The event issue 168 03 11 2004

Inere

Football Manager 2005

DVos

Features

Sections

Film Features: The Incredibles and Brad Bird ........................... p. 6

Music ............................... p. 12 & 13

Kate Bryant sneaks a first look at the upcoming super-film of 2004 and interviews its Director Brad Bird...

BFI London Film Festival; Cinefile: Superman ................ p. 7 We pay (we can do that these days) the postage for three student reporters to go to London and bring you all the relevant into.

TV Feature: Michael Palin ........................................... p. 9 What a lovely man. Find out why. .. Dean says it's a little bit weird, but we think it's fine.

Music Features: Guitar Music: is PAP .............................................. p.4 The Event, in the form of Ben, takes a look at modern guitar music and is not best pleased...

22-20's ........................................ p. 5 We bring you ... an interview with the band. They're not 'massive', and they haven't had a big hit yet, but they're interesting nevertheless ...

Arts Features: Wolf Brother/ The NewWriting Partnership ... p. 8 The highest advance paid of all time [better be good] and Norfolk and Norwich's New Writing Partnership...

Centre Spread ................. pp. 10 - 11

Alhums ............................................... p. 12 Manic Street Preachers, Lifeblood; The Wildhearts, Strike Back; The Verve, Singles '92- '98; David R Black, Trinity (Part ll); Travis, Singles; MOOG, Original Film Soundtrack; DFA, Compilation #2 and a goodbye to John Peel. Sorely missed.

Singles ............................................... p. 13 Babyshambles, Killamangiro; U2, Vertigo; The Strokes, The End Has No End; Jamelia, Stop; Hiding Place, Cruel Kindness; LCD Soundsystem, Movement; Archie Bronson Outfit, Here He Comes; The Rasmus, First Day Of My Life; Prosaic, Aghast Agape; Live Reviews: Fatboy Slim, Sonic Boom Six, The Bees.

Film Cinema .......................................... p. 14 Finding Neverland, Inside I'm Dancing, Aliens V Predator.

DVD ............................................... p. IS Shrek 2, Uzak, The Keeper.

Arts ........................................ p. 16 Book Review: lOO Independant Films, 20 Something, Horizons; Theatre Review: Sense and Sensibility; Dance Review: En-Trance

TV & Digital .......................... p. 17 TV Preview: Peter Kaye's Road To Nowhere; TV DVD Reviews: Bill Bailey, 2D TV; Soap News: Hollyoaks [my

brother nearly got on Hollyoaks last week. He came 5th out of 5,000 in auditions. He didn't really want to go but.. . y' know... it's a job, innit. Well done, Ben. Love, Nathan x] and Neighbours; Digital Stuff: Cybercandy... yum yum

Wasting time online: have a look at our guide to wasting your life away in front of a radioactive screen.

Viceroy of Joy (Design Guru & and still hovering in the background of Concrete) Na than 'Edward Pygge' Hamilton concrete.event@uea.ac. uk Tim Barker & Sarah Edwardes (get well soon) concrete.eventeditorial@uea. a c. uk Tirn Barker & Sarah Edwardes (get well soon again) Proofreading: Toby Hine, Helen Pilch concrete.uts@uea.ac. uk Editor: Luke Roberts Assistant Editor: Niki Brown Writers: Priya Patel, Alison Young, Kate Bryant, Dean Bowman, Alex Flux concrete.film@uea.ac.uk Editor: Dean Bowman Assistant: Dan Chandler Writers: Kate Bryant, Mark Simpson, Toby Sleigh-Johnson, Henrietta Burgess, Sebastian Manley, Luke Roberts, Pria Shah, David McNaught, Caroline Beer concrete.music@uea.ac.uk Editors: James Banks & Ben Patashnik Writers: Dart Richards, Charles Rumsey, Stuart Masters, Julie Therese, Simon 路 Griffiths, Suzanne Rickenback, Joe Dunthorne, Victoria Holland, James Taylor, Hayley Chappell, Catherine Lansdown, Laurence Guymer, Paul Stevens concrete.tv/digital@uea.ac.uk Editor: Kate Bryant Writers: Dean Bowman, Martha Hamrnond, Kirn Howe, Adam Burton, Rob Chilver

Blaggery Corner! T

The Event is published fortnightly by Concrete: Post: PO Box 410, Norwich, NR4 7TB Tel: 01603 250558

his issue we are really treating you! The people responsible for the latest Pixar hit The Incredibles are laying on an exclusive pre-release screening of the film at the UCI on November 8th! See the below flyer for details. Hurry! Tickets are issued on a first come first served basis.

Fax: 01603 506822 E-mail: su .concrete@uea.ac.uk Printed by: Archant

The less and less accurately titled: Editorial he Daily telegraph Movie Mania are offering 5 pairs of tickets to a special pre-release screening of The Manchurian Candidate to be held at UCI Riverside on 17th November as part of a wider national campaign. The Manchurian Candidate is a timely political thriller starring Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep and will be released by UIP nationwide on 19th November2004.

yes.

The tickets will be given to the first 5 readers who correctly answer the following question: Which famous crooner starred in the original The Manchurian Candidate way back in 1962?

Answers should be sent to: concrete.film@ue;i.ac .uk

Take Ute lncredlbles test and get your free preview screening tickets

IS: concrete.editor@uea.ac. uk Philip Sainty

Alternatively, take two Daily Telegraph mastheads to the paper shop to claim tickets.

ello again. Yup, still here, mooching around the office for the free pizza. I'd like to say well done to my brother for coming so close to getting a decently paid job on a crap soap. They say the auditions process might be televised on T4, so look out for him, if you can. He wasn't wearing makeup, so he may look a bit ill. This week's Incredible Event isn't strictly speaking edited by me, but I'm still doing the odd bit of work helping out generally. I'm leaving to be Concrete President, you see (sound of trumpet) . All this means is that I can get Phi! sacked if he doesn't behave. But I won't, because he's doing a fantastic job. Speaking of fantastic jobs ... wish us all luck at the Guardian Student Media Awards next week (November the lOth) as it's the ceremony and we'll all be off to get pissed on free champagne and beer in London. If we don't win, we will next year. Probably. You heard it here first... Love and kisses to all from,

e have 3 copies of 2DTV The Very Best of Series 4 to give away courtesy of Contender Entertainment.

The DVD's will be given to the first 3 readers who can satisfactorily complete the following task: We've all been feeling a little down recently and need cheering up. So, give us ten words on why the Event is Incredible and the biggest kiss-arse wins.

You should send your sycophantic, obsequious brown-nosing to: concrete.film@uea.ac.uk, or tell Nathan in person.

Nathan Hamilton

03.11.04

What went wrong? .â&#x20AC;˘ ~. .....

hinking back to the mid-nineties it's obvious that mainstream guitar music has changed an incredible amount. From Green Day's colonisation of teenagers who missed grunge by a couple of years to the practically seismic effect that Oasis had on almost everyone else. The important thing is that after the Madchester and acid house movements had burnt out, guitar music was beginning to reclaim its position as a means of empowering everyone unaffected by Shakesp eare's Sister. What's more, it felt downright dangerous because nothing quite so heavy had made its way onto The Chart Show ever before. My point is this: in 1994, before 'alternative' m usic became so widely accepted, Green Day were an extreme band for a primary-school child to be listening to. What is there to fall in love with now? The Blur vs Oasis rivalry was an incredible mome nt for an 11 year-old

want to dance but wanted to discover alcohol and casual smoking, and strut down the street like they owned it. You can say what you like about the dissipation of Britpop and its associated bands its spawning of the horrendous Cool Britannia movement or the fact that a member of Ride now plays in Oasis. It is indisputable that for a short space of time guitar music mattered to a vast number of people. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, we can see that the Stereophonics; Travis; Placebo; Embrace and Pulp all clawed their way out of the mid-nineties indie surge. It remains an issue of personal taste whether or not they are still as good as they once were, the fact that they are not as relevant now is sadly obvious. So what, or indeed who, is left to incite mass hysteria and midnight openings of HMV; the likes of which have hardly been seen since Be Here Now's re lease? Coldplay and Muse have carved names for themselves both with Muse in particular creating a hugely d evoted . following from Teignmouth

"There is a dearth of rock s tars really worth writing about, or music that could conceivably carry the signific;:ance that Definitely Maybe still does a decade after its original release." to witness. Whiche ver band you ple dge d allegiance to was a statement of both inte nt and ide ntity. 'Pop' music was elbowed aside in favour of men with guitars that managed to speak to an e ntire generation. Pe ople who didn't

upstarts to Glastonbury-munching royalty. When Robert Harvey d e clared that Noel Gallagher should b e g lad that The Music were supporting . Oasis on their tenth anniversary gigs, the speed with which the press seized his quote was an

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Liam turns up fora new job as a flycatcher.

illustration of how starved they we re of musicians worth writing about. For a while The Music (and indeed the music) was a g ain n ot the m ain point of c onte n tion - it was the image and bravad o that Harvey was aligning himse lf with that p eople wanted to hear about. For a few weeks everyone wanted to know who these gobby Liverpudlians were simp ly because of a throwaway quote in the music press. ow the cream of the crop com es in the form of Kean e, Snow Patrol, The Thrills and The Darkness. The Event is not picking a fight with any fans of the aforem entioned bands, but eve n the staunchest Franz Ferdina nd fan will admit that there is a shortag e of rock s tars really worth writing about. There's a la ck of music that could conceivably carry the significance that Definitely Maybe still d oes a decade after its original release. Everything about the majority of British guitar m usic is staid and p rosaic; the son g s are there (even this writer admits to b eing partial to Run eve ry now and then) b ut there is no b iting p assion or urge ncy in any guitar albUm currently residing in the Top Forty. Gone are the days of excite ment when anoth e r mouthy British band made an appearance on TOTP, of wanting to know whethe r Country House or Roll With It got to number one and of waiting for four hours on the phone trying to get tickets for Oasis at Earl's Court. Even now, the only two bands worthy of column inches are arguably Razorlight and The Libertines. The Barat-Doherty Libertines saga was

turned in to som ething approaching a soap opera. C ould Dominic Monaghan even name a tra ck from Up The Bracket in all the column inches he devoted to Doher ty's d e scent into drug abuse? The attention given to Johnny Borrell whene ver he opens his mouth is as embarrassing as the most le wd of paparazzile d sca ndals . Razorlight and The Liber tines are both fantastic bands, yet w:ithout the media attention they could have been even more special then they are now. The beauty of Britpops emergence was that it was so unexpected. These days fo cusing on Pete Doherty's crack addiction when you could write about how mind-bogglingly g o od Time For Heroes is seems so calcul ated. Of course there are exceptions Ra diohead spring quickest to mind b ut the days of caring about music on a large sc ale seenf to b e disappearing . The Even t heard and took part in the mass chorus that characterised Oasis ' recent set at Glastonbury, but the fact that the majority of the songs playe d were at least seven years old is te lling. There nee ds to b e a swift kick the rump of the UK music industry. It is illustrated just by counting how many 'Next Big Thing!' bands have been sp lashe d across the cover of the NME before quickly fading into nothingness. We nee d to be saved from the needless d e sire to find bands that sound like refugees from 1977. No more devoting pages and pages to bands simply because they're fairly good looking. Will it happen? Who knows. But the one certainty is that when the real revolution comes, it'll be hard to miss.

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Are the 22-20s really just another blues band?.a: •

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artin Trimble, the guitarist and singer of the 22-20s, wants to make something clear. "We play in a blues way 'cos we play in a blues band." It seems that of every article written on this young band, the first thing you read is that they are a "blues band" even though this is obvious. It's like saying to your best mate in the pub that Oasis love the Beatles or that The Sex Pistols are a punk band! The 22-20's have been labelled as part of the new wave of 'British blues' bands since someone worked out that their band name was a nod to Skip James. However, the 22-20s are much more than a band that plays 'the blues'. This generic label misses the point of the band. It's hard not to admit that the band's sound and lyrics have been heavily influenced by the whisky-blues. But as Trimble ironically suggested "If we were into hip-hop, we would be a hip-hop band" . The Event's meeting with James Irving (drums) and Trimble could not have been more apt. The smoky and claustrophobic tour bus is where James and Martin set out their agenda for the 22-20s, and the dark atmosphere matches their personalities perfectly. U'pon walking into the tour bus The Event will admit to some nervous paranoia regarding how the interview would flow, especially considering the rumours that the band are notoriously " difficult". Trimble is evidently the front man. He has _a crystal clear vision of what he wants his band to achieve and it seems obvious where the blues influence flows from. During the interview he namedrops everyone from Muddy Waters and Hank Williams, to the Clash and the Stones. The distinct impression is that if you cut Trimble, his blood would pool into an exact replica of the shape of New Orleans. Every write-up that has been done on the 22-20s has matched them with the 'obvious influences' of any generic blues band and, as Martin points out, confusingly with The Von Bondies. "We take the blues differently to them. We are influenced by T-Rex, the Stones," laughs James. Despite this, he's extremely clear on the subject of the press's constant desire to dump the 2220s in with every other band with a slight blues influence. "It's beyond pissing us off. It's lazy journalism to label us

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with a band [The Von Bondies] that's been around the last three years" . Having said that, there is a grudging respect for what bands such as The Strokes and (what some have hailed as the second coming) The White Stripes since "they opened the door for bands like us" . Despite this recognition, they don't seem content with being labelled 'the new [insert whatever band is doing well here]' because they want to make their own name for themselves. But behind their brusque facade, the duo loved being compared to The Who, by saying that they released their "Live at Leeds" first then "My Generation". A sneering laugh is followed by an ironic joke from James, "yeah .. .live at Aldershot". he 22-20's latest album rightly rejects the fashionable retro sound that many of their musical peers have opted for. Looking almost disgusted at the thought of having their album recorded in such a way, James honestly states that "the last thing we wanted to do was retro. With retro it's like any fashion, it's got a particular timeline. We wanted to make a contemporary album that stood up in its own right and against the test of time. Not an album that was recorded in 2004" . After lighting up another cigarette Martin takes a deep gulp of nicotine-laced tar and quietly affirms "we didn't want to get locked into a genre". The two seem very satisfied with the album. They both feel that they have recorded a masterpiece in Cornwall which will technically be classed as their second release, the first being the mini-live album 05103. When the band talk about their releases there is only one thing they want to sell, the music. Talk of comparisons are dismissed and perhaps arrogantly the two just want the album to be seen. But at the same time they couldn't give a fuck if you like it or not. The subject of encores raises some home truths. "We don't want to be a rock cliche. 'You're the best crowd' . We don't want to patronize people". That feeling certainly comes out at the gig, with the band letting the music speak for them. The encore is dedicated to those at the Red Lion and the Walnut Tree Shades (Martin's musical hangouts in the days of yore). A sign that to the band, the roots of the blues means everything. So will the band ever be writing about their life in Lincoln? Slyly pointing out the reason why they left for a life in

Oxford, the duo look at each other with a glimmer, with James answering "there's nothing to sing about. All thats there is a cathedral, a castle and a steep hill. It's a dive". There's a clear eye for the future now that Charley [keyboardist] has been enlisted as a full

and record an experimental third album, a reassertive James snorts "we've never been a band who wants to go and reinvent ourselves for the sake of it". So what exactly are the 22-20s about? Well they are a young band, who have a very clear idea of where they

"The distinct impression is that if you cut Trimhle, his blood would pool into an exact replica of New Orleans" time 22-20: "A lot of the songs were already written when we went to record. We want to include keyboards into our sound, rather than just whacking a Hammond on top". The band's arrogance shines throughout the interview. When talk crops up that the boys could go away

want to be. Who are the 22-20s trying to be? The ultimate answer has to be no one, as nobody could become another '22-20s', as Martin dryly points out "being original is being true to yourself".

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er, t's hard to believe as he slopes into the room that Brad Bird, this baseball capped man, is responsible for the spandex cloaked marvel that is The Incredib/es. He takes a seat and swivels in it slightly awkwardly, with a badge sporting The Incredib/es logo glinting from his blazer button-hole. Posters of luscious red superheroes are scattered around the room, soon to cover every respectable cinema's foyer when the film goes on general release. As he begins to talk about the intricacies of technology involved in making the film, Bird muses "well, if you do it right nobody notices it". All of a sudden the impressive animation that every CGI film contains is stripped away to reveal what should lie at the heart of every film, a cracking good story about characters and events regardless of how real they look. There is little doubt that The Incredib/es will be Pixar's return to form after the all too cluldish Finding Nemo found Pixar emulating Disney classics rather than finding its feet as a brand of cinema in its own right. The Incredibles begins with Bob Parr aka Mr Incredible saving the world (as per usual), leaping from tall buildings and foiling evil master plans. The world at this point is in the safe superpowered hands of a great number of curiously talented Saturday morning cartoon style heroes and heroines. However when Mr Incredible saves a man who is in the middle of a suicidal trip from building top to pavement, ensuing lawsuits cripple the super hero business and force the entire cape clad bunch into relocation. Bob and his similarly gifted family wind up in suburbia, forced to b e

normal and not coping very well with any aspect of their newfound lives. Less than a quarter of the way into the film suicid e, lawsuits and a with

reads far more convincingly as an adult film that has a few token child-friendly features rather than the norm for family based films that have just enough content to keep adults entertained but really go for the kiddie vote. n the other hand, having explained just how against the grain The Incredibles content is, writer and director Bird began his career with Disney. "I considered them the best at it" he confesses, and remembers how seeing The Jungle Book inspired him to want to work in the industry. Bird started out working for Disney as an animator on The Fox and The Hound along with Tim Burton, who has also developed a decidedly unDisney chic. Unlike Burton, Bird continued to work in animation becoming a director on The Simpsons who he lovingly describes as "yellow people with googely eyes". When asked about his role on the show Bird replies "They didn't need any help with the writing, it was getting those ideas to screen that I helped with. I saw jokes get ruined because the writers had

heard it too many times so when it reaches the screen it doesn't work anymore, those were 2 am jokes" . great deal could be m ade of a comparison between The Simpsons and The Incredibles, with characters inspiring a very human connection with audiences , relying on the fact that anything animated will have enough appeal to kids for the content to have a more grown-up draw. Bird describes the leap to CGI for himse lf and many of his animators as "learning a new language" and one they seem to have learned very fluently indeed. He furrows his brow and rubs his hand over his eyes wearily while explaining the meticulous process involved with even the most inconsequential actions in the movie. It seems that the greatest feats of CGI advancement came with the

There's something about The Incredibles that suggests it could be a conventionally animated piece and still just as good

innovations The Incredibles made with hair. While any expert in the field may watch the film in awe of these innovations, this surely cannot be the selling point of a potential blockbuster. Instead Bird seems to have relegated the technological side of the film to a necessary production process but not a focal point. Seasoned fans of Pixar films will know that each new feature is preceeded by a short animation that often provides a suitable forum for the shiny new toys being employed in each film. The Incredibles short, titled Boundin ', was satisfyingly cute and had just enough feelgood flavour: definitely a treat. " It wasn't necessarily real, but it was believable" he concludes, describing how he elected to Boundin', e as ily mistaken for a apoof of Tile Lion Kblg

03.11.04

Syndrome, classic archenemy fodder

have the human characters look far more stylised than the technology would dictate. There is something about The lncredibles that suggests it could be a conventionally animated piece and still be just as good. Disney's latest, and sadly final animated feature Home on the Range had quite the opposite feel to it. The film managed to display none of the wholesome charm associated with Disney, instead seeming like a last vain attempt to move with the times . Resulting in being all the more outdated because of it. Whilst The In credibles really does little more than bear the famous curlicue, it may well prove to set the tone for the future of animation. Whilst recent efforts make the task a little harder to do, a tear should definitely be shed for the end of the era that was the hey day of Disney and conventionally drawn characters. At its heart , The Incredibles is a brilliant superhero caper, with CGI to boot but this is not the be all and end all. Bird's words delineate perfectly the place of animation in this film , "nobody notices", and this is the ideal. Toy Story may have been the first CGI feature length production to hit screens but would anyone still be discussing CGI had it not been such a touching tale. The Incredibles are welldrawn characters, not just in terms of how they look onscreen, and that most certainly will be noticed.

................................................................ Feature 07

London Film Festival ervently awaited by critics and cinephiles, and the rather wobbly jewel in the LFF's promotional crown this year, was Wong Kar-Wai's latest art epic 2046, sequel to the amazing In the Mood for Love (2000). After being shown work-in-progress at Cannes and pulled at the last-minute from Edinburgh's closing night it has finally seen its full European premier. The screening at the Odeon West End thus generated heavy shivers of anticipation, as the audience waited for Kar-Wai's first offering in four years, with the film to present the director's apparent (unprecedented) departure into sci-fi. Six minutes late and the curtains parted to reveal the opening credits. Two hours later, the end credits roll to the sound of highly contented murmurs; 2046 was a sumptuous triumph, full of the vibrant art direction and richly worked relationship dramas familiar from In The Mood For Love. Confident in its handling of new ideas like the partly animated sequences which illustrate a story within the film called '2046'. KarWai regular Tony Leung was in particularly fine form , wryer than ever in his doomed romantic dealings and never found wanting for a smouldering glance or sudden expression of offbeat sincerity. Next up was Roger Michell's Ian McEwan adaptation Enduring Love, similarly concerned with the nature of love and loss, was a mile clear of Kar-Wai's lavish aestheticism. Firmly British in location and acting talent (Daniel Craig and Samantha Morton walk over rolling green hills and trip round the Tate Modern), Enduring Love makes efforts to avoid US psychological thriller cliches, instead opting for naturalistic dialogue and intense character-study. As Craig's character Joe spirals into depression following his involvement in a ballooning accident, he becomes violently distressed by the recurring presence of Jed- played endearing and sinister in equal measure by Rhys Ifans - a born-again Christian who sees special significance in their shared experience of the tragedy.

Cinefile Supe rma ri

0 .

ondon's National Film Theatre has just shown an eclectic mix of films as part of the 48th Times BFI London Film Festival. The quality was extremely high this year so choosing what to see was difficult. One of the films playing was I/

Giorno Del Falco (The Day of the Hawk),

an Italian film written and directed by Rodolfo Bisatti. During the Q&A the director described how he was inspired by a photo in a newspaper showing the body of a masked thief lying in the lobby of a bank. Intrigued by the way the dead man lay - seemingly contented with his death - Bisatti was inspired to write his story which follows two disenchanted men's failed attempt to rob a bank, ending with their inevitable deaths. This seemingly simple story of a bungled robbery is complicated when it becomes evident there may be more to their deaths than a police shootout. It is an original and thoughtprovoking piece commenting on voyeurism, the media and the idea of banks as temples for money. Ali-Reza, an Iraninan film-maker, did not have to look far for inspiration when wr1tmg his film Kenar- e Roodkhaneh (The Riverside). A powerful and contentious story set in the dessert on the Iraq-Iran border during the recent Coalition invasion of Iraq. The film opens with a newly-wed couple about to cross the border into Iran when the bride steps on a landmine. For the remainder of the story she is frozen on the spot while her husband runs to a local village for help. While he moves desperately across the avid landscape, the viewer is introduced to other travllers all 路trying to cross the border for different reasons - the most emotive of these being a father carrying his dead son in the hope of burying him in the soil of their homeland Iran. The bleak premise of the film is intertwined with a dark ironic humour expressing the absurdidty of the travellers' predicaments. The increasing warfare takes a backseat to the personal plights of the characters, in the form of short radio anouncements on the progression of the Coalition and the sound of helicopters flying over and bombs exploding. The film is not a soapbox for politics, but rather a comment on the plight of the Kurdish people. It shows some of the devastation caused by Coalition forces and the long term destruction caused by Saddam Hussien's regime. A powerful film which will leave the viewer with a unique insight into the struggles of those living in war-torn Iraq.

or a comparative novice to the streets of London it can all seem rather daunting - rushing from the South Bank, to Leicester Square, to Pall Mall, to catch films about which you know little but hope very much to become enlightened about. Luckily the film festival itself is extremely well run (as it should be after forty eight years), the staff are helpful and the whole event is charged with excitement and enthusiasm. Oh, if only Great Yarmouth Film Festival could reach such . heady heights ... The two main attractions of the day (following the cancellation of a press screening of Mysterious Skin) were Delamu and In the Realms of the Unreal, both of which are based on fact. Delamu (by the legendary Chinese director Tian Zhuangzhuang who made The Blue Kite, a film that got him banned from filmmaking for ten years by the Communist Party) is a documentary which explores life in Tibet and in particular the Tea-Horse Route, a perilous and ancient trading path that claims many lives. Interspersed with scenes of vast mule strings carrying heavy loads along minute pathways are excerpts from locals, recalling moments in their lives and offering a view on the hardships that face Tibetans. It is a peculiarly touching yet depressing film - life is obviously incredibly difficult, with very few pleasures. Perhaps that's why everybody is so deeply religious - anything to protect themselves against the very real dangers of life in the mountains. In a similar way Henry Darger, the subject of In the Realms of the Unreal, protected himself from the realities of human existence. However, he went about it by closeting himself in his apartment and creating a vast and epic wonderland through paint and the written word. Following his death, a fifteen thousand-page manuscript was discovered - a complete illustrated story following the war between child slaves and their aggressors , filled with magical beings and bloody battles. The film explores his upbringing, much of which was spent in a home for 'simple-minded children', and his jobs in various convent led hospitals. Behind all this, lay his secret passion and indeed what could be considered his 'real' life - as master of fictional empires and hand of God. A recluse who sought fulfilment in his own imagination, who protected himself from hurt by creatiJ::tg friends who always admired him, died once separated from his apartment - his actuality cruelly torn apart.

Two hours later, and the end credits roll to highly contented ~ur~urs; 2046 was a _ triu~ph. Michell's film was very well received, due partly no doubt to a measure of surprise that such a darkly involving movie came from the director of Notting Hi ll. Todd Solondz, on the other hand, is by now expected to serve up shocking material. Palindromes, following Happiness (1998) and Storytelling (2001), never looked like backing down. The story here sees 12year-old Aviva, determined to have a baby, travelling the country in search of potential fathers . Typically frank , Solondz's film refuses to reduce complex situations to a series of moral judgements. The director is suitably well served by an able cast of adults and - brilliantly - by 5 different girls and a boy who take turns at playing Aviva. How's that for a rejection of onesidedness?

The Man of Steel and the role that made Christopher Reeve's career. Was he the first choice though? In short, no. When the project went in to pre-

production it seemed that near enough every high-profile actor at the time was linked to the project. Patrick Wayne, son路 of cowboy legend John Wayne, was first choice but dropped out because of his father getting cancer. After that, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood and James Caan were offered the role. Redford wanted too much money, Eastwood was busy, and Caan said that he would never wear the 'silly suit', so the role fell to unknown actor Christopher Reeve.

Were there any other problems with actors? There were a few problems with Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman. Brando was paid $4 million for 10 minutes of screen time but refused to memorize the script prior to shooting and apparently wanted to just do a voice-over with the onscreen character being a floating green bagel. Hackman was just as problematic as he first refused to cut off his moustache for the role and did not want to wear bald cap.

How did they make Superman fly? After a long period of testing, Superman's flight was created by a combination of back projection and specially designed zoom lenses that would focus on Reeve. The result of this zooming was that the back projection would appear to recede therefore creating the illusion of flight. However other early methods included animation, catapulting a dummy into 'the air and flying a model remote control airplane painted like the character.

Do the special effects stand the test of time? Very well, actually. The director Richard Donner cleverly shot the flight scenes to hide the shortcomings and focus on the action. The film as a whole stands the test of time very well and Christopher Reeve's portrayal of Superman forever typecast him. This is not a negative as he is very effective in the dual role, and is given great support by Hackman's villainous Lex Luthor and Margot Kidder's feisty Lois Lane. Reeve's association with this series of films meant that when he was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident many felt that they lost a hero. With his recent death it was thought that the role would be buried with him.

Is this-why Warner Bros' remake has been in development hell for so long? Again, near enough every major Hollywood actor has been attached to the role but all plans have fallen through. At one point or another, Tim Burton, McG and Brett Ratner were all lined up to direct but dropped out for varying reasons. Comic book geek Kevin Smith also wrote a script but again droppea out of the project. Finally, Bryan Singer (X-Men and The Usual Suspects) has signed on to direct and has cast newcomer Brandon Routh as the Man of Steel. We will have to wait until2006 to see if Routh can manage to fill the red cape and boots of Reeve. Superman is available as a Warner Bros. 3 DVD special edition box-set.

Toby Sleigh-]ohnson Henrietta Burgess

Mark Simpson

Sebastian manley

03.11.04

Wolf Bro her ince it's launch in September Wolf Brother, by Michelle Paver, has been said to be the next book that will rival the phenomenon of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. Paver has been given a record advance of $5m US for the book. In contrast, the rights to Rowling's first Potter novel were purchased by Scholastic for only $105,000 US according to Forbes. Predicted to be a classic book of our generation, Wolf Brother is a story of friendship, loyalty and survival. We are taken on a journey through a prehistoric time of demons , tree spirits , wolves and bears , intrigued by the complex story of a young boy's brotherhood with a wolf cub, and finally taught the fundamental lessons of human relationships and the fight for survival. Wolf Brother is in fac t more reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings , in light of the book's plot, which involves a quest to save the clans and creatures of the Deep Forest. The fate of the Deep Forest rests on the shoulders of Torak, the novel's protagonis t, who is striving to avenge his father's death by travelling to the Mountain of th e World Spirit. Torak's quest can captivate readers, whether they are seven or seventy, as the deepest human emotions of love and hate

"Wolf B ro th er 1s, . in fact, more reminiscent of The Lord of The Rings" portrayed in Wolf Brother are easy to relate to. This is where Paver hits the target and transforms herself into an exceptional children's novelist. Her ability to express her own view of human emotion, and our capability of creating relationships in a story se t 6,000 years a go, is extraordinary. The novel in general is fantastic. The setting is precisely described, the characters are brilliantly portrayed and the plot is engrossing. Michelle Paver's novel is intellectually stimulating for the adult reader and yet enthralls the adventurous child in them. In some aspects, Paver overcomes the "Rowling" style of writing for children and throws her literary net over readers who didn't enjoy Harry Potter. The author's background, culturally and socially, has influenced the story. Her interests in plants and animals, and particularly wolves , inform the novel. Her extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for anthropology is also very much apparent. Paver has travelled extensively throughout South America, Europe and South Africa. Here she acquired

NO RWICH THEATRE ROYAL BOX OFFICE (0'1603 ) 63 00 00

A wolf, and his brother

knowledge of forests, animals and hunting. Thus the description of Torak and Wolf's hunting, along with the personification of the forest, is skillfully and accurately written. Paver's description of Prehistoric North America is precise and therefore makes her novel real . This contributes to Paver's success to date: h er personal style of story telling foresees a great future in children 's writing. The novel, much like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, is part of an intricately written series: Wolf Brother being the first out of six. Paver has left an air of apprehension at the end of this novel to entice the reader to explore the forthcoming novel,

03.11.04

the adventurous meanderings of Torak as he develops into a serious character and has to face the evils of the world. Paver is a mastermind in bringing everything in her novel to life: the trees, and the spirits of both animal and man invite the reader to travel into the unknown landscapes of Northern Ame rica . Wolf Brother is an extraordinary tale of courage and friendship that is both informative and enjoyable. Michelle Paver had truly shown herself to be an excellent children's writer and a literary genius of our time. Wolf Brother is published in December.

Literary feast orwich's international reputation in the world of creative writing was established in the 1970's when the late Malcolrn Bradbury and Angus Wilson started the MA in Creative Writing at the UEA. The New Writing Partnership, a literary initative between the UEA, Arts Council England, East, Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council launches its inaugural event New Writing Types held from 10- 14 November. This will be the first annual gathering for e merging writers, publishing professionals, and others from the literary world. The event comprises of two parts: the New Writing Lab, which is an extensive workshop programme, followed by the New Writing Forum, which is a meeting ground for discussion, debate and networking. The Lab has sold out but there are still a few places on the Forum. The Partnership has also teamed up with Creative Arts East to run a programme of live events at Norwich Playhouse 11-14 November. On Thursday 11 November 7.30pm there is an opportunity to see New York MC Jared Louche who is one of the most experienced live poets/performers on the international circuit. He will be introducing an array of performers including The joy Of Six who have developed a huge following on both sides of the Atlantic. Tickets are £5. In Spo-ken Word with a Bite on Friday 11 November, Louche introduces the wellknown Apples and Snakes performance poets. The line up includes the Jamaican born Jean " Binta" Breeze, Okinawan poet and

WWVI/.theatreroyalnorwidl.co.uk 11-lEATRE STREET, NORWICH NR2 1RL

Spirit Walker. The rest of the series will follow

artist Stacy Makishi, and the dynamic Crisis. Check them out on their website www.applesandsnakes.org. Tickets cost £5. Norwich has a rich and varied literary heritage. Many authors have trodden its streets and on Saturday 13 November at 10.30am there is an opportunity to meet some of them (bought to life by actors), on a Literary Walk which departs from The Forum. Tickets £5. Catch the Lab Writers in Residence on Saturday November 13th at The Playhouse. Six of The Best are also on Saturday 13th and will include readings by the authors followed by chats and discussions. The well-known and esteemed poet John Burnside will be paired with Esther Morgan. Diran Abebeyo will be alongside Jill Dawson whose novel Fred and Edie was short listed for b oth The Whitbread and Orange Prize's. Finally Kathryn Hughes whose biography George Elliot: The Last Victorian won The James Tait Black Prize, will be with Tim Guest. Tickets £7, Concessions £4. Watch! Listen! Read!-Stars of Page and Screen explores what happens when the

word moves from paperback to celluloid. Helen Cross, author of My Summer of Love, is one of the speakers. The session will also feature a debate, questions from the audience and an introduction and a screening of Girl with a Pearl Earring Sunday 14 November from !lam at The Playhouse. Tickets £7 .50. Additionally The New Writing Partnership is producing a newspaper with reports on the events of its inaugural week. For further information please contact The New Writing Partnership, at info@newwri tingpartnership . or g. uk, Tel.O 1603 871177. Tickets Norwich Playhouse Tel 01603 598598. Alison Young & Luke Roberts

..............................................................• Feature 09

He's Not the Messiah. He's a Very Naughty Boy! Dean Bowman muses over Michael Palin the great mode~n day -Ph~ll~as Fog and bulwark of middle-class values and quality TV.

ichael Palin has reinvented himself considerably since his Monty Python days, becoming a gentleman traveller in the mould of Philleas Fog and global ambassador to the BBC. His latest se.r ies, Himalaya, follows from a long line of similar shows such as 'Pole to Pole', 'Full Circle' and, interestingly enough, 'Around the World in 80 ·Days'. Here we have another hit in which the ever charming Palin bumbles arou.n d the world giving us a rare glimpse of its more 9bscure delights and curiosities, whilst we sit in comfort upon our sofas_ Although Palin never goes up Everest itself, he goes up high enough to give us some sensational mouptain panoramas and to get his Soundman hospitalised with altitude sickness. At this point, with Palin wheezing and panting on screen, the postproduction voice over seems like a good idea. Palin must be the epitome of the MiddleClass British traveller, hopelessly out of his depth and unprepared yet staunchly determined to enjoy every minute of it with the appropriate air of nonchalance. The episode in which he stays with a family of Yak herders on the Tibetan plateau, for example, is a joy to watch. Because there is no one around to speak English to (excluding the camera

crew of course) Palin ends up speaking very slowly and loudly in English to his host, Sonam, who simply nods along in bewilderment. "Its wonderful," Palin says trying to be an enthusiastic liberal humanist yet clearly struggling, "how we can sit like this together and communicate. People aren't that different really." Sonam nods and Palin begins to mutter half to himself about the weather, that most British of topics. Later he is introduced to Sonam's English speaking friend and, starved as he has been of conversation after having no one but himself, yaks and (to Sonam's wife's surprise) cheese to talk to over the previous days, he wastes no time in attempting to eXtract information from him. As a result of his enthusiasm, he asks some fairly probing queslions about the Chinese occupation (although they might seem fairly prosaic to us). Sonam's friend immediately assumes an expression somewhere between worried and casual. He begins to give some fairly non-committal statements about Tibetan culture remaining alive and well under Chinese Communism, which positively enriches their lives. In fact these reluctant answers seem radical in contrast to many others Palin receives from various mousy Tibetans, which often take the form of how wonderful the Communist Party of China is. You are left to wonder whether Palin is aware of the danger he is putting his hosts in by asking them such questions, with Chinese retribution sure to follow any negative publicity the regime receives. The answer seems to be no: for as informed and intelligent a narrator as Palin is, he often seems completely oblivious of the danger he places himself and others in. For example when he is in Nepal, a country that is experiencing its third revolution, Palin's host, an ex-patriot Englishman named Lt-Colonel Adrian Griffith whose job is to recruit poor Nepalese into the Gurkha army, is abducted by Maoist insurgents. Palin explains what has happened to the camera with the same degree of calm sincerity he usually adopts and then we go off to enjoy the view oi the village nestled in the mountainous landscape. Later, whilst at a horse fair, he buys an expensive herb from a man with a su ck and we witness him, with more than a little shocked disbelief, waving the highly prized ~ item playfully t

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faces of a crowd of .rather weathered, hostile looking locals, who none the less refrain from murdering him. Palin . seems a charmed man, able to drift effortlessly through any situation, often of his own creation, in his own peculiar bumbling way demonstrating the effectiveness of his very middle-class aura of confidence and charm. One is left to muse over how much the BBC have insured him for, and which company would be stupid enough to draw up the premium. w

ilst in Nepal, ever appy to pander to uthority, Palin eceives the royal ika (a ceremonial touch of colour upon the forehead) from King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. He is introduced by his guide, who is incidentally now a relative of the King named Pratima Pande rather than a poor Yak herder, in a flurry of Nepalese from which we can distinguish the imm?rtal acronym 'BBC'. The King immediately responds by shaking Palin's hand, an unprecedented action that demonstrates the BBC's reputation is still very much alive even in Nepal, no doubt much to our Prime minister's annoyance. You do get the impression, however, that Palin would have been just as enthusiastic about meeting Prachandra, the leader of the Maoists. Later in Kathmandu Palin gets the opportunity to meet Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times an English newspaper with 'crisply laid out and well designed' pages a.n d a 'sharp; well informed provocative style' (just like the Event then), who gives him the low down on the Maoist's guerrilla war and the state of the nation. Palin observes that his host is an "urbane, elegant figure with a shock of prematurely silver hair, dr~ssed immaculately", which could just as well be a description of Palin himself. The two fellow enlightened traveller-jou.r nalists spend a relaxed afternoon wandering around the stunning Durban Square admiring the erotic carvings on the stately old temples. "Krishna is god of love. He's a young guy with a flute and girlfriends all over the world,"

Dixit explains. "Our gods don't tend to have girlfriends. It's something we've rather missed out on," replies Palin with more than a hint of jealousy. Palin is never more at his best than in these moments when he momentarily slips out of the serious, contemplative middle-class persona we expect of him to have a giggling, boyish conversation with a Tibetan farmer about girlfriends or to attempt to milk a Yak. In this sense the

Palin seems a charmed man, able to drift effortlessly through any situation, often of h is own creation, in his own peculiar bumbling way. Dalai Lama was more than a match for him. in the exclusive interview that is surely the jewel in the crown of the series, for surely only Palin backed by the BBC could secure an audience with the Dalai Lama, especially as it transpires he is a huge fan of the show. As the leader of the Buddhist faith one might expect the Dalai Lama to be stand-offish and noble, like the King of Nepal, but on the contrary he is a delightfully charming man with a · Cheshire cat grin and a sharp sense of humour. The exchanges Palin has with him recall, perhaps more than any other part of the . series, his Python days, although he may well be upstaged by the charismatic Dalai Lama like a kind of devout version of John Cleese: "One week ago I return from the United States. Sleep not much problem but my stomach still on American time. Toilet usually morning, but nowadays its evening. That can't change. through prayer." For the publicity of the show Palin announces, with a degree of ironic grandiosity, "Himalaya: the highest form of entertainment." The thing is he is not far wrong. Considering that most TV is made up of cheap to make, lowest common denominator programming such as Big Brother and a plethora of painful: soap· operas, Himilaya in contrast seems as enlightened as the Dalai Lama. Considering the tedious, plebeian nature of so much TV it's good to see a programme that injects a bit of Middle-class value into the prime time line up.

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www.fark.com

world, keeping you up to date on a whole range of news-trivia, you'll even find a handful of the most important news stories each day. The site also allows readers to post their opinion of the stories on a connected page, continuing the noble tradition of even-handed, well-informed and mature debate that the Internet has always been famous for. Fark also hosts Photoshop competitions which are often worth a look. & an added bonus, the site is updated every few minutes with a new link so, once you've read whatever takes your fancy, hitting the FS key will often bring you new articles and maybe let you burn yet more of your precious time away.

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f you haven't already heard of The Onion (and you really should have), it's a superb and more importantly free satirical newspaper published weekly in New York and a handful of other American cities. Obviously getting hold of hardcopies of the paper over here is tricky, but fortunately the entire paper is put up online every VVednesday for your reading pleasure. The Onion stands as proof that America is actually capable of producing both satire and irony. VVith the elec-

www.neopets.com

Farking brilliant, very informative ark is a news site with a difference. Initially set up by Drew Curtis entirely so he could own the domain name of his favourite replacement swearword, it soon became a project of hosting links to the kind of interesting, funny and stupid news articles that can be found all over the internet so his friends could see them. The site blossomed and is now a full-blown database of the days more daft news stories, the site is now ranked in the top 2000 most popular websites in the world and makes a tidy profit from advertising and people who pay to sign up for TotaJFark. You'll find links to both mainstream and obscure news sites from around the

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The real source of addiction is the ludicrous depth of the site; you can make virtual-money (Neopoints) by playing games and then use that money to buy more things for your pet, train it for a fight with another pet, build and design it a home, collect Neo-stamps or even buy and sell stock on the Neodaq index. Neopets is almost

sickeningly cute at times and some of the people on the site are,

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quite frankly, terrifying. Dedication to the site runs so deep that there have even been cases of people making a lot of money selling rare Neopets items on eBay for cash. The site manages to cap- . ture the fanatic in even the most casdusl of partakers. Neopets is one of the most addictive and immersive free sites out there (they make their money from merchandise sales) and could easily kill not only your degree but any remains of a social life you may have if you

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Free stuff? "Oh yes please!" we hear . you cry - .. he Internet Archive was set up in 1996 as a free library of all public domain (i.e. not copyrighted) media available. Be it text, audio or video you can most li:<ely find it here. Of particular interest are the many printable books, the live music archive (at least half of wbich >eems to be by The Grateful Dead) and for pure comedy value, old TV commercials and the thousands of American public education videos from the 50s and early 60s that are available

03.11.04

for download. Of particular note are videos such as DuckAnd Cover with Bert the Turtle, a bizarre school video from 1951 explaining what to do in the event of atomic war, and Perversion For Profit, a short film made by Ohio Citizens for Decent Literature in 1964 which educates the masses about the implicit links between Communism, Pornography and Homosexuality. Given the immense wealth of varied material available on the site, it's possible you could spend severaf days on here but

nopes is a huge database of

Urban Legends, Folldore and Old wives tales. All the varia. tions and versions are logged and each one is researched in an attempt to find it to be true, false or indeterminate. This site is the perfect reference for all those stories you hear in the pub or get sent in irritating email forwards. Arguably more fun ~Pan disproving. your friends 'true stories' is finding truly bizarre stories that are actually true, such as Sylvester

Stallone's film debut in the 1970 hardcore porn film: 'Party at Kitty and Stud's' and the HIV positive muppet named 'Kami', added to the cast of Sesame Street in 2002 (though she only appears on episodes broadcast in South Africa). The site is divided into various sections, such as music, film and politics with companies like Disney and Coca-Cola earning sections to themselves. VVith daily updates and thousands of articles, Snopes.com can di.s tract yo\l for an impressive amount of time.

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tions happening it seems that they'll have more material than ever to play with. To give an idea of what to expect, recent headlines have ranged from: 'Cheney Vows To Attack U.S. If Kerry Elected' and 'Bush Vows To Pay Closer Attention to the Needs Of NonPresidents' to the more surreal: 'Bush Campaign Paints Kerry & PreRaphaelite Contessa'. The Onion also archives its last few issues, but to read some of their best output you'll have to buy one of the collected bookS.

www~ snopes.com

Fuzzy pals to have online, so you don't need real ones f any one site is capable of burnitlg up entire weeks, or even years, of your life then it's this one. The 93rd most visited website in the world, with over 78 million accounts, Neopets is a free site that lets you create a virtual-pet which you can ~en look after. Alternatively, you could use your pet as an outlet for you pentup agression, leaving it for days, weeks or ever. years without food or attention. Of course this is a cruel and perverted pastime, but somehow very satisfying to the nore moribund among us.

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·that same variety also means that archive.org may actually help you with an essay someday, so it's probably best to be careful.

hese sites are j~t a few of the millions itching to waste your time online, and other honourable mentions should go to: . .... www.homestarrunner.com www.rathergood.com www.happytreefriends.com and www.weebl.jolt.co.uk \ for online animation that's \ well worth checking out, www.seanbaby.com and www.maddox.xmission.com for often highly offensive amusing rants, www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com for very good erm... .tea and biscuit reviews www.imdb.com whic~ is by far the best archive of all information on any movie ever made, although it's

probably best to avoid the message boards as they are populated almost exclusively by idiots.

www.lavaoftusa.comjsoftware/adaware To keep your pretty PC purring away f you're spending any time on the internet, the chances are that you're going to pick up spy-ware of some sort. Spy-ware is the evil stuff that various companies put onto your PC as you move about the internet - most of it just watches what sites you go to, collects the information and then sells it to marketing companies, but some is far more malicious ap.d none of it is doing you any good as it forces your PC to struggle to run tons of small programs behind the scenes. AdAware is a program that will remove all (or most) of the nasty stuff, and it's widely regarded as the safest and best program of its kind. It's completely free to download from places like www.down-

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load.com .o r anywhere else that the official site directs you to. It's impressively simple and once you have it installed all you need to do is remember to click the 'search for updates' button and run a scan every so often and your PC will be cleaner and run better. If you've ever installed Kazaa or anything made by Gator on your PC then you definitely need this. Admittedly Ad-Aware isn't really a waste of time in the Wa.y that the other sites listed here are, but there is a certain time~killing satisfaction to be found in constantly re-scanning your PC- to pick up solitary bits of spyware, and allimportantly, you still won't be writing that essay.

12 1\llusic

John Peel

Albums

David R Black

Trinity (Part 11) Trinity Part 11 is the Mancunian three piece's seventh EP and shows a veteran's handiwork presentation-wise. They've got it down to a fine art; the distorted gothic swirls and dark contrasted ballet dancer on the front shows artistic quality that you would naturally expect to 路 be linked to the music itself. But you never know what's coming next. The cleverly emotive lyrics are backed up by music so shallow you could imagine it being made by a pop punk band. The mundane guitars and repetitive phrases, clearly an attempt to create a dark atmosphere, simply make this an ordeal like wading through a depressed teenagers CD collection. They know the scene inside out but the same old strumming seems to be getting tired - a band who has been there, done that and can't be bothered to buy the tshirt.

sions. But the most surprising songs might be the lesserknown singles, notably This Is Music and Slide Away. The driving bass, atmospheric guitars and sheer energy prove that The Verve were not just purveyors of indie-balladry. Although there's strumming aplenty on this release, that's not.all- you'll find a handful of memorable, well-crafted tunes, moving lyrics and genuine moments of musical originality.

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Singles

The Verve

This is Music: The Singles 92-98

Dan Richards

The chances are that you already know where you stand with The Verve. If you mourned their split then you'll welcome this release, but if they didn't set you on fire the first time round you might be surprised by how fresh these songs sound now. Obviously, the obligatory Lucky Man, Bitter Sweet Symphony, and The Drugs Don't Work are there for your delectation and tagge d onto the end are also a couple of unre leased tracks from the Urban Hy mns ses-

With their impressive career it's about time Travis celebrated by releasing all their singles to date on one blissful album. What's on offer here is exactly 63mins and 52secs of beautiful vocal melodies, cheery guitar 1;iffs and some of the most familiar singalong tunes of the Nineties. Trouble is, this is not a collection of their best material. There are some far more distinctive and . inspiring tracks still 路 hiding, only known by those who own their albums. Perhaps a Best Of would do the band more justice., but at least they throw in new track Walking in the Sun. Pretty mediocre, but as with all their songs repeated listening only proceeds to draw the listener in even more. On the whole, a tuneful collection of classics compiled to create a chilled out blend of indie ballads with a hint of rock: a perfect hangover solution.

]ulie Therese

M OOG

Original Film Soundtrack This album comprises the soundtrack to the film of the same name, a documentary charting the career of Bob Moog, mastermind of the unique and versatile synthesizer that is showcased here. The moog's unique Theremincum-synth sound is used most effectively by Stereolab on the 70s flavoured Variation One, Moog Cookbook on the aptly named Bob's Funk and The Album Leaf on the blessed-out ambience of Micro Melodies. Not to suggest the rest aren't up to such standards, as this surprisingly diverse album is ideal for those interested in Bob and his influential work or any open minded music fan fond of that unmistakably ubiquitous sound. To quote the man himself - "The musicians who play our instruments show us what music is capable of". Upon listening, it's hard for anyone to disagree.

Simon Griffiths

The Wildhearts

...Strike Back A live album can't recreate

the sweaty and excited atmosphere it was porn out of. The Wildhearts Strike Back is decent but frustratingly deceiving - it makes the gig undeservingly tame and The Wildhearts sound annoyingly misrepresented since at times the cd sounds less " live" and more "badly recorded". Having never been fortunate enough to see Ginger and eo. live, the suggested energy on this cd doesn't managed to 路 characterize the greatness heard from anyone lucky

enough to catch them last year. There are some headnodding, foot-stomping tracks on here (Greetings From Shitsville and Sucker Punch notably), which pisses me off to no end as actually seeing the band is more preferable than having to listen to it. The album is exasperating as 路 whilst the quality of the band and the songs is not at fault, it's the energy that appears live that's mostly lost and leaves them bereft of the merit they deserve.

~ Suzanne Rickenback

DFA

Cpmpilation #Z The second compilation from DFA, The Rapture's uber-cool New York record label, is a three hour marathon of arty, intelligent and warm-hearted hou.s e. Happily, it does not feel like music that was made to be heard by a select few this is proper party music. All the trendy influences are there - eighties synths, purring funk bass lines, art school shouting and yeah, the bands have names like liquid liquid andj.o.y. but there is also a sense of humour: the 'pretentious mix' of Yeah by the LCD Soundsystem, for example, is a highlight. The standard remains pretty consistent - for etVery tune that is two minutes too self-indulgent there is another that will blow your hair asymmetric. The only problem is that you will desperately want to hear these tunes through a terrifyingly big sound system. For that, sadly, you might have to move to New York.

]oe Dunthorne

Singles

Live Reviews

Not since The Libertines released What a Waster has a band been able to light up stereos, hearts and ears in such a violent way Killamangiro smashes its way onto your stereo like Pete Doherty's destruction of art at the Groucho Club. TIUs single is worth a lot more than some hanging piece of 'cultu:re' since people who listen to this are getting the best from an artist who can do no wrong. Killamangiro proves that the blood running through Doherty's body at the moment is nothing but electrifying. He certainly has the Midas touch when it comes to music, because it seems that any project that Doherty puts his finger on "turns into a twenty-four carat gem. This :record has to be the dirtiest punk song :released since the Sex Pistols, the Clash or any pretender since and makes you wonder ifThe Libertines will be able to record any-more sansDoherty. His energy and lust for music seem to have been transferred to his new band (notice how Babyshambles is now regarded as a band and not a 'project' anymore) and Killamangiro shows that Babyshambles are the best thing since sliced bread or .. .The Libertines.

]amesBanks

The Strokes

Archie Bronson Outfit

TheRasmus

The End Has No End

Here He Comes

First Day of My Life

The End Has No End is the 3rd single to be taken from the New York garage rockers ' acclaimed 2nd album Room on Fire. TIUs is a catchy song which is full of explosive energy that makes you want to crank up the volume every time you hear it. The B-side is a previously unreleased cover version of The Clash's Clampdown , recorded live at Alexandra Palace in London last December and can be downloaded from the War Child charity website warchildmusic .com with all proceeds going to help children in war zones around the world. Mnun, charity.

Here He Comes is the new sin-

Some people didn't like In The Shadows and no, it wasn't cool, but let's face it, it was a good little funky-pop tune. First Day of My Life isn't bad, but it wants to be a rock song. It was born a pop song - it should be a hipswinger, not a mediocre headbanger. Everyone knows The Rasmus don't play rock. Everyone that is, except The Rasmus themselves. You can hear the protests - "But our singer's a Goth! " Well no he's not really, is he? "But we play guitars!" Really? Sounds to me like you got Evanescence in to beef up your chorus . ..

Victoria Holland

Hiding Place Cruel Kindness It takes a couple of listens, but soon the song matches up to the standard set by the personal and poignant lyrics . Extracting a line by itself wouldn't do any justice as the rest of the song provides the crucial context. The fast pace that the song carries when combined with the lyrics gives the song an atmosphere of desperation and Cruel Kindness becomes an audio catharsis for both the band and their listeners. The other two B-sides are both respectable but don't manage to live up to the suppressed emotional intensity of Cruel

gle from Archie Bronson Outfit's debut album Fur. If you've seen the Blueskins or The Duke Spirit on tour over the last year, chances are you've seen West Country 3piece, Archie Bronson Outfit, playing their guitar-based rock too. Coming off like another art school band, they've got the funky guitar edge of Franz Ferdinand combined with the quirks more accustomed to the Kings Of Leon. Even when placed next to The Killers and Bloc Party it's hard to see why this band has been overlooked.

Catherine Lansdown Hayley Chappell

Prosaics Aghast Agape In all its majestic modesty Aghast Agape gives us a bite

Kindness.

Suzanne Rickenback

Jamelia

LCD Soundsystem

Movement

Vertigo

Movement, the Soundsystem's

Stop Strings, piano, action! Jamelia is back, with Stop soon to be featured in the forthcoming Bridget Jones film. The follow up to the successful Thank You and Superstar sucker-punches you into believing she's simply knocked out a rather too familiar batch of airy fairy vocals, before she really belts out the chorus. "You 'd better stop!" she cries angrily, hitting a whole bunch of lovely notes that border on the emotive but never truly satisfy as a ballad should even if it does signal the presence of some depth for our lass. So maybe it's time you stopped ogling and actually started listening to her.

latest single on DFA records, makes for a somewhat disjointed listen. Opening with a late 70s style synth-drum beat, the track soon descends into a squall of garage-rock guitars, all overdrive and feedback with some vaguely Iggy Pop vocals thrown in, only to finish up right where it started. Despite its fairly interesting structure and jittery, kinetic edge, done to perfection by acts like The Faint, Movement lacks the focus and direction to set LCD apart from the crowd, leaving the listener ever so slightly bemused at this concept of "cutting edge" music.

Many years ago, before Bono was the keeper of universal peace, before Salman Rushdie was a special guest, before phone calls to the Vatican and forty-foot lemons, before the 'discovery' of irony, injustice, US foreign policy, Norther n Ireland; before an America where power and money hid in the cities and before heartfelt Christianity there was Boy. Arguably one of the most refreshing albums of the last thirty years, and a joy to discover. Vertigo shows that U2 have remembered 1980, and their best song, Out of Control. A simple, chunky rock song with hardly a white flag or burning cross in sight.

james Taylor

Simon Griffiths

Laurence Guymer

from the 80s with frenetically echoing vocals and that lightly distorted guitar that belongs on a Donnie Darko soundtrack. They share the same charismatic mystic as well; it's a completely sober EP but you wonder if front man Andy Corner is a little bit tapped. How else could dissonance be so accurately portrayed? Lyrically it's satisfyingly dark , the lead track Teeth talks of "apocryphal lamentations" as if they were an everyday consideration. Prosaics' serenity will keep their reputation strong in the underground scene but I doubt very much that the audience will extend beyond its current art rock fan base.

Charles Rwnsey

Air horns, big video screens, messages written on :record sleeves, an impromptu bass performance â&#x20AC;˘ yes, tonight Norman Cook seems determined to steal his own show. Promoting his fourth album Palookaville, Fatboy pulls all the punches to turn this set into a "party; or a riot", as one of his record-messages :reads. A man of few words, Norman seems content to let the music do the talking, drawing on an eclectic range of sources as well as some of his own classic tunes. Crowd pleasing highlights include Franz Ferdinand's Take Me Out, Underworld's Born Slippy and his own big-beat anthem Star 69, with its glorious refrain of WHAT THE F*CK quite literally rattling the LCR's rafters. Harking back to his bass playing days with the Housemartins, he also proves he is far from a one trick pony, jamming with appropriately named support act jonny Quality. Despite a comparatively short set (a mere two hours to Mr Scruff's five!) and a few mixing mishaps, Fatboy Slim here cements his position as king of the dance floor and master of the big-beat. Simon Griffitbs

Barnsley's Catch-It Kebabs have been winning friends wherever they take their ska-based madness, and it's not hard to see why. Great stage presence and a collection of some delightfully bouncy songs suggests that they could have comfortably headlined. Having said that, the sheer might of Sonic Boom Six manages to assert their schizophrenic punk-hip-ragga-hop-co:re mash up as the true star of the night. Mixing new, more experimental songs like Monkey See Monkey Do with old favourites Blood FOr Oil the 'Boom are living proof that music can still be mind-blowingly exciting, inspiring and great fun at the same time. Frontpersons Laila and Ben launch into everything with admirable poise and within seconds the Ferryboat is a heaving mass of flailing limbs and happy people. If you go through your life without seeing SB6 at least once, you have not even come close to living a rich, full life, such is their power. Hyperbolic? Yes. True? Indubitably. Ben Pataslmik

As the evening begins the crowd seem :relaxed to the point of disinterest, suddenly a three piece take to the stage and let belt a funky and tight piece that instantly grabs the crowds attention. Little Barrie's mix of smooth flowing funk and raw vocals gets the crowd swaying back and forth. Just as the impact seems to be becoming more lucid suddenly the second warm-up act The Aspects join them on stage for a hip hop funk fusion piece that once again has the crowd in the palms of their hands. The Aspects set includes live beat boxing so good that you could be forgiven for thinking that your witnessing some sort of set-up. Lyrically the Hip Hop trio make contemporary mainstream artists seem lazy in comparison. Finally, the crowd is raring to go and after a short break the head line band appears and gives a better than recorded performances of their hits such as Wash In The Rain and A Minha Menina. The Bees stuck mostly with newer material but :really played to the crowd who lapped up every moment. Finally ending on an encore of the upbeat and infectious Chicken Payback leads to the only criticism of the evening: it was over all too soon.

Paul Stevens

03.11.04

Inside I'm Dancing are ly do w e le ave the cine m a with the sense of h aving witnessed some thing genuinely moving. o often, e mpathy towards a p iece of cinema is checke d by the knowle dge of its artifice. Inside I'm Dancing d eals with m aterial that h as a high risk of being sentime ntalise d or disinge nuous , but the sensitivity of the ca st and crew creates a deeply moving p icture. Director Damie n O 'Donne ll's feature debut Ea st Is East won the Be st British film of the Year at the 1999 C anne s Film Festival. In March 2003 producers Juanita Wilson and James Flynn approache d O 'Donnell with the script for Inside I 'm Dancing, written by Jeffrey C aine. But, as is so ofte n the case with British and Irish films , the main obstacle was obtaining sufficient funds . Inside I'm Dancing is about independence and dete rmination . Twe nty-four year old Michael Connoly (Steven Robertson ) is a long-term resident of C arrigmore Home for the di sab led in Dublin. The starched nuns who run C arrigrnore with iron fists , are presided over b y the Big Nurse-like Eileen (Brenda Fricker). Michael has severe ce rebral palsy. He cannot control the movement of his limbs, making a ctivities, such as eating and drinking unaided, very difficult. His condition also affects his speech to the extent that no one can understand him. The boredom and frustration of Carrigmore is stirred up when teenage tearaway Rory O'Shea Games McAvoy) enters the home. Rory is rude and witty. He curses, flirts with the nuns and incredibly, understands what Michael is saying. Together Michael and Rory make a subversive

team. They use the takings from a wet afternoon's charity collection in Dublin city centre to get "legless," as Rory jokes, in a nearby pub. Rory is determined to show Michael that being disabled will not prevent them from chatting up girls, going out and having a good time. But Rory's outspoken nature leads to a confrontation with a drunken punter. En ter Siobhim (Romola Garai), who diffuses the situation_ Later, spinning around in wheelch airs inside a nightclub, the team see Siobhan again and are entranced. Michael has caught a glimpse of life outside of Carrigmore. With Rory acting as his speech facilitator, Michael seizes the opportunity to apply for independent living and leave Carrigmore behind. They soon discover that there is no way they can afford to live in the centre of Dublin. With Rory's persuasion Mich ael makes the courageous move to confront his father- a top barrister who disowned him at b irth- and b lackmail him to pay for a flat. The awkwardness of this exchange b etween Michael an d his estran ged father is powerful. The cynicism of the exchange, which completely negates the possibility of rekindling any form of relationship between father and son, somehow contributes to the integrity of the film. The lads are free of Carrigmore , but Michael has paid an emotional price. They move in to an apartment. But they need someone to assist them to live independently. After a series of disastrous interviews they run into Siobhan working in a supermarket. Rory is only too happy to offer her the job. But she has no experience of working as a personal assistant. Michael and Rory assure her that no experience is required. Siobhan agrees to take the job. But having a beautiful woman caring for them throws up another set of problems. The straight- forward narrative and lively perfo rmance o f McAvoy b reathe s some life into a wellworked cinematic trope. The dialogue is snappy and the au dien ce is p rovided wi th a b road scop e of m oo ds and emotions. Inside I'm Dancing is simultaneously a tragic and uplifting film. Luke Rob erts

Finding Neverland we meander through the trials nd tribulations of every d ay, we ncounter people from all walks of life. We realise that everyone h a s a different story to tell, and s om e time s we make up stories in our own h eads about the people we see. Be it walking through the p ark non chalantly, taking a seat on the bus, or waiting for a friend in a pub, we are all guilty of doing it. Howeve r not eve ryone can take th e im aginary, and fi ctitious and turn it into a lite rary m a sterpie ce. Finding Never/and foll ows the unique creativity of JM Barrie, who has a chance encounter, meeting a young boy and his family. In the film we witne ss the implications of that friendship upon his work, career and marria g e. Set in London in 1904, it pursues the inspirational journey of bringing Pe te r Pan (Fre ddie Highmore) to life, from the initial m eeting to the play 's pre miere in the Duke Of York Theatre. Johnny Depp (Pira tes of Th e

thing with such engaging characters and with such an evo cative sense of nostalgia on our screens. Little Peter manages to pull off b e ing cute, without being too overbearing. He is a great delight to watch , and surely an up and coming star. It came to light that Depp him self wa s s o impre sse d with Highmore that h e manage d to convince dire ctor Tim Burton, to cast him a s Ch arlie. This is in his next film Charlie And The Cho co la te Factory, w here De pp plays Willy Wonka, in the upcom in g film , due for release e arly next year. The movie rekindles the fact that spontaneous encounters can transform lives, and regenerates the mysterious spark of childhood. Perhaps it is like when Barrie tells Sylvia "Young boys should never go to bed, they wake up a d ay older, a nd before you know it , they 've grown .." In some way or another there seems to b e a little bit of Pe te r Pan in all of us .

Tragically it 's all part and parcel of life that we grow old. It 's he art rende ring to watch the four boys as they struggle to come to terms with the trage dy that shakes their family. There is nothing like a tragic event to m ake us grow up faster. In these time s we all leave our Neverland, and grow up . JM Barr ie finds himself there, and is dete rmined n ot to le t Peter lose Neverland despite th e heartbreak. Although this m ovie does not tell us much about Barrie's life, it's a very charming movie in te rms of witne ssing the life of the real Peter Pan and the d evelopment of a story tha t h a s such a central position in our c ulture. This movie is not one to be missed if your one for sentimentality and in se arch of a little inspiration yourself. Priya Shah

Caribb ean, Platoon, Edward Scissorhands) rounds off a spectacular

year by taking on the role of JM Barrie. His light Scottish accent is close to authentic, and his p ortrayal is very moving yet powerful. After meeting Peter and his family, including Sylvia Llewellyn Davies (Ka te Winslet; Iris, The Life Of David Gale, Titanic) , he is soon spending all his time with them and it starts to take a strain on his marriage. The acting overall is commendable for the performance is set in Victorian times and Radha Mitchell delivers an admirable performance as Barrie's suffering wife trapped by their marriage. This is quite a moving film, and it makes a nice change to watch some-

Alien Vs Predator his is a film that sounds like it might b e a great idea, if only because the n ame sugg ests that there are going to be some truly epic fight scenes. The g eneral concept of creating an arena in which two fearsome and brutal creatures battle to the death is certainly a tantalising one, and has already been used to good effect in the immensely enjoyable Freddy Vs. jason. Yes of course we're all aware that it's hardly going to an insightful, visionary film, but surely for comic value alone it should have some merit? Alas this is not so. This is a film that is so mediocre it should never have been made. It is as if the writers have consciously decided to make a film that the audience will leave half way through in disgust. If that was their aim, well, congratulations. The general atmosphere in the cinema was one of bemused incomprehension, tempered with irritation at having wasted both money and time on an utterly worthless movie. The only way to get through the two hours of weak plot and irritating cast was to get mindlessly drunk or h ave a chat with your friend s. One par ti cularly annoying aspec t was that for the first h our the re was neither an Alien n or a Predator in sight lots of pe ople running around spouting formulaic rubbish at on e anothe r in the middle of the Antarctic, ce rtainly, but no salivating , barbaric creatures b arring their teeth at one another and hacking o ff limbs . Ewen Bremne r (' Spud ' in

Trainspo tting) provides the only temp orary comic interludes, b ut only bec'ause you keep expecting him to come out with such lines as "A wee dab o' speed man- just the ticket ... " and frankly, you could have ju st stayed at home and watched Trainspotting instead. Okay, so there are a few adequate fight sequences when the beasts finally make an appearance , but they seem to merely be providing a backdrop for the h uman ch aracters to drone on ab out pyramids in Cambodia and ancient runes and look scared at noisy penguins (until most are killed off- dare I say it - a relief!). And don't make the mistake of thinking it's just two creatures - oh no, there's at least five of each, perhaps because the makers lacked the imagination to conceive of

battles b etween just one of each species. Plus the obscenely smug lead character (Sanaa La than) teams up with Predator in some sort of nauseating pact, leading one to ponder over the shallow possibility of rendering the Predator sympathetic - 'he doesn't mean it, he's just misunderstood.' Please, I implore you, don't go and see this film. The makers do not deserve your loyalty - they are corporate fiends wh o care nothing for how much money they waste on complete detritus and would have no idea of a decent plot if someone handed it to them saying 'this film's got a great plot.' Oh yes , and you' ll be pleased to know that there's potential for a sequel. Henrietta Burgess

03.11.04------------------------------------

DVD/VHS 15

Play Movie

Uzak

Shrek 2

icking up exactly where the first film left us, as Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) arrives at the tower to save the.princess he is met not by Fiona (already rescued in the first film by Shrek), but by the Red Riding Hood wolf, who informs him she's already married. Cue the happy montage of the newly-wed couple. The fairytale adventure really begins when Shrek (Mike Myers) and his bride (Cameron Diaz) along with Donkey (Eddie Murphy), are summoned to the land of Far Far Away, (a medieval version of somewhere closely resembling Hollywood) where Princess Fiona's parents, the King and Queen Gohn Cleese and Julie Andrews), await to meet their daughter's groom, and bless the marriage. Little do they know that she has married an ogre, and that Fiona is one as well. Reluctantly Shrek meets up with Fiona's folks , only to find himself immediately at odds with his new in-laws. The King is particularly perturbed

by his daughter's marriage to an ogre, and goes to some lengths to make sure that the marriage doesn't work out with the help of his hired feline assassin, the brilliantly conceived, Puss-In-Boots (Antonio Banderas), a sword wielding, ogre sleighing cat, with possibly the cutest sad kitty face in the history of film. Banderas' suave Spanish-accented tabby almost steals the show, with some of the best lines, but there is still room for the wisecracking, loveable Donkey, who's effusive as ever, and having relationship problems with his fire-breathing girlfriend. Failure to kill Shrek on Puss-InBoot's part lands him as an important member of the team, as the ogre finds himself entangled with an absolutely fabulous fairy godmother Gennifer Saunders) who has a hidden agenda, and whilst appearing to want to help she sneakily intends to set up Fiona with her vain, Peter Stringfellow style son Prince Charming. So the mismatched group set out on another

"whirl wind adventure" to figure out why there was a hit on Shrek. As with the first film, there are several sneaky sub-textual attacks on the n;sney Empire. Never missed is the ~. tance for satire of the famous Disney classics such as Sleeping Beauty, The Three Little Pigs, Hansel and Gretel, and Pinocchio yet Shrek 2 finds its own happy ending with the sweet moral that beauty's only skin deep and the green couple have $eir ugly ever after. Running with 93 minutes of magical plot, the film could easily have gone on longer and still the attention of the audience. The look of the film is amazing, with some stunning visuals, and the computer technology is even better than the original. The refreshing change of setting, mix of crude humour and easy jokes provides some light, fluffy entertainment and plenty of trivia. Look out for homage to films including Superman, Lord Of The Rings and Alien to name but a few. There are also some amusing spoofs of famous signs and stores in the background of Far Far Away such as: Burger Prince (Burger King) ,Versarchery (Versace), Farbucks Coffee (Starbucks). With hilarious main characters and supporting fairytale creatures including the Gingerbread Man, the Three Blind Mice and the wolf in grandmother's clothing, Shrek Z retains the best of the original. Dreamworks should be proud to have created a sequel as worthy as the first. If you enjoyed it the first time around, the second film won't disappoint. Shrek Z is released by Dreamworks Home Entertainment on DVD, single disc or box set, on November 2nd 2004.

Extra features

The Keeper

rom British director Paul Lynch comes The Keeper in which Dennis Hopper plays Lt. Krebs, a respected sheriff who gives puppet shows in local schools to warn children off drugs. However he has a troubled past and when he abducts Gina, a poledancer played by Asia Argento (XXX), and imprisons her in a cell in his basement a battle of wits ensues as she attempts to escape. Those who remember Hopper from the glory days of Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now, Blue Velvet and even more recent successes such as his brilliant cameo in True Romance, had best avoid this film like the plague. It would be comforting if you could tell yourself he was just doing it for the pay cheque, but sadly he seems to be taking it rather too seriously. This film is dire and laughably so. The idea is not that bad and there is an ok film in there somewhere, but the realisation is 路a ppalling, leaving the finished film sub-Channel 5 standard. The direction and editing are poor, creating some memorable though amateurishly bad sequences such as when Krebs shoots a rat in his basement much to the shock of Gina, and for a film that is supposed to be sinister the music spectacularly fails to create any level of suspense whatsoever.

The script is also terrible. It's all rather predictable, which need not be a bad thing but there is some awful dialogue, certain elements of the plot are left completely undeveloped and the whole climax rests Qn some highly dubious coincidences. The characters too are poorly conceived. A cop trying to locate the missing dancer is just incredibly stupid (watching him try to solve the case actually hurts) and you never really care that much about Gina who is simply not very interesting. If you actually make it to the final act, you couldn't care less who lives and who dies. The DVD extras are pretty lame too, just some self-congratulatory interviews with the cast and director, and a trailer. The interviews serve only to make you realise just how much bullshit Hollywood types can talk. Here's hoping Hopper isn't going to descend into making this sort of trash for the rest of his career. The Keeper is released on 20th December by Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment. Davi.d MeNaught

uri Bilge Ceyla's devastating exploration of loneliness, which has played to great critical acclaim winning amongst other things the Grand Prix at Cannes, tells the story of two cousins from very different social positions forced together in Istanbul. Yusuf (Ernin Toprak) has come to the city from the provinces to find work after being made redundant and seeks the aid of his rich cousin, a photographer named Mehmet (Muzaffer Ozdemir), who reluctantly puts him up in his luxury apartment. The first few shot sequences, which are discontinuously edited and fragmented in terms of time and place, leave us struggling to construct the images into a clear narrative. The immediate effect of this, along with the evocative opening shot, is one of alienation, is a feeling that sets the tone for the film from the very first shot of a figure walking slowly towards us through a barren icy landscape in a long fixed shot, completely isolated in his surroundings. This atmosphere is even evident in the apartment itself, which is always filmed in a disconcerting low-level long shot. Far from being homely the interior space becomes just as claustrophobic as the outdoor scenes are desolate, demonstrating the director's stunning use of space. Ceylan builds up his brooding atmosphere with interminably long fixed shots, reminiscent of the style of Hou Hsiao-Hsien, and deeply symbolic and subtle images that evoke the emotions of the two cousins. Each shot seems to be perfectly crafted to express the maximum sense of the character's emotions, thus visually expressing what would only seem trite if they spoke those emotions out loud. Just as well, then, that Ceylan's film is about what is not said.

Caroline Beer

In this case the pivotal scene in Uzak is the one in which Mehmet is speaking to his ex wife on the phone for the last time before she immigrates with a new lover, knowing that he is responsible for her infertility due to an earlier abortion. There is something that he can't quite express to her, but what it is we are only left to guess. Similarly when Mehmet finally tires of his cousin's presence he simply leaves his bag pa.c ked and by the door without a word; it is a painfully laconic visual cue and a cowardly dismissal. In fact it is clear that the two cousins are ill matched from the start. Yusef strikes the sophisticated Mehmet as an uncouth and uncultured provincial idiot who has come to him for a free hand out, and he even accuses him of stealing his silver pocket watch until it. embarrassingly turns up in his drawer. Uzak explores their delicate relationship with some finely crafted deadpan humour such as the scene in which Yusef walks in on Mehmet whilst he is watching a porno. Both cousins go to the harbour at different points in the film to watch the ships sail out of port, an image that serves as a symbol of regret to them both. For Mehmet because it represents his ex wife's departure from his life and Yusef because he has a naive dream that he might get a job aboard one and travel. This image, and the accompanying emotion of loneliness, serves to bind them in a sense of mutual wretchedness far deeper than any mere social or familial relationship. Perhaps Mehmet's negative reaction to his cousin is motivated by the fact that he reminds him too much of his own feelings. However in keeping with its central theme the answer is left unspoken and the film denies any simple resolution. Uzak is a film in which the viewer is left to fill in the gaps and silences, delighting the intellect as much as the eye with its great visual beauty and subtlety. Uzak is released on the 8th of November by Artificial Eye.

Dean BoWinan

â&#x20AC;˘

Book r v1ews

heat re Review

simple setting presented itself upon entrance to the Norwich Playhouse, our, effec tively used screens, which depicted the various scenes throughout the performance. The simplicity was effective and suitably conveyed the minimalism of the era. Jane Austen's cautionary tale about the two Dashwood sisters, whose love lives are inexplicably intertwined, was well adapted for the stage. There were some apparent differences but these did not detract from the performance. The absence of the mother was well concealed by the dominant character of Aunt Jennings who provided much of the comedy throughout . She was the embodiment of the interfering, older lady who had nothing better to do than to match-make and to marry-off everyone. The main character Elinor was excellently played. Conveying well her reserved and sensible nature , the true essence of the part. Some of the characters were perhaps a little exaggerated, however this worked well in order to emphasise the plot. It is undoubtedly impossible to fit all the intricate details of the novel into a two-hour performance and therefore gave the impression of being slightly rushed but the omitted characters and rearrangements of events lost none of the wit and passion from this skilful adaptation.

e term 'Independent' has always been a slippery one, not least now that the truly independent studios that emerged in the '80s and '90s have all been placed under the control of a few colossal corporations. Similarly the Sundance Film Festival, established to promote the work of visionary directors under the restrictions of the Regan government, has now become something of a market place for Hollywood talent scouts. All the more reason, then, that a book like Jason Wood's 100 American Independent Films, published by the BFI as part of their Screen Guides Series, is so important. Whilst Wood's introduction grapples with the paradoxes of the concept of 'Independent' an amusing Preface by Scott McGehee and David Siege!, themselves independent film makers , rescues the book from over intellectualising the subject. It does this by playfully providing a satiricallist of rules that an Independent film must follow including " Rule no. 9: The film has no special effects. If it does have effects, they are not special." The Preface thus serves to bring to our

attention the> futility of the project of attempting to.cla. ' "' Âˇ -r. ething as loosely defined a s lndepende, C.r ~ ma, which needs a degree of unpredictability in order to function at all. On the whole the book is successful and its focus on recent and popular films, as well as cult films such as Dawn of the Dead, that have gone some way into infiltrating the mainstream, is a welcome strategy for appealing to wider readership. To counter claims of reductionism Wood has done well to contextualise each film within a relationship of influences, which demonstrate that his selection is by no means authoritative or absolute. Indeed there are some important names missing, such as Richard Linklater, who has arguably done more for cinema in terms of refreshing its forms through experimentation than any number of directors who are included in the selection. However the book doesn't set out to be authoritative, unlike the work of the critic David Thompson. Although such listing projects , of which this is an example, could be seen as mere auterist snobbishness, some-

thing Wood largely manages to avoid, they are vital in terms of establishing and negotiating a canon of work, which in turn is vital for recognising film as an art form and for beginning to challenge the dominance of Hollywood. In this case Wood's greatest claim for the importance of independent film is incredibly modest , merely reco.g nising the importance of an experimental counter movement to the mainstream, which goes some way towards injecting variation into the fixed genres of Hollywood.

e western is often cited as one of the ey g enres in film h ist ory and also emains a firm fan favourite. Horizons West is an example of a book that tries to cater to both tastes. The original was first published in 1969 and this updated version has seen many changes, however the focus remains on the western genre as essential film topic. With analysis of the work of some of the most renowned directors , from John Ford to Sergio Leone, the issues surrounding westerns are discussed both through practical analysis and in the form anecdotes. Though not targeted specifically at the casual reader, those who persist are greatly rewarded with a selection of inside knowledge of the workings and evolution of both the Hollywood and the

"Spaghetti" western. The book starts of with a guide to understanding and appreciating the western before delving into more focused study of the individual directors and actor (as only Eastwood is deemed to have made enough of an impact on the genre to be worthy of study). The first chapter makes links to how other genres have been impacted by the western, how the modern western differs from the classical western and the importance of understanding westerns in terms of social implications (such as views on sexism). The following chapters are then broken down through readings of the directors films in terms of their individual contributions to the western genre and to film as a whole.

The books appeal is either to fans of the western genre or to those who enjoy the study of film , but at times it seems like the emphasis focuses to much on one or the other. This can become annoying when certain films seem to receive more of an analysis than others. The other major discrepancy is the amount of space allotted for different directors within the book. John Ford is allotted the lion share of analysis and study, whether or not this due to his reputation or simply to the volume of films he has created is unclear. Overall the balance of content and style is manageable making it for a reasonable read .But it may not be a case of a cover to cover, rather something you will pick up and scan for reference or enjoyment from time to time.

e biggest drawback for any student eading Hannah Adcock's 20 Something s the inevitable sinking feeling it induces. It is essentially a guide to the wilderness years that 20 somethings populate, the time where most of us will drop off the end of the higher education conveyor belt and into the chasm of full time work, debt and no more cheap beer. The drive towards a dream job the reader has, just provides greater hopes for this book to dash, or at least put a significant dent in. With this said however, this is a necessary process for us all, and 20 Something

manages to take this task upon itself with charm and humour. 20 Something concerns itself largely with the perfectly qualified and resilient graduate who, despite their blood sweat and tears , has fallen at the feet of mister big wide world. This approach is balanced with advice from Jarnie Cullum, Ian Hislop and The Sun's 'Dear' Deidrie about their lucky breaks. The book is also peppered with comic strip style illustrations and each chapter begins with a recommended song, book and film to help demonstrate its topic. It's the small touches like this

that prevent 20 Something from becoming one of the preachy handbooks found in careers centers, which it is in serious danger of doing at some points. The best thing woâ&#x20AC;˘.1ld be to buy 20 Something in the hope that you may never have to call on its advice, safe in the knowledge that it's there should you ever need to. It provides an interesting rea d for what it is, but ultimately its best received when you've found yourself in some of the sticky situations it describes rather than allowing it to rain on your parade before you 've even had it.

Dance Review. Alex Flux sees En-Trance

03.11.04

n-trance is the new dance show produced by ACE Dance and Music, which was brought to Norwich by NEAD (Norfolk Education and Action for Development) as one of their events for Black History Month. The theme of the show is the progression of trance music from ancient to contemporary society, which is split into three acts . The first act is called EnTrance, a simple play on words , which deals with the sacred space, an idea taken from the Benin peoples in Western Africa, where forest clearings outside of villages are believed to hold spiritual powers. The six dancers are enlivened by the power of the space, at once in fear and awe of the energy that possesses them. The next act

before the interval, Fleshless, relates to the struggle between two spirits where only one may exist and the act finishes with one spirit crawling away in defeat. The third act is explained by choreographer Gail Parmel as being about people being subconsciously entranced by the modern world, as the dancing resembles more and more that of dancers in clubs. The music director !an Parmel has made a brilliant contribution to the overall atmosphere, creating a varied mix of modern house and trance music with more traditional beats and rhythms, accompanied by the voice of Denise Gordan. However, the success of the show comes from the combined ability of everyone involved in creating a vivid and memorable event.

-----------------------------r TV Preview: Road to Nowhere 7b Nowhere will be no exception, with rumours of scenes including Max taking his height impaired girlfriend to the cinema with hilarious consequences, and both of the hapless doormen inadvertently finding themselves starring in a gay porn film. For Kay, there's little riding on the success of this show. He's already hugely successful, has sold over a million DVDs and entertained at sold out venues right across the country. With such an impressive track record, he has more than a little reason to be complacent. Let's hope, for our sake, that this isn't the case and Road 7b Nowhere is every bit as fresh and funny as the rest of Kay's resume.

D1g1ta1 17

TV DVD: Bill Bailey

You can't go wrong with novelty glasses

ollowing the success of Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights and Kay's two live stand-up DVDs and no doubt spurred on by the cult following of his spoof documentary series That Peter Kay Thing, Channel 4 have commissioned the Bolton born funny man and his comedy partner and long-time pal Patrick McGuinness to star in their own spin off show Road 7b Nowhere. The series, set to begin on the 12th November, is, like Phoenix Nights, written by Kay and follows the club's clueless bouncers Max and Paddy as they take to the road in their camper van. Fans of Phoenix Nights will know that, when Peter Kay is in charge of writing the scripts, anything, including exploding rubber phalluses, can happen. Road

ixing stand-up and music, Bailey describes how vegetarianism can sometimes lead to genocide, ponders whether the receptionists and caterers at the 'Axis of Evil' are themselves evil before finally declaring that "there is more evil in the music charts than an al-Qaida suggestion box" . While Bailey's jokes are funny, it is his musical routines that really stick in the mind. Songs about refraining from porn, an apocalyptic adaptation of the BBC News theme and a brilliant hardcore trance version of the Hokey Cokey clearly prove he's more than JUSt a simple stand-up. Extras on the DVD include behind the scenes footage and a video diary taken on tour that ends up becoming a survey of tea and coffee making facilities in hotel bedrooms. Quite simply, Bill Ba1ley Live - Part Troll should be in everyone's DVD collection.

Jldam Burton

Soap News: Hollyoaks and Neighbours

Rob Chilver

2DTV aving gone to college with the rest of her Hollyoaks cronies, it seems that Lisa Hunter's 'little girl' image is well and truly dead and buried. Despite the fact that the new man in her life turns out to be none other than her lecturer, she wastes no time in using her feminine wiles to convince him to give her a part in the college play. Is the poor girl unaware of student/teacher relationship policies? Surely she would do better to rely on her errrr... acting skills? Elsewhere in the Hollyoaks village, Lee 's burning passion for absent Abby results in him resorting to pyromania, as his bonfire night plan catches on faster than he anticipates. In Ramsey Street this fortnight, things are looking bad for Jack.

Concerned by his inability to stay clean, Steph forces him to go cold turkey at the Hoyland's house with squeaky clean Summer as his warder. Just when he thought things could get no worse! Meanwhile PC Stuart falls for Olivia and is devastated to discover her criminal activities. Will he turn her in? New girl on the street Lana makes a less than impressive first impression on Sky and Serena when she reveals that she knows dodgy photographer Chris Cousens. Fiery as ever, Sky gives her a roasting she won't forget in a hurry. Izzy's secret grows ever closer to discovery when Karl finds her, passed out, lying on the floor of their love nest. One wonders why he's so worried, the devious wench is always lying. Martha Hammond and Kim Howe

Digital Stuff: Cybercandy www .cybercandy.com nyone who has ever found themselves watching American telly and wondering what on earth a "nkie is needs to visit Cybercandy. With an impressive selection of not only tasty treats from the US but around the globe, the site is a must for anyone with a sweet tooth. Even the briefest glance over the Cybercandy catalogue will leave you disappointed with the measly display of penny sweets your local newsagent has and setting your sights on the syrupy spoils it has to offer. Don't be misled by the name, Cybercandy also has a wide selection of

drinks not available in these fair isles. Anyone remember Tab? Well they've got it! For anyone who doesn't, Tab was Coke's attempt at a spin-off product that

never really took off over here but wasn't without its admirers. In fact , many of the products Cybercandy stock are vaguely familiar to any sweetie fan, but have slipped off UK shelves. â&#x20AC;˘ The site is certainly worth a look, if only for the novelty value. Avid confectionary fans may also like to know that Cybercandy has set up shop in Coven! Garden, with details on the site. While many of its better known items are slowly becoming available over here, there are still odd items of sheer brilliance that you just wouldn't find elsewhere. Chocolate worm anyone?

DW. that uber topical animated series, can always be relied on to make the deepest punctures in the egos of the various notso-luminaries it selects as its victims. Unfortunately, the DVD suffers from just how topical the show strives to be. In hindsight a lot of the jokes miss the mark, unless you caught the show when it was on air. With this said, the awful idiocy of most of 2DTV's characters has a timeless quality to it. George Bush will always been a laughable buffoon, after all. The DVD itself has its fair share of goodies for you to sink your teeth into including The Rudest Ever 2DTV Sketch, uncut of course. It's worryingly easy to while away the best portion of an afternoon with episode after episode slipping by, which is a good measure of quality for any TV DVD. The series has definitely earned its position as the most popular UK animated series, and has spawned many similar shows with a similar panache for kookie humour. A valuable part of any comedy fan's DVD collection.

KateBryant

03.11.04

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18 Send contributions to: concrete.event@uea.ac.uk and/or contributions@dittomagazine.com

Marbles I

Clicking through your brain.

A decoration suspen ded In a vitreous orb; refracted; Never fully born.

Marbles I l l

Rolling round the playground, we click Against each other; Push hands hard through glass Only to encounter The inside of outer limits. Butting like this , we know others Through re sistance; are touched By distortions; Held at a distance.

Marbles 11

Here we watch them play, Cupped in mystery hands Which open, like an earthmover, Crashing down a heavy hail: the marbles Trace a comet tail of sound As they arrange -

They roll along the tongue: Obstinate gob-stoppers: mar ble-poems; A refracted core decoration; A teasing invitation.

Cinema City

Union Films

LTI

We climbed and saw How mist , after a storm, Gathers a moment over mountain poplars Then lifts, Scattering beyond recall At midday, In the stillness of Lacro9e;

The best, we hope, Is the balance of word-marbles On the tongue: the poem The fraction of a moment Poised before Collapse, already begun.

Carandiro 12/ 11 / 04

American History X 04/ 11/04 Twilight Samurai 05/ 11/ 04 Spiderman 2

Tuscan Sun

Equally contained: The nucleus of words; Half-life of a worn-down world.

11 / 11 / 04

Special Screenings (see pg3)

Rolling and re-rolling, We still wait here, Playing for the bre akthrough shatter Of an outer sphere.

"To have squeezed the universe into a ball To roll it towards some overwhelming question."

Spat on the page, you pick them up To roll around your mouth; Slightly warmer now, maybe , but nonetheless Unable to reduce. There all the same. Pre ttily resisting; unknowable; restrained.

With each word a marble rolls Into the head. The clicking collisions Move to tuts , laughs or sighs , or miss. Forming and reforming.

The Incredibles 08111/04 (UCI Riversid e) The Manchurian Candidate 17111104 (UCI Riverside)

Hero 04/11104 The Life and Death of peter Sellers 04/11104 Supersize Me 04/1 1104 De-Lovely 07I 11104 - 08/ 11104 Dead Man's Shoes 07/ 11104 Ae Fond Kiss 07111 / 04 - 08/ 11104 Vodka Lemon 14/ 11104 - 15/1 1/ 04 Inside I'm Dancing 14/11104 - 15111 / 04 Girl with a pearl Earing 14/11104

All of summer to come

NH04

Released this Week

The Thrills 13/ 11104 Embrace 1711 1104

Bad Santa 0511 1/ 04 Birth 05/11104 The Grudge 05111104 Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason 1211 1/ 04

The Waterfront Ed Harcourt 0311 1/ 04 The Black History Month Finale 04/1 1/04 [SPUNGE)+Whitmore+Solarbeat+Phinius Gage 07111104 lfell Is For Heroes 08/ 11 / 04 Dr Feelgood+Razorsharp 14111 / 04 The Damned 17111 / 04

UEALCR The Rasmus (Sold Out) 03/11104 Pam's House 0611 1/ 04 Next Big Thing 07/ 11/ 04 Amy Winehouse 10111 / 04

1!l'~Ufh .

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