The event issue 154 08 10 2003

Who needs sleep, when you have ...

08/10/03

Season Been

Mo tly

Wearin' ...

. . .A Yellow Tracksuit.

?F H.E · ·E V-. E N T '

,,..

Investigates Film Fashion

Film Fashion Discussed Starsailor Interviewed Dave Gorman Interviewed Big Soap Comebacks Explained

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CONTENTS: 08.10.03 IS ...

Concrete Editor-in-Chief Jim Whalley

Features 04

Starsailor interviewed before th eir gig at the LCR on Wednesday.

Event Editor Nathan Dixon Arts Editor Katharine Clemow Film Editor Philip Sainty

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06

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Contributors:

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The Event is published fortnigh~y by Concrete: Post: PO Box 4 10 , Norw ich , NR4 7TB Tel : 01603 250558 Fax : 01603 506822 E-ma il: su .concrete@uea .ac.uk Printed by: Archant Newspapers, St Andrew's Business Park, Norwich Thanks to the green lines on Quark.

Happy Birthday Mum (this was written on Saturday). Miss you, Emily. Hope everybody likes the little changes I'm making. I look forward to any feedback anybody might have , as long as they know what they're talking about.

No thanks to the Union for that fire-bell.

Here's to thirteen-hour working days on a weekend!

N.D.

HORROR FILMS A bit of a ramble about horror films, using the recent Cabin Fear as a departure point.

Listings RichSimm . (sorry)

Proofing Geoff Clayton & Clare Dennison

DAVE GORMAN Accosted after his sh ow at the Norwich Playhouse, Dave Ge rman takes th e tim e to talk to Th e Event, d espite being tired .

Music Editors Matt Sarge son & Sarah Edwardes

Alistair Gipps • Satu Fox • Suzeanne Rodger • Daniel Chandler • Barbara Ward • Adam O'Brien • Gary Budden • Paul Case • Alistair Lawrence • Beth Settle • Joe Dunthorne • Suzanne W a terman • Matt Colver • Miriam Eastwood • Dasie Bowie-Sell • Luke Roberts • Jon Stone • Tim Barker • Dominic Chessum • Richard Simm

STARSAILOR

SOAP COMEBACKS Dirty Den makes his dramatic return a nd sparks an investigation into the reasons b e hind big comeb acks.

REACTION Alan McGee makes a fatu ous r e m ark about d ance music, and inspires a r eaction .

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FILM FASHION The arrival ofTarantino's m uch awaited fo rth film, and a yellow tracksuit, leads The Even t into an investigation of other fashion fads b egun b y the b ig screen.

Regulars 06

CINEFILE Paris, Tex as.

12

FILM Spirited Away, Bad Boys 2, Findin g Nemo, Cabin Fever.

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VIDEOS/DVDS The Dancer Upstairs, Ma trix Rel oaded, 2 Fast 2 F urious.

15 ARTS Taming of the Shrew previewed, joy School reviewed, Reactions 4 reviewed.

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MUSIC Belle and Seb astian , Bell X 1, My Morning j acke t, Paul Van Dy k .

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TV Rea dy Steady Co ok, Essential Films on TV, Essen tial TV.

19 LISTINGS

Literature Condensed A Bluffer's Guide.

We 've all b e en the re ... it's five minute s before the se minar begins and we haven' t read a sing le b lo ody word of the b ook for that week. Wouldn' t it b e handy to have a quick, easily disgestib le guide to the Western World's gre atest lite rary works with which to b luff one's way through an otherwise red-faced couple of h ours? Yes it would, don't argue.

This issue : Milton's Paradise Lost: [God] "That's it, out! "

[Satan] " Oi, Eve ... eat this ."

[Eve) "Ok. Oi, Adam .. . e at this."

(Adarn] "Ok." [Satan] ''I'm b e st. " [God] "I'm best." * Big fight *

[Satan] *thud* " Oof. Damn. Bloody sucks down here. Still, be tter to be king of Hell th an just another one of God 's gimps.

And anyway, he started it. Let 's build a palace and cause mischief. "

[God] "That'll learn ya. And, a s for you two ... Out! You're doome d to die . Ha. How 'd y a like them apples."

[As s e mbled M inions] "Damn straight. "

[Adarn & Eve] "Sigh."

08.10.03

[Satan] "Shucks . I would 've go tten away with it too."

EARLHAM

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Terms and conditions: Only original coupons wiH be accepted. To receive a free cup of t9. coffee or hot choc:olate you · nf:f!d to purdlase one breakfast bap.

Offer avai ble on standard cup size. Only one coupon per customer.

Offer i1able while stocks last. This coupon cannot be exchanged for cash. Coupon id from Tuesday 7th October to Thursday 30th

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04

ello,

id ea of interviewing Starsailor h ardly set my ankles spinning, or anything else for that matter. For surely a couple of years ago they represented the very dour heights of boredom. Alcoholic sounded as interesting as clearing hair from a drain," or maybe sitting on a tractor. Their live shows were quoted by some as being "more flame-retardant than asbestos, and probably as bad for your lungs" . The cover to Love is Here was the toast of Shittington town. However, despite such unfortunate first impressions, one night of Starsailor-relate d interaction swept away the muddy cloud of general disinterest from my mind, and replaced it with a newfound sense of respect, enjoyment, and, dare I venture , admiration.

But, despite my nefarious downers on Starsailor's career, there 's no doubt that for the last two years they've cultured a fine and hardy fan base, largely among us Joafered student-types and the good looking toe-taggers who buy the NME. Debut album Love is Here won both commercial and critical acclaim, and recent sophomore release Silence is Easy promises to do the same again. Front man Jarnes Walsh couldn't be happier with the band's efforts: "It's all been pretty well received.

We 're relieved that it's gone as well as it has because it 's obviously make or break time with a second album. We wanted to show a progression and do something different , and in doing that you run the risk of disillusioning the fans who loved the first record .

Hopefully we got the balance right ."

Certainly, while Silence is Easy is not a radical de p arture from previous work, it certainly builds on its strengths; there 's the feeling that these newer songs have been bolstered for if not a new type of audience, a new type of Starsailor experience ; a transition Walsh was keen to point out: "Playing festivals and knowing that

08.10.03

we were coming out to play big shows like this, we just wanted to write songs that were anth ems that everyone could sing along to. We didn't want to be too clever and disillusion people with fancy chords and jazz wig outs. Like U2, we just like simple, to the point, great songs . It 's nice when you can incorporate little bits of e xperimentation in that ideal though. In Shark Food we used loops and Four to th e Floor is more dance-orientated and g e nerally funkier out of the newer material."

Still, the world is a differe nt place since Starsailor came on the scene .

After the meteoric success of Coldplay with A Rush of Blood to th e Head, the British guitar-rock scene has become a pretty crowded place, one that could easily put enough pressure on certain bands to force cracks in the surface; certainly in the song writing.

"Having Nieve, my daughter , a nd being with Lisa (the wife) gave me something else in my life where I wasn 't worried about the song. I think that reflects in how uplifting and happy the new tracks are. With the success of Coldplay and The Coral and The Thrills the pressure was off a little bit. No-one was waiting with baited breath for the new Starsailor album, they might 've been had we not had these great bands

ai lor for some Starsai!or after a fairly happening two years in music since their arrival. The majority of folk were the wizened, the elderly and short of sight, that fairly antagonistic 30-something crowd, fighting a Jongwinded internal battle between falling into fits of hysterical laug hter at h ow it feels to be almost y oung again, and the desire to bottle a Philosophy student's calf muscles because they're always "Fucking in the way, boy." One must surely wonder how, at a 'sold out' event in our own LCR, so many tickets go to those of dubious townie or pea-brained body and pea-brained body .. . but, when it com es to the Starsailor fan-base, Walsh is th e paradigm of gentlemanly grace and tact.

"We don't re ally have a preference as long as the crowd's good and enjoy th e ms elve s. We owe a Jot to the universities and students. They're always first to new music, they make bands, really.

It's fro m that platform that you start appealing to the milkman and the housewives and fac tory workers of this world."

But the new album being played on Radio 2 to the Cod Liver Oil gang?

Surely not!

"The re's no point being snobbish and grabbing people by the neck and saying 'You can't listen to that'. The great thing about bands like us, Travis and Coldplay, it's not a badge-wearing

We owe a l ot to the universities and students. Th ey're always first to new music, they m ake bands, really. 路

Dam.n.

Forgotten our key s ag ain .

... for the l ast two years they 've cultured a fin e and h ardy fan base, largel y among us loafered student-types and the good looking toe-taggers who buy the NME. come through."

Ne vertheless, Walsh and eo . still managed to sell out the LCR, p laying to a crowd that were a right mixe d bag of coconuts. Front rows were for the kiddies, first years frothing at the mouth in pearly kneed excitement, standing b e tween the band and the sprinkling of twenty-some things obviously still crazy

music or a clique; it's not like saying 'I like Starsailor, I'm hip and trendy and look how well dressed I am' . It's music that's for everyone." you're right Walsh, I h ould crack open a b and Jet a bit more unshine into my ngy, ageist world.

After all, this is a man of fine and impeccable taste ("I think Elbow are great, but not as big as they deserve to be,") who has survived the crazy world of musical mentalist Phi! Spector ("To put it simply it was a week of inspirational magic, one of the best weeks of our lives ... h e just b ecame m ore and more distant from us and the world in g e n e ral,") and , m ost importantly an d impressive ly, r eally is a world class performe r th at any British music fan should be p roud of. W alsh commands the stage with an infectious love for performance and the songs he and his band mates have nimbly crafted on and off the road. The set was full of strong anthemic choruses and accessible melody.

More impressive still was W alsh's voice, a desperate force tearing from a mortal vessel too small to h old it in the first place. However annoying I might have found it on record, when confronted with the fact that Walsh can hit every note with volume and jaw-dropping impact, I couldn't help but get carried away with the awestruck momentum of that weird and worldweary crowd. For one night, Starsai!or brought the sunshine back to Norwich.

And for all this, I shall now refrain from calling Starsailor the world's most pointless band ever; sorry Ash, I'm coming after you again.

Al

............................................................• Features OS

whacky ave Gorman occupies a strange status in contemporary British comedy.

Although he's been building a career for much longer than most people are aware of, he essentially made a name for himself by marrying c,pmedic originality and P.R. genius. In basing a stage show, T.V. series and book on the solitary task of hunting down namesakes ('Are You Dave Gorman?'), he ushered, or shoved, his name into British pop culture. As he embarked on his follow up venture 'Dave German's Googlewhack Adventure', some critics questioned whether his wacky approach would be his downfall, suggesting that his idiosyncratic formula may be seriously lacking in longevity.

When you type two words into the Google search engine, it will search 3 billion sites for relevant matches.

Naturally, most searches result in huge numbers of matches being found. But, when two unrelated words are submitted, Google may return one solitary match; a 'googlewhack'. Upon receiving an email from a stranger, informing him that his website contained a googlewhack, German's intrigue was reluctantly sparked; and so began a somewhat predictable but hugely entertaining attempt at forming a chain of googlewhacks from across the globe.

The evening 1 went to see the man in action I attended a performance that was the last of three sell-out dates at the Norwich Playhouse, and Gorman seemed suitably drained. He attributes his tiredness to the rushes of anger and frustration that drive his comedy, and tonight these seemed to have been at their optimum.. "There was more anger tonight", he apologises as he takes the time to endure an interview, "and more spit".

The main comedic success of Dave German's ridiculous missions is the very fact that he immerses himself in them so fully. His obvious exhaustion following the show seems to impress his waiting fans further, as if it acts as some sort of confirmation of the verity of his performance. I begin by asking him whether the audience believing him in the show is important. "It's everything; absolutely everything. If it wasn't true, then it wouldn't be funny. I get some people telling me they quite enjoyed the show, but expressing doubts as to how truthful it all is. Basically, there's no way they could have enjoyed the show half as much as those who did believe me. It's their loss."

Certainly, trust is something that Gorman pays much attention to. During the performance, every tale of flights to foreign countries is accompanied by photo evidence of boarding passes, and every person mentioned is displayed in a photo. Although this is strictly speaking a one man show, German's interaction with his PowerPoint display attracts some of the heartiest laughs of the evening. I ask if he sees it as a central element of Googlewhack's success? "It's only there to convey information, that's all it does. I learned how to use¡ it and drew up the whole show in two and a half days. I'm not doing anything revolutionary with it, though I suppose I did have to rehearse with it. It helps that I have an incredibly photographic memory, otherwise it would've taken months." Gorman seems keen to play down the role of his visual aids, presurn.ably for fear that his show may appear 'gimmicky', a criticism that he encountered with the phenomenon that was 'Are You Dave Gorman?'. In fact, in many ways his approach to performance is very traditional and he describes himself as a story teller pointing out that neither this show nor the last one featured any 'jokes' as such; just stories. "I don't think of myself strictly as a

stand-up comedian, but I'm not really breaking any new ground by bringing storytelling to comedy".

As the comedian becomes resolutely modest, I hesitate briefly about complimenting him on the show's refreshing absence of cynicism, but it appears that this really is a conscious effort on his part. "Not liking people is no fun. It's just not me; not my frame of mind. There are cynical comedians who make me laugh, but they often leave a very bitter taste.

Earlier on in my career I was more negative, and it probably is more difficult to write comedy from a positive perspective. But I truly believe that this world is wonderful, and I suppose I try to celebrate that." Dave Gorman probably has more authority in attesting to the wonder of the world at large than most of us, considering the huge array of places that his adventures have taken him, from Asia to the Middle East to the Americas. I read 'Are You DaveGorman' in the USA, and for me it served as a shot of definite British hurn.our. I ask him if he feels his brand of comedy travels well and again he is modest in the extreme treating his work as something detached from him which, when handled well, gives both him and his audience pleasure. He attributes his success to his British heritage saying "I did some of this material offBroadway, and a lot in Australia, and

accordingly, but it's never really been apparent. There's always the possibility that they laugh because it's very British, but it's certainly not conscious on my part". hroughout the interview, a young man has been waiting patiently in the empty theatre foyer, clearly anxious to quiz Gorman on something or other. Having enjoyed

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1 truly believe that this world is wonderful, and I suppose I try to celebrate that. "

''Not liking people is no fun ... There are cynical comedians who make me laugh, but they often leave a very bitter taste. ' nothing seems to get lost on those audiences. I suppose they laugh at different things, and I occasionally tweak things

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watching Gorman interact with his fans earlier in the evening, he is invited over to join in. Rather than being the generic congratulator that I (and I'm sure Dave) had expected, it was actually a disgruntled member of the audience, keen to take issue with Gorman over his biting condemnation of Creationism (that provides one of the show's highlights). As he grills Gorman about his excessive reliance on logic, he then attempts to use logic to legitimise astrology; "Of course stars can affect the way we behave. They may be far away, but they can intervene in for the basic fact that they are large bodies that are a consistent part of our¡lives." The response is short and to the point "But so are buses". Dave German's response relies on everything that makes his comedy so endearing. It at first seems ridiculous, almost naive. Is he determined to trivialise everything? But through his flippancy comes an honesty and logic that is impossible to ignore. The man smiles, far from convinced, but unable to form a retort.

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06

Cinefile Paris, Texas

The Horror!

no. 33

or the contemporary film maker , there is a plethora of cine m atic nugge ts out there to plunder for inspiration. But every few y e ars there is a film which sets a new b e n chmark; a groundbreaking p iece of work that is truly original. Cabin Fever is not one of these films . Nor will it ever b e .

Director, Eli Roth, seems more than happy to splatter influe n ces across the screen in a blurred nonsen sical frenzy of tits , g ore and trite, overly c ontrived plot devices. On the surface, he seems ind ebted to b loody treats such as Friday 13th ; shallow horror films which are clearly only an excuse to kill some good looking people after watching them have sex. Fascinatin g.

Howeve r , d e spite Cabin Fever' s apparent rejection of tedio us concep ts such as originality, wit and intelligence, a t least it is thoroughly indebted to films which are bursting full of ideas. The basic plot device - the ancient "Who can you trust? " - is used brilliantly by such luminaries as The Thing and Alien, both of which high light the resourceful selfishness of human nature , and how friendships no matter how deep the y may be - can be easily shattered in favour of self preservation . Both films have a tense , clammy atmosphere - set alight by a fear of being hunted as well as a fear of each other as sentient beings. The simple idea of taking human beings from comfortable normality and placing them in a lonely and terrifying context has a lot of scope; although flawed , Cabin Fever a t least attempts to use it.

The horror genre is a vastly underrated source of sociological, philosophical and political comment. The woodlands, or an agricultural no man's land, are scenarios used in Cabin Fever that have their origin in classics such as D eliverance and Straw Dogs.

Although neither fit strictly into the horror genre, there are enough traces

Wait a minute; I thought Paris was in France ?

It is. But apparently it's also a little town in Texas, which we never actually see in director Wim Wenders critically acclaimed road movie. It's one of those metaphor things .

Winl Wenders? That's a stupid name.

Indeed it is, but it belongs to one of the finest filmmakers that no one seems to have heard of.

Critics often use the word 'esoteric' when describing him. His classic movie 'Wings of Desire' managed to hit an all time level of pretention, being in both black and white and in three different languages.

Recently he directed ' Buena Vista Social Club ', if that's any help. Thankfully, 'Paris, Texas' is pretty down to earth. It's also ve ry sad indee d .

OK, so what's th e s tory?

The film (penned by playwright Sam Shepard) tells the tale of Travis (played by Harry Dean Stanton), a man lost in his own private hell , who appears on the Mexico/Texas border four years after being presumed dead. He is not in a good state, amnesiac and seemingly crushed by the weight of the world. He traces his brother Wait (played by Dean Stockwell- yes , Al from 'Quantum Leap '), who has been bringing up Travis ' son Hunter since his mothe r Jane abandoned him several years earlier.

As virtual strangers Hunter and Travis have to build an entirely new relationship , and during this period we start to see glimpses of what happened to cause such a breakdown in this family . We get old family foot age of the father, mother and son being h appy on a beach. Melancholy, you see , is a rather constant theme in this movie . Anyhow, Travis and Hunte r conspire to find Jane and bring he r back so they can be a real family . They fin d her working in a peepshow booth, leading to one of the most heartbreaking scenes committed to modem cinema. I won't reveal more, go see it yourself.

I heard some famous guy did the m usic?

You were right. The rather magnificent s core is done by Ry Cooder (who appeared in 'Buena Vista Social Club '), who has recorded about a million albums of this kind of stuff. It perfectly suits the films sun bleached landscapes, and captures the m e lancholy tone perfectly.

So worth a look the n?

Yes, but only if you're in the mood for a serious, intelligent, thought provoking movie . There's no real happy ending, just a fitting one. The pace is slow, the dialogue relatively sparse, with emphasis more on tone and the stunning desert visuals than any sort of 'plot' . And by the way, this isn't e motion for retards like those you find in 'Titanic' style blockbusters. The film has a scarily realistic feel to it these are genuine characters , real peop le and it makes the tragedy th a t much more powerful . Neither overly sentimental and trite, nor cold and distant like some of Wenders' other movies , this was a film not afraid to do something bold, striking and ultimately very poignant.

Gary Budden

08.10.03

have been passed off, by cretins, as 'controversial' and 'needlessly violent ' in the past. However, the horrific violence in these films is necessary. It is used to illustr a te how fragile we human beings are ; how easily our minds can slip away from our ideals.

Another film that use s the backwoods horror motif is the infamous rape revenge flick I Spit On Your Grave . The story is simple: a female writer goes to finish her book in the woods. She is raped by four locals.

Afterward, using h er feminine wiles on the simple, testosterone driven men, she exacts bloody revenge ; mind bending stuff. It's apparently supposed to be a feminist statement . If it is, it's drivel. Its moronically simplistic sexual politics - empowered female exacts revenge over dumb yokel males - is offensive to bo th sexes. "It 's supposed to represent a female uprising, you know", says a pious feminist. "Yawn" , says the rest of the world.

I Spit On Your Grave is the antithesis of the intelligence represented in so many violent films with properly

The horror genre is a vastly underrated source of sociological, philosophical and political comment." u

of themes of social exclusion to make them a clear influence within a genre they are not especially a part of. In both cases, moralistic (and in the case of Straw Dogs, significantly pacifist) men are forced to fight violently against for ces so alien and depraved to be virtually incomprehensible to them. Both films show a breaking down of civilised culture at the hands of men who seem to be naturally primate and aggressively animalistic. At the end of Straw Dogs, David Summer (Dustin Hoffman) surveys the ruins of his human ideal when his passenger states regretfully that he doesn't know the way home. Having just h ad his own home almost destroyed b y violent locals while he was violently defending it, Summer replies succinctly: "That's okay. Neither do I" .

Both Deliverance and Straw Dogs

thought-out political and sociological subtexts. It is certainly inferior to , say, The Living Dead trilogy which, while being ultimately satisfactory to any gore-hound, also succeeds as a scathing indictment of human society.

This is exemplified by Dawn Of The Dead in particular, which shows zombies scrape at the windows of sh ops in malls , gazing empty-eyed at the goods inside while mindlessly riding escalators. Hardly subtle, but Romero 's films are pulsing with wit and vibrancy.

Dawn of th e D ea d is significant because, unlike most sequels, it uses the first film as a springboard to address wider con cerns. In all three of his films, especially in the first two, men and women typically fall into 'traditional' gender roles. Men begin to provide the frontline stronghold, leading to much heated tension in the films

Alright mate? You look a bit tired. Fancy a pint? when masculinity is infringed upon, and women tend to merely stand and watch, aghast and powerless. This is not due to slack characterisation: Romero is pointing out when put into alien situations, human beings will grasp hold of anything that has some semblance of stability or normality, even if it is a consuming and trivialising stereotype. oo many people underrate the horror genre. It is an outstanding platform for social commentary. All the ingredients are there , it is just a m a tter of how the director perceives the material he has to work with. 28 Days Later is an excellent example of taking the tried and tested ideas of previous horror films (The Living Dead trilogy, Day of the Triffids) and putting a specifically British twist on the genre . Importantly, 28 Days Later does not trivialise deeper concepts. Instead, it uses incredible imagery and imagination to revitalise ideas of human nature and illustrate them to a 2 1st century audience.

However, this does imply that the horror genre only has a limited set of concepts which it can address. Does something like 28 Days Later, for all its imagination, show that the regurgitation of these idea s has plateaued? And, even more depressingly, does Cabin Fever show that these ideas are only worth regurgitating if they are taken on the most trivial level and used for gore-splattered fun? Does the horror genre have anything to offer other than continued, self-indulgent refere nce to its own limitations (like the Scream trilogy, which got more and more pointless as it went on)? Of course, there are endless ideas out there, endless spins on themes, endless ways to gross out the audience. But, to attach these to socio-political or philosophical commentary that terrifies on a deeper level is the real challenge. So many films , like Cabin Fever, are taking their influences and not using them to their full intellectual potential.

T

............................................................... Features 07

Big Soap Comebacks

recently the world has been going crazy over the return of Dirty Den to Eastenders. Who? Well fourteen years ago, when we were but wee babes, Dirty Den was shot with a bunch of daffodils. As if the bullet wasn't enough to kill him he then fell into the murky depths of the Thames and was presumed drowned. His body was then dragged out of the river, formally identified and buried. But apparently this wasn't enough to keep a Dirty man down and this week he popped back up in Walford. How? Good question.

Despite what everybody thought, Den didn't die (duh) and has been hiding in Spain for 路the past fourteen years.

(Which begs the question, "Who did they bury?!")

It wasn't until now, a few weeks after Dennis (Den's son from an affair) shot Jack Dalton (the fellow who tried to have Den killed) that Den felt it was safe to return to Walford. By a remarkable coincidence, Den just so happened to return in the fortnight that saw Vicky (Den's daughter from another affair) return to Walford to be reunited with Sharon (Den's adopted daughter). As if this weren't confusing enough, the night before Den's return saw Sharon and Dennis (adopted halfsiblings) sleeping together.

Sounds improbable?

Well it is. But then again compared to some soap star

returns it isn't that extraordinary. One of the most famous comebacks has to be the resurrection of Harold Bishop 路in Neighbours. Harold, whilst on a camping holiday with wife Madge, was washed out to sea. Missing presumed drowned (sound familiar?) he reappeared years later suffering from amnesia. Amnesia is a script-writers best friend; it immediately answers such questions as: "Why didn't they ever get in touch? -just a postcard would have been nice" and "how did they go so long without coming home for money I passport I clean socks?"

When Frank Butcher walked out on Pat in Eastenders, that was supposed to be the end of his character. When he returned we were told his mental breakdown was responsible for his long time spent unable to come home.

Frank then left the soap again, then returned etc etc. When we finally think Frank is dead and buried he proves us all wrong by showing up at his own funeral. It was a pretty pointless storyline but it got us all watching.

Which is undoubtedly why we are seeing the return of so many old characters; they grab our attention. It is a tried and tested formula for ratings.

Other EastEnders returns include the special episodes featuring Bianca and Ricky who had left the show years earlier. The pair were well loved for years and everybody was eager to '

1

One more paycheque ...

' Believe it or not, some of the most famous names in the acting and singing world started out in soaps.

Bringing back an old character means there are existing relationships that needn't be started from scratch. " know what they were up to.

The ratings were bound to be good. Bringing back an old character means there are existing relationships that needn't be started from scratch. There are no lengthy introduc-

Princess ..."

arguments can start almost instantaneously. We also already know the character's history- it saves the lazy writers inventing a whole new person.

Furthermore, it is obviously far less risky to reintroduce an old and much loved character than to try and introduce a new one (does anybody like the Ferreras?) And Den's infamy is still well known to this day. Loyalty to the show may waver, but loyalty to Den and the natural wish to find out what exactly he was up to for the last fourteen years is guaranteed to win ratings.

Not only is the character well known, the actor is too. He is able, therefore, to promote the series through TV, radio and magazine interviews much faster than and more successfully than an unknown just starting out. And now, more than ever, EastEnders need to win ratings.

Last year saw "Killer Corrie" viewing figures climbing at the expense of EastEnders. Although EastEnders won Inside Soap's 'Best Soap' gong recently, Coronation Street won 'Best Storyline'. EastEnders saw Kate and Phil get married, Corrie outdid them with Peter Barlow marrying two women at once. Dennis' murder of Dalton was pathetic compared to the death count in Corrie. And now that Peter Barlow's bigamy has been discovered, Corrie looks set to keep their square-eyed numbers high. The resurrection of Dirty Den couldn't have come at a better time for the beeb's soap flagship.

Natalie Imbruglia, Delta Goodrum and Holly Valance. However, while some people achieve bigger and better things , some, well, just don't. Both Sid Owen (EastEnders) and Adam Rickett (Coronation Stree() returned to their respective soaps after somewhat unsuccessful pop careers. It is unlikely anyone would be able to sing you a line from either one of their singles.

When an actor leaves a soap, the character normally leaves in one of three ways: 1) they move house, 2) they go on a world tour and get forgotten about or 3) they get killed off. If an actor's character is killed the actor has an increased incentive to succeed elsewhere because returning to the soap will be so much harder. Maybe this is why so many deaths are only presumed and few soap corpses are ever found, it makes a return from death easier, if other planned careers fall through. All actors like to go out with a bang (Martin Kemp certainly did) and many leave through dramatic story lines culminating in a dramatic death.

Dramatic deaths are easier to come back from than deaths from disease. If we see the character die following months of cancer treatment then the actor will never be able to return, the actor has no fallback option.

Over the years many soap actors have returned to soaps for a variety of reasons. Some may just return for the money - the regular pay of a soap brings security that few other acting jobs offer. Some may return for the love of returning to a role that fits like an old pair of slippers and that earns them instant recognition. Maybe this is why we see so much movement of soap stars from one soap to another.

The Bill seems to be made up entirely of old soap actors. Attempting to name all the stars that have returned to their soaps would be a daunting task as so many have returned (sometimes more than once) over the years.

Some actors move all the way from Australian soaps to our own homegrown versions. Marilyn from 'Home and Away' is now working behind the bar in the Woolpack. Madge from Neighbours was working in the Crossroads Hotel until it was taken off the air.

Whatever the reason for their return we always love to see them again. And nobody did the 'coming back from the dead' thing better than Rob from Hollyoaks. All true Hollyoaks fans will remember how he kept coming back with greater and crazier ways to kill off his eo-stars. His antics were even made into a video to add to merchandising revenue. When we last saw him he was trapped in a burning bus but then again, they never did find the body ...

astEnders are hedging their bets by also throwing in the return of Lisa, who is back from her own presumed death.

Last time we saw her she was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking glum and presumably set to jump. Only she didn't. Now she's back with a new, confident image and a plan to get her daughter back. Having already bungled one attempt - shooting Phil - she is back to try again.

Not all soap stars return because the soap needs ratings. Ian Smith, who plays Harold in Neighbours, left because he was fired. When new producers took over the show Harold was invited to return to Rarnsey Street.

When Harold returned actress Anne Charleston, who played Madge, returned with him.

But, also, not all actors leave because they are "Stone the fired. Harold is an exception. Some leave to pursue crows!" bigger and better things.

For, believe it or not, some of the most famous names in the acting and singing world started out in soaps.

Neighbours, in particular, has produced some impressive names: Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, Mark Little,

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'Cool Britannia' Part Two? ormer Creation Records boss Alan McGee is now busy championing a new wave of British talent, claiming "rock n' roll is the new dance music." By drawing together a number of ventures -his relatively-new Poptones label, his monthly DJ sets at both the Death Disco

The cult ofPop-Whatever and its dial-a-transient-hero vote will always be a nice, safe alternative to 'proper' music.

I ~- -

and The Queen Is Dead clubs in London and his showcase sets for unsigned talents at those clubs - the cream of the current crop of domestic indie rock acts are looking set to be harvested by the man who , if you need reminding one more time, discovered Oasis[applause].

Take a step back from marvelling at the red-headed entrepreneur's new ventures, though, and a few contradictions start to stand out. Whenever people start forming sound-bites along the lines of "genre xis the new genre y" you know one thing, which is, as genre x goes 'over-ground', the quality inevitably goes downhill.

That's not to say that McGee is rubbing his hands together at the thought of

Oasis , y ou know...

signing up half a dozen scenester bands who can be relied upon to churn out a tried and tested formula to the lowest common denominator. If you do read between the lines of his statement - and other ones given in a recent online BBC interview that bemoans the immediacy with which old-school Britpop bands became rushed onto the front cover of the NME and the airwaves of Radio One - it indicates that those about to tune in to the "new dance music" have to be prepared for the pitfalls of belatedly cottoning-on to what has now become fashionably hip.

The likes of The Others, Stasi and Terror Diablo - all freshly signed to Pop tones - remain largely unknown quantities. It would be too easy to snort derisively and compare them to the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream and 0 ****. However, when all we've got at present is the talent-free, petulant posing of the Libertines to rival the like of the infinitely more marketable skinny-tie revivalists The Strokes, it doesn't take the most cynical of music fans to suggest that McGee's new-found optimism for his new bands and equally-newfound praise for Radio One has something to do with the fact he's got a new fledgling label to promote and a new programme on Radio One with which to do it.

His fresh revelations about the reservations he had for the mainstream music media glamourising some of the

lesser acts his former label proppedup is perhaps equally as inevitable .

After all, what could be a bolder, more honest move than levelling some criticism at the scene and circumstances that brought you to fame?

The cult of Pop - Whatever and its dial-a-transient-hero vote will always be a nice safe alternative to 'proper' bands and 'proper' music, i.e. the type that McGee is now in the business of both critically championing and professionally promoting. Not to sound too paranoid- it's all choreographed; two schools seemingly at odds to one another yet being supported by the same major labels equally. Less a fixed fight, more a puppet show. ne less patriotic Poptones signing was the Transatlantic acquisition of the Bellrays, whose ability to bolt the soulful warbling of their diva front-man onto sleazy garage punk proved a fitting alterative to another run-through of White Blood Cells when the new-blues explosion was in fullloose-hipped swing last year. So McGee does have irons in the fire . However, that doesn't make his comments on the domestic scene insincere- the quotes from the interview were about new British bands after all - but does show that the fact that rock 'n' roll is back in vogue isn't due to a suddenly realised faith in domestic talent. Labels are simply

picking up what sells and rock 'n' roll currently does just that.

The bubble will inevitably burst, the NME will eventually turn on The White Stripes just like they did Oasis, and those with either fickle tastes or merely the desire to listen to something different will turn away from shiny new bands playing through battered amps wearing contrived thrift store threads and designer home haircuts in search of the new cool.

These are interesting times , though. Typically - when they like a 'genre'- a person's interests will diversify and they will, up to a point, set about discovering more obscure or older artists who have had some bearing on the sound and inspiration of their current tastes - this can create a healthy interest and lead, hopefully, to a creative and enlivened 'scene'.

Unfortunately, Industry attitudes tend to only support that journey so far, instead of seeking out the next, entirely different sub-genre and properly developing and investing in it, they pick a couple of marketable star acts with untapped 'mass appeal'.

America normally does this better than the UK. What looks open-minded is in fact a way of reaching the maximum audience for each genre by way of more diverse playlists for corporate radio stations. The likes of Pantera and Metallica scored number-one Billboard Chart albums almost a decade before some bright spark thought that the best way for recoup- - . .

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.,...... M cgee Reaction cont inued:

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by Mcgee, you know. . . ing the four million dollars spent on Limp Bizkit's Rollin' promo video would be to give it just as big a push on this side of the pond.

Surprise-surprise, it paid off. Now the Alice In Chains-lite of Staind is finding itself on Radio One approximately 12 months after numetal has gone out of fashion with all but the most casual consumers of heavy rock music.

All of which, strangely, has led to the industries tapping the next musical subset down: hardcore punk. Forget Green Day jostling for position inside the top 10 singles chart with Blur halfway through the 90s. This is about major record labels taking advantage of the doors opened by Linkin Park's unexpected success - and the rapidly increased circulation of comparatively-extreme music titles like Kerrang!, Metal Hammer et al - to sign up the likes of Poison The Well, Thrice and Thursday. Signing them from indie stables that had amassed cult following and relied on word of mouth to sustain itself for the most part- hardly a claim the majority of the bands on Creation or Poptones could make.

Ironically, anyone who listens to their favourite heavy music getting a hefty gloss from a major label production job release will b e tapping their watch and telling you to watch out for this time next year when those acts have subsequently fallen between two stools - too polished for elitists/purists, still too hardcore for daytime radio - and been dropped. If you want domestic equivalents, look to the forthcoming major label debut albums from both Funeral For A Friend and the Lostprophets: two bands from North Wales who both look and sound American, but are more readily available to tour heavily around their native isle.

All of which is a muddled route back to the same crossroads. Disparate musical genres only intertwine when they become lucrative for investors, but then trends in popular music tend to be cyclical. Oasis ended up borrowing even the names of the Beatles with which to name their kids, people got bored with the parody they'd become and went elsewhere. Recycling rock n' roll is indeed heathen chemistry: hoping to recreate a 'rebellion' is a non-sequitur, so don't be surprised if, in the not-too-distant future, you hear another expert exclaim for a second time that "dance is the new rock n' roll".

Olives Sometimes when I ride my bike, late seventies racer in cream, I have a bag of olives hanging from the loop of my drop handle bars.

Often I buy large Gaetas, the colour of worn suede, but today they are ink black Kalarnata; no stones. Before I ride I thumb a hole through the plastic. At traffic lights and on quiet roads I claw one out and scoff it whole, leaving a trail in oil that stops.

I have my forefinger in my mouth.

I come out of nowhere.

No lights and no helmet. The T junction is freckled with full stops.

]oe Dantbome

Magnificat by Beth Settle The poet Sarnsky had had enough of life.

It had flown, snicked and scattered. Now it was merely the embers of a catseye. And the

sky had stopped speaking to him. He had a spinster aunt named Magma whom he had never met. She owned a small boarding house by the sea. He wrote to her to ask if he could come and didn't wait for an answer, arriving the next day. She was rotund and sympathetic, and her nose wrinkled and twitched as she showed him the room she had already prepared. He lay on the bed, exhausted from breathing. He had brought nothing with him but an untidy sheaf of handwritten papers, in his coat pocket. He did not think Magma had noticed.

A few hours later, as a quiet evening mist was falling, he went to the sea. Silently he pleaded with it to show him some mercy and spare his life. Feeling rejected and throwing his papers at the water, he went back to the boarding house and threw himself down the narrow, sharp staircase. He strayed in and out of consciousness a few times, and eventually chose unconsciousness. He had bruised and broken the soft fruits inside of him. Magma came, and saw, and left. Lying on the floor, his breathing becoming shallower, the poet Sarnsky bled to death within.

Magma the witch, Magma the witchling's child, Magma whose daddy was the clovenhooved fiend himself. Magma seen through a piece of cut glass that hisses when you look at it. Magma mourning by the waxy feet of the dead poet, striking at her own chest with blood-hardened fists . Ma!Jma with an uncertain fear in her rapid eyes, frozen stock still for fractions of hours at a time. Magma with an iron glee tightening her face, her arm repeatedly carving an arc of stinking air, up and down, up and down, in out in out in out. Dirty, wicked Magma, Magma the b itchling, greedy Magma ripping at the holes to make them bigger and sticking her whole hands in, sucking and tearing and retching and laughing. ..

The girl was called Virginia. Magneve

looked at her througl:i the letterbox.. Her eyes were grey. Eyes of dumb animal. No, hopeless. No, in fear.

Magneve licked her dry lips.

"What do you do then? Work?"

The girl sighed.

"I only want a room - it's raining. Please! Ah God - I'm a student nurse. Trainee. I'm very responsible, and-" The chain was unslung and the bolts drawn back. Vuginia put her heavy bag down and began to stretch. Magneve's eyes were everywhere, darting crab eyes, eyes of a Dead Sea thing.

"You're not a poet then?"

"What?" The girl was too surprised.

Magneve was hasty.

"We don't take poets here there've been happenings, incidents, accidents, if you're a poet please leave, if you're a poet - you're a poet-" "What do you mean? What's the- ye.s , I write poetry, but why should that-" "Down the stairs- down the stairs-" Magneve was babbling, trying to crest red· panic. Dirty spittle was staining her chin.

"The stairs? I just felt I should come in here. For a bed. A warm, bed." 'fl:le girl was speaking slow and trancelike. Magneve's eyes narrowed to the slender beUy and the slash of white skin visible.

"You're carrying," she said.

The girl's eyeballs stickily rolled up. Her gaze left the floor, and met the eyes of Magneve. Her lips parted a moment to make a small diamond.

"Yes" she said.

Virginia. Virginia the sweet, Virginia the innocent. Virginia who has a splotch of hated flesh growing inside her. Virginia who lingers at the top of the staircase, unaware she is

holding Magneve' s sweaty, bony fingers in her own. She thinks she might be a spirit, because she can hear the unsteady ramblings of dead poets all over her body. The male cling and kiss and plead. 'The female shriek outraged, pulling at her uterus. Magneve has assured her it will work. Sarnsky is there, repeating his name over and over - "C. Sarnsky. C. Sarnsky." He sobs, apologising.

Virginia lets her head fall and the weight of it drag her body down. She tumbles, and the sharp, narrow stairs bite into her frame on each bump. She is aware of her own head turning slowly to the side, stilled, resting on wood. Exhausted, she whispers a thank you to Magneve and Sarnsky inside her head and then lets herself sink.

Magneve looks, looks, looks down at the body of Virginia, covered With spilled child.

The girl is, as she had thought, still alive.

Magneve begins to chant rabid canticles. For Virginia, Magnificat. Samsky's startled spirit begins to plead with his d~scendant, sensing a block somewhere. Magneve's eyes are opaque. Sarnsky begs. The skin on her lips is splitting and opening, and red flesh is beginning to bloom out. Her nose is drawn back, skin pinched, into a cutlass of bone: her face is stopped with greed. Sarnsky calls to the water and implores it not to betray him once more.

Magneve's sense of smell makes the distinction between the blood of the dead and the blood of the living. Sarnsky cries out.

Virginia, the sweet.

Communication by Jo e Dunthorne "What is the nutritional value of snot?" her coat from behind his head on the sofa, ''What?" she snapped. "absolutely nothing."

"Or ear wax. Is eating your ear wax good She shut the door quietly behind her. for you?"

Listening, he heard her ascend the stairs and She looked across. He had his index finger open the door to her flat above. He heard her in his mouth. walk into the kitchen and start the tap running.

"Let's hope so, for your sake," she said. · Later, the floorboards creaked as she got into He sunk deeper into the creases of the bed. cracked leather sofa, splaying his legs.

The next day, Tuesday, he thought she "Why is it," he began slowly, "that... " might have cooled off. He called her a couple "Stop. Whatever you are Shout to say. I do of times; listening through the floorboards as not care." the phone rang out. Later, as he went to bed He turned his gaze from the end of his finhe heard her pee. The sound came in short ger to watch her throwing slabs of wood on to bursts. She was doing the exercise she'd read the fire. about in an Elle sex special. The article said "Christ, just rnalcing conversation." that by stopping and starting w:hen you take a The embers spat fireflies as she dumped pies you strengthen a muscle which helps to an ungainly log amongst the flame.s . give greater control over your own orgasm.

Arranging herself on the floor with her back to He liste.n ed, concentrated on the staccato'd the hearth, she folded her legs beneath her. pitter-patter. Scavenging his memory, he was The yellow flickered up behind her, makeshift pleased to find he had retained a workable highlights in mud coloured hair. They knowledge of Morse code from his days as a observed each othe.r in silence. After a time scout. He translated. · she spoke.

IDONTKNOWHOWTOSA "Why is it that we are together? Ever There was a long pause. thought of asking that?"

YTHISIM "What?"

On Wednesday, he heard nothing. That' s "Why am I with you and why are you with not quite true; he did, for instance, hear her me?" taking a shower. When he turned on the cold He paused, blinked. tap he discerned her spinning, feet padding in "I give up, you tell me." circles, as the water got too hot. Later, there ._!'Because honestly I struggle to find anywas a dull hum of the h3.ir dryer and his lights thing in you that is even remotely loveable." dimmed as she put the kettle on. Lying in bed "If you want to tell me something..." he he listened to her pee. trailed off.

REALLYSORRYABOUTTHEOT ''No. Nothing," she stood up and whisked HERNIGH

Waking in the middle of the night there was a familiar percussion; she was on the loo.

He scribbled down the dots and dashes as they tinkled through the thin ceiling.

TID 0 NTKNOWWHYISAIDTHO SETHINGSIWASJU Thursday night he went out to the Earl. He drank dark rum and played darts with an alcoholic train driver called Des. That night he heard nothing.

On Friday, he slept in. By the time he woke up she had already gone out. He walked to the supermarket and bought an avocado and a big bloc;:k of Ernmental from the cheese counter. He forgot to ask for a bag and so ended up squeezing them into the pockets of his corduroy jacket. He spent the afternoon in town, meandering through the quieter streets.

He allowed himself to be drawn onto the old high street where second hand shops fill the spaces between discount stores in perpetual closure. In Cancer Research he bought a book on smoke signals and read it while he walked home.

It was still light when he got back from town; there was smoke sloshing from her chimney. He consulted his book and eventually deciphered the message.

STT IRE D IS TI LLL 0 VEYO U IW I LL C OMED OWNLATERWITHABO TTLEXXX At about eight o'clock there was a knock on his door. She wore a red zip-up top and her combats slung low, dipping like a rope bridge away from her belly b utton. In her hand was a bottle of red wine.

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Dressed to Kill (Bill ashion and the world of celebrity are 'inextricably intertwined. Fashion echoes film and film often echoes popular trends in fashion. In our everyday choice of what to wear or buy, we are frequently influenced by what celebrities are choosing to wear in a particular season. Fashion trends are set on the catwalk, then in the haute couture world of the rich and famous. Only then does it transfer into the images that we see everyday, finally filtering onto the high street. We are then able to gain a piece of celebrity for our very own wardrobe.

Films are a medium for experimentation with fashion that perhaps does not always gain credibility in the highstreet. This is not a new phenomenon, for film to influence the world of fashion, directors and wardrobe experts use fashion subtly to manipulate how we the audience feel towards and view characters in films. The use of wardrobe in film generates fashionable trends.

Quentin Tarantino, the motor mouthed, obsessive geek with all the charm of a petrified mollusc is renowned for being one of the most fashionable directors of the last decade.

His films have received enormous success commercially and critically. He holds himself responsible for the upsurge of men in black suits (invariably singing Little Green Bag to themselves) and one of his more unusual directorial habits involves dressing for the film scenes as they are shot, which

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has led to everything from samurai outfits to a doctor uniform. His love of the theatricality is translated well to his films as the tone reflects his attention to detail.

Pulp Fictir1n, Reservoir Dogs and ]ackie Brown all have distinctive costumes and styles in the cast's wardrobes and sets. Costume is an integral part in the creation of movies but for Tarantbo costume sets mood and gives us insight into each charac-

Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, to name a few, have been and - no doubt - continue to be regarded as highly fashionable women."

11

ter's personality. The costumes in.Pulp Fiction are a combination of modem gangster chic meets old Hollywood.

Uma Thurman's character Mia Wallace, wore red nail polish and lipstick.

Subsequently, make-up companies saw sales rocket. '1he suits of Reservoir Dogs define ccol; they are stylish, smart and well co-ordinated. Jackie Brown is roote:i in 70s fashion styles, with a bouffant hair style for the main character, played by 70s icon Pam Grier. SamuelL. Jackson's Kangol beret boosted sales for the company;

they became the must-have accessory.

You could argue that Americana has become fashionable again (if it ever was) thanks to the efforts of Tarrantino, especially when you consider his involvement, and consequent disassociation with Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers. This can be seen clearly in the hype surrounding the impending release of Kill Bill.

It is a highly anticipated martial arts movie, set in a chic modem style.

Uma Thurman, once again, takes the lead role of the film in the character of The Bride. She sports a bright yellow outfit with black lines running down the length, which pays hQmage to the Bruce Lee flick Fist of Fury. Will this be the latest fashion trend to pass over from film to life this winter? Or will it disappear without a trace?

Imitation of costume from films into the High Street is not a new idea.

Fashions worn by celebrities have always infiltrated into what we choose to wear. Classic costume from films and bygone eras long passed often appear for a season or two on the catwalks. Designers today find inspiration in the costumes and styles of an older time. Audrey Hepbum, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, to name a few, have been and - no doubt - continue to be regarded as highly fashionable women. Their clothes are often a source of fashion trends today on the big screen and in the High Street. .Their independent styles were timeless but will never be forgotten.

Costume always has been an

essential part of producing a movie. It tells us certain things about the characters that we are watching - their status in life, position in the social hierarchy, 路their occupation or even their personality..Ciothes are a means to translate, perhaps, the deeper subtleties of characters. Audrey Hepbum's character in Breakfast at Tiffany's, leads a jet-setting life and her clothes reflect this, she had expensive taste paid for by the powerful men that she dates. It is a constant source for inspiration; an i:mage that is constantly reappearing. odem films often look to older movies and film stars in order to create fashionable looks for their films.

This can be seen recently in the Renee Zellweger/Ewan McGregor pairing in Down With Love. Directors today sometimes'replicate styles that have been worn in order to create a revival of that type of clothing. Today movies are often marketed with the aim of creating a trend or fashion. They are aiming to sell us products as well as escapism in the form of a film. Directors do still use the clothes that characters' wear to give us indications about who they are.

The world of celebrity is an enormous market. Having a particular celebrity in a film will automatically gain audiences before the film is even in production. These are the people that we look to in order to see what we should be wearing if we wish to keep in fashion. Having a particular celebrity

in your movie means that their onscreen image may spark a fashion trend that carries more weight than their off-screen persona. An example of this is the huge marketing machine that is Jennifer Lopez. What she wears is almost guaranteed to create media and public interest. Thankfully, though, this does not extend to how she talks.

The boundaries in films are completely different today. Films blur into life and fashion. Directors and stylists are aware of how to market a celebrity in order to sell their product (and, perhaps, a few handbags along the way).

Creating a fashionable trend is a bonus to making a movie.

Designers are often employed to create whole wardrobes for films. In 1997 Director Luc Besson decided to employ Jean Paul Gaultier to create his

costumes for The Fifth Element. His vision of teaming Bruce Willis with an orange, extremely figure hugging, rubber vest did not exactly take the fa;;hion world by storm. Perhaps more 路 interest was satisfied by the sight of Milia Jovovich in nothing more than a few bandages to cover her delicate areas. The costumes did spark public interest and added an attention-grab-

would be huge. Nevertheless, the costumes were an integral and important part of the films style.

a

bing dimension of colour and diversity to the movie itself. .

More recently, the film Chicago encouraged high-street stores to stock black figure huggmg, negligee-style clothes. Many stores chose to have window displays around the time of the film's release to promote the fashions of the film in the hope of creating a trend. The 1920s style didn't exactly take off despite the anticipation that it

The vision of a teaming 路Bruce Willis wi.th an orange, extremely figure-hugging, rubber vest.did not take the lash .. ion world by storm" 11

A film that was successful in promoting style among young teenage girls was 1995's Clueless. Cher Horrowitz had an electronic wardrobe full of expensive designer clothes. It was every teenage girl's dream. The film showed financially e~pped

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teenagers semi-independent with mobile phones, which was relatively unheard ofin the mid-1990s. Girls aspired to dress like the characters of the film.

So, do movies just predict fashion trends that are likely to occur or are they representative of fashions that are popular at the time they are created?

There are two types of fashions in films:

experimental clothes that are an attempt to curve fashion; and films that follow fashion trends in order to reflect what is happening in the world at that time. Whilst some films aim to sell clothes, others don't intend to, but it occurs as a by-product. Either way, costumes are .an important part of movies that can be manipulated in order to achieve different reactions in the audience or society.

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I 00 MAGAZINE is the indispensable guide to getting the most out of your leisure time In Norwich and the surrounding area

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Spirited Away

Director: Hayao Miyazaki S ;Jrring: Daveigh Chase, James .M~ rs en

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For the last decade animation has been the biggest box office draw in Japan.

Perhaps the desire, or need, to enter into a world where, despite the hardship, everything' turns out alright in the end could be seen as a reaction to the endless financial woes that blight the previously indestructible Japanese economic miracle. Chihiro, the hero of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, travels to such a world of wonder and magic, and through sheer hard '!Vork, manages to engineer a showdown with the evil witch, and gain her freedom.

She is a young child, struggling to cope with the trauma of moving house, leaving the stable life of school and her friends behind. Her parents are more adventurous, looking for their new life away from the familiar. En route to the new house they discover a tunnel to a wide sweeping field of billowing grass and crumbling religious sculpture. Chihiro continues to hold back as they explore, finding a perfectly preserved traditional Japanese village, with tables groaning under the weight of huge mounds of steaming food. Mistake! Chihiro's parents, far too greedy, eat and eat; when she returns they have turned into pigs. Then night falls.

The apparently innocuous village turns out to be a spirit town, dominated by a tow-

w

ering gothic bath-house (onsen) where lives the spirit queen, Yubaba, her underling Haku and all the various beings, human, spirit or otherwise who, like Chihiro's parents have fallen under her spell. This is where the full scope of Miyazaki's colourful mind becomes apparent. The building itself is a maze of levels, rooms and booths. Once inside it seems to have no end- Chihiro's eventual lift journey to the top floor takes many minute.s .

Creatures of a fevered imagination hop waddle and squeak in every corner of the screen. There are talking frogs, three grunting dismembered heads, an oversized baby and enchanted soot who, appearing like little balls of fur, with eyes and spindly arms, work endlessly transporting coal to the furnace mouth. Chihiro gets a job, safeguarding her life by submitting body and soul to the Thatcher lookalike spirit queen.

Through her work she befriends various members of the onsen community who, reacting to her plight, attempt to help her.

The story gets convoluted. The climax is contracted into the last few minutes. Chihiro finds an ally in Haku who, though high up in the hierarchy, yearns for his freedom. With

"So you him, and some charming farnil- want a hardiars, including a ship grant, gerbil creature transported do you?" through.the air by a fly, the final challenge is faced, and, of course, won. 路 To Miyazaki, the visual, it seems, is more important than the story for Miyazaki.

Disney animation tends to run the same three act formula, stressing the happy ending and simple path to virtue. In Spirited Away the beginning and end get squashed by a huge ballooning middle, as wide and wild as the onsen itself. Miyazaki's mind works wonders of imagination that flood across the screen in every shot, creating an intensely magical world of wonder and awe. While the jump from put-upon schoolgirl to triumphant quester may seem less than smooth, animation itself is the star.

Edward Mooney

Cabin Fever

D.irector: ELi Roth i. g: Rider Strong, Jordan Lad

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Ellen pondered her m i stake i n visiting a back street or thodontist

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The opening sequence for Cabin Fever promises fear by the sweaty bucketload as tree silhouettes are held against a crimson red backdrop. Director Eli Roth definitely has a knack for turning innocent objects, such as glasses of water, into the eerie, assisted by the ever-present (ltring music.

However, David Lynch he isn't. The basic premise is familiar: five allAmerican teens set off to party in a secluded cabin in what looks like "Deliverance" country; never a good idea, as I'm sure you'll agree. After a couple of romantic moments between the leads Paul (Rider Strong) and Karen Qordan Ladd) we are treated to a little character development of the rest of the posse who, we discover, are spoilt brats. About this time it is easy

to start picking the most likely/deserving contender to die first, as has become the norm.

The pleasant surprise comes when informed guesses are undermined and none of the obvious candidates khark it.

However, the fact that it- somewhat purposely - avoids the rules for horror narratives, as defined in Scream does not mean that it's original. In fact, .it is far from it, as Roth seems to delight in taking slices of a whole range of genres; from comedy to thriller, which seems to result in confusion for both the audience and actors. There is, however, some interesting interplay between the comic and the surreal, such as the doctor in a bunny suit - possibly a nod to Roth's productive friendship with Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly Ill. Interestingly (or not) the bunny is credited as "we will never tell". It could be Kelly under there, but such things are designed to make us speculate. 路 The predictable 'downer' arrives at the door in the form of a seriously infect-

ed scabby, and more than a little insane, tramp who is unceremoniously informed to get lost by the drunk teens. It all goes downhill from there, as the mysterious infection begins to pop up everywhere.

The kids turn on each other and the hillbilly locals. Rider "Boy Meets World" Strong's perfoz:mance is disappointing, largely because he doesn't seem as cute as memory dictates, and being cute constitutes the bulk of his acting capabilities.

The rest of the unknown cast turn in at least decent performances, especially the local cop Wilson, who spends the whole film attempting to get laid/drunk/stoned.

Basically, this film lacked the tension it promised. It was fairly predictable and even the supposed horrific sequences, such as Cerina Vincent's bloodied shower

scene, weren't particularly shocking - the make up and effects of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are far superior to the majority of shocking imagery. However, it is an enjoyable film and would probably stand up to several viewings. As long as you don't settle down expecting a truly scary hour and a half, but instead a tongue in cheek homage to gorefests such as Raimi's Evil Dead. Watch it at home with friends that way, if you get bored you can always make the coffee.

Suzanne Rodger

08.10.03

~--

------

Film 13

Finding

emo

Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich.

Starring: Albert Brookes, Ellen Degeneres Fishy frolics in an undersea adventure that threatens previous disney box office success This is the latest offering from the Pixar/Disney partnership that gave birth to Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. Fans of these highly successful films will not be disappointed. In fact, not many people will be disappointed (except, of course, those who grumble at the cash cow that is the Disney corporation, and they won't go and see it anyway).

Over anxious Marlin (Albert Brooks) is a humourless clown fish living on an isolated reef with his only son, Nemo (Alexander Gould), who resents his father's overprotective attitude and restrictions. Inevitably, Nemo rebels against his father's advice about the dangerous possibilities of the open sea and is subsequently captured by human divers.

Marlin is forced to confront his fear of the imposing oc~an depths as he attempts to recover his wayward offspring; hence the titie. Along the way he encounters Dory (Ellen Degeneres), an angelfish who suffers from short-term memory loss (which is presumably a reference to the fact that, were they to accurately portray all fish life according to this stereotype, they wouldn't have much of a film). Together, they brave the various obstacles and entities that inhabit the ocean.

Nemo, meanwhile, has been

Bad Boys 2 Fantastic action scenes, but "big willy style" is too flaccid to ensure a coherent film.

Marcus (Martin Lawrence) and Mike (Will Smith) return in this sequel to the

1995 caper. This time, they are attempting to apprehend the leader of a Cuban drug cartel shipping ecstasy into Miami.

Hey dude, I think this s**t is finally starting to kick in ...

incarcerated in a dentist's aquarium, awaiting certain death at the hands of his captor's niece. Fortunately for him, his fellow tank-mates also yearn for freedom, and set about executing plans towards that end.

Assisting them in their endeavours is a pelican that has an information network the dawn chorus from 101 Dalmatians would be proud of.

Like it's predecessors, Finding Nemo has a universal appeal that will satiate the interest of young and old with its multi-layered humour. It also contains a healthy amount of social commentary that has become the staple for recent works of animation. This is not just centred on anthropomorphic caricatures, but also makes slight reference to humanity's exploitation of nature. There are also plenty of film references to spot along the way. At no point does it patronise, though, nor does it run off into sugary banality. And there's plenty of "cute ickle fishy-fish", for those who like that sort of thing.

It improves on the previous films in respect of the fact that it is visually stunning -more stunning even than Sully's fur, a technical accomplishment of its time. Of particular note is the way in which the sedate movement of a herd of jellyfish become the backdrop to a tense chase sequence. All this assault on the optical senses means there is risk of getting lost in this colourful aquatic treat, rather than keeping up with what is actually happening.

Thankfully, the story and characters are

Director: Michael Bay Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence

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as bold and bright as the animation, allowing complete immersion in a strong narrative that essentially amalgamates some much-loved Disney themes. The characters are likeable, even when they aren't particularly supposed to be. There are clever spins on the personality of various creatures: surf-dude turtles, vegetarian sharks, and crabs that are reminiscent of the groups of lads seen on Prince of Wales Road (i.e. they're always spoiling for a

fight).

All in all, Finding Nemo is thoroughly enjoyable, with the kind of high quality animation that could threaten the supply of psychedelics on Britain's streets or, for the period of the film's release, improve it.

Philip Sainty

EEEE

"You know, hammocks are more comfy when you lie length ways, Will."

Holding them back is Marcus' sister - an undercover DEA operative with whom Mike is attempting to "get it on"- a gang of Haitians and a police captain who is attending the same therapy sessions as Marcus.

This film very quickly grabs the attention. The credits give a very stylish visual description of ecstasy production, which warrants a warning to those affected by strobe lighting. It then goes straight into a drug bust sequence that contains the oftused (or over used) "bullet-time" visuals. Within the first forty minutes, it rolls out one of the best chase sequences in recent cinematic memory, which features camera work that makes LA Law look positively docile.

Alas, it is not to last, after a fantastic beginning it adopts an awkward pace as it attempts to integrate humour, action and romance in a rather clumsy fashion. This is not to say that it isn't funny, parts of it certainly

are. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have a definite chemistry, and the latter is particularly convincing as one who suffers for his job and from his partners constant jibing. Nor are the action sequences too contrived; they flow, in most cases, quite readily and are certainly engrossing. The main problem is that the premises on which they are based do not make one concerned about their outcome.

This is largely due to the fact that the result is, by and large, known in advance.

The bad guys are so two-dimensional there is no suspicion of them doing anything unexpected. Plot developments are all but flagged up. The only truly original thing about the police force is the captain Ooe Palentino). Also, it's quite fun to see Henry Rollins at the start, but he's only in it for a bit.

There are several disparate plot strings that are tied up rather haphazardly. There are a couple of cases of bad editing, with some parts that seem to be inserted just to fill time, which is a shame as, for an action

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I

II

I

I

film, it's too long anyway. As it gets

towards the end, the writers seem to have lost any compulsion for plausibility and just go with as much action as possible in the hope that no one will notice. Even the final chase sequence is a direct lift from Police Story, but not nearly as impressive . .

As a result, it becomes rather like watching a collection of scenes rather than a consistent narrative.

If you like action and a laugh, this film is great, so long as you don't want the two combined with any sense of coherency. It's just too ambitious and too long.

Philip Sainty

08.10.03

THE

EVENT

14 ........

The Dancer Upstairs "Does this look like a black cofffee to you? No? Well, it doesn't to me either. Make it again."

Great American actors unable to resist the urge of jumping behind the camera do not have a particularly encouraging track record.

Marlon Brando (somewhat unsurprisingly) had too little regard for his audience, Jack Nicholson's humour didn't translate to his new role and, more recently, George Clooney seemed rather anxious to include every possible directorial trick he could think of. John Malkovich is a far more accomplished ensemble actor than any of the above , and it appears that the modesty we enjoy in his acting has served him well in his debut as director.

Filmed in Ecuador (but located in a fictional/generic Latin American country), The Dancer Upstairs tells the story of Detective Agustin Rejas (Javier Bardem) as he searches for Ezequiel Duran (Abel Folk) a left-wing extremist whose spurts of terrorism are spreading fear throughout the country. Rejas's seemingly impossible job is made even more difficult when Marshall Law is declared and the military police serve as a further obstruction to his investigation. Balancing this rather ostensibly abstract plot are the undercurrents of his domestic life, driven by adoration for his daughter and a subtle impatience with his wife -perhaps the only character in the film that appears over-simplified.

Despite the obvious pertinence of the terrorist elements in the film , Malkovich thankful-

ly avoids exerting too much heavy-handed morality on the subject. Though the depictions of terrorism (many of which feature exploding animals) are indeed chilling, it is as a result of their sense of normality and inevitability rather than forcing the viewer into an ethical corner. Perhaps this distance was read by some as ambivalence ; it would certainly begin to account for the film's somewhat disappointing commercial run.

Another reason that many have attributed to the film's box-office short-failings was the fact that The Dancer Upstairs was advertised and promoted as a thriller, with some posters featuring scantily clad women, inevitably leaving many audiences bemused. To describe it as a thriller is not dishonest - there are good detectives battling against the suffocating bureaucracy; graphic violence; love; suspense, and a looming yet absent villain that cannot help but recall Kaizer Soze in 'The Usual Suspects'. However, Malkovich's contemplative pace and his slavish dedication to Nicholas Shakespeare's rich narrative steer the film away from the genre of the thriller, towards something less immediately entertaining but ultimately more affecting.

A large degree of praise must lie with Javier Bardem's towering central performance. At only 33 years of age, he brings a maturity and tiredness to his character reminiscent of Gene Hackman's similar successes

The Matrix: Reloaded Unless you were living in a card board box over the summer, you won't have managed to evade the Matrix Reloaded hype machine. Keanu's gormless visage peering down at you from every bus, Lawrence Fishburne in his posing pouch, or the curiously PVC obsessed Carrie Anne Moss glaring dominatrix style. It seemed more mysterious; cooler. And look! They have guns too!

The first Matrix was original. Reeves was ideally cast as office schmuck, Todd Anderson, blundering idiotically around. He then converted to Nee, a messiah type figure, blundering idiotically around; but now boasting an arsenal that would turn the Isle of Wight into Swiss cheese.

The rest of the cast seemed almost sorry for him, as his worried brow hinted at apparently chronic constipation. We dug the whole 'red pill, blue pill' thing , the Agents look suitably menacing, and our office schmuck manages to jump around, blow stuff up and generally stick two fingers up to authority. Peachy. And of course the sequelfriendly ending had fans salivating for more.

The sequel was so anticipated that they could have stuck a few hours of special effects together and thrown in more guys with cool sounding names and let them slog

..

08.10.03

it out. People would have watched it and convinced themselves that they loved it.

Unfortunately, that is what actually happened. And it didn' t wash.

There is nothing less erotic, unromantic, and painfully drawn out as the embarrassing union between Nee and Trinity. The camera cuts back and forth between the gyrating bodies of dancers in Zion to the wheezing, sweating, sexless Reeves . The worrying thing about this is weird metal body plugs.

Clink, clank, and go too near a socke t and you both end up like KFC popcorn chicken.

Reeves still looks as though he 's not eating enough fibre , but this time we are expected to believe that he's a bad-ass agent killer.

It is not helped by the fact that Reeves can't act. The long coat and sunnies aren't going to wipe the dopey expression off his face , because that's who Keanu is. It's no coincidence that the only roles he could pull off were Nee and Ted 'I can count my brain cells on the fingers of one nose' Theodore Logan. No problem with the latter, but as the former he 's just embarrassing.

It may be that the political-religiousmythological aspects of the film are too much for some people . But a film should also be about character development, dialogue and identification, and we just don 't get it here.

Matrix: Revolutions, rears its ugly head in a couple of months time. Will there be more Spam or a prime Beef Steak? My money's on the cheap tinned pink stuff. A word to the not-so-wise W achowski Brothers : please try harder.

Matt Colver

in The Conversation (who was 34 at the time).

The power of the performance comes from us never feeling like we know him well enough.

We are never sure if he completely falls out of love with his wife and we don't know how sure he is of his decision to renounce a career a s a lawyer. The respect and admiration he clearly receives from those around him, despite his allusiveness , begins to be shared by the audience. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone referred to his performance as having an 'implosive force', and it seems fitting that such a description can also serve for the work as a whole.

Towards the end of the film , as Rejas is falling ever-more in love with Yolanda, his daughter's ballet teacher, the two are shown on a roof-top at night, a brightly lit cityscape behind them. The lights suddenly go out and fireworks are launched, towering over the couple in a beautifully composed shot. In isolation, this could easily seem like an overstylised romantic set-piece, perhaps the work of Woody Alien. Yet in the context of 'The Dancer Upstairs' it places an unsettling inevitability on their relationship - the fireworks holding sinister connotations. The sequence shows the assurance and confidence of Malkovich as a director; his refusal to succumb to cliche wonderfully matched with a refusal to resort to gimmickry.

The Dancer Upstairs will place demands

on you as a viewer, but will more than repay them.

The new DVD release boasts an insightful fly-on-the-wall type documentary following Malkovich's promotion of the film. In comparison to this, Revealing The Dancer Upstairs (including interviews with Nicholas Shakespeare) feels remarkably pedestrian, though not uninteresting. Feature commentary comes from Malkovich and Bardem, and while worthy of your time, is ultimately unnecessary.

Adam O 'Brien

2Fast2Furious

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fun film. The cars would fulfil most boys' dreams (and the way Paul walker changes gear would, let's face it, fulfil most girls').

That aside, the actual races are

able and not highly enjoynearly as long one. as inThe the ._________________________________________. first This follow up to last year's The Fast and the Furious is alleged to be mildly better, Paul Walker being the only character to return. In a nutshell: Brian O 'Conner (Walker) after being de-badged due to his antics in the first film (only mildly important to the plot) relocates to Miami where he continues street racing. Being far from careful, his street racing antics get him caught and to clear his name he goes undercover to catch drug smuggling tycoon Carte r Verone (Cole Kauser) . Tyrese's character falls into the role of side kick expressing one strongly held opinion 'I have a problem with authority' ; which basically sums up his personality.

Now throw in the gorgeous Eva Mendes, lots of car races and hip hop fuelled parties and that's basically it.

The films tag line reads 'How fast do you like it!' and many critics would have replied as fast as you like, as long as it is over soon.

Although the script did leave much room for improvement and the acting wouldn't win Oscars it came across as it was intended: a

chase sequence at the end is also quite gripping and well thought through; especially the section where tons of cars emerge speeding out of the garage to deter chasing police. The only scene that really disappointed was the ending; it was completely out of place with the rest of the film and can be summed up in one word: naff. It was entirely unsatisfactory.

If this film is viewed and appreciated for being a fast pace, simple no brain-er then it succeeds as simple street racing fun . If, however, you view it in terms of the script, acting and expectation of a deeply touching story line you will be disappointed.

2Fast2Furious improves on the prequel, but it won't go down in history for being special in any way, shape, or form . It's an average action thriller but, if viewed purely for entertainment value , it is thoroughly enjoyable.

M iriam Eas twood

Reactions 4, the latest anthology of aspiring poets' work was launched by Pen & Inc Press yesterday. There were readings from the anthology by the poets Andrea Holland, Helen Ivory, Brian Johnston and Tamar Yoseloff in the Drama Studio last night.

The anthology itself is a pretty weighty, 270 page affair featuring short collections from 33 poets. However, it is not weighty in the sense that the complete works of Milton can seem dauntingly so. The anthology is more goodvalue-for-money weighty. It is described on the cover notes_as 'show-casing the best up-andcoming talent.' Reactions 4 thus allows poets who are on the verge of publishing their first collections to display a substantial body of work.

With over thirty poets competing for your attention, inevitably this is an anthology to be kept to hand and returned to whenever you have time. Thus may you appreciate the variety and depth of the range offered. (And not skip through it quickly; annotating arbitrary passages in the hope of finding something to write about them) .

It seems a pity to outline too boldly the styles and motifs of the poets. You will find anything from free verse, ballads and surrealism to classical sonnets within. A couple of little morsels stuck out which can serve as tasters.

None more so than Tony Brignull's The BatUecry of the Ant "We will see you gone/ from this earth. You are many, we are one." Contrast Brignull's provocation from the ant kingdom with Christine McNeill's erogenous poem about the Vienna underground, entitled From Hand to Mouth: ''Your stealthy/fingers undo the zip/like erasing an awkward sentence."

Tamar Yoseloff, one of the new stars in ascendancy describes in a beautiful metaphor, the process of putting a piece of work together: "Her needle is swift, plants/a garden on plain cotton." Equally, the anthology could be seen as a garden where many labourers have sown the seeds for a vibrant, rich display of colour and life. The anthology, edited and introduced

by Esther Morgan. is on sale in bookshops for ÂŁ7.99.

Luke Roberts

Disguise, temptation, jealousy, sexism, love, hatred, and passion; just a few of the controversial issues discussed in Shakespeare's famous comedy. Not a p lay for the faint hearted. The "induction" scenes are hilarious, and it is from these that the play unfolds. Set in Padua, Baptista Minola, a rich citizen sets the rule that only when his older daughter is married will his youngest wed.

"Fair enough", I hear you say, but no , as always Shakespeare's genius proves itself and nothing is ever as it seems . Baptista's eldest daughter Katherine, is "Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue" and nobody wants to get near the little vixen, Bianca, on the other hand, his youngest and more controllable daughter, is much sought-after and here the plot thickens. Bianca's many suitors persuade the fortune-seeking young man, Petruchio, to woo Katharine. The story will be well known to some of you, being the basis of the recent film 10 Things I Hate About You, and ends in a particularly controversial submission of the sexes. The 'dominant' sex conquers the 'lesser' of the species and we gain a real insight into how Shakespeare believed marriage should be

based on the grounds of love and not money.

The route the unlikely couple take towards the ir union is surrounded by obstacles, shall the wilful and fiery Katharine ever succumb to Petrucio 's harsh wooing tactics?

At times it seems doubtful, some will gasp at the outrages, some will giggle and some will fall in love with Shakespeare's saucy comedy. The Theatre Royal Production that is set to hit the stage in Norwich from the 20th till the 25th, should not disappoint. It promises sparks to fly on stage and off, with performances from Ross Kemp , in his first Shakespearian role after his flight from well known soap Eastenders, and Nichola McAuliffe. McAuliffe's recent dramatic conquests include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (another rollercoaster of a tale) and Noel Cowards Semi Monde.

The production is the second part of an ongoing collaboration between the Theatre Royal Plymouth, and Thelma Halt. Armed with a great cast, an interesting director and a superb play, the evening should fulfil your expectations and perhaps a little bit more ...

Daisy Bowie-Sell

Do you remember the first time you fell in love? The fluttering heart, the butterflies in your stomach, the dry throat and flushed cheeks when you saw the object of you affection? There are few authors who can portray the feelings and confusions of young love in a way that's easy to relate to and fewer who do it so vividly you blush to recollect yourself and the way you swore, if it didn't work out, you'd never love again. Which is why it's a surprise to find one of the most faithful and real representations of infatuation in a novel that's narrated by a twelve year old.

Katie's mother is dead and she's been left with her reclusive and emotionally uptight father who moves to Missouri separating his daughter from their home in Texas, her sister and her best friend. She finds it difficult to make friends in a school where she can't fit in, and yearns in vain for a kindred spirit among the people who come and go in her life. Berg is known for her subtlety and her delicate portrayal of characters and captures the hopes and dreams of a girl who is overlooked and ignored by those around her. She is the author of three New York Times bestsellers and has won many awards for her writing including the New England Bookseller's Award in 1997.

Joy School comes at the end of a long string of successes for Berg and is arguably her best work so far. It was selected as the American Library Associ!ltion Best Book of the Year and has rightly been received with much critical acclaim. But the awards are immaterial to anyone who 's a fan of Berg and her beautifully crafted characters and stories; her prose shines with warmth and sincerity and will appeal to anyone who can remember what it was like to be twelve years old and anyone who has ever fallen in love. The story is narrated by Katie and it is through her eyes and hers and her friends letters that the characters are drawn and the story unfolds. The events in the novel focus on the funny, moving, and often painful issues which arise as Katie grows up and faces life as a young worn~. The blossoming relationship between the housekeeper and her father which brings back bittersweet memories of her much-loved mother; the troub les that b ring her sister and brother-in-law to stay; the gut-wrenching anxiety of her firs t kiss; the humiliation suffered at the hands of neighbourhood bullies; the demands of her mean and unreasonable teachers all contribute to the misery and loneliness that is Katie's life. That is, of course, until she falls through thin ice while skating and meets a man who offers her friendship and a reason to believe in herself. Far from being trite and contrived as novels in this genre tend to be this is a story that will touch all but the hardest hearts and prove a nostalgic and thought provoking tale of exploration and discovery, love and loss.

Katharine Clemow

•--

Complicated I touch her boobs.

"OhAvril," I cry.

I hold her boobs, squeeze them.

"Oh Avril," I yell.

Charlotte, 21, begins to cry.

]oe Dunthome

Defining His Poetry He throws a heavy fistful of change up into the smoke-groomed air and tries to catch it all.

To the coins that crack on wood, that curl across his desk and hula-dance on the vein He says-, "You're not serious."

]on Stone

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The press release for Belle and Sebastian's fifth studio . album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress, claims that this is a record "likely to propel them beyond the realms of their ardent fan base and out into the world at large". Although this cd is an impressive display, the record company's statement is a b it over-zealous.

Whilst both banishing some of their previous problems (such as sparse sound and meandering melodies) and Stuart clearly improving and enjoying his song writing, this is still very obviously a Belle and Sebastian album.

There is a fresh lushness to their sound, due to a new producer in the shape of Trevor Horn. Also , several well-constructed songs paying homage to other bands will throw Belle and Sebastian aficionados on the first listen. However , the Thin Lizzy influenced /'m a Cuckoo ranks as one of the bands best, whilst The Clash-like Stay Loose really shows their songwriting maturity. But don't be disheartened by the change: the groups sweeping, emotional and melodic tunes in the vein of The Boy with the Arab Strap and Get me Away from Here I'm .dying are replicated on this album in the songs If She Wants

...

Music In Mouth

Bell XI supported Starsailor at their recent UEA date, but their outlook is a lot more cheerful than their musical patrons'. The first song on Music In Mouth starts with a playful lyric about Crayolas! This is far from simple music howev-

ent side of the current seventies rock revival. It is perhaps inevitable to try and compare this male-fronted indie band with Radiohead, b ut the similarities are superficial. Although the voice that launched a thousand imitators can be heard influencing the vocals on some slower tracks, it is without the self-p itying whine often misinterpreted as profundity in those paler imitations.

Bell XI have developed their own brand of integrity but have clung onto the fun along the way. Music in Mouth is .a happy mix of styles glued together by a willingness to experiment with their sound.

Luckily for us, they are also not afraid of being accessible, and I think these songs will be just as comfortable on the radio as in the NME critic's cd player.

SatuFox

The album ranges from the vaudeville jauntiness of Snakes and Snakes through the Turin Brakes-esque acoustic melancholy of Daybreak and Eve Is The Apple Of My Eye, to more upbeat rockers with a hint of David Bowie and a differ-

Advance Music ~

Up and coming NYC outfit Stellastarr* have a unique sound which obviously blends in all of their influences from Bowie and Suede to the Pixies. The band's impressive tour history, including previous gigs with Melissa Auf Der Maur and The Raveonettes, as well as this year's Carting weekend, is indicative of their diligent attitude towards their music. Three of the members formed at a Brooklyn art college, calling themselves "Ghistor". In 2000 they rekindled the musical flames when a fourth member, Michael Jurin, joined the line-up as another guitarist and Stellastarr* was born. Earlier this year saw the UK onslaught, culminating in rave reviews from The NME and a headlining gig at the London Barfly.

Debut full-length album Advance Music could have come straight from the early nineties' Britpop era. The retro journey is quite pleasant, meandering though innocuous songs reminiscent of Pulp or the defunct Menswear.

Enough of the comparisons - standout tracks

Ratings:

-

Alistair Gipps

In case anyone needed it, the existence of My Morning Jacket is living proof that what goes around comes around. Unfortunately, the temptation to deride this Kentucky quintet as an overwrought Neil Young tribute act is not helped by the distinct odour of pipe and slippers that surrounds their third album.

Still, there is no denying that It Still Moves is a monumental epic of a record. Opener Mahgeetah is a good example of things to come.

Drenched in reverb and sincerity, Jim James's

irrepressible vocals are framed by a wall of blustering guitars, which spiral towards a rambling conclusion some six minutes later. The shimmering Masterplan promises more of the same, and is underpinned by a haunting refrain of "It's everything that you want .../It's everything that you need". Easy Morning Rebels jaunty horn section suggests a change of tone, but the temptation to emote overcomes them, and My Morning Jacket are soon back on familiar guitar-twiddling territory.

This is where the main problem with It Still Moves lies. While it is nice to know that My Morning Jacket cater for MTV-resistant kids with attention spans longer than the average goldfish, my own patience with extended guitar solos is limited. Technically flawless and beautifully rendered though this album is, it is also about as much fun as an hour-long Eric Clapton B-side. Avoid.

Sarah Edwardes

Reflections include recent single jenny , potentially anthemic opener In the Walls and 路the romantically (if slightly pretentiously) titled Somewhere across Forever. The rest of the album is enjoyable, but it didn't really strike me as amazing or ground-breaking because I got the feeling that they were holding back, perhaps waiting for the next album before getting confident. Add to this the tendency for tracks to run together unnoticeably and we have the makings of a good background album, but unfortunately, not much else. Shawn Christiensen's distinctive voice, a cross between Brian Molko , Jarvis Cocker and Morrissey, has the potential to grate on the less tolerant, although this may prove to be an advantage in the future , marking Stellastarr* out as something different. It's definitely a question of personal taste, look forward to the next UK tour.

Suzeanne Rodger

Plant

08.10.03

Yet it has to be said that this record is not in the same realm as their previous two albums: The Boy With The Arab Strap or Fold You 'r e Hands .. .. At times it feels a bit over-produced (that Horn's previous production work has included Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Tatu might explain something), and occasionally a song's quality is missed in the attempt to render it something it isn't. However, it still fits well in the Belle and Sebastian canon: having very few weak songs and being in possession of all the interest, delicacy and intelligence of their earlier work.

Although this might be Belle and Sebastian's breakthrough to the mainstream, they have not yet quite changed enough to live up to the opening quote of this review; and perhaps this is a good thing.

lt Still Moves

er.

.

Me and If You Find Yourself Caught in Love.

Insect

This is Paul Van Dyk's first new artist album in 3 years, and as with any genre of music there are those who can perform it, those who create it; and those who define it. Some do it all and even though Paul Van Dyk is one of the top icons in dance culture as a revered global DJ, composer and producer, above all he is a world-renowned artist. For his fourth album Reflections it takes a colossal leap, landing firm-

Animal

ly in the realm of electronic music where noone else has been.

The magnetism of the 13 tracks featured in Reflections is that each and every one have their own unique sound in their own right. Yet ballads like the pop sounding Time of our lives and the consequential Like a Friend are extremely accessible. So much so that they are sure to gain Van Dyk new admirers from all walks of life. There is a staggering balance of earnestness and buoyancy in the album, and above all else, emotional sincerity and optimism reign in the epic proportions of the electronics.

With Reflections, Paul Van Dyk has fully emerged as an all-encompassing songwriter, a musical visionary who transcends the dance age genres. Indisputably the album for people who want to embrace some musical culture.

Daniel Chandler

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Singles 17

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Single Choice Hundred Reasons 'Ihe Great TESt I remember the days when Hundred Reasons were toasted by one and all as the saviousr of modern British metal, a band that could take a skip across the pond, beat Uncle Sam on his own terms and return weighed down by pockets full of loose change, spent ammunition and sour-tasting chocolate. Alas, they proved to be as shit as their name, and we all soon grew tired of their endless riffing and 'crazy hairdoes'.

Off the radar for months 'deep in the process of songwriting', Hundred Reasons return with a Oaccid, weedy, damp squib of a single from incoming album For A Life of Fulf11/ment. Pointless to the extreme, The Great Test sounds like a band perfectly in time with their own mediocre stride, with the unfortunate disadvantage of being outclassed by a cluster of more passionate and edgy American emo-rock imports (see Thursday, Finch, Billy Talent)s. A song that would doubtless lead to some nonchalant mashing in any self-respecting uni town, but one that does next to nothing for your stereo; I tried air guitaring to it, broke two strings and decided watching Flubber was a better idea. Ash probably tucking love it.

Matt Sargeson

Elbow

Travis After two years away, Travis return to the music scene with new single Re-Offender, a poignant love song about being trapped in a brutal relationship. Despite a slow start, ReOffender develops into an easy-listening, acoustic track that you find yourseU humming along to in no time. Travis are a group that can show what British music is made of, which this song illustrates perfectly. There has been much debate as to whether Travis can ace again and reach the levels of success of Why Does it Always Rain on me?, but judging by this latest effort, their forth album has the potential.

Belen Pilce

Four Tet Robbie Williams or Chingy: I thought this was the safe choice -ha! How do you write a review for something this awkward? After three minutes of waiting for words, I look at the player and see that it's ten seconds into track two. Four different versions and I couldn't difirentiate between any of them, except the live version when it actually got worse. At best it's background music for a bar or The Matrix. At worst it sounds like the annoying music on your brother's Playstation that you shout at him to turn down. That sticks in your head.

All bloody day.

Suzanne Rickenback

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The Alkaline Trio With only M'I to keep them company while they find themselves entertaining an ever-expanding army of maudlin punk fans, Alkaline Trio haven't so much hit the stride with their latest Good Mourning effort as they have sustained their habit of making bad news incredibly enjoyable at times.

Their previous, breakthrough LP - the equally-appallingly titled From Here to Infirmary- boasted the likes of the indomitable Private Eye. All In Black, like the bulk of Good Mourning, is less immediate but eventually works its way past the crust of Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba's over-applied black eyeliner to deliver the (damaged) goods.

Alistair Lawrence

repairman

Numbers, perhaps even words, cannot fully elaborate on exactly how good Elbow's Cast of Thousands album really is. It ponders, glides, weaves and shimmers like all classic British albums should do, shaking us awake from our middle class dreams of five-door hatchbacks and pinewood nesting tables; and Fugitive Motel is as good a track as any to choose as a single.

Guy Garvey's soft, tender voice elaborates on a heart full of broken, unfinished oaths of passion, a calm above an almost elemental dirge of acoustic guitars. drums, and perfectly arranged strings. A single of the year, in all but the most generic of classifications.

repairman are a two piece from London, who tinker with drum machines, samples, real guitars, and slightly distorted voices, and are drawing comparisons with the Beta Band. They do indeed sound like a melodic Beta Band, with the gentle tunefulness of George's Empire following the slightly more beat-based Here Are We Now, and the ambitious Poor. repairman's ~;imple tracks are pleasant enough, and slightly innovative around the edges. But in a world where guitars, vigour, punk influences and The Darkness currently rule, their electrowhimsy may lack the energy and punch that people are looking for.

Matthew C

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Matt Sargeson

Travis's Fran Healy adopts the French peasant look.

Elbow: not as pretty as their music.

Non-Prophets

Lene Marlin awaited second album has finally been released after a 3 year lay-off for the young Norwegian.

She may be a big star in most of Europe, but the talented 23 year old never really broke into the charts over here with her debut album, Playing My Game: Her gorgeous Scandinavian looks might win over some fans, but the songs are less convincing. The first three tracks sound good and she does have an amazing voice, but the tracks after that are rather average. It's the sort of music you would listen to if you needed some calm background music to sleep or do your home-

A repairman, yesterday.

work to, or maybe even cry your eyes out to after breaking up with your loved one.

It reminded me of the days when I would stare out of my window on a rainy day in spring feeling depressed because I had hundreds of pages to revise, but couldn't get Kylie's I Can't Get You Out Of My Head, ironically, out of my hea.d. You would be forgiven for thinking she was Sinead Quinn's twin sister, as she sounds and looks a lot like the runner-up from Fame Academy last year. According to reports, the rise to fame was too much for her to handle, which comes across in some of the songs. If you like Dido, you may like this, and it will sell well in Europe; but whether or not it breaks into the UK charts remains to be seen. The first single, Another Day, was released on Monday.

Marc Dudley

For the benefit of the. uninitiated, Sage Francis (one half of the NonProphets) has seen his last solo album, Personal journals, come to be regarded as something of a cult-classic inside 12 months, despite some glib bastards dubbing it "emo rap".

Having previously enlisted a score of top underground hip hop producers (no, not the Neptunes) to help him bare his soul, he's now decided to burn those tear-stained diary confessionals and use the flames to fuel his fury as he teains up with the marvellously-monickered Joe Beats to form the Non-Prophets anct record an unabashed diss album.

Rather than re-hash those old cliches about being the baddest of the bad, everyone from Jay-Z, Nas and Nelly duly gets it in the neck, but not before. he's used his considerable rhyme skills and the thesaurus seemingly lodged in his back pocket to take a dig at a more obvious target: himself. White, straightedged and hell-bent on avoiding a major

label deal and the brainwashing massmedia, it· only takes until third-track Damage for him to plant his tongue in his cheek and confess "Sage Francis is out of it, done switched his tone ... Drunk driving for Exon". He hasn't, of course, and the gags about the KKK and kiddie porn are just around the corner, all designed to make you wince in a fashion Marshall Mathers only now solicits from people who read the Daily Mail and grew up in the 50s. But this is more articulate than Eminem, poking its head up from a largely-ignored subculture by protagonists looking for trouble.

If 'real' hip hop is meant to be challenging, disarming and individualistic, the Non-Prophets are exactly that, especially when you consider this may end up being a one-off collaboration. You'd say they had a Midas touch, only there's nothing remotely bling-bling about them.

Alistair Lawrence

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...,. ALBUMS Continued

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Ready

teady Cook

TV Films

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Most of us are not lucky enough to have satellite or cable, and so we have to cope with the terrestrial channels' offerings of films .

Many of you will have already seen them before but, hey, they're free and help the procrastination process . This week:

:1. Me, Myself and lrene Wednesday 8/ 10, 9prn ITV1 Depending on your mood and general disposition you will find this film either hilarious or puerile or somewhere between the two . Charles Qim Carrey) , after years of being down trodden by everyone and anyone , finally cracks into two personalities - his original self and alter-ego Hank, who is fuelled by displaced rage . This is not the best Farrelly brothers' movie but, like all of them, it has a particularly funny aspect to it: in this case it is Charles' triplets , three huge black geniuses brought up on the comedy of Richard Prior, whose lines make the film worth while .

2 Silence of the Lambs

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Wednesday 8/ 10, lOprn FIVE

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Weekdays , 4:30pm, BBC2

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If you haven't seen this it will make you scream; but more out of annoyance at the fact that you didn' t see it when it came out at the cinema and all its best moments hadn't been endlessly talked about I parodied thus ruining the large part of the film for you .

However, it is worth a repeat viewing for the quality of its acting, storyline, and the atmosphere it creates. "I ate his liver with some ... " -Shut up .

I

J A Father's Betrayal Friday 10/ 10 , 12 .25arn BBC1 It is usually considered bad form to write about a film when you haven't watched it.

However, such a theory does not include the films of Brian Dennehy. If he is in it it is likely to be boring, and in this case especially so as he directs it too . But watch it just to experience the phenomenon of this time slot on BBC I ; it is a time when the broadcasting corporation decides that , for a couple of hours , it would like to be Channel Five. Perhaps the BBC does this as a public service to help insomniacs sleep? This will be one of the most powerful sleep agents around (now with a dded Dennehy) . Probably involves a crisis of conscience (or consciousness, depending on how tired you feel) .

Ready Steady Cook must be watched at least once a week to be able to live a healthy productive life. It 's a fact. It 's part of the RWA (Recommended Weekly Allowance) of TV. Well, maybe it's not strictly a fact, but it could be true . Well okay maybe it's just my opinion. Ah hell maybe it isn't even that but when asked what I think is essential TV to watch in the week it 's certainly up there at the top .

Maybe not right at the top with QI and the Schwarznegger films in Five 's Arnie season, but it's there none the less. Well it's close. The point I'm trying to make is that I watch it if I'm at home and it's on. Unless I'm doing something else more important. But I'm usually no t, so I watch it. And it's go od. Indeed, by the standards of day time TV, it's great.

Everyone knows that , when it comes to TV shows, the simpler the better; this show's set up is the simplest. You take one presenter with culinary knowledge to spare, add two well known TV chefs, sprinkle on two mildly connected members of the public each with their own bag of their fav ourite foods costing no more than £5 and set the timer for 20 min-

Miss This •• October 10, 9_50pm, BBC2

4 American History X Saturday 11/10, l0 .55prn C4 Edward Norton plays a reformed whitesupremacist attemp ting to save his younger brother (Edward Furlong) from going down the same road as he did. On paper it sounds poor but the performance by Norton , the way it is presented- switching between past in b / w and the present in colour - and the explora tion of what makes people racist make it a great film .

Richard Simm

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utes , then watch as they all mix comically into a wonderful jovial consistency as the jokes and personal stories bubble and boil away together. The result is a warm gooey mess with lots of hugging and congratulations. That and £100 goes to the winner as voted for by the 'studio audience' (imagine this said by Ainsley, the two words rising to a crescendo as he shows off his qualifications for being the jolly green giant 's replacement and you get the idea). Now here 's the clever part, you add on to the end of this little spectacle something rather helpful. The guests are escorted off set back into their straight jackets and Ainsley produces a little goody bag which he promptly empties in front of the on-looking chefs. It can have anything from Parma Ham, some Gorgonzola and coconut pieces to a baking apple , Quails egg and raisins in it and the two chefs say what they would make out of these ingredients. The 'studio audience ' then vote for the one they like the best, and then they have ten minutes to make these dishes. And what they make is actually possible for nonchefs to emulate, it 's genius. Before this programme I used to h ave to buy my onion rings, but now I can make my own! A real piece of

It 's a strange thing about the British; they like to moan a lot. Complaining seems to rank alongside the weather as a national obsession.

Call it what you will, irritable, cantankerous, moody, crabby or testy, in terms of being grumpy the British are in a league of their own. At least this is what Grumpy Old Men, a new four part series on BBC2, would have us believe.

Over a four we ek period the pro gramme provides a platform for various middle-ag e d , C-list male celebrities such as Bob Ge ldof, Will Self, Rory McGrath and Rick Wake man to hold forth on various topic:; and tell the nation what gets the ir go at. Week one entitled, "Is This The World We Created? " hears corn-

The genuinely useful information from television, who'd Ainsley have thought. gallery of It's all wonderfully entertaining, is by far the love. best thing to watch before 6pm, and is helpfully placed to get you into a good mood until you realise the weakest link is still on the telly making Anne Robinson still richer in her job as grand high wizard in the satanic ritual of eye twitching and name calling. I'm sure it's great for those sadists out there, but it's not really cricket is it?

As I calm down from this little TV tirade and take my tranquilizer, let me leave you with this little aside: QI may teach you that the longest animal in the world is the Lion's Mane Jellyfish and EastEnders may show you how the East End isn' t, but when your student loan dries out and you finally run your overdraft dry only Ainsley and pals can teach you how to make a meal out of the remnants in your cupboard that doesn' t taste like an old sock.

Isn't that worth knowing?

Tim Barker.

Grumpy Old

plaints about Ponytails on men over 30 and text messaging along with various other diatribes. Do I hear you rushing for the remote control already?

It seems that with Grumpy Old Men the makers of quick, cheap and thoughtless television have sunk to new lows , that is if it was possible for them to get any lower. Taking a great comedy series namely, One Foot In The Grave, they have extracted the grumpy factor and attempted to transpose it onto a cheap and easy-to-make filler .

This of course begs the que stion as to what will be next? A cheap rip-off of Fawlty Towers where Tar a Palmer Tomkinson, Carol Smilie and Anthea Turner are invited to amuse the nation with anecdotes about the worst hotels they h av e ever stayed in. Oh how we will all laugh when Anthea rec alls the time the

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Bell-Boy didn't even realise she was a celebrity.

The fact is that we are a nation who moans a great deal; or at least who moans a great deal about one particular subject. Sit in any pub or coffee shop and just listen to other people's conversations. If talk turns to TV I can guarantee you it will almost certainly move on to the fact that there is never anything good on. We complain for hours on end about the lack of good programming but I have a sneaking suspicion that we will never hear such a complaint emanate from the mouths of those moaning on screen.

In the end Grumpy Old Men may be cheap , naff and completely uninspiring but at least it gives us all something to complain about.

Dominic Chessum

• Film

Listings 19

• Film

Film

Campus All films start at 8.30pm and are shown in Lecture Theatre 1 unless otherwise stated. Tickets £2.75 Le Cerde Rouge Thurs 9/10 Heist movie from the 1970s, original, slick and inspiration for Tarantino and Scorcesse.

Series 7, The Contenders Fri 10/10 Mock documentary film following 'the contenders' as they attempt to win the ultimate reality show by killing each other.

X-MenZ Tues 14/10 Second part of comic book based film about warring muntant factions.

City of God Thurs 16/10 Brazilian film, based on a true story following the fortunes of two boys in Rio's infamous slum area.

Rules of Attraction Fri 17/10 Adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis novel about violence on campus.

Legally Blonde 2 Tues 21/10 Reese Witherspoon returns as ditzy lawyer.

From 08/10 American Pie 3: The Wedding Jim, Stiffler, Finch and friends are back, now in young adult form and ready for more cringe-worthy humour.

Film Gigs Ster Century

Bad Boys 2 Action adventure with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith as narcotics detectives trying to stop a crime boss.

Bright Young Things Stephen Fry's adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Vile Bodies about 1920s socialites.

Cabin Fever Horror about college students that go camping and end up being eaten by a flesh-eating virus.

Calender Girls Based on a true story, a group of Wl women drop e:verything to produce a nude charity calender Down with Love Ewan McGregor and Renee Zelwegger star in 60s style romcom.

Spy Kids 3D: Gam.e Over The 3rd spy kids movie means you get a pair of 3D glasses when you watch it The Italian Job (2003) American remake of 1969 Michael Caine classic with Edward Norton and Mark Wahlberg.

Spirited Away Oscar winning, Alice in Wonderland inspired, Japanese animation.

Underworld Vampire come werewolf movie with Kate Beckinsale.

Piglet's Big Movie Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit and Eeyore team up to find missing Piglet in the 100 acre wood.

Sinbad Sinbad has to save a friend after being framed f~r the theft of a precious treasure. Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta }ones and Michelle Pfeiffer lend voices.

YoungAdam.

The story of a drifter in 1950s Scotland who becomes embroilled in the death of a young girl Bad Boys 2

Rugrats Go Wild In their second big screen adventure the tots get stranded on a deserted island.

Cabin Fever Down With Love

The Italian Job

Matchstick Men Ridley Scott directs Nicholas Cage in this comedy crime caper.

From Fri 17/10 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Adventure based on the graphic novel.

Mrs Coldicots Cabbage War Observational comedy about old age rebellion.

Kill Bill Vol.l Tarrantino's new movie with Uma Thurman on a killing spree.

NedKelly Heath Ledger is the 19th Century hero/criminal who stands up against British oppression.

Once Upon A Time In Mexico Third part of Robert Rodriguez's Desperado trilogy starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek.

Pirates of the Carribean The rebirth of the pirate swashbuckeller with Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp.

Cinema City Etre et A voir 8/10 & 9/10 Documentary about a single class school in France where children in isolated communities are brought together irrespective of age and taught by one teacher. This film enjoyed both commercial and critical success in France.

Spirited Away 3-16/10 Blood of a Poet + LaBelle et la Bete 12/10 Cocteau film double-bill presented with Norwich gallery and guest speaker from the Norwich school of art and design.

Good Bye, Lenin!

10-13/10 Set in East Berlin in 1989, a son has to pretend to his sick mother that Germany is still divided into East and West.

Petites Coupures 13-16/10 The story of a French man undergoing a mid-life crisis, tom politically and between the two women he loves.

Left: Bright Young Things

Meltdown Live PT. 6 Tue 14/10 Sula/Nevergreenl Kipbenooi/Porcupine Indie showcase night.

Waiter Trout(+ the Hamsters) Thur 16/10 Guitar blues £13.50ADV

Bright Young Things

From Fri 10/10 Finding Nemo Underwater Pixar animation.

House of 1000 Corpses Rob Zombie's splatterfest involving a road trip that goes wrong.

The Thrills Tues 21/10 Moved to UEA from the Waterfront after Summer hits including Big Sur and Santa Cruz. £9 ADV - SOLD OUT

Lindisfarne Sun 19/10 Acoustic folk rock £12.50ADV

Matchstick Men

Underworld

Gigs

Neutrinos +support Sat 11/10 Up and coming rock band. £6.50

Black

Daniel Kitson Wed 8/10 Stand up comedy from the winner of the Perrier comedy award 2002. £10(£5NUS) ADV

History Month

Athlete Popular rock band with songs from hit album Vehicles and Animals.

Wed8/10 £9 ADV -SOLD OUT Time Warp Sun 19/10 All the hits from musicals combined into one show. Dress up and dance. £10ADV Mis-Teeq Sun 12/10 SOLD OUT The Darkness Sun 13/10 SOLD OUT Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues orchestra.

Thur 16/10 & Fril7/10 Jools returns for two evenings of boogie-woogie. £19(£14NUS) ADV Super Furry Animals Mon20/10 Indiosyncratic psychedelic indiepop. £15ADV

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8/10 Viva Zirn Fundraising event for two Zimbabwean charities 8pm till late @ Kafe Da 10/10 Policing and Young People Youth Seminar with Shahid Malik 4.30pm @ Broadland district council

12/10 Gardening/Music Norfolk African Community Association Event Daytime; Organic Africa @bluebell alotments.

Evening: Dancing to African rhythms 13/10 Music/Dance!lnfo Nead AGM with music and dance from Anna, Acqueline Santana and Anne Tiburtius 7.30pm@ Assembly house 14/10 Literature Helon Habila, UEA African writer in residence and QandA 8.15-9.15 @ Millenium Library

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Imagine Naive - student night with funk hiphop & r'n'b .

Liquid Chart and Dance . £2 with NUS

The Shell Seekers Based on Rosamunde Pilch er's best selling novel, this p lay follows the Keeling family from World W ar II to the present. Starring Stephanie Cole .

LCR-Boutique Sounds University Tour £9 .50 (£7 .50NUS) ADV

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Tinle Vodka Nationwide- Student night 9 .30pm-2am

Light Bar Superfly lOpm -2am Funk, dirty breakbeat, hip-hop £3 before llpm, £3 .50 after Kafe Da 12" and single 9pm- lpm Smooth grooves Free

£4-16 Light Bar Peaches and Cream 9pm-2am Dance and Hip-Hop Free b efore 10.30pm, $4 after.

Waterfront Meltdown - indie and pop £4( £3 NUS)

Deja Vu Kara oke- winner recieves £100 prize £1

Deja Vu Sko ol Disc o 8pm-2am £ 2 b e fore 10 .30, £3 after Po NaNa Play student night - disco , funk and classic 8.30pm- 12.30am Free Waterfront Big Chill Tour Thur 9/1 0 The fe stival comes on tour (8-12pm) £8 (£7NUS) ADV - Cancelled

Liquid Funky Jam Carwash £2 with NUS , fre e in 70s dress .

Saturday Nigh t Fever Mon 13/1 0 - Sat 18/10 7.30 MonThur; 5.30&8.30 Fri&Sat .

The West End and Broadway musical comes to Norwich with Bee Gees disco hits . £4-23.50 The Taming Of the Shrew Mon 20/1 0 - Fri 2511 0 Shakespearean comedy with Ross Kemp as Petruchio and Nichola McAuliffe as Kate . £4-18.50

Literary Festival Richar d Dawkins Mon 13/10 Author of Blind W a tchmaker and The Devil' s Chaplin Louis de Bernieres Mon 20/ 10 Author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin and The Troublesome Offspring of C ardinal Guzzman

Top: Freq Nasty of Bouique Sounds Tour, Above: Taming of the Shrew

Mixing up the smoothest urban flava's: R&B, Hip Hop and UK Garage. Tickets £4 ADV

With DJ Gav, 'The Voice of Retro' spinning classics and party anthams from the 60s, 70s and 80s. 9.30pm-1.30am £4 ADV

Dress as Police, Fire, Hospital, Coastguard, Mountain Rescue, AA Just use your Imagination! £4 ADV

UEA lecture theatre 1 8pm £10/5 SU ADV The rising star of tandup comedy Is at the forefront of a new generation of stand up. Wlth his wild hair, lisp, stutter, Coke-bottle glasses and appalling dress sense, he's not exactly the epitome of confident style.

However, he Is intelligent, a little angry at the world and very , •'··•. frustrated at his Inability to do anything about it.

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