Meet the Editors
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Venue Editors-in-Chief Niamh Jones and Dougie Dodds Niamh and Dougie, often referred to as ‘Nougie’ or ‘Diamh’ due to their uncanny ability to answer as one, Borg-like collective, are the new overlords of Venue. When apart Dougie likes to spend his time drawing and catching up on all the childhood experiences he realises he has missed (only just having watched Lion King and The Little Mermaid). Niamh likes to talk about sci-fi and Tim Burton to anyone who will listen and dress like a pretentious primary school teacher. She also chases sausage dogs for a living. They both share a love for typeface, and are total medieval nerds.
Venue Deputy Melissa Haggar Melissa is currently studying for an MA in Film, and to avoid this responsibility has taken up the post of Deputy Editor of Venue. Occasionally forcing herself to do the mountain of work she hasn’t yet attempted, whilst also simultaneously panicking about her productivity, she spends the rest of her time unwinding by binge-watching television shows and obsessively blogging about Japanese idol groups. As an avid hoarder, she has quite an impressive collection of POP! Vinyls, DVDs, comic books and old issues of EMPIRE. No, you really don’t want to see them.
Arts Kate Romain Deciding to do a history and politics degree left an art-shaped hole in Kate’s life which she is very excited to be filling with being the new Concrete Arts editor. If she could do it all again she’d probably study art. Or creative writing. Or maybe midwifery… Or acting? Or song-writing! She is open minded and indecisive. Her three favourite things, in no particular order, are: Eminem, mushrooms and big hair. Her goal is to find a career that combines all three of these passions. Her three least favourite things, in no particular order, are: mosquitos, Outer-Space, and barbeque sauce.
Music Lois Young An avid fan of music, ranging from Tay-Tay’s latest hits to the DMX classic ‘X Gon Give It To Ya,’ Lois is about to go into the third year of her History degree. Focussing on the medieval period means that she’s spent most of the last two years trying to work out how she would actually survive in the period (she’d probably end up in a convent somewhere...) and attempting to convince her RUDE friends that she is studying a real subject. She plans on distracting herself from the stress of her final year of university by co-editing the music section, interviewing lecturers about their Desert Island Discs choices, and continuing her obsession with period dramas.
Music
Alice Mortimer
Former Features Editor, Alice is back for another year of Concrete, but this time to revel in a year of new music with Venue. An Arctic Monkeys super-fan, her musical favourites range from the likes of Tame Impala, The Libertines and The Black Keys to Disclosure, Jamie xx and ‘King of Swing’ Frank Sinatra. She also unironically enjoys Pitbull, make of that what you wish. A third year Society, Culture and Media student, Alice is usually found trying to explain her course or attempting to justify its legitimacy, writing pointless lists or sat worrying about/dreading life post-UEA. She hopes a pair of headphones and editing music this year will serve as a distraction to this.
Fashion Emily Claridge Going into third year media studies, Emily once gave up coffee for lent and it was the worst month of her life. She’s attempting to get through summer still wearing all black and will sell her soul for a pink chair in the library. When she found out she was fashion editor she was wearing floral flares, a ‘keep calm and study’ tshirt from her mum and socks and sandals so she thinks she’s pretty ready for the job. Can be found instagram-ing her starbucks with no shame.
Meet The Editors
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Fashion Elley West Elley is the founder of VAGUEMagazine, a website dedicated to gender neutral fashion, currently in development, creating the brand from scratch. The website provides a platform for the latest news in LGBT+ fashion. She has also worked for MuggleNet, the world’s biggest Harry Potter Fansite. She was also the President of UEA Pride, and believes fashion is much more than the business of clothes: it is the business of culture. Founded at the forefront of culture, sometimes fashion is a business obsessed with the new. Like, for example, the Internet.
Television Denise Koblez Preferring a quiet evening in front of the telly with a nice cup of tea and some knitting to clubbing, alcohol and music so loud it could easily blast your eardrums, Denise fully embraces her inner granny and is not ashamed to admit it. Aware that, sadly, she is not actually living in blissful retirement just yet, but is about to start her third year she has somewhat managed to adapt to the student lifestyle, and whenever this life of deadlines and socialising gets a bit too much she just escapes into the wondrous world that is Netflix.
CreativeHugo Writing Douglas-Deane Hugo is a third-year English Literature student who is (unsurprisingly) a fan of words. He likes writing essays, poems, songs, and enjoys long walks on the beach. He likes pretty photos, pretty songs, and pretty poetry. He has contributed regularly to Concrete over the past 2 years and is excited (and slightly worried) to be at the helm of the editing process, especially since he is on the committee for UEA Publishers and a fan of print in general.
Gaming Kirsty McAlipine As an ignorant and depraved ‘gamer girl’, Kirsty spends almost all of her time taking attention-seeking selfies with video game memorabilia, pretending to love Mountain Dew, and having no idea what an ‘MLG’ is but laughing at the references anyway so that people will like her. She likes to spend her time commenting “I’m only a girl but I love this game!” on online forums in order to garner brief glimpses of attention. She thinks a MOBA is a germ. Kirsty’s favourite game is Candy Crush and she thinks Harvest Moon is too hardcore. Filthy casual. (yes, this is sarcasm).
Film
Willa Hope Willa applied for the role of Film Section Co-Editor because she thought having a Netflix account was enough of a qualification. She was also drawn in by the promise of free cinema tickets. Is she pretentious? Probably, but that’s what editors are for. Willa is in her second year reading American Studies but likes to pretend she knows more than film studies students. Embarrassingly though, she would always rather be watching a chick flick than an Oscar winner. Willa can usually be found in her bed watching Gossip Girl, cooing over the Shetland ponies or eating.
Film Louis Pigeon-Owen Louis Pigeon-Owen is a part-time blogger and full-time film enthusiast, going into his third year of an English Literature and Creative Writing degree. He is interested in Nordic Noir, unreasonably flamboyant shirts and whether or not our existence holds any cosmic importance. After a violent stand-off with his biographer, Louis fired the man in question with immediate effect and without even giving him his monthly pay-check, so the project was abandoned mid-sen… oh wait there’s more! I am also famous for appearing in The Tab’s best dressed on campus, and struggle to write 100 words about myself.
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Arts
summer reading: sorted
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My top three (slightly unconventional) poolside reads Kate Romain
My Shit Life So Far by Frankie Boyle I picked this up in Tesco because Frankie Boyle is my weird crush, and it was buy one get one half price. Surprisingly, it turned out to be great poolside reading. It’s definitely one to miss if Frankie’s humour makes you cringe, but you don’t have to be a Frankie Boyle super-fan to appreciate his musings and reflections on his ‘shit life’. This book is laugh out loud funny, and Frankie’s rather depressing portrayal of a gloomy Glasgow will
make you appreciate the fact you’re sunning yourself by the poolside that little bit more.
A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly This was my mum’s poolside read when I was seven, and I managed to sneak my way through half of it behind the plastic waterslide in the kid’s pool before I was discovered and told it was unsuitable. As a defiant and rule breaking thirteen year old, I would go on to finish it, and can
confirm it is a beautiful book. It’s a historical novel set in upstate New York with something for everyone: mystery, romance, murder, and forbidden friendship. Though dealing with challenging and topical issues, this book is delicate, elegant, and most importantly for a poolside read, extremely readable.
Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini It would be wrong to write a ‘top three’ book list of any kind without
including a book by my favourite underrated author, Ned Vizzini. Be More Chill is quirky, bizarre, and thought provoking, as well as being a very easy read for those whose brains are exhausted from exams. Set in a high school, it tells the story of Jeremy Heere, considered to be a teenage looser, and the ‘squip’, a super computer he swallows to help him achieve all his high school desires. This ends up taking a more sinister turn. Don’t be put off by the fact it’s teen fiction: this is part of its charm. It’s a very funny and original read.
Illustration by Frith Dunkley
ART SHOW 8 COMING TO NORWICH renowned ‘BRITISH ART SHOW 8’ COMING TO A CASTLE NEAR YOU Kate Romain East Anglia will be the third stop after Leeds and Edinburgh in the prestigious ‘British Art Show 8’ this summer from 24 June - 4 September. The unique exhibition opening, taking place on 18 June, has been named ‘the History Train’, by its creator Alan Kane, and will feature six horse drawn carriages processing through the city streets to deliver art to the three venues: starting at Norwich University of the
Arts, then the Norwich Castle, and finishing up at the Forum. 42 artists will be coming together to showcase over 100 works, many of which have been created especially for this unique fiver-yearly exhibition. The exhibition will feature work from local talent, including NUA alumni Jessica Warboys, as well as Ryan Gardner, who lives and works in
Kate Romain concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk
Saxmundham, Suffolk. Gardner’s work is not just physical, but explores words and pictures, with a focus on linking various types of media. Warboys also works with various media, including film, performance and painting. She will be showcasing her new work, ‘Sea Painting’. As stated by art critic Mark Hudson, ‘British Art Show 8’ promises the stars
of tomorrow, today’, with artists such as Damien Hirst and Rachel Whitered exhibiting work in previous shows ‘just before they hit the big time’. For anyone interested in finding out more about the Norwich art scene, this is definitely one not to be missed! There’s an admission fee to view the works at Norwich Castle, but will be free of charge in the Forum and NUA.
Arts
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adult colouring books all the art with none of the hassle Kate Romain I received my Lost Ocean Inky Adventure colouring book from my boyfriend for Christmas along with a set of colouring pencils and water colours. Prior to opening it, he’d told me he wasn’t sure about my Christmas present. Apparently, I was either going to ‘love it or think it’s the stupidest thing ever’.
So, to my boyfriend’s relief, his thoughtful present has turned out to be very well used. I have found the great thing about
if you have one with a lot of blank space, try taking a black fine-liner and extending the pattern the pattern or image. If you have a
“Apparently I was either going to love my Christmas present, or think it was the stupidest thing” Having done an art foundation diploma before coming to UEA, I’d promised myself I’d carry creating: I’d keep making stop-motion films with magazine clippings, I’d carry on creating huge sculptures from shreds of material and old children’s toys found in charity shops, and I would continue developing disposable cameras in the dark room. These things, unfortunately, fell by the wayside. Though my Lost Ocean colouring book isn’t a substitute for these things, I would definitely recommend adult colouring books to satisfy any artistic urges in a convenient and stress-free way.
“Adult colouring books are the most convenient and hassle-free way to be creative”
glue, pen, pencil or paint. You don’t even need to be a creative person to enjoy adult colouring books. They are often hailed being relaxing Credit: for Becky Lamming and mindful: for a guaranteed stress-free experience you can keep it strictly inside the lines, leaving only the colour scheme up to you. For this, I have found keeping it simple with colouring pencils works best. Whichever way you decide to take your masterpiece, adult colouring books are likely to provide you with an instagrammable end result!
“If you have a bit more time, try collaging into your colouring book using magazine clippings”
adult colouring books to be the way they provide guidelines that you can either work within, or alter to make more your own. For example,
bit more time, try collaging into your colouring book using old magazine clippings. Most colouring books have good quality paper so you can use
There are a huge variety of themes and designs to choose from: a quick look on Amazon reveals a Harry Potter colouring book, a Swear Words colouring book boasting ‘forty swear words to colour, and relax’, and the official Game of Thrones colouring book. The existence of a colouring book dedicated to images of Jeremy Corbyn in various costumes and locations (no red pencil included sadly), proves that there is something out there for everyone. For me, adult colouring books ae the most convenient and hassle-free way to be creative: I couldn’t recommend them highly enough.
Illustration by Kate Romain Photo credits: Wiki Common
concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk
Kate Romain
Music
06
Desert island discs Brett Mottram sat down with English Literature Lecturer, Tom Rutledge for our first edition of desert island discs Brett Mottram Our first castaway is Tom Rutledge, lecturer in English Literature, who has kindly agreed to talk about his musical preferences to Concrete Music, despite his anxiety that they might not ‘strike a chord’ with readers. His passions include rugby, hockey, and – luckily, given the nature of this interview – music. He plays the trumpet and guitar, and has been teased by his wife that his taste in music features hardly anything produced in the last twenty-five years.
“
WHich Three tracks would you take to the desert island?
”
Struggling to limit the answer to only three, Tom opted for the Adagio of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Beethoven’s ‘Arietta’ Piano Sonata, and Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, with very close reserve choices of Bach’s Cello Suites and Mozart’s 6th Symphony and 15th String Quartet.
track from best “ Favourite “toSong your teenage years? comfort ” someone when they feel upset? ” Tom immediately chose Paul Simon’s ‘You Can Call Me Al’, but again, this choice was bound together with many others, including ‘Gumboots’ (also from Simon’s Graceland album) and ‘Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog after the War’.
Track you associate “ with a fond memory? ”
Fauré’s ‘Requiem’, which he listened to before leaving New Zealand, and which his parents found still on the turntable of the record player after he’d gone.
“
Your favourite party song?
”
Joking that this question departed from his usual disposition for melancholic music, Tom went for Pulp’s ‘Common People’.
“ Your wedding song?”
REM: ‘Everybody Hurts’. Then, almost as an afterthought, Beethoven’s String Quartet 132, ‘Heiliger Dankgesang’, which he explained is especially significant, expressing as it does holy thanksgiving for the return of strength after an illness, useful after this exam period.
A song that has “most meaningful or ”
significant message?
For this, he chose Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony, ‘Eroica’. This was playing in his car when his daughter was prematurely born, and the apparently premature arrival of the horns in the first movement seemed to musically mirror her early birth.
Tom’s wedding songs were the first two movements of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, the 3rd movement of Beethoven’s 16th Piano Sonata, and (as they signed the register), Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Song for the Asking’.
an an artist/ “ Recommend song/album? ” Tom returned to his beloved Beethoven, in particular Piano Sonata 32 (the subject of Wendell Kretzschmar’s lecture in Thomas Mann’s Doctor Faustus). Also to Andrew Bird, whose new album Are You Serious is out now.
Editor’s summer playlist alice mortimer
‘Go!’ - M83 Set to play numerous festivals worldwide over the next few months, French electronic band M83 provide the perfect summer soundtrack with their 80’s inspired synth-pop. ‘Untitled 06’ – Kendrick Lamar From the recent release of Kendrick’s surprise compilation album, Untitled Unmastered, the imaginatively (un) titled Untitled 06 sounds kind of like cruising your St Tropez yacht in
flawless sunshine, you know the feeling? Featuring the harmonious vocals of Cee Lo Green, this vintage-soul track at least lets you pretend that you do.
Beastie Boys remixes Joseph Mount’s driving beat into a nu-disco frenzy - ‘Old Skool’ promises to be the hipster dance anthem of the summer.
‘Good Vibrations’ – The Beach Boys What’s a summer playlist without an appearance from The Beach Boys? Famous for sparking pop experimentation in the 60’s, the classic baroque harmonies, echo effects and riff changes in ‘Good Vibrations’ make it the ideal summer roadtrip track.
‘Loud places’ - Jamie xx Far from what its title suggests, this track from one third of indie/dream pop trio The xx is all about peace and quiet. Everything’s murmured, minimalistic and beautifully understated. ‘Loud Places’ provides bliss for those laidback drinks at sunset.
‘Radar Detector’ – Darwin Deez Excessively rhyming, lyrically vomitinducing; ‘It’s only been a week, but I know that you are mine to keep’, this song by Brooklyn boys Darwin Deez is possibly everything wrong with the indie-pop genre. Nonetheless, it’s catchy, kooky and the ultimate hipsterpop. Enjoy with no shame.
‘Kids’ – MGMT There is no finer piece of indietronica than this track by MGMT. Perfectly encapturing school summer-break excitement, its infamous electro-keyboard riff is more than enough to spark nostalgia of that end-of-term bell.
’Old Skool’ – Metronomy Metronomy’s latest is a wonderful electronic dance track that builds to a divine, record-scratching finale. Collaborator Mix Master Mike of the
‘The Suburbs’ – Arcade Fire Arcade Fire, famed for their grand statements and somewhat overwhelming musical style, complete a U-turn to channel careless childhood wonder with ‘The Suburbs’ amidst a coming-of-age theme to remind you of those good-old-
Cover Credits: WikiCommon
Illustrations by Dougie Dodds and Niamh Jones
Alice Mortimer + Lois Young concrete.music@uea.ac.uk
days - “In my dreams we’re still screamin’ and runnin’ through the yard”. ‘Cemetery Gates’ - The Smiths If you’re finding yourself craving some negative irony on a sunny day, this 1986 track by The Smiths is your go-to. Although lyrically the song maintains that scathing Morrissey touch, its shuffling rhythm and catchy bassline make for the perfect picnic tune.
Music
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An Academic year in music Lois young ‘Hello’ - Adele If any song has defined this academic year, it has got to be Adele’s ‘Hello’. Soulful and emotive, this song reflects the heart-breaking agony of relationship breakdowns from the perspective of the break-up perpetrator. ‘Hello’ captivated its audience, spending three weeks at number one, and placing Adele back into the lime-light after two years of absence. ‘Hello’ has to be the most successful come-back song to date; made apparent by the ample amount of parodies (my favourite is the ‘Star Wars’ themed one, you won’t be disappointed.) ‘Love Yourself’- Justin Bieber I know lots of people really dislike Justin Bieber, but I am (slightly) ashamed to say that I have started to enjoy his new stuff. ‘What Do You
Mean’ and ‘Sorry’ are amongst his most successful songs of this academic year, but ‘Love Yourself’ created a new, more meaningful side to Bieber’s music, causing him once more to soar into popularity. Perhaps this was a result of his collaboration with singersongwriter Ed Sheeran, who wrote the song for him. With six weeks at number one, this track has been his most popular to date. ‘X Gon’ Give It To Ya’ – DMX This song was originally released in 2003, but recently made a come-back after its appearance in Deadpool in February 2016. As one of the most successful films of the year, this song re-entered the charts at no. 23 at the end of February. If you’re feeling stressed or demotivated, ‘X Gon’ Give It To Ya’ is a fabulous cure. Also, check out Melissa McCarthy’s lip-sync of this song – it’s golden.
‘Fast Car’ – Jonas Blue ft. Dakota Despite the criticisms of this remix of Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’, it spent eleven weeks in the Top Ten charts. The song retains the original melody and lyrics written by Tracy Chapman in 1988, which could account for this song’s popularity. It has, however, lost a large amount of its depth and meaning when set against the pounding-base and fast pace of this dance anthem, although enthusiasts of the original will not be able to help but enjoy themselves when they hear this in a club. ‘Work’ – Rihanna 2016 for me, especially when in the LCR, has been defined by Rihanna’s ‘Work’. This is one of those songs that you hate when you first hear it, but, after a few listens, it gets under your skin. Despite its clear popularity, it
Illustration by Niamh Jones
never actually made it to number one, but come on, there is no one alive in 2016 who hasn’t heard this song. Secret Love Song’ – Little Mix ft. Jason Derulo ‘Secret Love Song’ is an emotionallycharged ballad, telling the story of a torturous secret relationship (you can tell that I’m a sucker for the ballads right?) Although you may not know it from the title, when you hear the chorus you’ll realise how much this track has been played around campus.
Album review: ‘A moon shaped pool’ radiohead Louis Pulford appear to be more concerned with how immaculately their jeans are rolled up than they are with their musical ability, and even my family’s fifteenyear-old black Labrador can summon anger more convincing than Muse’s in their most recent output.
One of the most accurate assessments I have ever heard of a band described Elbow as like dust: impossible to have an opinion on, whether it be positive or negative. Sadly, music as a whole seems to be heading the same way: hired songwriters make it nigh-on impossible for an established artist to share an emotional connection with their music. Those forming new bands
Throughout this depressing decline, Radiohead have remained unabashedly, consistently, and, oddly enough, reassuringly, bizarre; a streak of vibrant colour upon the magnolia wall of modern music. A Moon Shaped Pool is not as intense as its predecessors, nor as peculiar, lacking the angst of ‘OK Computer’, the dystopic hopelessness of ‘Kid A or Hail to the Thief’, and the sheer audacity of 2011’s ‘The King of Limbs’. If a comparison to their previous work had to be made, then I would say that it was a natural followon from their 2007 album In Rainbows, a claim that I know would have many Radiohead fans jumping for joy.
But, do not let the frantic strings of opener ‘Burn the Witch’ fool you: this song is reminiscent of an older Radiohead (not surprising seeing as it was originally intended for HttT in 2003). Whilst its odd ability to both depress and uplift you is typical of the band’s style, it’s possible, even this early in the album, to detect Thom Yorke’s overall fatigue, the vibrancy of the music juxtaposing well, but not entirely comfortably, with his almost lazy vocals. It is easier to detect this in ‘Daydreaming’ and ‘Glass Eyes’, both songs giving the impression that the band have lost the motivation and energy that they had when their music gave voice to their inherent cynicism. I hasten to add that both songs are, in a way that only this band can manage, incredibly beautiful and capable of stirring deep emotion, with the repeated line of ‘I don’t really care’ carrying far more weight than such a nonchalant statement should.
Although there are no weak tracks on this album, those that truly stand out are those already mentioned, the more upbeat ‘Identikit’ (perhaps most noticeable for the first example of Johnny Greenwood’s lead guitar capabilities recorded for many years), the Spanish-influenced ‘Present Tense’, and ultimately, the closing song (another throwback) ‘True Love Waits’. The culmination of the album embodies its overall mood more effectively than every other song offered; it is evident that Radiohead have aged, but unlike most of the forty-fifty-something-yearold acts, they have aged gracefully, their youthful cynicism having been replaced with a crushing world-weariness. The finality of this album has already led to much speculation that this might be Radiohead’s last album, but the final words, “Just don’t leave, don’t leave” beg us for patience, and if they are to continue in the same vein as this album, it is patience that should be given. Cover Credits: WikiMedia
concrete.Music@uea.ac.uk
Alice Mortimer + Lois Young 3
fashion
08
Walking on sunshine why everyone should love socks and sandals
Emily Claridge So Vogue seems to be pressing the mule as the shoe of the summer for another year. Two of their six ‘shoes of 2016’ were the mule slide and mule pump. I’m really not getting on board with the trend as it
feels like a clunky, outdated mix between a platform, wedge, sandal and pump. Who knows what shoe it is? Yes Vogue, I know it looks cute on Gigi Hadid, as does everything; I’m still not wearing mules. I’m definitely not spending $195 on Matisse cowboy style mules; that is one expensive fancy dress costume.
added tassels! The lace-up sandal feels like the gladiator sandal that has grown up and gone to uni. They instantly make an outfit look more chic and put together even if you’re just going to the library no one will know you haven’t showered for 3 days as long as they’re focussed on your cute lace-up pumps.
On the bright side, this summer there have been some super cute trends that even a poor, poor student like me can buy (I just won’t pay rent for a bit, no biggie). I love the lace up sandals that look good on anyone. They can be found nearly anywhere; in New Look for £18.50 or Zara for £39.99 with
My third shoe choice to address is one that has been widely debated. Despite their infamous reputation I’m going to throw it out there, socks and sandals. Horrible? Yes. Brave? Definitely. There is a certain awe inspiring quality about seeing someone rocking those velcro khaki sandals and off white socks
that just makes you respect their lack of shits given. I’m calling it, mules are dead, and socks are sandals are back. That’s right I said it.
overdraft make-up Tips From ‘end of term’ to ‘my loan just came in’ summer make-up Emily Claridge I’m going to start at the ‘end of term’ end of this spectrum as I am definitely feeling the strain on that trusty overdraft.
just be resourceful and your bank account won’t notice a thing as you look summer ready.
First things first, minimal equals cheap. Summer is all about subtle ‘I’m really wearing make-up but you can’t tell, I’m just naturally glowing’ so double up some of your products. Concealer instead of foundation. Lipstick doubles up as blusher and eye shadow. Basically
OK, Mum’s just lent you 20 quid; what a great day. Do you pay your friend for that drink they bought you? Pay some bills? No. You buy some bronzer. When you can’t afford to go to Barcelona at least dot some bronzer across your cheek bones and forehead for that ‘oh I’ve
been tanning rather than crying looking at my bank statement’ glow. Finally, this tip is for the ‘loan came in and I’m absolutely loaded’ days. False eyelashes are probably not a long term good idea but if you’re willing to splash out and want to not bother with makeup for the rest of the summer, going to a salon and getting the individual lash implants makes a massive difference.
It means not worrying about running mascara on the beach or eyeliner that is going to melt. It really means you can wear no other make-up and still look done up. Just try not to get addicted or you’ll have no eyelashes by next year. My final piece of advice if none of these are grabbing you is don’t wear any make-up, it’s summer, go to the beach, you look cute anyway!
Double denim everyday and why you need to learn to sew
Emily Claridge Denim isn’t exactly a new trend but the new found appreciation for double denim around campus is something worth writing about. Blue denim jeans are pretty much the only way I’ve dragged myself out of all black for the summer. My denim eagle eye has been surveying you all and there have been a lot of denim shirts, jackets, dungarees and so on around campus. It is an effortless way to still look cute without trying too hard. Denim is one of the few materials where you really cannot tell whether someone has spent hundreds or not, so a cute charity store denim jacket is going to look just as great as Kanye’s (which i’m guessing isn’t from Oxfam). One of my favourite features of the ever cute denim jacket is to add patches. It means you have a jacket
that no one else has and is fun to do anyway. Anyone can sew a patch on a jacket, you don’t need a C in GCSE Textiles (like I have, I know, you’re impressed). Pull & Bear have jeans and jackets with pre-sewn patches which are adorable but about £40. I managed to resist buying the jacket when I saw the patch on the back saying ‘follow me’. It seemed stupid to spend £40 then have to sew a ‘DON’T’’ next to it myself. I have since then trailed around Norwich to find a cheaper alternative. The Haymarket vintage stalls have loads of denim for about £20- £30. It’s the end of term though, my overdraft cannot handle a £30 jacket.
Illustrations by Niamh Jones and Emily Claridge
emily Claridge concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk
I’ve found the cheapest place for denim is definitely charity stores, it takes a bit more sifting but if you can be bothered you can find a cute denim jacket for £5. Then you can spend £15 on your own patches and you’ve already spent half you would have at Pull & Bear. Forget the EU I’ve found a bigger opinion divider; dungarees. Some people seem to only be able to think about farmers and make tractor jokes when they’re mentioned. Some though, would be happily buried in their trusty dungarees. I personally think they are lovely and just admire whoever wears them especially when you realise how difficult it is to go to the bathroom. All in all denim is adorable. Double it, triple it, I don’t care, I’m just enjoying UEA’s abundance of it.
Television
09
Orange is the new black is back denise Koblenz The fourth season of Netflix hit Orange Is the New Black will be released on 17th June, and with coursework and exams well out of the way, it is the perfect timing for a new binge watch project. The new season looks promising with cast members and showrunners saying that season four will be darker than the previous ones and from what we know so far it will definitely not get any less interesting. With Caputo having taken over Litchfield he will have his hands full from the very beginning of season four. He has to re-establish order after his inmates have broken out of prison to enjoy the nearby lake, and a host of new inmates have arrived in the already overpopulated Litchfield. There will be new faces
in the show which will hopefully lead the storyline to focus more on those other inmates, putting Piper Chapman, the self-proclaimed Godfather of Litchfield, somewhat in the background. As Chapman is the original main character she is of course important for the storyline and the show cannot very well continue once she is out of prison. However, this does not meant that she is a very likeable character. As Taylor Schilling described her character in an interview, Chapman “tries on everything lie a piece of clothing – she doesn’t quite fit the jacket, but she tries it on”, a characteristic that, after three seasons, is more irritating than intriguing. One can hope that she transforms into more of a side
character and that viewers get the storyline will focus more on the other inmates. Whilst viewers will see new faces, there will also be old ones as it has been announced that fan favourite Nicky Nichols will return after spending most of the third season in Max.So overall the new season of Orange Is the New Black looks promising, and with the show already renewed for seasons five, six and seven, it seems that the showrunners are certainly not short of ideas where to take the storyline next.
Television vs netflix Will online platforms take over traditional viewing? Melissa Haggar Streaming vs Broadcasting. With the introduction of new technologies and the vast ways in which we can consume media online, there has never been a more exciting and versatile time to watch television programmes. But what does it mean for more traditional media – such as television – when online platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime are on the rise? The appeal of these services are quite clear – shows that are exclusive to Netflix or Amazon Prime are often readily available seasons at a time, negating the need to wait for lengthy periods of time to consume shows. The end result is what can be more commonly described as ‘binge watching’; a popular pasttime for those who wish to remain fully engrossed in the enthralling worlds of their programmes. But will the advantages of online platforms and streaming take away some of the ‘magic’ of television, and will these services ultimately suffer from Netflix’s and Amazon Prime’s impact? Perhaps they will, perhaps they will not. Online platforming and services such as those above tend to offer
more specialised programmes that you might not necessarily find on popular television channels, and open up avenues for lower budget and niche shows to have their chance to shine. Shows like Daredevil or Jessica Jones would find it difficult to be purchased by regular channels, and the immediacy of streaming sites benefits their nature and construction. Not only that, but online platforms often make main channel shows from certain countries accessible
Illustrations by Dougie Dodds
to viewers around the world, offering international viewers the chance to get in on the action and p otentially limiting piracy and encouraging legitimate sources of viewing. Television is limited in the number of programmes it can realistically broadcast per channel, and online platforms could be viewed as taking away some of the pressure, without retracting from the initial appeal of television. In some respects, television offers the promotion of ‘family time’, or group bonding, where relatives, friends and partners can get together and sit down for at least an
hour a week and watch their favourite show together – whereas having all episodes available at once on online sites may be too time-consuming for both professionals and homedwellers. Similarly, channel-surfing or boredom TV watching offers up the opportunity to discover something new, without having to invest too much emotional capital into what you are watching (after all, it takes hours to decide whether you should watch the next season of House of Cards or The Walking Dead). The impact that online platforms and services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, 4OD or BBC iPlayer will have on traditional media like television is ultimately unclear at the moment, as new technologies and cultural practices are being developed and explored. However, there is the insight and analysis into what these different services can offer – and depending on whether they will still adhere to these values and offer these same things in the future could potentially have a large impact on our society and culture as a whole.
concrete.television@uea.ac.uk
Denise Koblenz 3
creative writing
10
‘FREEDOM’ “For this issue I thought it would be nice to go without a theme, so I titled my emails ‘Freedom’. You may have finished your end-of-year essays or exams (or finished uni even!), you may still have exams but you’ve found a bit of solace in writing, or you may have been enjoying the springtime weather as a bit of freedom from the chilly winter just passed. Whichever applies, I thought a bit of a free reign would be welcome, and so asked you all to submit anything you like, and the submissions have all been great! Thank you everyone and have a great summer” — Hugo Douglas-Deane, Creative Writing Editor.
‘Free Country’ — Lauren Clarke It is the vibrations that wake you rather than the sound overhead that is like the low grumble of thunder. In the distance, you hear the impact. Three maybe four miles you think. You haven’t the time to wipe the sleep from your eyes. Your father is already standing, grabbing a pre-packed bag from under ‘disposable lives’ — Jay Stonestreet the table. It is still dark outside. A tinge of orange lines the cityscape, you hope They were only animals left it’s the rising sun; but you know it isn’t. As he stuffs some food in the bag, feasting. Rotten corporate leftovers your father asks you to help your sister. Amena is struggling with her shoes, spilling from city bins. Trees, ancestors her chubby hands fumble with the laces. You tie them for her, using double of the paper bags bearing that fast food insignia knots. Then, you dress her in more clothes, as many as possible. She tells you wept for the goodness gone. she is too hot, you apologise as you put a scarf around her neck. The padding His back peeled with the sunburn makes her look soft and plump as if she’d bounce right back if you dropped her. always refusing the mother’s caution. She is four years old. Your mother has your toothbrushes clenched in her fist. At the beach, swimming among detritus She is tall and slender, much prettier than any of your friend’s parents. In this laughingly splashing the world’s waste. light, however, her skin looks grey. Her once graceful movement now seems Smoke pouring all the fires in their lungs unnatural, as if invisible strings dictated her movement. burning sense, logic, frontal lobes into Beneath your feet, you feel a small tremor. The sensation seeps through pseudo-romanic cinders captured on your shoes and up your legs, like pins and needles. You can barely hear your disposable film. Disposable life. father over the din. He wants to leave now. Your mother scoops up Amena, Lived in a shutter click. 25 moments left. who is now crying. Her wails are inaudible through the blare outside. In all And life becomes art that someone sticks the clamour, you are already on the stairwell before you realise you never on their wall with tack that dries and loosens, looked back at your home. The place you spent all your life, the house to your and the art flies out of a seventh-storey window memories, the apartment your parents thought you might one day inherit. down to the dogs and the river waiting There isn’t time now. and out into the city-sea scum and all life and The street is empty. All the dust and debris make the wind visible. Even all art is worthless as the world we waste. though you have pulled your scarf over your mouth, the dirt has managed to invade and it clogs every crevice. Your father listens carefully, trying to figure out the airspace. It is eerily quiet. He tells you to stay close to the building and you run, half-crouched in a line behind him. You pass the front doors of ‘POET’S WORK’ — SOPHIE CHAPMAN your neighbours and friends. Some left days ago, some, you think, must still be inside waiting and praying. You can hear your mother and Amena talking softly. An outlet ‘What’s happening? I’m thirsty.’ Projection ‘I know, dear, but you’ll have to wait for a bit. Okay?’ Protection You reach the end of your street and finally, you see some other people. Departing the mind Much like you, they stay huddled and close to the buildings. You see some Penetrating the skin children who might be around your age. Under the veil of dust, they might be Visibility to the world someone you would have recognised. Now, however, they look like everyone else: dirty and afraid. You see your car parked on the corner but your father Rejection continues past it, following the other families. Even though you sat in it last Attraction week, the car looks ancient as if it hasn’t been driven in years. You wonder if To admire or to loath a vehicle won’t work in that state, and that’s why you aren’t using it but you To dress or to clothe don’t ask – you trust your father. Above, you hear that all too familiar growl. Your mother screams, you Your soul, not body run for cover. The families scurry like ants, breaking formation. The doorways Your mind are already filled with cowering people. It is an important decision and it has The tiny flickers and sparks to be made quick. Unknowingly, you begin to cry. The tear that rolls down The tumours of thought your cheek mixes with the sand and turns to clay. The thunder approaches and Light or dark your chest burns. At a loss, your father drags you to a nearby abandoned van. Crouching beside it, your father does his best to wrap his arms around all of I fear myself you. You are unsure whether it is the van that is shaking so violently or your I fear Perfection human shield. Time slows. The roar is so deafening that you aren’t certain if I fear Denunciation it has passed over. Your father is only recognisable by the pair of eyes stark Regardless of the tangent white against the ash and the mud. You look at him and, for some reason, you remember the first time he scolded you. The look in his eyes is familiar yet I am my own critic unknown. You recall when this was something you heard adults speak about in And now you are too. hushed whispers, but now it is a reality. This was a world you never envisioned yourself in, a world you cannot comprehend. You wish for safety and security. You wish for home.
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Hugo Douglas-deane concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk
11
creative writing ‘Free to Dream’ — Tom Cascarini
I am not just thinking thoughts; my thoughts are thinking too. My hands are behind my head, against my pillow, my fingers forming a deck of cards, and I gaze up at the ceiling, and hope that there aren’t any daddy-longlegs up there. The darkness may look black to others, but it seems ultramarine to me. The golden orange lamplight from outside seeps in around the royal blue curtains and my mind’s eye clickiters away like it’s an ancient cinema projector, now there’s a vast IMAX screen before me. I hear singing from outside — tonight it’s Bohemian Rhapsody. I smile, and whisper-sing that operatic note, and lightly head bang to the guitar solo, though it comes out more like the bobbing of a pigeon’s head. The multifaceted smell of vegetable soup still lingers from when I brought it up to my room for lunch. My left foot sticks out over the edge of my bed, while the rest of my leg lays beneath the turquoise duvet. I lie with my eyes open for a little while longer. And then some indeterminate time later, I see sunflowers. I’m standing in the middle of Van Gogh’s wind-rippled cornfield, and now there are some reeds swaying in it as well, and I look down, and I’m standing upon a lilypad, and then I see that the wheat-field has gone, and I am sailing down a river, and now the water’s turned choppy, and it makes me jolt, and I get down on one knee as the wind shrieks against my face, and suddenly the shriek bursts. A shocked squeal erupts. I jolt up in bed. My eyelids flicker. The wail echoes inside my mind like it’s the crying of a cathedral choir. I roll over and reach for the light switch. The fluorescent tube positioned parallel to my mirror blinks once, and then blares on full power. I swing my legs round and sit at the edge of my bed, and with an exasperated mutter of ‘Fuck sake,’ I press my hands against my cheeks and stare down at the green carpeted floor. It’s 1:30AM. And I am not liking the thoughts I’m having at the moment. I have to sleep. I have to sleep. I have to sleep. This is when I get to feel self-loathing; it’s when it gets harder to separate the irrational thoughts from the ones that make sense— because the weird, nonsensical thoughts, when you are tired, make absolute perfect sense. I kinda wish I was outside with those karaoke singers. But I am just too tired. I rest my head against the pillow, and stare straight up. ‘God sake.’ I remove the crutches keeping my eyelids open, and I feel them descend like automatic shutters. I reach out and turn the light off again. I roll onto my opposite side, and hug my legs. ‘Hurgh.’ I never notice the transition into unconsciousness. I don’t understand why I can’t see it. It’s just so annoying that I don’t get to witness my mind granting me access into my imagination. If I keep on thinking like this, I think, then I am never gonna get to sleep. So stop thinking! But I can’t. Because all that goes on inside my mind is unstoppable. It’s called stream of consciousness for a reason, I think. Now how would that look like? I wonder. I imagine there being like a trickle of water seeping down a Welsh valley, through the Brecon Beacons, and it hits a damn made of brains, pumping and quivering, coloured pink and brown, and now the camera’s zooming out, and a fountain of water has suddenly jetted through a crack that was growing beneath one of the brains, and it cascades out and down into a pit below, and so now there is a waterfall, and the camera glides through the fluid wall, and I see a mermaid. Her hair is red, and her face of some strange girl I don’t recognise, and yet I do know who she is, and she has a dog’s tail wagging, and now she’s licking my face, and there are windscreen wipers swiping back and forth infront of my eyes, and I’m in the passenger seat of a car, and my Dad is driving me somewhere. He drops me off, and I see it’s my secondary school, but he’s dropped me off at a canyon, and I’m standing in the middle of it, and I’m screaming, and calling, and howling, and now I’m growing a tail, fangs burrowing out like electric screwdrivers, and fur is rustling against my clothes, and I see that delicious looking mermaid over there, and I snarl, and I pounce at her— I awake. I lie shivering beneath my duvet, my legs having twisted it into a rat’s tail, and my brown teddy bear lies face down upon the floor. I blink twice, and I sit up, and I thump the mattress with my fist. I stay seated for five seconds, and then I lie back down. Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream. I take my teddy bear by the arm and lay it down beside me. ‘Sorry,’ I say. I close my eyes. The memory of the nightmare has almost faded. I watch the stitches twirling and fuzzing behind my eyes. I imagine they’re knitting a jumper, and now I’m holding the ends of the sleeves with my fingers. I put it on over me, and now I’m walking around a lake, and there are people jogging past me, and I’m taking my time, and I walk onto a jetty, and I see the green fields of England far below me, and I am standing above it all, and nobody’s looking up at me. Now I’m flying, and I’m soaring upwards with eagle’s wings. Flames erupt from my feet, and my nose is now a cone. I am a rocket in space.
‘LONDON’ — BENEDETTA MANCUSI If i ever come back, i want you to remember who i used to be. Remember that day, at St Katherine Docks, when it was almost Christmas. It was almost Christmas and you had never been brighter. The water mirroring the lights and the whispers. A painting of lost people, dancing flesh on the thread of a city made of black steam. The frosted morning, the foxes at night, chasing each other outside my window. Sometimes i think i’d like to be a fox, going out only when the sun goes down. Running away, from curiosity and lights. If i ever come back, remember who i was, An orphan, homeless, wandering trough an unknown, beautiful world. A grey world. Grey Marble Arch, grey the water of the canals. Grey the anxiety of Oxford Street. Remember who i was. Because i won’t.
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v ‘Reconstruction’ — Sean Harbottle
I’m free!
Breaking me was fine. It didn’t hurt until you put Me back together.
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Illustrations by Emily Mildren
concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk
hugo douglas-deane
Gaming
12
Reasons to start drinking this year A summary of this year’s releases and how disappointing they’re probably going to be Kirsty McAlpine This handover issue comes at a special transitional time for us: exam season is raging, students are heading home, and no one is going to be reading Concrete right now. Therefore, there’s not much point bringing out any especially significant pieces of gaming news. Rather, enjoy a summary of this year’s releases, some light reading, and some vague opinion pieces.
of the same month. Only weeks away from E3 2016, releases in May came more in quality than quantity, but who can complain? Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End looks incredible, as does the Far Harbour DLC for Fallout 4, and the Total War series took an interesting route with the new Total War: Warhammer game that blessed our release charts this last month.
As far as releases go, we have well and truly been spoiled this year so far. 2016 is massive for both fresh and sequel game releases; we had LEGO: Marvel Avengers and Rise of the Tomb Raider on PC in January, and picked up momentum with The Following DLC for Dying Light, XCOM 2, the delightfully refreshing Far Cry Primal, and Street Fighter 5 in February. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, The (somewhat disappointing) Division, an HD release of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Pokken Tournament were released in March.
But what do we have to look forward to? I’m glad you asked, because I am so excited for the later releases this year. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps, Kirby: Planet Robotobot, and LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released in June after the success of the movie last December, and with July comes a small dollop of titles including ARK: Survival of the Fittest on PS4, Batman: Return to Arkham, and The Banner Saga 2. In August we have World of Warcraft: Legion to look forward to, plus Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom.
Quantum Break, Dark Souls 3, and Ratchet and Clank hit stores in April, the latter of which accompanied by a very average movie released on the 29th
3 and Battlefield 1 in October, curiously named as the latest in a long line of Battlefield titles. However, the trailer does look fantastic. You can’t go wrong with dubstep White Stripes. November brings some of the best of the bunch: Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Dishonored 2, and Pokémon Sun and Moon, the latter of which just having received a fantastic game trailer update featuring the three new starter
The long-awaited (but probably anticlimactic) Final Fantasy 15 hits PS4 and Xbox one in September, with Mafia
Pokémon: Rowlet, Litten, and the infinitely popular Popplio. Personally, the new Pokémon releases will be the highlight of my year, and I have already pre-ordered Moon for the release in mid-November (if anyone wants my friend code hit me up
Illustration by Dougie Dodds
What Armour Class is that bikini? Dougie Dodds Women have developed an uncanny ability in video games, the power to be fully protected from harm while simultaneously showing a majority of their body. Games like Street Fighter and Bayonetta show women with skin of stone, somehow possessing the same level of protection wearing a bikini as a man in full dragon skin armour. This must be the message, right? Unfortunately no. The image of a scantily clad woman in so called ‘battle armour’ is an image familiar with gamers, the industry obsessed with selling their women to the perceived demographic of straight male players. It has reached the point where a lot of gamers do not question the inherently sexist representation of women as sex objects and men as strong warriors, a hyper sexualisation of women resulting in their sexuality becoming the main feature of their character. An excuse provided to this overtly sexualised
view on women is that they ‘own their sexiness’, and use it as a source of power. Growing up it was always interesting to see my sister’s reaction to these representations. We have always been interested in games, a passion she has carried on into her adult life, but while playing games like Oblivion and even Okami there was always a strange disconnect with my sister the person and my sister the player. Where there was a choice she would prefer playing as a man. She grew up being Link, StarFox, Mario, assuming the roles of a male protagonist. In most cases the character is a voiceless everybody. Link, already sharing many typical feminine qualities, is a means for players to put themselves into the game. It’s at this point gender becomes irrelevant for a protagonist. This luxary is reserved for male characters, for females the story is very different. Cortana, from Halo,
Kirsty mcalpine concrete.Gaming@uea.ac.uk
is portrayed as a ‘naked’ holographic woman. The excuse for this is said to be that her sexualisation is a way of ‘putting off’ those who want to intellectually challenge her, distracting them and giving her the advantage. This would be a valid, if not stretched, excuse if all the holograms were portrayed in the same light, the male holograms however are depicted fully clothed. Even if it was not the intention they have suggested that Cortana, as a woman, needs the help of her body to gain an advantage on people intellectually, where men don’t. Some of the hyper sexualisation comes not from the game but from the marketing campaign. Lara Croft for example, a kick-arse female lead who is fully capable of taking care of herself. Yes, she is a woman, and yes she did have triangular boobs but game wise she was never an overly sexualised object. Her anatomy shouldn’t not be a fixation of gaze, rather as much of a secondary
thought as Link’s blond flowing locks. There is nothing in the game code that leads to to players finding any sexual attraction to the character, as the character is supposed to be you. The marketing however had to sell the game, and what better way to attract men to a game where you are forced to play as a woman than to sell Lara as an object of desire. Google the original posters for the game and I’ll guarantee you’ll get a large handful of images of a 3D rendered, wet dream material. There is definitely an issue with the portrayal of women in video games. The core of any game is the player’s ability to control the character, be they male or female. This is all right, until the character becomes a sexualised object. This suggestion that men can control women sexually, the ability to make them do what you want with just a press of a button, is what the gaming industry are suggesting, and this needs to stop.
Gaming
13
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Kirsty McAlpine It’s widely held that microtransactions are the Mecha-Hitler of gaming. Usually the scourge of mobile apps, they lurk in the background of every screen, dully flashing, tempting your eye, waiting for your patience to run thin. Running out of lives on Candy Crush? No matter; for a small fee, you can spend another twenty minutes mindlessly scrolling through confectionary. Sick of waiting twelve hours to cook tacos on the Sims Freeplay? No problem; for a small fee, you can have this rather basic foodstuff in seconds! Pointlessly relevant, microtransactions force their way into many simple gaming experiences, soiling the most basic of game mechanics with arbitrary waiting. The question is this: when do they become justified? It’s widely understood that microtransactions in games are a blemish on the amorphous glob of the industry. Let’s not forget the laughable horse armour mod that tainted the experience of Oblivion for many longtime fans of the Elder Scrolls series, nor the cringe-worthy pay-to-win barriers dotted througshout Dead Space 3. The blood-boiling reasoning of Shuhei Yoshida when asked about the presence
of microtransactions in Gran Turismo 6 that it was just ‘an alternative path for busy people’ was frankly patronising to the fan-base. The implication seems to be that one can buy a full priced £45 game, and then pay incrementally to complete said game, if you’re ‘too busy’ to play it. I have games that I’m too busy to play (*cough* Persona 4 *cough*) but no force on this planet could convince me of the merits of paying to have it completed for me. Everyone is too busy to play all of the games that they own. The solution is never to pay for it to be completed – that defeats the quite simple premise of buying a game in the first place – but rather to let it gather dust on the shelf until you do have time to play it. The bottom line is this: paying £50 for a game and then being bombarded by requests for more money is a shameless and disgusting business practice. If I spend £50 on a gaming experience, I expect the full experience. £50 is a lot of money for the average person to invest in a gaming experience, and nothing is more insulting than having aspects of that experience cordoned off in order to hassle the customer for more of their money. No, your average consumer does not want to pay double
Credit Wikimedia
the price in order to unlock content they would receive anyway later in the game. No, they don’t want to pay full price and then sit peering wistfully at those few weapons or outfits that would totally improve their gaming experience but cost several pounds each to acquire. Moreover, advertising DLC within games is ridiculous. I draw your attention to Dying Light. During the loading screens throughout the game, they had the fantastic idea of advertising The Following, the next overpriced chunk of DLC for the game, and in doing so spoilt the ending of the original game! Which moron in marketing thought that was a good idea?
That’s not to say that paying for aspects of the gaming experience cannot be justified. DLC, for example, is a fantastic way for video game companies to generate more money whilst giving the consumer something extra to enjoy on top of their original gaming experience. To return to Oblivion, the Shivering Isles expansion pack was legendary in terms of building upon the original experience, so much so that it offered an arguably more interesting experience than the original game. After the ‘meh’ experience that was Bioshock 2, the modestly priced Minerva’s Den DLC added a fantastic angle to the game, offering several more hours of decent gameplay, and containing a fascinating selfcontained story. In such a competitive industry as gaming, companies are well within their rights to offer options in order to generate income. When that ‘option’ becomes ‘spend several pounds on an arbitrary in-game currency in order to bypass an arbitrary wait time in order to access an arbitrary game mechanic’ I fail to understand the reasoning behind this.
Stardew in Review Helen Jones If you’ve ever dreamt of ditching the woes of exam stress and essay-writing to run away to the country and start running a farm then look no further than Stardew Valley. The game, a 2D indie farm-simulator, has you restoring your grandfather’s farm and growing crops through rain and snow. But beyond its simple vision Stardew Valley offers a world of activities beyond mere farming: from fishing, mining, battling monsters, romancing villagers and uncovering secrets. Whether you prefer rearing cows or raising slimes, battling mummies or becoming a jam-Baron, Stardew has you covered. However the game truly shines in its writing of characters, each
one’s personal story bringing you closer together and building into the plot of Stardew’s community. While end-game content leaves a little to be desired, the sheer amount of things to do and mysteries to explore is astonishing for a game created by one person, and for me at least took up a hundred hours of gametime. Not bad for £10.99. Meanwhile the game’s sole creator, Eric Barone, has announced a co-op mode in the works and free content updates for the future. So now instead of going through the effort of leaving university and setting up a real farm, I recommend spending hours cosying up and procrastinating on a virtual one instead.
Illustration by Kirsty McAlpine
concrete.gaming@uea.ac.uk
Kirsty mcalpine 3
Film
14 X- Men: Apocalypse
not the strongest entry in the franchise, but X-Men: Apocalypse provides enough thrills to satiate fans of the series Alex Morrison The X-Men series has been one of the longest running superhero franchises and, with Apocalypse, it manages to continue on a good if not spectacular note. Following the rise of the world’s oldest mutant Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac), the X-Men, led by Xavier (James McAvoy), have to unite in order to stop him and his four horsemen, including Magneto (Michael Fassbender), from wiping out the Earth. It’s a simple plot but there’s a lot going on here, and director Bryan Singer just about manages to keep all the elements and characters balanced effectively. The action is perhaps the biggest and most bombastic of the series, often feeling like more of a straight up disaster film than standard superhero fare. This leads to many enjoyable set-pieces, with special mention going once again to the scene involving Quicksilver (Evan Peters), which is even crazier than his scene from Days of Future Past.
X-Men has always been a character piece, though, and this film does a solid job with this element. The best character here is Magneto; you understand the pain he goes through and his decision to join the Horsemen, with his complexity making him thrilling to watch. McAvoy is also strong again as Xavier as you see the loss of his optimism against Apocalypse and his failing strength. Peters provides enjoyable comic relief again as Quicksilver, while new cast members including Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops) and especially Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler) fit nicely into the universe. The weak link in the cast is Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, who ultimately seems tired with the whole endeavour, counting down the hours until she can appear in the next David O. Russell film.
The weakest element of Apocalypse is sadly the villains, with the exception of Magneto. Apocalypse himself never rises above the levels of generic doomsday villain with a God complex, though Oscar Isaac is magnificent as usual in the role. The Horsemen are worse, as Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Psylocke (Olivia Munn) and Archangel (Ben Hardy) never feel developed as to why they follow Apocalypse, and ultimately feel like hollow opponents to the X-Men. In spite of the poor antagonists, X-Men: Apocalypse is still a solid entry into the franchise, with enough action and enjoyable characters to fulfil audiences. Whilst it’s a step down from First Class and Days of Future Past, it’s still an enjoyable ride, feeling serious without being bleak and giving a strong place to continue the franchise from.
green room A tense, bloody siege movie with a well-written script that elevates it far above the bargain bucket thomas hall After successfully creating a new take on the revenge thriller back in 2014 with Blue Ruin, writer-director Jeremy Saulnier has now turned his focus to the siege movie with equally fruitful results. Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole and Callum Turner star as members of The Ain’t Rights, a punk band who reluctantly agree to play a gig at a neo-Nazi clubhouse deep in the woods of Oregon. After witnessing a murder backstage, the band are forced to hole up in the titular green room, along with punk girl Amber (Imogen Poots). Their shock soon turns to dread as they realise that the neo-Nazis, led by the clubhouse’s owner Darcy (Patrick Stewart), have no intentions of letting them go.
crucially omit the exact details. Thus, when the band makes an attempt to break out, the viewer is just as in the dark as they are, contemplating what awaits them. These
Saulnier does a masterful job of creating tension throughout the film. Although the focus of the movie is on the band, cutaways to the neo-Nazis offer the audience hints of their plans, but
Louis Pigeon-owen + Willa Hope concrete.Film@uea.ac.uk
moments of almost unbearable tension are usually followed by a wince-inducing explosion of horror. Stewart gives a chillingly scary performance, his calm
matter-of-fact tone adding an extra level of menace to the orders he gives his legion of skinheads. For an actor who hasn’t played many villains in his career, he fits the role perfectly. Macon Blair, the protagonist of Blue Ruin, also impresses as the manager of the clubhouse who first alerts Darcy to the situation but begins to have second thoughts as the death count rises. The gore level builds as the film progresses, with machetes, shotguns and attack dogs all being used as weapons, making this film definitely not one for the squeamish. Yet the film never feels exploitative and this is largely thanks to Saulnier’s script, which gives even the most minor characters a modicum of character development. The dialogue also feels naturalistic and unforced and a discussion early in the film about each band member’s ‘desert island band’ has a brilliant payoff near the end. Illustrations by Dougie Dodds
Film
15 son of saul mitch stephenson Directed by László Nemes and starring Géza Röhrig, Son of Saul is an unassuming, low budget Hungarian movie focusing on the life of Jewish men in a WW2 German prisoner of war camp. Very little is known about the main character, Saul (Géza Röhrig), apart from the fact that he is a Sonderkommando, a specific type of Jewish prisoner of war tasked with the more gruesome tasks of a death camp. The plot line pivots around choices that Saul makes which begin to reveal more and more about his true character. After finding the body of a boy who is believed to be his own son, the film follows the pursuit of Saul to give his son a proper Jewish burial,
rather than allowing him to be burned with the other bodies in the camp. The film offers a unique perspective on the lives of the Jewish prisoners. It also shows the various ways in which they would try to create advantageous situations for themselves by negotiating and scheming with other prisoners and even the guards. Filmed in four weeks in Budapest, the film makes use of extended long shots with a short range of focus, following the main character throughout the story. The short focus range forces viewers to concentrate on Saul’s expression and actions rather than what is going on in the background. The film, due to
being primarily in Hungarian with additional German dialect, also forces viewers to focus more on body language, rather than relying on dialogue to understand the narrative. Overall, Son of Saul redefines what many people would perceive to be a sensitive subject area for a movie. This relatively low budget production exceeds expectations, and creates an evocative viewing experience. It maintains a sense of purity and objectivity due to the smart choices made by the director and producers and consequently makes the movie accessible to a wider audience. The high praise for the film is evidenced by it receiving an Oscar for Best Foreign Film as well as a wide range of accolades from the Cannes Film Festival.
yes - unique and interesting cinematography - amazing use of body language and expression - slow paced to begin with, but worth the wait
Sundance Short Winners 2015 elliot hayes-clare The 2015 Sundance selection of short films focuses on humanity, in all its forms. From a short exploring the issues and dysfunctionality of being a single mother, to an animated French short about two inventors and their psychedelic creation, the six films comprise what has been judged to be the best from all over the world in a variety of different categories. Even from these six, though, there are some that stand out. Obiekt (meaning Object), a Polish short film and the winner of the Special Jury Award for Visual Poetry, is certainly deserving of its place. It tells the story of a diver searching the water under a seemingly endless frozen lake, helped by his team on the
surface, and it perfectly contrasts the often overwhelming underwater sounds of moving ice with beautiful and peaceful landscape shots of
the frozen world above. Sound is used very effectively to create suspense, right up until the climax of the diver’s disturbing discovery.
Colourful, imaginative and entirely unpredictable, Tempête sur Anorak is a spy film, an animated comedy and a romance rolled into one; think Monsieur Hulot meets Adventure Time. This was not the only animated film to win an award however, with Don Hertzfeldt’s World of Tomorrow taking the Short Film Grand Jury Prize. Animated simply, consisting mostly of stick figures, lines and block colours, Hertzfeldt introduces the undeniably cute protagonist Emily Prime, who is transported into the future by a third generation clone of herself. Emily Prime’s clone proceeds to simultaneously give her ancestor an account of how the future will pan out and a funny yet poignant history of
Another personal favourite was Tempête sur Anorak (meaning ‘Storm Hits Jacket’), a French animation that won the Short Film Jury Award for Animation. As two young scientists conduct research in stormy weather for an invention that is never fully revealed or explained to the viewer, they are hindered by a female assassin and a woman who can control cows.
her life and efforts to reclaim her lost emotions. World of Tomorrow parodies the ideas in successful futuristic films like Minority Report and Total Recall,
yet also confronts ideas of innocence and the blurred line between humanity and technology. The end product is a charming and re-watchable social commentary that will make everyone ponder what it is to be human. Short films challenge the viewer to see film in a new and refreshing light, and the 2015 Sundance selection has something for everyone. If you get the chance to see a screening of these shorts, I couldn’t recommend it enough. After all, if you don’t like one film you only have to wait 10 minutes for the next one. You can’t say that about Batman vs. Superman, can you?
Photo credits from left to right: Filmmaker Magazine, ocdn.eu, Vimeo
concrete.Film@uea.ac.uk
Louis Pigeon-owen + Willa Hope 3