The Event - Issue 136 - 27 February 2002

thursdays In the club

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Centre Sp;read .,2 & .,3

fPVg Sitcoms: are they dying a slow death or bouncing back?

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We take a comprehensive look at the NME Awards Tour

20

Munich-a rival to Schindler's List?

We take a look at the career of Michael Wmterbottom

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The Mighty Boosh, Simpsons and Saved By The Bell.

Girl rock: we analyse the latest influx of feminism

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We talk to The Garage about their Chrysalis Arts Festival

Shimmer at UEA, Brian Lamont's First Impressions

fTadhiGA 4 & 5

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Keeping up appearances: ways and means of looking good.

We look at Terence Malick's The New World, Munich and five great feature documentaries.

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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Rakes and more

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Sites of quality catalogued on the FWA

Greetings to all you studenty type people. After a spectacular few weeks of entertainment on offer here at UEA we're bringing you the very best of the best this issue. And then some more. To bury yourself amidst the chaos again, turn to one of our reviews sections to relive the joys.

If you missed the stunning night of music that was the NME Awards gig last week then look no further but flick to our exciting centre spread to find out what it was like. Or, if you were lucky enough to be there you can just relive the night of drunken debauchery once more.

Other highlights include a write up of the Clap your Hands Say Yeah gig and a review of Shimmer at the UEA studio by some of UEA's very own drama students.

If you're feeling blue and bored in the next few weeks and are looking for something to feast your eyes upon, then we have the perfect thing with which to fill your time.

Flick quickly through to our film section where you can find a succulent preview ofTerence Malick's latest film The New World, starring the ever-gorgeous Colin Farrell in a particularly beautiful, flamboyant white shirt.

If cinema is not quite up your street, but you're still feeling artistic, then

here is a round up of the theatre on campus coming up in the next few weeks. For any of you with a streak of the thespian inside you there's plenty to keep you amused this term. So, if you're looking to plan your social diaries for the coming months, there's a whole myriad of events with which to fill up your so<:ial calendar. Most exciting is an Evening with Shel Silverstein at the UEA Studio from Monday 20th to Wednesday 22nd February. This promises to be a thrilling evening of mirth and merriment involving six different comedy sketches, ranging from a meeting of gangster minds, an old man with a blind dog and two aging prostitutes anxious to get laid. Please come and support your fellow students as they make every attempt to amuse, move and maybe even seduce you in this hilarious night of madness and mayhem.

Also coming up is a performance of Macbeth from 6th to the 8th March at the UEA Studio, set in the cutthroat corporate business world but maintaining the original medieval values of the play. This promises to be a chilling evening of murder, guilt and intrigue as UEA Drama students retell Shakespeare's classic tale of greed and ambition for a modern day audience

If the bard aint quite your cup of tea then join us in a performance of Patrick Marber's Closer from 10th to 12th March . This is indeed the Closer we all know and love from the infamous film of the same name starring Clive Owen and Natalie Portman. And this time it promises to be darker, filthier and better than before.

Alice in Wonderland is another bemusing theatrical morsel on offerfor you to taste. just in case sexual perversity doesn't really appeal to you either. From Thursday 16th through to Saturday 18th of March, this show promises to fulfill all of C.S Lewis' craziest fantasies. Follow Alice down the rabbit hole to find out more.

Lastly, if an all singing, all dancing affair tickles your fancy then come along to the musical in week eleven of this term-an exciting rendition of Sondheim's Into the Woods. A .fantastical affair involving all your favourite childhood fairtytale characters from Red Riding Hood to Rapunzal. Find out what happened after the fairytales ended, only in the LCR in March .

So, we hope you're all feeling suitably luvvie after all that theatrical exertion and leave you to go blow airkisses at those around you as you peruse our latest issue.

As a busy student in路 the Noughties, one can find the workload coupled with the never en.d ing strive for straight hair somewhat of a wrench. Talia Taylor shows you how to give yourself the care and affection you're worth, you deserve it. ome tim es uni ve rs ity I i fe ca n be as unin spirin g as th e o th e r tim e of your li fe wh ich neve r wa ssc h oo l. Th at irri tating niggl e th a t yo u sh o uld b e in th e library a nd no t th e b ar some tim es becom es a litt le too co nsuming. Th e re's th e franti c purs uit of love in th e se a of vodka a nd vo mit th a t is th e LC R. The n o n to p of thi s yo u 've go t ridiculou s no-s h ows li ke Va le ntin es Da y. If thi s yea r's l'e b ru a ty 14 th was a bo ut as exciting as a nin e o'c loc k lecture and you o n ly eve r m ee t m e n with m o re iss ues

4

than lzzie ll oy land, take tim e o ut fo r indu lge nce of th e vain es t vari ety.

Quench your craving for love by reading about how badly o ther people do it

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Fo r s tart e rs, yo u ca n beg in wi th w ritin g a love le tte r to yo urself.

W hy wai t for someon e e lse to te ll you h ow grea t an d d es ira bl e yo u a re w h e n you ca n pi c k up a pe n of sp le ndi fe rous co lou r and jot it d ow n yo urse lf? No need to decorate yo ur le tt e r w ith fancy dictum . Keep it simp le by li s tin g yo ur positive a tt ribut es. Yo u ca n th e n expa nd o n yo ur list to in clud e exa mp les of h ow th ese a ttr ibut es m a nifes t in yo ur ch aracte r. Don 't fo rge t abou t yo ur past a nd prese nt acco m pi ish m e n ts.

Th e re are su re to be reco rds of ac hi evemen t th at you h ave m e ntally backlogged .

You ca n start off by co n g ra tul a tin g

yo urself for h ;w in g co mpl e ted ano th e r se m es te r a t un ive rs it y, a nd your wi lli ng ness to pe rsevere. Th e main id ea l o f th e love le tte r is to bask in yo ur ow n glory. Yo u a re d e finitely wo rth it I W h e n yo u fee l th a t yo u h ave sc rawl ed down every thin g yo u ca n abou t you rse lf, s tas h your love le tt er in a safe place. Co m e back to it on e year fr o m n ow. Som e tim es we forge t how grea t we are, a nd co uld u se a ye a rl y re mind e r.

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Sa tisfy your craving fo r sy rupy swee tn ess with a vis it to www. a ll reci pe.co m. Discover sc rump tiou s rec ip es fo r th e b es t ra n ge o f cook ies. O n thi s websit e yo u ca n find rec ipes th a t ta ke less th a n twe nt y minut es to pre pare a nd thirty to bake (and one to ea t) .

So wh y spe nd tim e s ulkin g abo ut love o r pro cras tinating when yo u sho uld b e su lkin g? Opt in s tead to get baking. Trea ts for the to ngue, h ea rt , and definit e ly th e body.

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Q u e nch yo ur crav ing fo r love by reading abou t h ow bad ly o th er peo pl e do it. C h ec k o ut some of th e fo ll ow ing b oo ks for.yo ur reading p leasu re. Ge t los t in a land a million mil es form he re. Most of th ese titles can be found a t th e LIE/\ library. So say he ll o to yo ur student card and get to sw ipin g.

Wuth ering He igh ts by Emi ly Hronte. Pride a nd Pre ju d ice by la ne 1\usten. Ero tiqu e Noire edit ed by Maria m DeCosta -W illi s. Lyrica l Life : 1\ Rock a nd Ro ll Love Story To ld in 200 So ng Ly ri cs by Casey )o nes. Lo ve a nd O th e r Sto ri es by Ant o n P. Ch e kh ov.

.Sing you;r 'H.eatrt Out, Sta rt sh a ring yo ur a ma z ing, or see min gly drunk e n, voca l ta le nts.

Cra b a few of yo ur fri e nd s a nd head o n to yo ur nea res t Karaok e bar, eve n th e Union tri es its hand at doing th ese. If yo u a re more co mfortable re mainin g with in a two kilometre radius of yo ur roo m , invite you r fri e nd s over, .tu rn o n yo ur m edia playe r, a nd

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As much as welcoming in a wave of fresh styles fills me with the sort of thrills no man has ever caused me to muster, I ritually feel a fear of failure which threatens to disrupt my ice cool fac;:ade. Can I "do" this season's look? Will leggings love my thighs as much as Undor always has? Can my collarbones really carry off a knotted neckerchief? Well it seems chic-seekers, in my fear of inadequacy, I am not alone.

Dear Miss'll Fix It I'm loving the stripes and spots of this spring as much as the next fashionista, but how on earth do I tackle such patterns without looking like a technicolour catastrophe?

So-far-spot-free, 21

Glad you asked. Several struggling dressers presume that your patterns should be afforded the same treatment as your plains. Each season too many styles pass my eyes that have not been granted the alteration in attention they require. Last season I saw more metailic casualties than I'd care to mention. When doing the stripes and spots of this season, team with muted palettes of navy, grey and black.

If the thought of polka dots frightens you, add splashes on scarves, belts or a pair of pumps. Subtlety's the key and choosing one style should save pattern disasters. One never favours those who both dot and dash .

sing along to your favourite songs.

How can one resist the temptation when music, friends and full bodylength mirrors are close at hand?

This is a good way to perfect those body moves, so that you sparkle next time you hit the dance floor.

Go ahead, step to it!

fJtfake a tJe;raftbook Be environmentally aware and recycle your magazines. Before throwing your glamour guides into the waste bin, be sure to have a pair of scissors nearby. Flip through the pages and clip out anything that you feel is a repre-

sentation of love. While flipping through pages, keep in mind the love you want, and more importantly, the love you already have.

Paste all of your clippings onto a plain sheet of paper. Coloured paper or paper that has already been plastered with larger clippings, preferably adverts, produces a nice background . A nice background is vital, in that it enhances the overall aesthetic of your collage.

Creating a unique collage that accurately captures your ideas may take some time, depending on how much effort you put into it.

Rumour has it that seeing is believing and what you believe in is

what you get. Try it out'

Falling in love with yourself is the next best thing to falling in love with another. But if you have the tendency to fall in love with someone new each week, don't forget that the Hive is offering free Chlamydia testing on 15th February.

For those still feeling romantically inclined, check out The Event's guide to togs that will get you hot hot hot. Styled by Ellie Taylor and Mel }ones.

The Event's Charlene Price gets a privileged insight into Norwich's latest artistic innovation- The Garage theatre's Chrysalis arts festival. She gives us a comprehensive round-up of the theatre taking place there throughout this week. u r i n g

the week beginning tl1e 6', Fe bruary, Norw i c h w a s hom e to an ambitious and ecl ect ic mix of theatre, dance, music, visual and performan ce art. Over 20 local compa nies, all giving their time voluntarily, show-cased their work over five days. The festival was promoted as providing short performances designed to appeal to a generation of 'IV-watchers, all for affordable prices.

This com ing together of voluntary arts was organised by Norwidlbased th ea tre company Visceral Theatre, who have previously delighted audiences at The Garage witl1 performances of Antonin Artaud's Jet of Blood and Only in the Woods, an adap tation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night 's Dream .

After tackli ng th ese challenging productions, Visceral Theatre decided to embark upon an even more ambitious pro ject . Christina Po ulto n, Visceral Theatre's production director, explains. "We thought a festival was th e ideal way to get lots of people involved. lt all ows participants to show the huge range of art forms and all the reall y interesting and innovative work that takes place in Norwich, but that no t everyo ne knows is o ut there. " The Eve nt was able to ge t a behindthe-scenes sneak preview of some

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"We thought a festival was the ideal way to get lots of people involved"

of this innovative work the day before the start of the fest ivaL Rehearsals were happening in va ri o us rooms in The Ga rage, and whil e it all appeared perfectly organised, serene and professional to an outsider, Lizzie Starling, publicity director, admitted to The Event that things were "a bit crazy" , and that o ne of the difficulties in having such a wide range of productions happening, was bringing everybody together to rehearse. Given the diversity of the performances on offer, this comes as no surprise as the acts are being performed by a variety of different theatre groups from in and arou nd Norwich , many of them youth groups and schools.

As Christina Poulton confirms, "we o nly have limited access to the auditorium, and so on Sunday we had to tech twelve shows back to back - which was a big challenge, but we did it. " The sheer diversity of tl1 e festival was already in evidence at tl1is stage: in one room a rehearsal of former UEA student Tom Louden's Inertia was taking place, which is described as a play involving three characters with nothing happening.

This pi ece ca me across as being a slice of theatre that perhaps offers it's aud ience drama in the more traditional sense of the word, i.e.: it is primarily based on language based performances, revolving aro und the use of dialogue. Whereas, in an audi torium nearby, a technical reh earsal of just an Ord inary Day performed by Thalia Theatre Youth - a performance devised by the company using dance in order to explore issues raised as a res ult of tl1e London Bombings in Jul y.

Emoti ve lighting and sou ncl effects co ntributed to what looked to be a powerful performance. this Natura ll y, broad range of performance and visual art has been designed to appeal to a wideran ging ;1udience.

The organisers of the festival were specifically hoping to attract non - th ea tr e goe rs, while

also introducing varying kinds of performances to the ge nera l public: "Because tl1ere are a number of short shows each night, lthe audience ! end up seeing a range of art forms they might not normally co nsider.

For example, tl1ey might be a theatre-goer but never have been to a dance performan ce before - this way tl1e audience get to sa mple all kinds of performances for the pri ce of one event. " Part of th e aim of the fes tival, however, was not merely to produce a wide variety of di ffere nt performances, but to involve as m any people as possible in the running of tl1e festival: from actors to techn icians, to promo ters and administrators. Visceral Theatre have been organising workshops in the weeks leading up to the festiva l to train people in their chosen field , whi le giving them greater access to the facilities that Norwich has to offer. "Our main aim is getting peo ple involved," says Christina Poulton . "We have so many groups and individuals who have met new people, tried new things, learnt new ski lls and hopefully had fun. " Of course, being a voluntary affair, one also has to rely on peo pl e's generosity: "Everyone has been so willing witl1 tl1eir time -路 there is no way this festiva l could have happened if it had been the !Visceral Theatre! committee alone organising it. We have met so many creati ve, motivated people and hope that we can work with them aga in in tl1 e future. " The Event was fortunat e enough to wi tness a portion of the end result of all this hard work at City Co llege on the evening of Tuesday 7', February. As Christina Poulton had to ld The Eve nt, we were to expect a showc;1se o f "th e vibrant, diverse cu lture of vo luntary arts," and the performances that evening certainly reflected this. The programme comprised three very differen t short plays: Lord of the Flies, The Strains of Academia a nd Alice in Wo nd erland.

The Lord of the Flies, adapted from the nove l and produced by Bury St Edmunds Youth Thea tre, was a unique representation of a familiar sto ty using a mixture of cli;"~logue an d interpreti ve dan ce to co nvey the ac ti o n. Atm osp heric lighting and of1en haunting mus ic created a rich backdrop for tl1e action of th e performa nce. Even people not previously familiar with the plot would h;1ve been ab le to fo ll ow

tl1e events as tl1ey unfolded , and the dance movements po rtrayed accurately tl1e ethos of tl1e story.

After a short interval, we were treated to a very different kind o f performance, ye t an equall y captiva ting one. This was the premiere o fTh e Strains o f Academia by loca l writer Tim Wi ldman, performed by The Great I !all Theatre Company. Set in the office of Professor Henry Piston, tl1is cynical look at the academic world will be a fami li ar one to many.

Laced with iro nic humour, this play met with mud1 laughter from the audi ence and provided some light relief from the macabre nature of the previous performance.

Next was another complete change of direction : Visceral Theatre's own Alice in Wonderland . This was a technically ambitious production, and one which consistently surprised with its solutions to the staging problems one might have imagin ed with a play sud1 as this.

Making use of moving images on a projection screen, Visceral Theatre were able to bring the magic and surrea lism of Alice to the stage; and Alice being portrayed as sometl1 ing o f a teenage brat meant that tl1e play seemed releva nt to a modern audience. Fitting musi c and superb costume enabled the audie nce to enter Alice's psychedelic world, leaving o ne feeling enthralled yet slightl y disturbed .

This night of performances, then, seemed to capture the ethos of Visceral Thea tre's visi o n in setting up the Chrysalis Arts Festival: affo rdable events, the new a nd innovative mixed with tl1 e more tradition al, encouraging people to be excited by a nd invo lved with va rio us perform ance a nd vis ual arts, and introducin g audi ences to a diverse range of art forms. The success of the fest ival has already persuaded th ose at Visceral Theatre to make this an annual event in Norwich. Th is wil l undoubtedly prove a hi ghl y popular fixture in years to come and, if thi s year's performances are anything to go by, one which The Event is sure will be very welcome to return .

Visceral Theatre's nex t project is a theatrical all-dayer, involving many s hort shows over a whole day in June. If you would like to get involved or find out more information about Visceral Theatre pl ease visit their website at www.visceraltheatre.org.uk.

SHIMMER lst-3rd February 2005, UEA Drama Studio Linda Madean's Shimmer is a play cloaked in metaphor and vulnerability, trailing three generations of women who, on a pilgrimage to Iona, find themselves stranded. Stranded, not just in the literal sense, but also in the lyrical, as torrential rain interrupts their search for a miracle and invites the characters into a mode of discovery of their more implicit abandonment.

The beautiful solidarity of these women, and gradual emergence of their motive, results in a poignant, yet never overly sentimental representation of love and unity, and the impossibility of potential loss. Seeking refuge at )im's (Andrew Pritchett) Bed and Breakfast, the play becomes a domain in which six characters recall and collect.

The female performances in this play particularly shone. Camilla Scaiffwas brilliantly convincing and perfectly cast as the loveable and almost harmonic grandmother Hen .

Scaiffbalanced the thinly veiled grief of a woman whose granddaughter is seriously ill, with faultless comic timing. hitting the right spot every time, her popularity with the audience, palpable. Throughout, Hen's interactions with Missy were wonderful, assisted by an obvious chemistry between Scaiff and Me! Ramadan.

Siobhan Higgins was understated and quietly commanding as the terminally ill Petal, carrying the female dynamic into each dimension of the play. never failing to posses our affections. On one of the several times Petal's weak bladder forced the need "to go", Higgins'

uncompromising illustration of Petal's pain and frustration, transfixed the audience, stealing our attention from the central scene.

The play's geographical setting proved problematic for some of the actors however. Indeed, the varying success in the delivery of Scottish accents during this play was undeniably obvious, simply because of the contrast in the standard set by Higgins and Scaiff.

Accents however, should never determine the level of enjoyment an audience experiences, however mud1 they prove off-putting. For example, though Adam Moulder, as Guy, may have sounded more like a New Yorker than a Scot at several intervals, this did not dilute a passionate and prevailing performance, invariably convincing and likeable.

That said, however, me male characters were simply not as intersting in this piece. This is not necessarily the result of any faults or flaws in the indidvidual actors

performances, however, as it is chiefly a facet of the writing of the play. Maclean successfully creates three believable and engaging female protagonists for her audience, but her flair seems to lack a little when she turns her attention to the male side of the species. The three men in this play seem unavoidably rather flat and lacklustre. It is, undeniably, a predominantly female driven piece.

Although Shimmer may not have been as polished or as confidently defined as Henson's previous directorial efforts, it was successfully atmospheric, and maintained a gentle flow throughout. The sparseness of the cast and the changeabilityofheightand dynamic was able to arise chiefly due to the set design which, though seemingly rathersimplisticand uncomplicated, proved to accommodate the various shifts in mood, status, thought and movement tluoughout.

Cart Martin

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BBC2, 11.20pm, Mondays As yo u may no te fro m th e bo ld print above, and this weighty slab o f fo nt to fo ll ow, a whole third o f a page o f yo ur fin e stud en t newspa per h as been d edi cated to expl aining and pluggin g th e terrestri al showing o f th e second seri es o f The Mighty Boosh . Unfo rtu nately, this reviewer is compell ed to admit th at this sizeabl e secti o n still lacks th e space needed to defin e The Boosh . Thank heaven, th en, th at, as th e show's surge in po pul arity h as d emonstrated, thi s rem arkab le surrealist co ncocti o n seem s to e nd o rse itself.

The first televisio n seri es, in severa l instances a develo pm ent

of p lo ts a nd jokes fro m th e precedi ng radi o show, displayed th e true ch arm of this fo rmul a. )ulian Barratt and Noe l Fi elding , th e writers, pl ay ll oward and Vince, zoo keepers in th e Zoo ni verse, who run into va ri o u s adve ntures, ta kin g th em fro m kanga roo fi ghts to m o nkey hell via th e arcti c tun dra and an androgyno us electro band . We see l loward attempting to "transcend th e ge nres", Vince paradin g hi s ex pansive hairdo and Bo b Fossil (zoo pro pri etor) d a ncing, singing a nd abstrac tl y d escribing animals. The result is a bl end o f lurid scenes, mysti fying pl o ts and sensa ti o nal mu sical in -

terlu des.

The seco nd seri es, fin all y o n BBC2 having spent its tim e previo usly hidden away at o bscure times on BBC3, shows th e two main ch aracters o utside th e Zoo niverse and develo ping th eir musica l po tential.

Th eir misadve ntures include th e elderl y dem o n Na nato o threa tenin g to bring about Nanagedd o n and th e ex-zo o kee pers findin g th em selves o n tria l fo r murd er in th e coco nut court .

Th e brill ian ce o f th e first seri es is no t co nsistentl y matched in this la test o ne, but laughs abo und . The show rem a ins uniquely q uo teable

w ith out relying o n easy catchphrases.

The disa ppeara nce o f Bob Fossil is a sh am e, but Ri ch Fu lch er, who pl ayed th e ro le, is aga in prese nt in innumerabl e upro ari o us guises.

One superb regu lar addition is tJ1e moon, wh ose du ll -w itted mo no logues pro fess am aze ment at th e object-enl arging power of telesco pes and th e ability to cove rtl y lick th e sun 's bac k.

The ra nd o m nature o f much o f

The Boosh m eans that, to appreciate it, th e sh ow must be given a n open-minded init ial watch, but, rest assured , reward s fo r persistence co me in abundance.

Pau l Bo u gourde

Simpsons Kiss & Tell, f 12.99 Released 6/02 Another few mon ths go by and an o th er Simpso ns co mpilation DVD is released . Fo r yea rs now, th e an im ated fa mil y have had regul ar th em ed VH S/ DVD releases, compiling episodes based aro und th em es like sex, spo rts and rock n' ro ll. To cash in on Val entine's Day, an o th er 路love-th em ed o ne has bee n released - this tim e focussing o n th e ro m ance o f I lo mer and Marge.

The m ain pro blem with this DVD is that th e episod es are n ot parti cularl y good - main ly du e to a softening of th e sharp sense of hum o ur th at th e show is fam o us fo r, in ord er to m ake th e epi sodes feel a bit cudd lier. ''The Way We We re n't" shows Ho m er and !'vlarge fi rs t meeting at ca mp when th ey we re 10, and is o nly funny in its ra nd o m, Fa m ily

Guy-esque, asides. "La rge Marge" has a weird p lo t abo ut Marge accidentall y ge ttin g breast impl ants - with 'hil ari o us consequ ences'.

The epi sode is rescued by a subp lo t featuring Ad am West, but is still far fr o m being grea t. In "Three Gays o f th e Cond o", I lom er m oves in with a co uple o f gay guys and begins fearin g fo r his heterosexuali ty, befo re reali sing he loves Ma rge too much . All togeth er now - awww.

The fin al episod e is " atural Bo rn Ki ssers", whi ch is by far tJ1e best episod e o n here. lt fea tures Marge and l lo m er rekind ling their sex li fe by do ing it in publi c pl aces, such as a go lf course - and th e las t few min utes, wi th a naked ll omer d angling from a ho t air ball oon, are abso lutely hil arious.

The DVD is well compi led, with se pa ra te th em ed m enu s fo r each epi sode. lt just fee ls a bit li ke th e pro du cers are run ning o ut of ideas fo r th em ed releases and have turn ed back to an idea which has been d o ne befo re. ll owever, the episodes ch ose n for this DVD are fa r fro m b rilli a nt - with o ne excepti o n. If yo u're looking fo r a d ose o f Sim psons, th en th e co m plete seaso n box sets can us uall y be fo und chea pl y o nlin e - tJ1e sixth and seventh se ri es are possibl y th e bes t overall. This DVD wo uld make a go od present fo r yo ur loved o ne o n Valentine's Day, if yo u're luch.'Y eno ugh to h ave a pa rtn er with a grea t sense of humo ur, but avo id it o th erwise.

Christo pher Hyd e

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Saved by the Bell 1989-1 993

Few stud ents will h ave go ne thro ugh life w ith o ut viewing at least o ne episod e of th e classic high scool Am eri can sitcom 'Saved by th e Bell '. lt foll owed th e adven tures of Zack th e coo l guy who cou ld always charm th e ladi es, Screech th e geek, Kell y th e cheerl ead er, )ess ie th e brainy o ne, Lisa th e b im bo and Slater tJ1e jock. In charge was tJ1e gu lli b le principal Mr. fielding wh o was th e victim o f m any pranks and

o ften gave hi s stud ents advi ce o n reso lving th eir probl em s.

Each week th e ch aracters wo ul d get up to all so n s of japes, w hi ch would be nea tl y reso lved just before the end cred its with a sickly m ora l message abo ut respect and the importa nce of fri ends hi p added for good meas ure. Who co ul d forge t when Zack d ressed up as a girl to go on a 'elate' wit h Screech, or tha t grea t ep isod e where Screech

is stru ck by lightning in a freak accident, gra nting him th e ability to see into th e fu ture< Such st01y lines make th e show odd ly ad di ctive eve n if it is aimed at pre-teens and has th e awfu l fas h ions of th e 80s.

Perh aps th e real attracti o n and classic aspect of 'Saved by th e Bell ' is th at it fits securely int o th e co m fort lV ge nre away from the bitchi ness and angst of modern tee n shows.

Rebecca Hunt

Sitcoms have been accused of being the next genre to be swept away by the rising tide of reality TV and dramas. But is this actually true? Chris Hyde doesn't think so and argues that sitcoms are simply changing along with their audience...

11 of us have had some experience with sitcoms at some point.

Whether it's simply catching a few minutes of an Only Fools and Horses Christmas special while waiting for our turkey sandwiches on 25th December or being able to quote entire scenes of I'm Alan Partridge, they have formed the cornerstone oflight entertainment on lV for decades and their characters and catchphrases have embedded themselves firmly in the nation's consciousness.

However, have they finally ended their reign as und isputed kings of family viewing? Channel 4 seems to think so - over the Christmas period, they screened a show investigating what killed off the genre and blamed such television innovations as fly-on -the-wall lV or multi-channel digiboxes. Despite this show commiserating the loss of sitcoms, it's debateable that they are completely dead; they are simp ly pushing the boundaries of what is deemed as "stereotypical" sitcom and changing to suit the twenty-first century.

Let's first look at a history of sitcoms, as defined by the programme. The fi rst UK si tcom, in the traditional sense of the word ('sitcom' is short for 'situation comedy'; a comedy about the lives . in an environment like home or work), was Steptoe and Son in the early 70s. The resounding success of the father and son line-up led to a whole slew of classic sitcoms in the 1970s over the three channels available, such as Dad's Army, Porridge, FawltyTowers, The Good Life and Yes Minister. These were successful due to both the quality of the acting and writing, and lV listings were soon filled with sitcoms - a typical week of mid70s lV featured eight of them in primetime slots. In the 1980s, a changing lV audience and the rise of alternative comedy led to a shift in th e nature of sitcoms; instead of being about suburbia or family relations, the biggest 80s sitcoms were about tudents (The Young Ones), bars (Cheers) , history (Blackadder) and abandoned mining ships (Red Dwarf) . The

eschewing of traditional sitcom values in favour of something a bit edgier was a daring move at the time - if it had not happened, it is possible that we'd be watching sitcoms now about council estate families moving into satel lite towns. One sitcom of the 80s that has endured is Only Fools and Horses. While it retained the family aspect, a comedy about a wheeling and dealing Cockney geezer was very different to what had previously been screened.

The most popular sitcoms of the 1990s were those that were imported from the other side of the pond, such as Friends, Fraiser and The Simpsons. These were a lot funnier, wittier and more rounded than the competition that UK sitcom writers provided in the early 90s, the fruits of which have been completely forgotten about only a decade later. The few UK sitcoms that were popular then, and are still remembered today, are those that were put on after the watershed (such as Men Behaving Badly, Absolutely Fabulous and One Foot in the Grave) - showing that sitcoms, once something viewed by all the fami ly, had changed their nature once again . Exceptions to those were ones that, again, kept family and home at their core (like Birds of a Feather and Keeping Up Appearances). The rise of fly-onthe-wall lV in the mid-90s meant that real life comedy characters like Jeremy Spake and Driving School's Maureen became engrained in the nation's consciousness and sitcoms became unfashionable.

Caroline Aherne's brave attempt to combine elements of both flyon-the-wall and sitcoms became the genre's last hope; ifThe Royl e Family hadn't brought sitcoms back from the brink of being obsolete, then they would probably have given way completely to the rise of reality lV. OK, so we've looked at sitcom s over the past 35 years, but where does that leave us now? lV listings are now full of soaps, reality lV and dramas and the only 'traditional' UK sitcom still on is BBCl's My Family (The Vicar of Dibley, another recent conventional sitcom, gets the occasional airing). But, just because there is only one 'traditional' sitcom on the box, it doesn't mean that the

genre is dead . Despite Channel 4's assurances that sitcoms are gone, this reviewer thinks that the past few years have injected a new lease of life into situation comedies and that the coming year look very promising indeed.

The Royle Family opened the floodgates for loads ofbrilliant sitcoms in the late 90s and early OOs - such as I'm Alan Partridge, The Office, Phoenix Nights, Spaced and Father Ted . These, in turn, have brought a new age of sitcoms to lV, in which we get si lly and random (The Mighty Boosh), very dark (Nighty Night, which was clearly influenced by the sketch show The League of Gentlemen) and vaguely realistic (Peep Show, with it's twist of being able to hear the characters' thoughts) . While purists may argue that these aren't sitcoms in the strictest sense of the word - i.e. as per the definition above - they are still comedies in which audiences laugh at the situations of the characters and they're as equally valid sitcoms as Porridge or Fawlty Towers, whi le they can all also be credited with bringing a fresh approach to the genre.

It's valid to point out that the biggest sitcoms of the 1990s are no more (Frasier and Friends both finished after their tenth season - a brave move to keep the characters from becoming boring and unwelcome, despite still being massively popular shows - and The Simpsons is no longer the comedy tour de force that it once was, while the UK sitcoms of the decade all finished a long time ago) and this could be misconstrued as heralding the end of the genre. llowever, the disappearance of Frasier and Friends has paved the way for more American sitcoms to fill the void left in the schedules; everyone loves Everyone Loves Raymond and Scrubs manages to wrap more comedy in one 30 minute episod e than an entire series of My Hero . The Simpsons' success led to a movement of animated sitcoms in the late 90s which, while giving us some truly diabolical "comedy" shows (like Bill Cos by's The PJs ), did produce some quality sitcoms (such as Futurama and Family Guy). The influx of primetime cartoons was something never before seen - is this something that a supposedly

Sitcoms are simply changing to suit the twenty-first century

dying genre would produce? The yellow family have even spawned their own real life imitators- Malcolm in the Middle was clearly pitched to 1V executives as being "the real life Simpsons".

In the opinion of this reviewer, the genre has never had it so good .

As well as the American sitcoms mentioned above, there have been loads of successful home-grown comedies over the past couple of years. Nighty Night and The Mighty Boosh have both been given second series. The third series of the fa ntastic Peep Show was shown on ly a few months ago and was possibly the funniest yet. Both Yes Minister and the documentary style of The Office have inspired the ' bri ll iant satire The Thick of It. Extras became one of the most popular lV shows of last year regardless of genre and, more recently, The IT Crowd has begun with the premise of returning to the genre's roots With otl1er brand new sitcoms starting this year, such as sci-fi comedy Hyperdrive and the offbeat My Name is Earl, the new generation is bringing more variety and entertainment to our screen than any of the family/suburbia comedies of the 70s. Sitcoms have evolved and are going from strength to strength and they're clearly far from dead - indeed, situation comedies have never been more alive than tl1ey are in 2006 .

I sit here, here at the centre o f the godless city, Near where Sir Peter's fl esh caresses tl1e sky, Watching the hoa rds, the plebs, Grimy people witl1 no love left, As they pass bathed in tl1e attack fro m the sun, Hal os of light find the moral o nes.

To the soutl1 lurks th ose in purOf their wa nto n luxuries, The perfect new boot, To tl1e wes t as the crow fli es, Where th e great fi eld s cou ld o nce be fo und , To tl1e east where the d runkards die And to th e no rth overl ooked by it all, in it's mid st, Chas te and still Sir Peter watches the city, Godless as it fa ll s.

White Po lo, visible Nirvana to p beneath, "Wow, yo u are so grunge", peo ple would say, Lookin g back o n tl1e 'd ays o f o ur lives' Spent behind tl1e science bl ock smo kin g "ho rrid " Mayfairs (Coughing when no o ne was listening), Couldn' t thin gs have been much better?

Greend ay to ld me "Nice guys finish las t", So ! -slap ped bread and butter o n Becky's face, Led to detentio n, wh at a disgrace.

Silly Brad beli eved the (To ny) Bl air witch pro ject, He also bo ught me ca ns of Stell a, And we went o n a night I can't remem ber.

Wo ke up in the morning, crust in my hair, Smelt my fin gers (Urgh .. . ), actu-

Baba

Alba dreams of runnin g away. Sh e thinks I d o n't kn ow this. That if she d oesn't say it I wo n't see her looking o ut toward s Dhaka. I am her Baba, I know she is a res tless thin g, I know that she looks men in the eye when she speaks with them and whistl es down the rows o f Marigold pots at my nursery.

Th ree wee ks ago tl1 e po li ce fo un d her running away o n the road to Tanga il and th ought she was a kidn apped English girl. It is her pale complexio n that d oes it. O r perh aps Sho ma Ap u is right and I have dressed her wrong.

th at thick branch o f the tree by his window and waved and d anced and ro ll ed aro und tl1e leaves in laughter, m en shook myself loose and fell a faint shadow across his page. He'd see me then, and leave hi s study to fi nd out why a Sheul y fl ower is fa lling in tl1e dayt ime7 Baba is as shy as a Sheul y fl ower; he says little to me, sings with hi s eyes closed and laughs into his hand .

Al ba

There is nothing to d o in thi s ga rde n so I take my shoes d own to the ri ver to coo l. I as k Baba if I can go and he no ds at me with the back o f hi s head, I tell hi m tll at Begu m Kh aled a Zia is at the door, tl1at I go t marri ed to tl1e vil lage boy with the lim p that spits in the paddies- yes o f course, th at's fin e he says and wafts me away witl1 hi s hand .

My shoes are cold and bo red. should have realized that if I left them by the doo r they'd want to go o ut, so I sli p them o n and rush into the garden. I see Baba throu gh the window in hi s stud y.

Baba is always in his study. Suppose I beca me a Sheuly fl ower on

The ri ver is d ry ing out. When the wa ter was lazy and had no real place to be, me and Baba used to throw stones across it. I find a good stone, no t a ro und one but o ne th at fits between my thumb and fi nger perfectly. The river is so stale that the sto ne spits up at the taste o f it. One day I will throw the perfect sto ne; it will reach the

o tl1er side and skim seven ti mes.

Som e days it skips across tl1ree o r fo ur times b ut tl1en it gives u p.

ally vo mit.

Sticks in yo ur memory just like yo ur first kiss, Fi rst time with your mates, disgustingly pissed.

I fell as leep the o ther night then woke up w itl1 a start 'Cos Rachel, my pet spider, had just po pped a smelly fart "Yo u stinky thing 1 " I sternl y said , but she just turned and grinned "Sorry 'bout the smell ," she sa id , "I seem to have bad wind !"

"Because you only feed me beans, tl1ere rea ll y is no wo nder That every time I fa ll asleep my bum explodes li ke thunder' If yo u bo ught me so mething nice to eat, my bottom cheeks would kee p Tight together all night lo ng and then yo u'd get some slee p !"

So the next day I went o ut and bo ught her caviar and steaks The best red wine from Southern France and champagne truffle cakes Now my fo od bill is a grand a wee k, but worth it 'cos th at pong ll as disappeared at last and now we bo th sleep all night lo ng!

The beat be w rap ped in cowhide and dyed red Be called Shango and bo rn into schisms Be layi ng u p ri ght, eyes o pen, cold d ead Nodding its head to heroin's rhythms.

The beat be draped in rags o f the cosmos Da ncing to th e rhythm poverty plays Wrapped in white to celebrate god 's ghost And ge tting freed of tl1e ir sinnish ways.

The beat be curled ti ghtly into itself Extending its to ngue to the paper's blad e Cataclysm ic poets speak of new wealth O nly lint lay printed u pon tl1 e page.

Mo therhood is no t witl1out its mo thersBeatitude is no t witho ut its colo u rs '

Idealism O nly works whe n tempered by So me rea li ty.

Baba

This time she made it as far as Mo hit's ho use befo re Sho m a Apu saw her and offered her so me Shemai. She likes Shemai a nd I have no ne to give her. I lit incense at her Mo ther's shrine to night and sat under the tree askin g Shi va what to d o . When I woke later the Sheul y fl owers had co llected o n my sho ul ders like d and ru ff.

I carri ed them into Al ba's roo m , pl aced o ne in her hair, brushed tl1e rest o ff a nd went bac k to my study. Such delica te fl owers Sheul ys, its scen t will be go ne by mo rn ing.

This Piece is Yo ur PieceSend In Yo ur P's !

Poetry, Prose, Pictures, Plays ... Please ' email yo ur stuff to ~~. concrete.creativewriting@ uea.ac. uk to appea r in ~

ball fight, you will join in the merriment bare handed. !fours of snowman building, sledging, snow angels and rolling around in the white wet stu ff will leave your hands numb until April.

27 - ~ 20 You will tread in something nasty and spread it all around your house. You will need some strong bleach and so me good scrubbing to remove the stains but the· smell wi ll still hang aro und for weeks. Serves you right for being !June 23 · !/ulg 23 so happy and not looking down Wh ile waiting late at n ight in at your feet. the kebab shop you will spot someone you think you know from last week's social. You will approach thein, only to find out th at they have no idea who you are. This won't stop you playing ~ 2 7 . 9Kag 20 In with the old and out with the it cool, blagging a lift in their new for this fortnight. Who needs taxi and staying the night at b roader horizons when what's right theirs. in front of you is so good? Make sure you look after the bird in your hand, the two in the bush just aren't worth it. Stay away from anything new. Except don't forget to renew !/ulg 24 . ~ 23 You will forgo your lectures your library books. next week in order to catch up with the plot of Neighbours.

Drew starts appearing in Steph 's dreams and Summer comes back from wherever she's been . Fed up May 22 · !June 2 2 h will snow on the one day that with the return· of characters you you forget yo ur gloves. But, hav- were glad to see the back of you ing waited so long for a snow- return to lectures by Friday.

.9Natr

CVilrgo, ~ 25 · Sf!/lt 23 You will make a stupid bet and then proceed to take it seriously. You will lose the trust of an old friend, be barred from three different pubs, spend a night in the local hospital and ruin your favouri te pair of shoes. You will of course win the bet and earn yourself £20. But will it have been worth it?

Sf!/lt24·0et23

This week you wil l be lucky in love but financially accident p rone, and the following week it will be visa versa. My advice is to withdraw all your stocks and shares for now and throw yourse! f at everyone you fancy. Next week I suggest you reinvest heavily and don't even bother leaving your house.

$co;rpi& Oet 24

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9VfW. 22

Everything will go right for you this week. It's not often I get to say it

that bluntly but that's what the stars are forecasting. Even the things that seem like they are going wrong will spin around and give you a pleasant surprise later on. To cap it all, all your enemies will have a really rubbish week.

9VfW. 2 3 - IDee 27 You will hear a fantastic joke o n the radio this week, but when you attempt to retell it in the pub this weekend you will mess up the required South African accent and ru in the joke completely. Fortunately you will ready to bounce back with that joke about the French gynaecologist; that one never fails to p lease.

time and prove a useful ally in your attempt to bring down th e ruling UKIP party.

S\qu.ar~

!/an 27 - !Teb 7 9 This fortnight your lucky colour will be b lue, your lucky words are 'Helicopter' and 'Dubai' and your lucky o dour will old books. Your lucky song will be The lsley Brother's Su mmer Breeze and your lucky food will be ch icken korma. Have fun trying to get all _those together into two weeks.

fTeb

!IJee

22 ·

!/an 20

Your plans for world domination take a no ther gradual step forward this week as you buy a pint for an acquaintance in the Union bar. Unbeknown to the both of you she will become the chairman of the CBI in twenty years

20 -

.9Natr

20

I've got two words of advice for you this week: Complete Denial. No one can prove you were there (loads of people have size eight boot marks), and your al ibi is sound. Don't be tempted to return to the scene of the crime, the stars suggest that this will only give the game away. Don't worry, I'm the only one who's predicted what you've done and I'm easily bribable.

I · !Tealulre

!Tealwre

Last Thursday, the rumbling juggernaut that is the NME tour rolled into Norwich for a stop at UEA. While it sold out months ago, did the four bands live up to the expectations and hype surrounding them? Chris Hyde reviews the gig and meets two of the bands. o, where were you during the evening ofThursday 9th February? Watching the Oasis uibute band at the Waterfont?

Working hard for those mid-term tests and essays? Or, maybe, were you at the LCR at what could quite likely be the biggest gig of the year?

When NME announced that it would be putting on another awards tour this year, many were sceptical that it would beat last year's cracking lineup. 'The 2005 tour saw The Killers, The Futureheads, Bloc Party and Kaiser Chiefs gracing stages up and down the country, with a stop here at UEA proving to be one of the most manic nights on the whole tour. 'How could it possibly be beaten?' was the unanimous cry from indie fans across the UK On 24th November, the line-up for 2006 was revealed and, by golly, those clever chaps at NME had somehow mlmaged to get four such brilliant bands that last year's gig now seems like a warm-up in comparison.

Psychedelia experimentalists Mystery Jets? Jerky rock courtesy of Brooklyn's finest, We Are Scientists? Post-punk spiky pop from Maximo Park? Rousing rock anthems from the current It Band, *gasp* Arctic Monkeys? 'Oh yes, 2005 can definitely be beaten!' was the resounding cheer from those very same indie fans. When tickets finally went on sale for the gig, massive demand saw The Hive full of students eager to get their little hands on one - but far more students than there were tickets available. This led to many unhappy fans, who had to turn to the inevitable ticket touts on ebay that were charging around f50 for one ticket. However, those that got in (through whatever means) undeni· ably had an amazing night and left amazed at how 2007's tour could ever beat this line-up.

On filing into the LCR, the nwnbers of people trying to outdo each oth er in the "alternative" stakes were astOunding. The vast majority of the crowd had pearly been taking fashion tips from the NME and were trying to be 'indier than thou'. Spotted headbands, striped tops, Converse shoes, beads and bangles, skinny jeans and sulky expressions were de rigueur and

It was undeniably an amazing night and the question is - how can 2007's NME tour ever beat it?

famously sold over 360,000 copies in just one week, propelling them to having both number one album and single in that week Previous single, I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, was also a number one smash.

They've come from relative obscurity a year ago to having a slew of NME front covers, all these records being sold and a sold-o ut solo tour, not to mention this prestigious third slot. If the pressure ofall this was weighing on ' their shoulders, it d idn't show as the band virtually swaggered onstage to deafening cheers.. Launching straight into album opener'fhe View from the Afternoon and then Dancefloor, the Monkeys p layed unremittingly for 40 minutes before ending with their last single, Fake Tales of San Francisco, which made an excellent closer and · got virtually the entire LCR jumping and singing along. Bassist Andy Nicholson subjected the crowd to an unrelenting angry look throughout, as though having to play the songs time and time again was already getting tedious, while Jamie Cook (guitarist) looked nonplussed at the massive reaction each song got. Alex TUrner has poten tial to be a fantastic frontrnan, with h is boundless energy and constant crowd interaction. The audience were dearly enraptured by the band, going wild for ev.ery single song (despite them not playing their cover of Girls Aloud's Love Machine), made those not fitting the alt stereo- Dark gleamed like, errn, a diamond in and even Turner coughing to dear h is type ieellike they were gatecrashers at the dark, but still didn't drill up much throat raised a d1eer. Maximo Park some sort of cult party. After 20 min-. enthusiasm. However, the crowd's re- had a huge act to follow - how could utes of judging everyone's clothes, the action for We Are Scientists couldn't they possibly outdo the Monkeys?

Somehow, tl1ey managed to upcrowd launched into cheers when the have been more different if they'd lighu dimmed to herald the arrival of been paid - enthusiastic surging for- stage them completely and left the Mystery Jets. A chant of "zoo time" wards and pogo-jumping began from crowd asking each other "Arctic launched from the speakers and car- tl1e first riff of their set and carried o n who?" Giving every song bar one ried on while the Jets shuffled onto relentlessly until the last bit of feed- from the brilliant A Certain Trigger stage and assumed their positions. back died down from the amps. The album an airing, Maximo Park put Singer Blaine Hanison perched in Scientists themselves looked a bit baf- on a tight set that stayed faithful to front of a crazy drum kit that resem- fled but delighted at the dear enthu- tl1e recordings of the songs yet made bled something from Steptoe's scrap- siasm the crowd showed, as shown by them sound that little bit rawer. Paul yard and the Teutonic movements of singer Keith Murray's constant grin- Smith's famous acrobatics, such as bassist Kai were strangely entertain- ning. Even if We Are Scientists only leaping from a stack of amplifiers and ing. Unfortunately, the rapturous become remembered for having a jumping scarily h igh into the air, were reception given when they came on- bassist with the best moustache this present and even seemed to have stage didn't carry on for the rest of the side of 70s porn, they put on a great rubbed off on Lukas Wooller, who was dancing along in a manner not set (apart from when their two biggest show and deserve to go far. songs to date, The Boy Who Ran Away Third on the bill, despite far unlike Ian Curtis. Other onstage anand .'\Jas Agnes, were aired), and it eclipsing all the other bands in terms tics from Smith included reading the reduced the impad of their amazing of both popularity and sales, are lyrics to Once, A Glimpse from a red music to feeling like a two-):>it sup- young Sheffield oiks Arctic Monkeys. leather-bound book and an embarport ·) and. New song Diamon in the A few weeks ago, their debut album rassing yet funny Steve Tyler impres-

sion that was reminiscent of someone's drunk dad trying to be cool at karaoke. Notably, tl1ey were the only band of the entire night to play a previously unheard song, which seemed a bit self indulgent - the audience seemed to think so too, as they stayed more still than if they were at a Cornershop gig. Despite this minor niggle, the rest of the set was incredible with more tunes than you could shake a rhythm stick at and the new song admittedly did sound fantastic.

The band seemed genuinely pleased to be in Norwich, unlike the Monkeys, and Smith thanked the crowd profusely throughout. Maximo Park deserved to be the headliners by a long chalk; they put on a much better set than Arctic Monkeys and actually seemed like they cared about being there. As predicted, the question on everybody's lips as they left was "how will they beat this next year?" and, after one of the best gigs the LCR has ever seen, the NME is going to have a tough task to even match this unforgettable night. Those of you who didn't go - wishing you did now? e Event managed to catch up with Mystery Jets n UEA's humble Zest beore their acoustic set in Norwich's HMV (a taxi ride with the band spent discussing The Mighty Boosh was one of the most surreal yet fun tl1ings this journalist has done so far). The band admitted that they were excited but nervous about opening the show.

T:

Singer Blaine Harrison said that they were going to play the best set possible to them; "we're just going to have to steal the show, but all the bands will be trying the same thing".

When asked about life on the NME tour, Blaine said that it's been great.

"There's nothing bad to say about it.

Some venues were such a privilege to play, like the old theatres like Dublin Ambassadors and Newcastle Academy. Touring in itself is amazing - it's like travelling around out of a backpack but getting to play gigs every night. It's backpacking with a function. The other bands a~;e brilliant and a lot of fun. We Are Scientists are the most intelligent rock band you'll ever meet, really witty and un-rock and rolL. .. well, I guess they're rock and roll as they're so not rock and rolL " His praise for his fellow bands extended to Arctic Monkeys, too. "It's · not really dawned on them yet h ow huge their empire is. The look on their faces when they play Dancefloor each night is priceless, you can tell they're having the time of their lives.

Ead1 night seems to get them a much bigger reaction and every single person everywhere seems to know every word to their songs". When asked if there are any wacky anecdotes from the tour, Blaine paused for thought and told us a story about Paul Smith and some tights in Glasgow. 'They were thrown at him on stage and he decided to wrap them round his head and dance with them - when he went backstage, he h ad a horrible, erm, smell all over him". Stories

don't get much fishier than that. ..

We managed to interview We Are Scientists too, shortly after their sound check (at which Paul Smith was. dribbling a football around the then-empty LCR), which is pictured above. Mystery Jets were completely easygoing and answered eacl1 question truthfully and >eriously - We Are Scientists couldn't have been a more different band in their interview style if they'd tried. Pretty much no ne of the answers were serious at all (they claimed that "the Sea God" had inspired all their videos and that all readers of this interview should give their own indiV:dual thanks to him when they're next at the coast) and was incredibly entertaining and funny for being as such. Their music is, in their own words, "like Whitney Houston on a Mexican bender" and they got together to make music after watching Band Of Brothers. "The idea of a band of brothers getting shot up in World War 11 really appealed to us musically- the reality is that it's terrible, of course, but it's md1 a delicious musical conceit that we wanted to give it a go" commented singer Keith Murray. The band "\1\>ere then asked what the tour has been like for them.

Moustachioed bassi>t Chris Cain mused "to say it's been good is one adjective, but I'm trying to think of a simile to give readers the best idea of what it's been like to experience the tour ... It's like a snake sliding into a Vaseline-lined hose for winter warmth. It's a good solid fit- maybe they weren't made for each oth er,

"It's like a snake sliding into a Vaselinelined hose for winter warmth".

but god damn if things didn't come together really well for them." The debate still rages over which band is the snake and which band is the greased up h ose that accommodates them.

When asked if they bad any amusing tales akin to Blaine's Paul Smitl1 story, they told us all about their tour manager's seduction ted1nique. "He made love to a goat the other day," Murray confessed conspiratorially. "He met her a bus stop that the bus drove past and seduced her onboard with a piece of baguette from the kitchen.

He lured her into the DVD room and wooed her with all the right moves. It was a good afternoon for the both of them on all accounts. If anyone wants to hear tales of hot goat sex, or see the video, then contact Adam Fisher, the We Are Scientists tour manager".

So, for any budding zoophiles out tl1ere, you know the man to get in touch with. The rest of the interview covered them telling outrageous, but hilarious, fibs about Arctic Monkeys and Mystery Jets and was concluded with them telling us their plans for the future. "We'll grow old and die gracefully, and maybe put out some more classic alb ums too. Come fortune or famine, everyone's gonna d ie one day".

The NME tour - an amazing live experience, four unique bands and a slogan that one band goes by to bring you back to earth with a b ump after your mind's blown by their music.

What more could you want for the price of one ticket?

PHOTOS BY KONSTt\NOINOS DIMOPOLOUS

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lJietrballtJer ~~d]] Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba have been making albums for over half a decade. The Ninja Tune artists are therefore naturally established in the world of independant jazz hip hop. This record however is slightly different; a rare release by London's famous nightclub Fabric. It is a 24-track party mix-tape compilation per~onally complied by Wherry and Teeba and intended to re-create the Fabric dancefloor at home. Compilations are always an exceptional chance to sample something new and, with the twist of the London duo, there are two reasons to sit up and pay attention.

While it boasts few UK home grown tracks, Fabric Live 26 contains infectious turntable gymnastics, bumping rhythms, laidback grooves and traditional funk jazz breaks from tlhe South East London based Trip Hop veterans.

Million Dan and Blufoot Ft Yungun bring out dancefloor shaking beats, while )-Sands Of The Lone Catalysts sex funk it up on track two with 'Southern Lady: The track is a slick sexy blend of lazy grooves a nd trumpets with a dubbed-over jazz singer croonip.g "southern ladies" while the MCs break it down. Predictably and

Idiot Pilot Strange We Should Meet Here Three minutes into this debutant Seatt1e duo's LP and concern sets in. Arty narrative, pop rock peppiness, it might be the perfection of quality but it sounds oh so guitar band. Thankfully the following 13 tracks take time to reassure you that Losing Colour was just a show of Idiot Pilot's d iversity. In actual fact they hold a post-hardcore edginess in their vocals, the poignant screaming and the atmospheric backing. The advancement in ~motiveness throughout the tracklist is like a journey into the collaborative influences of a typical 18 year old rock fan. Indeed the duo started out writing Strange We Should Meet Here at that age, in light of which the matureness of their approach is . outstanding. As youngsters Idiot Pilot carry the flag for the future of metal. They are the legacy of many definitive US metal bands, notably The Smashing Pumpkins, from which they take the ability to create the transcendance of emotion provoking softness into dynamic raging metal. The most

as further testament to Herbaliser's roots in Funk, the godfather himself Mr James Brown enjoys a track all to himself. The veteran funk soul king sounds dangerously like a B-Boy opening with "How ya like me now, huh!" If you're looking for badass rhymes about shooting b luds, and kidnappingwomen from the Ukraine then please just kill yourself now as you obviously hate wh o you are. Herbaliser take the melo-

respectful thing about this debut is the duos abili!J to create such a full sound with care at every level. Prevoking, emotional and diverse, Idiot Pilot have set the foundations for a remarkably interesting career. Having barely touched British soil, their future here is as unpredictable as their style.

Chloe Ramsey

Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Bailey Rae

The Jam Snap If you ask your dad to name the best five British punk bands of the 70s, it's guaranteed that along with the Sex Pistols and The Clash, he'll mention The Jam. The band started off as punk and evolved, through the influence of American R&B (thankfully not the same sub-genre as Destiny's Child or their ilk) and singer Paul Weller's love of social commentary, into a poppy rock band that still embraced the punk etl10s. With Weller receiving an award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music at this week's Brit Awards, record label Universal

dramatic world of hip hop and add their funky, perky spin to it.

Come on we're all students here, not yardies. Whoops, I said it.

How's about not taking Hip Hop too seriously and if that's your attitude then you may well just take to the rare groove vinyl spliced sampling tomfoolery of this British produced record with sheer enjoyment instead of fear.

George Wyndham

has cynically cashed in .... erm, I mean repackaged and re-released Snap, 1983's compilation issued following the band's break up the preceding year. While the original had 21 songs, tl1is version adds a few b-sides, demos and single edits, as well as a bonus 4-track EP recorded at Wembley Stadium.

With a mammoth total of 34 songs, it's debateable whether anyone needs this much Jam oozing out of their stereo but they truly defined 70s British music and have influenced many British bands

since, such as The Smiths and Blur.

Songs like 'Going Underground', Town Called Malice' and 'Billy Hunt' are fantastic songs that alone are worth the price. The sequencing of tracks into release order provides a fascinating insight into a constantly changing popular beat combo. The anthology provides a great cross-section of the band's music so, if you're curious as to where Damon Albam or Morrissey got their inspiration from, or want a Jam taster session, then this is ideal.

Christoph Hyde

With a voice like Nelly Furtado and the writing style that would guarentee a place on a Love Actually 2 soundtrack, Leeds lass Corinne Bailey Rae may quite likely be the seductive soul breakthrough of 2006. Epic endorsements have predicted Corinne's successes already, which is not hard to see when entertaining the subtle and expressive swoons of this, her self-titled LP. In its context this album is a gem, the soft and delicate nature will be appreciated by all. However in its style it remains firmly in the realms of R&Bjsoul, so an aquired taste is necessary to truly acknowledge the deserved respect that Corinne has already achieved.

It must be said d1at with its release on the eve of Valentines day, the romantic cloud that surrounds such smooth soul musi~ might make a good gift in the same way John Legend made it last year. Either way there is no doubt that Corinne's album will seduce anation ofValentines.

Jonah Matranga

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The female influence in the pop industry is often just a sexy front to haul in the cash.

Elley Taylor looks at the ladies who are building up respect through their musical ability rather than selling themselves to the business. n terms of influence on the musical scene in general, women hardly hold the greatest portion of power. True, there are many iconic female artists, but they rarely get the recogmuon they deserve. It is not hard to get the impression that men basically run the music industry, it's not all that often that a feisty new female is let into the ring.

Susie Quatro is an immensely inspirational lady. Performing completely decked out in head to toe leather and brandishing a bass guitar that completely swamped her tiny frame, Quatro became one of the first femaie rockers to hook a string of number one hits to her belt throughout the 70s and early 80s. They don't make women like her anymore! Just like Patti Smith and Cat Power. Patti delivered a feminist and intellectual take on punk music in the 70s and also became one of Rock and Roll's most influential musicians. Cat Power, overcoming early stage fright whid1 left her hiding, curled up on stage, still continues to enchant listeners with her minimalist, sparse guitar and piano creations.

When you think of successful female musicians names like Madonna naturally come to mind . But can you really say . that Madonna has done anything that inspirational?

Trampling over disco and branding it her own? Sure she's been popular a long, long time and constantly causing controversy over her portrayal of risque activities in her videos, but isn't she just doing it for publicity? lt seems quite evident that Madonna is a publicity figure first and a musician second, no disrespect intended but as with many artists of her genre she is just a front for song writers and producers.

Charlotte Church the foxy yet fit for a fight Welsh beauty is a favourite in the beloved female idol stakes.

With her happily frank admissions of always really being 'a fat girl' and her sporty boyfriend's claim that his favourite pan of her body is 'her tits', it's a welcome reminder tl1at ladies are meant to have a womanly figure.

Despite all this when it comes down to it women in the contemporary scene are predominantly using sex to promote themselves. It's a natural way for pop culture to go

but it draws attention away from the music itself. Charlotte Church, the innocent opera singer changed her image so she could be sold.

'Call my name' is a song about sex, package it how you will. So, sure the video is set to present a certain degree of smut, but shouldn't the music alone be good enough to stand on its own two legs, rather than burying its head in a barrage of bawdyness?

Women, unlike men, are frequently judged by their clothes, their body and most significantly their face. Not by their singing voice, their instrumental skill or their writing expertise. It's no wonder tha t the music scene is made up of a big gang of brutish boys.

Jenny Lewis, lead singer of kooky country troop Rilo Kiley, was recently applauded for her admirable solo career being regularly congratulated on her eclectic retro style and her incredibly long eye lashes.

How does this affect her music?

Why are looks so important in this industry? The Rakes are a far from attractive band but they are never criticised because it's about the noise they make musically, not the face tl1ey own.

Artists like PJ Harvey, Tori Amos and Bjork are never really heralded as style icons but their music, although not exactly mainstream, is incredibly successful. Their dark and eccentric creations are elegant masterpieces unaffected by face, figure and fashion. Somehow they have managed to avoid the arrogant and chauvinistic media that appears to follow women around today. But when it comes down to the wire, can girls only be successful in tl1e music business and rally against cock rock with sex appeal and feminine wiles?

It's increasingly noticeable that the new flock of indie sheep are fronted by sexy, skinny sirens.

Seemingly always brunettes with quirky singing voices, set off by a generous sprinkling of outrageous dress sense. Although they're pouting for independent tl10ught, they all come out the same.

But luckily tl1e music industry has finally had a reality injection and overdosed on gritty, smart females leading the way towards a brighter future for ladies. These girls have got brains, wit and most importantly their own personality, unaffected by media morons.

The Long Blondes have been shooting around the circuit fo r a while now, increasingly picking up speed and they're finally getting their due recognition . The band doesn't shy away from a one girl vs. mass male collective. There are three roaring girls in this gang. Lead singer Kate thankfully bites off labels like NME's 'coolest haircut in pop' in favour of a more respectable music-making ability. Her pencllant for berets and neck-scarves fail to strangle her glorious resolutely English voice. She seeps lazy, breathy, laid back, sparkling appeal.

Think Sleeper or Elastica bouncing on tl1e musical trampoline with ABC, Pulp, The Human League and Stock, Atkein and Waterman.

Every song has slick, fresh appeal, all completely different. Kate is ladylike but with a gorgeously simmering and sensual yet common tone. She even has a separate job on the side, true to fema le talents she multitasks! Definitely pulling her weight in the women's corner of the ring. These women aren't just a front and they haven't gone as far as Kittie-style masculinity, the difference is that they have earned respect through their ability before flaunting themselves.

Then there are Liverpool loves, the Little Flames. Seemingly gunning for all tl1ings bad that could possibly encompass sucl1 a category; lead singer Eva Peterson fronts a batch of pale-faced , party-pooped lads whilst being no thing short of

Female musicians are frequently being judged by their looks over their instrumental skill or writing expertise

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absolutely gorgeous. Together the Flames have created the Blondie blueprint, beauty at the forefront and basic boys jamming in the back. But thankfully, their sound is delicious, incredibly indie and dripping •Nith grungy spirit and vital it, -·- >on has this delectable breath lessly soft voice hacking off a nice wedge of choir girl innocence to add to the mix. You could or... argue that Eva breathes essential life into these dull and desperate boys trying to make it in the music biz, she adds an essential front that they never could. But her role in the band is applauded in more substantial ways. She ha talent, she sets off their songs with a wise tongue and an elegant accent, with vast credibility, and she earns her place.

It's likely that more girl groups will arrive, probably never packaging girl power as successfully as the .__ Spice Girls but giving it a go anyway. It's highly unlikely we'll see such inspirational models as Quatro, Smith and Patti again . But we can hope. This new breed of ladydriven musical machines is laing the way for a future of girls singing and picking up instruments, wanting to have their own say, regardless of appearance. Men and women are supposed to be equal in this day and age so let's have more feisty females step forward and balance out the male overpopulation in music.

Let's here it for the girls!

Elley Taylor

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LCR 30/01 Venue upgr.1des due to popul.u dem.md 'eem to be becoming ever more frequent this year. For 'upport ,\Ct The Dueb .md 路1he White Ro'e i\ tovement the successes of their tour mates have given an opportunity to pL1y ,lt a m.1jor LIK 'ell out venue alongside one of teh most exiting bands of the present.

If you are dismissive about all these band' that have been artificially pieced together by their record label then don't worry. The Rakes bo.1st of having found their 'olidarity outside a Weatherspoons one evening a few years ago, they now enjoy a rapidly growing 'uccess. They have a New York based punk sound reminiscent of The Ramone~, however influences are also very London. In Matthew Swinnerton's guitar you can hear The Clash's 1ick ]ones and a touch of Mike Skinner can be found in Alan Donohue's vocals. I lis lyrics are simple but true telling of pubs,

club,, ,Jeeping and w.1king up with your head in an ashtray.. having necked a bottle of vodk.1 .1nd three little fellas the night before.

In short the Rakes have a refre,hingly gritty style. Tonight the 'Ove r Fourteens Only' sign means that there is a somewhat varied crowd in the LCR. That familiar look around revealing pre-pubescent hooded Indie urchin' being served double vodka's from a packed bar alongsde large me n in their forties queuing up for pints of Stella who are frantically ~canning the room for nubile young l1.t year students to interfere with in the capacity crowd, a savage glint in their eyes. The first two bands The Duels and The White Rose Movement are nothing to write home about. Both groups however revel at the frenzied audience but it is evident that the crowd is only here for one band. The Rakes take the stage around lO:OOpm amid fran -

tic cheeri ng and launch into a high energy ~e t. 1 hey rip through tracks like 'Retreat' and Terror' ' Mathew Swinnerton's sticky guitar licks complemented by Al,m Oonohue's skinny frame spasmodically jerking around the st<~ge lan C:urtis 'tyle.

Despite his simple navy cardigan clobber and odd chat in be twee n songs, the man has definite stage presence. 22 Grand Job is perhaps The Rakes best track tonight. It reminds us that life in the 21st century is full of uncertainty, career opportunities that never knock and a 22 Grand Job in the city is as good as is gets for most of us. They finish with the riotous Strasbourg. The song sounds a bit like a cross between Ramones' Bozo Goes lo Bitburg and Joy Division's Warsaw. It is about escaping the eastern bloc in the Cold War stuck inside a cattle truck Brilliant, evetyone needs an experience like that too.

George Wyndham

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah LCR 08/02 l'lentiful sunshine ray' shone on a chilly and sleepy Norwich this February with the arrival of warm, laid back jive turkeys, the glorious Clap Your I lands Say Yeah.

Support came from splendid soft -centred hippy-types Or. Dog, who spent the majority of their time playing and sporting beam ing smiles mixed with focused face~. Their delicat e banter with the crowd saw the guitarist/singer; Taxi, explaining, in a dimly 'weet f,l,hion , how to turn a woolly hat into a musical accompaniment when he was caught 'hort mid -rock and it fell off his he,1d only for him to con tinu e thrashing hi~ guitar cnergetic.llly with it' lie seemed to surprise even himself!

Some guy once s.1id that it wasn't about being original, but doing it better than .myone e be. Cl.1p Your ll.1nds Say Ye.1h are a ew York based band th at sound .. well, exactly like one would expect a ew York based band to sound. You know th e drill: Velvet Underground chord progre1.siom accompanied byTelevision-esque, so-bad-they'regood vocals. 路1heir mu,i c won't win any prizes for originality. And who cares? It's addictive, it's pleasantly

familiar without ever being overly derivative and it's tight without losing its swagger. Should be the blueprint for a great show, right7 Bafflingly, no. Where Let The Cool Coodne's Rust Away and Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth sounded so effortle,sly coo l and laid-back on record, here that just translates into monotony. A band playing like lhey're doing th e audience a favour is a live quality, but playing like they

couldn't care less is not. Proceedings pick up somewhat during, of all things, the non -a lbum track Psychedelic Numbers. Or maybe it was ju~t the mosh-pit, which decided to create its own fun (much to the bouncer'' dt:spair) . Either way, the ingred ients are all there: Clap sjust have to start playing like th ey mea n it, and do one of this year's most amiabl e records justice.

Elley Taylor & Matthew Nitch-Smith

There is wonderful contrast between the primative chorus lyrics and accomplished instrumentation, and new ideas are constantly appearing within the structure. This track is something cool, the type of creative genius and originality found in the music of Suede comes through; this is music has real thought behind it.

Duels are definitly a band to keep an eye out for.

Simoo Kinch

Duels Animal Hailing from Leeds, Duels so far have prompted little but comparisons to the Kaiser Chiefs, a fact which is little but puzzling. Duels have a very different energy about them: their Pulp-esque textures laced with haunting keyboards drop seamlessly into sparse, crunching riffs. Their quirky music can capture your imagination in a way few bands can and they have a polyphonic creativity which is admirably refined. The band performed well when supporting The Rakes at the UEA earlier this month, but despite the catchy impulsiveness of their music, the intricate details of their recordings were lost to the acoustic performances.

Animal, their third single release after Potential Futures and Pressure On You, is one of the most addictive tracks about at the moment.

It's timid, chilling keyboard line breaks into fragmented guitar licks, over which cousins )on Foulger and Katherine Botterill exchange vocals.

I

ogy is preceded by the band's first single release in three years, entitled Live With Me, featuring the vocals of Terry Callier, which contribute to the distinctive return to a much more soulful sound. However, the track manages to retain evidence of the slick production that characterised the most recent albums, which were dominated by a darker, subtler form of electronic music. A delicate combination of strings, percussion and brooding lyrics certainly put it among the band's most haunting work, yet whether or not it will come to deserve its place on the 'best of compilation is uncertain.

Kelvin Knight

outright rock song that sounds like the bawling of a lovechild of The Strokes and Editors. Squealing guitars, the muddy bass and fast-yettight drumming aJI unite to create a song that's so catchy it hurts. It will imprint itself in your brain, going round and round until you faJI to your knees and beg for it to stop.

Or, as shown at last week's NME tour, pogo along to it relentlessly as if your life depended on it. While naysayers can sneer that it's aJI been done before, We Are Scientists are a shining light in the slew of Joy Division/New Order pastiche bands (step forward, Morrissey-wannabe Sam Endicott's The Bravery) and, while it's certainly not new, it's certainly different and a relief from everybody's current favourite band, Arctic Monkeys. If this son of thing's your cup of tea, then go out and get the We Are Scientists album now.

Don't argue, just do it, and make their music a hit.

Chris Hyde

We Are Scientists It's A Hit

The Strokes Heart In A Cage

Massive Attack Live With Me This promises to be a hectic year for Massive Attack. The Bristol band are currently working on their fifth studio album Weather Underground, and are reponed to be lining up a series of live dates and festivals for the summer and autumn.

Prior to all that comes the release of their much-publicised greatest hits double-album Collected, which could well do for the trip-hop veterans the same thing Forever Faithless did for the dance outfit. The anthol-

From the rumbling bass intro to Keith Murray's spitting out the lyrics as if they were poisoned, it's dear that We Are Scientists are not leaving without a fight. A threeand-a-half minute gem about relationships (as all the best pop songs are), the New York trio blast out an

Despite ripping off Iggy Pop's The Passenger' and having questionable lyrics, 'Hean In A Cage,' the second single from The Strokes new album, is actually kind of good . I find it hard to compliment a band whose success rests so heavily on

"J

Wedn&Jdag .,512 o6 Orange Playlist Free 12-7pm Union Bar An Evening with the Beats feat. The Streets £17.50 7.30pm LCR Chris Brokaw £4 8pm The Marquee Casanovas + others £6 adv 7pm Waterfront

Union Film: Night Watch 7.30pm LTI Hundred Reasons 7.30pm Norwich Arts Centre Goldie Lookin Chain 7.30pm LCR 80s Night and Chain on Velvet lOpm Waterfront

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Pyjama Party with Vemon Kay lOpm LCR Louie 8pm Waterfront Angelo Debarre Quartet £8

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~.,6l2lo6 Beth Ortoo £18.50 7.30pm LCR lsobel Campbell £8 adv.

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James Frost 1pm Norwich Arts Centre Club Retro lOpm LCR Fairport Convention 7.30pm St. Andrews Hall The Aphrodisiacs 8pm Norwich Arts Centre

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fashion and looks - the diny, slutty image they've cultivated so far will be hard to nurture in front of various new wives and long term girlfriends - although The Strokes do seem to at least be trying to become a 'proper band: The guitar work on 'Heart In a Cage' is excellent, as is the rhythm section. Unfortunately for The Strokes the musicianship does have to be good here to divert attention away from the lyrics.

Luckily, singer (and songwriter) )ulian Casablanca seems to realize this too, and tries his hardest to slur them out of existence. A bit of ..detective work reveals the lines "So don't teach me a lesson f Cause I've already learned / Yeah the sun will be shining f And my children will burn." Expecting a song about applying plenty of sun-cream, 'Heart In A Cage' is actually supposed to be about an ex-girlfriend. However, with a few small adjustments, The Strokes could have an educational summer hit on their hands.

Simoo West

£9

Municipal Waste 7.30pm The Ferryboat Inn Gemma Hayes 7pm Norwich Arts Centre Top 50 LCR lOpm LCR

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Union Film: 40 Year Old Virgin £2.75 7.30pm LTl Don't Spook The Horse £5 7.30pm Waterfront Kneehigh £5 adv 8pm Norwich Arts Centre

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Dir: Terrence Malick Release Date: 27/01

Te rre nce Ma lic k's fo urth fea ture e nds a shorte r hi a tus th a n The Thin Red Line di d in 1998 (20 yea rs, at th e ti me, since his previo us fi lm D,tys o f !l eave n) , b ut it 's ha rdl y less th a n lo ng-awa ited , a nd The New Wo rld is a finin gly medita ti ve return to th e fo ld .

Deta iling th e a rri val o f Englis h senl e rs a t w hat wo uld beco me Ja mestown, Virg inia, th e film

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Wern er Herzog's Gri zzly Man sees th e wo rld 's m os t intre pid d ocum e ntarist back with a bit e, and recent successes such as Ma rch o f th e Pe nguins and Mad ! lo t Ballroom suggest th a t po liti ca l d ocum e nt ary- m a kin g (o r egoce nt ric agitpro p, d epe ndin g o n yo ur views) is o ut - at leas t fo r now. But eve n th e most inn ocuo us-seemin g o f docum e ntaries can court th e big iss ues, as th e rece nt rec ruitm e nt by th e Ame rica n ri ght o f Ma rch of th e Pe nguins de m o nstra tes. These fi ve ran ge fro m red -ho t to pica l to off-the-rad ar, but eac h makes fo r captivating viewing.

Etre et avoir (2002) Ni co las Philibe rt's qui e tl y m o vin g documentary (right) observes life in a one-room Fre nch schoolhouse, over the course of a yea r. The child ren, aged four up to twe lve,

gra pples with th e e ndur ing myth o f Pocaho ntas, th e d a ughter of th e se ttl e m e nt 's a ti ve Ame ri ca n chi ef, an d her re la ti o nship with th e wes te rn newco me rs, pa rti cul a rl y Capta in Jo hn Smith . Th e precise na ture of Smith a nd Poca ho ntas's re latio nship is he re le ft a mbi guo us - th ere are no sex scenes - as it is in m a ny histo ri ca l acco unts, in cluding Smith 's jo urn als.

Like The Thin Red Lin e, The ew World un a bas hedl y pri vil eges bea uty o ve r hi story, and thou gh Malick neve r stoo ps to ste reo typing o r di a logue 'ex pl a nati o ns' to s hed li ght o n th e tense cross-cultural relations, m a ny o f th e nitty-gritty issues o f race a nd colo ni a li sm th at must have pl ayed a big pa rt in th e e ncounte r a re simpl y left o ut. The turn fro m happy a nd inqui sitive

go about th eir sc ho o lwo rk a nd work o ut day-to -d ay prob le ms und e r th e guidance o f th e ir teache r, Geo rge Lopez, wh ose wa rmth a nd d edi cati o n m a ke th e e nd -of-yea r goodbyes a trul y heart-wre nching expe ri e nce. The e legiac fee l is e nhan ced by a se ri es o f bea utiful inse rts, whi ch de pict th e passing o f th e seaso ns.

'objectivity' of docum e ntarymaking, and a ll m edia images.

Capturing the Friedmans (2003 } An asto ni shing ex pl o ra ti o n o f th e storm o f pa ni c, repressio n, a nd guilt th at surro unds paed o phili a in th e US, Ca pturing th e Fri edm a ns in e ffec t provides th e Friedm a n fa mil y - specifica ll y Arn o ld, a respected middle-class teac he r, and hi s son David , wh o are bo th charged with ch ild abuse- a pub li c trial. Entirely non -judge me ntal , and indeed quite amb iguous, Andrew )arecki smartly qu es ti on s th e ofte n assumed

Surrealism and Science - The Weird World of Jean Painleve (1926-1976} This video coll ecti o n ga th e rs so me o f th e most celebrat ed o fSurrealis m sy mp athise r Pa inleve's Jea n und e rwa te r d oc um e nta ri es. The tone is predominantl y Ex pressioni st, castin g th e sealife subj ects as va mpire-like monste rs in go thi c vo iceove rs ('What poetry, w hat a rt inspired yo ur te rrify ing fo nn 7'), a nd und e r such ho rror-film titl es as Le Vampire ( 1945 ), a nd Ace ra, o r The Witches' Dance (1 972 ).

coexistence be twee n a ti ves a nd se ttl e rs, to so ur hos tility is achi eved in just a few sho rt seque nces, cu lmi na ti ng in a a ti ve p icki ng u p an axe in th e Engli sh cam p and being ~w i ftl y sho t d ow n .

W he n Poca ho nt as la ter a rri ves in Engla nd und er Roya l in vita ti o n, her strange status as pacifi st-O th e r is barely me nti o ned. If you ca n sub mit to th e fi lm 's ta le of intense, occasio na ll y mysti cised ro m a nce th o ugh , th e re is pl enty to revel in . The New Wo rld is rap turo usl y bea utiful eve n fo r a Malick film .

A Oo tilla o f English ships gliding sil e ntl y thro ugh th e still wa ters of th e harbour is as breathtaking a sight as any in Lo rd o f th e Rings, a nd Ma li ck's trade m a rk inse rts of th e natura l wo rld (a Ooc k o f birds ri ses like a p lum e o f sm o ke, trees drink up ri ve r wa te r), car ry ing o n o bli vio us to th e vio le nce a nd hardship of th e hum a n wo rld, are as reso na nt as eve r.

Not th at th e film lac ks for ac ti o n, a nd seve ral key e pi sodes o f th e Poca ho ntas story a re vividly d ra m atised - m ost no tabl y th e m o m e nt w he n Poca ho ntas re po rtedl y saves Smith 's life, he re begging he r fa th e r, chi efPowh a tan, no t to kill Smith w he n he wa nd ers

Nigh t and Fog re m a ins one of hi s me morab le features. At on ly 3 2 minut es, th e film draws together it s shockin g po rtra it of th e Auschwitz a trocities through a mi xture of archive newsreels, stills, and co nte mp o rary co lo ur fo o tage.

Fata Morgana (1971} By turns po inted a nd o paque, ll erzog's reco rd o f a se ri es of Sah a ra la nd sca pes is a ha rd -go ing tre k a t tim es, but it rewa rds patie nce. The

int o th e Na ti ve se ttl e m e nt in pursuit o f reco ncili a ti o n . Th e la nguage ba rri e rs in p lace o bvio usly req uire a n unu sua l e m phas is on m ove me nt a nd fac ia l express ion (excep ting m ost of the scenes betw路ee n Smith and Poca ho nt as, who p icks up E n g li ~ h w it h m iracul ous speed, as ,1 sy m bo l of he r receptivi ty to the settl e rs), a nd th e actors rise to th e occas io n w ith grace a nd subtl ety. Co lin Fa rre ll in pa rti cul a r impresse , w ith a m agnifi ce nt, pass io na te, nea rsil e nt pe rfo rm a nce th a t sugges ts he has n't bee n treadin g wate r with a se ri es of m ac h o ca ri cature- parts since his in ce pti o n into fi lm actin g.

C hristi a n Ba le to o, as Pocah o ntas's oth er romanti c inte rest John Rolfe, is o n fin e und e rsta ted fo rm . But perh a ps m ost asto nishin g o f a ll is Q 'O rianka Kilcher, in he r first m a jo r film ro le, a nd fin e ly a ttun ed to th e va ri o us ro les she pl ays a nd is m ade to p lay in th e stra nge jo urn ey fro m chi ef s d a ughter, to Na ti vef wes te rn e rs go- be twee n, to love r, w ife a nd fin all y mo th e r (in Engl a nd with Ro lfe ) . The re isn't a m o me nt a lo ng th e way w here she falt ers.

Seb Manley

se lf-co nscious 'a ltern ative' aesth etic e mploys d istan ced cam e rawork, an eclect ic so un dtrack (fro m Leonard Coh e n to lland el ), a nd a voi ce-trac k th a t bea rs e ni gm a ti c if not baffling rela ti o n to th e va ri o us images o f dea th , culture, and nature o nscreen .

The result is a bo ut as fa r re m oved from th e traditi o nal docum entary as yo u ca n ge t - a di stinctive ly Herzogi a n slice o f 'ecstati c truth '.

Seb Manley

Night and Fog (1955) Ala in Resnais is most famous for his dreamlike New Wave maste rpi eces Hiroshima mon amo ur ( 1959) and Last Year at Ma ri e nbad ( 1961 ), but

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Munich may well join Schindler's List in the popular conscience as one of a few blockbusters that makes Jewish history a serious concern. Alex Flux looks at a range of holocaust representations on film, and wonders where Spielberg fits in.

- - • h e legacy of the persecution of Jewish peoples during the Second World War looms large over the portrayal of Judaism in popular culture, and this is no more obvious than ip cinema.

With a plethora of examples the Jewish holocaust or Shoah has been the most common subject matter for portraying the Jewish faith and people to cinema audiences, and it dearly occupies a dominant place in the popular understanding of contemporary Judaism. The most important of these films, if not the most well-known, was Claude Lanzman's incredible documentary Shoah, released in 1985. Shoah is the term preferred by many Jewish people to holocaust, which derives from the Hebrew word for destruction. The documentary lasts an overwhelming nine-and-a-half hours, and follows the return of various Shoah survivors to where the concentration camps in which they were held used to be. The sheer sense of unutterable loss that pervades the entire film, and the understated intensity of the stories told by the survivors make it an essential example of holocaust memoria.

For this very reason, however, Lanzman was lampooned by a number of intellectuals and critics for pioneering the genre that soon came to be known as 'holocaust film'. Writers even started throwing around the crude term 'Shoahbusiness' in explanation for the abundance and popularity for 'holocaust films', such as Sophie's Choice, Europa, Europa, Night and Fog. Werner Herzog's Invincible, Spielberg's infamous Schindler's List, and a host of others. Amongst the most relentless and controversial holocaust critics is Professor Norman Finkelstein, whose book The Holocaust Industry has been greeted with both extreme consternation by prominent Rabbis and members of Jewi~ com·munities, and a strange unwillingness by the American press to even review it. Finkelstein's polemical argument is that an industry has been established by many Jewish people for claiming funds from foreign governments and organisations for holocaust research

and memorials, all in the name of the survivors of concentration camps. In an interview with www. thetruthseeker.co.uk he argues that the holocaust 'came to the U.S. only after the Six Day War in 1967', and that since then it has been used as an 'ideological weapon in the Palestine conflict'. Accordingly he believes the holocaust in popular film is an integral part of this industry.

Despite the blatantly antisemitic undertones of Finkelstein's views, he reflects a growing census of opinion that daims films about the holocaust only serve to simplify and trivialise the narrative and emotional effects of the persecution.

Lanzman, mentioned above, was of this opinion, which is why his documentary focused not on the representation of the Shoah, but on the portrayal of its survivors. He attacked attempts at representation calling them 'transgressions; as by presenting a view of such horror film makers 'erase the unique nature of the holocaust'. He illustrated his argument by criticising Spielberg's Schindler's List, which he thought distorted the historical truth of the holocaust, because by making Schindler's story Spielberg could not he Ip but say what the holocaust was. However, Spielberg was aware of the problems involved in trying to capture the events of the holocaust due to their singular and incomprehensible nature, and this is why Schindler's story was so appealing. It was a minor though · dramatic episode of the war, with the holocaust as the intensely dark backdrop. Lanzman was correct when he said that Spielberg did not entirely confront the holocaust in the film, but had he done so the accusations would doubtless have been even stronger.

Lanzman may well attack Munich on similar grounds, saying that Spielberg has once more chosen to depict a restricted episode in the conflict between Israel and Palestine without confronting the historical facts, but by ignoring or distorting them . Spielberg's new film is essentially an assassinationthriller, where the protagonist is at once a patriotic, upstanding Israeli, who willingly accepts the commands of his superiors in Mossad, but is also a down-to-eartl1 normal guy about to start a family.

He is a typical every-man who is put

in an extraordinary position where he has to murder individuals whom he is told are terrorists, but who are never proven to be, as part of the infamous operation known as The Wrath of God'. Yet, the facts of the novel upon which the film is based have never been verified, and it seems unlikely that Mossad would give such an important mission to an agent with no experience.

The Palestine conflict, or more accurately the 1972 terrorist attack at the Munich Olympic Games, is the historical backdrop to the film, which is not so much examined, but rather presented to simply put the narrative in context. It is the latest in a line of films which deal with the Palestine conflict and the state of Israel, the earliest of which was Otto Preminger's big-budget film Exodus, which was released in 1960 and starred Paul Newn1an . It was based on the lengthy novel by Leon Uris, about the formation of Israel. and told from the perspective of a Jewish officer, played by Newman, who is fighting for an independent Jewish state. Critic Rachel Weissbrod called both the film and the book 'patriotic melodramas', which made the Jewish struggle for a homeland

A growing census of opinion claims films about the holocaust simply trivialise persecution

accessible and thus comprehensible to a mass audience, but were not necessarily truthful.

Whether the same can be said of Munich - that its drama is patriotic in nature - is debatable. as the protagonist finds no glory in what he does, but becomes paranoid and ends up an exile living in New York City. Yet, the main characters are all Jewish, and there is little or no opposing perspective from Palestinian characters that would have given the film greater depth, such as in The Death of Klinghoffer and Paradise Now. Despite this, and the other accusations that the film has aroused, it does give an insight into the emotional impact ofhaving to defend one's homeland whether it is just or not, and the message is dear that Israelis were not all proud of the archaic policy of 'an eye for an eye' that was employed for the operation. However, Munich may be watched enough to occupy a similar place in cinematic history and the popular conscience as Schindler's List does, and thus it may be held up unwillingly as the authoritative view of a prolonged and complex conflict that it does not explicitly examine.

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Michael Winterbottom is currently one of only a handful of British directors making consistently rich and original films, but he rejects the 'auteur' label fixed on him by some critics. It's the collaboration that matters in his filmmaking, says Seb Manley.

ce ntury into th e 21'' si x years ago, Michae l Wint e rbottom bee n busy: m 2000 th e re was Th e Claim , a ha ndsom e go ld-ru sh pe riod piece; th e n cam e th e supe rl ative To ny Wil so n chro nicl e 24 !l o ur Pa rty l)eople in 2002; in th e sa me year he m <~ d e In This Wo rld, a d ocud ra m a a bo ut po litica l asylum in Brita in il nd how boundari es m a ke ide ntity; th e n fo llowed Code 4 6's stra nge mi x o f Oedipal ro m <1 nce, sci-fi spectacl e a nd socio-po liti cal di sto pi a; th e n 9 So ngs ( 2004) a nd <1 ll th e surro unding hubbub; a nd now we have A Cock a nd Bull Sto ry, repri sing th e playful , irregul a r to ne, al o ng with Steve Cooga n, of 24 I lo ur Pi! rty Peopl e. Th e re are few fi lmm a ke rs, let a lone British fi lmm a ke rs, who cou ld lay cla im to such a di ve rse and unfailing ly inve ntive sequ e nce of features- so is Wint erbo tto m Britain's best h o pe fo r th e cin e m a's new ce ntllly?

The directo r him self wo uld no d o ubt baulk a t th e idea, a nd even .lt an a rticl e di scuss ing 'Michae l Winte rb o ttom ' as a singl e crea to rfi gure. in inte rvi ew, he will reg ul<~rl y

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Unlike most films about filmmaking, the director in A Cock and Bull Story is not an obscurely troubled genius, or even much of a presence

tnke po t-s hots at au teur th eo ry (from 2000: This bourgeois, libe ral ro mnnti c iden o f th e crea tor see ms to me like th e u ltimilte pe rve rs ion' ), wh e re directors, especially if th ey a re a lso sc ree nwrite rs, a re honoured at th e ex pe nse of all th e othe r peo pl e wh o le nd th e ir crea tive skill s to th e making of a film . Of co urse, it's ha rd no t to loo k for <1 direc to r's 'fin ge rprints' ove r a body of film s.

Eve n a li st like th e o ne a bove have bee n subj ected to a good dea l o f 'unifi ca ti o n' a t th e hands of criti cs, w ho di stinguish th e rec urring mo tifs o f th e outcast na rrato r, to rtured love rs, o r m o re fo rm a l habits like grainy image-qua lity, o r ha nd -he ld ca me rawo rk. The th em es a re' th e re, to a ce rta in extent, but to m ark th e m d o wn as Winte rbo tto m esq ue is to ove rl ook th e pa rti cularl y co ll abo rati ve nature of his filmm a kin g styl e. l ie ofte n works with on e of two cinematogra phe rs, for exampl e - Marcel Zyskind o n In Thi s World , Nin e Songs and A. Cock and Bull Story; AI win !I. Ku chl e r o n The C laim ; both on Code 46- who bring di stin ct pe rspective to th e film sty le as a wh o le (Ku ch le r is a maste r o f m o de rn British poetic-reali sm, hilving wo rked o n Lynn e Ram sey's Ratcatche r and Movern Callar, <1 nd Roge r Mi che ll's The Mo th er) .

mainstay co llabo rat o rs include producer Andrew Eat o n, <1nd write r Fra nk Cottre ll -Boyce, who worked with Wint erbott o m o n A Cock and Bull Story, Code 4 6, 24 !lour Party Peo pl e, <Jnd o th e rs.

Then th e re are the regul a r acto rs, including Christo phe r Eccl es ton a nd now Steve Cooga n, w ho a re o ft e n e nco uraged to improvise.

The decision to use improvisati o n o f co urse ultim a te ly lies w ith Winte rbottom, but w h o wo uld de ny th a t Coogan and Ro b Brydo n's 'to uch my teeth ' sce nes in A Cock a nd Bull Story were bo th acto rl y a rt, a nd some of th e funni es t m o m e nts in th e e ntire Winte rb o tt o m ca no n ?

Fo r a directo r with 13 fea tu res und er his be lt, W inte rbo tto m has rece ived a re la ti ve ly m odes t a m o unt of criti ca l atte nti o n, probably owing to his di spa ra te, coll ective filmm a kin g appro<Jc h .

Another reason for his re lative ly low profi le m ay be a ge nera l re luctance to pe rsi st in making recognisab ly ' Briti sh' fi lms - for every 24 Hour P<1rty Peo pl e with its Mancheste r settin g and fam o us music, there's a Cod e 46, sh o t in Dubais, Hong Kong, a nd Shan ghai , <1 nd starring lloll ywood g i <~ nt Tim Robbins. Ken Lo ach a nd Mike Le igh have achi eved th e ir nati o nal

fi gurehead status thro ugh a firm gro undin g in British his tory a nd geog ra ph y; Winte rb o tto m s im ply wo n't play th e British-rea li st ga me.

Like m a ny of hi s less expe ri e nced co nte mpo ra ri es, such as Lynn e Ramsey and Pawe l Pawlikows ki (M y Summ e r o f Love), Winte rbo tto m works in a loose ly lyri cal styl e, influe nced by th e Europea n New Wave. Ge rm a n C in e m a enfa nt te rribl e Raine r We rn e r Fassbinde r is refere nced in A Coc k and Bull Story (by cine philic runne r )enni e), a nd so mething of th at direc to r's feve red , socia lly-awa re m e lodra m a find s its way into th e fi lm, a nd a lso Code 46 . We rn e r Herzog a nd Krzysz to f Kieslowski a re a ppa re nt influe nces too : th e fo rm e r in th e unstable d ocum e ntary/ dra m a status of In Thi s World and A Cock a nd Bull Story (whi ch s lips between three leve ls o f 'rea lity', with so metim es quite a mbi guo us res ults); th e la tte r in th e o bse rvati o na l style a nd teas ingly psych o logical co nte nt o f mu ch o f Winte rbo tto m's wo rk, Nine Songs in pa rti cular.

In A Cock and Bull Story, Winterbotto m and his tea m make multi-fa ced , ex hilaratingly th e co mpl ex nature of filmmaking th e ex plicit co nte nt o f th e fi lm.

The Life and Op inions o f Tristra m Shand y, th e film -within -th e-film, is a tortured production , or at least it seems that way - th e directo r (Je re my No rth a m) is a t odd s with va ri o us produ ce rs; th e re is co nstant de bate o ve r th e prope r way to shoot th e ba ttl e sce ne, if a t a ll ; a nd 'Steve Co ogan ' (i .e. ooga n playing him self) wa nts hi gher sh oes. Wh e n th e thin g is fin a lly sc ree ned , it d oes so to decidedl y mixed reacti o ns.

G illi an Ande rso n is di sm ayed to find her sce nes have bee n cut a ltoge th e r, a ft e r she fl ew o ut to Engla nd o n th e specia l requ es t of th e directo r. Unlike m os t film s ab o ut film m a kin g (a nd Fellini 's 8 1/2 is still th e big ka hun a ), th e directo r he re is not an o bscure ly troubl ed ge nius, or eve n mu ch o f a prese nce. A Cock and Bu ll Story is Winte rbottom 's gra ndest denun ciation of the no tion of th e aute ur, h is claim for filmmakin g as a col lective, industria l, unpredi ctabl e process.

Iro ni call y, as th e m os t ambiti o us a nd brilli a ntly co mi c Briti sh film fo r som e years, it mi ght just place th e directo r und er an uninvited s po tli ght.

Munich

Dir: Steven Spielberg Released: 27/ 01 Set in the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics, where 11 Israeli athletes were massacred by the Palestinian terrorist organisation Black September, Munich focuses on the Israeli government's response.

Eric Bana and the soon-to-be lames Bond, Daniel raig star in a team of four killers employed to assassinate the eleven Palestinians suspected of masterminding the infamous act of terrorism . As the horrors and the difficulty of their mission set in, the team begin to suffer emotionally and psychologically, providing further depth to the story. Munich largely distances itself from the political minefield surrounding the war of terror and instead provides a thrilling tale of covert operations incorporating amazing special effects and some of the most realistic gun fights seen today. Munich's depth and ability to grip its audience is represented through its deserved five academy award nominations.

Textbook Spielberg direction, Munich offers an inspirational blockbuster with a historical context that can be appreciated by young or old audiences alike.

John Mulch

Derailed Dir: Mikael Hafstrom Released: 03/ 02 Executives Charles and Lucinda (Ciive Owen and lennifer Aniston) are blackmailed by a scheming thug after he catches them having an affair. In a twisting plotJine Charles attempts to turn the tables but is constantly tricked, in what

1s a disappointingly predictable, if enjoyable, thriller. The parts are acted out adequately, although it often seems like the actors are constrained by their script. One can almost see the checklist of stereotypes being ticked off: a cunning criminal , a sympathetic v1cum attempting to redeem himself, and of course a grizzled detective. The film occasionally hints at higher goals, with a few moments of black comedy, but unfortunately never has tJ1e guts to follow through, and it's a shame tl1at the twist can be seen coming a mile off. There's nothing really bad about Derailed, but nothing to recommend it either. But if all you want is a simple, by-the-numbers thriller, then you could do a lot worse.

Andy Judson

Final Destination 3 Dir: James Wong Released: 10/02 In terms of inherentJy silly horror titJes, Final Destination 3 finishes an honourable runner-up behind I Still What You Did Last Summer (1998), but the internal contradiction seems somehow appropriate here, in a film franchise about a chain of ultimate finalities.

The concept and basic mechanics of this third instalment remain largely unchanged from the first and second: a nightmare vision inspires a group of friends to opt out of an excursion that would have killed tJ1em - in this case, a rollercoaster ride - and are then picked off, one by one, by the hard done-by forces of Death. As a high-concept pitch it's hard to beat, and Final Destination 3 takes full and energetic advantage of its scenario, without ever adding

much to the template established in the prequels.

Traditional slasher questions of 'who' and 'why' are pretty much redundant here; the culprit is 'DeatJ1' (an invisible presence, 'cold and terrifying' as one d1aracter puts it), and it wants to repair its fatalistic design. The suspense is all in the method - when every inanimate object is a potential killer, where's that fatal strike going to come from?

Final Destination 3's best sequences are the intricately planned chains of coincidence that progress from the banal (a discarded bottJe of tanning lotion) to the spectacular (an explosive beheading) with macabre ingenuity. The gore-splattered bodies are routinely fetishised at tJ1e expense of any emotional impact, but empatJ1y's hardly an issue with characters this one-dimensional.

Where the film comes unstuck is in its laboured exposition scenes, which fall mainly to the u.ndistinguished leads (Ryan Merrimen and Elizabeth Winstead), and veer from risible portentousness to pointless reiteration. Much more enjoyable are the sequences where the heroes sniff out 'dues' to Death's method of attack, based on the mise en scene of a series of significant photos. In one of the few humourous moments, goodguy Kevin reasons that he shouldn't see the photo that corresponds to his own death, unless it is particularly 'embarrassing'. Director lames Wong. who helmed the first Final Destination, maintains a fairly straight genre approach with minimal in-jokery, although one moment stands out for its deadpan black humour - a cut from two burning tanning beds to an almost identical image of two white coffins.

Seb Manley

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Dir: Robert Guediguian Released: 13/02, Pathe Distribution Ltd. Th e u nexciting ope ning cr~dits, no m ore th a n white tex t set aga inst a b lac k backgrou nd in total sil ence, se t th e to ne fo r Ro be rt Guedi gui a n's la tes t fi lm ; it co ntinu es as it began : so mbre and subdu ed . The plot, or what there is of o ne, revo lves aro und intervi ews be twee n th e late French Preside nt, Fra n<;ois Mitte ra nd, a nd a yo un g jo urn a list, An toine, helping the Preside nt to write h is m e mo irs. Mitterand himself is in th e la te r stages of prosta te ca ncer, a nd knows hi s remaining tim e is limi ted . In betwee n these interviews a re glimpses of 1\nto in e's p ri va te li fe, which a re seldo m chee ri e r th an th e conversa ti ons with th e dy ing Preside nt . Ant o ine's ma rri age qui ckl y coll a pses, a nd he is alm ost obsessed w ith Mittera nd . Th e Preside nt, mea nw h il e, is so mewh at evas ive ab o ut certain ele m ents and eve nts in hi s past. If th e p lo t d oes have a fo cus, it is th e q uesti o n o f wha t exactl y Mitt era nd was d o ing

in 1942, a nd wheth er o r no t he was w ith Vichy. Although th e fi lm does not dwell o n thi s, a nd neve r a tte mpts to give a d efiniti ve answe r, it is debated, with th e Preside nt giving h is ve rsio n o f eve nts, and others add ing to o r subve rting th is. I loweve r, it is the future of socialism a nd the left a fter th e de pa rtu re of Mittera nd that th e fi lm is co ncern ed with .

Anto ine himself is revealed to be very left-wing, alm os t co mmuni st.

The fi lm sugges ts th at Guedi gui a n is a nx io us abo ut th e po tenti al d ilut io n o r eve n death o f socialism .

It wo ul d seem th at he believes globa lisati o n a nd cap italism to be res po nsibl e fo r this. Mitte ra nd a nd Ant o ine discuss th e con fl icts betwee n d rea m s a nd reality, idea ls a nd pragma tism whe n loo king to th e fu ture of socia lism . I !oweve r, in all th ese de bates, th e fi lm is so m ewhat o ne- h a nd ed ; the re is no do ubt th a t socialism is th e best way fo rwa rd, a nd th e rise of

the right is grea tl y fea red . Ant iSemiti sm is also d iscussed , w ith Mitte ra ncl ad a m a nt th at he is no t a nti-Se miti c. Thro ugho ut th e in te rv iews, Michel Bo uqu et's pe rfo rm a nce as th e ai ling Mittera nd is sup erb. I le is show n as a jovia l a nd kind ly m a n, wi th great dignity in h is o ld age and pride in

The thi rd a nd final insta lme nt of the The Fl y tril ogy; thi s 1965 sci-fi ho rro r, re-re leased o n DVD, moves away fro m th e m a n/ a nim a l tra nsfo rm a ti o n see n in th e fi rs t two ch ap ters. The Curse o f th e Fl y foc uses on th e o ri ginal scie ntist's g ra ndso n, Martin, as he co n tinues work o n a mac hi ne th a t transports indi vid uals thro ugh th in air. As a resu lt of countless fa il ed atte mpts, th e Do lambre fami ly are left with mu ta ted beings w ho a re hidde n in cell s. More grotesque th an sca1y, The Cu rse o f th e Fly, w ith its low producti on val ues and bud ge t, reall y o nly app eals to di e-hard sci-fi ho rror e nth usiasts.

John Mutch

The Perfect Catch Dir: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly 13/02, Fox Released: En tertainment Ho me Thi s loose adap ta tio n of Feve r Pi tch relocates Nick Ho rn by's spry tale o f male o bsess io n fro m Lo nd o n to Bosto n a nd swa ps sa id o bsessio n with foo tball fo r baseba ll . The

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aging Pres ide n t and his 30-yea ro ld in te rvi ewe r. Th is is no t li ghtheart ecl, Fri day ni gh t viewi ng in a ny sense a nd wo n't a ppea l to all tastes. Tha t sa id , it is we ll wo rth renting, especiall y if yo u' re lo oking fo r a n intell ige nt, sa tisfYing film .

James Berrill

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Curse of the Fly Dir: Don Sharp Released: 20/02, Fox Home Entertainment

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hi s ach ieve ments. Bo uqu et adds to th is an unde rl ying strea k o f cru elt y, a de te rmina tio n to ge t his ow n way, a nd a n a bso lute sense of hi s o wn impo rta nce in the h isto ry of twe ntieth centu ry Fra nce. Yet a t th e sam e tim e Mittera nd's fra ilty is di sp layed , a nd Guecligui a n makes frequ e nt contrasts betwee n the

res ult is a n un de rwhelmin g Drew Ba rry mo re ve h icl e tha t fa il s to delive r eve n on its ow n, mo des t te rm s.

Bany more a nd Sa tu rd ay Night Live alumnus Jimmy Fall o n a re pe rfectl y affa b le, b ut their o n-scree n relation sh ip fo und e rs o n a co nspicuo us lac k of che mi stry. Disa ppo intingly, there a re few la ugh s to be had . The l'a rre lly Bro th ers, wh ose cheerfu l visual excesses so e nli ve ned The re's So methin g Abo ut Mary, a re in unusuall y restra ined for m, offe rin g no ne o f th e id iosy ncrati c bad -taste humour tha t co ul d have dis ti ngui shed this from th e glu t of iden ti kit ro m a nt ic com ed ies.

Ale.x Goldup

Morituri D ir: Bernhard Wicki Released: 20/ 02, Fo x Ho me I;:ntertainmen t Marlon Brand o leads the cas路t Rupert C rain, a Ge rman who has dese rted his hom eland o f Germ a ny during the outbreak of the Seco nd Wo rld Wa r. li e escapes to India where he is discove red by th e Brit ish Secret Se rvice, wh o threate n to reveal his ide ntity to the German aut horities, un less he goes o n a secret miss io n fo r the m . T his esp io nage thrill er is d a rk and full of te nsio n, co nt ainin g both Nilzi ex tre mi sts a nd Ge rm a n po lit ical pri so ne rs w ho sym pathi se wi th the a~

pe rsecuted Jewish peop le - thus po rtraying th e conflict a nd suffe rin g th a t Ge rma ns who d isagreed w ith ll itl er's azi regime faced. The fi lm po rtrays a compe ll ing a nd di ffe re nt Ge rma n perspective to Wo rld Wa r Two whi ch is ra rely sh ow n in th e war ge nre a nd is th e refo re d efin itely wo rth a wa tch I Charlotte Kimbley

The Barbarian & the Geisha Dir: John Huston Released: 20/ 02, Fox Home Entertainment For fa ns of Jo hn Wayne, th is I 95 8 ro m a ntic adve nture w ill no do ubt be en joyab le e no ugh . But for th e res t of us, it's d ull viewing. i\ mi scast Way ne swagge rs hi s way thro ugh the ro le of real-l ife Am erican d ipl o mat Tow nse nd ll a rri s, whose time in th e Forbidde n F.mpire in I 856 and lo ve affair with yo un g geisha Okich i has become a we ll known Japanese folk ta le. Fi lmed o n locat io n, th ere is som e beau tiful cine matograp hy o n offer, bu t th e a tte mpts to de p ict a cu lture cla~h come across as Am erican a rrogance a nd Eas te rn 'othe rn ess', wh ich fee ls woe full y o utd a ted . Good fo r a lazy Sun day afte rn oon, b ut don 't go out o f yo u r way fo r this.

Richard Boakes

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If you're feeling like you're clicking in all the same places, the FWA is the site for you.

Kate Bryant takes a look at the database of the internet's hottest sites and discusses why its nice to click off the beaten track every now and again.

- - â&#x20AC;˘ he internet, it safe to say, is a rather large place.

That's why FWA is so appealing. On those occasions where your online world can feel a little small FWA is one of the best places to go to broaden your horizon. Th~ site catalogues sites of quality, all shapes and sizes united by the fact that there's something interesting or novel about them. There is a definite leaning towards the stylish and chic, but importantly not to the sacrifice of content. All the sites featured on the FWA are worthy of at least a few minutes. They are generally curious oddities from graphic designers or promotional games, not worth a great deal of comment on their own, but when they are brought together they be-. come far more interesting.

The FWA highlights particular gems in its content, picking a site per day to recommend to its ~isitors. These are often the most engaging visually, but lack the interactive elements of the very finest sites on offer here. Most have some sort of gimmick that grows old before long but are all worth experiencing. One site (www. dontclick.it) has no clicking. As a result the site is tranqil, if a little frustrating at times, and certainly an interesting experience for the seasoned surfer. Another site (www.comtastic.com) has mouse based dexterity games, which have all the addictive qualities of pong

and the like. Comtastic also has a selection of puppets that you can manipulate with your cursor. This is a hypnotic process and can capture hours of your time.

What the FWA highlights is that whilst the majority of us are online a great deal of the time, em ailing and researching, we rarely venture outside of that small clutch of websites we already know. As a result, there is so much uncharted territory that deserves a little attention now and then.

Most of us view the net as functional, FWA counters this. It may not be the most productive use of an hour online, but it is certainly a worthwhile journey off the beaten track. Not everything on the database is worth a mention but it certainly stops the internet from ever feeling small.

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