a Scottish accent] “You’re doing a film can I be in it!” .

Q: Do you find no matter where you go the locals always want to get involved?

A: Pollyanna: Yeah.

Q: Yeah, I know I’d be the same. What attracted you to the script of Let Us Prey and made you want to star in it?

A: It was really unusual, really mad story. Again it was the fact that it was set in Scotland, I knew there was going to be a lot of Scottish involvement.

Liam Cunningham was a great draw cos he’s a fab actor and turned out to be great fun. I loved Rachel’s character how she doesn’t take any shit, you know? She knows who she is and she’s both professional, kind of uptight in a way but she’s very, very capable of taking care of herself when the shit hits the fan. And yet she has this past, she has this background of abuse- so www.45-magazine.com

that was a new thing for me to go and research and figure out how you know, what the consequences of that and how her character would be.

So she’s sort of, she’s just to me, a very good character as a conflicted and complex character. So someone who’s, in Rachel’s case, very strong and yet very wounded, was interesting to me.

Q: I was going to say it’s her first day on the job as a police officer isn’t it? So how did that shape the way you played her?

A: Yeah she’s kind of edgy and weary of everybody because she’s the newcomer and yet they will know about her cos he’s got this past that was somewhat in the press. You know, when they talk about the girl who came back, she was a child who disappeared and was abused.

So they kind of know who she is but she doesn’t know who they are. So she’s a little weary of everybody, being her first day and yet she doesn’t ever want to show any vulnerability because, of course, underneath it all she is incredibly fragile and damaged. Maybe she’s weary of everyone but she really has no idea that it’s going to go as (laughs) Q: Oh as crazy?

A: As fucking crazy as it does on her first day!

Q: What was it like working with Liam Cunningham as the villain?

A: Yeah he is, he’s a brilliant actor and he’s a very down to earth and very funny. He’s very impish you know? He’s kind of naughty and I’m kind of naughty so we had a good

laugh together. He’s also incredibly professional and prepared. You know when Liam’s on the set because people stand up and take notice. So he’s a good fun kid at heart but he’s also a grown up to have on your side. He’s a good actor’s advocate, he’ll give you advice till the cows come home. (Lowers her voice) he’s also a silly buggar so…

Q: So do you like to get involved in the film? You don’t have like a stunt double or anything like that?

A: Err…I don’t think we had the budget for a stunt double (laughs).I don’t think they thought it was necessary either and frankly it probably wasn’t. I really do enjoy doing stunts. I really enjoy getting involved like you say, and I always think if you can be as realistic as possible then that’s always best.

Q: What sets ‘Let Us Prey’ apart from other horror films like John Carpenter’s ‘Assault on Precinct 13?’

A: Erm we’ve been told ours is occult on Precinct 13 which I think is, 15 or 13?

Q: 13.

A: 13. (laughs) Occult on Precinct 13. You see what horror buff I am? I’ve never seen that movie, I have no idea what it’s like but I’ve heard we’re quite similar, or that we’ve got certain elements similar. like I say, I quite like Scott Weinberg’s comment that we’re Occult on Precinct 13. I think what sets it apart for me was, what made me want to do it was, this very central, complex, driven female character who’s past gets slowly unravelled as 49

Film Review the film goes along. And you never see her boobs! So that’s quite good.

Q: You were in The Woman as well as a lead character…

A: I was, speaking of boobs…

Q: Yeah (laughs) Do you think there’s enough female characters in horror films?

A: No, there’s not. There needs to be loads of female everything.

Q: But not as many boobs!

A: But not as many boobs.

Well boobs are all well and good but I do tire of them a little bit. When it’s good for the story it’s good for everybody, sometimes it’s just a bit of affront, excuse the pun.

Q: Do you think there should be more female characters?

A: Yeah, I just think we could do with a few more complex female characters. With a bit more variety and different looking type of women, different sounding type of women, different ethnicity, different characters. Yeah we’ve got a way to go.

Q: Because in horror films they tend to be the damsel in distress kind of role.

A: Well this is the funny thing.

I’ve never really played the damsel in distress and yet I still get labelled as scream queen cos I’m a woman in horror. I think that scream queens died quite some time ago. Certainly the studio driven pictures, you can drive yourself mad watching those things. I think in independent horror there are actually a lot of interesting female characters and women do play a variety of roles. But

then horrors a genre you can look at that way, like you say, there’s sexist elements to it. I also feel like horror’s been pushing the boundaries and challenging the system for many many years, since the 70s it’s been a place for political and social argument and I think it continues to be so.

I’m looking forward to seeing more female directors in horror, more female writers.

I was just was just down at Fantastic Fest in Austin. The Soska Sisters were there and I was like “Yes Some chicks!”.

I have a short here called The Herd which Melanie Light directed and it’s a very interesting feminist horror movie so. The response I get from The Woman, which again is a very strong, female driven and feminist film, albeit made by a man but that’s not a problem to me at all, is that they just can’t get enough of it. If people watched as many movies as you could make of that subject, as many times as they watched The Woman, there’s clearly an audience for that..

Q: Incidentally, I was gonna ask you more about The Herd. It was an interesting plot, it’s quite dark isn’t it?

A: Yeah.

Q: Is it captors? Like females being kept as prisoners?

A: Yeah it’s basically an allegory for the dairy industry, so obviously all the cows in the dairy industry are female so all the women in The Herd are women erm or certainly all the ones who are captured.

And I play a captor, so I’m the

baddie. Yeah and then I’ve got two guys who work under me and they’re basically farmed for their breast milk to use in a beauty product, which isn’t so far from the truth (laughs).

Q: Hmmm. I was gonna say what attracted you to that cos it’s quite…

A: (laughs) I mean I as far as the breast milk thing is concerned that is actually being used as a beauty product and what attracted me to was, God it was just such an unusual story. The first four pages that I read of the script I was like “I can’t do this cos it’s so hideous what these women go through.” And I found it really really hard to read but it was such an angry movie and has such a wellcrafted allegory for those two elements, the way the beauty industry destroys our selfesteem and the way in which dairy cows, you know animals in general are mistreated in the food industry.

Q: Do you like playing the villain in films like in The Herd?

A: I do, I mean there’s certain villains I really enjoyed playing.

I have to say I did not enjoy playing the villain in The Herd.

Q: No? A: Not because I don’t think it was worth doing and I didn’t think it was going to be a great film but because she was just aware enough of her cruelty that she was making others endure but stuffing down that feeling of shame or being reviled by the own actions she was stuffing it all down in order to do a job. And I kind of, living in that headspace was really.

Q: She didn’t have much of a conscience as a character really?

A: Well she was she was aware, she couldn’t afford to.

I mean she knew what she was doing but she ignored it because she wanted to just get the job done and I feel like there’s a lot of people going through that. It just kind of grossed me out, I felt really sad.

Q: Aw I was reading the plotline online and I was just a bit like I have to ask you about that because it’s a bit disgusting.

A: Yeah. It was really sad but I think it’s a great film.

Q: Going back to Let Us Prey what was it like working with Brian O’Malley?

A: He’s lovely, he’s really lovely. He did an amazing job on this film, I think he elevated it greatly with his direction… he’s just a very good man actually, he’s a good guy, you know, and he’s sensitive and he’s considerate and I was extremely collaborative to the point of making massive amounts of notes on the script and there were a lot of changes made before we started. He was just great to work with. And it was his first feature, which is always really exciting to be around somebody making their first feature, especially somebody you believe in. I’d seen his shorts before and they’re also quite incredible. So yeah I’m sure Brian will go on to make great movies.

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Film Review

Q: One to watch out for?

A: hmmm. Yeah, in every genre, I don’t think he’s just going to do horror films, you know?

but I’m not going to come in and go “oh by the way I’ve got this role” but now I want this to change” you just, you just can’t be doing that.

Q: Do you also get to, the actress or actor, do they get to change the script as they go along to what they prefer?

I have a lot of respect for writers.

A: Not officially no, depends on lots of things. Depends on what you’ve agreed before you start, depends on status of the actor, depends on whether the script needs any help, you know, it depends on a lot of things. I was really spoilt by doing The Woman, Lucky McKee and I worked in collaboration for four months before that movie and I gave him notes on everything. He asked for notes on everything, and after that point, you know, if there’s something I want to say about, an opinion about, I’ll share it but I don’t always expect to get one.

Q: For it to be taken on board?

A: Yeah for it to be taken on board. And it’s not the job, you know, it’s not my job as an actor to change a script but if there are things I feel need consideration before I take the role then that will happen

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Q: I don’t think they get enough attention.

A: No, I mean it’s gotta come from the script, it’s gotta be there in the script otherwise it’s not gonna be there on the screen.

Q: What, projects?

A: I’m writing something at the moment, which I’m gonna direct next year as a comedycalled Perfect. I’m shooting a movie at the end of November called It’s Walls Were Blood, which is horror, port man toe, piece, it’s got three stories in one and mine is with Steve Oram, who’s in The Canal, it’s playing here at Grimmfest, where are we?

(Laughs) So you can actually speak to him, he’s gonna be on the closing night, closing night of the film and he was also in Sightseers ,guy with the red hair, who I think is brilliant.

Q: Ok. A: So I’m playing his wife,

and I’m also a 120 year old vampiress.

Q: (laughs). Great variety of characters as well.

A: Yeah, yeah that’s gonna be really fun. I’m kind of a bitch too, but I’ll get over it.

Q: Aww I look forward to your comedy too cos I’ve seen you in a lot of horror so comedy will be good.

A: Yeah I know a lot of people, It’s funny cos you do these festivals people know your horror stuff but I’ve done a lot of other things…promise.

Q: (laughs).

A: Sorry Mum! Q: Just get stereotyped as horror?

A: Yeah, it’s been alright actually cos I have had the opportunity to do a lot of other things as well but certainly for the genre films obviously they know this kind of work of mine and that’s all good too.

Q: Do you have a particular genre you enjoy best?

A: I think I like comedy best cos I find it most challenging, it really scares me.

Words: Jayna Patel

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