Venue 314

Editorial

Issue #314 6 October Taking a stand can be a dangerous thing to do. Yet if you don’t, you risk losing your footing, and falling away from the world you belong in. At the same time we should not hold a stance blindly. It is easy to become too grounded in our viewpoints, and possible to forget that with even the barest communication, the ground beneath you can shift. When these challenged perspectives become isolated from one another, misunderstanding and isolation are easy cracks to fall into.

Editors: concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk Ana Dukakis Joe Fitzsimmons Arts: concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk Brett Mottram Creative Writing: concretre.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk Jay Stonestreet Fashion: concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk Lizz Gowens Leah Omonya Film: concrete.film@uea.ac.uk George Barker Melissa Haggar Gaming & Technology: concrete.gamingtech@uea.ac.uk Tom Bedford Music: concrete.music@uea.ac.uk Freya Gibson Daniel Jeakins Televison: concrete.television@uea.ac.uk Hannah Ford

Art and Design: concrete.artdesign@uea.ac.uk Dougie Dodds Cover Art : Dougie Dodds

The craziness of Freshers’ Week, recruitment, and Concrete’s big meet brought me many things: living an entire week on three hours of sleep a night, a drive to subsist completely on union shop sandwiches, and the opportunity to connect with students across the university.

This ranged from first years, to those finishing their PhDs and from other people across the Norwich community. From this I have learned that viewpoints stretch across an entire landscape, and the opportunity to enrich each other’s experience simply through personal drive and contribution cannot be rivalled. This is a fact that cannot be brushed aside in the classroom. With a lack of communication between any party, a viewpoint can run the risk of being easily misunderstood.

Therefore, to limit education to a one way conversation, whilst arguably efficient, may narrow any viewpoint we may have about our own position in our relative fields. To claim that this will inevitably breed ignorance would be hyperbolic at best.

However, when the connections between our viewpoints stretches through walls, cables, and wi-fi networks, we must be careful which direction we choose to face.

20

I recently watched The Lives of Others, a film set in East Germany that follows a Stasi officer who is spying on an author.

Seeing the characters’ lives shrouded in mistrust and paranoia made me feel refreshingly thankful for my own freedom. All terrible attempts at singing carried out in my room are done safe in the knowledge that there is no officer sitting above me, having wiretapped my room.

However, this thrill was somewhat short lived after I recalled the new reality TV show Hunted, where 14 people try to “disappear” for 28 days as investigators “hunt” them down.

It raised the topic of the marriage between technology and surveillance, a topic which had previously lain dormant at the back of my head. I looked up a piece of information previously filed away as “that Google spy thing that’s probably not so cool”; it turned out to be Google installing audio and microphone activators on any Chrome-running computer.

I realise this topic may seem rather mundane: so we’re being watched, what else is new? There is so much news on surveillance scandals that they are no longer scandals so much as expected occurrences. One article I read snidely requested that we all calm down about Facebook’s messenger app, since it wasn’t actually “evil”. A fair enough point, but since when did the infringement of privacy have to be glaringly “evil” for it to be questioned? Perhaps at this point we don’t really need to care – unlike the Stasi, all Google would gain from tapping my room are eardrum-rupturing renditions of Queen songs. The question then, perhaps, is at what point do we start caring – and will we actually do it?

Yet another thing this revealed to me was the importance of art. It was a film and TV show that made me conscious of this issue, which, considering the act of watching they both involve, seems rather fitting. Yet all art, regardless of form, provides us with some sort of reflection – if not of ourselves, then of the world around us. Sometimes these reflections are muddy, flecked with discrepancies.

Some are barely recognisable, labelled as “escapes” – but surely even in an escape we must first realise what it is we are escaping from. So whether it is through a culture supplement (like, say, I don’t know, Venue) or through some other means, take a moment to celebrate the art around you – they may reveal a reflection you had not noticed before.

3

Music An Interview with The Maccabees Freya Gibson spoke to The Maccabees’ Hugo White ahead of their gig at UEA’s LCR on 20th November.

Your newest single, “Spit It Out” has just been released. Are you pleased with how it’s been received?

Do you know what, I don’t even know how it’s been received. It’s definitely become one of the moments in the live set. “Spit It Out”, before people even knew it, has been one of our favourites to play live. It’s quite odd though, releasing singles when the album’s out, because I guess people have already heard it. But there’s a good single edit, because the actual track’s about four and a half minutes or something and this is the three minute version, which actually works really well. It’s quite concise.

And how about the rest of the album, how’s that gone down?

Great, it’s been so busy for us since it came out and having the number one record last week was really brilliant. We’ve never had that before, I think it’s always felt like that with any opportunity like that, we never get the kind of crowning moment of it.

We’re always like third place or something, with anything like that it feels like we’re slightly under the radar. So to get that result, “You’ve got the number one record”, was really an amazing feeling, after doing it for ten years. And it being on the fourth record, and it being on this record because, this record was the hardest one we made.

Did it take the last three years to make it?

Pretty much! It was probably a year writing, and at the end of that year we realised that we hadn’t actually got as far as we wanted, so then maybe another year writing and then making the record which took a good few months.

But we did it all in our own space this time.

So what was difficult about writing in isolation?

Usually with making a record, you sort of go somewhere else and meet new people and work with them. This time we didn’t want to do any of that, and it sort of came around that I was going to produce the record, and I was aware that that wasn’t going to be an easy task and the record had to be as good as it could possibly be. For me, it was a pretty serious time of work. I was working from 9am until 12 at night, not drinking, not partying, nothing but making the record.

So for you personally, are you glad that you’ve done that and had that opportunity?

Yeah

definitely,

and

with

the

record

being successful as well, relief because there was fear, “what if I mess this a real relief that all that

it was a huge always a slight up?” So it was work paid off.

What do you think has been the most noticeable change in your sound in the last 10 years?

Were there any songs from the new album that went down better than you expected?

During the festival season, we played more of the songs that you'd imagine like, ‘Marks To Prove It’, ‘Something Like Happiness’, ‘Spit It Out’. They all go down great. There’s another side of the record that we didn’t

quite work into the festival stuff, but I think in the UK tour we’re going to try and work in some more of the quieter moments that are more further away from what we usually do live. So that’s another bunch of nerves about how we’re going to work that out. But I think that'll make the gigs really special, they'll have quite a new dynamic to them.

I will always think fondly of our first record, but it was quite naive musically, but then maybe that’s one of the best things about it, and the best thing about the band.

Everything was kind of thrown out for the first time. Whereas now, everything’s way more debated, and there’s way more depth into things that happen musically. Which creates a completely different thing to what we were trying to achieve in the first record, but I think we’ve tried to develop every record into something different. This last record, we didn’t want to make something that was similar to Given To The Wild, which is probably why it took so long. In the first section of writing we were doing, we were falling into a lot of old habits that we’d done on Given To The Wild, and in terms of using lots of layers, it was quite complex and used lots of effects. And actually we found, that stripping all that away and putting restraints on ourselves to not do all that stuff was the only way we could progress. Which actually reflects more, how we used to work.

The record does feel like it encompasses all of our other albums previously.

What can we expect from your new feature film, “Elephant Days”?

Basically, it’s a feature length documentary and before we started making the record we had the idea that we wanted to use the music that we made to soundtrack the film.

So we started working with the label, and told them that we wanted to make a film that we could soundtrack and started to speak to some directors that we’d worked with previously on music videos, and developed this idea that they would film a number of stories following us right from when we had no music up to when we finished the record. And at the same time, find stories within the area, because we were in the same studio all the time in Elephant & Castle, so we found stories in the area and did the same thing. It is a kind of snap shot of time, a few years follow some really interesting stories of people trying to create something and do something. It started with no idea how it was going to end up, but actually it’s a really touching thing about community and the spirit of people. I think it goes really well with the record, and it’ll be really nice for people to see that. It’s also an insight into making a record without it just being about a band making a record.

You’ve played lots of festivals this summer.

Sam Ford, Flickr

4 Sebastiaan ter Burg

Music Jessica Frank-Keyes

The artwork on the cover of Ryan Adam’s latest release – a track by track cover of Taylor Swift’s 1989 – reveals that the album inside will be as unlike the electro-pop infused, upbeat anthems of Swift’s recent work as possible.

Melissa Haggar

When the self-described “gangsta Nancy Sinatra”, Lana Del Rey, announced her fourth studio album (and third major-label record) there was a mix of trepidation and excitement from fans and critics alike. Her moody and melodic Ultraviolence left some audience crying out for a venture similar to Born to Die or the Paradise edition. And thus, Honeymoon was born, a completely new creation devised

by Del Reyand in collaboration with long-time producers Rick Nowels and Kieron Menzies.

It would be unjust to say that Honeymoon is entirely indicative of the Born to Die or Paradise eras, but it certainly has the same breezy overtones and similar musical composition.

This makes for compelling listening, but the album possesses a distinctive sense of timelessness that previous records did not. Every beat is orchestrated masterfully, every note hit in a most haunting manner. Honeymoon is clearly an album that has been constructed with the upmost care, precision and passion.

1989 - Ryan Adams The sun bleached image of a deserted coastline is echoed in the opening of ‘Welcome to New York’, with the melancholy sounds of seagulls replacing the claps and synths that kick off the original track. This change of tone continues into ‘Blank Space’; arguably the song that most benefits from Adams’ reworking. The lyrics sound painfully revealing when paired with the slower melody, and the overall effect is of the bleakness of heartbreak that comes at the end of a relationship. ‘Out of the Woods’ also works beautifully with this approach, although at over six minutes long the song takes on a different meaning. The refrain sounds more like a genuine question, and the song again becomes a regretful look back at the loss of love.

‘Style’, however, is forgettable and serves as a blunt reminder that these songs were written for a specific performer with a specific

audience. ‘Shake it Off’ is another track that is best skipped in order to enjoy the mood of the album to its fullest. The lyrics are so unsuited to the slow pace Adams chooses for his cover that the listener can’t help laughing at the sombre tone of his ‘haters gonna hate’.

‘Bad Blood’ is lacking in energy and without the range of Swift’s voice the song falls flat.

Don’t stop listening there though, because ‘I Wish You Would’ is gorgeous.

The pace finally picks up and the song translates perfectly into the nostalgic sincerity that characterises the album. When this twist on the exhilarated, unashamedly eighties-inspired quality of the original is pulled off it highlights all of the puzzle pieces that make Swift’s work into hits – the hooks, the imagery laden lyrics and the emotional articulacy that allows a sta-

dium full of fans to empathise with her every word – but on the few occasions where it fails, it’s instantly and annoying noticeable.

Adams’ album closes with the two songs that in their original incarnations most rely on their production to provide context to the lyrics. You would think that ‘I Know Places’ and ‘Clean’ would work best as the crystal clear, uncomplicated pop songs they were written to be – but in Adams’ hands they are moulded into wistful, haunting tracks that reflect his own talents as effectively as they originally showcased Swift’s. It could be a case of a well-written song being hard to ruin, but Adams deserves more credit than that. He has (mostly) successfully reimagined one of the most popular albums of one of the biggest popstars alive today into something that manages to be completely unique and personal, without losing the elements that make 1989 into such a sensation.

Honeymoon - Lana Del Rey The album’s grandiose structure is evident from the first opening title track, ‘Honeymoon’, as bittersweet strings and cascading piano beats fill your ears until Del Rey utters her first line: ‘We both know that it’s not fashionable to love me’, a true testament to the brooding hipsters she so dutifully caters to. The track continues in a blissful fashion, sauntering on for almost six minutes of pure cinematic drama, setting the foundation for the classical and more mature album from the singer. ‘Music To Watch Boys To’ follows a similar fashion, relying on Del Rey’s ethereal vocal delivery to elevate the song to dizzying new heights while also combining with an abundance of string instruments and flutes to turn the track into the musical equivalent of a hazy summer glow. This seemed appropriate for a track that relies heavily on its use of lyrical visual imagery.

But Honeymoon does not rely on a few satisfying successful songs to get audiences through its running time. Track after track there are individual songs that exude their own aura, their own style and have their own distinctive sound. ‘Salvatore’ is a slow-burner that at first sounds like Del Rey is just listing off random words in quick succession. However, it has an intrinsic depth that can only be fully understood after a few listens; not for the listener who requires immediate gratification. ‘The Blackest Day’ is a song that starts off like a simple brooding ballad but ultimately proves to be darker than first imagined, with Del Rey singing that ‘I got you where I want you/ You’re deader than ever’.

With so many different musical elements

and a more coherent one-woman persona, Del Rey succeeds for the most part to create an album that showcases her more complex and mature sound. However, the amount of captivating and demanding material means that any slight misstep is heard loud and clear, and songs like ‘24’ fail to deliver and have the same kind of impact as the more prominent, sounding a l m o s t dull amongst the rich musical landscape Del Rey has created.

That being said, Honeymoon is a vivid and timeless addition from Lana Del Rey, one that fully shows off her developed sound and harmonises it with gorgeous melodies, creating a true classic that will surely delight those who choose to listen.

Meghan Ellis

5

Music Festivals: Europe vs UK From Amsterdam’s Dekmantel to the Isle of Wight’s Bestival Lloyd John Peet At the start of this summer I had, shamefully, never frequented a music festival. Friends at uni would gasp in surprise as I told them that in my nineteen years, I had never once had to endure the unprecedented scale of Glastonbury or Reading’s horrific toilets. I was sceptical to say the least. How could anyone enjoy themselves in such terrible conditions?!

Nevertheless, in the excitement of the build up to summer, all of this was forgotten- two very promising festivals awaited. I would try one European and one British festival, let’s call it a comparison.

At the beginning of August, I attended the first of the two festivals. To be thrown in at the deep end would be an understatement.

After a hazy week in Amsterdam, I travelled to Amsterdam Bos, a large forest on the outskirts of the city. The festival of choice was Dekmantel. Dek is a relatively young event in its third year and with an attendance of 10,000, apparently fairly small. Yet what sets it apart from the rest is the world class house and techno artists who make up the programme. With a lineup including Ben Glock, Four Tet, Carl Craig and Jeff Mills it’s clear to see that this one is all about the music. Worryingly, I’d never even heard of half the headliners.

I was apprehensive. I was out of my depth.

Arriving at the gates of the camping area I was shocked. Where were the vast fields engulfed in mud? The toilet pits swarming in human dirt were nowhere to be seen!

Instead what greeted me was a normal campsite, echoing Butlins with chalets and everything. “Four days without showering”, I had been warned, yet there were ample showers and they were relatively clean. Had it all been lies? Had everyone been trying to ward me away to preserve this idyllic Dutch paradise? Gradually, I realised this was all a facade; in two days I was the idiot who had forgotten his sleeping bag and even suffered sunstroke. Despite the fact that the campsite felt like it was suffering an eternal hangover and having to visit the welfare tent briefly, I loved the atmosphere at Dekmantel. Everyone I met there had a huge appreciation towards the music and were eager to have a good time.

Now to get onto the important bit, the music. At the time I probably didn’t appreciate it. The weekend was a blur of running between some of the worlds biggest house and techno producers. But there was also a large variety in terms of atmosphere and music between each stage. Nina Kraviz and Robert Hood in the UFO stage, which screamed early nineties rave tent, featured intense beats

in perpetual darkness cut by incredible visuals. The outdoor stages were the polar opposite. Here, softer techno and even hip-hop intertwined gave a more relaxed atmosphere. Floating Points played a back to back set with Hunee in the Selectors, a fairly intimate wooded stage, which was one of my favourite sets of the weekend. It was also interesting to see Madlib, a hiphop producer whom I had never listened to, mix in a huge Conservatorium. It all was pretty funky. What stuck out to me about Dekamantel is that it is a great place to hear new artists you may not have had chance to listen to before, and even find a few new favourites. Siriusmodeselektor’s closing set on the Sunday left a lasting impression on me. They’re not a very well known collaboration in the UK, and I had never heard of them. Yet they closed the festival on the main stage and I can safely say it was the best act of the weekend. From a remix of Todd Terjie’s ‘Johnny and Mary’, to the duo mixing each other’s songs such as ‘Nights Off’, coupled with extremely intense visuals, their act was unforgettable. I struggled to see how Bestival would compete with such an exceptional weekend.

and were incredibly fun to watch, but for me artists such as The Chemical Brothers, Flying Lotus and Todd Terjie were the highlight of the festival. What also stood out to me about Bestival was the incredibly diverse range of artists and performances, which if you had unlimited time and lacked the need to sleep, you could’ve seen.

From Shit-faced Shakespeare, to Stormzy and not forgetting the surprisingly good Skrillex (it was the last night, it had rained horrendously, anything would’ve

sounded good) there was something that catered for most genres. It was also a lot less intense than Dekmantel, with a wider range of more chilled performances, and set in a beautiful setting where a lot of effort had clearly been put into design.

Over the course of the summer my previous festival scepticism had been completely eradicated. I am now hooked and I intend on returning to both next year. I might even give Glastonbury a shot.

Come early September, I was experiencing serious post-dekmantel blues. Bestival seemed like the perfect way to end the summer and I was eager to experience a British festival. Situated on the Isle of Wight, Bestival is famed for its yearly theme (this year was Summer of Love), and its incredible line-up. Due to a journey which mainly consisted of queuing for various forms of transport, we arrived fairly late on the thursday night but I was ecstatic to get set up and head into the festival. Now if my first impression of Dekmantel shocked me, my first glimpse of Bestival blew my mind. It was absolutely massive. Countless stages and tents, an ‘Ambient’ forest, llamas and even a bloody maze, this was on a scale I had not even imagined. Compared to Dekmantel there was just so much to do. With Bestival it really wasn’t just about the music.

It was sod’s law that we were in the furthest campsite away from the main stages, and although it was a forty minute walk to the festival, it meant we got to see the full extent of the ground. The camping itself was very different to Dekmantel. There was no easy access to showers and the toilets were disgusting, but I guess it’s a quintessential part of all British festivals.

Headlining Bestival this year was Duran Duran, The Jacksons and Missy Elliot.

Don’t get me wrong, they’re all amazing acts

Lloyd John Peet

6

Music Daniel Jeakins

An Interview with The Wombats

You're playing UEA's LCR on tour in September - do you have any good memories/stories of playing in Norwich?

'Greek Tragedy' has established itself as one of your biggest hits - what inspired that song?

We've played at UEA probably about five times and it's always a good vibe and atmosphere there! One of the things I do remember from a show we did on our first album though, is probably the most 'Spinal Tap'-moment of our career as a band.. We had just come off the stage and were getting ready to come on to do the encore. We had this HUGE inflatable wombat that was supposed to inflate as we were coming back on with this dramatic classical music playing through the PA. But as it was inflating, we soon realised that it wasn't hanging quite high enough and people started grabbing it, which left what was supposed to look like a giant wombat looking more like a huge used condom hanging off the ceiling!

Greek Tragedy started as an instrumental idea me and Dan were working on in Liverpool. Murph was in LA and was going through a break up at the time which inspired the lyrics for the song.

You've also booked your biggest ever gig at Ally Pally for October - are you surprised at how many people still show interest in the band considering the length of time you've been away and the general demise of guitar music in mainstream music?

We are really pleased that a lot of people still want to see us live and feel lucky to have such dedicated fans. Really looking forward to the Ally Pally show!

Daniel Jeakins

we do at this level and it is the passion for making music and life on the road that keeps us going and pushing things forward.

To see from the start of a song idea to

hearing the end result playing the songs live at shows is an amazing feeling.

Moving forward we hope that we can keep doing this for many years to come!

How quickly can we expect a follow-up to 'Glitterbug' - and what are your plans with the band after the tour in October?

We got a long tour in the US that will keep us busy on the road up till Christmas, so hopefully we'll start working on the follow up early next year!

What have been your favourite records of 2015 so far (other than your own!)?

So far, my favourites have been: Tame Impala’s Currents, Jamie XX’s In Colour, Passion Pit’s Kindred, Dan Deacon’s Gliss Riffer and Kid Astray’s Home Before the Dark.

Having achieved all that you have done with The Wombats, what drives you to keep progressing and making the band bigger? Is there anything else you still want to achieve with the band?

E. Birkedal, Wikimedia

We feel very lucky to be able to do what

Music Biopics We'd Love To See

The power of the music biopic has been unearthed recently with this year's huge success story Straight Outta Compton - which tells the story of the rise of Compton legends N.W.A and how they sound-tracked anti-police riots in America.

Although it could be argued the film was flawed in its failure to portray the group's known misogyny and Dr Dre's treatment of ex-girlfriend Michel'le Toussaint, the movie stormed the box office and enjoyed vast critical acclaim. That got the team at Venue thinking of other acts that could be the subject of movie biopics.

The Libertines The return of The Libertines has been smoother than expected - there's only been one missed gig thus far and although their new material is far from a career peak, their live shows have been typically raucous affairs.

With the band back in vogue, wouldn't a

film about the bands early days - recalling the four-piece signing to Rough Trade, the birth of Pete Doherty and Carl Barat's iconic chemistry and the departure of Johnny Borrell - be an exciting proposition? It'd be great to see the band's early house parties recreated on film, and the narrative of Pete Doherty's heroin addiction could give the project a thought-provoking edge as the talented songwriter descends into the tabloid fixture he became in the mid-noughties.

Kendrick Lamar There are surely plenty of directors keen to produce a Kendrick Lamar biopic - not least because half the work is already done for them. In Lamar's major-label debut good kid, MAAD city, the new king of Compton told the story of his harsh upbringing in one of America's most dangerous suburbs, and finishes his story with a Hollywoodready religious conversion. The record is

arguably the best out-and-out concept album since the seventies, and could be an heir to Quadrophenia's throne when it comes to great films based on albums.

With Kendrick Lamar planting himself firmly into the public consciousness, the time is surely right to begin casting.

disappointment Be Here Now. With every month seemingly coming with a rumour of the band's live return, an Oasis film could certainly drum up excitement amongst one of this country's largest music fan-bases.

Oasis

As one of the darkest, most controversial artists in popular music, frankly it's shocking a motion picture based on the life of Eminem hasn't been produced. Sure, 8 Mile fictionalised the rap-battle scene in which Slim Shady broke through, but a film going into the rapper's upbringing and discovery by Dr Dre would be a fascinating watch. The darkness surrounding Marshall Mathers has never fully been explored, and if the rapper himself was interested in the project (as he has been in several motion pictures in the past) he could co-produce an honest portrayal of his rise from trailer parks to headlining stadiums around the world.

It's been over twenty years since Oasis rose from Manchester council flats and became the biggest band in the world, and yet no one in Hollywood has taken on their incredible underdog story. From Noel Gallagher's days as an Inspiral Carpets roadie to the band's first meeting with Creation Records boss Alan McGee, the early years could be beautifully recreated. Then there's the fascinatingly violent relationship with Noel and Liam, the dysfunctional family which they grew up in and the effect of wealth and fame which led to 1997's over-cooked

Eminem

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Fashion The Art of Layering How to Wrap up Warm and Still Look Cool.

Tatum O’Leary To the courageous few still braving the Norfolk winds in playsuits and skimpy dresses, I salute you, but the time has come for us to accept a chilling fact: winter is coming. It’s easy to feel down and dreary as you fold away your shorts and search the back of the wardrobe for jeans and a jumper, but dressing for cold weather does not mean freezing your fashion instincts. After all, more clothes equals more opportunity to combine and create! The art of layering can keep you feeling toasty and looking hot.

The best part about layering is the versatility it lends to your wardrobe: there are no rules, so have fun with it! If you prefer a girly look and hate the idea of covering up with jeans and jumpers, why not stay warm and on trend with some bold tights? Not just for school, tights can be a real statement item: ripped, patterned, knitted, white and sweet or coloured and clashing; we are finally at an age where we can experiment without risk of detention, so go for it! I am also a huge fan of knee

socks - although play it safe with white, black or grey to avoid the ToddlerDressing- Self- for- First- Time look.

Tights or knee socks will protect your pins from the cold, allowing you to parade around campus in your cutest dress or mini skirt frostbite free. Plaid skirts will work especially well to create an on trend preppy look (think Cher from Clueless this autumn. And always.)

If skirts aren’t really your style, don’t feel confined to last year’s jeans: embrace this season’s sophisticated classic vibes with a pair of tailored or cigarette trousers. Pairing cigarette trousers with a high necked crop jumper and sleeveless long line blazer will make you look like a timeless babe who probably owns her own company.

Handily, this trend has also resulted in the return of the oversize coat, so if you’re looking to feel snuggly but look icy cool, a classic belted waterfall coat is the way to go. These coats are having a moment right now and I for

one am on board because apart from anything else, there’s so much material involved that you could be wearing your pyjamas underneath and the world would be none the wiser. And isn’t that the goal, really? Plus, buying a belted option allows you to cinch the waist slightly to prevent any shapelessness in your silhouette – very cute, very comfy.

If you want a new wardrobe but the loan is already pinching, turn to accessories!

Dangly earrings, the bigger the better, are back and can transform your plainest long sleeve tee into an understated contrast. For the more adventurous, switch up traditionally dull items: swap the gloves you’ve had forever for some Hepburn-esque over the elbow gloves!

You could even search Etsy for a faux fur muffler and waltz around town like the Russian princess that you are.

Layering offers so many possibilities: winter is essentially mother nature’s blessing to play dress up, so go for it – why be cold when you could be bold?

Kristiana Sizinceva

Fashionable and Functional

The Best Bags to Hold your Student Necessities and More.

Roseneath Machube The new term is officially in full swing and with freshers week over we are back to business, which includes early morning lectures, heavy books, large files and of course the occasional coat as this weather is unpredictable at present. Oh and an umbrella, if it's not windy it's definitely wet in Norwich.

Being a student you have a lot of things you need to bring with you to lectures everyday and you need a bag that can fit all of your belongings in but still be right on trend. I've picked out a few options to cater to all your needs without breaking the bank and remaining fashion forward.

1. The Tote - ok, the good old tote bag has been in for a while and is here to stay. There are tonnes of these on the high-street and you're sure to fit everything and even lose some pens in the process. I'd stay away from the H&M tote everyone on campus has, not because they aren't absolutely gorgeous,

but because being the fashion forward doll you are, you want to stand out.

My suggestion? Mango, Cath Kidston, Zara, New Look, and of course Primark!

2. The Satchel - these are especially handy for carrying your laptop & a few books. They also add to that androgynous look which stays on trend.

3. Nano satchel (tote)- so it turns out that some people prefer to carry as little as possible when coming to uni. They just have their phone, possibly iPad and purse.

If you’re one of these people a nano bag is perfect for you. My favourites at present are by Chanel and celine. However those are really expensive so why not grab one that’ll do the same job in New Look!

Hannes Grobe, Wikimedia

4. The Backpack - we saw MCM do the ever so popular backpack, but the prices are quite steep! So why not go for a Zara A/W 15 backpack in black, as it'll go with everything you own, plus you’ll also have the option of getting a real leather one at a fraction of the price! If you're the sporty-chic chick Adidas has lovely backpacks which are quite reasonably priced, and you're guaranteed of a good backpack that'll be great for uni as well as possibly gym and sport. That's a 3 in 1. Sounds like a good deal to me.

Remember accessories can make or break an outfit. Let your bag bang!

Alberto Ziveri, Flickr

8

Fashion Boho on a Budget

Achieving the Look Without Breaking the Bank.

Alice Ballard So the 70s have come back with a flare that’s giving our eyes a feast but our bank accounts a heart attack. Boho fashion, from chic to rock, has been influencing our wardrobes since the 70s. Now if it wasn’t bad enough that boho style is meant to be unique and exciting, we are now adding the show-off attitude of the 70s, in alarming urges such as “I must have it. It’s got tassels on it”. As students we have the unfortunate luck to be broke about 80% of the time (the other 20% is either spent on food or booze depending on how much you fancy eating beans on toast for the week)! So follow me as I take you through the best and easiest ways to achieve the boho look on a student-friendly budget.

Our first stop: charity shops.

Now if ever there is a place for a good ol’ charity shopping binge, Norwich city is the one. Oxfam, Cancer Research and British Heart Foundation are always a safe bet but don’t be afraid to try some of the smaller charity shops around Anglia Square. There is a knack or rather, an art, to charity shopping but if any piece of advice will help you it is this; look at the clothes as they are, and not within their surroundings. Try and see their potential within your own wardrobe and not surrounded by the mismatched patterns and materials on

the rack, and always try things on! If you can master this knack you will find charity shops a treasure trove, and your wallet will thank you too! Charity shops also get bonus boho points because the clothes are almost always unique, a lot of them will actually be from the 70’s and the proceeds all go to great causes!

Our second stop, dear reader, is right around the corner… or down the corridor! Your mates, more often than not, are willing to lend, swap, shop and definitely drop with you! So next time your best mate rocks up to a lecture in the oversized shirt of your dreams and more rings than fingers don’t be scared to ask to borrow or offer a temporary swap. If your mates are looking to sell the clothes they inevitably can’t fit into a wardrobe barely larger than the pizza box currently sitting in your fridge after last night, then offer them a price… or a drink. As long as your wardrobe doors are just as open to them, you can get plenty of cheap or free clothes. However, a warning to those who are of the more unorganised mind, make sure you remember to give them back!

beautiful displays behind the glass panelled paradise of Topshop and head down to H&M. Cheap and cheerful; I find H&M is always a winner, especially when it comes to the basics that help accentuate patterns such as paisley or floral. While I used to view New Look as Topshop’s annoying younger sister, I now find its clothes taking on their own identity, and because the prices are often pretty good I haven’t been disappointed with a purchase yet.

Our final stop is Primark. Primark’s clothes are at a price that is pretty damn irresistible

We’re going to take a dip into the mainstream now and head down to some of my favourite high street shops. Ladies and gentlemen please take your drooling gaze away from the

Images :Elizabeth Wigley

for us students and it is a regular occurrence that I compliment a friends clothing only to find that Primark is the source. However, personally, I find the general atmosphere quite stressful and often that means I find it harder to buy clothes that I really like from there.

So we have come to the end of our tour.

We can return home for a nice cup of tea, triumphant in the knowledge that next time we venture out to update our wardrobes for this seasons upcoming 70’s boho look we need not fear for our bank accounts.

Epicantus, Pixabay

Campus Catwalk

Commentary: Lizz Gowens and Leah Omonya Name: Abbie Year: Fresher Studying: English Literature Abbie is keeping it light and summery whilst playing with the new autum boho trend using the combination of denim and suede. This look proves that while the fashion season transition period, can be tricky, it is doable!

Shops at: Zara and Asda.

Editors’ favourite: Suede pinafore. It is very 70s boho.

We are loving the modern take on the classic schoolgirl looks. Very fitting for this fun yet educational environment.

Name: Julius Year: Third Studying: Accounting & Finance All black bases will always look chic, and Julius revamps his with a splash of red and khaki. The pairing of a bomber jacket with Ray Bans also creates an effortless summer to autumn outfit - and probably helps to hide hungover eyes from freshers week.

Shops at: Zara, TopMan, Nike, Rayban.

Editors’ favourite: It was a toss up between the jacket and the shoes, both of which stand out on their own as statement pieces, whilst working together to create a finished autumnal outfit.

Name: Unknown This is the perfect example of an effotless look. The simple shirt and jeans combo will always stand the test of time.

Whether dressed up for a more professional setting, or dressed down like our mystery model (from Sweden visiting her sister) you can’t help but look polished and put together with this key look.

Editors’ favourites: The classic baby blue button up shirt. It’s a piece that can be worn all year round and versatility is essential in a student’s wardrobe

9

Film Everest

Universal

Patrick Hughes Are you the type of person who still wears a jumper in summer? Gets brain freeze from ice-cream? Or has to watch Happy Feet 2 with a hot water bottle under a winter duvet? If so, chilling blockbuster Everest is may not be the film for you.

Everest begins with the coming together of climbers from different parts of the word, all uniting under the collective goal of reaching the top of the tallest mountain in the world.

With the help of protagonist Rob Hall played

by Jason Clarke the gang begin training to adjust their bodies to the extreme conditions of such a feat. Set in 1996, Everest is becoming a holiday camp for climbers as they join organizations selling adventure packages.These ‘holidays’ offer seasoned climbers to guide you to and from the summit. Sounds almost too good to be true right? The movie plods on slowly like an expedition only picking up pace as the climbers reach the top. What comes next is a race to descend the mountain in time as weather conditions deteriorate with mother nature taking the final hour of the film into her own hands.

The backdrop of this film is fantastic. At times even the stinted dialogue and clichés hint at the fate of the characters such as: ‘I just hope we all make it’. But in the face of

the occasionally dodgy lines, the wonderfully sterile and magnificently beautiful glaciers take over and become the star performers. This is a film that was made for 3D and should be watched in 3D. The shots of ice, snow and the surrounding landscape are a marvel to watch, yet all the while ominous and imposing.

Like Chekhov’s gun, Mount Everest is a static but ever present part of the first half of the film that waits patiently before ultimately causing havoc and chaos. Based on the story of a tragic expedition, you sit down knowing that a grim outcome awaits you. In certain ways this adds to the movie as the dramatic irony it provides makes for a very uneasy start to the film as characters gleefully get to know each other over beers and talk about how excited they are to see their families again.

What is problematic about this film is that ,at times, the smaller moments are eclipsed by the big. Yes this is a big film about a big mountain, but it should also be a depiction of human relationships and an analysis of the selfdestructive human condition. At times Everest touches upon these moments of truth and honesty, but it never really confronts the major issue of why? Why are these people risking their lives and what truly compels people to

leave their homes and travel thousands of miles to subject themselves to pain and torture?

When encountered with the words ‘based on a true’ story many people would be forgiven for being a little cynical. In the past, films that have used the aforementioned phrase, have forsaken plot and backstory, for over dramatic explosions, lengthy action sequences and tired dialogue. Everest is a film that fights against this trope but unfortunately falls into a few traps of the disaster movie genre. The climbers regurgitate lines that have been spoken one thousand times before, while fringe characters blend into the background like snow.

Like the mountain, the film Everest is a spectacle and whatever you may think about the characteristics or the heartstrings that are so deliberately pulled in a very Hollywood manner it is impressive. At times you can really feel the cold and get lost in the immaculate whiteness of the surroundings. The cinematography is outstanding and an honourable mention goes out to performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and John Hawkes who create complex and affable characters through wonderful supporting roles.

The movie ultimately goes out of its way to truthfully depict what happened on that climb

all those years ago. It is about half an hour too long and does skim over important character development but what it does deliver is a real cinematic experience that delves into the literal and at times emotional highs and lows of climbing mountains; a group of humans reaching towards the almost impossible.

If you have a spare evening get out from under your blankets, put on 3D glasses and a woolly hat and enjoy Everest for it’s sheer size, vision, and at times beauty.

Yes

+Brilliant

camera work - Cliched lines -Bit too long

Well put together and a real visual treat in 3D. The film falls short in its lack of character depth and reliance on disaster movie tropes.

10

Film Palio

Connor Jordan More than your standard documentary, Palio breathes like a spaghetti western and carries the same masculinity and drama as films like Rocky. Palio documents the events of the world’s oldest horse race which takes place twice a year in Siena, Italy.

Every summer ten horses and riders race bareback around a track each representing one of Siena’s ten districts. Palio tells a classic story of the charming champion jockey, Gigi Bruschelli, as he attempts to gain his 14th and 15th victories at the Palio, to break the current world record. Gigi is shown to be the mastermind of races which have always been very open in their corruption, he is more than happy to use bribes to give himself the advantage. Alongside Gigi we also follow one of his old students, Giovani Atzeni. He is one of the youngest jockeys in the race, and a dreamer with a determination to win in a more honest way than the other riders.

What follows is a superb film by relatively new director Cosima Spender whose mastery of intense cinematography keeps the film moving and highlights the themes of glory, corruption, and legacy even through the slower moments of the film. Palio is all about high stakes intensity in a real setting and that is carried across beautifully by the soundtrack that borrows its songs from an Italian series called Secrets of the Sahara and Italian directed Il Mercenario. That any of these songs could just have easily have come from The Good the Bad and the Ugly is no bad thing, though it’s a shame none of

Jamie Parsons

the songs were original to the movie.

Finally, the most important part of any good sports drama or spaghetti western is of course the fight. For Palio it takes the form of the two races themselves. I was left clinging on to my seat as panning cameras tracked the racers charging around a track for 90 seconds. What made it all the more gripping was the knowledge that this isn’t a work of fiction, this is real life anything could happen. And it does. All in all Palio is a superb film that plays with narratives in a way not often seen in documentaries, and could IMDB be a real contender when the Oscar nominations are released. Who knows, it may very well walk away with the prize in the second most intense competition I’ll watch this season.

Yes

+Intense +Dynamic +Fun

Palio uses the documentary style to tell an intense story. If you love films that put you on the edge of your seat, then this is for you.

Palio di Siena

Solace Neo-noir gone wrong, Solace is a laughably poor attempt to recreate the grim, broody worlds of Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs.

Alfonso Poyart’s Solace was handled so poorly in all stages of production that it failed to even attract a US distributor, an early warning sign into the state of this once promising idea.

With the iconic Anthony Hopkins leading the credit roll, one could be forgiven for expecting, or even hoping, for better. His strong performance is perhaps the saving grace of an otherwise less-than-mediocre piece of cinema. Hopkins plays John Clancy, a retired police doctor who just so happens to possess psychic abilities. A former colleague of John’s, Joe Merriweather (played adequately by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) successfully urges John out of retirement for the clichéd ‘one final job’, ‘for old times’ sake’.

Allstar/ New Line Cinema

John is tasked with tracking down a serial killer, but the fun doesn’t end there, as in true noir style, we discover that the criminal (later revealed to be Charles Ambrose, played by Colin Farrell) also possesses psychic abilities, and that John has finally met his match. A mundane game of cat and mouse ensues, with Charles always one step ahead. The direction

meagrely builds up tension with predictable cuts and angles; the film follows noir tropes to a tee. Eventually we reach the denouement, the confrontation between cat and mouse; good and evil; John and Charles; and we uncover the true motive behind the series of killings: mercy.

Thematically the film, to give it some credit, attempts to tackle interesting philosophical issues. This however, is one of the reasons the film was doomed to fail from the start. The film attempts too much, before it even has the basics in place. The great crime thrillers are remembered not only because of exceptional creativity, but because of the way they handled the basics so well.

No

-Insipid -Confused -Predictable

Failing on every level, this film is a major setback to Farrell's career revival.

11

Film Tragedy in Film Watching our worst moments on screen Alex Morrison Everest captures a compelling por trait of the 1996 disaster that took the lives of eight climbers on Mount Everest. It is successful in por traying the tragedy, whilst the cinematography draws you into the wonder and danger of the mountain.

The real life victims are written well enough that you feel the plight that they go through. However, other films have been less successful, as there can be a thin line to walk between compelling the audience and being respectful to the events that took place.

Compare for instance two different films about 9/11 that were released in the same year (2006), Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center and Paul Greengrass’s United 93. The former, whilst having the be st of intentions, turned out to be a mawkish and overlypatriotic film that thre w clichés at the screen in an effor t to sell the film to as wide an audience as possible; as such, it fails in capturing a tr ue por trayal of the horrifying event. The latter, meanwhile, focuses on a specific event of the day rather than the full picture, using Greengrass’s signature shaky-cam in order to accentuate the

Fox/Paramount

chaos and terror felt during the event.

As such, United 93 was a far more respectful por trayal of the tragedy of 9/11 than the bigger World Trade Center as it was better able to capture the shock and horror that took place, whilst also evoking the braver y of the actions taken by the passengers seizing control of the cockpit.

War is a par ticular tragedy that can be hard to por tray with the fullest respect, as many war films are full of grandiose imager y of explosions that can make war ver y attractive and exciting to audiences. The ver y best fil ms in this genre are those that tr uly expose the horrors of war, making sure to show how horrific the effects are for both soldiers and civilians alike. Saving Private Ryan , for instance, exposes the audience to the sheer tragedy of the Omaha Beach landings effectively and quickly, with the use of handheld camera as the American soldiers enter the beach to be greeted by a massacre, contributes to the idea that war is hell.

Similarly, Schindler’s List, is excellent in how it por trays the tragedy of the Holocaust, with the scene

Universal

of the liquidation of the Krakow ghetto in par ticular standing out in showing the full horror that went on for the persecuted Je ws.

The Je wish background of director Steven Spielberg is of par ticular impor tance here, as it allows for a more personal touch to the film, allowing him to por tray the events with utmost respect and reverence.

On the other hand, when done the wrong way, you have a film such as Pearl Harbor, an attempt to cash in on the love stor y of Tita nic and the epic battle scenes of Saving Private Ryan.

Attempting to capture the events that sparked the US into joining the Second World War, Michael Bay’s film utterly misses the mark, as it focuses more of its effor ts upon the love triangle between three fictional characters than it does on setting up the tragedy of Pearl Harbor. Sure, Titanic is guilty of doing the same thing, but it at least we see them interact with real life passengers on the ship, which helps add some tragedy when the ship sinks. With Pearl Harbor, none of our trio of leads are absent while the event is taking place, and

none of the characters that actually par take in Pearl Harbor are developed in the slightest, leading you to feel dettached from the event, arguably a crime for a film that por trays tragedy.

Additionally, Bay’s commercialised sheen is all over the film, with scenes of dropping bombs and ships exploding having the feel of Transfor mers rather than the real tragedies of war, thereby failing to effectively por tray this tragedy.

Indeed, the pitfalls of Pearl Harbor summarise why it can be hard to effectively por tray tragic events on film. It can be too easy to gloss over the horrors and instead focus on grand spectacle in an attempt to win over a larger audience. It is the films that pull their punches by showing the extent of the horror of the event at hand, like the Holocaust in Schindler’s List, which ultimately succeed to the greatest extent in being respectful and accurate. Both elements can be combined effectively, as seen with Everest. Ultimately films should not trade off their respect for the subject matter, in favour of gaudy spectacle.

Universal

12

Nicholas Angel Hot Fuzz (2007)

Film

Judge Dredd Dredd (2012)

Axel Foley Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Alex Morrison

Yasmine Haggar

Jay Slayton-Joslin

The lead character of Edgar Wright’s seminal comedy Hot Fuzz is incredibly qualified in all his fields, being a master of shooting, fencing and driving, showcased in Hot Fuzz’s epically bombastic conclusion. Responsible for the highest arrest rate in all of London, he may not be a team player but he truly knows how to get the job done. So much so that his superiors who sent him packing, soon found themselves begging for him back. To make him even better, he doesn’t kill anybody, instead sedating his enemies; exactly what a police officer should aim to do. Oh, and he makes doing paperwork look awesome.

The brilliant (although arguably reckless), Detroit police detective is the star of the Beverly Hills Cop series and is clearly an ideal contender for best law enforcer. Despite his unusual methods and somewhat questionable schemes, he is fiercely committed to police work and successfully solves multiple cases using his unique blend of charm, humour and creativity. His best moments include sabotaging a vehicle exhaust with a banana, taking down multiple bad guys whilst venturing around Wonder World (a Disney-esque theme park) and befriending a fabulously peculiar art gallery assistant named Serge. His bold and playful approach cements him as one of the most memorable law enforcers, and therefore worthy of this title.

An extreme character rolling into the badlands of urban-crime, lacking prejudice he is enabled to carry out the full maintenance of the law. Dredd remains lethal and efficient, with a sprinkle of humanity that means that he can help the world and show a good side when the time comes. One of the only forces standing between crime and his city, Dredd boasts a wide variety of precise combat skills; he gives the toughest of foes a one way ticket to the gutter. Watch out – he fires once, and doesn’t miss.

Everett Collection/ Rogue Pictures

Paramount Pictures

Joe Alblas

Head to Head: On the Beat Our Writers Pitch You Thier Favourite Law Enforcers Marge Gunderson Fargo (1999)

Bruce Robertson Filth (2010)

Rick Deckard Blade Runner (1982)

Ben Pinsent

Ben Pinsent

Jamie Parsons

The police hold up the pillars of the law and are the thin blue line between order and chaos.

Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson is none of these things. He is, to put it bluntly, an absolute bastard. Over the course of 2013’s Filth we learn that Bruce Robertson is a conniving, uncaring, crazy person who plays his co-workers against each other, frames his friend for a sex crime (that he himself commits) bullies and threatens the people he is supposed to protect and serve, as well as popping any substance he can get his hands on. He is without a doubt the funniest copper to be placed on the silver screen.

It was once said that law enforcement is a man’s game. The fairer sex cannot handle the brutal acts that unravel before the eyes of a policeman. However Marge Gunderson from the Coen brothers’ seminal classic Fargo proves otherwise. Not only is she a great detective, being able to piece together the seemingly random events during the crime caper, she is heavily pregnant while doing it. Unlike her male counterparts she does not make a big deal of her role in the arrests, rather she does her job, the job of a policewoman.

Rick Deckard is a blade runner (a special police operative), but for all intents and purposes, he is the blade runner. The archetypal noir antihero, Deckard (Harrison Ford), embodies all that we love about noir and its male leads: dark, broody, morally ambiguous and just that little bit broken. Driven by justice, and eventually love, Deckard ruthlessly hunts down superhuman replicants (humanoids) raising questions about his origins, and whether he himself is truly human, or something more.

Regardless, the cool, calm and collected Rick Deckard will always stand as a cinematic great.

Lionsgate

Warner Bros

Everett Collection/ Rex Features

13

Creative Writing “As we enter into October and the sun sinks a little lower every day, each autumn sunset becomes more beautiful. In this issue, UEA’s writers explore the theme of skylines and the framing of the human against nature’s ever-changing backdrop.”

- Jay Stonestreet, Creative Writing Editor

Cloudwatcher Ever since I’ve been a child I thought the old dead painters painted the sky.

Coffee cream on Nursery wall blue stretched out like souls on a recently dirty dinnerplate.

No planes cutting between them up there because I’m still watching from the middle of the green where I lived.

An older version of myself -in an attempt to dazzlewhile describing an evening sky might have written “chiarscuro” …but for now I’ll stick with “skidding” as an allusion to the colours I’m seeing that mark the surface of the clouds “Like paintings in a museum.”

The way they’re “so far up but floating even farther away.”

Serious and untouchable and content the keepers of dreams adrift in the biggest sea of all which is the sky.

Eunhae Lim

The Big Sky

Westley Barnes

As he stared up at the sky, he could feel his heart beating. He could feel each pulse like sharp, jagged spikes on a heart rate monitor. He turned to face her, lying on the grass beside him, her hazelnut brown hair spread out like golden rays from a pale white sun, and he could feel his heart flatline, just for a second.

“You ever traced clouds before?” she asked him, her dark indigo eyes sparkling.

“Traced?”

“Yeah, you know, like tracing dot-to-dot lines, like in a constellation. Only with, you know, clouds.” She briefly flickered her eyes at him, her eyes seeming like they were made of glitter.

“Can’t say I have,” he said.

She pointed one finger out towards the sky, her nails painted burgundy red, like they could shoot lasers into space. “Just try it,” she said. “Trace the outline of the clouds.”

He extended his arm. He found a white cloud that looked a bit like a diplodocus. He started from the tip of the hump, and worked his finger around the edges, slowly. He lowered his arm. The cloud now permanently looked like a member of the dinosaur species.

“I just traced a pirate ship,” she whispered.

Silence descended down upon them. With just one movement, he could touch his fingers against hers. Connecting with her like they too were points in a dot-to-dot puzzle, forming a ‘V’ with their hands and arms. Like two clouds touching.

Lines on her were like the lines he had been tracing in the clouds. Nothing straight. Everything curvaceous. Not even lines at all. The softened edge of her chest-plate, just at that tender point where it met with her forearm, round against the rims of her chest, plunging down into the tightening squeeze of her midriff, and then the sudden, sloping bulge of her hips. She twisted round slightly towards him, and he caught a glimpse of her collarbone, as sharp and as straight as knife blades: the symbol of exposure and vulnerability.

“Do you think of me as weird, Gregg?” she said.

He shook his head. “No,” he said. “Just as a girl who’s got a bit of an obsession with dot-to-dot puzzles.” She giggled at that: soft, soprano gasps that sounded so close to descending into hyperventilation. “And skies,” he added.

She twisted back round to stare up at the clouds.“Do you know what’s fascinating about skies?” she said at last. “It’s that they’re never-ending. It’s that they have no lines, or edges, or vertices.

It’s that they are actually white, made up of all the colours in the rainbow, but it’s just that the blue end of the spectrum reaches our eyes first.”

“So what makes a sunset red?” he asked, staring at her lips as she talked.

She paused. “That I don’t know,” she said at last. Then: “But that childlike curiosity. Of not knowing why the sky’s blue, or what the sun is, and why it comes and goes every single day. The same single arc every single day, like it’s following a one single line that it can never break, lest it destroy everything. Like it’s trapped. The not knowing of all these things, and the beauty of it, only for it all to be completely destroyed by science. All the things that these people have learnt, just because they have decided to destroy that one single human trait of inquisitiveness…”

He had to interrupt: “Weren’t we meant to be talking about the sky here?”

She shook her head. “Sorry.”

He looked back up. He saw a cloud that looked almost exactly like a wing. A fragment of an angel. He thought of feathers. Lines stemming from the bones like veins in a frail, fragile leaf.

Floating through the air, never stable, never controlled, never trapped.

To feel free. That must be how clouds felt. To feel that they can seep; that they are not trapped by any boundaries. He spotted an airplane in the sky, and he watched as it left a straight trail of smoke in its wake. The unstable, temperamental nature of wind. How do you draw it on a weather report? With lines. But there are no lines in wind.

Straight lines. In the sky. Impossible.

He spread out his arms and legs, and he pretended that the grass he was lying on was snow, and he made a grass angel. A fallen one. Forced to live on the Earth, it had lost its freedom.

But there are no lines on Earth either.

“You look like the sky,” he mumbled.

“How so?” she asked.

Tom Cascarini “You have no lines.”

14

Creative Writing Carnival Nights i met the prettiest boy at a summer night carnival who worked in the hospital down the street who was older, and quiet, and reminded me of a boy on tv, who now probably lives a million cities away, a million cities into a future that i will never catch up with i have been to other summer night carnivals and i have seen other pretty boys that disappeared into a world elusive to girls who live at home & i wonder what cities they see with their cigarillo smoke eyes and who they touch with their golden hands and where their feet walk once they leave the festival grounds & do they ever think of me, seeing a wonder of the world, or soaking in a beautiful girl like the midnight tide, or walking from one paradise to the next? do they ever wish they took me with them? i remember all these pretty boys, the way they held their heads like trophies, the way their shirts draped their bodies with just enough room for the summer breeze, the drawl in their wino voices, the tilt of their squinted eyes, their veins of sweat under city streetlights glowing as if liquid silver. i imagine their shoes dipped in the ink of dusk and in the morning when i wake up in the same small room i grew up in, i can see their outlined footsteps and i can follow them, just catching their scent, always a little too far behind to ever see them again

Shy Beauty

What my traveling has taught me so far is that each country, each city in the world silhouetted against the sky in its own, unique, different way. Some profiles scream proudly their beauty, others whisper with timid grace. I recall when i traveled to the airport, leaving my country for good, that might sound sad, but it wasn't. Not a tear, just a smooth feeling of curiosity and sometimes, a vivid, sweet fear. I have never really experienced homesickness. I love everything I left behind and I love that I left everything behind. I don't look back, the road ahead is too intriguing. If I was Orfeo, Eurydice would have never returned to the darkness.

There is, though, something that sometimes, in my sleep, unconsciously, reminds me of what lies on the other side of the sea. A final image. Just a shy profile. Profile of my city, the place where I was born, raised, the place that fed me for nineteen years. The houses looked so small, so frail. The city hall yawned to the pale newborn sun.

My land. Sunburnt soil and sunburnt skins. Brown stripes, golden wheat. I miss that. Not the burnt skins, or the sun or the wheat. I miss that image, a single moment of pure Beauty, which I was so lucky to witness. Yes, each city in the world has a different skyline, each building a story to tell. Unique profiles. Paris has a small nose and tight waist and London, well, London quite a belly pot for all that ale, but a nice one, a belly pot that that girl from Pulp Fiction would like. A typical Italian city has smooth, soft contours, motherly embracing the sky. Yes, our cities must have large hips and big breasts, for all the carbohydrates we eat.

That's something that might actually make me homesick, one day. When i'll be walking on the streets of London, listening to Ralph McTell and at some point I will recognize my language, spoken loudly by some tourists. It will remind me of that moment of Beauty, not Sorrentino's Great Beauty. A small one. Just my personal, shy Beauty. Witnessed from a car's window, a few minutes before falling asleep.

Benedetta Mancusi

Olorgesailie the mind was flat before it found the horizon could sink into the sea’s drift, and eclipse the silted cliffs, that stretch their lips beyond the rested bones of this basin lapping off the endless run of mist untongued by air, into the philosopher’s sky a mountainous resound of the land’s pooling cloud, drowned in the pathless sun saving us before our thought’s dawnthe mask of nuclear shadows, that settle upon the shores of an anenome moon we can no longer explore The journeys of color through light’s array hold the day in echo of where it began in yesterday, a wrinkle retreating in the elephant’s skin we are cratered in, alive in the dormant valley’s paleosol, red swept from the back of tomorrow where the tributaries traced as maps are kaleidoscopic truths to the eye of a thousand pencil cartographers engrained in a refugee’s face or an ancestor’s print, petrified within the desert of direction

Carlo Saio

Francesca Kritikos

Ana Dukakis

15

Arts Botticelli and Birtwell, Caravaggio and the Krays Notes from the Frontlines between Fashion and Art

An Introduction to Norwich’s Live Literature Scene

Phoebe Harper Fashion and art: two whopping juggernauts constantly intertwining in a weird Torvill and Dean-esque manner on the frontlines of contemporary culture. The two complement and inform each other, fashion being somewhat greedier in harvesting inspiration and references from aeons of art’s historical practice. To this day a wound festers betwixt the two, rearing its head like a venereal threat between spouses, every now and again secreting an ugly discharge of a controversial nature; the question as to whether designers are artists, and is fashion consequently art?

A couple of years ago, Karl ‘Ice King’ Lagerfeld made the gasp worthy comment to The Telegraph that, ‘If you [a designer] call yourself an artist, then you are second-rate.’

Raw. On the other hand, which isn’t so consistently clad in black leather, formidable figureheads of Brit fashion such as Dame Zandra Rhodes, reckon that fine art no longer concerns itself so much with beauty, whilst fashion continually preoccupies itself with the concept in all kinds of distorted ways, meaning that it is more relevant, and therefore more artistic, ‘than the garbage they put out as conceptual.’ Rhodes also makes the fine point of the greater amount of physical effort that goes into the process of making clothes.

Whichever merry bandwagon you choose to jump on, there is no avoiding the abundance of examples within fashion that explicitly allude to the visual arts. Notorious instances like Vivienne Westwood and the Haring pairing, YSL and Mondrian, or Liberty’s and William Morris are classic examples of such collaborations. Most recently, LFW witnessed designers proffering subtle artistic references. Mary Benson’s recent collection featured models with a full face of maquillage exactly replicating Frida Kahlo’s in The Broken Column, while Molly Goddard’s sheer pink frocks echoed Degas’ Dancers in Pink like nobody’s business (thanks to @artlexachung for that one).

Hot young thing Ed Marler, with whom I am royally obsessed, continues to blaze the fashion trail with pieces that ooze artistry and theatricality laced with East End grit and sex appeal.

Sumptuous, billowing satins in lusty alizarin crimsons mingle with fishnets and cockney Pearly Kings and Queens. It’s like Caravaggio went to tea with the Krays. The flowing, delicate sleeves of LeBrun’s seventeenth century courtiers are translated into rough denim reminiscent of Brit Spear’s and Timberlake’s memNorwich Theatreensemble.

Royal This epitomises the orable noughties

The Beginning of UEA Live Rachel Noelle Thursday the 1st October marked this year’s first sessions of UEA Live, an evening of live readings by UEA students, alumni and emerging, if not already established authors, held in association with the Writ ers’ Centre Nor wich. The beginning of UEA Live was also marked by a change in location having moved from its previous home in the For um’s Café Bar Mar zano, UEA live is now situated in the majestic Dragon Hall, where attendees were able to enjoy the readings under beauti ful 14th centur y crossbeams and in the glow of candles and fair y lights.

‘delusions of grandeur’ that Marler was quoted as concerning himself with, i.e. decadence on a budget, something the CSM starlet has always been familiar with. Marler’s dizzying use of gilding and incredible detail brings to mind the magnificence of the Baroque. His models’ crowns have the opulent flavour of Titian’s Queen of Cyprus, while bejewelling, animal print furs, crucifixes and the antiquated feel of the cut and design of the clothes makes one rather think that Holbein came to Hoxton.

Marler cites awe-inspiring giants like the Dame of Flame herself, Vivienne Westwood, and the piratical Galliano as his influences. Galliano’s bridal wear for Dior in 2009 seemed to beautifully combine the idealised classicism of the three Graces with the romantic decaying air of Dickens’ Havisham.

This theme also occurs strongly in the work of ridiculously talented fashion photographer Tim Walker, who famously photographed Westwood surrounded by roses with the calm serenity of a Waterhouse. Ol’ Viv certainly knows a thing or two about art, and frequently lets it bleed freely into her designs. The notorious platforms her models so precariously prowl the runway in are deliberately to reinforce the

This evening’s event was headlined by UEA alumni Thomas Morris, who read from his superb debut collection of shor t stories: We Don’t Know What We’re Doing. Reading with an understated but engaging style, Morris wound us into one of his quietly humourous and intrinsically human stories tak Galliano for Dior, 2006. flickr.com ing place on a stag night in Dublin. idea of a woman on a pedestal, as if she has just stepped out of a painting. An elegant idea, but But before Morris’s reading, an array of potentially less graceful in practice (witness UEA writers graced the stage to share Naomi Campbell circa 1995). A/W 1990/1 their poetr y and prose on a variety of saw the premier of Portrait, where corsets topics. Many memorable quotes leapt were imprinted with a photographic print of out from the readings. To name just Boucher’s Shepherd Watching a Sleeping Shep- a fe w, Anna May Fox’s: ‘One foot on herdess. Westwood’s 1989 collection, Voyage the sea, one foot on the shore, staying to Cythera took its title and incentive from a tr ue to the land until the tide comes Watteau of the same name and thus journeyed in’, and Molly Pearson’s description into the art historical past. That particular col- of nitrogen as a ‘rosar y of molecules’. lection’s germ of genius was also founded in the Ballets Russes of the early twentieth cen- Other writers were especially cretury, whose spectacular costumes, the work of ative, such as Sean Wai Keung, who Sergei Diaghilev, were also channelled by the cut and pasted his poem in lines onto gorgeous Celia Birtwell in her bold prints and the back of a deck of cards, which dresses. Birtwell, teamed with partner Oss- when shuffled and read made for a ie Clark, largely defined ‘70s style with their strangely meandering, but never the loose dresses rooted in the romance of the less wonder ful listening experience.

Pre-Raphaelites. The King’s Road became the swinging playground of all sorts of Neo-Oph- The pop-up bar supplied by the elias. Even now, fashion powerhouse Valen- Birdcage, wonder ful setting provid tino’s artistic outlook for pre-fall 2015 is the ed by the WCN, and of course, bril result of a melange of Birtwell and Botticelli. liant readings from all of the writers made for a great evening and star t So there, rum and coke. Cheese and to UEA Live this year. The next chips. Fashion and art. A delicious pair- event, featuring Will Boast, will take ing where exciting things happen, place on the 29th October; I can and I’ve barely scratched the surface. not urge you enough to come along.

16

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Arts History in Art

A galloping tour of the main trends in art, from the Fall of Rome to 9/11 Lucinda Swain Many historical events have been represented in art. It’s a platform that has connected with and been shaped by history. Battles have always been of interest to artists: The Battle of Lexington (1775) and The Relief of the Light Brigade (1854) are not only accurate representations of a historical event, but recordings of the loss and emotions of those involved. Recording how society has responded to any event that has changed our perceptions of the world around us is important. Throughout recorded history, as art has evolved, it has been directly influenced by the historical context in which it has been created.

Movements and eras have always been dictated and influenced by historical events. During the Middle Ages (500– 1400) art broke off into Celtic art, Carolingian Renaissance, Romanesque, and Gothic, in response to key events that were taking place at the time: Viking Raids (793–1066); the Battle of Hastings (1066); the Crusades I–IV (1095– 1204); the Black Death (1347–1351) and the Hundred Years’ War (1337– 1453). All of these were chronicled and immortalised in their artwork. The Early and High Renaissance (1400–1550) period saw the rebirth of classical culture, giving us the greats: Brunelleschi, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael to name a few. With great advances in exploration such as Columbus landing in the New World (1492), it’s easy to see the developments in history through art-

work of the time. So it’s understandable that artists like Tintoretto, El Greco and Cellini pushed the boundaries in their artwork, breaking rules and favouring artifice over nature in the Mannerism period (1527-1580). After all, the discoveries that Magellan made circumnavigating the globe were ground-breaking.

Art during the Baroque period was very much used as a weapon in the religious Thirty Years’ War between Catholics and Protestants (1618–1648). Artwork communicating religious themes, attempting to encourage direct and emotional involvement was urged by the Catholic Church. The Baroque style of Rembrandt, Reubens, and Caravaggio featured exaggerated lighting, intense emotions, and a release from restraint.

This art rarely depicted mundane daily life, but it certainly glorified both the church and monarchy. Neoclassical art (1750–1850) was heavily influenced by the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution. Romanticism (1780–1850) was very much inspired by the American Revolution (1775–1783) and French Revolution (1789–1799). It brings about an era of imaginative art pieces, distinct and emotive; empathising the disillusionment with the Enlightenment. Romanticism had its foundation in the uncontrollable unpredictability of nature’s power, which presented an alternative to the systematic world of Enlightenment.

Realism (1848–1900), however, rejected Romanticism, which had come

to dominate much of French literature and art. The Realist painters celebrated the working class, attempting to represent subject matter honestly in contemporary, actual settings. Realist works depicted people of all classes in ordinary situations. It reflected the revolutions in Europe and move towards democracy.

With the introduction of photography, the idea of replicating reality took hold.

The Impressionists (1865–1885), Monet, Manet, Renoir and Pissarro, worked to capture natural light. This momentous break from traditional art techniques was during the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) and the Unification of Germany in 1871. The Impressionists used innovative research into the actual physics of colour, to produce an accurate, more realistic representation of tone. They painted in small touches of pure colour rather than strokes, to accentuate the artist’s awareness of the subject matter along with the subject itself. Post-Impressionism (1885–1910) was a development on Impressionism, although some call it a rebellion against it. The period played alongside Japan’s defeat of Russia (1905) and produced new innovative artists: Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Seurat.

Fauvism and Expressionism (1900–1935) followed quick on their heels, distorting bright colours to form emotive pieces.

World War I (1914–1918) influenced these angst-ridden visualisations of urban existence. Expressionists imagined

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the outbreak of war would have the apocalyptic denouement that would finally destroy the ‘self-satisfied materialism of the nation’s monarchy and bourgeoisie’.

Unsurprisingly, a considerable number of artists were enlisted into the fight.

Cubism and Futurism (1905–1920) were considered to be Pre- and PostWorld War I art experiments using new forms to express modern everyday life.

Artists synonymous with this period are Picasso, Braque, Leger and Boccioni.

Dada and Surrealism represent the growing exploration into the unconscious and the disillusionment felt after the World War and The Great Depression.

Pop Art, post-World War II, focuses on consumerism and expression without form. Postmodernism, from the 1970’s onwards is considered to be a re-working of all that’s come before and incorporating them as one. Many other new forms of art grew from Conceptual art, Installation art and Digital art.

Historical events undoubtedly influence the attitude of artists, whether it’s through a change in content or subject matter.

There are evidently changes in form due to new ideas and artists’ revelations from colour use to design, but there’s also advancement in the art world as new materials become readily available to artists.

Artwork not only depicts the subject but can be a summation of a tragedy or historical event, such as picasso’s famous painting Guerrica most famously Guernica by Picasso. The painting is a reaction to the bombing of Guernica, a Basque Country village in northern Spain. At the request of Spanish Nationalists, German and Italian warplanes destroyed it.

Guernica, commissioned by the Republican government, has been displayed to great acclaim around the world and is universally recognised as testament to the brutality of modern warfare.

More recently, the tragic events of September 11th in 2001 have inspired artists from the United States and all over the world to attempt to capture the emotions in the aftermath of the attacks, through chronicling personal accounts of the towers’ collapse and memorial artwork that pay homage to lost loved ones.

The visual arts are essential in recording responses to events that change our world. We are all influenced by our surroundings. Art will always have a place in history books to depict the raw emotions words sometimes cannot express.

17

Gaming & Technology Compute This

A conversation about the best computer for university.

Tom Bedford

George Pegler My MacBook Pro 15-inch retina was bought solely to increase productivity at university. three years later in my final year, it still exceeds all my expectations.

It’s hardly the most portable device on the market, but this is offset with the luxury of viewing multiple tabs simultaneously, which is a must for my seminar preparation. Without my MacBook, I would be finding university a lot more challenging. The intuitive operating system is far superior to its rivals; given that you cant throw a MacBook on campus without it hitting another one shows that plenty of other students agree.

http://andrew-gw.deviantart.com/art/ MacBook-Pro-204616303

Scott Dean

Molly Collins

India 7 Network- flickr

My ASUS X751LA Laptop is a tank.

It has survived being drowned twice, many rowdy pre-drinks and being dropped innumerable times, whilst still maintaining functionality. It’s quite bulky, meaning I can’t take it to uni often, and if I use it for too long I lose circulation in my legs, but this is offset by its large storage space for all those essays I write and never use again. Windows 8 has never stopped being a nuisance, but after enough use you can overlook or get windows 10. The DVD drive would be useful if Netflix didn’t exist, but since it does the drive is just for aesthetics.

I use an iMac in my room, although I find myself using the library computers frequently. Some of the programmes are confusing to use if you’re new to Apple computers, and I bought it new for uni.

The screen is large, so movie nights are great, and it’s easy to have multiple tabs open at once wihout having to switch between them. It also has no actual desktop case, being only a monitor, so transport is much easier than it would be for a normal computer. Unfortunately, Apple computers seem to be overlooked by game platforms and I’ve found myself neglecting my gaming hobby due to the computer.

Photo Credit

Wikimedia

Rafael Fernandez Wikipedia

Cmccarthy8 - Wikipedia

Before university I constructed my own gaming computer, which took far more money and time than simply purchasing a straight-from-the-box device; however, I feel the superior power really benefits my hobby. I do a fairly practical course with minimal coursework and therefore I have no real requirements with regards to its functionality in this regard, however it is fairly adept at basic functions such as word processing. I was planning to use the library for course-related work, but when I heard that students were entitled to Microsoft programmes free, I found myself simply staying at home to work.

An iPhantastic Device Is iPhone 6s the new best thing?

Sameer Yaseen The dust has settled on what is quite possibly the most anticipated mobile device of 2015. The question is whether or not the iPhone 6s lives up to its expectations as a market leader and if it truly is worth breaking your student bank accounts to upgrade from your current phone.

Aesthetically speaking, the iPhone 6s is not exactly an upgrade to last year’s iPhone 6; however, once we delve further into the new iPhone we really do see this is not the case. A noteworthy point is the fact that the new iPhone comes in a new rose gold colour, and, like the iPhone 5s from 2013, this new colour helps tip the weighing scales in its favour. The ‘s’ editions traditionally don’t build much more on their predecessors visually but offer new colours and internal upgrades to compensate.

The iPhone 6s really does represent a step into the future, which hasn’t been the case with iPhones of recent times. It is great to find that there have been increases in RAM to two gigabytes. iPhones have never been slouches, in fact iOS has always helped to flatten out any dissapointment that would come with middle range specifications

and now that Apple have juiced up the internals, users can more than ever enjoy what the iPhone has to offer. It also goes to show that specifications are not the be all and end all (the iPhone 6s has a new A9 processor clocked at 1.8GHz, this is the sort of level of 2013’s Samsung Galaxy S4 which clocked in at 1.9 GHz, however as explained earlier the iPhone 6s truly provides us with a flagship experience through iOS being customised around the iPhone’s specs, which is not the case with most android devices).

fingers, with users being able to preview emails for example without having to open emails (Apple are quick to stress that we should call this ‘Peak and Pop’). 3D Touch is yet to be fully utilised and probably won’t be utilised completely until the iPhone 7, but it helps give us a sneak peek into the future.

Unfortunately, it is not plain sailing for Apple, with one major issue being the battery life on the iPhone. What may come as a disappointment, but by no means a surprise, is The camera has been a real step not only a lack of increase in up, a true upgrade from eight the battery, but infact a small megapixels to 12 megapixels, decrease from 1810mAh to and this is notable from the 1715mAh. With so many get go. The iPhone 6s allows new features in what is Techstage - Flickr for users to enjoy 4k and the effectively the same body as increase helps users not feel as if they last year’s iPhone 6, it was expected that are stuck with a phone from 2012. Apple would have to make compromises somewhere, although as a downgrade it The new iPhone 6s also brings ‘3D Touch’ is a disappointment to say the least, with which at first appears to be a minor other devices having upwards of 3000mAh. gimmick but this truly is not the case. 3D touch works through the pressure of your The real question to us is whether or not

the iPhone 6s warrants the £539 price tag.

New features such as 3D touch shape the path to what the future holds in mobile devices, however, I feel that compared to the iPhone 6 the features are not substantial enough to warrant a upgrade. At the same time I do feel that anyone coming from an iPhone 5s or older would appreciate the changes made by Apple over the last two years. The iPhone 6s will, without a doubt, be a hit; however it is fundamentally down to you whether the iPhone 6S is worthwhile or if android devices appeal more.

RAM- Random Access Memory. The memory a device has to access.

Processor- the 'brain' of the phonebetter processor means faster computing.

Measured in GHz (gigahertz).

4k- Referring to 4k resolution- a screen with 4,000 pixels horizontally. mAh- Milliampere hour- 1/1000th of an ampere hour, a unit of measuring the charge a battery will hold

18

Gaming & Technology Compare And Conquer Are We Reviewing Things Wrong?

Stephanie Wilderspin When Fallout 3 first came out, reviews referred to it as “Oblivion with Guns”.

When the Xbox One was announced, it was seen as the 360 designed by Orwell. Reviews of technology and gaming have a tendency to compare new releases to those that have come before them. But why do we do this?

And is this a harmful way to review products?

Pot Noodles and peruse Netflix. There’s no point Microsoft releasing a brand new console. They know what their audience want, and that’s the same core machine but improved. That’s how technology develops.

Gaming is still extremely new as an industry.

To improve, each new release takes the core functions from its predecessors and improves it with recent technological advancementsthat’s the definition of process. When the Xbox One was announced, people were concerned with it as a “media centre” that can respond to your voice and can detect your movements with the Kinect, drawing similarities between the new technology and the telescreens in 1984.

Fun Fact- According to Metacritic, the best game of all time is Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with 99/100, while the worst is Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade with only 11/100.

But is this really surprising? The latest tech allows us to control our gadgets through voice and movement, and Microsoft thought to harness that. It’s highly unlikely that Bill Gates is sat at a screen monitoring your Kinect as you eat

It’s different with the games themselves.

Consoles are a form of technology; games

sell well are a good place to start and help fund smaller, more original game concepts. Fans of Oblivion are going to buy Fallout 3 if they hear about the guns.

Tomb Raider fans can jump about and destroy ancient tombs again, but this time as the son Lara had with Indiana Jones.

But Uncharted brings things to the gaming table that Tomb Raider didn’t deliver on. The new Thief brought in new aspects to stealth gameplay that Assassin’s Creed didn’t explore.

Technology is always going to be compared to what has come before-but that’s ok, because it just means that this still relatively new industry is going to improve on what has come before until we eventually have a completely new area of gaming to develop on. Maybe in a few years or decades we can evaluate a game on its own merits but now, when each game is very literally climbing over the backs of its predecessors, it only makes sense to acknowledge this.

themselves are really a form of art. Games by different developers get compared constantly. But maybe they’re just similar because developers know what will sell.

It’s the same reason Ubisoft have been flogging “Daddy Issues: The Series” by releasing ten Assassin’s Creed games and Rockstar have around seven GTA games, each one more controversial than the next- they know what is going to sell.

Game concepts that have proved to

Evan Amos - Wikipedia

LE'-GO of Our Childhoods!

LEGO Dimensions- The Greatest Childhood Fantasy or Shameless Nostalgia Marketing?

Tom Bedford If, like me, you are a human, it is very likely that Lego made up a very large portion of your childhood. You used to sit amongst mountains of piled bricks making a castle, or beg your parents to buy you the latest themed set to add to your growing collection.

And as you grew up, as Lego would release more and more branded sets like Harry Potter or Star Wars, as you had to focus more on your ‘adultly’ ways, you never lost that guilty love of Lego.

Lego has just released its plea for you to return- Lego Dimensions, the newest ‘toys-to-life’ game similar to Skylanders or Disney Infinite. The game consists of you playing as characters from a range of franchises, visiting worlds from the franchises on vehicles from the franchises, which you can mix around as you feel fit. Boasting an initial 13 franchises playable, such as Lord of the Rings or The Simpsons, it’s blatant that, as well as trying to appeal to a newer child audience,

they want us back. I’m sick of it.

Now don’t get me wrong, it looks like an amazing game. As I child I could only have dreamt of playing as Batman, riding in the Mystery Machine around Middle Earth. As an adult I can now live out this dream- as long as I can stomach the hefty price tag. The initial pack that includes the game itself is around £95 for current-gen consoles.

The 27 ‘Fun Packs’, featuring a character and a vehicle, go for £15. The 4 ‘Team Packs’, basically double fun packs, are on sale for £30. The 6 ‘level

Fun FactThe largest LEGO set ever made was the Taj Mahal which contained 5,900 pieces. packs’, featuring a character, a vehicle and a new world, are also £30. I’m using prices from the Game website, so they may vary, but that’s a total of £800 for all the content. Admitted some of these sets feature the same characters, but

the total price remains astronomical.

Does your student loan cover that?

On top of that, some of these ‘vehicles’ are just nonsensical. Legolas has an ‘arrow launcher’. That must be an aspect of the book that didn’t make it in to the films.

Lego has always been expensive, and so are games, but the extortionate price tag of a game that Lego are expecting people to buy before the game is even released, before any knowledge of its quality is ascertained, is incredible. It displays a confidence in their game that I’d say is too cocky, especially when you look at the quality of recent Lego franchised games. And most of all, they’re joking themselves if they think we regular players, who built our childhood on Lego, are going to fork out this much money for a full game. Despite the inclusion of franchises we are nostalgic about, despite the inclusion of real minifigures that have been part of my life longer than I can remember. We’ve been spending money on Lego our

whole lives- hell, I even bought some last year with my student loan- but this is the brick that topples the tower.

Lego have built up good will with many people for the many years spent putting together those plastic bricks in limitless combinations, but recently set prices have increased while brick counts are decreasing. They are turning in to Apple, where you buy in to a brand as much as to physical objects. I would have loved to play this game - Lego video games, even the poorer quality ones, have always been at least enjoyable. But I don’t think I can support, financially or emotionally, a business that expects me to pay this much for virtual characters.

Lego - you’ve used up our affection we built up for you. I beg of you, abandon this overzealous greed, or risk losing many fans. We want to love Lego Dimensions, but if you won’t even let us play it, there’s no way we can carry on feeding the fire we feel for you.

19

Television Guess Who's Back?

The return of Doctor Who brings the return of old friends and foes Marianne Picton It’s that time of year again when Whovians around the world settle down on the sofa (or behind it, if they feel the need to be prepared) with their Jelly Babies and Jammy Dodgers at the ready for an hour of travelling through time and space and then, quite possibly, a long and passionate Moffat bitch-fest. Doctor Who is back! *Proceeds to perform the Doctor Who theme tune in an enthusiastic but tuneless fashion.* In this series’ opening episodes, ‘The Magician’s Apprentice’ and ‘The Witch’s Familiar’, we’ve already seen the return of the Doctor’s “best friend” Missy (a.k.a.

The Master) and Davros, creator of the Daleks. But there is much more to look forward to! This includes a guest appearance from Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams, the return of the twoparters, and some rather experimental sounding episodes. One such episode to look out for is ‘Sleep No More’, an episode penned by Mark Gatiss comprised entirely of found-footage which has apparently been in the making since the show’s revival.

We will also experience a departure this series, as actress Jenna Coleman (who plays companion Clara Oswald) will be leaving the show to take on the role of Queen Victoria in the upcoming ITV production Victoria. For many fans of the show, Coleman’s departure has been longawaited. Scroll through the comments on any official or unofficial Doctor Who post on Facebook concerning Clara and you will unearth criticism of her character.

But why does the online fandom dislike Clara so much? The hate is not universal, no, but there definitely seems to be more hate for her than any other companion of the revived series. Personally, I never warmed to Clara like I did the other companions. Is there still time? I hope so, but I doubt it. Since many fans liked Soufflé Girl Oswin and the Victorian Clara, I don’t put this down to Coleman’s acting abilities, but rather to the fact that, during the series in which she acted alongside UEA’s own Matt Smith, she was little more than a plot device. Unlike the other companions, she was extraordinary before she could become extraordinary— she became too fantastical, too soon. The Doctor seemed more fascinated by her than she was by him, and this took away something of her character’s humanity.

Watching Coleman as Peter Capaldi’s companion, I feel like I’m watching yet another Clara incarnation. She’s

more ordinary and flawed, something of an improvement, but her romance with Danny Pink felt rushed and her impossible girl past hangs over her still.

Let’s hope the next companion is a little easier to love.

What about Maisie Williams? I’ve sadly never watched Game of Thrones, but as a Whovian I’m excited. Who is she playing? Rumour has it she’s a new character (but that rumour started with Moffat so we can’t trust it).

Then again, I’d love for her to be the Doctor’s daughter—not a regenerated version of the artificially created Jenny, as many hope, but the mother of Susan, the granddaughter he left behind on Earth at the end of the classic era’s second series.

Of course, if Moffat is lying, she could be Susan herself. ‘What took you so long, old man?’

Williams asks. Well, William Hartnell’s Doctor did say he would come back to her one

treat in store for Whovians and Arya fans who also enjoy a bit of Norse mythology on a Saturday evening.

Williams’ episodes, ‘The Girl Who Died’ and ‘The Woman Who Lived’, are just one of several sets of two-parters this new series of Doctor Who has to offer. Many of the fan-favourite Doctor Who episodes of the revived series consist of two parts or more.

Many fans believe the more recent Doctor Who episodes have felt a bit rushed. Hopefully the return of the two-parters will remedy that.

Seeing as I love Peter Capaldi’s Doctor (and he is the star of the show), it seems strange I’ve hardly mentioned him thus far. He is his usual hilarious but intense self in this series’ opening episodes, and I’m sure he will continue to captivate us as the weeks go by.

Here’s hoping that we’re in for a fantastic series!

day, didn’t he?

Some fans initially thought Williams might be portraying another incarnation of River Song.

This theory was unlikely to start with and seems even more unlikely now it has been confirmed that Alex Kingston is returning for the Christmas special. Another theory suggests she might be the trickster Loki. The website ‘Den of Geek’ has confirmed that the episodes Williams is featuring in will also include a character called Odin—so maybe there’s a

Dougie Dodds

20

Television Once Upon a TV

The drama full of fairytales as you’ve never seen them before Denise Koblenz Need a new show to binge watch? Then why not try out On c e Up o n a Ti m e , w h i c h i s just starting its fifth season on Netflix! If you have alrady started the series like me, you are probably excited to spend y o u r We d n e s d a y n i g h t s i n f r o n t of Netflix, watching fair y tale magic colliding with the ‘real world’.

m e t e l l y o u : I w a s n’t e i t h e r. B u t from the first episode onwards the storyline just takes hold of y o u a n d w o n’t l e t g o . T h e r e i s o n e p l o t t w i s t a f t e r a n o t h e r, things you would never have p re d i c t e d – On c e Up o n a Ti m e i s turning the fairy tales we know and love upside down, creating new storylines and connecting already existing ones.

H o w e v e r, i f y o u a r e n e w t o Stor ybrooke, the town where magic happens and fairy tale characters meet in endless plot twists, let me introduce you to the show that has gained a loyal following of fans for the past five years.

Where else would you see wellknown Disney characters out of their own films and thrown in together? An example of how On c e Up o n a Ti m e h a s m ove d away from traditional Disney plots is the confirmation that season five will feature an LGBT relationship, possibly involving Mulan and Aurora, whom Mulan appeared to have strong feelings for in season three.

This is a great step when we are still awaiting an openly LGBT character and relationship in Disney films!

F i r s t o f a l l , d o n’t w o r r y i f t h e concept of the show seems too f a n t a s t i c a l t o y o u : y o u ’r e n o t simply thrown into fairy tale land without explanation. The show follows 28 year old orphan Emma Swan, who is living her life as a bounty hunter in New Yo r k C i t y. T h a t i s , u n t i l a s m a l l boy called Henry turns up at her doorstep claiming to be her son. He tells her that, as the daughter of Prince Charming a n d S n o w W h i t e , s h e i s ‘t h e Saviour’ destined to save his hometown from a curse cast by the Evil Queen - who is not only S t o r y b r o o k e ’s m a y o r b u t a l s o h a p p e n s t o b e H e n r y ’s a d o p t i v e m o t h e r. N o w, e v e r y m o d e r a t e l y sane person would not believe this madness and send the boy on his way home – which is exactly what Emma does, getting Henry back to Stor ybrooke, Maine so she can get on with her life in N e w Yo r k . H o w e v e r, t h i s p l a n d o e s n’t q u i t e w o r k o u t a s a series of unfortunate events, as well as her growing attachment t o H e n r y, k e e p h e r i n t h e (apparently) cursed town.

From the star t Emma Swan is the one character that the viewer can relate to, as she seems to make the same transition as the viewer from total sceptic, trying to reason her way through magic, to fighting Dragon Maleficent in a basement.

I f y o u ’r e s t i l l n o t c o n v i n c e d , l e t

In one moment there might be romance and humour making you feel warm and fuzzy but in the n e x t i t ’s t w i s t e d , e m o t i o n a l , a n d has you on the edge of your seat!

you stop reading, and start your next binge watch marathon?

E i t h e r w a y, I k n o w w h e r e I ’ l l b e e v e r y We d n e s d a y n i g h t !

I d o n’t f e e l l i k e m y r a n t c a n d o t h i s s h o w j u s t i c e , s o w h y d o n’t

On c e Up o n a Ti m e a l s o h a s a great emotional aspect, as you go on a journey with the characters.

Although at first your sole connection to the show is Emma Swan, the stor yline develops and you get to know and love other characters. Whilst the show features fairy tale characters s t r a i g h t o u t o f D i s n e y, s u c h a s the hugely popular sisters Elsa and Anna from Frozen, they are fully developed and given another side which may not have been obvious straight away by their seemingly black and w h i t e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . Yo u w i l l e n c o u n t e r, r a t h e r t h a n f l a t a n d s t e re o t y p i c a l “ h e ro e s” ve r s u s “v i l l a i n s” , a c t u a l h u m a n b e i n g s with real, and relatable emotions and experiences. Believe it o r n o t , y o u’ l l e v e n b e a b l e t o sympathise with Regina, the Evil Queen!

I could easily ramble on about this show for ages, and would love to give you more specific examples but that would lead t o s p o i l e r s . L e t ’s j u s t s a y t h a t On c e Up o n a Ti m e i s b a s i c a l l y o n e p l o t t w i s t a f t e r a n o t h e r, a n d not, as people might expect, full o f h a p p y e n d i n g s à l a D i s n e y.

Ana Dukakis

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Television Watching You Watching TV Why we love to watch strangers watching TV

Grace Fothergill Sitting down in front of the TV after a hard day of work, cocooned in blankets and with tea and biscuits in hand, the last thing you would think would be appealing to watch, is someone doing just the same. Yet this is what Channel 4’s hugely successful “fly-on-the-wall” documentar y Gogglebox is all about. Each week the programme showcases a number of recurring families, filmed in their own living rooms, reacting to the week’s most intriguing TV shows and news items. It seems bizarre that this would be entertaining.

However, the nation seems to disagree.

In fact, since it first aired, it has become one of the most popular programmes on British television reaching a peak viewing figure of 3.2 million and laying claim to a BAFTA award in 2014, and a National Television Award in 2015. So what makes it so popular?

Watching You Watching Us The “real life thriller” proving privacy is a thing of the past

Holly Mason Chris and Stephen, and takeaway adoring, eccentric friends Sandy and Sandra, the show’s cast is anything but monotonous. They are the show’s life-line and without them, I’m sure many viewers would switch off.

Yet, as it reaches its sixth series, some critics have commented that the show has become formulaic and stale. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that it is fake and scripted, which has been fiercely denied. One noticeable change in the show is an increasing focus towards the TV programmes it presents, rather than the reactions and behaviour of the families, perhaps as a

When Gogglebox first appeared on our televisions in March 2013, audiences were instantly charmed by its simplicity and relevance. As viewers, we are so used to watching dramatic acting, complicated plotlines and immaculately flawless celebrities, that it was refreshing to witness real people, living authentic, unscripted lives. The ordinariness of the families and their all too familiar evening routine of watching the TV, offers a refreshing relevance to the viewers.

We too slob on the sofa, laugh at bad auditions on X-Factor, and swoon over Paul Hollywood. Celebrity culture is central to our modern society, and with the constant use of social media and smartphones, we are plastered with images of models and actors around the clock. Seeing normal people in normal settings brings to the show a certain warmth, and connectivity to its viewer.

Certainly, it is true that obser vational documentaries with the general public have gained an increasing popularity in recent years, with successes such as First Dates and 24 Hours in A&E.

way of promoting particular TV shows.

Let’s not forget that its inspiration, multi award winning The Royale Family, focused entirely around the cast as they watched non-existent TV programmes and humorously reacted.

If anything, Gogglebox’s life and soul is due to the people it features. Each family is bursting with personality.

The diversity of race, gender, sexuality and age works to symbolise a growing, modern Britain. From archetypal posh couple Dom and Steph, chatty Kate the vicar, outrageous friends

Although it has changed from where it began, its charm is still intact, thanks to its charismatic cast. A focus on the families, their ever yday lives and honest, truthful reactions to British TV will ensure Gogglebox’s lengthy success. So keep watchingit might be you on there one day.

Ne w to our screens last month was Hunted, a thrilling reality show which follows 14 ordinar y citizens attempting to live life on the r un, in order to escape from the clutches of the advanced team of security investigators.

Full of tension, drama, and moments that make you want to shout at the screen in fr ustration, this show is quickly becoming a must-see TV favourite!

The 14 contestants, referred to as ‘fugitives’, have to avoid capture from the team of private i nvestigators, or the ‘hunters’, for 28 days. It doesn’t seem like much, but when you live in a countr y where everything you do leaves a

of the State frightens me” declares 55-year-old doctor, Ricky Allen, the first fugitive we are introduced to in the programme. Disgr untled, and full of knowledge from spy books, Ricky was ready to prove that the sur veillance state is not as power ful as he believes and fears it is.

But this show proves that privacy is essentially a thing of the past, and that if the state wants to find us, they would be able to find the information they need within hours. The team is led by former head of Counter Terrorism for London, Brett Lovegrove, who makes it clear that ever y move the contestants make is being watched.

Getting money out of an ATM means the team will be aler ted of their location; attempting to drive their cars on major roads results in their number plates being picked up by automatic number plate recognition systems; text and calls would act as a tracker. And of course, CCTV is ever ywhere, watching ever ything. So yes, pretty darn scar y if you ask me.

The show is one full of tension and excitement as we watch the fugitives being tracked, cornered and captured. You honestly don’t know which side to route for: it feels good to know that criminals can be caught so quickly, but then again, you just can’t help really wanting for the contestants to make it through!

digital t r a i l , nothing is as easy as it seems.

The fugitives were only told that t hey have been selected for the show a week before filming, meaning they didn’t have much time to plan an escape and hide their traces. And then, just to make things even more challenging, they had no clue when their life on the r un would begin. One minute they were watching TV in the comfor t of their homes, the next they were randomly told to star t r unning, and suddenly they were t he ones on TV. “I’m doing this because the power

As I scrolled through Twitter, ever yone else seemed to love it too. “ Thinking I’d be a decent fugitive.

Great and thought provoking TV” tweeted @MattJeffer y4. @Jasmineemste war t also reassures others that this is no ordinar y reality show, and to give it a go, “generally don’t get excited about reality TV but #Hunted is a different kettle of fish #loveit #icouldgoonther un”.

And that is why Hunted works so well.

It is something entirely different and impor tant, being a kind of social experiment and lesson to us all, whilst still being a great piece of evening enter tainment that excites and frights.

If you had to disappear, what would you do?

photo credit: Cryteria - Wikipedia

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