VENUE
ISSUE 296 Ciara Jack
concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk
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VENUE
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your spring wardrobe Bonjour! Welcome to the penultimate issue of Venue, and sadly for us editors, the end is nigh. Fortunately the beautiful sunshine has put a spring in our step to carry us through the rest of the coursework period. This month has seen some absolute blockbusters in the cinemas, both art house and multiplex. The Grand Budapest Hotel has been a favourite for many, with both razor sharp and slapstick humor, that at times is reminscent of black and white comedies. This and the impressive visual dedication to almost every frame has made it a box office favourite. We also have our very first ‘10’ rating in our film section, so flick to page 18 to see our review of Under the Skin.
CREATIVE WRITING a delicious theme
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Meanwhile, please visit http:// Editor-in-Chief | Sidonie Chaffer-Melley www.concrete-online.co.uk for Venue Editors | Hayden East and Ciara Jack information on being a senior editor Music | Editors | Jack Enright and Alex Flood for Concrete and Venue 2014/15. Music Contributors: Alex Flood, Jennifer Johnson, Imi Launchbury, Charlie We want your meticulous editing, Methven, Molly Pearson writing skills and creativity, so please Fashion | Editors | Madz Abbasi and Ella Sharp do get in touch! Fashion Contributors: Gemma Carter, Rachel Hayllor, Helena Urquhart Arts | Editor | Callum Graham Have a wonderful Easter holidays! Arts Contributors: Callum Graham, Katie Kemp Creative Writing | Editor | Holly McDede Stay cute, Creative Writing Contributors: Jasmine Flores, James Machell, Jake Ciara and Hayden Reynolds, Rosanna Le Rossignol, Stoyo Stoev, Isabella Thompson Gaming | Editor | Callum Graham Gaming Contributors: Joe Fitzsimmons, Sam Emsley Television | Editor | Robert Drury Television Contributors: Rebecca Bemment, Katie Dolan, Rob Drury, Melissa Haggar, Holly Wade, Reoghan Walsh Film | Editors | Holly Wade and Adam White Film Contributors: Matthew Atwood, Adam Dawson, Neven Devies, Daisy Jones, Luke Keleher, Chris Rogers, Adam White, Competitions & Listings | Editor | Saul Holmes
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MUSIC
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UP AND COMING: NEW ARTISTS
Music Editor Alex Flood picks his cream of the emerging crop
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Ah. A new artists piece. The perennial opportunity for any budding writer to prove his credentials as a hipstercome-music bod of the highest order, consciously shoe-horning every last drop of pretentiousness he possesses into several hundred words of “who’s that” and “never heard of ‘em” journalistic gold. Who cares, right? Well, anyway, a smattering of bands and solo artists are making waves in the industry currently, from Scandinavian pop princesses to young hip hop generals from the Big Apple, and in the least pompous way, here they are. First up are post-punk Danish trio, Shiny Darkly. Although the holders of perhaps the worst band name since Alex Turner and co. thought Arctic Monkeys was an apt description of four scrawny loons from Sheffield, Shiny Darkly produce a sound that sits somewhere between the broody, sinister gothic rock of Joy Division, and Jesus and the Mary Chain’s apocalyptic blaze of feedback and general anarchy. Early tracks ‘He’s Suicidal’ and ‘Dead Stars’ add new life to a genre long bereft of any originality, and set the tone for the highly anticipated
release of these guitar-Vikings’ debut EP Little Earth, out March 31 2014. Next in the six-string arena are late bloomers Posse. Purveyors of slacker, indie-rock a la Songs: Ohia, this trio from Seattle have just released their sophomore album on the rather tellingly named label, Beating a Dead Horse. Speaking about the eight-track effort, Soft Opening, singer Paul Wittman-Todd describes his inspiration as coming from “delay pedals and 27 years of disappointment,” hardly the talk of a band enamoured with their own success. Yet it’s undeniable that Soft Opening is an exquisite melange of blooming, rippling guitar lines and intricate vocal interplay between song-writing duo Witman-Todd and Sacha Maxim, that transcends a tired genre in a similar way to the Danes, Shiny Darkly, except they don’t sound ever so slightly like a cheap Lou Reed knockoff, albeit in a good way, and without the sarcasm. Following in the footsteps of fellow pop-noir darling Lana Del Rey is the glamorous Dutch vixen, BEA. The twenty two-year old chanteuse is of British parentage making music in Amsterdam,
and is in possession of perhaps the silkiest and smoothest cat-like croon of her generation. Something of an industry secret, her PR people have been scrambling to keep BEA’s own brand of cathedral-pop under-wraps as much as possible. Only one track, ‘Breadwinner’, three minutes of haunting, synth-laden R&B, has seen the light of day (or the internet); yet this has been sufficient to cause many a Pitchfork executive’s head to explode all over their precious Macbook screens in outbursts of ‘unsigned’ ecstasy. One thing we do know, though, is hipsters will be wearing clogs come Christmas, and maybe not even metaphorically, you never know with them. As for hip hop, after the revolutionary explosion of new artists in 2013, things have gone a bit quiet on the rap front. Of course Chance the Rapper has jumped to the forefront of the genre, yet many of the other ‘next big things’ of yesteryear have been revealed as slightly less incendiary than first thought. Many of the Pro Era collective have dropped off the map since Joey Badass put them there single-handedly in 2012, although the much anticipated
follow-up to P.E.E.P : the aPROcalypse is definitely worthy of attention (The Secc$ Tap,e 2, released February 14), despite the lack of solo material recently. Perhaps the biggest news item on the agenda is the continued collaboration between young gun Bishop Nehru and hip hop titan and mask-toting nut, MF Doom. Thankfully putting the lyrical trash of fellow hype-men Dillan Cooper and Vic Mensa in the shade, the rapper from Rockland County’s joint-album with Doom is due out later this year, and just might be possibly maybe the best hip hop album since Doom’s own 2004 effort Madvillainy. Perhaps the most impressive endorsement of Nehru’s talents are legendary wordsmith Nas’s recent declarations that Bishop is “the future of music.” It appears the world is yours, Mr Nehru, don’t blow it like so many of your peers appear to have done. In other, more high profile news, Kanye West continues to be the hardest working moron in music, although a misunderstood one at that, and Win Butler still hasn’t washed his hair, despite my complaints.
MUSIC concrete.music@uea.ac.uk
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SOUNDS OF THE SYNTH
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Molly Pearson ponders the recent musical resurgence of the synthesizer
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Synthpop, like so many other genres of popular music, emerged in the UK as a backlash to punk rock in the eighties. Rejecting punk’s stripped-down realism, early synthpop artists strove instead for artificiality, and their primary instrument, the synthesizer, formed the backbone of the decade’s music. Bands such as Duran Duran, Soft Cell and Spandau Ballet enjoyed commercial success in Britain and the States, and synthpop’s influence permeated through musical movements as diverse as New Romanticism, gothic rock and early industrial. The nineties, however, saw the genre decline in popularity in favour of guitar-driven grunge rock more directly inspired by punk. Why is all this relevant? Because synthpop is making a comeback. Popular music has been based around guitars for the past two decades. But recently, a different sound has splashed into the smooth waters of the mainstream. Truth be told, a synthpop revival has been on the cards for
some time. From the largely ignored epiphanies of Crystal Castles and The Postal Service back in the early noughties to the saccharine commercialism of Owl City, plenty of modern bands cite the style as one of their influences, and now, in 2014, synthpop shows every sign of dominating the industry as it did once before. Though plenty of bands – Sound of 2013 nominee CHVRCHES among them – are focusing specifically on synthpop, plenty of rock bands are also splicing it into their sound, with varying degrees of success. Bombay Bicycle Club, who hail from Crouch End in North London, are one such band. Bombay’s setlist for their gig at the LCR on the 10th March tellingly omitted successes from older albums in favour of new material from synthpop So Long, See You Tomorrow, and while singles ‘It’s Alright Now’ and ‘Feel’ were as well-received here as by critics, one wonders why a band whose first two albums were so grounded in indie and folk rock felt the need for such a radical
stylistic swerve. That’s not to say that Bombay haven’t handled the shift with aplomb, and the same can largely be said about Panic! At The Disco, whose fourth album Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die is a rocksynthpop hybrid through and through. Their trippy, synth-laden and obscenely catchy single ‘The Vegas Lights’ for instance, crashes straight through naff and out the other side, achieving guilty pleasure status in much the same way that Fall Out Boy’s ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark’ did, eight months before. But one of the most delightful aspects of the album is its conscious homage to one of the darkest synthpop albums of the eighties – Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine – which mingled the peppy feel of early Depeche Mode with a nihilism that paved Reznor’s way to becoming an industrial icon. This is never more evident than in the melancholia and relentless beats of ‘Far Too Young To Die’ and ‘Girl That You Love’; it’s
obvious that Panic! have done their matrixsynth.com homework with this album. Though a lot of their material is overly auto-tuned and falls short of real innovation, a band capable of material as original as that of ‘A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out’, and who are only finding their feet within the synthpop genre, promises great things in the future. Most bands whose singles charted in the UK in the noughties were of a certain formula. Their songs followed in the footsteps of grunge rock, which in turn followed in the footsteps of punk. Guitars, electric or acoustic, were staple of their music and synths did not often feature. So why are these ‘emo-pop’ and ‘pop-punk’ bands turning to a more eighties-inspired sound? Perhaps for the same reason that synthpop evolved in the first place – as a reaction against guitars and against punk. Maybe this is the dawn of a new era, and by 2020, pop music will be based around synths once more. Who knows? It’ll be interesting to see.
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ELBOW THE TAKEOFF AND LANDING OF EVERYTHING Jennifer Johnson
Take a moment to conjure the image of a chart-topping pop sensation in your mind— is she youthful? Impossibly attractive? Are her songs manufactured in Simon Cowell’s pop laboratory according to an algorithm that has been proven effective by dozens of starlets before her? If yes, you likely envisioned the kind of primped and preening human being usually stationed at Number One. You probably didn’t picture five middleaged Northern men touting Mancunian
MØ NO MYTHOLOGIES TO FOLLOW Imi Launchbury
Karen Marie Ørsted – better known as MØ (pronounced Muuh) - has compiled
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ALBUM REVIEWS accents and prog-rock influences. In many ways, Elbow’s success would appear unlikely, but with the March 10 release of The Take Off and Landing of Everything, the band found themselves at the apex of British popular music: the top of the charts. Elbow’s appeal is uniquely localised; they never found much success outside of the UK. Perhaps this is because they deal in the sort of rainy-day aphorisms only useful for soothing an island of cynical souls. Album opener ‘This Blue World’ chronicles a union that once flourished under a pervasive layer of cloud. Vocalist Guy Garvey speaks of a lost attraction spurred once more by “an urgent morse in the gentle rain.” He urges a one-time love to “plot your course on the windowpane” as though the road to their amorous reunion has been charted by raindrops— hardly a cheery sentiment. The Take Off and Landing of Everything simultaneously laments and glorifies the emotional stasis of middle age. Unfortunately, breakups sting as much at 40 as they did two decades ago, but apparently a rowdy piss-up remains the age-old cure for heartache. On ‘Fly Boy Blue/Lunette’ Garvey confesses: “my old friends are a serious habit,” and claims “I’ll still want a bottle of good Irish whiskey and a bundle of smokes in my grave,” though he also cedes “I’m reaching the age when decisions are made.” He is a man newly aware of his own mortality, but not yet ready to relinquish his youth. Despite the weight of Garvey’s lyrical
subject matter, there is no more sonic melancholy present on this record than on any of Elbow’s others. The group has virtually made a career of pairing sombre string sections with vaguely romantic sentiments. However, they’ve largely managed to evade mawkishness or sentimentality in a way that bands with a similar shtick (think Coldplay et al) have not. In Elbow’s defence, there is a lush, mellifluous quality to their work which only adds credibility to lyrics that might otherwise be soppy. Garvey’s grand, philosophical gestures are continually understated by the band’s nuanced instrumentals. The reverbed guitar on the album’s title track is so rich it almost scintillates. The mellow ‘Honey Sun’ reflects something of the golden quality of its title; electric guitar slides are drizzled across a tambourine beat while
a funky selection of synth and electronic based songs on her debut album No Mythologies to Follow. MØ – which means ‘maiden’ or ‘virgin’ in Danish - started off her music career as a rapper and released a number of provocatively named tracks. However since switching to singing she has found much more success and is signed to RCA Victor and Chess Club Records who also represent the likes of Everything Everything, Swim Deep and Laura Mvula. The album was created through a series of emails between MØ and Vindhahl, where he would develop the music and she would record the vocals over the top. The resulting tracks are surprisingly cohesive and the technique has worked well for the album. Producer Ronni Vindhahl – of No Wav. - has created a collection of songs which is overflowing with beats, pulses, and creative harmonies; every space of every song has been filled with sound. This album has its routes in themes common to the life of every early twentysomething. From the carefree easiness of ‘Don’t Wanna Dance’, to the earnest
heartbreak of ‘Never Wanna Know’, MØ reflects a lifestyle that her audience can relate to. In the same way, her influences clearly reflect the beginning of a new wave of music – one which has grown up in the nineties and naughties. This Scandinavian creates an electro-pop which has nods to a range of artists including Grimes, as well as Lykke Li, Lana Del Rey and even the Spice Girls. Make sure you check out her recent cover of Spice Girls classic ‘Say You’ll Be There’! The beats in ‘Red in the Grey’ coupled with impressive vocals show off the talent of the 25-year-old. These effects work perfectly in contrast to the brass and glockenspiel elements of ‘Pilgrim’ and with the melancholic tones of ‘Never Wanna Know’. MØ never limits the range of this album, introducing an almost tropical beat in ‘Slow Love’ which is coupled with even more glockenspiels. (Any album which sneakily uses a glockenspiel has my vote!) In ‘XXX 88’ another successful juxtaposition is made between the sticky electronic beats and MØ’s smooth harmonies, Diplo’s presence
Garvey waxes lyrical on escaping “broken devotion.” If The Take Off and Landing of Everything has one message it is this: it is never too late to start afresh. ‘New York Morning’ reveals Garvey’s poignant, newfound infatuation with the city. Somewhere, thousands of miles away from home, he achieves a reconciliation not present elsewhere on the record— he sings, “oh my God, New York can talk/ somewhere in that talk is all the answers.” Elbow may not be a band with all the answers. They haven’t quite settled into mid-life cynicism as impressively as a group like The National has, but they continue to offer up consistent, if not inventive, albums.
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can definitely be heard in the production. The main criticisms are that it is perhaps a little long for a first album and that despite that, there aren’t that many new tracks. The album lacks overall direction and this is down to the fact that most of the material has been previously released in separate EP’s. Whist the range in musicality is impressive it can also be confusing and potentially a shorter, more pulled together collection would have proved more effective. Interestingly, the album name sake No Mythologies To Follow is underwhelming and essentially over produced. Overall, however, the album is a success and shows off the talents of MØ. There is definitely more to be heard from this Scandinavian, and with the generally positive reception of the album I’m sure that we will. Album highlights are ‘Never Wanna Know’, ‘Maiden’ and ‘Waste of Time’.
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LIVE REVIEW BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB LCR 09.03.14 Charlie Methven Flyte’s lead singer Will Taylor’s modest but certainly likable stage presence was a good fit with his band’s music: pleasant, guitarbased pop furnished with frequent wholeband vocal harmonies and handclaps. Occasionally keyboards are added to that formula, notably on ‘We Are The Rain’, whose introductory flourish of synth earns your favour even before the equally lovely chorus. This unassuming, inoffensive music is likable enough; Taylor shows a knack for the sort of simple, memorable melody that marks the loveliest Beatles songs, and he and his bandmates have the affable quality of a young band happy to make pop music that doesn’t want or need to be anything else. Check out ‘Over and Out’ for a taste. The name Rae Morris should be familiar to anyone who’s glanced at the full credits for the headliner’s new album. Morris
provides the female vocal on the first and last tracks of So Long, See You Tomorrow, as well as on ‘Luna’, its new single. Few of Morris’ own songs are as upbeat or as texturally dense as the ones she guests on; she favours slow songs with sparse, atmospheric arrangements which highlight her piano and vocals. Hearing delicate yet mature music drift from this nineteen-yearold newcomer at a keyboard, it’s impossible not to think of Kate Bush; in particular on ‘Way Back When’, with its soft chords and multiple addresses to “dear god”. On ‘This Woman’s Work’ Morris’ beautiful, intelligent performance showed why she makes such a good touring partner for Bombay. As anticipation for the headliners rose, so too did seven circular screens on stage. The screens’ purpose was soon revealed; as Bombay arrived and burst into ‘Overdone’, the animation which is separated into frames on the cover of So Long, See You Tomorrow was brought to pulsating life. Over the next hour, dynamic images of snakes, tigers and paradisiac rivers cartwheeled across the screens to create a gig that was as much a visual experience as a sonic one. Bombay have clearly decided music as vital and vibrant as theirs deserves
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to be played in front of something better than a logo-embossed bed sheet. It’s a commendable, exciting decision, and this reviewer hopes it will inspire other acts to explore similar cross-sensory techniques. Every song from So Long, See You Tomorrow made an appearance, as well as old favourites like ‘It’s Always Like This’ and ‘Lamplight’, rejuvenated by the presence of a three-piece brass section. It would have been interesting to hear this brass trio and backing vocalist Liz Lawrence help reinterpret some songs from 2010’s acoustic Flaws, but this album sadly remained conspicuously absent. Nonetheless, the set Bombay did deliver was confident,
technically excellent, and just a lot of fun. Singer Jack Steadman dedicated ‘Whenever, Wherever’ to Shakira. Occasionally, a band delivers a performance that leaves you wishing you’d just listened to the record at home. With their musicianship and those dazzling visuals, Bombay Bicycle Club proved that live music can be a brand new, genuinely spectacular experience. In a recent interview, describing the lyrical, musical and visual aesthetic of Bombay’s new album, Steadman said “it’s just a big loop”. If only that sense of continuity extended to the durations of their live show, because this reviewer wanted it to go on forever.
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SMOKIN’ North West even makes an appearance!
Winning Derby Day Everyone looks better with a trophy
#BanBossy The new campaign fronted by Victoria Beckham and Beyonce
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Shrugging Off Winter Rachel Hayllor talks spring jackets
As the days get longer and the weather starts to heat up you’ll be looking for ways to spice up and accessorise your ensembles while making sure you keep up with the demands of the unpredictable East Anglian Springtime. Well look no further, because Venue has compiled a list of Spring staples that will keep you cool in the sun, warm in the shade and make sure you’re looking impeccable whatever the weather has in store!
Kimye in Vogue
FASHION
A kimono is the lightest option for a cover-up on a spring day and works as a quirky alternative to a cardigan. The featherweight material and airy cut makes this option ideal for when the temperature inevitably and unexpectedly
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Floral Bomber Jackets The throwback nineties sports jacket look is back with a vengeance and androgynous enough for both guys and girls to pull off with ease. Not only is it light and soft in texture (ideal for a spring day), it’s an opportunity to add colour and edge to your look with a retro print. Clash genres by mixing the masculine style with a seasonally-appropriate floral print. For guys, the key is all in the fit and the fabric, go for a bright, block colour like red or blue to brighten up your look and make sure you stand out from the crowd. A bold geometric or graffiti style pattern will create a nineties vibe, so make like Will Smith with some ‘fresh prints’ and earn yourself some serious fashion points. Kimonos Hot day and not sure what to wear? Don’t sweat it, a kimono has you covered!
skyrockets - as a bonus it’s also great for protecting your skin from harmful UV rays and the scourge of sunburn. Venue
loves the effortless femininity of a floaty kimono, which is a surefire way to dress up an outfit and add a touch of elegance. Blazers This androgynous wardrobe staple can often be seen as overly stuffy or fussy but a blazer is without doubt a failsafe way to add some collegiate class to any ensemble. Lighter than most jackets, the smart cut of a blazer is flattering for both men and women, creating sharp lines at the shoulders and lapels that can dress up the look of a t-shirt and jeans. For a chilled out St. Tropez look go for a cream coloured or pastel blazer that will bring out the beginnings of your summer tan and make sure you’re looking snappy for your seminars. Cardigans The spring season is all about introducing some colour and panache to your look with nautical themes, pastels and tailoring proving popular year after year. This preppy item will make a smart addition to your wardrobe as it’s a lightweight piece that can be paired with pretty much anything. It will also keep you warm on those chilly spring nights. Choose a crew neck pastel number for some bookish Rory Gilmore appeal and accessorise with a stack of books and a look of sheer panic for a natty revision-chic look.
Nothing Up Their Sleeves Gemma Carter reveals the limits of menswear
CHOKIN’ Flip Flops It’s still March. No.
In the pervious issue we stated the designs by Ti’en were by Shamir Sami, when in fact they were by Shahmir Sanni. Apologies for the mistake.
Walking up and down any high street it’s clear to see that girls are overwhelmed with variety and choice - yet for boys it’s a completely different story. Looking from one shop window to the next there isn’t much variety at all – all the male mannequins are carbon copies of one another. There doesn’t seem to be a happy medium between standard styles and menswear that is a little bit more outrageous and attention grabbing. Shops on the high street seem to have a universal “check list” for menswear and the variety from store to store is seriously lacking. This “check list” seems to consist of staple items for any male wardrobe such as denim and chequered shirts, skinny jeans, printed tees and sweatshirts. Now here at Venue we are a big fan of all these pieces, but honestly how many times can you see the same aztec print before it becomes boring? From shop to
shop the only thing that seems to vary is a slight change in the colour palette but really that doesn’t make much difference at all. This lack of choice means that many boys have at least one item in their wardrobe that is the same as their mates. When asked what he thought of menswear on the high street a second year student said, “It’s pretty frustrating because all your clothes end up looking the same even though they’re from a different shop. I’m not really that into following trends but I still like to look good, but the lack of variety has made me lazy and, when I have money, I end up just buying the same things over and over again.” Some brands, like River Island, have a shot at thinking outside the box but often the result of this isn’t for everyone. With summer approaching there has been a burst of multi-coloured magic
onto the catwalk and high street. A trend that could not be further away from conventional men’s fashion is techno colours and prints. We take our hats off with anyone brave enough to give this trend a go but it’s so different from the norm that most guys would shy away – or be blinded by the luminous shades of pink and green. Another Spring/Summer 2014 trend that has appeared on the high street is the tunic. This Asian-inspired cover up favoured by designers such as Spencer Hart is definitely for the more daring. The tunic is a favourite with more outthere stars like Will.I.Am, who has a style that is undeniably out of this world. Not one to make such a strong statement with your clothes? You could always take a look at TOWIE’s Charlie Sims who loves a tunic, but wears it in a more subtle way than Mr. Will.I.Am.
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Photographer: Hannah Schiff, Stylist: Helena Urquhart, Model: Clare Bartington
It’s A Spring Thing!
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Helena Urquhart It is easy to see florals are huge this season. Big on the high street as well as the catwalk, everywhere from Topshop and Miss Selfridge to the higher ended brands such as French Connection have their own take on this Spring/Summer staple. Undoubtedly florals can be a bit daunting – think Kim Kardashian’s maternity dress at the Met Gala last year – a controversial piece if there ever was one. Looking like you’ve just stepped out of your Grandmother’s living room is every girl’s fear when they wear such a bold item of clothing. However a huge amount of florals on the market at the moment are fun, easy to wear and are set to make you stand out from the crowd. Floral trousers or shorts should be a staple in every girl’s summer wardrobe. They instantly add something interesting to the outfit and can be dressed up or down.
Paired with heels and a big statement necklace they look great for a night out. Alternatively they can be styled with a flattering t – shirt or blouse for a fabulous every day look. Now is the time many of us are attending job or internship interviews and floral trousers paired with a smart blouse make for a great interview outfit. Tip: do not pair floral top and floral bottoms – this is just set to be a style nightmare. Keep the top fairly neutral to balance out the loud bottoms or vice versa. Another great staple that is a must for everyone this summer is a beautiful floral dress. Again, this is perfect because it can be dressed up or down. Ideal for those weddings that you will undoubtedly have to attend this summer, or even just for a stroll around the lake paired with simple pumps or converse. Topshop have some great bright floral dresses at the moment but a lot of
the small vintage shops in Norwich have some excellent undiscovered treasures too. However, it is not necessary to just stick to trousers and dresses. Try a floral swimsuit this summer, they are fun, sassy and look fantastic. There are a number of floral blazers on the market too, these are not for the fainthearted but will undoubtedly look great if pulled off well. Floral accessories are also a staple this festival season. Floral garlands are a must for nailing that bohemian vibe, paired with denim shorts and a crop top, this look is bound to be a winner. Whether they are prints on key staples such as trousers and dresses, or on accessories such as a statement necklace, florals are the way to go this Spring/Summer. They are fun, pretty and you certainly won’t be a wallflower in wearing this trend!
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ARTS
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UEA Headlights Revue 2014
Callum Graham
Callum Graham UEA Headlights Comedy Society’s annual revue show took place last week. Sketch comedy was the name of the game with comedy-trio Bad Bread headlining, the charity event was organised to showcase UEA’s comic talent and to raise money for UEA’s Nightline service. Sketch comedy by its very nature is hit-and-miss so it was a brave decision of Headlights to stage it live in a one off show. The evening began with a sketch based on the song Fame and its mispronunciation (it’s pronounced Fah-may for those who don’t know) and the laughs started rolling in. Although there were laughs from the audience throughout, at times they seemed a little few and far between. It seemed that the problem was that often the idea for the sketch was extremely strong but the sketch itself wasn’t long enough to do it justice. For instance, one sketch followed
a detective scouring the stage with his magnifying glass until it turned out he was looking for love all along. This got a big laugh, yet the sketch was no longer than minute at the most and it seemed that Headlights missed an opportunity by not having the character reappear in other sketches. Headlights really did nail it with the St. Budget’s Church sketch, which featured a church economising by rushing through baptisms, marriages and funerals one after another. An honourable mention for Elliot Wengler, who not only was the main organisational force behind the event, but also his priest character in the St. Budget’s sketch was one of the funniest of the night. One of the most original sketches of the revue show was the Coalition sketch. In it, Derren Brown set up a secret TV show to remove the moral scruples of every student’s favourite politician, Nick Clegg. It was a great idea for a sketch and it worked well with the lively audience who
heckled and jeered as Clegg was swept up by a pantomime-like David Cameron. Again though, this sketch was an example of a really strong idea that needed just a little more tightening to really bring out its potential. Nick Clegg is an easy target, so it would have been refreshing to have him satirised in ways other than his u-turn on student fees. The main reoccurring sketch from Headlights followed the fictional boyband Paro-D, whose breakup and inevitable money-motivated reunion was told through a series of mockumentary videos projected above the stage. It was unfortunate that this sketch dominated much of the Headlights portion of the night as it was easily their weakest. The mockumentary clips were poorly filmed and rather scrappily edited. If this effect was deliberate it was lost on the audience, most of the transitions from scene to scene were poorly timed and often cut off those on screen before they had finished
speaking. The finale of the Headlights half was the live all singing all dancing reunion of Paro-D. To be blunt, it was more awkward than it was funny – with even the members of Paro-D looking embarrassed at times. It all looked under-rehearsed and quickly written which was a shame, as like many of the sketches, the initial seed of the sketch had a lot of potential to be funny. Bad Bread wrapped up the second half of the night with their sketch-based Edinburgh show. The comedy trio made up of Bips Mawson, Anthony Craven and Tom Goble used the Rom-Com theme to tie their sketches together in a hilarious line of quick paced and clever routines. Their timing was perfect and their obvious enjoyment of performing really helped them to form a connection with the audience. Overall a great night and definitely something for Headlights to build on for future performances.
Review: UEA Litfest Katie Kemp ‘Tonight, we get three writers for the price of one.’ So goes Henry Sutton’s preamble to the evening’s talk. He is, of course, here referring to the subject of the night’s discussion - John Banville and his various personas. The Wexford-born writer may be better known under his pen name, Benjamin Black, whose works were the focal point of the hour-long discussion. Banville first started writing as Black around the early 2000s, with his first novel Christine Falls being published in 2006, following thirty-five years of writing as his true self, John Banville. The third writer Sutton alludes to (who could perhaps be recognised as an extension of Banville himself ) is Raymond Chandler, a crime fiction writer of the mid-1900s. The discussion kicked off with the mention of Black’s reworking of Chandler’s best-loved detective, Philip
Marlowe, in his most recent novel The Black-Eyed Blonde. ‘So what made you decide to inhabit the character of Marlowe?’ Sutton prompts. Banville claims it was his agent’s idea above all: ‘Like me, he is prone to boredom, and I tend to walk in to things with a lack of responsibility.’ The question itself was perhaps somewhat uninteresting to Banville, as his response hinted at a slight case of this said boredom. However, the momentum picked up soon enough and Banville proved a very entertaining conversationalist and, naturally, a very great story teller. It was easy to feel absorbed by Banville’s words. He has a frank way of talking which is truly endearing, and an intense wit which is reflected in his work. When Sutton asked ‘what did you find most difficult about getting inside Marlowe?’ Banville replied, ‘I didn’t find any of it difficult.’ For Banville, there is something in all of us which is fatally weak, and
this is why Marlowe was a fascinating character for him. He went on to discuss the appeal of Marlowe as a character: ‘he is baffled in the face of the world, he is willing to admit that he doesn’t understand.’ I got the sense that Banville could relate to this feeling. There was certainly an indication that Banville wanted to pay homage to Chandler and the character of Marlowe for the way in which they subvert the genre of crime fiction. Banville claims that writing as Black is somewhat freeing. The works of Banville and Black contrast significantly due to genre difference, and a difference in intensity. A Banville novel can take years to complete, whereas a Black novel will take a few months. ‘I like to put a Banville novel to the side,’ he claims. When asked by a member of the audience how he separates Banville the writer from Black the writer, he indicated that Banville has no interest in plot, character and dialogue. ‘He is
interested purely in writing poetry in the form of prose.’ It’s fascinating how he compartmentalises the two so distinctly; although I suspect the two are more interchangeable than Banville suggests. A very insightful moment was when Banville was asked when he first knew he would be a writer. In response, he gave a wonderful anecdote from his childhood. He told how he used to take his dog out for a walk and sit down in a wood alone, then proceed to interview himself on having just received the Nobel Prize for literature. He had a wild imagination even then, and it would not be contained. The most memorable part of the evening must have been when Banville expressed with such clarity, ‘fiction is a miracle’. For Banville, translating words into images and ideas is the essential truth of fiction. It is the task which the writer hands over to the reader on finishing his work and something he expressed as being key to the art of literature: the collaboration of writer with reader.
ARTS
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25.03.2014
UEA Drama Society’s Spotlight
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Callum Graham reviews a night of six original plays
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JMAC
Callum Graham
Sunday night saw UEA Drama Society’s annual Spotlight show featuring six original plays from talented writers here at UEA. The night was compered by Ollie Partington and Lucas Burt who brought great energy and lots of laughs from the outset with their well worked routines. The night began with Freddie Van der Velde penned The Ghost Writer. The play definitely had two distinct halves, the first demonstrating a diverse range of character with Lewis Garvey and Amber Muldoon satirising the role of the Hollywood agent with a caricature like fervour. Tom Eaton performed well as the timid struggling writer bringing his script, and himself, into the pearly white jaws and manicured claws of the movie executive world. The play took a turn towards the surreal with the appearance of Tom Mason and Ali Dunk playing characters from the script who had seemingly walked into real life. In a rather jarring turn, it was the kisses between Mason and Dunk that were played upon for the biggest laughs. In a play with a lot of quickly-paced and cleverly written dialogue it seemed a shame to rely on such a dated tactic. How would the kisses have been received if they’d happened between a man and woman, or woman and woman, or any variation you care to think of? At a guess, some sitcom inspired wooing, or even cat-calling – but it seemed that the joke was simply that two men were kissing. Part of the reason that the joke struck so jarringly was that throughout
the rest of the play the comedy relied on great timing, high levels of physicality and an otherwise extremely strong cast. Charlotte Spencer’s Second Midnight put the world of celebrity culture under the microscope. The play started well yet descended pretty rapidly into farce with the majority of the cast laughing uncontrollably on stage. Some of the moments, like the exploding beer cans, were genuinely funny - yet the dialogue was often muffled in attempts not too laugh so it was slightly difficult to understand. Overall an enjoyable play that lost most of its potency in the fits of laughter on stage. Sam Day’s surreal Fargle! The Earthlings Are Coming was next on the running. The physicality of the cast was impressive, and the way that the narrative was split between the Martian Parliament and the ‘Welcom Earthling’ party back on Mars really worked well. Although at times the political weight of the dialogue was a little expositional it was small price to pay for a play with such clear moral messages. Queue For Paradise was billed as ‘The Essex Hunger Games’ and found four characters created by Stephan Drury queuing with a sinister determination for the opening of the new “cheaper than Aldi” Paradise Shopping Centre. Lu Smith really brought out the vulnerable side of her elderly character in the opening monologue and the cast really worked well together as a whole, with laughs, jeers and groans coming from the audience in equal measure. The play
did seem to end a little too quickly and with a bit of a rush, meaning that some of the potential to explore the characters’ situation was lost. The penultimate show of the night was Ellie Whitaker’s A Quiet Night In and her portrayal of an LCR pre-drinking session. It was a recognisable scene to everyone watching - with funny dialogue and great performances the friendship between the four housemates was really believable. There are many plays where an actor’s inability to seem drunk draws you out from the action, this was not one of them. Alice Haskell, Briana Taylor, Sian Duggan, and Hannah WalmesleyBrowne all did great jobs of seeming just the right level of drunk to be able to maximise on laughs without resorting to slap-stick or farce at any point. Ollie McFadden was fantastic as the stuck-up hipster boyfriend and really did justice to the hilarious dialogue. Harry Denniston’s Phoney was a definite highlight of the night. It concerned two heavily South-London thieves, played with great energy and convincing accents by Ed Jones and Gus Glassborrow, and finds them hiding from police having just mugged a couple at knife point. The dialogue and direction were balanced well to give the audience such vivid rounded characters without seeming at all over the top. Things took a sinister turn as the phone they had stolen started receiving text messages that, with some ambiguity, told of something terrible happening to the person they had stolen
from. The ambiguity of the texts worked well and the tension was really racked up throughout which gave the comic moments of the play an even greater punch. There were some great setpieces which looked well-rehearsed and ran smoothly. Overall an intelligently written play with good direction and equally strong performances from its two characters.
Venue’s Spotlight Awards Best ‘Leading’ Actor: Ed Jones/Gus Glassborrow (Phoney) Best
‘Supporting’ Actor: Lewis Garvey (The Ghost Writer)
Best ‘Leading’ Actress: Alice Haskell (Quiet Night In) Best ‘Supporting’ Actress: Amber Muldoon (The Ghost Writer) Biggest Laughs: Second Midnight Best Script: Harry Denniston (Phoney) and Ellie Whitaker (Quiet Night In) Best Director: Rob Henderson (Phoney)/ Alyssa Rasmus (Quiet Night In) Best Play: Phoney
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CREATIVE WRITING
25.03.2014
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Food. Let’s All Eat Food.
Peaches
Tim
Isabella Thompson
Rosanna Le Rossignol
She sat with her chin pressed into her palm, a cigarette balanced between the fingers of her other hand. Her nail polish was chipped and last night’s mascara clung in lumps to her long eyelashes. She still looked beautiful. She glanced at me and I looked away, straightening the napkins I had placed on the table. The last light of the evening fell across the bowl of peaches, their pink skins streaked with gold. ‘Thanks for dinner,’ she said. ‘You’re welcome. I’m sorry the chicken was slightly over cooked.’ ‘No it wasn’t. It was delicious.’ She exhaled and the smoke curled above our heads. ‘What did you roast the potatoes in? They were so crunchy.’ ‘If you sprinkle flour on them before putting them in the oven, they crisp nicely on the outside without drying them out.’ She ran her finger through a droplet of gravy and smiled. ‘Do you remember that time we all went and stayed at Ellie’s beach house? You wanted to impress that girl, oh what was her name...’ ‘Linda.’ ‘Yeah, Linda. And Rob told you the best way would be to put a potato down your swimming trunks.’ ‘Do we have to relive this?’ I groaned. She laughed and pressed her gravy-covered fingertip on the end of my nose. ‘It was just so funny when she sat on your lap and it–’ ‘I was drunk!’ I said, wiping the gravy off my nose. ‘It was a joke then I completely forgot it was there!’ She sniggered. ‘Linda was boring anyway.’ I picked up a peach and bit into it. She watched, her lips slightly parted. The soft flesh melted against my tongue and a droplet trickled down my chin. She rubbed it away with her thumb. Our eyes met. ‘Do you want one?’ I said, my voice barely a whisper. She looked at the bowl and sighed. ‘No. No, I don’t like peaches.’
Not thinning, caving. Little caverns full of corners full of shade in every place the rest of us allow ourselves the base indulgence; ample insulation. Pull yourself together; eat a chip, and chip away at Tim. You ‘No, thanks’ it, with Tim ventriloquist. We’re sharing you with him, with Tim. When butter in your dish we slip, and spike your tea with sugar, it’s not you we do it to. It’s Tim whose spindly limbs the pinchers pierce your back for. Tiny Tim’s our target. And we see you, yes we do, we see you. See you shield and tend to him, yet we can’t understand. We don’t have Tim.
@UEA140Story Hungry Jake Reynolds I’m reflecting myself in codes, in bytes and bites of mirror snacks, jaws gnash at smashed glass, thirty in shards, mouths foam over and I’m hungry, hungry as the air. Signals lines of baguettes, prisms rotund, their bellies coves, eyes low. Now follow our breadcrumbs, eat our ginger, who’s afraid of the wolf? I’ve found a new way to be, a recalibrated me, famished, ravenous on the night and her minions, plump on crows, on crows in fog.
Have we found a new way to forage and feast? Is beauty the flavour, the substance the beast? I’m swimming in the dizziness, the gulps, the clump of fats, ash roof slats we stand on atop a disused stairwell, pianos tickle the appetites, the bass the belly rumble. Crumbling, a building, smog a vapour, my lips wet with it, teeth bared, collars upturned, lessons learned, a greedy tongue lashing, lashing for the night.
James Machell My memories scathe by the nose Brandished in war - open sky – A thread through fields of clothes, A point, a chalice - do and die – A sunset to wander – Poets know And shiver - know the reason why – A grand fruit bowl – Olive sleeps By Monroe arms the Cherry is let slip www.beauterunway.com
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There’s a restaurant opened near me where they serve only famous last meals. I went in last night and nearly choked on the ‘Ted Bundy’.
Resurrections in my throat, friends in their glutton coats and reflections licking lips at me, at meat, at gums, red, aching.
Vargas Girls
concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk
Other Girls Jasmine Flores
Hunger Stoyo Stoev
“Yo, Baby! Got some fine tits there!” She walked, kept walking. “Where you going!” “Hey!” “Bitch! Keep walking away! Dumb whore.” This is not an isolated incident. Darcy Malone is an average woman. Not the best looking, not the worst. But she has woman parts, and that is enough for some people. “I’d chew you up and spit you out,” she says to herself. She meets a friend in a bar at eight p.m. The two ladies order drinks. A man squeezes between them, addresses her friend. “Hey, Beautiful, can I buy you a drink?” “No.” “Oh don’t be like that…” He puts a hand on her waist. She swipes it away. “Playing hard to get, huh?” “I can show you a good time.” She looks at Darcy and blinks S.O.S. “Sorry,” Darcy says, intervening, “My friend has a boyfriend.” “Yeah,” her friend agrees hastily. He apologizes and leaves. Her friend sighs. “Boyfriend Fake McFiction comes to the rescue once again.” Darcy pitches her voice low and starts imitating the young man. “Sorry! Didn’t know you were already someone else’s property!” Her friend snorts, joining in with a salacious hand on Darcy’s waist. “Don’t know the meaning of the word ‘no,’” she says in her own imitation. They laugh loudly and sip their drinks with conspiring smiles. “Chew him up and spit him out,” they say. After another drink her friend says, “Bet you ten bucks that guy who’s been following you around will tell you ‘you’re not like other girls.’” Darcy spits. “You’re on.” Nigel McPuke, his name actually sounds something similar to that, wears a trilby (and thinks it is a fedora), claims he’s a ‘real man,’ and sometimes whines about those mythological ‘feminazi’s.’ He follows Darcy around trying to ‘woo’ her. She finds him amusing when he’s not being utterly irritating. On Thursday he insults her favorite female character on that one TV show for predictably irritating and dumbass reasons such as being ‘whiny,’ ‘bitchy,’ ‘annoying,’ or some other gendered insult. On Friday he says he prefers the ‘natural’ look on women and starts listing various trends (basically all of them) in women’s fashion he doesn’t like. On Saturday he says she’s not like other girls. “Owe Rachel ten bucks,” she says. But her brow twitches. This is somehow more irritating than any other petty misogynistic thing he’s said. “I’ll chew you up and spit you out,” she says to him. “What?” Darcy decides she’s had enough. She grows three times in size. Her mouth opens up; teeth growing sharp, shiny, and dangerously white; her tongue lashes out; saliva drips. She swoops down and eats Nigel McPuke, chews his grotesque form, crunches his bones until they are digestible pieces. She swallows. “I am Other Girls.” She laughs. It is loud and spreads out across the sky. It turns into a call for the Other Girls. “And we will eat you all.” She retches, spits his shriveled form back out. “Disgusting.”
Mummy is probably dead. She hasn’t come home for two days now. She’s never stayed out for that long. What is worse, my little sister is dying also. I have been listening to her faint moans for the past four hours. I dare not look at her, I do not want to see her like this. We are out of food. Mummy promised that she would bring some, but she is gone now and I do not know what to do. Bugs will keep me from dying for a while, but in the long run they are not enough. And I can’t feed them to my sister, if she remains in the same state. If only mummy was here, but she isn’t. She always told me that she might be gone some day, that then I will have to take care of my sister. I will have to grow up. I take a deep breath and go to my sister’s bed. She looks so fragile, like a blade of grass. I can count her ribs, mummy taught me how. She said that it is better to count by ribs, because they are more than your fingers and, unlike fingers, their number can never change. I whisper tender words into my sister’s ear and kiss her. I need to go, find food. I hesitate before the door. Mummy always told me that I shouldn’t go out alone. She said that men are insane, hungry and their hunger is not only for food. How can you be hungry for something else than food? How can you ignore this razor that is always scraping the inside of his stomach? It’s time to find out. I open the door and step outside, in Bamako. I wander the streets looking for food and coin, but they are too valuable, no one throws them away around here. I will need to get them in another way. There is a shop down the street, maybe I can ask the salesman to lend me something to eat. On my way, I am distracted by a colourful picture. A “poster”, mummy used to call it. It has people on it and they look so plump and healthy. So pretty and enticing. They embrace each other in a hug, happy smiles across their faces. I want to be like them, but I can’t. I sigh. Mummy said once that the rich men give us those posters, because they hate us. They hate us so much that they want us to feel jealous and sad, because we can’t be like them. She said that they hate us so much that they have a city that they named after our country to mock us. Malibu they called it. A paradise on earth where there is no lack of food, there’s an excess. There is so much food there that people throw it away. I would give anything for something to eat, even if it’s dirty and rotten. I wouldn’t dump it like those people. I hate them, just like they hate me. I hate their bodies, the way they treat us. They are not the centre of the world. I reach towards the “poster” to tear it up. ‘Hey...’ A man yells. I look at him. His eyes are full of anger, but as soon as he sees that I’m a girl, they change. The anger is replaced by something else – hunger. It’s not the hunger for food. I run. He is faster, stronger. I can’t outrun him. How can you outrun hunger itself? I turn right, into a narrow alley. It is a mistake. There is a river In front of me and I can hear the breathing of the man behind, there is nowhere to run. I take a deep breath and jump into the river, “the crocodile river” my people call it. The waters open to swallow me. ‘The only salvation from hunger, dear’ my mother used to say, ‘is death.’
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GAMING concrete.gaming@uea.ac.uk
Joe Fitzsimmons Modern warfare has long been a touchy subject in gaming. Atomic Games’ Six Days In Fallujah attracted widespread criticism in 2009 for recreating one of the most destructive military operations in the Iraq war. Having the player take the role of a U.S Marine, the game was accused of not showing adequate respected to the recent victims of the conflict. The controversy surrounding the game remains a hot topic in the discussion of violent representation in the media, despite it now being five years since Konami withdrew plans to publish it. 2012‘s Spec Ops: The Line developed by Yager gave us a Conradesque delve into the horrors of war, that struck many as a direct criticism of the glorification of western military force in the recent installments of the Call Of Duty Series. It seems now gaming has moved into even more delicate territory in its attempts to shake off the immaturity stigma concerning armed conflict. Developed by 11bit studios, This War Of Mine attempts to show the devastation of modern warfare in one that has so far been absent in the gaming world. That
Sam Emsley Dota 2 has seen a meteoric rise in popularity over the last 2-3 years with millions of players now regularly enjoying the game. The MOBA format has also cultivated an active and growing competitive scene which was kickstarted by Valve themselves. The International was, at the time, the biggest e-sports tournament to date boasting a prize pool of $1.6m, far exceeding any previous tournament ever held in any game.
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This War of Mine of civilians, displaced citizens, and those caught in the crossfire. With the tagline ‘not everyone in war is a solder’ This War Of Mine promises to depict those made powerless by a conflict around them, where the power to act is beyond them, and instead survival has become the only goal. In the initial press release, lead designer Michal Drozdowski says ‘This can happen in your city, in your country… It’s about time that games, just like any other art form, start talking about important things.’ No doubt referencing current conflicts in the likes of Syria and Egypt, 11bit seems keen to hammer home the ‘every-man’ nature of the story. Perhaps Drozdowski may be to harsh in his claim that video games have yet to start talking about important things. The opportunity though, to view conflicts that many of us see the likes of on our television screens everyday through the eyes of those who suffer the most, and are acknowledged the least, is one that gaming could do very well to address. Set for a release later in 2014, with a proposed initial system launch of PC/ Mac/Linux, This War Of Mine certainly
sounds promising so far. Whether 11bit studios are up to adequately represent such a complicated subject whilst
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simultaneously creating a compelling interactive experience, no doubt a monumental task, remains to be seen.
.zippykid.net media.aintitcool.com
Free To Play: Review Valve made a documentary about this called Free To Play, which finally saw its release for free on Steam. The documentary follows the lives of three of the players, Clinton ‘Fear’ Loomis, Danil ‘Dendi’ Ishutin and Han ‘HyHy’ Yon. The three players originate from America, Ukraine and Singapore respectively and share their stories of how they came to find themselves at the tournament and the
stress and risk professional gaming places on individuals. Whilst the film is first and foremost a showcase of the game itself and essentially a marketing tool to attract new players, it heavily features human elements that force the viewer to truly feel for the player and understand the difficulty they experience in attempting to pursue their dreams. The most interesting story belongs to HyHy who has a family which constantly reiterates the importance of study and academia over his passion for gaming. His aunt openly berates him over his choices, belittling his decisions, and his father is also less than supportive. It seems as if everybody is disapproving of his gaming career, even when he has the chance to win $1m. Fear also has a difficult time convincing those around him. Because Fear was living in America, but on a European team, he would regularly stay up all night in order to practice with them, something which forced his mother to kick him out of the house. Dendi also speaks of how he used his gaming to console him after his father died of cancer. The production quality is also exemplary; the cinematography is professional and the
graphics allow the viewer to understand complex game mechanics and theory by expressing them visually. There are also interviews throughout with the commentator for the event as well as managers of teams and other players at the tournament give their opinions and statements providing further insight into the world of competitive Dota. It should also be noted how accurately the documentary creates the feeling in the world of Dota at the time. It speaks about EHome, a supremely dominant Chinese team at the time who were huge favourites to win the tournament, and allows the viewer to understand how they became such a force but without becoming too technical so that anybody can see the strategy and thinking behind their success. Free To Play is the first documentary of its kind and has set the bar for future documentaries about the competitive scene. It manages to find the perfect equilibrium between appealing to current players through interviews and insight into the scene, but also tackling the unseen difficulty behind competitive gaming which will draw viewers who aren’t familiar with the game.
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TELEVISION
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concrete.television@uea.ac.uk
he Immortality of Talent
Shows
Talent shows go on seemingly forever; we explore why
Melissa Haggar Oh, Talent Shows. They have been around since what seems like the dawn of time, and as the years have rolled by some still stand strong. Perhaps the most memorable (and seemingly neverending) is music Mogul Simon Cowell’s baby - no, not the literal one – The X Factor. With the arrival of the eleventh season hitting our screens later this year, and with Simon and Cheryl Cole back to ‘grace’ our screens, the show seems unstoppable. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Dancing on Ice, whose Ninth series recently marked the end of its run on television. So, what makes for a successful and long running TV talent show? Apparently, we Brits just love programmes where we can see other people succeed and fail in equal measure. With long-running talent shows like The X Factor there is always an auditions round; a chance to see an array of ‘talent’ parade across our screens vying for attention. And it would
The Guardian seem with every good ‘act’, there is inevitably around 30 more not so good. The eccentric, the wacky and sometimes the downright crazy, all seem to manage to ‘entertain’ in a similar manner to all the so called ‘good’ acts. This is perhaps why shows like The X Factor and Britain’s
Got Talent garner so much appeal and are sustainable – they feature a variety of hopefuls, instead of just the best of a bunch. So, maybe we as a nation just enjoy seeing people try to realise their dreams and become a mega superstar – or maybe
W1A
When the London Olympics came to a close in 2012 it brought the sad end to BBC2 comedy series Twenty Twelve, based around the group of people who were organising the event. But now Head of Deliverance Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville) has been offered a job at the BBC and this brings us to new series W1A. The first episode was also Ian’s first day on the job and it brought with it plenty of gags that follow on from the first series; Fletcher struggling with his fold up bike to name just one. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments throughout, the most comedic coming via the dulcet tones of David Tennant as the narrator of the mockumentary.
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BBC2
Holly Wade
we just love being entertained by those who don’t. It’s clear that talent shows do inevitably come to an end (as is the case with Dancing on Ice), but they still seem to have some of the longest runs on television. As is the nature of TV talent shows, they are often claimed to be democratic because they are (allegedly) decided by the public vote. Perhaps it is this sense of democracy and public control that keep viewers tuning in. If audiences like an act, they have the ability to ‘save’ them from elimination, which puts the public in control of the outcome, giving them a level of power. With more TV talent shows cropping up, like The Voice and RuPaul’s Drag Race, it seems that a certain amount of ‘talent’ will never be wiped completely from our screens. So whether you love them or hate them, it would appear that these types of programmes are able to attract loyal, large and frequent audiences, which pretty much ensures their continuation.
The introduction of new faces really added to the episode with a bumbling new intern who managed to confuse himself over coffee, two colleagues named Ben and Jerry, and Sarah Parish as Head of Output attempting to commission new programme Britain’s Tastiest Village. The episode stepped up a notch with the return of Jessica Hynes as Siobhan Sharpe, her comment on Snog, Marry, Avoid saying all that need be said about her character. Though the repetition of the gags may not be to everyone’s taste it most definitely adds to the fun and humour of the show. Somehow watching Ian struggle with his bike never seems to get old. There are only three more episodes of this new series and Venue are already praying for its renewal.
Katie Dolan Following the recent announcement that BBC3 could be axed as an on-air channel, the iPlayer is in the process of re-inventing itself for the occasion. The axing has come as a shock to many, not to mention the numerical nightmare as to whether BBC4 will remain named BBC4, leaving a gaping hole where Three once was. On a positive note however, the revamped iPlayer is creating a space for the techsavvy audience. So what will be changing? With the introduction of services like Netflix and Sky-on-Demand, the BBC is stepping up its game. The ability to personalise your schedule is on the cards for iPlayer, allowing them to whisk viewers away from competition for the entire evening. It will be even easier to watch too, as you will be
able to switch seamlessly between several devices mid-programme, not to mention the new 30-day catch-up for those moments you somehow missed. Another feature is ‘pop-up TV channels’ for broadcasting one-off festivals and events; basically what BBC3 did on TV, but online. A final feature which seems suspiciously similar to Netflix is that the BBC will be creating original productions for iPlayer, so instead of just being catch-up they will be an on-demand service too. Could this mean an increase in the licence fee to cover costs? Ultimately the BBC is attempting to retreat from its place as traditional broadcaster by creating a sleeker next-gen iPlayer. Programmes will even be available on iPlayer prior to broadcasting, blurring the boundaries between television and internet.
TELEVISION concrete.television@uea.ac.uk
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25.03.2014
Has Television news fallen?
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We explore whether established TV news has had it’s day Rebecca Bemment Ask most people how they get their daily news and the majority will say it’s not through the traditional means of sitting in front of the TV tuned into BBC news; but rather with a phone or laptop scrolling through social media sites. A few years back, before the hype of social media, the way to get our news was to watch the TV, read it in the newspaper, or hear it on the radio. And all these forms were seen as legitimate and as something we could trust, knowing that the information being told to us was likely to be reliable. But recently there have been discussions as to whether recording news on phones, either in the form of images or videos, is becoming a more trustworthy form to relay current affairs. Something that has been argued is that this brings them closer to the real version of events; and similarly that hearing news reporters who are not at the scene and have learnt of the events in order to tell this to viewers is not as
Gigoam accurate and doesn’t hold the reliability of seeing it first-hand. It appears that social media has gained prominence in representing the news in the purest form. So what does this mean for the previously legitimate TV news? Taking into account the recent axing of BBC three, it seems that using the TV as a way to get the real news and information is
Life & Death Row
Life & Death Row is a BBC Three series telling the story of capital punishment in America. Each episode looks at different cases where prisoners are facing the death penalty; flitting between interviews with the inmates themselves and detailing their crimes. The show also interviews the family members of both victims and inmates, looking at how the death penalty and the crimes themselves have shaped their lives. It’s clear that the root of the programme is the eternal debate that rages across America; is capital punishment truly justice? By looking at the questions rather than the answers, Life & Death Row is entirely impartial. From the various interviews, we’re able to glean the
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becoming less frequent. People want their news quickly and constantly, seeing things as they really happen. For instance, sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Buzzfeed – what with their colloquial form – suggest that it is a more real representation of what is going on. Having a team of producers, analysts, reporters and presenters for the TV seems
less so; a more staged version of current affairs perhaps. However, social media platforms can equally be seen as hiding what is ‘real’. Instagram filters hardly present things in their truest form and can equally be argued as representing an exaggerated version of reality. Both TV and social media can be manipulated by external forces. We can change a photo or video, and just because it may have recorded the event in the time that it happened, it doesn’t mean that we can say that it is more reliable than a news reporter presenting the event information to us on the TV. The internet has certainly taken the lead in amassing news consumers and how we take in our news updates today, and the displacement of the TV is something that has become unavoidable as a result of this. However, despite the way we absorb the news having changed dramatically, this doesn’t mean that either form can be argued as being more reliable than the other. Both mediums can be manipulated and exploited.
points to each side and consider them individually. It is perhaps this that makes the show so intriguing and interesting. Life & Death Row doesn’t force the viewer to elicit emotional reactions; there are no close-ups of crying families or devastated inmates; neither is there melancholy piano music or Maxwell’s notoriously tear-jerking This Woman’s Work playing in the background. The subject is dealt with diplomatically and indeed, beautifully, as every aesthetic of the show is outstanding. If you’re looking for a good way to let off some steam and have a good cry, then don’t watch Life & Death Row. If, however, you are genuinely interested in the varying politics and opinions behind capital punishment in America, then Life & Death Row is a must-see.
Rob Drury Dr Christian Jessen, in a departure from examining peculiar ailments on Channel 4, recently had some travel advice for us: don’t wear decent brogues or listen to Adele in some parts of the world unless you want to seem ‘too gay’. This wasn’t some new-fangled travel doc; it was Undercover Doctor, Cure Me I’m Gay. Jessen examined global practices in ‘gay cures’, something which has previously been examined in TV; Stacey Dooley’s 2012 Gay to Straight examined its implementation in the US, where it’s a contentious issue (despite Pornhub releasing stats showing the Bible Belt consumes an awful lot of gay porn). What marked Undercover Doctor out was that the Doc tried the cures
out himself, and we were there with him. From the unsettling experiences of Aversion Therapy (a treatment to associate feelings of extreme illness with homosexual thoughts and once available prescribed by the NHS) to the process of Exorcising a person – a practice that is widely seen as unethical. The most striking parts involved Jessen’s personal reactions. He has treated many patients without batting an eyelid on Embarrassing Bodies, so when he’s pushed to tears, it’s really quite something. Seeing the gentle giant visibly shaken by a 16 year old stating homosexuality was caused by the Devil struck home with us. For an open, honest look at an issue not often picked up on, or for an hour of something to get angry about, Undercover Doctor is a fantastic bit of TV.
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www.concrete-online.co.uk
FILM
concrete.film@uea.ac.uk
At Cinemas Near You
Under the Skin
Director Jonathan Glazer Starring Scarlett Johansson Cert 15 Runtime 108mins Neven Devies Even with dozens of award-winning commercials and music videos under his belt, UK based writer/director Jonathan Glazer has never been a household name within the milieus of modern cinema. Ten years on from his staggeringly polarising sophomore effort Birth, Glazer returns with an equally bizarre cautionary tale on the effects of contemporary alienation. Amidst an abyss of darkness, a plethora of geometric shapes slowly fade in. Spheres and lines of neon begin to intersect, distorted string instruments begin to resonate, phonetic recitations of the alphabet overlap, merging organically into the score like a brutal crescendo, a mysterious star is born. And so begins Under the Skin, which sees primary performer Scarlett Johansson in a career-defining turn as an elusive alien being who spends her days driving around Glasgow in search of prey. Perhaps the most important aspect of Glazer’s new outing is to consider Under the Skin as a direct subversion to cinema. Far removed from the conventions of the traditional narrative film and with
an oppressively minimalistic use of dialogue, Glazer’s new film plays more like an extended visual arts project. Placing far more concern on mood and atmosphere, Glazer meticulously synthesises the primary elements which create and mould the sensory cinematic experience to stunning effect. The film is, first and foremost, beautiful. Glazer manages to create an excess of hauntingly beautiful visuals throughout, most notably a jawdropping, unforgettable sequence which sees one of her victims whither away from the inside. With only his empty skin remaining as it twists and turns like a ribbon, submerged in otherworldly liquid whilst the remains of his insides cascade torrentially into an indescribable receptacle. The image is perplexing and repulsive; it becomes difficult to look away and this feeling is one which remains through the film. Alienation and loneliness are prominent themes within the ambiguous narrative and it is Glazer’s ability to sustain and heighten this mood consistently for the film’s 100 minute runtime which contributes to its success. Created through excessive use of silences and the jarring juxtapositions between the labyrinthine streets of the urban city and the harsh, mountainous landscapes of remote Scotland - it is quietness which takes centre stage. Even within the narrative, which remains undetailed and highly ambiguous, it is difficult to
Independent
truly understand the events taking place on screen, all of which leads to a sense of being lost and without direction like the film’s protagonist. Whilst the film is clearly not intended as a straight-up horror film, the relentlessly suffocating atmosphere permeates dread and despair throughout, creating an unquestionably horrific experience. Whilst the occasional bursts of brutal violence shock as they would in any other film, it is the usage of wholly abstract imagery which really unsettles. The subversion of the commonplace allows for the natural to appear otherworldly; life itself is forcefully represented as alien. The manipulation of the temporal-spatial reality of the film only serves to heighten the sensation of disorientation, of being alone within a world of implicit torment. Between Johansson’s intimating piercing stares, the subtle yet highly
methodical changes in her body language, all whilst managing to radiate an exquisite, ethereal beauty, this is undoubtedly her best performance to date. She not only carries the film but also creates a relentlessly chilling presence throughout the film. By equal measure cold, methodical, warm and surprisingly human, Johansson manages to create a bewilderingly complex character, one which in any other hands could have easily resulted in a dragging, monotone performance. Ambitious and beautiful, with a knockout central performance, Under the Skin aims incredibly high, and whilst it mildly stumbles along the way, it remains a soaring, mesmerising and hypnotic piece of artistic cinema.
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Greatest Hits: Scarlett Johansson
Luke Keleher looks back at the glamourous repertoire of the Under the Skin star
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Lost in Translation (2003)
Hitchcock (2012)
The Avengers (2012)
Don Jon (2013)
Lost in Translation has become a cult classic since its release, as well as a critically acclaimed piece with four Oscar nominations in addition to a Best Actress BAFTA. Johansson plays Charlotte, a young college graduate accompanying her photographer husband on a trip to Tokyo, who feels increasingly alienated by his passion for a popular young actress. Johansson’s interaction with Bill Murray creates some truly unforgettable scenes, yet some of the most poignant and touching are with Johansson alone in her hotel room, contemplating the turns her life has taken.
The 2012 biographical comedy-drama centres on the relationship between legendary director Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville during the making of his most acclaimed work, Psycho. Johansson portrays Janet Leigh, Psycho’s star, and demonstrates the notoriously lecherous behaviour of Hitchcock towards many of his young female stars. Johansson has discussed meeting Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh’s daughter, for help with her own portrayal. She was drawn to the role initially by the involvement of legendary stars Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren.
This is perhaps one of Johansson’s best known roles, which has attracted her to the widest fan base and has lead to the creation of a new spin-off series of films focusing specifically on her Black Widow character. Johansson’s filmography includes a wide variety of low budget and independent films, so this example is arguable the most mainstream. The Avengers broke several records, including the fastest film to generate $1 billion dollars. Interestingly, the role only came to Johansson after British actress Emily Blunt was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.
Johansson’s portrayal of Barbara Sugarman in Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut centres around her beauty and sexuality, yet with the true dynamic of her character proving to be ultimately unlikeable. Johansson describes her character as ‘very self -absorbed’, not just in the traditional aesthetic sense but also with regards to the manipulation of her own destiny. Barbara is introduced at the beginning of the film as almost unattainable in her beauty, Gordon-Levitt revealing that her character name is taken from the Barbie doll.
FILM
concrete.film@uea.ac.uk
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At Cinemas Near You
Screen Robot
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Director Wes Anderson Starring Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Saoirse Ronan, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman Cert 15 Runtime 100mins Matthew Atwood Wes Anderson pulls out every one of his stylistic elements in The Grand Budapest Hotel, and creates an original film that is not only funny but also action packed.
This film adds new elements to the director’s style, adding to the enjoyment. The film has three timelines, 1985, 1968 and 1932, and takes place in a fictionalized European country, the Republic of Zubrowka, on the brink of war. It opens with a young woman visiting a memorial to ‘The Author’ as she holds a book titled ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel.’ From here, the film jumps to an older version of the author talking about his time at the hotel in 1968, where the young author (Jude Law) meets the owner, Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham). Zero invites the writer to dinner to hear the story of how he came to own the Grand Budapest.
Again, the film moves back in time to the third and final timeline, 1932, at the height of the hotel’s greatness, just before the fictionalized war. The two main characters in this timeline are M. Gustave H. (Fiennes), the concierge, and his lobby boy, young immigrant Zero (Revolori). This timeline contains most of the film’s narrative. One of Gustave’s sexual partners, an older, rich, blonde woman, has died. At the reading of her will, Gustave receives a painting, “Boy with Apple,” despite her son, Dmitri Desgoffeund-Taxis’ dismay. Knowing he may never get the painting, Gustave and Zero steal it. Dmitri has Gustave thrown into jail for murdering his mother. To clear his name he must find the butler Serge X (Mathieu Amalric), who has gone into hiding. The film’s plot becomes complex because of the number of characters and multiple timelines, but the overall narrative is simple. This simplicity, however, does not detract from the film, as the focus becomes the characters. The cast is simply magnificent, and includes the major players of Wes Anderson films, such as Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson, but they play minor roles at best. Fiennes, Revolori, and Zero’s girlfriend Agatha (Ronan) bring as much life to the screen as the bright colours of the hotel. Gustave constantly attempts to
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be eloquent and poetic, but intersperses these moments with swearing that show his realistic side. In his first major role, Revolori is the perfect pupil to Fiennes’ character. Both incorporate the great deadpan humour audiences expect from Anderson’s characters. The duo at first appear to be the classic superhero sidekick pairing, but quickly moves to a partnership as both of them grow. The characters and set shine due to the film’s cinematography. Shots are generally of a character in the middle of the screen facing the camera surrounded by bright colours and quirky elements from the settings. These angles allow the viewer to completely appreciate the oddities of each character, mainly odd facial hair. Moustaches range from curly (Norton), to the simple (Fiennes), to the drawn by hand (Revolori). These shots also allow each character to gain importance, as there are so many the audience may forget names, but not their distinctive looks. The Grand Budapest Hotel contains many heart-warming moments, along with many elements of other genres, Anderson shows what really matters is love, whether it is between a boy and a girl, a man and an elderly woman, or a concierge and his lobby boy.
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Fantastic Mr. Anderson
Adam Dawson explores the (moonrise) kingdom of hollywood’s most innovative artist Wes Anderson has one of the most unique visual styles of any director. Whether you think this a good or bad thing, you can’t get away from the fact his work looks like nothing else. You may say all of his movies are exactly the same, but that’s overlooking the skill it takes to make them in the first place. Besides, an animated film about a fox stealing chickens from an angry farmer is about as far away from a movie about a dysfunctional creative family as it’s possible to be. Love or loathe the cute, twee way Anderson makes his films, there’s no escaping the fact that he certainly has an original eye. There’s a sense of childish whimsy in his films that most people grow out of around the age of six. This is more than welcome when most movies are dark and depressing. It’s always nice to escape to a world filled with bright colours, bizarre characters, and live for two hours in world so surreal it makes you forget how
dull and mundane your little life actually is. That’s the real joy of Wes Anderson’s films – he makes you forget about how dreary the world is most of the time. When you’re soaking in a colour palette that looks like a unicorn has been sick, it’s impossible not to feel as though you’ve been spirited away to a much more pleasing world. There are many famous director/ actor pairings in Hollywood, but none of them seem to understand each other like Wes Anderson and his pal Bill Murray. Murray first popped up in Rushmore in 1998, and since that movie he’s been in all seven of the works Anderson has made since then, including this week’s Grand Budapest Hotel. Murray understands what Anderson’s scripts are trying to do and helps bring them to life in a way only Mr Murray could. There’s a quiet sadness at the heart of most of Anderson’s work, and there’s also quite a bit of sadness in Bill
Murray’s face. Murray and Anderson are totally in sync with each other, bringing a sense of playful melancholy to everything they touch together. No one else could get the right balance of quietly hilarious but also desperately sad like Bill Murray. Some critics (boring ones who pretend to be actual grown-ups) think Anderson just makes the same movie over and over again. This is untrue. Maybe they’re just
too much the responsible adult existing in their 9-to-5 world to see that Anderson’s movies aren’t all the same, they’re just products of his style. Yes, you’ll find bright colours and overhead shots of hands in all of the movies, but that’s just him working in a way that he’s found best suits his unique vision. Like it or loathe it, you’d never mistake a Wes Anderson movie for anyone else’s.
The F ilm Fatale
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FILM
concrete.film@uea.ac.uk
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300: Rise of an Empire
Director Noam Murro Starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Jack O’Connell, Various Speedos and abs Cert 15 Runtime 102mins Daisy Jones One film about the scantily-clad ancient Greek army just wasn’t enough. Seven years after 300 pranced onto the big screen, comes a sequel with just as much gore, just as much gusto, and even more six packs. Running parallel to the original movie, 300: Rise of an Empire tells the story of Themistocles (Stapleton) an Athenian idealist defending freedom, despite the fact that Athens had the highest slave population in all of ancient Greece and wasn’t actually a very free place at all. The Persian God-King Xerxes, who appears to have been intercepting Cash My Gold, is hell-bent on world domination, and the only way Themistocles can stop him is by uniting all the states of Greece. But Queen Gorgo (Headey) insists that
Forbes
Sparta’s contribution of 300 men in speedos was enough, and Themistocles’ “why can’t we be friends?” approach isn’t cutting the mustard. While this thrilling political wrangling is going on, there’s also a bit of naval warfare. 300: Rise of an Empire has all the stylish violence of the first movie – and then some. The red capes are switched for blue, the jockstraps with skirts, but it’s hard to tell when everything feels like it’s been shot through a moody Instagram filter. About an hour of the running time is taken up with slow-motion shots, and blood spurts out from every orifice, to the extent that 3D viewers will spend most of their time dodging it. The green
Veronica Mars
Director Rob Thomas Starring Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Percy Daggs III, Enrico Colantoni, Krysten Ritter Cert 12A Runtime 107mins Adam White
The Post Culture
Almost entirely funded by fans through an overwhelmingly successful Kickstarter campaign last year, Veronica Mars exists as a sort-of movie sequel to the cult ‘teenage private eye’ TV series that ran from 2004 to 2007, picking up nearly a decade on from the last time we saw Kristen Bell’s plucky neo-noir detective. Veronica’s a little more cynical and hardened as the movie opens, her investigative smarts and sizzling love affair with tortured rich kid Logan Echolls both retired in favour of an uneventful big city existence with eternally bland boyfriend Piz. That’s until she’s lured back to smalltown Neptune, California when Logan becomes prime suspect in a high-profile murder, Veronica rediscovering her skills in order to solve the mystery and exonerate her ex. Veronica Mars is unusual in that it’s a mainstream movie that has almost
screen is king, and no-one seems to mind that they seem to have wandered into Mordor, or that the moon is enormous. Although our new hero is pretty bland compared to the shouty charisma of Gerard Butler, the most fun character to watch is Artemisia (Green), the commander of the Persian fleet and overall femme fatale in charge. Everyone’s scared of her, even though she looks like Avril Lavigne and tramps around like a moody teenager searching for somewhere to put in her straighteners. We get a bit of backstory on Xerxes and how he got his codpiece of godly power, but he’s not really in the picture, probably because he’s too tall to fit in the frame.
Yes, 300: Rise of an Empire isn’t as good as the original, but ‘the battle of the manboobs: mark two’ does have its virtues. With a sea of perfectly waxed blokes fighting on CGI waves higher than the Gherkin, it’s a bloody, silly mess you can’t help but enjoy. At some points you just have to laugh, although that’s mainly to keep from weeping. If you liked 300 then you really have to see it; if you didn’t, you can probably go without. But come on, we all need a guilty pleasure sometimes.
no obligation to appeal to an audience outside of a relatively niche, pre-existing fanbase. This is cult television brought to the big screen by those who actually wanted it, meaning outside of a brief dump of exposition at the film’s outset, many of the character dynamics and narrative callbacks are left free of any real context to help first-time viewers. It’s not at all a hindrance, but it does call into question why director and co-writer Rob Thomas would then try and create a balance between pure fan-service and a purely self-contained movie. It’s a risk made most clear through the film’s murder mystery, which quickly becomes less a plot device to bring Veronica back to Neptune, and more the film’s central agenda. It’s a serviceable storyline, but one that doesn’t actively utilize many of the characters we explicitly care about. At the same time, the class warfare and political corruption of Neptune, one of the most striking elements of the original series, here provides much of the stronger characterdriven material, leading to a surprisingly sombre final resolution for Veronica and some of her closest allies. But it is given short shrift, underwhelming when it’s the one story that fully exploits Veronica’s fantastically warm relationships with both gang member Weevil and her
protective father Keith. That being said, this is still a solid hour and a half. Kristen Bell slips back into what remains her finest role with confidence and ease; Veronica is again sharp and cute, but with an intriguingly darker edge this time around. Likewise her renewed chemistry with Jason Dohring, a heated charge of sexual longing between them only deepened by the seven-year gap between the series and the movie. It’s also genuinely heart-warming to see the main cast back together again, along with a couple of surprise appearances from past fan favourites. Veronica Mars is not a flawless movie, but as a send-off to a series that didn’t get the perfect resolution it really should have gotten, it works well. Long-term fans will be enamoured by much of what’s here, and it admittedly feels a bit fussy to complain too much about something that felt like an elaborate fantasy back when Veronica Mars was first cancelled. It’s like finding half a cookie at the bottom of what you thought was an empty packet. It’s not perfect, obviously. But it’s still a damn cookie.
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FILM
concrete.film@uea.ac.uk
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At Cinemas Near You
Entecy
Need for Speed
Director Scott Waugh Starring Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Michael Keaton, Scott Mescudi Cert 12A Runtime 132mins
Chris Rogers Based on the popular video game franchise, Need for Speed follows the story of Tobey Marshall (Paul) as he seeks revenge after a fellow driver causes his friend to crash and leaves him to die in flames by the roadside. Along the way he enlists the help of his crew of mechanics and the daughter of a British
car dealer, Julia (Poots), to help clear his name and ensure that his nemesis Dino (Cooper) is brought to justice. The film is a fairly mixed bag to say the least. There’s a moment in the film in which a character says ‘You know I just came up with that, right now?’, and this is indicative of the movie in general. There are several set pieces that seem to have been drawn out of thin air, added entirely to either pad out the run time or to pull in an audience eager for more. Whatever the reason, the action sequences are carried out with a great deal of finesse and are perhaps the film’s greatest strength. They harken back to a time when action movies prided themselves on doing dangerous stunts for real, and there is homage made to Bullitt and Speed, both in one of the out-of-nowhere driving sequences and in a short drive-in scene. The real stunts, combined with clever use of varying camera types and angles and a full-blooded, pounding score by Nathan Furst (a newcomer worth keeping your eye on) ensure that there are several moments where you worry that vehicles and people are genuinely
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being badly broken. There is also a lot to be said for Aaron Paul, now fresh from his magnificent run in Breaking Bad, who takes a slightly flimsy script and manages to pull off a very fine performance. Imogen Poots does the best she can with what she’s given, though since her appearance in last year’s Filth she has taken a step backwards performance wise. The cinematography is handled with a certain degree of panache, though the retro-fitted 3D adds little to the film, and is unable to save the mostly one-dimensional delivery of lines by the supporting cast, one of whom swings from simply annoying to a little misogynistic, the others (including a previous offender of Michael Bay’s oeuvre) simply feeling like screen filler. Need for Speed is a perfectly fine action movie that sets out with good intentions, has a troubled first half, but pulls it all together before the end, and it’s not unenjoyable. Let’s just hope they don’t ruin the good will with a sequel.
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LISTINGS concrete.listings@uea.ac.uk
25th March - 8th April live music
25th March Coasts + Box Of Light Norwich Arts Centre £6 26th March Metronomy UEA LCR £15.50 Blues Boy Dan Owen The Bicycle Shop £5
Vega Birthday Fiesta! Waterfront Studio £3-4
Saint Raymond Norwich Arts Centre £7
29th March
1st April
Dirty/DC (Tribute to AC/DC) The Brickmakers £5
Deaf Havana w/ The Maine + The People The Poet UEA LCR £15
Polar Bear Norwich Arts Centre £15
35 Years Of The Selecter OPEN £16.50
2nd April Jack Savoretti OPEN £12
Walk Off The Earth UEA LCR £15 5th April
Stiff Little Fingers w/ Godfathers The Waterfront £18.50 28th March
30th March
Little Matador + Lyger + White Rhino Waterfront Studio £6
Luke Concannon (Nizlopi) / Jimmy Davis / Grant Ley The Birdcage £6
Alex Highton + Milly Hirst The Bicycle Shop £8
Sam Brookes The Bicycle Shop £6
Lloyd Cole Solo Show Lecture Theatre 1 £18
3rd April
65daysofstatic Norwich Arts Centre £13.50
By The Rivers Epic Studios £8
Boy George w/ Skinny Lister The Waterfront £23.50
The Vibrators + Citizen Fish + Dogtown Rebels + Menshevik Waterfront Studio £10
Onlyjoe OPEN £10
4th April
31st March
Dexters Epic Studios £4-5
Peter Mulvey The Bicycle Shop £8
John Bramwell Norwich Arts Centre £15
Villains w/ Chasing Cadence + Solstice Tsunami Jets Waterfront Studio £6 8th April Curtis Eller’s American Circus The Bicycle Shop £8 The Last Carnival w/ Rampant Horse + Colliers + Room Service Waterfront Studio £7
theatre 26th - 29th March
26th March
5th April
5th April
Un Chapeau de paille d'Italie UEA Drama Studio £5-7
Martin Figura - Whistle Norwich Arts Centre £6-8
Swinging At The Cotton Club The Playhouse £19-21.50
Gossamer Thread's Greatest Show On Earth Norwich Arts Centre £12
club nights 25th March
29th March
1st April
5th April
Skool Daze UEA LCR £2-5
The A List UEA LCR £4.50
April Fashion Fool UEA LCR £2-5
The A List UEA LCR £4.50
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COMPETITIONS 25.03.2014
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Across 5. Hump backed desert-dweller (5) 6. Hard casing on a snail (5) 7. What type of cheese is made backwards? (4) 9. Worn by cowboys (5) 11. Centre of the eye (5) 14. Aquatic mammal sometimes seen in UEA lake (5) 15. Expression of objection (7)
Down 1. Mixed fruit drink (5) 2. Part of a flower (4) 3. The first day of April (5) 4. Honey making insect (3) 8. Chaos (8) 10. Japanese martial art (6) 12. Group of student representatives (5) 13. Main student venue on UEA campus (3)
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