The event issue 233 20 10 2009

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Any UEA student can submit a motion to make some change . lt might propose new policy, a different way of representing students, or a change in the way we deliver a service. The proposals should be ideas that will make a change and benefit all students.

If you think you have someth ing you want to change pop upstairs in Union • House to chat to an Executive Officer or email su .comms@uea .ac.uk and . • • • · · · we 'll give you some guidance. .• ,; Deadlines for submissions is 21st October at midday For more information visit www.ueastudent.com/count

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We take a peek inside the wardrobe of Mimi GastonKennedy as she reveals her favourite outfit.

N A~ l [> Mimi Gaston-Kennedy

(Olll!SE> American and English Literature

WilY I ( llosr TtllSO trrnT> I like structured looks and masculine pieces which can look very fem inine

Dt:Srtlll!E Yolll! STY! t:> No patterns or bright colours!

L wol llllrt: SIHll'/ L\1!11 > Koh Sam ui in Covent Garden, because it has the most amazing collection of pieces from different labels that you can 't get anywhere else, and lots of graduate fashion pieces which are handmade and one of a kind . r ,\\'( li 'I!ITE Dt\ IC:\IJ! > Miu Miu and Chanel r ,\\'OI 'IIIrt: \V,\111!1101![ lm l > All my shoes WII A.I L \SIIIO:\ ~ll:.r\:'\':\ To ~ 11> it's a great way to express yourself everyday, and what I wear often reflects how I feel or where I' m going.

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This issue students shout out about what item in their wardrobe they just can' t live without .

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My favourite item of clothing is my 'Pippa' skinny jeans from Topshop; these skinnies have saved the day oh so many times!

I love these jeans for so many reasons; first of all, they fit like a dream! They hug every curve and never lose their shape; if you want them extra tight, tumble dry them and they suck in every part that wants (or needs as the case may be) to be hidden. At the same time, they are so comfy and durable you can wear them around the house (they are more forgiving on various stains because they are so dark). They're not a total mission to put on, unlike some skinnies I've encountered in the past, where getting them on is harder than getting Jodie Marsh to put her melons away.

But by far, the very best thing about my skinnies is that they can make any outfit. On their own with a t-shirt, they look great for the casual look, but team them with a pair of amazing six inchers and a glitzy top, you're ready for a night out without looking o.ut of place.

I love my skinny jeans!

Georgina Wade 1st year Law

Bought after a bad day at work around a year ago from Kurt Geiger, my black, patent, 7" heels are never going to win a prize for individuality. But who cares, I love them.

Whilst their main colouring is understated, ensuring they go with any outfit, the gold stiletto screams, 'look at me.' They're the Megan Fox of shoes; elegant yet incredibly sexy. When I wear them out people take a second look at them . At £130, they were a bit on the expensive side for a humble student. However, that fateful day I lived by the mantra of Oscar Wilde, 'anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.'

Their seven inches would make even the stumpiest legs look amazing. Personally, at an already tall 5'8", I don't love them for the generous extra height they possess. I love them for the feeling I get when I wear them. There's something magical about the sense of power you assume when wearing spectacular shoes . Bette Midler once said, 'give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world', and I think she was about right.

Hannah Britt 1st year English and Creative Writing

S~1AIH SP[NDING This is a website set up by Michelle Dewberry who won "The Apprentice" a few years ago. Alongside her 'chief chiconomista' Samantha O'Neill, Michelle insists on getting the best deals online and on the highstreet to pin up on Chiconomise. With discount

vouchers, special offers, promotional codes and special tips in fashion, food, beauty, living, travel, and general lifestyle, it highlights when sales start in big brand shops and advertises the latest deals and discounts on offers.

Offering a free newsletter

every week with '6 of the best' tips in lifestyle, food, drink, and going out, and a 'we love' section, highlighting a special find for the week, Michelle is saving you pennies in her 'chiconomy' for a stylish life for less. www.chiconomise.com

Saturday lOth October saw Norwich's biggest fashion swapping event hit the Congregation Hall; a 'style revolution' of clothes and accessories being swapped and swished between the fashionistas who attended.

Organisers Claire and Val, and Nicky Stead from the UEA Conference Office, had the mammoth task of sorting, sizing and tagging clothes for the swap .

Each item was given points from 1-10 relating its wear-ability; e.g. a black wrap around dress would be 10 as you could wear it to any occasion and with anything, whereas an item that was dubbed 'The Joseph' (a black, oversized, knit jumper with thick piped colours in bright shades) was a 3, being suited to a few people with a unique sense of style . Each 'swapper' or 'swish er' had a budget of points to spend, which was given to them by the points of the clothes they brought to be swapped . Val said, 'We didn't want it to look like a jumble sale so were pleased with the selection of clothes from th~ swappers.'

The event saw a huge array of pieces, from a Burberry trench, Versace hats, Zara blazers, French Connection dresses, to highstreet labels such as H&M, Topshop, New Look, River Island and Monsoon .

The only drawback was the balance of sizes; a very small section for 6-8 and 18+, as the majority of clothes were 10-14, and the range qf male clothing was minimal. However, there were tables lined with bags, shoes, scarves and jewellery, and a large selection of accessories . There was also a very limited men's section.

The event's agenda started with a few speeches from Claire and Val followed by Wham singer Pepsi cutting the red ribbon on the event. Swishers and swappers then had an hour to browse; they could try on items but had to put them back until the Grab section, a 30 minute frenzy of grabbing, was announced. The crowd of manic swishers ran to rails and quick as a flash tables were bare and the railings were emptied within 30 seconds. Even 'The Joseph' had gone, it was picked up by Louise Murray who said, 'I love bright colours so was instantly attracted to it.'

Along with the main swapping of clothes, there was a makeover, a raffle, music from a DJ, advice from hairdressers, make-up artists and stylists, and free goody bags . The swishers ranged from students, mothers, lecturers, mature women and the odd man or two . Amongst the crowd was Siobhan Munroe who teaches Italian at UEA. 'As a student I've sat exams and as a lecturer I have supervised exams, but I definitely prefer swishing and swapping in this room.'

The Style Revolution concept relies heavily on word-of-mouth advertisement so I recommend it to all of you fashionistas out there. The next event at UEA Congregation Hall is 28th November for occasion wear; so dust down those cocktail dresses and bring them along to hunt down fabulous frocks for Christmas and New Year parties.

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A RT > R[VJ[\V> SCUlPTlJl{[ ;\NJ) ARCIHTfCTUJ~J~ J\ROUNl) Cr\~JPUS David Biggins finds out Moore about art on campus If you are looking for a bit of art and culture on the UEA campus then you don't have to look around for very long. We're very lucky to have our own gallery on campus, the Sainsbury Centre .

However, not all of the "art" around UEA is as obvious. Directly outside of the centre, for example, are two hol low bronze figures with seemingly no explanation as to their origin - there is certainly no informative plaque! Admittedly if you popped back inside the Sa insbury Centre they wi ll te ll you that the scu lptu re is by the late abstract artist Henry Moore who is world famous and has similarly odd pieces located all over the globe. it's enough to

make you feel guilty for not knowing more about the campu s.

So why not go and investigate some of it ? Almost in sight of the Moore sculptures, and just in front of Norfolk Terrace,

there is an eq uall y odd -looking object that, from afar, looks like a single flowing piece, vaguely mirroring the ziggurat building that it stands before. Upon closer inspection it becomes clear that there are in fact multiple levels to the sculpture and that it is in fact fully three dimensiona l. You wi ll also discover that beyond a vague engraving (simply: 'IT') there is, again, no plaqu e to explain exactly what thi s piece of art is in aid of. So what is it all about?

The sculpture, 'Proximity', was created in France over the course of two years and laid to rest at our university in 2006. it is named 'Proximity' because not all of the pieces actually meet (they are, unsurprisingly, in proximity to one another).

Tyson had been commissioned to create something in memory of the influential philosopher liham Dilma , a man who spent much of his academic life writing about Sigmund Freud's work. it is the refore fitting t hat a career devoted to exploring the concepts such as the duality of self is remembered through such a complex structure. In Tyson's own word s: 'I like it as a piece, I think it works. I'd gone to a great deal of trouble to make a piece of scu lpt ure whic h wo rked as a piece of scu lpture but also had sympathy with the architecture surrounding it .'

The story behind the ziggurat's architecture (a s well as much of the rest of campu s) is equally interesting, as it wa s des igned by the "Brutalist" Denys Lasdun who also designed similar buildings for Cambridge and Leicester Universities as well as, more famou sly, the National Theatre in London . His intenti o n had been to create a campus whe re nothi ng was more t han five minutes walk away from anything else with a compact design layered by

mu ltipl e wa lkway s.

So next time th at you are feeling th ankful that that mind melting lecture was happily ju st a ston e's throw away from th e bar - you ' ll now know who to thank.

liTrRATU I~r > RfVII\V> Tnf llfATS:A GRAPHIC lltsTonv Alec Plowman discovers what happens when two underworlds collide Thumbing through the pages of The Beats: A Graphic History, (as the title suggest s, a vi sual biography of th e key figure s of the beat movement), it becomes apparent that a book of thi s nature could only re ally have found a place in the market at the end of the 2000s. Even ten years earlier the proj ect might have seemed unfeasib le. Turn back time to 1999 an d the graphic nove l medium is still very much perceived as an underground concern .

The X-Men motion picture is a whole year away and Batman 's latest mainstream outing (1997's Batman and Robin) has been consigned to the history books as one of the worst fi lms of al l time . To popular publi c con sen sus, comic books are still kids stuff.

2009 and a Dark Knight later, what was once pulp is now chic.

Hipste rs wear Iron Man em blazoned across H & M skinny fit vests and the Sunday Times runs articles on themes of existentialism in the works of Alan Moore. Comic books are legitimate cultural capital, and that The Beats has found an existence seem s testament to this . As its black and yel low cover scheme suggests, the book is a kind of Dummie's Guide to the Beat movement, focu sing in particular on figurehead s Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs and Al ien Ginsberg, w it h smal ler sections dedicated to some of the footnotes in the culture's history. Spearheaded

by Harvey Pekar and Ed Piskor of American Splendor fame who are credited for the majority of artwork and writing, a team of co ntri buto rs are responsib le for the pletho ra of append ices t hat supplement t he main readi ng.

As the Dummies aesthetic and detailed subsections suggest Th e Beats reads as much like a textbook as it does a graphic novel.

Pekar tel ls t he story of t he trials, tri bulations and heartaches of the writers in question with a documentary voice, and a kind of concise detachment permeates the sections of the book he

helms. Piskor's economically il lustrated and clean framed panels further give the impression that The Beats is an objective rete ll ing rather than an impassio ned appraisal. Insta nces such as the death of Burroughs's wife in a drunken game of William Tell , for example, are touched upon as mere occurrences rather than instances of great emotiona l significance, sped past as the next event hurtles into being. While th is might seem a criticism , it is this rapid pacing that keeps the reader engaged through the book's 193 pages.

The book's afo rementioned appendices are much like a collection of visual essays and their documentation of some of the less explored aspects of Beatnik culture brings a substantial depth to the overa ll content. A mishmash of aesthetic styles leaning from the hyper-rea listic to expressionist rep resentation, these short snippets render conceptions of countercultural experience in a way that makes them seem fresh and relevant to an audie nce experiencing them some 50 years later, and it is in the se section s that the personal touches which are thin in the main body of work make an appearance . The voices given to some of the movement's bit players serves to enhance the central content, the doc umentary and more individ ual narrati ves creating a fu ller manifestation of the beat ethos.

The Beats: A Graphic History is an intriguing examp le of the potentia l for com ic book media in the 21st Ce ntury. As much a textbook as a wo rk of graphic art, the book's merging of textbook and comic strip codes and aesthetics is an engaging event and one w hose potential can hopefully pe rmeate into future graphic novel formats.

The Beats: A Graphic History is ava ilable from Souvenir Press Ltd RRP ÂŁ12

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TIIIATRt:> PRI~VI£W> 0UR CoUNTRY's Gooo Laura Riggs previews Drama Sac's upcoming production

From tomorrow the 21st of October until Friday the 23rd, the UEA Drama Sac will be performing their newest addition to a wealth of previous notable dramas such as Sweeney Todd, and Shakespeare's The Tempest . The 1988 Laurence Olivier Award winning play: Our Country's Good, adapted from the novel by Thomas Keneally and eloquently dramatised by Timberlake Wertenbaker, sees the Drama Society take a step towards less renowned theatre and present the story of the first group of

convicts (whose crimes aren't particularly heinous) and Royal Marines to be sent to Australia by the British government in 1789 as part of the first penal colony.

With tensions such as the divided plot, due to the leading authority figures differing approaches to the treatment of the convicts, bringing a transcendental aspect to the play of whether the judicial system should discipline or redeem the prisoners . lt is not only relevant with contemporary politics but also based in historical circumstances.

Wertenbaker's adaptation is at risk of being somewhat patriotic if it weren't for her painting a broad human canvas including the convicts themselves, hardened and animalistic- or so they seem to many of the officers assigned to guard them.

Captain Arthur Phillip thinks otherwise though, and encourages 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Clark (played by first year Tom Wingfield) attempt to create a production of George Farquhar's restoration comedy, The Recruiting Officer, a daunting task to say the least bearing in mind that a few of the prisoners/players are accused of crimes and sentenced to whippings, trials and hangings during the course of rehearsals.

Still, the show goes on .

However, the story is not simply about the cruelty, sweat and toil that built this country, although whips, chains and the

hangman's noose are intrinsic to the scenario. Broadly, the play is about the triumph of the human spirit against the force of oppression, and the metaphor for that is theatre itself, and it is through this medium that knowledge of human nature is acquired and the transformative power of art discussed, offered as educative and restorative.

In a place where, as Kenneally wrote, "to be a person under sentence was the normal thing and to be a free man abnormal," it is not only t-he convicts - low lives who begin with no more dignity than animals - who achieve humanization. Many of the King's officers become touched and awakened by the spirits of those they have tried to subordinate.

So, if you are after a poignant yet upHfting but also a touching yet comic experience, with scenes of an amorous nature thrown in for good measure, this all encompassing piece of theatre promises a wide appeal and to be well worth a watch .

Our Country's Good runs from Wednesday 21st until Friday 23rd of October starting at 7.30 at the UEA Drama Studio. Tickets are £5 and £3.50 for concessions. Available now from the Box Office.

D ANC[> N[iD TO KNOW>RURL[SQU[ Teaserama, in which she appeared with Bettie Page.

Another made famous by burlesque was Lily St. Cyr. She made her name through a series of acts such Gqdde~ in which she pretended to make t. rent burlesque revival was pioneered e ~-1990s by troupes such as The Velvet er Bfd.Pesque in Los Angeles and independent "Jii!!UB~.g1r~ho wanted to bring back the glamour he gobd old days. iTie new burlesque, or 'neo ~rl~que' as it is widely referred to, whips up I' se, ~aba et, elaborate costumes and props, e usual element of humour. Shows Q ldwide and well known modern or er e,~nd of course Dita Van Teese. Currently the Unite Kingdom burlesque scene is going strong and forever growing. Unlike strippers, burlesque as the infamous Gypsy Rose Lee. Lee, who ~(it on performers place an emphasis on the 'tease' rather han the 'strip' and often perform for fun rather to become a film actress was one of burlesque's first stars. She was famous for bot h her witty; sh~ t an to make a living. Performers will often strip humour on stage, as well as her seductivE\ Q.f down to the infamous nipple tassels aQd knickers, though are never fully nude. striptease.

Attitudes towards females expressing their Not all understood the foundations of sE!XualitY have become a great deal more relaxed, burlesque, indeed, many saw the whole idea as and with the introduction of the London Burlesque obscene, leading to a large scale crack down on Festival in 2007, many clubs, music venues and burlesque clubs in the 1930s.

However, by the 1950s, burlesque had become even gyms cover the art of striptease. So ladies, find a mass-media phenomenon. Classified as exotic or your feathers and sparkle up your bras, because it foreign, mainstream·magazines such as NewS'feek appears that Norwich has a burgeoning burlesque reported about the burlesque shows in Las Vefftr, of scene.

Rosie Barcroft Paris, burlesque had now become synonymous wi For Burlesque in Norwich check out: the female striptease. www.kittygolightly.com One of the 1950s biggest burlesque stars was (Workshops/Events) Tempest Storm, famous for her curvaceous figure www.hocuspocustheatre.com and flame-red hair. She was dubbed 'The Girl with (Burlesque/Cabaret in Norwich) the Fabulous Front'. Storm enjoyed a long-te(!!l

These days burlesque conjures up images of feather boas, sequined bras and of course the raven hair of Dita Von Teese. However, before Dita started gracing magazines and dazzling audiences with her martini glass routine, burlesque was a form of entertainment virtually unknown to the masses.

Before it became associated with strip tease, eighteenth century European burlesque was a form of humorous and exaggerated musical theatre, often. parodying an existing play in a daring style. lt wa only in twentieth century America that striptea became an important part of burlesque'Cis it today. Originating in vaudeville ana mus· entertainment, early American burlesqu would feature striptease and comic p

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career, starring in many striptease films such as

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Traffic Here we go in the flow, ga ining speed that's what I need.

Oh no ! Coming to a stop again!

Red, Amber, Green, Go! Why does it always seem so slow?

Cars, Lorries, Bikes, a like, perhaps I should have taken a hike?

Moving in and out of different lanes, would I have trouble if I took a plane ?

Hooray, I am coming to an end but I shouldn' t have taken that last bend .

Daphne Edwards

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OILING Ill[ WII[[LS or Ill[ CoM[DY V[IIICL[>JI-I[ ART or STtwART L[[ This week, George Gilbert explores the work of comedian Stewart Lee, a cult figure with a particular appeal for those who like their comics a little more dark and subversive.

The date was January 2007; the time of the Celebrity Big Brother scandal, when a pair of halfwits launched a racist attack on a fellow housemate, attracting headlines all around the world, and promptly spawning well in excess of 44,000 complaints from the public to Ofcom alone. Amongst the gushing torrent of verbiage and platitudes, many of them approaching the original tirade in terms of the force of unwarranted rhetoric and hyperbole present, the scandal brought forth this press statement from the show's sponsors, the earphone Warehouse.

"Racism ... is entirely at odds with the values of the earphone Warehouse". Now, if the almost parodic use of the word 'values' doesn't sound quite right in your mind, then you would do well to seek out the comedian Stewart Lee. If the statement seems unintentionally amusing to you, chances are that you already have.

Stewart Lee is a comic who takes a playful delight in irreverance, but there's much more to him than just that. Lee believes it is his job to challenge both the lionisation of cultural mediocrity and the transparency of the dishonest hypocrisy that defines our celebrity obsessed time. Unusually, rather than stating

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the particular advantages of him in particular pointing out the plainly ridiculous, Lee realises it is part of the general futility of being a cult comedian. He was recently quoted as saying, "I'm an overweight, greying, middle-aged man in a suit that obviously needs letting out. I don't have any power, so there wouldn't be any skill in crushing me". In essence, any comic is a bauble.

Shiny and decorative, but pointless. Think of the trends that define the nation's comic sensibilities. Peter Kay was behind the surreal and superb Phoenix Nights, but also behind the poorly received Britain's Got The Pop Factor, and Possibly o New Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice (and do not be fooled by the verbose title; it isn't funny). Similarly, flavour of the moment Michael Macintyre has been working for years, yet has only achieved truly breakthrough fame relatively recently. If it is not only a fickle role, being a comedian is also in essence trivial. Lee knows this, and for all his passionate pathos, his work will, like all comedy, carry a trace of futility about it.

Like eamus' The Outsider, it is this sense of belonging that makes Lee particularly compelling. A supporter of humanism and

democratic socialism, among other things, Lee is brilliant at tapping into the sense of futility in the face of widely supported but abhorrent cultural institutions. The genius of Lee is in the detail, and his ability to tap into a common countercultural consciousness is perhaps unmatched among any other comic. In his recent programme Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, his first show on mainstream TV in almost a decade, Lee mocked subjects such as celebrity hardbacks, the recession and rubbish TV that saturates channels such as E4. "Watching ehannel4 is like a flood of sewage coming unbidden into your own home, whereas E4 is like you've constructed a sluice to let it in". Ironically mocking ehannel4 (which had Lee on its schedule at one stage), was certainly not a lone foray against those who've frustrated him first hand. One of Lee's own books, The Perfect Fool, attracted excellent critical reviews but did not sell huge amounts (as Lee says in his DVD 41" Best Stand Up Ever, "you're just not getting the figures son"), and in a similar vein Lee notes the irony of a book appearing such as The Gospel According To Chris Moyles- a man who, Lee notes, having published now two volumes of his autobiography, " ... has written more than

he's read".

You have probably realised by now, capturing the essence of a comic, especially one who specialises in something as broad as counterculture, is particularly difficult. lt is, however, worth trying, if only to draw some attention to an especially interesting comic who seems to be just slipping b9ck into popular consciousness after a long hiatus after his controversial role as a writer of Jerry Springer: the Opera. Long live Stewart Lee!

up to Rabbit arnd

ree1e ive news <§1 i rrect ffrr<O rnn y0ur Union to ~0ur infoox.

This weekly update will give you all the latest news about whats going on, campaigns, how to get involved and weekly events listings. To sign up send an email with your name and school to rabbit@uea.ac.uk

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LIV£...AND KICKING TII£MS£LV£S The Event looks at the history of live TV screw-ups after a week for the record books.

Derren Brown lo ses fiv e th ousa nd pound s of an unwittin g particip ant 's mo ney o n th e spin of a roul ett e wh ee l, Ant o n Du -Beke j okin gly uses an in credibly vo latil e rac ial slur again st partner Lail a Roua ss in an otherw ise ge ntee l middl e-c lass dancin g com petition and Danni"i Minogu e proves how w ell versed she is in red-top s by witle ss ly que stionin g conte stant Danyl John son 's sex uality inst ea d

You don' t get to be on e of the longest running game shows in the world w itho ut having a few mi shaps and Countdown has dutifully had its fair share over t he ye ars .

Alth ough extremely popular among our fellow stud ents, t he t arget audience of house wives and pension ers in its usual tea tim e slot have force d produce rs to edit out potenti all y offensive content in th e past; only

'too- Loo' \V,\STll [ III ~T

" Oh we' re having a slight penny down he re .. . a slight probl em !" exc laimed form er Blu e Peter prese nter Peter Purves, after Lu lu th e elepha nt defec ated on th e studi o fl oor bac k in 1969 .

Th e long-runnin g BBC chi ldren's programme once starred th e baby eleph ant which has now becom e on e of th e most memo rable pieces of televi sion. Lulu caused chaos. She peed and pooed on th e studio flo or,

for them to be shown later on shows such as TV's Finest Failures and TV M o m ents From Hell . Some clips, such as the lege ndary 'c-word fl aps' inc id en t, have foun d im mense po pul arity t hrough YouTube, w here one recent vid eo has rece ived 56,088 views t o date .

Th e form at of th e show itself, wi th th e supposedly ran dom selecti on of letters for th e boa rd each tim e, co uld cause pote nti ally massive pro bl ems for th e Channe l 4 prod uce rs, whil e a large number of view ers. find such a clea n-cut show go ing so wro ng rath er delic ious to watch. However, whil e in th e past contestants th emse lves would choose swearword s to play t he ga me, th ey w ere qui ckly cut from th e broadcas t co mpl etely in 2008 . The word 'wankers' was merely bl ee ped out.

Wh at is clea r is th at, des pite th e produ ce rs ' best intenti ons, as long as Co un tdown sti ll occupi es its usual daytim e slot th ere is hope th at anoth er hilarious mishap will so mehow find its way on to ou r sc ree ns - even if it 's just our laptops.

Caroli ne Preece

refu sed to leave th e se t with her kee per and t ro d on prese nter John Noakes' foo t in th e process. "Oh get off me foot !" will always be class ic lin es Blue Peter badge holders will neve r forge t, but may be th e tru e humour li es with her keeper wordl ess ly being dragged alo ng the fl oor like a toy fi gurin e as he des perately tri es to gai n co nt rol of t he bea utifu l anim al. Still , on e ca nn ot help but fee l so rry for t he crea ture as she clea rl y doesn't seem to like t he guy and so a kind of ju sti ce see ms to be achi eved when she drags him straight t hrough t he muck.

Hats off th en to John Noakes, as he maintain s a good sen se of hum our throughout an episod e wh ich has becom e a prim e examp le of a show th at tri es to be so ca reful with what it broadcasts being redu ce d to chaos by the introduction of a force of nature ca lled Lulu .

An d as a res ult, you're left with a co mp lete ly unpl ann abl e TV mo ment - wh ich is so often th e best kind of comedy.

Nicol a Pearson

of commenting o n hi s sin gin g.

But rath er th an thi s bein g th e in evit able implosio n of reality TV soc iol og ist s w o rldwid e have bee n prayin g to th e god of hum anis m for, th ese are re ally ju st coin ciding exampl es of a traditi o n of li ve TV blund ering that goes back decade s. From 1969 children 's televi sion t o thi s yea r 's MTV Mu sic Vid eo Aw ard s, fr om intell ec tu al ga me show s to bi scuit dunking

People always wa rn about t he dange rs of workin g with children and anim al s, but wh at t hey fo rget is th at w hil st chil dren and animals mostl y ca use a fe w giggles, adu lts are capabl e of creating a w hole bun ch of co ntroversy.

Whi ch is so methin g MTV found out to th eir cost at t he Video M us ic Awa rd s last mo nth wh en Kany e West bounded onto stage, interrupting Tayl o r Swift 's acce ptance speec h t o tell th e crowd th at Beyonce shou ld have won Best Female Vid eo in stea d of her. Thi s ri ghtly caused a flurry of outraged medi a coverage, as well as a lot of booing from th e astound ed celebriti es att ending th e ce remony.

Wh at should have bee n eas ily fi xed with a simple apology gained a whol e new level of drama, when Barac k Obama was overh ea rd calling West a "j ac kass". Hi s off-the -record co mm ent was pic ked up by a nea rby journ ali st and duly Twittered to th e world . Whil st th e comm en t w as withdrawn an hour la ter, th e dam age had alrea dy bee n done.

chat shows, th ey've always be en at it and wh eth er it 's th e ce lebriti es conspirin g to brin g down televis ion (if not soc iety as a whol e) or ju st an indu stry agree ment to keep Deni s Nord en in work, th e on e th ing that 's for ce rt ain is th at it 's nothin g new. Th e Event open s up th e vault s of TV 's Fin est Li ve Fumbl es to prove it .

;*,'-~1::~'",; ..

~~---~-

Thi s ju st goes t o show that in our techn ologysaturated w orld you don' t eve n have t o be live on air to be cau ght ou t anymore . To all of you with medi a amb iti ons .. . you have bee n warn ed !

Li ndsay Ha rris

\V IT II 1:I]~~ S Ll ~ [ T III~S I~...

Remem ber w hen TV meant pe rfect ly staged lin es, co medy-o n-cue an d not a hai r out of place? Wh en prese nters behaved w it h dignity and poise' Nope, no-one else does eith er, not si nce live TV arrived on ou r scree ns. And one of th e wo rst offend ers is th e previo us ve rsion of This Mo rn in g on ITV. Phi/ and Fern are lege nd ary for being un able to kee p strai ght fac es, and worse, not bei ng able to resum e aft er falling into giggl es like naughty schoo lchi ldren.

Exa mp le: This Morning were coverin g th e typ es of bi scuits vi ew ers like to dunk in their tea. Phi/ revea ls to eve ryon e's 's hock' that he does not like dunking bisc uits. However, wh en th ey talk roas t bee f later on, ignoring all sexual innu endo alerts that ha d to fla re in her mi nd , Fern ca lmly notes, "You don' t mind dunking a bit of beef, th en, do you?" Immature giggling breaks out and not even the sterne st of schoo lmasters could sh ame th em in to silence.

But if th ey were hav ing so many laughs why did Fe rn leave? Rumou rs fly th at her budd y Phi/ wa s getting a third more in his pay-packet.

Fe min is m and pride take hits th ere, as did ITV one assum es wh en Fern .left, lea ving vi ewers w it h the slightly stal er Ho ll y Will oughby.

Phi/ and Fern as a team are sorely mi ssed but their ent ry to the live TV hall of fame is ass ured for all t he wron g reason s, and so me of the right ones.

Sophie Morgan

lelevision

issue233

PRIMITI~1[- [M~IA Austen's classic novel Emma is adapted charmingly under the skilful hand of Sandy Welch. The well-known characters spring to life in this fresh and funny series.

Michael Gambon is the hidden gem of this period piece as Emma's worry-wart father, attempting to ban children from eating cake and complaining endlessly as the times continue to change around him. Romola Garai plays the bright, witty and unashamedly manipulative Emma Woodhouse, spending her time pairing up the residence of Highbury.

There is a delightful scene in which Emma's childhood dolls of a bride and groom fade into the matrimonial ceremony of Anne Taylor (Emma's former governess) and Mr. Weston. Mr Knightley later scolds Emma for treating those around her as she would her play things. Emma however claims to know people - 'their hopes, dreams and aspirations'. She is immovably reassured that all her intrusive actions are for the good of the community. lt is clear that Emma is extremely intelligent and perceptive, yet the viewer is left questioning whether she uses these wits for the betterment of others or herself.

In the midst of a heated argument between the pair, Mr. Knightley exclaims: "lt is better to be without wits than to use them as you do".

Emma rebukes him with lines that would have feminists everywhere raising their hands in triumph. However, there is a suggestion that as the piece goes on, Emma might lose her biting

11

Do\VNLOAD -IIO\V I Mrr YouR MoTII[R wit and fall under the sobering influence of Mr. Knightley. Johnny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightley is a refreshing change from the likes of Hugh Grant in his role as the male protagonist. His stiff back, cynical attitude and straight talking manner contrast perfectly with Emma's reassured attitude and wonderfully expressive features.

In the second episode, Emma's matchmaking plans go awry in her mission to unite the na"ive Harriet Smith and the egotistical young vicar, Mr Elton. Blake Ritson plays his part a little hamhandedly (it is perhaps a little too obvious that his affections lay with Emma and not Harriet) however his style is generally in keeping with the feel of the series which combines a touch of screwball comedy with all the elegance and eloquence of an Austen classic.

Put on your costume drama bonnet and catch this comedy of manners at 9pm, Sundays on BBC 1.

Rebekah McGill

You may have seen Haw I Met Your Mother being advertised on E4 as the new Friends and this may be because Friends has been repeated ad nauseum and now they need a new show to overplay.

This may put you off watching, but fear not, this is definitely not another Friends. The similarity between these shows begins and ends with a group of friends who live together in New York, and have seats seemingly reserved for them at their regular meeting place, because How I Met Your Mother is a much more intelligent take on this friendship dynamic. The wit in the show is so much more than back and forth banter between characters (although that obviously is a big part of the show) but it is the clever editing that makes the comedy unique and interesting.

The manipulation of time is used to such an extent that the self-referential jokes are successfully understood through the five series of the show. lt is possible that the show is so unique because the script is based loosely on the lives of friends, and creators of the show Carter Bays and Craig Thomas. The witty script is never let down by the cast that includes Apatow comedy stalwart, Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshal/ as well as various other bromances) coincidentally playing Marshal!, but even more brilliant is the casting of the famously gay Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson, the most misogynous womaniser in New York.

Not to mention a shout out for Joss

Whedon geeks. Two of the main characters are Whedon regulars: Alyson Hannigan a.k.a Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the awesome Patrick Harris is also Dr. Horrible from Or. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog. And these aren't even the only Whedon stars that appear on the show: Morena Baccarin (Firefly and Serenity), Amy Acker (Angel and Dol/house) and Tom Lenk (Buffy and Angel) and Alexis Denisof (Buffy and Angel- as well as being Hannigan's husband) all

is because they believe they can make it a better quality of drama, with bigger budgets, and turn the series into a cinematic and spectacular long running serial drama in the vein of Lost or 24.

Or could it be with shows such as The Office and now Gavin and Stacey that since the loss of the long-running comedy show Friends and the original Scrubs, America wants to fill a void in the genre of comedy and are looking overseas for the content. Maybe the feeling is that remaking successful British shows is a quick way to gain an audience that has already been established.

Perhaps this is actually a good thing, and it proves that British shows are appreciated so much, but our short series frustrate the American desire for more and so they take the matter in to their own hands. Or the other possibility is that there are just too many money hungry producers that are remaking British shows purely to capitalise on their success.

All these questions only prove that our natural response to this news is 'why'? If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then how come it feels so much like an insult?

to be useless. If you want to make God laugh tell him your plans, but if you want to make everyone else laugh publish your theories about The X Factor.

Last issue Derren Brown was infallible, women on The X Factor were the ones being discriminated against and Anton du Beke was a lovable personality who pushed celebrities thro\)gh polystyrene. it's like trying to predict where a ball will land on a roulette wheel apparently very difficult. At least Derren Brown has the defence that he actually came very

close to doing something that logic dictates should be impossible. Dannii Minogue and du Beke just had to smile and not say anything too stupid .

So when Minogue took up the idiotic torch, the BBC must have breathed a sigh of relief that their rival was competing with them even for controversy. "it's a joke we have" became a popular defence by both parties, seemingly forgetting that this all started because at the time live cameras were pointed at both them and the person supposedly in on the joke and

1

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make cameos.

Even if you're not a Whedon cross-over fanboy/girl, this original take on a group of New York friends will have something for you to enjoy.

Series two is currently showing on E4 at 7.30pm every weeknight, whilst series four is showing in America and hits the usual places Monday nights.

Micha Butler

Natasha Golley

GRAP[VlN[ Weathermen have it easy. Sure they have to forecast the weather to a margin of error matched only by cows in a field, but they do it on TV - a fickle, meaningless medium, unworthy of particularly careful journalism let alone factual accuracies such as whether it will rain or not. Unless you have the end of it recorded because it's just before House the near-miss predictions get lost in time. Now, try putting out a regular TV section that will sit around gathering obsolescence for a fortnight while the passage of TV proves your foresight

I

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'GARTII AND SrAci': LosT IN TRANSATLANTIC Don't look now, but Gavin and Stacey has become the latest British show to be remade by t he Americans. There seems to be a perceived need on US TV for every successful British show to be remade across the pond with a different accent for a different audience. Is this simply because they don't understand the style of the show, the format used, or simply our British humour?

Although surely if that were the case, there wouldn't have been a successful show for American programmers to want to reproduce.

With successes such as Life on Mars, perhaps it

I

in both cases the latter wasn't laughing. it's all rather worrying that TV political correctness seems to have the playground loophole of "we were only playing Miss", because, not to climb on any soap-boxes, but their responsibility is not just to the person standing in front of them but to the minority that person represents.

Next issue there will be a Halloween special - thereby creating the opposite problem by being published on November 3rd.

Josh Butler

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<GAMING> <RrnfWS> KINGDOM llrARTS 35路8/ 2 DAYS When Square Enix and Disney first announced that they were collaborating on an action roleplaying game, it was difficult to gauge the so rt of reaction that the game would have. Could

of the voice cast ha s returned, and while it is used only spa rin gly for key plot points in the cut sce nes, the voice work does much to

a game made by the Disney Corporation have

enhance the gaming experience and provides some of the best and most dramatic scenes

a storyline mature enough for the fans of

of the series. While some of the music has

Square's much lauded Final Fantasy series to

been recycled from previous games, and can

appreciate? Seven years and four games later, the popularity of Kingdom Hearts ha s yet

seem a little repetitive after a while, it exudes

to wane. The newest addition to the series, Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, puts the player

for the first time in the position of Roxas, the "Nobody" of Sora, the series' main protagonist; a sor t of mirror image of Sora, though bereft of a heart and memories. Tetsuya Nomura, director and character designer for the series, has often stated that he likes to keep some aspects of his games unexplained, in order to let the fans make their own interpretations of events, and to keep unanswered questions open for answer in potential seq uels. Until now, Roxas has been one of these unanswered elements of Kingdom Hearts: players of the previous games will

recognise him from Kingdom Hearts 11, where he is the playable character for the first section of the game. 358/2 Days fills in the blanks surrounding Roxas and the time he spent with the shadowy Organization XIII. 358/2 Days is the first of the series to be

released on the OS, and it does not suffer from this, instead taking full advantage of the graphics that this system has to offer. The prerendered cut scenes look every bit as good as those from the PS2, and feature voicework from the original cast reprising their roles. The in game graphics, while they can sometimes look a little jagged, are almost on par with those of the first game, giving the series a sense of continuity and showcasing the graphics that handheld cartridge games have to offer. The sou nd of the game is impeccable too; much

the exube rance of the worlds that the game encapsulates, for example, the music used in Agrabah is distinctly Arabic in theme. The in-ga me sound effects are also superb; every clink of the Keyblade comes clearly through the speakers and greatly enhances combat.

Rather than letting you freely explore the Disney wor lds as in previous games, the gameplay of 358/2 Days takes place through the form of missions that Roxas undertakes with Organization XIII. This can feel quite restrictive at times, especially as many parts of the places you visit are inaccessible in a lot of missions; the point is to complete the objective and get out of there, rather than leave any room for exploration. This adds to the already very linear

where you can play through all of the missions in the game using wireless co-operative play

you are new to the series, therefore, I would recommend playing the other games first, as

feel of the storyl in e, and although there is

with other players. In this mode, it is possible

358/2 Days is primarily concerned with filling

always the option to go back and redo all th e m1ssions you have completed, it does feel like it has taken some of the soul out of the game when you are fac ed with a location like Twilight Town, unable to talk to anyone or explore at

to play as any member of Organization XIII, making use of their different personalities and

your leisure. Further, while the extent to which you can customise Roxas's weapons, magic and equipment is virtually infinite, and allows for all sorts of player preferences as to fighting styles, it can be a pain to have to remember to re -equip items and power-ups every time you embark on a mission. The spells can be quite restricting, but it makes a change from simply hack and slashing with the Keyblade.

As well as playing through the main story, players have the added feature of Mission Mode,

QUAK~ LIV[ The First Person Shooter is a crowded genre, from huge triple-A titles like Call of Duty and Halo, to the more unique and niche titles that take on a different style of play, like Timeshift and Legendary. Before any of these games

existed, there was Quake; a fast paced sci-fi arena shooter, and with Quake Live this hasn't changed at al l.

With such heritage behind its name Quake Live has a lot to live up to, however it is a faithful remake and update of the massively popular Quake 3 game, so you already know that it's going to be good. Quake Live, unlike many other games, is a web browser based game, so it will run on any system as long as it has an internet connection, with the bonus factor that the game is entirely free and already has a huge

user base. With a helpful tutorial session at the start, you are we ll matched against players of a simi lar skill level. Further to this, with the low graphical requirement this is a game that can be played anywhere you can bring your laptop, and is great in short ten minute sessions or even prolonged plays, so it's a great, simple way to keep entertained whilst travelling or just killing time.

With so much on offer for an entirely free game it would be madness to not try it out.

Vaughn Highfield Available on PC Price : Free

abilities, with th e bonus of several unlockab le charac ters from the previous games.

All in all, Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days is a worthy continuation to the series. While the gameplay does suffer from its restrictiveness,

in the blanks, and reuniting the player with familiar cha racters, but looking at them from a new ang le. Overall, an enjoyab le gaming experience that pushes the boundaries of the capabilities of the OS. Hannah Gorton

this is more than made up for by the engaging story lin e and amazing graphics and sound. lt isn't necessary to play the other games in the series first, as 358/2 Days has enough of a substantial story to stand on its own, although it does assume that players are already familiar with the general mythology of the series (for example, there is no real attempt to explain what Heartless and Nobodies are). If

Available on Nintendo DS Price: 拢30

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< lfCIINOLOGY> Kathryn Heuston interviews Elliot lngram, a former UEA student, who is now a Norwich based entrepreneur in the IT industry, whose company specialises in computer repair.

1

[1: it's doing well, I've never really had a quiet moment since I left uni. People always need something doing. There's a surprisingly large demand in Norwich for these services.

1"111 rvr\'"1: How and why did you start I Need A Nerd?

Till [VI:XI: What's the secret to your success?

[1: lt started out because I was doing a lot of work for a friend of the family- web design and fixing things that'd gone wrong. Then it got really annoying, so I decided to use the skills that I had and start up a business. That was in my second year.

LL You've just got to like what you're doing. As long as you've got the ambition and drive to go somewhere with it, there's no reason why you can't. Although good skills help.

·1111 l~\'1"\1: Was it difficult starting your own company?

U: Anyone can start up a company. All you need is a name and a logo and a website. And a phone. I started off using my mobile and moved on from there. it's easy as a student, because you can register as self-employed.

T111 [\'1\'"1: How is the company coming along?

Ever since it was leaked to the Internet on December 27th, 2008, Windows 7 has excited users, with many agreeing it is the Operating System (OS) Microsoft should have released instead of Windows Vista. lt was made available to the public in a limited beta in early January, with only 2.5 million downloads available.

However, after only a few weeks it became clear that interest in the beta was far greater than Microsoft had initially anticipated, and the down load limit was lifted in favour of unlimited down loads. The Release Candidate (the version Microsoft would be willing to retail) was made available in May, and is still being downloaded by users, many of whom claim to have started using it as their primary OS, in favour of preyious versions of Windows; Vista, XP, and so on.

An OS is a type of software that provides an interface through which a user can control a computer system. lt controls the allocation and coordination of hardware and software resources, based on user input, and these are things Windows 7 has been praised for doing very well. Most users experience long boot times with Windows Vista and Windows XP, particularly with versions that have been installed on computers for a long time. lt can take even longer for applications to become responsive and usable after start up. On this reporter's desktop PC, Windows 7 takes less than a minute to boot, load the desktop, and become suitably responsive - a big improvement over the several minutes

I wouldn't be where I am at the moment without the help of the UEA and the Entrepreneur Society (now UEAE).

T111 I~\'1:\'T: Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

TilL I~\'1\'T: Has the recession had any effect on you as an entrepreneur?

[.1: Go for it. Especially when you're a student

U: lt hasn't really. I'm lucky in that IT will grow

-you haven't got a mortgage, you haven't got kids, you haven't got debts that are accumulating interest. There's no reason why you can't get a group of friends together in your flat and see what you can come up with. There's always a niche out there, it's just a matter of finding it.

through anything, really. If you need a pipe fixing, you call a plumber, if you need wiring fixing, you call an electrician, and if you need code fixing, you call us. If you need a computer fixing, you need a nerd.

. Windows 7 Ulttmate

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required for the version of Vista running on the same PC to achieve the same result.

Many may remember the difficult switch over from .XP to Vista . A large proportion of hardware - printers, USB wireless network adapters, you name it - did not have Vista drivers at the time of release, and so users were left with useless devices. This time around Microsoft has learned from its mistakes and has made backwards compatibility a priority.

Windows 7 also makes excellent use of the hardware to which it is applied. This article was written on a four year old IBM ThinkPad T43p -and the OS runs almost just as well as it does

on the modern custom PC it usually resides next to. Demanding applications, particularly games, run without issue on Windows 7, even if they were originally created with Vista or XP in mind.

In past versions of Windows, more and more features were added; Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and so on. However today Microsoft attempts to trim back as much as possible, wary to avoid infringing on anti-monopoly legislation that at one point allowed the EU to place hefty fines on the company and force it to release a different version of Windows XP. As such, Windows 7

T11r [VI\'"1: What makes the perfect nerd?

[1, They need to be technically very, very competent, but at the same time able to speak to customers and relate to them. Which is quite a rare mix.

If you need a nerd, vigit ineedanerd.co.uk or phone 01603858586. There is a 10% discount for UEA students.

will ship in Europe as Windows 7 E, and will not include Internet Explorer 8. This places user· in the unprecedented scenario of being given an Operating System with no Web Browse · with Nhich to download a Web Browser. This prob.em is easily solved by placing the user\ browser of choice on a flash memory drive or other removable storage device and placing it on their computer with Windows 7 newly installed . Microsoft may offer other solutions to this situation.

Even for those that do not much care for getting optimal performance from their hardware, Windows 7 offers eas ier navigating through the reworked task bar, notification area, and Libraries system, and works faster than previous versions of Windows. Windows 7 will be released to the general public on the 22nd October 2009. The Windows 7 Release Candidate will continue to function normally until March 1st 2010. The RRP of Windows 7 Home Edition is £150, although it is available for less than this from some suppliers.

William Moran

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INT[RVl[WS The Event's Carolina Bodmer caught up with Scottish tw ins Charlie and Craig Reid, aka The Proclaimers and Duncan Vicat-Brown chatted with indie band Bombay Bicycle Club.

I II[ PROCLAIM[RS Bombay Bicycle Club are straight out of college

obvious ones, its nice when you go back to the album and you find the best tracks aren't the

Is this your first time performin g at UEA?

then they see you do forty minutes of material,

but are already being hailed as the next great

No, the first time was in 1986, opening for The

and then they come for the whole gig because

indie hope. They first made waves as winners

sing les, ones that you haven't heard on the

off competing bands including The Holloways

rad io. Once you hear it on the radio you kind of lose part of your connection with it.

Housemartins and the last was two years ago. I would say this is probably our fifth time playing

they realise there's eight albums' worth of

of t he 2006 Road to V competition, beating

here. it's a good venue. The sightline is good- as

and earning the opening set at that year's V Festiva l. Now t hey have released debut album,

Are there any th at you wrote w ay back when

superior to the one or two famo us ones. But those one or two songs that you're known for pay your bills and keep you on the road, which

I Had the Blues but I Shook them Loose, to huge

critica l acc laim. Duncan Vicat-B rown met Jack ; teadman (vocals and guitars) and Ed Nash (bass) when their UK tour brought them to

a performer you like to look at all the audience.

material with probably a lot of songs that are

you were playing at school ?

JS: Magnet, we wrote that when we were like fifteen. lt pre-dates the name Bombay Bicycle

Do you ever get nervous before performing?

Yes, especially if we haven't played for a long whi le, if it's the start of a tour, or if it's a really

Wh at 's it like pl aying in your home country,

Club.

big gig or a hometown gig. Once you're into the

Scotland?

tour, you get a bit of nerves, but just enough to get you motivated.

it 's good, it's different in that the crowds are

Where does the name come from? I Googled it

Norw ich. and the first hit is a London Indian Restaurant!

is the most import ant thing.

large r and it can be ve ry, very loud indeed.

EN: We ha d a small list of names and tha t just happened t o be the one we went with. We used

Are you enjoying the UK tour so far?

Scot la nd's been pivot al in the fact t hat we' re able to carry on and tour other places, because

Yes, we've basically bee n on to ur fo r most of

we' re so successful th ere.

t o be ca ll ed Th e Ca nal.

JS: Names suck, bands shou ldn 't have names.

EN : Actual ly the food in that restaura nt was rea lly good, we ended up there by accident.

th is year. Charlie an d I started in Ma rch doing the States; then in April the Scottish dates, then Bestival, another acoustic Ame rican to ur, Canada, the British festivals and then back to

As a band who successfully juggled music and

the States. We got back two weeks ago! But this is nice, playing smaller audiences.

studies, have you got any tips for Norwich's student musicians?

You 've been in Th e Proclaimers for over

EN : (Laughs) We can't give any adv ice because we haven't done anything! Wegot crazy lucky.

JS : Everything seems to have been handed to

twenty years now, how have you managed to st ay togeth er and work so coh esi vely?

Being twin brothers helps! I think we just wa nt

V Festival, 2006 . How was it being onstage at the age of 16, in front of that many people

us on a plate.

EN : Well, musically, and in terms of playing gigs we worked rea lly hard, but other than t hat we did absolu t ely nothing.

to play music and keep doing it. When we get an opportunity, we just push ourselves to take it.

We were unemployed for a long, long number

with that amount of expectation ?

JS: lt was ve ry strange. We got ve ry drunk, as you would, and then found out we had loads of

JS : We weren't out like 'we have to succeed, we have t o succeed'. My best advice would be if you're a student you're obviously young

press to do. So we were just these drunk kids wa nd ering around giggling. That was fun.

enough to take your time. Too many bands are

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard it before?

EN : There was just all this free booze!

What are your plans after the tour? "j;:; :

We're going to record an acoustic album,

made up of new materia l and a few covers.

-We're cove ring a Joanna Newsom track.

Folk, rock'n'roll, country, pop music-based. can certa inly hear the influences of the ot her

to be big. We never set out a goal to get where

genres.

EN: Everyone shop at Soundclash, so it neve r closes!

say, Lamplight.

JS: Well so meti mes it's better not to re lease the

Duncan Vicat-Brown

Mt SICN[\VS>>> ,.,...

Fairly acoustic. it's a rock'n'roll band, but you

How does it feel to have a classic song, I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) that everyone knows,

Any last words?

1

of years and now we get to do this - so I think we can appreciate it more.

in a rus h t o become successful. What's the rush,

What made you decide to rele ase Magnet as a single? lt seems a less obvious choice than,

Days which is getting a fa ir amount of play. Any

airplay of new tunes is a nove lty for us.

why don't you just perfect your songs?

EN : Don' t start a band if you t hink you' re go ing we are now, we did it because we were having a lot of fun .

What will be your next single?

The re's one pitched to th e radio now, which is the title song from the new record, Notes and Rhymes on a doub le A-side wit h Three More

and still listens to today? it's good; it's been ove rall a beneficial thing for us. Often when we play festiva ls, people come along (a bit sceptica l) to hea r one or two tunes,

Both Nouvelle Vag ue and The Twang have had to ca ncel their sho ws at the Waterfront th is mo nth due to illness and unforeseen circumsta nces.

The Twang have now rescheduled their show for the 21st October and all tickets fo r the previous date are sti ll va lid.

Carolina Bodmer

20od·09

T

mUSIC

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15

concrele.music@uea.ac.uk

Nrnr RfLfASfS: AtnUMs TII[ IIOLLO\VAYS

No S0JOKL No MJRI~ORS

The Event first came across The Brute Chorus at a gig in London when they were opening for another band, and surprisingly they seemed to have a lot of support from the crowd. The energy of the band members, the frantic switching of instruments, the incredible stage presence of frontman James Steel and the refreshingly retro, yet modernised, sound of The Brute Chorus' own brand of blues was absolutely enthralling and energised the audience tenfold. it is therefore unsurprising that the band have chosen their debut to be a live release,

recorded in front of a few hundred hardcore fans at the Camden Roundhouse at the start of the year. The immediacy and the rawness of their live show is translated perfectly onto disc; the full band chanting on Send Me A Message and the ethereal screams and clashing guitars at the end of Chateau evoke a real passion in their music. Fan favourite and oldest Brute track She Was Always Cool allows Dave Ferret's fuzz-bass to shine and sees the popular return of the kazoo solo, and The Cuckoo & The Stolen Heart brings Tigs from Chew Lips on stage to share vocals. The ballads Blind Ulysses, Love's Chains and I'm Gonna Shake Your Treehouse Down provide a respite from the upbeat songs on the album, but are in no way less impressive.

Recording an album live, however, does give way for mistakes, and at the beginning of The Ransom, James forgets the lines of the song and stops dead, admitting: "I'm glad it was me who tucked up, I will abuse myself later". Here you see perfectly the carefree mantra of the band who are angry at themselves for ruining a perfectly produced album, but satisfyingly human and genuine enough to include their mistakes.

Alex Throssell

6/ 10

The saccharine pop-rock foursome's second album breaks no new ground, but treads over well worn paths with such a relentless joy that makes it hard to not allow them a little slack over the occasionally lazy song writing.

No Smoke, No Mirrors isn't exactly cutting or fresh, but the ska-inspired riffs and vocal aerobics make it easy to forgive this.

Alfie Jackson and co seem to have mastered the art of making a song that sounds as if it was made whilst falling down the stairs with style. On the Bus at times seems reminiscent of

the recently split cockney duo Chas and Dave, an ode to the ill-minded characters who use public transport- the song doesn't quite reach snobbery but the occasionally hawkish tone doesn't exactly detract from a very middle class sound. The first single from the album Jukebox Sunshine is encapsulated by its inanely positive title; plonky synth sounds and teeth rottingly sweet harmonies stretch over the thread bare subject manner: "I just want to have a good time".

The Holloways are as important cultural commentators as a spoon is a viable tool for excavating oil, but frankly that isn't the point - when the boys do happen upon potentially interesting or contentious subject matter such as in Alcohol they never do deviate from their typical sound, masking any real comment and instead turning the whole affair into a vaguely tongue-in-cheek sing-a-long about having a few too many. This is perhaps a pity, as when they do stretch themselves to sombre, such as in Knock Me Down they don't seem out of their depth.

The pop ballad's airy vocals are complimented by the surprisingly meaty guitar work.

A pinwheel of an album; fun, but a bit flimsy.

Michael Bond

The album begins slowly, building up with Tom Smith's dark, deep and mysterious vocals to a powerful synth and drum beat conclusion .

Bricks and Mortar continues the synth theme, again accompanied with strong meaningful lyrics describing a city, perhaps Stafford where the ban'd originate from . This song is quickly forgotten as Papillon, the first single, really does "kick like a sleep twitch" as Editors new synth/ electric direction for this album is heard in full force. A definite instant, anthemic tune, adding to tbeir growing collection.

The next four tracks, although sounding quite different from one another, fail to live up to the

and missing the instant attraction of previous hits i.e. Bullets, Munich, Smokers etc, they lack energy and leave no impression even after a couple of listens.

The album ends more positively, with Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool showcasing a tribal drumbeat with La Roux-esq. synthesizers and more memorable lyrics: "I give a little to you , I give a little to him, I give a little to her" ; an easy sing-along chorus .

One still gets a feeling that this album fails to live up to the anticipation and expectation as.,. excluding Papillon, it is hard to see any other songs creating the same buzz and hype which surround the band.

Through In This Light and On This Evening, Editors transcend into a more electric/indie genre which includes more synthesizers and less guitar than prior albums. Whereas some will like this new direction, likening them to Joy Division, others will surely prefer their former works and will have to accept that the music scene is turning a significant electronic corner; with bands such as Bloc Party producing more dance-floor-fillers and La Roux reinventing 1980s electro-pop, this album is a steady progression.

Seb Crane _

Holloways HO SMO«t. HO~~~~-

WII[JU: Tu£ WILD TtiiNCS AI~[

\VIJn~1~ TJt[ WILD TnJNcs AI~[

If you're getting tired of the current wave of electro-pop trollops, so-called RnB 'musicians' and watered down rock acts flooding the popular music charts these days, then maybe it's high time you tried something different.

Luckily for you, Karen O's (Yea'h Yeah Yeahs) latest offering in the form of an original soundtrack to the big-screen adaptation of Sendak's critically-acclaimed children's picture book Where the Wild Things Are is a wellversed primer in 'different'. Collaborating with an eclectic mix of current 'in' musicians and an amateur children's choir she manages to craft tracks which range from the subtle and moody

OST

7/ 10

to the downright bizarre.

So what does it sound like? Well, the album is certainly rooted in what could be described as contemporary Western folk music - a basic framework of guitars, drums and piano from which the boisterous vocals of Karen 0 can leap out and kick you in the ears. it's like someone took the anti-folk setting of most modern indie film soundtracks and decided to throw in some Sigur Ros and some Yeah Yeah Yeahs to make it more interesting. Alright, when the children start getting involved it does have a penchant to turn all Sesame Street on you (see All is Love) but funnily enough it actually works. Other tracks include the mellow ballads Hideaway and Worried Shoes which have Karen crooning over some simple guitar and piano riffs respectively; and the more outrageous Animal which combines old -western twang, thumping tribal beats and just general noise making to produce a track which makes you feel like a kid again.

Even out of context, the album maintains a solid sense of direction and is perfect if you fancy kicking back and taking some time out in your own imagination whilst you wait for the upcoming film .

M ark Cheng

l

16

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7I I0 their own identity alongside their numerous contemporaries. This is an album brimming

but the band's twelhh release is all the better for it.

Embryonic is not a concept album but there are a few dark themes wh1ch pers1st throughout

with confidence, and misbehaving boyfriends are told on numerous occasions that foul play will not be tolerated.

The obligatory ballads aren't as memorable as

the eighteen tracks on display; most notably that of a dying ego, evil, and subtle references to the end of the world (The Ego's Lost Stand, Watching The Planets). This is not necessarily

a new addition to the Lip's canon, they have

the up-tempo cuts, but they hit the mark more

a..... l ~l 路

ohen than not. The instantly likeable Deeper,

the only track on wh1ch the girls had creative input, provides a rare moment of vulnerability,

always done doom. The difference however is that now they actually seem to mean it. See The

and Not Got Enough is an epic corker that

Leaves is quite possibly the most sinister track

doesn't so much tug the heartstrings as set fire to them. The album experiments twice with a

that Wayne Coyne has ever written.

:t is safe to say that The Flaming Lips do

compromise to the extent that John McCain does back alley abortions. We are talking here about a band that in 1997 released an album wh1ch was intended to be played on four stereos all at once. Even on the almost feel-good acid pop of Yoshimi Bottles the Pink Robots they

A lot of Embryomc can be characterised as just downright bizarre. That does not mean that it isn't brilliant however Even I Con Be A Frog

In l1ttle over a year The Saturdays have scored

which quite literally features Karen 0 doing animal impressions and Gemini Syringes which

four Top 10 singles and completed a sell-out UK tour, so it's no real surprise that sophomore

includes a guest spot from German math legend

album Wordshoker boasts more of the same punchy electro-pop that's made them one of

Thorsten Wbrmann, manages to fit in incredibly well with what is surely one ofthe finest releases from the Oklahoma band yet. There is nothing

can't seem to help but add a couple of bizarre instrumentals. So it isn't really any surprise that

here that can be classed as easy listening but it is an album which is challenging, rewarding and

aher 2006's At War With the Mystics went a

quite simply stunning.

little too close to crossing the mainstream line, that the Lips return with the psychedelic, krautrocking Embryonic. There isn't a pop hit in sight

Micha el Blu nt

slightly rockier sound - lead smgle Forever Is Over doesn't leave much of a lasting impression;

the country's favourite g1rl bands.

Like last year's platinum-selling Wordshoker

is

packed

with

debut,

sophisticated

lyrics, instantly catchy hooks and plenty of fierce attitude. One Shot and the ferocious title track are two particular highlights; each boasting ludicrously heavy basslines and shouta-long choruses that, crucially, give the girls

Liv拢 MusicTti[

but Open Up, an enJoyable slice of harmless chick rock, prov1des a nice break from all the grinding synths and post GaGa electro tunes.

Wordshoker

-路

We are giving away a pair of tickets to their gig at UEA LCR on Monday 26th October, with support from A Day To Remember.

To enter, just send your name and email address to co ncrete.com petiti ons@ uea. ac.uk by Friday 23th.

as

fresh

as

its

with Sugababes struggling to find a new identlty and Girls Aloud on a twelve-month hiatus, you really can't fault their timing.

Shaun Kitchener

MAtCt\ll[[S> U[A LCR

OcroRf]{

Last term's stop at the Waterfront

vocals always make The Maccabees

saw The modestly

Maccabees play to a s1zed, intimate crowd

a joy to watch. Mory, First Love and Lego, despite being just four years

of around 800 people. They gave

old conjured up a brilliant sense

a stellar performance of all their Colour it In classics as well as fresh

of nostalgia for the long-term fans who Orlando himself comments are

material from second album Wall of

recognizable in Norwich ,picking out familiar faces throughout the set.

Arms. In August the band played to

Fancy seeing northern metallers Bring Me The Horizon play in Norwich this month?

quite

and girls-on-top attitude 1t's certamly enough to keep The Saturdays g01ng for a while yet. And

>~HII);\ v 2Nr)

>WIN TICK[TS! <

isn't

predecessor, nor is it free from the occasional filler, but with plenty of radio-friendly stormers

over 20,000 in a similarly rammed

Newer material from Wall of Arms

NME/Radio 1 tent at Reading Festival and had the same infectious impact.

Upgraded to the UEA LCR this year, The Maccabees once again proved why they're simply one of the best indie acts out there.

has become just as popular as No Kmd Words, Dinosaurs and Young Lions had the crowd excitedly pushing towards the front in a human wave, the odd hand and fingers protruding from the

By the time Orlando Weeks and co arrived on stage to open with No Kind Words the majority of the capacity crowd were poised to sing along to every word, whistle every tune and jump to every chorus line.

Typically high-tempo, on the nose instrumentals and clear, precise

mass. The crowd were also treated to some rare B-sides which featured the welcome accompaniment of their three piece brass section, a refreshing and complementary addition to The Maccabees' sound.

Paul Cook

T

20orl09

mUSIC

issuerBJ

17

ron r re k.musl r® uea.ar.uk

LIVf Music RetuJning to Norwich after a support slot for The Maccabees at the Waterfront in May this year, Mumford and Sons made a triumphant headline debut in promotion of their sophomore attempt, Sigh No More, to a sold out Arts Centre of fervent fans. Marcus Mumford brought his folk outfit from London to perform with the energy and sonorous enthusiasm of four men under the pressure of expectant admirers and idolisers, waiting for the first listen of one of the most-anticipated records in the British folk scene.

Armed with acoustic guitar, banjo, double bass and simplified drumkit, the band received tumultuous applause to old and new songs alike . Demonstrating their scope of stripped down heartfelt glimmers to ear-wrenching

full band epics, each song delivered full vocal harmonies and passion enough to engulf any music zealot. The self-titled EP leaves little to be desired in comparison to the live show; it does little justice to the full -bodied awe of four voices enveloping one's ears for an hour and a half of unbridled ecstasy, in a promise of a momentous record .

Complete with a cover of Calvin Harris for the BBC Radio Lounge the following day, the gig's setlist comprised largely of unheard album tracks that were flawlessly yet captivatingly performed, as well as more popular previously released favourites, Little Lion Man and Awake My Soul, perfect singalongs for the masses of long time fans .

Helen Thomas

MsTPAK ANTIDOT[> {][A LCR> TuunsoAY Sill OcTOR[R As the only Brits on the tour, openers Ghost of a Thousand are fun, entertaining to watch, yet strikingly unoriginal. Not that this really matters; they play, the crowd drinks and everyone is happy.

Now, our tickets say The Fall of Tray should have been up next, yet no one else seems to notice that Four Year Strong are playing instead.

A five-piece from Massachusetts, Four Year S~rong clearly have a penchant for full beards and unannounced covers- did they really think that nobody wou ld notice a Slayer song? Having · all be relieved to hear that he recovered quickly, said this, they are musically tight, energetic and was soon yelling along with lead-singer, performers and go down well with the gradually Justin Sane. Anti-Flag didn't seem to be on top swelling crowd. form this evening. They seemed bored ; their Anti-Flag fans shove to the front, and one, political message came off slightly rambling very kindly, vomits. Excitement? Too much and, vomit-boy aside, the crowd seemed Strongbow? We'll never really know, but, you'll vaguely disappointed that a band that can be

fantastic live came off a bit flat.

Alexisonfire, however, were far from disappointing. How could they be, with a setlist that verges on perfection, lead vocalists George Pettit and Dallas Green seemingly at the very top of their game and a band united in their unrivalled energy and presence on stage .

Highlights Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints and Boiled Frogs are greeted with some rather impressive sing-along and as the Canadian fivepiece leave the stage it is difficult to imagine they could get any better.

Then they return for their encore : Happiness by the Kilowatt is spell-bindingly beautiful, with Dallas' melodious voice filling the LCR with something that feels surprisingly, yet unavoidably, a whole lot like love.

Gemma Henzley

American quartet Yes Giantess were tonight's openers and their energetic electro pop went some way to energising the small crowd that had turned out for them. In the end those that didn' t make the effort to get to the gig early missed out massively; a Michael Jackson inspired vocalist, big choruses and heavily percussive breakdowns flavoured the already entertaining synth grooves. Clear signs that the band also really enjoyed playing (sporadic clapping and synchronised dancing) sealed the deal. Yes Giantess were very impressive, producing a very infectious sound and very professional show, it's just a shame that Passion Pit and The Ilk beat them to it.

• The second American group, LA's Local Natives, were a very different, yet equally intriguing band . The four part vocal harmonies,

reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young might have put some off; however the addition of raucous guitars, thunderous percussion, keyboard parts, the occasional mandolin and a synth made for a very original sound which is hard to describe, but recommended to be heard live. The highl ight, amongst many, was an impromptu, strobes out, percussion fuelled jam with members of Yes Giantess and Golden Silvers.

.I

f

' l

I

Golden Silvers headlined early (due to Marina and the Diamonds' sick leave) and, as the sote British representatives, went about imposing their typical London fla ir. The stage was draped in red and gold velvet, frontman Gwylim Gold was clad in the most garish shirt/jacket combination you could ever conceive, and the show was amazing. The darker edge that the band added to their slower songs like Fade to Black and Please Venus created a genuinely haunting bluesy atmosphere wh ich perfectly contrasted the upbeat, 80s tinged, crowd pleasing True Romance and The Shakes.

The gig ended with another franti c strobed out jam as a flurry of notes ca me crashing down in the double time out re of Arrows of Eras fantastic.

Alex Throssell "

18 fOII(Tdf·.~lm®uea.uc.u ·

Tel 08702240240

MAIN tfATURf As the final screen appearance of th e late Heath

www myvue eo m/ norwich

Ledger, The lmaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was never going to be a film that would fall under the radar, and deservedly so.

see ks to bring pestilence and death to th ese utopian world s. A morality tale abou t th e power of th e imagination to create beauty, in Parnassus, contempora ry London becomes

tone of the film somehow makes the se metamorphoses seem perfectly appropriate.

This latest offering from th e brilliantly twisted mind of director Terry Gi lli am opens in

an urban wa ste -land of derelict ware -houses, rubbish dumps and decadent shopping arca des

and The Dark Knight, this is not one for wh ich he will be remembered.

modern -day London where a troupe of povertystri cken travelling players, led by the ancient

in which imagination ha s los t all currency. The

Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and featuri ng a band of misfits inc lud ing his daughter Valentina (Lily Col e) and the young and

11

c

111

I t1

Parna ss us' show is not al l it see ms, as a mirror contained within its horse-drawn set is

Des pite the prese nce of some of Hollywood's fin est ac t ors, litt le-known British ac tor Andrew Garfield is a newly-discovered gem, de livering his role as Anton , a membe r of the troupe fru strated both with his unfulfilling exi stence and hi s unrequited lust for Parnassus' daug hter,

co nfu sed Anton (Andree Garfield), performing a muddled side-s how to ind ifferent, and at time s drunk and violent pa ssers-by outside nightclubs in the twilight hours.

Ledger's performance is strong, but unlike hi s powerful performances in Brokeback Mountain

fanta sy sequence s, however, are a feast for the eyes; a dazzlin g drea m-like land sca pe abundant with symbo lic ima ges .

with emoti on, hum our and conviction. Although the lac k of a coherent and con sistent narrative may be off-putting for some vi ewers, the film's fin ale, in which th e boundaries separating the

in fact a portal th at tran sports tho se who enter

The film's main controversy is, of course, Ledger's untimely death midway through

mental wo rld with th e real begin t o literally crumbl e, is thrillin g to wat ch. Th e lmaginarium

it deep into their own imagination s, immersing them in an almost perfect existence in which their fantasie s an d dreams ca n be rea li sed.

Parnassu s is, however, being perpetually stalked by a Sa tan-like figure (Tom Wai t s) who

production , which has re sulted in hi s character, the mysteriou s amn es iac Tony, spasmodically tran sforming into diffe rent incarnation s of himself, played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Co lin Farrell, but the genera lly bizarre

of Doctor Parnassus is a cinematic banquet for the eyes and mind .

Michael l ovelock

TRMA liMb • According to Sir lan McKellen the script for

• The ev il Spider Man villain Venom is soo n

The Hobbit wi ll be finished and delive red very

to be seen in his own movie. Gary Ross, who

soon . Filming, if all goes wel l, is ex pected to start next spring and last for just over a year.

is currently rewriting the Spider Man 4 scrip t, will st art work on the Venom film soon . Topher

However, it is not all good news. McKell en says the speculation that Aragorn and Legolas will make ca meo appea rances in the new movie is just a rumour and the only confirmed actors are himself and Andy Serki s.

Grace, who donn ed the black cost um e in Spider

• Freaky Friday, the body swap ping movie featuring Lind sey Lohan, has got a seq uel

heading to our screens ca ll ed Freaky Monday. i'.s expected thi s is a body swa p aga in , but takes place between a stud en t and a t eache r.

Th e sequel wi ll not fea ture Lohan or Jami e-Lee Curti s, but Mark Waters, who directed th e first film, will be producing.

• Toy Story 3 had their trailer leaked at the weekend but has now been officially released

and can be viewed on empireon lin e.com. The trailer shows t he grow n up Andy going off to college so he gives up the toy s, including Buzz and Woody, to a playgroup where things aren't as great as they appear. The ma in gossip surrou nding the fi lm is th e new mystery character who apparently, make s a small cameo in Up, in th e little girls room. The highly - dnticipated film will be out next summer.

Man 3, is not likely to make a reappea rance; th e charact er of Venom will also be given a revamp.

Hi s new persona will be an anti- hero who is the

defender of th e innocent.

• David Schwimmer is directing a new dark drama called Tru st, whi ch is about a 14-year-o ld gir l who is groomed online and subsequently abused. Clive Owen and Catherine Keener will be pl aying the parents of the abused chil d. The film s cen tres around the family unit tryin g to deal with thi s crisis. The film is Schwimmer's first si nce Run, Fat Boy, Run two years ago; filming will start in November.

• Those behind th e Warcraft movie have name d their screen writ er as Robert Rodat, whose previous works includ e Saving Private Ryan and The Patriot. The film will follow the original plot, which is co ntradictory to reports th at the

narrative would com e from on e of the Warcraft nove li zations.

Rachel Coxon

-· OorW9 lssuc233

19

Tel: 08702240240

0TII£R ScR££NS

www.myvue.com/ norwtch

What happens when the zombie apocalypse decides to become funny? The answer is not Shaun of the Dead, but Zombie/and. The plot won't win any marks on originality; four people meet and reluctantly decide to join forces to tackle the zombies and soon realise they share more in common than originally thought.

The two femme fatale sisters, Little Rock and Wichita (Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone) and Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) are entertaining and likeable characters. it's a shame that the protagonist, Columbus, portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg (a poor man's Michael Cera), is the least enjoyable character in the film with

his eccentric mannerisms peppering the narrative.

If you're after a decent zombie flick, it would be wise to see 28 Weeks Later. Saying that, if you venture into the theatre expecting a good comedy, then you will not be disappointed. Bill Murray has a great cameo and Tallahassee's quest to find a twinkie (an American cake) amongst the zombies is laughs all the way. it's a good film, but it won't be remembered in years to come.

Although Love Happens has a promising premise, a grieving widower renews his faith in life through his discovery of a new love, instead of the quirky indie romcom you would expect, the film is merely a recreation of the mediocre product Jennifer Aniston is so prone to churning out these days.

The story is a potentially interesting one, grieving husband Burke Ryan (Aaron Eckhart) has gained vast fame t hrough his self-help book 'A-Okay!' ,but begins to question his hypocrisy as he continues to selfdestruct. He returns to Seattle (the place of his wife's burial) and meets quirky young florist Eloise (An iston),

who he quickly forms a connection with.

The most frustrating thing is undeniably the fascinating character that is trying so hard to emerge from Eckhart's performance, but much of the wrong here is not the fault of the actors. With such a weak and uninteresting plot, and Jack of chemistry between the two leads, they really don't have much to work with in a by-the-numbers movie that could be so much more.

6/H

4/10

James Galloway

Ca roline Preece

Featuring a well-rounded cast including Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman and Kristen Davis, Couple's Retreat follows four couples and their comedic mishaps on a tropical island holiday. In order to save their troubled marriage, Jason and wife Cynthia travel to Eden; a tropical resort which caters to helping ailing couples rework their relc;~tionships.

Three fellow couples hit the island with them, hoping for a vacation of fun and relaxation, but soon realise that they must all endure couples therapy and activities to assess their compatibility, leading to much realisation of what they loathe about their partners.

Whilst having comedic potential, the film fails to provide laughout-loud hilarity and instead only produces a few good laughs which are from minor characters instead of the main stars such as Vaughn. Another downfall is that the film at times tries to address the more serious nature of the conflicts that couples face, but then quickly reverts to juvenile gags. All in all an easy to watch film in a beautiful paradise setting, but the lack of good comedy makes it not worth the trip to the cinema.

Who needs to understand Freud's theories when you have Triangle?

This thought-provoking psychological thriller is a mixture of Groundhog Day meets The Poseidon Adventure. it kicks off with a mother's chilling promise to her child that when she has a bacf dream she just closes her eyes and thinks of something nice.

We are then taken on a journey with the ever unstable Jess (Melissa George) and her friends on a boating trip. After a tragic electric storm they find themselves miraculously on board a deserted cruiseliner, with only one purpose in mind.

The film plods along and is a little tedious in repeating key scenes,

losing its original impact. But this is understandable from this genre, allowing for audiences to question everything by filling in those annoying gaps and developing some initially two dimensional characters.

Christopher Smith has certainly matured and improved since his last outings, Creep and Severance, creating a clean and polished performance. His clever use of circular narrative with some hidden motifs throughout leads to an interesting but disturbing finale.

4/10

Jessica Hytner

/'o

Paul Mam,

•

UP DIR: PET~ DOCTER BOB Pf.T~RSON RELEASE DATE:

09/10/

Live action fi lms about growing old are rare endugh, but within the world of CGI animation, a separate realm of wis~-cracking animals and high -octane action, t hey are all but nonexistent. This is perhaps one of the reasons Pixar's latest release, Up, is so refreshing; its bittersweet sincerity a far cry from the pop culture references and opportunistic ~ cynicism of other films of its sort. lt tells the story of a jaded old man (voiced by Ed Asner) who rediscovers his youthfulness through attaching thousands of balloons to his house and floating away to South America, accompanied by an over-eager boy scout (Jordan Nagai). Despite teeming with minute details in every frame, it is principally character-driven; every joke and action set-piece is in aid of character development and it is the filmmakers' sincere commitment to the film's fantastical plot that really • impresses.

What secures Up as one of the year's key films and puts it head and shoulders above its competition is the differentiation between the childlike and the merely childish. Up goes beyond simple child's fare to offer a wistful meditation on the importance of childhood and what it means to be an adult.

Luke Nash

9/10

20 Tel 087022 40240

DVD RfLÂŁASfS

www myvue com/ norw1ch

Eve r heard of a fi lm invo lving a ca t-and

th e action ge nre. The on ly slight prob lem is tha t

Cora /1ne is t he story of a feisty teenage g1rl

mo use chasmg plo t line ,md a race aga1ns t

1t co nstantly tnes to compete w1th the big fish

who moves to

new house where she feels

t hat ilt po111ts is truly terrify1ng. The character

time? Probably. Does t hat mean t he script

of th e ocea n, w hen in companson 12 Rounds

neglected by her busy pa rents. When she

o f Corali ne IS likeable an d never, des p1te the

1

of 12 Rounds 1s qu ite famil1ar"~ lt proba bly 1s.

is shrimp like. Each detail of the film constantly

i 2 Roun ds present~ a New Orlea ns cop (J o hn

d1scovers il portill to the 'Other Worlrl' full of

t hemes of family and love, becomes a cl1che.

reca lls oth er grrilts of its gcnrP, for examp lr

cloppelgangers of her ne 1ghbours anrl family,

Instead she 1s every chi ld's 1deal he roine: funny,

Speed and D1e Hard, and whilst 12 Rounds IS enJoyable, 11 won't have the same lasllng 1mpact upon thr audience as the Speeds and D1e Hords of this world.

she thinks she has found the happ1ness she has

a l1ttle bit moody but ultimately a hero . The stop

been se<m hmg for. But JUSt when she is stilrting

motion animation IS truly fantastic, every blmk

to prefer this new world, she reillises that 1t is not all as 1t seems.

of the eyes and twitch o f t he mou th IS caug ht in ultra real1stlC detail.

The f1l m hac; been much hyp cl by crillcs,

Lucy Moore

Elizabeth Poo le

w1th many already assignmg 1t classic st atus an d

Cena), who upon shoo ti ng a thief's girlfriend, IS t he n confronted by the angry ma n w ho de mands Ccno~

11plcte a scnes of m1ssions as

payback.

The scr ipt IS good enough to keep th e film tic ki ng along; the action seq uences arc ce rtain ly credib le and it 's an all-roun d good att em pt at

j ustifiab ly so. The sto ry 1s good na t ured w 1thou t

Costumes Depa rtment

Wigs & Masks

Make - up

Decorations

Life Size Greeters

Costume Accesories

Monday-Saturday

Late Night Opening

9.30om -5 .30pm

Th ursdays 22 & 29 Oct B.OOpm

(off Bedford Stre et behind J a rrolds )

--

ever bc111g sickly and crack les wi th a darkness

ST. ANDREWS STREET

~

Ood09 lsstle233

21

Tel 08702240240

RATfD OR SLATfD?

www myvue eo m/ norwich

2012>A tiLM nv RoLAND bMM£RICII Goethe. Kant. Schopenhauer. Beethoven.

Mozart. Nietzsche. Wagner. Germany- in times past a centre of the European Enlightenment, a place of musical excellence and intellectual inquiry. Yet the land of Lang and Herzog is also responsible for one of the world's most critically disliked directors of the modern era, Roland Emmerich.

Emmerich's credits have attracted the ire of virtually every critic who has ever taken

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of the world ending in 2012, and a researcher who leads a group of people to fight against the oncoming apocalyptic events. So far, so very The Day After Tomorrow. Yet many of his films have attained commercial success. In an age where cheap disaster thrillers (think trash

as Godzilla or Stargate, and obviously, those with an attention span who consider a threeminute song 'extended' are likely to enjoy a film where cities of culture are razed to the ground by some giant monster or a natural disaster.

But still, is this enough? What is it in the geist of our time that gives such pictures an allure? Perhaps this is the wrong approach to take. There are signs that Emmerich's star

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up a pen or a keyboard. His films are usually shallow effects-centred extravaganzas where a world landmark is inevitably and invariably blown up at some stage. He is not, it is fair to say, an actor's director, and he is not, it is fair to say, a director who bases films around nuance and ideas. So it is with a heavy heart that the discerning filmgoer learns that Emmerich's latest film, 2012, is soon set to be unleashed upon the viewing public.

The film centres around the Mayan myth

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like Dragon Wars or Shark in Venice) are readily available on cut-price DVDs, why is it that the public continue to shell out hard-earned money to see his work in the comfort of the cinema? Certainly, there is an initial pull to be had from re-working popular franchises such

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is on the wane, and although it made some money, 10,000 BC was a commercial failure next to some earlier hits. Will the public, deluged with ever more grandiose effects and empty chutzpah, be able to stand much more of Emmerich's work? lt will either be charmingly bad, like his Stargate, or, like the aforementioned 10,000 BC, absolutely awful. If the latter holds true, there's always Michael Bay. George Gilbert

CINfMAIIC CLASSICS> KRAMfR vs. KRAMfR 1979 For those of you unfamiliar with this masterpiece of cinema, within the first five minutes of the film we see a frustrated wife leaving her husband and son. During the course of the film we see this effectively new father of an eight year old boy - come to terms with his new role in single parenthood, culminating in the inevitable court case over custody of_the boy (hence the title of the film). The two main characters alone make this a star studded cast, the brilliant Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep

are Ted and Joanna Kramer. Even this early in their acting careers they own the screen to such an extent you forget about the fact their son had a cute button nose, and doesn't look remotely Jewish. Released in December of 1979 this film encapsulates the issues of the decade, and explores the problems raised

by the 1970's. By the end of the decade of equal rights it was time to discover how the promotion of women may not be the definitive answer to equal rights, and women are not always the faultless member of society. The controversial film makes us grow so fond of Dustin Hoffman's character Ted that when the role of single father is questioned and Joanna wants her son back, this amazing film makes us realise that just because she is his mother does

not mean she would be the ultimate parent.

There is no wonder this film is such a classic, with five Oscars under its belt, and issues rilised that are still so relevant for today's audience.

With the heart-warming scenes of father and son bonding that would make the hardest of hearts shed a tear and long for a fishing trip with daddy, this film is so effortlessly beautiful and poetic, as it can only been seen as a classic.

If you have not already seen this film it is well worth the watch, it will bring you tears and laughter and so much more ...

Micha Butler

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MAKI RS TICKITS1 Thanks to the Union, we have two tickets to see •

Sheffield's Reverend and the Makers touring their new album, French Kiss in the Chaos .

To win your way in, please email concrete. competitions@uea.ac.uk with your answer to the following question by the morning of Thursday 22/10/09: .

What was Reverend and the Maker's debut single?

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_XJAM Oxjam is a colletive term for a series of charitable gigs set up to fight poverty. Since 2006, over 3000 Oxjam events have been organised, which collectively have successfully risen over £1 mi llion.

This month Oxjam is coming to Norwich and is going to be taking place at 5 separate venues : Mustard Lounge, The Marquee, The Waterfront, Norwich Art Centre and the grandiose Dragon's Hall. This last venue is perhaps the most unusual as its 600 yea r old heritage provides a remarkably gothic interior w hich is be ing used to host loca l folk act, Adelaide's Cape and London based singersong w rite r, Al ex Sheppard .

Adelaide's Cape is one of the rising stars of the local music scene, having recently so ld out the Arts Centre. Alex Sheppard is riding high on the new wave of anti-folk music, and played at the Latitude festival last summer alongside Dirty Pretty Things.

The gig is taking place on the 25th October for £9.

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years for the cartridge to decompose. ~ -Ink and toner cartridges can be recycled at Ink Exchange, Norwich. mentally friendly product, but one

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compelilions Nt)\V SI I( )\V ]J( )( ) ~!

Ac ross 1: Death by electricity (13) 7: Large salimg ship (7)

8: Planes, _ _ and Automobiles,

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inc lud e in t he same enve lo pe (7)

10: _ _ & Cressida, Shakespeare

3: To arouse (9)

play (7)

4: Can not be bro ught back, vib rat e bafflin g or po111tl ess w orld reco rds

11: Big cat wi t h st ripes (5)

unreel (anag .) (13)

12: Beer (3)

5: Suga r on th e top of a cake (5)

13路 Johnny Vegas sitcom, perfectly

6: Ho le in t he nose (7) 9: Attacker (9)

St ars Hugh Dennis, St eve Punt, Jo n Ho lmes, M arcus

15: Clothes (6)

12: To leave behind (7 )

Brigsto cke and Mitch Benn are all pre se nt and o n

16: The result of crea ti ve labour,

14: The w hole, every 1te m (3 )

hill ario us fo rm as always.

pain ti ng or sc ulpture (3)

17: Ca rd s used to predi ct th e fu t ure

18: A sa fe, to JUmp over (5)

(5 )

21: El ectro nic info rm ati o n (4)

19 : Re prese ntati ves of the stu den t co mpl eted crossw o rd to th e Co ncrete office

To be in wi th a cha nce of w 1n ning, just bn ng yo ur

22: A sad, d ull so ng (5 )

body (5)

24: To mfluence a decision by giving

20 : People age d be t ween 13 an d 19

mo ney (5)

(5)

25: An understanding or idea (5)

23:

26: Sport played at Wimbledon (6)

Freudian term (3)

upst airs in Un io n House by Thurs day 29/10/09: Name:

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confide nce, Email:

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Jo hn Hughes fi lm (5 )

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Perm anent Revoluti on at Bo rders !

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co mpleted Sudoku to t he Concrete offi ce 111

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The new iPod nano. Now featu ri ng a video camera, a polished anodised aluminium finish and a larger screen.

Also making its debut: FM radio with Live Pause.

IIlls Is IT GIV[A\V1\y1 Courtesy of Cinem a City, w e have a t-s hirt, poster

To win a free ipod nano just answer this question:

and a pai r of ti cket s to th e new Michae l Jackson film This Is it to give away !

How much does the Macbook White cost on the Apple education store?

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qu estio n to concrete .competition s@u ea.ac. uk by Thursday 29/ 10/09:

At w hich London venue was Michael Jacksan planning to play 50 dotes beginning in July?