Venue 344

Issue 344.

Editorial

A note from the editor

This has been yet another tough week for the arts world. It’s starting to feel like nearly every day a new sexual harassment charge is made against a previously much loved Hollywood actor, or musician. For those of us who truly appreciate the work of these artists, this can be an incredibly disappointing shock.

-Tom Bedford

Deputy Editor

concrete.venuedeputy@uea.ac.uk It’s getting to that time of year where we all start to lose a grip on our university personas, an we start to fall back into our pre-uni child selves.

For some this means getting ready for the childhood glee of Christmas, or travelling back home every weekend. For the rest of us, it means crying in a corner from university pressures until we get to watch cartoons again.

Whichever of those camps you are in - don’t worry, Venue has got something for you.

Get a barrage of blasts from the past with our Childhood Playlist, found on page 7, to bring you back to school holidays in the sun.

In Gaming, we’ve got a review of Super Mario Odyssey, and I bet it will make you long for the childhood simplicity of simple colours and platform jumping (and creepy ghosts and scary turtle monsters), like me!

We’ve got a section on arts and crafts in our Arts section, so I expect Hobbycraft to soon be sold out of PVA glue and glitter from you guys!

Whatever you do - don’t worry, holidays are just around the corner.

Good art has the power to transform our lives for the better, and it becomes all too easy to place it’s creators on a pedestal. This makes it all the more troubling when we are forced to confront the fact that these artists are perhaps not the people we thought they were.

Challenging times lie ahead for the world of arts and culture as we are forced to re-evaluate what is acceptable behaviour and what isn’t, and what impact an individual’s behaviour and actions has on their right to continue making art. It is a debate that all art lovers should make their voices heard in.

But despite these set-backs, the art world continues to thrive.

This has been a particularly exciting week for the UEA Minatour Theatre Company, who had a busy week with their Shorts Festival. Take a lok at page 4 for a blow by blow review of their performances.

Features is back with more great art work illustrating that timeless debate on pages 14 and 15: what’s better, Marvel or DC? It’s also been a good week for The Stereophonics, who are back with their tenth heart-felt album Scream Above the Sounds. Check out Venue’s review, on page 17.

Exciting times lie ahead for the arts world, but it has some uncomfortable questions to ask itself too.

Arts Editor - Mireia Molina Costa concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

Film Editor - Gus Edgar concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

Fashion Editor - Leah Marriott concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk

Creative Writing Editor - Saoirse Smith-Hogan concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk

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-Kate Romain

Venue Editor

concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk

Gaming Editor - Charlie Nicholson concrete.gaming@uea.ac.uk

Television Editor - Dan Struthers

concrete.televison@uea.ac.uk

Music Editor - Nick Mason concrete.music@uea.ac.uk Arts and Design Assistants - Yaiza Canopoli & Emily Mildren concrete.artdesign@uea.ac.uk

Contents

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21st November 2017

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Film

Fashion

Molly Welsh explores the value of arts and crafts in an art world that can sometimes seem daunting

James Mortishire considers the attraction of Disney’s live action remakes

Beth Addison reveals her top twelve fashion and beauty tips for December

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Music

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Gaming

Television

Oscar Huckle reviews Sterophonics’ tenth album, Scream Above The Sounds

Harry Routley discusses the five games that are in desperate need of a remaster

Television editor Dan examines the films that have been bastardised, sorry, carefully adapted, for the small screen

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Arts

Wrap cover: Megan Furr

Creative Writing

Features

Christina Foss explores the themes of uncertainty, fear, and self-damage in her poem, Nothing Inbetween

Sophie Bunce and Jack Ashton battle it out to answer the ultimate question: DC or Marvel?

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Arts

Minotaur Theatre Shorts Festival: Night one

Night three

A highlight of each academic year, the Minotaur Theatre Company Shorts Festival began with Bobbi Sleafer-Nunes’ Palm Readers. A precisely constructed play with an unusual focus, it presents a young couple’s struggle with intimate adversity.

The final evening began with Transfer, the story of a teenager’s blood abnormality.

Told from several perspectives, this all-female cast emanated a sense of detachment from the focus of their emotions and lives. Ultimately the play is about facing your problems, fears and adventures.

Before the curtains re-open, the sound of an old-time cigarette advert is projected over the audience. Written by David McCabe, The Big Top parodies the classic film noir to perfection.

The penultimate play for the night was an excellent example of pure and emotional writing. Within The Girl in the Photo, Izzy Cutler addresses deep themes of suicide, domestic abuse, and regret – all of which were performed with great consideration by the cast.

The final short had the task of altering the heavy atmosphere of the room, accomplished unquestionably by Geronimo Bennington-Poulter’s Grace.

Filled with wickedly naughty humour, the writing has numerous flashes of brilliance and moments of explicit physical intimacy, leaving the audience in excitable shock.

Next was White Girls, a comedic piece on two British millenials recounting their social activist gap year. Very theatrical in its medium, it results in an unexpectedly touching play on humanity and injustice.

Night two

Written by Toby Skelton, Vaudeville Hearts was a clear and genuine crowdpleaser, starting the evening on a high with a standing ovation. This short play followed Jo, played passionately by Holly Richards, who meets a clown in the rain by a bus stop: the short was a great lifeaffirming depiction of two strangers sharing a chance encounter that blossoms into a beautiful twenty minutes of fun.

Following this was 2071, a look at the confines of a futuristic dystopia. Four people imprisoned in a room, each identified by a tattooed number and the secrets that they carry. The play shows the tensions that grow as they begin to question the society in which they live.

The interlude was followed by Tease, a look into a sexually and emotionally abusive relationship. Masterfully written

by Becky Pick, it explores the relationship from both the victim’s and the abuser’s perspectives, showing that there is more than one way for someone to be abusive.

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The night ended with Vienna, a dream narrative of a young man and his literal dream girl. Amazingly directed by Rohan Gotobed, the entire piece gives off a sense of choreography whilst also retaining a dreamy and surrealist atmosphere.

Images: Minotaur Stage Photography, Liam Purshouse helped by Tara O’Sullivan

Cut-Glass Compass also took a turn for the comedic as it opened with a woman’s lament for her devastatingly bland son.

Aesthetically screaming luxury, the play’s hilarity hints at a deeper and darker meaning to this black comedy.

Wrapping up the festival was Kids In America, testing the limits of the stage by switching between an interview set and that of a genre-defining sitcom. It takes on a dark twist focusing on how media and fiction rule our lives, sometimes to extreme limits, with tragic results.

-Daniel Finch and Lucy Caradog

What’s on in Norwich Instructions for Border Crossing 22nd Nov - Norwich Arts Centre Words w/ Friends: Vol II release 26th Nov - The Owl Sanctuary How the Other Half Loves 27th Nov - 2nd Dec Norwich Theatre Royal Hayley Matthews: Home Solo 29th Nov - Norwich Arts Centre Scratch it!

3rd Dec - Norwich Arts Centre Roaring Women: American Writers 4th-9th Dec - UEA Drama Studio

Arts

Holding on to print...

It’s clear to see why society loves stories as much as we do. Whether they be legends, fables, myths, fairy tales, or poems, stories have been an integral part of human history for thousands of years, and many of our favourites have been passed down from generation to generation, turning slowly from oral stories into books, republished countless times in hundreds of languages, ending up on our bookshelves in brand new shiny (or matte) paperbacks, just waiting to be read.

It’s not difficult to guess why books became popular in the first place, and they’ve been in mainstream, widespread consumption in Europe ever since the invention of the Gutenberg printing press allowed the cheap production of hundreds of copies.

Now, with the advantages of modern technology, we only need the physical space of one e-reader to store our entire library. Thanks to Project Gutenberg and other similar projects, books in the public

domain are completely free and easy to find – there are over 50,000 of these classic books at our fingertips.

Considering this upsurge in technology, the stubborn survival of physical books is impressive; even public telephone boxes, falling into disuse amidst the popularity (perhaps even necessity) of mobile phones, are being transformed into miniature book swaps. We still have regular book fairs, bookshops selling second- and firsthand books, online booksellers, and public libraries. Books hold a special place in our hearts, and don’t appear to be fading out of popularity anytime soon. But why do we still buy physical books, especially the ones we could get for free online?

Perhaps the answer is simply nostalgia.

The stories alone certainly aren’t the only reason buy books – they have a cultural significance that transcends their contents, and the aesthetic appeal of

books is what draws many of us to them; Waterstones even has an entire section titled “Beautiful books”. They don’t only tell stories in their pages, but also in our own personal associations with them, their place as something inherently valued in society, and their worth as collectible objects of aesthetic appeal.

Electronics can’t quite replace everything, and we wouldn’t want them to. Books are more tactile than e-readers, and more familiar; it makes sense that we hold tight to something that’s often easier to hold, flick through, bookmark and annotate, unlike a screen with limited controls.

Electronics are prevalent in nearly all other aspects of our life - work, study, and social; books on the other hand, in all their papery simplicity, offer a haven from an otherwise technology dominant world.

-Caitlin Jenkins

...E-readers and e-beauty

Image: Pxhere., Creative Commons CCO

When e-books started blowing up, they were received like the devil: everyone in the bookish community was angry about their existence for one reason or another.

When asked why they prefer physical books, most readers will say something about ‘the smell’ and ‘the feel of the pages’, which are perfectly good reasons to love good old paperbacks, but at times they get surprisingly passionate about defending their beloved physical copies.

E-books are then not considered ‘real’ books, and people who take their e-readers to the beach are somehow less than those who curl up with hot chocolate and a copy from Waterstones. The truth, however, is that the bashing of e-books is nothing short of elitism.

E-books are popular for two main reasons: their accessibility, and their ease

of transportation. This makes them the preferred choice for readers with a limited budget, limited access to bookshops and libraries, and those who travel a lot.

They’re also the right choice for people who read five or six books at the same time, as e-readers can carry an entire library.

Now, a few years into the e-book debate, everyone seems to have calmed down, and most people are okay with e-books being out there. The majority of readers will be caught in the middle, having one book on their e-reader and one on their shelf. But the most interesting development is the display of e-books as artistic and just as beautiful as physical books.

Bookstagrammers are the perfect example of this—while a lot of bookish Instagram accounts mainly feature physical copies of

books, nicely arranged photos of e-books have recently gained popularity, and are slowly taking over the platform.

A likely reason for this is the relatable aspect of those pictures: a lot of readers can’t afford shiny new releases in hardback, but have perhaps acquired a digital copy, and can now delight at how nicely someone has made that format look, or at the very least feel less left out from the display of expensive copies. Moreover, the ease of bringing an e-reader on holiday opens up the possibility of bookish shots taken all over the world—and everyone loves a good travel pic on Instagram.

In the end, it doesn’t matter whether you hold on to your hardbacks or have been converted to the e-reader cult—all books have their beauty, and each reader will find a new way of showcasing it.

-Yaiza Canopoli

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Arts

Valuing arts and crafts The world of art is a prestigious one that can often seem mysterious to the ordinary eye. We stand back and admire, usually in awe or confusion, and wish that we could create something of similar wonder. Art galleries can sometimes seem daunting and impersonal if one lacks artistic experience. Perhaps crafts are the gateway to bringing a somewhat distant and secretive beauty closer and becoming understood.

The history of arts and crafts dates as far back as the 1800s. People wanted to illuminate the detail of decoration, individuality, as well as interact with the commercial industry and influence popular design. Prevalent in major cities, the movement flourished in places such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

It’s my opinion that through both small workshops and larger manufacturers that this art has helped to evolve an individual’s identity.

A leading figure of the movement, C. R. Ashbee argues that “the proper place for the arts and crafts is in the country”.

The Lake District, Cornwall and Surrey offer a picturesque landscape that has inspired creations from cottage furnishings and delicate stencils to charming watercolour postcards and make-shift cosy home décor. I think what Ashbee meant by this is that true beauty can only be achieved in your own comfort. The countryside provides a tranquil familiarity that everybody can relate to. Therefore, we can hardly consider ourselves separate from such an imaginative world. All one needs to do is invest in a box of crayons. Crafts are easily a great way to connect with a seemingly elitist community.

To create something for need or for leisure is monumental for the development of self-awareness and expression. From personal experience such activities have acted as a form

of meditation and proof of capability.

Perhaps I am nostalgic of a time when we did not all own the same commercialised products, but arts and crafts represents to me a stamp of individuality and identity. Once you have started to construct your own desk or chair full of hard work and love, or designed a notepad as a unique space for thoughts, you have begun your emergence into the world of art.

This visual and sensory realm is a place of meaning where items hold purpose and emotion, each as important as a Monet oil painting. Clearly arts and crafts are particularly underrated today.

A generation of stocked numerous goods need to be reawakened to the magic. Such practice can be largely beneficial in times of stress. Who is to say that weaving a basket or forming a lantern from tissue paper is not the answer to all of our young adult and student problems?

-Molly Welsh

“Art is not just in the Sainsbury Centre” I don’t think I need to tell you that the lake here is beautiful. Nor do I need to tell you that it looks spectacular when the light is low; or when the camera captures the sun’s rays peeking through the bare branches; or when it turns the weeping willow leaves into translucent emeralds; or when the umber shadows stretch across the yellow gravel pathways like chocolate drizzled on butterscotch; or when the glistening amber sunlight shimmers across the water’s surface beneath the familiar sight of the Ziggurats.

There is a beautiful scene to be found anywhere, with just the right weather, lighting, and inclination to not only see it, but notice it.

Art is not just what you find in the Sainsbury Centre. And you do not have to see things the same way artists do. The

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way you see the world: no other person, be they artist or scientist, can see it the same way you do. You do not have to see faces as masks like Modigliani does. You do not have to see objects in a distorted and depressing way like with Bacon. You do not have to see people as fragile and moulded by other people as Giacometti portrays humans.

You have your own way of seeing things.

You may love the way light shows off the colour in everything, or the way night turns things to shadow. You may love the vividness of grass in the tinted autumn sunlight, or you may love grass in the early morning when it glistens with an icy dew. Whatever you find beauty in, there is always something the world can offer you.

But that’s not to say we should be looking at the world all the time. We have our

Images: Pixabay, TanteTati (modified)

own thoughts. We have our worries and our stresses (thanks to uni), and escapism is so underrated. Be it our phones, or our music, it’s understandable that we may want to ignore the world now and then.

Just so long as we appreciate that it is not always an ugly, horrible place.

Brown autumn leaves against a murky blue sky? The mess on your desk, with cellophane wrappings and tissues piled up, and two highlighters, one pink and one yellow, poking out from beneath the wreckage? The way they arranged your cheeseburger and chips, making it a double decker for an extra £1? Gorgeous.

Get your phone out, and take a picture.

Look again a few days later, and remember the joy.

There is beauty everywhere.

-Tom Cascarini

The songs of our

S Club 7: Reach Tom Bedford You have to be a child to listen unironically to a song about being true to your dreams. But from the shiverinducing introduction to the endlessly catchy chorus, this is a song you can truly enjoy whatever age you are.

childhood

With Christmas getting us feeling festive, and a litttle nostalgic, Venue decided to assist in the return to our early years by compiling this ultimate childhood playlist...

P!nk: Just Like A Pill Kate Romain A classic song of unhappy love, Venue Editor Kate kicks off our list with a song from our favourite colour-cum-singer P!nk. She’s still touring and playing it to this day, a testament to the timeless catchiness of her music.

Abba: Take A Chance On Me Charlie Nicholson Abba could be considered the music of childhoods for multiple generations, and it’s hard to pick just one great song. Gaming editor Charlie chose their joyous song about love and risk. He took a chance on the right song.

t.A. T.u.: All The Things She Said Saoirse Smith-Hogan Initially recorded in Russian the year before its English release, All The Things She Said included themes of sexuality and lesbianism that, though we were too young to understand the implications when it was released, we can certainly appreciate and understand today.

Pete Seeger: Where Have All The Flowers Gone?

Mireia Molina Costa A classic that has stood the test of time, Arts editor Mireia chooses a classic political folk song. It’s a great example of the kind of music our parents listened to, and introduced us to on long car journeys and trips.

Crazy Frog: Axel F Dan Struthers Though we were definitely too young to understand that this was in fact a cover of the theme to Beverly Hills Cop, the annoying ‘blings’ and ‘baap baap’ of the frog perfecly represents how annoying we probably were at that age!

Green Day: Wake Me Up When September Ends Nick Mason Perhaps a darker song than some of the previous suggestions, but one that still played at every school disco and ‘house party’ (Ribena and board games) that we went to. It’s still the point of many jokes every October.

Outkast: Hey Ya! Gus Edgar There’s not much to write about this beyond ‘Hey Ya!’ We’d all pretend to know the lyrics to the verse although we only knew the ‘Hey Ya!’s, but with the energy we sung them we basically nailed the whole song.

Honourable Mentions: Smash Mouth: All Star Venga Boy: We’re Going to Ibiza S Club 7: entire discography Sean Kingston: Beautiful Girls -Tom Bedford

Busted: Air Hostess Leah Marriott How to choose just one Busted song?

Fashion editor Leah here goes for their love ballad to an air hostess, and the way she dress(es).

Image: Vimeo- Elad Offer

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Film

Live Action Disney: What’s the point?

Over the past few years Disney has opted to remake a lot of their animated classics, and with a repertoire of over 50 animated films to choose from, it seems that the ‘magic’ is not going to stop anytime soon.

This is evident in the company’s upcoming film roster which includes live action remakes of Dumbo, The Lion King, and Aladdin. However, the question that this ultimately raises is: what’s the point?

All these upcoming films, and the ones that have already been released (Beauty and the Beast, Jungle Book etc.) are remakes - stories we’ve all seen before. We know how they go. The only differences are that instead of animation, the films are now created using CGI, and that human cast members are used as opposed to voice actors. So what’s the appeal, and why do audiences keep coming back for what is ultimately the same story? Well, apart from the fact that its Disney, there are a few perks of live action movies.

For starters, by moving from voice actors to a live action cast, Disney is given the opportunity to attach more star power to their movies. In Beauty and the Beast,

Emma Watson’s stardom was used to market the film and attract fans of her previous work (ie: Harry Potter). This can also be applied to a wide range of actors who have appeared in live-action remakes of Disney’s animated classics (ranging from Idris Elba as Shere Khan to Helena Bonham-Carter as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella). More recently, it is evident by the social media frenzy caused by the announcement of the cast of The Lion King remake, which has cast worldwide icon Beyoncé as Nala.

Therefore, it is arguable that the impact of live-action films is so that we can escape to a more realistic world, one that as audience members it is easier to place ourselves in. In my opinion, whilst liveaction remakes may ultimately be Disney’s way of capitalising on new technology to make more money, to audiences it is an extension of this magical world that we cannot get enough of.

-James Mortishire

Arguably, this suggests that the only purpose of live-action remakes of Disney’s animated classics is to make money through the marketing of celebrity. You wouldn’t be wrong for thinking that. However, with the social function of Disney, is this really a problem? To me Disney is something that you can always rely on; no matter what’s happening you can always trust Disney to cheer you up and offer escapism to a magical land far far away.

Paddington 2: A warm (bear) hug of a movie

Welcome back, Paddington. After three years away, we reunite with the Peruvianturned-Londoner and the charming Brown family, surrounded by their lovably bumbling neighbours. The film is as sweet as the marmalade the bear famously eats. Everything is hunky dory until Paddington’s search for the perfect present for dear Aunt Lucy sets in motion events which fling us across London’s gleaming cityscape. We fly from the Shard to St Paul’s by way of a mysterious popup book and a wrongful imprisonment, finishing, almost inevitably, at Paddington Station with a high-speed climax.

Armed with no more than an unwavering etiquette (Manners Maketh Bear) and total faith in the healing powers of

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marmalade sandwiches, Paddington reaffirms the importance of family and community in these increasingly cynical times.

Ben Whishaw (the bear himself ) leads the returning cast of plucky Brits, including Sally Hawkins and Hugh Bonneville, with a hammy Brendan Gleeson joining to play sweet-toothed prison cook, Knuckles (“With a capital N!”). Kudos must go to Hugh Grant as a dastardly villain, who fits rather too perfectly into his role as an out-of-work, has-been actor, parading around in various disguises with cravat-twirling glee.

A heartfelt sequel, this is the dufflecoated, floppy-hatted bear at his very

best. The film plays out much the same as its predecessor, but fills itself with even more ursine antics, bundles of love, and quaint tomfoolery. It is impossible not to smile after watching a montage of Paddington’s stint as a window-cleaner (after all, who needs sponges when you have fur?). Indeed, Paddington’s naivety and his willingness to lend a helping paw is bound to give everyone furry – feelings.

It’s a warm (bear) hug of a movie, just in time for Christmas.

Winnie the Who? Paddington’s adorable second adventure should earn him the title of Britain’s favourite bear.

-Nina Duncan

Image: Flickr; BagoGames, modified by Gus Edgar

Film

Murder On The Orient Express doesn’t run out of steam

Agatha Christie may be one of the finest detective writers of all time but her intricate and dialogue-heavy novels don’t exactly scream ‘gigantic $55 million Hollywood blockbuster’. Maybe this is why it feels like every ounce of drama has been squeezed out of this classic novel, and many more unnecessary moments added, to ‘ramp up the tension’ and appease a 21st century audience who wouldn’t settle for the characters simply being interviewed one by one before Poirot reaches his conclusion in the last few moments, à la the book.

This debate which star and director Kenneth Branagh had, whether to remain completely faithful to the book or change

it significantly, seems to have pissed off both sides with die hard Christie fans complaining about these pointless changes and many others noting that he brings nothing new to the game.

One thing Branagh did get right, however, was allowing the audience to feast their eyes on some of the hottest (and most available) names in Hollywood including Judi Dench, Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp.

Unfortunately this did mean he was able to cast himself too, with a dodgy Belgian accent and an even dodgier moustache to suit, trading in the subtlety of David Suchet’s Poirot for an incarnation who

laughs openly when reading, proclaiming: “Oh Mr Dickens, you’ve done it again!”

With its star studded cast and shocking conclusion, don’t spoil it for yourself if you don’t know the end already. It is easy to see how, despite the sillier aspects, this will be a crowd pleaser. There aren’t many Hollywood murder mysteries anymore, maybe for a reason, but Branagh does seem to have tapped into an audience’s thirst for the genre and the wave of satisfaction when the mystery is unravelled in front of our very eyes.

-Dan Struthers

The Killing of a Sacred Deer: tar-black farce

A legend in Ancient Greek Mythology tells of Iphigenia, Princess of Argos and daughter of King Agamemnon. Her father offends the goddess Artemis by slaughtering a deer that is sacred to her, who then demands that he sacrifice his daughter in return. This inspires the title of Yorgos Lanthimos’ deeply perturbing modern retelling of this story.

In this version we meet Steven, a wealthy cardiac surgeon who dedicates time to disaffected youth Martin. As Martin is given gifts and introduced to Steven’s wife and two children, we get the sense that this desire to spend time with him is bred out of a sense of guilt.

Romance blossoms between Martin and Kim, the teenaged daughter at the cusp of puberty, while Martin’s demands of the surgeon’s time and attention intensifies.

He begins to push Steven’s father figure role to new extremes in an extraordinary game of manipulation, orchestrating the coupling of Steven and his mother.

luxurious wealth, is a thrilling exploration of favouritism, guilt, and power. Anna, portrayed by Nicole Kidman, shines as the dutiful yet ruthless wife. She performs every task expected of her, including indulging in her husband’s necrophilic desires. Her utter helplessness to him, reflected in sexual performance, acts as a potent metaphor for her willingness to die for him. It is also perhaps an act to retrieve a sense of power as she uses her sexuality to achieve her goals. This theme is reflected in the form of her daughter, whose

relationship to the inscrutable Martin turns sour as she strives to win his favour.

Something to be noted is the film’s tar black comedy. The delivery of the dialogue is often so deadpan it becomes funny, which is further heightened by the macabre context. Lanthimos takes his characters to the brink and still manages to find a perverse humour within the situation. It is difficult to shake off a sense of guilt as you find yourself laughing at otherwise disturbing scenes.

So how does the film bring new meaning to its original tale? Steven certainly considers himself godly, his very hands worshipped as the instruments that control life and death, hallowed upon the sacred surgeons table. What Lanthimos has delivered is a psychological horror that brings the epic tragedy of Greek myth to an uncomfortably familiar level.

- Helen Drumm

This film, set against the clinical, clean cut backdrop of hospital wards and Images:

Image.net, courtesy of BFI and the BFI LFF

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Film

8 great plotless films Our writers share their favourite films that don’t care about silly things like narratives...

Clerks Mad Max: Fury Road

A classic piece of independent cinema, Clerks has Kevin Smith’s rambling monologues and hilarious diatribes at its heart, instead of a cohesive plot. Set in a convenience store, the film explores one day in the empty lives of Dante and Randal, two clerks.

Nothing much happens, but that’s the beauty of it. - Alex Caesari

Mad Max: Fury Road is the most mainstream pick of this countdown, but it’s a film that relies on its striking visual effects and larger-than-life characters as opposed to its narrative.

Other than its opening and a short, epiphanic scene in the middle, the film is one, big non-stop car chase! - Oscar Huckle

Person To Person depicts a day in the life of New York through various characters. From an eccentric vinyl collector hunting an elusive record to a teen struggling with her sexuality, a collection of interweaving scenarios dance around each other without ever forming a cohesive story. They represent human relationships in a far more accurate way than a narrative film could. - Tom Bedford

You may be forgiven for thinking this is a 21st century film - 90 years on from its creation, Man With A Movie Camera continues to dazzle. It’s a documentary-cum-travelogue that slices, cuts, rewinds and slo-mos various images of a Soviet society, forming a glorious and gloriously baffling depiction of life in motion, and the camera behind it all. - Gus Edgar

When teen films were portraying high-school as rife with outlandish sex-driven exploits, bodily fluids, and booze, Napoleon Dynamite chose to be different. Focusing on a few poverty-stricken Idaho high-schoolers as they bumble about their distinctly unremarkable lives, it’s the endearing characters – not the situations – that make the film so watchable. - Ed Brown

Perhaps this is cheating: it’s not that Inherent Vice doesn’t have a plot, it’s just that it has too much of one. We (try to) follow Joaquin Phoenix’s Doc Sportello as he navigates the turn of the 70s’ hazy capitalist underbelly, three cases coalescing into a single hazy, weed-ridden thrillride. Don’t focus on the plot, focus on the atmosphere. - Gus Edgar

This is weeks of watching the kids of the poorest women in society run around living what they perceive to be their best life.

But its Florida and the viewer is reminded of the surrounding contrasting wealth more and more whilst the darker side bleeds into the kids ‘perfect’ life. - Evlyn Forsyth-Muris

Floating between dreams and memories, Eternal Sunshine takes us on a psychedelic journey into its characters’ minds, who endlessly fight against forgetting their past. Entirely made up of flashbacks and forwards, the film confuses us until not even its characters know the plot of their own lives. - Mireia Molina Costa

Person to Person

Napoleon Dynamite

The Florida Project

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Man With A Movie Camera

Inherent Vice

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Images: image.net, courtesy of BFI and the BFI LFF (Florida Project); PublicDomainPictures, Dawn Hudson, modified by Gus Edgar (Sun)

Fashion

Campus catwalk We’re back for the second autumn instalment of Campus catwalk. In the last two weeks temperatures have dropped hugely, so as expected this week we saw a lot of the new AW17 outerwear trends out on show.

Amanie

Third year International Development This lovely model of the moment went above and beyond for us and braved today’s cold weather in this slightly cropped pink fluffy sweater. The brighter pastel colours work really well together with this outfit and perfectly complement Amanie’s skin tone.

Francesca

Third year International Development The baby blue North Face fleece is, as the kids say, very ‘wavy’. The mix of vintage finds with the retro-chic Air Max 97s give this outfit a timeless feel. We love the varying textures and patterns (the multicoloured headscarf !) of this outfit.

Tanya

First year Psychology Tanya’s done the monochromatic look here excellently. The all-black outfit makes the white trainers pop even more, and vice versa; a great use of contrast.

-Bobby Onangua

Images by Bobby Onangua, @uea_outfits

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Fashion

Winter beauty 1. Hydrate

This maybe the single most obvious step there is, but winter dries us out like those dates your grandparents insist on serving. Invest in some thick moisturiser, never skip your skin routine and make sure you drink plenty of water to keep your skin looking young and healthy.

2. Health

Coughs and sniffles are never in style, so make sure you keep up those vitamins through a healthy portion of fruit and vegetables. As we approach Christmas it can get more and more tempting to reach into that tin of chocolate, but try and keep your immune system in good condition.

3. Wrap yourself

Invest in a staple winter coat, no matter if it is a puffer coat or camel duffel coat.

A decent coat is the one item you’ll always reach for over this cold period.

4. Sun protection

Even though it may be grey, bleak, and dreary, don’t skip the SPF this season.

UV rays that damage your skin are present all year round,

5.Photo

You don’t need to wear those killer heels at the party, the key is in the name.

Get that amazing photo at home in them, and then party all night in some comfortable flats. You could even get away with trainers.

6. Lipstick

Red lips for the party aren’t your only option, although it’s a universal classic colour for Christmas. It’s never too late to start experimenting with colour.

7. Sock styles

Pulling your socks slightly above the hem of your boots is a super cute look this season. Maybe match the colour of your socks to some colour in your outfit.

8.Proper boots

The ground can get nasty and icy or soggy and wet in the colder months, so make sure you wear sensible shoes that stop you slipping and keep your feet nice and dry!

9. Not too early

It is totally okay being excited for Christmas in November, but possibly

Images: (left to right) Pixabay by rawpixel, Flickr by _Leleuzis, Pixabay by CihanU44

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do restrain from wearing a Christmas jumper everyday until December.

10. Dazzle

‘Dazzle’ is the phrase Vogue have used for winter 2017, so don’t be afraid to break out the sequins and glitter!

11.No dry skin

In winter, wash with lukewarm water, even if you’re craving the warmth in this weather. If the water is too hot, it strips the oils away from the skin, which will only dry out your skin.

12. Christmas PJs

Primark has so many cheap and adorable Christmas pjs already this year and they are only going to get better. Snuggle up to Christmas music with the latest magazine you love in your new pjs and feel like a Christmas queen!

- Beth Addison

Fashion

Coat trends It’s almost Christmas. The air is getting colder and the days darker. A coats is the one item you’ll wear the most this season, so it’s worth investing in. Here is a roundup of the biggest coat trends this winter.

Puffer Coat

The puffer has returned from last year.

Whether you love them or hate them, there’s no denying they’ll keep you warm!

They’re available in nearly every colour, length and pattern. If puffers are too sporty for you, corduroy versions are also available.

Shearling

A favourite for this winter is the shearling coat. Whether you decide to go for black or a more neutral tone, you’re guaranteed to be nice and cosy.

Faux fur

Faux fur coats are always perfect for winter but this season they’re getting a revamp with different textures and patterns. There are all sorts of patterns to choose from such as psychedelic, animal print and stripes.

Trench coat

Not just your classic beige trench coat, this year checked trench coats are taking over. Anything looking remotely vintage is in! High gloss trench coats are also making an appearance. Go for something shiny and super sleek to achieve that punk, futuristic look.

Red

A simple primary colour red is in and is a pretty bold statement as a coat. If the colour is daunting to you, it may be easier to pull off as a puffer coat or trench coat.

Animal print

Animal prints are perfect for faux fur coats. Leopard print is a popular choice this winter, particularly in the style of a long trench coat.

Coloured leather

The black leather jacket is a timeless piece, but this year is calling for some colour, from primary colours to muted neutrals.

- Leah Marriott

Pinterest: my style secret I am useless at shopping. I splurge on pieces I rarely wear, and scrimp on the things I wear every day. My wardrobe is a treasure trove of dusty, expensive “occasion” dresses, whilst my eight-pound H&M shoes quickly buckle under the strain of being worn every day and have to be replaced. Not very environmentally friendly.

Enter, Pinterest. For those of you who don’t know, Pinterest is a website and app that lets you “collect” images that fit a certain theme. To give you a better idea, my Pinterest boards include “to-read list”, “future home”, “inspirational people”, and most importantly, style.

Whenever I have a free moment, I can spend my time window shopping through Pinterest photos, creating my fantasy wardrobe.

Collecting so many pictures and searching for common themes help to spell out your likes and dislikes. And when you know you style, you shop smarter. Outfits featuring denim skirts frequenting your Pinterest board? Probably time to purchase your own. Leopard prints keep cropping up? Don’t be afraid to buy a leopard print dress next time you see one.

I doubt I will ever rid my wardrobe completely of dusty occasion dresses. But with Pinterest helping to define my style, I am a little closer to becoming a truly savvy shopper.

- Kate Romain Images (left to right): Pixabay by donterase, Unsplash by Alexandruz, Unsplash by rave250 and ilkvch (pinterest logo) Wikimedia Commons, Piniterest

13

dangerously

cool

What was once debated in the playground is now being debated outside cinemas, in offices and practically anywhere human life is.

For a long time, I would’ve suggested Marvel was better - their cinematic universe had the potential to be expansive, innovative, and pioneering within the industry - but the key word there is ‘potential’.

Each and every character in the Avengers has the potential to be amazing. Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Bucky are all great characters, but all not utilised enough.

At the end of Phase One, Marvel

were facing a crisis of what to do. Their plan to make roughly 30 films hit a brick wall when they realised that roughly all 30 films had exactly the same plot. I don’t even need to explain it because you know exactly what it is. The result was a tonal crisis.

Guardians of the Galaxy was hilarious; they absolutely nailed it as a ‘separate’ franchise from the Avengers. It was funny, witty and gripping, and provided a lovely balance to the regular super hero film. Then Captain America: The Winter Soldier was surprisingly tragic, which was odd, but it somehow worked. After that Thor: Ragnarok was apparently also hilarious? Which didn’t make sense. Thor had somehow gone from humourless oaf to sarcastic genius in the space of precisely zero films.

Any depth that characters had was destroyed at the expense of cheap gimmicks; Loki seemingly now just aimlessly betrays people to no aim, despite him being one of the most intelligent characters in the universe, and Hulk is now apparently ‘always angry’ and out of control, yet perfectly capable of cracking jokes? Marvel sold out.

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DC, on the other hand, have stuck successfully to their roots and elaborated on them. They can boast

the most extensive, elaborate, and explorative super hero movie to date in the form of ‘Watchmen’. A film which explores emotional struggle, actual morally grey problems and an amazing Bob Dylan based soundtrack.

They can also boast the Joker arguably one of the greatest villains to date, and certainly better than Loki, the best Marvel has to offer.

Ra’s al Ghul, Bane and Mr Freeze all have actual motives, some of which are incredibly sympathetic (looking at you Mr. Freeze) - Ultron just wants to destroy things? Cool. Apocalypse literally wants the end of days creative.

Marvel had the potential to redeem themselves with the X-Men, but they chose not to elaborate on that as much as the Avengers, and one franchise certainly isn’t enough to tackle DC’s consistency.

-Jack Ashton

Illustrations by Murray Lewis

the mighty When it comes to the debate of Marvel vs DC everyone who is anyone has an opinion. From the casual movie goer to the comic book fanatic the disagreement causes a level of conflict only rivaled by Brexit. But there is a clear winner and you only need four words to prove it. Marvel has Iron Man. Do you want fight scenes? Iron Man. Character development? Iron Man. Vulnerability, humility and hilarity? Iron Man. Whatever you want, Marvel does it better, does it three times and does it with ironclad confidence, leaving DC in its short lived Batman glory days. When it comes down to cold hard cash, Marvel is at the top with Iron Man 3, as the most successful Marvel

franchise, grossing $1.2 billion globally.

Billions aren’t made by mediocrity.

Marvel has cracked the market and it’s worked out that more is more - whatever kind of superhero you wish for, they can provide.

Guardians of the Galaxy works for the relaxed fans, fans who are new to the superhero world.

With its catchy songs and dreamy lead Chris Pratt, the franchise opened up the superhero genre to a whole new audience, and breathed life into some musical classics in the process.

If you want an intense, keeps you on the edge of your seat, superhero fix, Marvel has Captain America. Steve Rogers is the classic good guy gone bad and is played by yet another dreamy Chris; Chris Evans.

But it’s not all about dreamy leads. Marvel has something more important than Chris’s that DC will never quite capture. Marvel has Stan Lee. Its creator and number one fan appears in every film. Audiences

can catch him in Avengers as an unsuspecting librarian or a hotdog vender in X-Men. Hidden gems like Stan’s cameos make Marvel more than movies but a brand that maintains its community. The films are grounded in their creators, audiences and loyalty to their origins.

Marvel is about comics and Stan Lee doesn’t let us forget it.

With Iron Man, variety, and Stan Lee, what more could you want?

There are non-believers, with issues as important as this there always will be. Those who know, understand that Marvel isn’t perfect. But that doesn’t matter, because just like every one of its superheroes, it’s still effortlessly better than DC.

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-Sophie Bunce

Groot (left) by Murray Lewis, Scarlet Witch (top) by Kate Romain

Music

Gigs for the petite Any music lover knows how great live music can be, but that it often involves looking at a stage with a bunch of other people, many of whom will be in front of you. This is not so great when you’re just 5’2”! Music is about audio but a gig has a visual element to it which is nice to be able to see. Here is what I’ve learnt: it all comes down to the venue.

Seated venues are great for the visual but you do get less of the atmosphere; I opted for this when I was younger (and smaller).

If you are there for the performance and are less into being in the pit then getting seats is a good way to go; it’s comfy and normally raised so the view is generally better.

A lot of venues are converted theatres, a favourite of mine due to their sloped floors. They mean that the tall person three people in front is less of a problem and you only have to worry about who is directly in front of you. This requires less planning and is easier to adapt when people inevitably move between support and main act.

A flat floor and a tall stage can work, but

you need to be committed to being near the front. The Waterfront isn’t great. It is hampered by the low stage and large poles; if you like being in the crowd then get there early so that you can position yourself either in the middle or to the left of the stage (closer to the bar) and ensure you are in front of the damn poles!

Venues with balconies and multiple levels are amazing as it provides multiple ‘fronts’ and gives you more options – Norwich Arts Centre and KOKO in London are two good examples. Some venues like O2 Academy Brixton have fences in the pit to help break up the crowd. If you can get to stand directly behind one then you can stand on the lower rung once the performer comes on to gain that helpful 4-6 inches in height.

Every venue is unique. But, before your gig, do some research to find out the layout of the venue and where other people recommend standing. Form a game plan based on others’ experiences.

But, mostly, don’t be afraid to move and try another spot. It might be worse but often it’s better!

-Evyln Forsyth-Muris

The MOBO Trust

MOBO Trust, the charity branch of the Music of Black Origins awards institution, has collaborated with Help Musicians UK to launch the Help Musicians Fund.

Over the course of a year, the scheme promises up to £2000 for career development to successful candidates.

The fund is interested in helping exceptional talent, be that a solo artist, producer, songwriter, or group, that has demonstrated a committed investment and potential longevity in the industry.

The money is being offered to help with the costs of developing a music career.

Kanya King, Founder and CEO of MOBO, communicated the organisation’s “long history of championing and supporting

16

the next generation of musical talent in British black music” in her statement.

King also expressed her belief the recent success of British black music warrants investment in aspiring artists. She commentated that the “British black music scene has grown from strength to strength” and MOBO wish to support it “from the start of a career, through to the pinnacle of success” by launching the fund.

The first awardees of the MOBO Help Musicians Fund will be announced during the MOBO Awards on 29 November.

-Caitlin Vance

Thrilling: Sam Smith

Sam Smith strikes again! After a threeyear break, a haemorrhage, an Oscar, and a series of summer release singles, his 14-track sophomore album has hit the world with a splash. However, The Thrill Of It All had some pretty big boots to fill after Smith’s debut album In The Lonely Hour was the fastest selling one of 2014.

Smith’s hit debut album had left fans with a gaping hole in their chests, only to be enlarged by The Thrill Of It All – leaving you feeling loss like you never have before.

Smith does well not to fall into the sophomore album curse of only having a handful of tracks worth listening to, but instead offers 14 fantastic, passionate tracks. The title track is not that much compared to Smith’s previous hits, it showcases Smith’s falsetto but leaves you struggling to remember how the song goes once it has finished playing. The singles, Too Good At Goodbyes and Pray offer an experience similar to being hungup on. Heartbreaking. Sam Smith is a magician who manages to conjure such deep-rooted feeling and emotion that my throat is left dry and I’m lost for words.

All this said, I would quite happily listen to the two songs on repeat well into the night.

Other tracks such as HIM and Burn are well written and provide the usual, emotional Sam Smith experience.

-Jess Barrett

Music

Stereophonics’ solid tenth outing Scream Above The Sounds is the tenth album by Welsh rock band Stereophonics.

Their last two albums, 2013’s Graffiti On The Train and 2015’s Keep The Village Alive, were particularly strong and rank among some of the band’s best works. The album is inspired both by current events in the world and lead singer Kelly Jones’ childhood innocence in Cwmaman, a small village in South Wales.

Scream Above The Sounds is another winner; it is frequently infectious and, in terms of quality, is very consistent. Out of eleven tracks, only the final two are fillers.

It is a bit of a shame to end the album on a low note but the rest of it is seriously strong.

What’s All The Fuss About? is easily the best track of the album - a sombre, jazz-infused epic that frequently borders on the cinematic in scope. The song starts out in its opening verse as if it’s a typical Stereophonics rock song but then,

as soon as its soothing chorus kicks in, so does guest Gavin Fitzjohn’s trumpet, elevating the Tom Waits-like piece and gently beckoning the album in a slightly new direction. It also happens to be the longest of the album so you get to spend the most amount of time listening to it!

The two other standouts are Geronimo and Chances Are. Geronimo is a stomping and upbeat piece which is instrumentally interesting in the song’s wilder moments. Chances Are offers a more typical, punchy Stereophonics sound and has great guitar riffs by Adam Zindani.

The rest of the album is also very listenable. Before Anyone Knew Our Name is a moving piano ballad about former band member Stuart Cable who sadly died in 2010 after choking in his sleep after a drunken night out. Caught

By The Wind is inspired from the 2015 Paris attacks and encourages through its

lyrics to live life to the full despite these atrocities. This idea neatly sums up the album overall. In a world where such horrors exist, it can only be a good thing Scream Above The Sounds exists to offer a temporary, rousing escape.

-Oscar Huckle

Play-time with Marmozets: Live at Arts Centre

Openers Queen Zee and the Sasstones show a blend of energy and punk spirit, with a politically and socially charged set; songs such as Boy tackle gender stereotypes and the issues members of the transgender community, such as singer and guitarist Queen Zee, face.

The band have an admirable confidence in their combination of influences and a desire to address issues such as the Orlando shooting, which Fly The Pink Flag, was written in the wake of. As Zee puts it, “fifty people went out that night, and because of their gender, or their sexuality, they didn’t come home.” Upon leaving the stage, with both their message and their raw sound, the band have hit hard.

Marmozets walk their way steadily onto the stage, making themselves at home amid the excited shouts and yells from the crowd.

Opener Play shows their new songs still pack the same punch and drive they have always had, as frontwoman and vocalist

Becca MacIntyre proves herself a force to be reckoned with, alternating between dancing and screaming into the microphone.

against the barrier, as the band themselves whirl about the stage. Marmozets are back, and they’re giving it everything they’ve got.

Formed by two sets of siblings, the band is completed by brothers Will and Jack Bottomley on bass and guitar, and Becca’s brothers Sam and Josh on guitar and drums.

The latter is sporting a DIY t-shirt with the words ‘I love my mum’ written on it; a nod to the family members in the audience, including the MacIntyre siblings’ little sister.

-Frances Butler

An emotionally charged performance of ‘Captivate You’ sees the band cut out and the crowd finish the last chorus, causing Becca to share a smile with Sam. The band value a close connection with their fans – Sam announces one came from Russia to see them, and another was asked his name and sung Happy Birthday.

Finally, the crowd are encouraged to “get crazy”, and show closer Why Do You Hate Me? has them surging forward to press

Image: Wikimedia Commons, Mario Menti

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Music

Postcards from Norwich: Alvarez Kings Pop-rockers Alvarez Kings came to Norwich for their biggest show yet in support of Switchfoot. Nick Mason caught up with the band’s frontman, Simon.

Hi Simon. I first saw you in 2014. You’ve come a long way and dropped your debut album, Somewhere Between, this year.

How’s it felt finally getting the debut out?

Simon: It was 2016, I think July, we went to LA. It was a crazy year. We did a twomonth tour in the States, then toured with PVRIS and went back to Europe with Melody Martinez. Then we went out there and recorded the album in 3 weeks. We were very worried about time restraints, our Visas ran out on the last day of recording.

When I saw you back in 2013 I remember you premiered ‘Postcards From Berlin’, which was given a huge overhaul for the album, as were ‘Cold Conscience’ and ‘No Resolve’ to an extent. I was curious, did you adapt the songs for the album or was it a case of adapting them led to the album?

Simon: Well we wanted the album to sound like the new Alvarez Kings. We’d kept people waiting long enough. It was us trying to have a theme through the album. Songs like ‘Postcards From Berlin’ were quite indie-rock sounding and it wouldn’t fit. ‘Sleepwalking Pt. 2’ was based on ‘Sleepwalking’, which was an acoustic song we played live. Our label loved it but we thought it wouldn’t work so changed the structure and, well, the whole song really.

Over the past few years you’ve really brought a lot of dreamy synths to your music. Was this an intentional direction or did it happen quite organically?

Simon: It was something we always dabbled with on a small scale. ‘Tell Tale Heart’ had a bit of synth pad, but it was something we couldn’t adapt to live and kept it low-key. But we didn’t have access to all the synths we recorded with. We could warrant that kind of money for live sound. One of the reasons we chose the studio we did was because of the synths.

We spent days searching for the right synths sounds.

What are your plans to see out the year? Is there any recording on the horizon or do you want to keep promoting Somewhere Between for the foreseeable future?

Simon: Well, we’re going to release a live session just before the Switchfoot tour.

We’re going to continue promoting the album. We are still relatively unknown and we think it has legs and life left, but I am writing towards an EP to bridge the gap between albums one and two.

There’s plenty of writing occurring. It’s one of the things in the position we’re at that we don’t really know what is going to happen. The label is still excited about the album and the future. As long as the label is happy then we can keep moving forward.

- Nick Mason

Hello, hurricane: Switchfoot at the LCR

At Mercy, the ting is going skrrt. At the Arts Centre Marmozets are thrashing out punk-rock jams. At the LCR a near empty room of people huddle around a stage too large for the crowd.

It is a shame, the fatal flaw in a night of otherwise fantastic showmanship and musicianship. Switchfoot were just a little overambitious.

Alvarez Kings warm up proceedings, dry Yorkshire wit and dreamy synths providing a backdrop for the fantastic vocal delivery of Simon Thompson. I first saw the band as the opener for a London basement show back in 2013. They’ve always been a band I hoped for big things to come of and tonight suggests that they might just reach those heights. The large

18

stage doesn’t faze them, nor does the vast open space of the LCR. Keep an eye on them because they may well be back here soon as more than an opener.

Switchfoot come on with all the energy of a toddler on a sugar rush, bursting into ‘Needle and Haystack Life’. The band traverse a career-spanning setlist, taking the juiciest cuts from their finest albums.

Jon Foreman’s banter can be everything from fun to cringey, but it is always honest. His jokes hit the mark (a setlist spot reserved for a cover of local bands is filled with a Led Zepplin cover as, despite the fact they “really pushed Google as far as it could go”, there were no Norwich bands to cover) and he instils a warmth Images: Francis Butler

in the crowd. The only people I have seen happier than Jon Foreman on stage are Jon Foreman touring ‘Vice Verses’ back in 2011 and Jon Foreman in the LCR crowd. New cut ‘Bull in a China Shop’ sees Foreman clamber over the LCR in a way that would get the average punter kicked out of a Damn Good, whilst his in-crowd singalong to ‘Dare You To Move’ is joyous.

Foreman remarks that the show is “like a barbeque with friends”. It’s a little cheesy and a tad awkward, but it is fun and memorable. Switchfoot may have made the wrong venue choice, but their live showing remains one of the most formidable in the industry.

-Nick Mason

NOVEMBER JOHN SMITH

+ WILL STRATTON Wed 22nd • 19.30 • WFS £15.00

HAPPY MONDAYS

30TH ANNIVERSARY TWENTY FOUR HOUR PARTY PEOPLE - GREATEST HITS TOUR + JOHN DASILVA Thu 23rd • 19.30 • LCR £29.50

JAWS

Thu 23rd • 19.30 • WF £10.00

BASSJAM

SUB FOCUS

THE SHERLOCKS

Fri 2nd • 18.30 • WF £13.50

HELLS BELLS (AC/DC TRIBUTE)

EDDIE & THE HOT RODS

DEMENTED ARE GO - “25TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR”

CANNIBAL CORPSE

+ BREAKAGE + KIDEKO + WILL MOMENTUM Thu 8th • 22.00 • LCR £15.50 Thu 8th • 18.30 • WFS £17.50

THIS IS MANCHESTER FEATURING THE CLONE ROSES, THE SMITHS LTD AND TRANSMISSION (JOY DIVISION TRIBUTE) Fri 9th • 18.00 • WFS £17.50

SLADE

+ KASSETIKA Thu 10th • 19.00 • WF £23.50

Fri 2nd • 18.30 • WFS £18.00

SPRING KING

Sat 6th • 18.30 • WFS £10.00

JESS AND THE BANDITS + SAM COE AND THE LONG SHADOWS Sun 7th • 19.30 • WFS £15.00

Sat 10th • 18.30 • WFS £14.00 + BLACK DAHLIA MURDER + IN ARKADIA Tue 13th • 18.30 • WF £17.50

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT Wed 14th • 19.30 • WFS £9.00

WHOLE LOTTA LED

Thu 15th • 19.30 • WF £15.00

FT. ZION TRAIN + BLACK TWANG + EVA LAZARUS + MORE! Fri 24th • 21.00 • LCR £17.50 / £15.00 JORDAN ALLEN Fri 11th • 19.30 • WF £6.00 NUS

HENRY ROLLINS TRAVEL SLIDESHOW

FEROCIOUS DOG “THE ENEMY WITHIN TOUR”

COCKNEY REJECTS

WILLIE J HEALEY

CASH

TOM GRENNAN

DIRTY THRILLS, RENEGADE 12 AND BLUE NATION

ALIEN ANT FARM

THE STRANGLERS

‘ORIGINAL LINE-UP’ + SICK ON THE BUS + KNOCK OFF + BRAINDANCE Fri 24th • 18.30 • WFS £19.50

FUTURE ISLANDS

+ ZACK MEXICO Thu 26th • 19.00 • LCR £22.50

PHOENIX CALLING ‘OUR LOST HEARTS TOUR’

+ DAVE MCPHERSON + THE VISITORS Thur 26th • 19.00 • WFS £6.00

MARK LANEGAN BAND Sat 28th • 19.30 • WF £22.50

BEANS ON TOAST AND SKINNY LISTER

Mon 30th • 19.30 • WF £14.00

HUNTER AND THE BEAR + THE HIGH POINTS Mon 30th • 19.30 • WFS £9.00

DECEMBER NELLY

+ SIR THE BAPTIST Fri 1st • 18.30 • LCR £27.50

T’PAU “CHINA IN YOUR HAND - 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR” + SCARLET Fri 1st • 18.30 • WF £27.00

BAD TOUCH

+ MOLLIE MARRIOTT Fri 1st • 18.30 • WFS £14.00

THE DIVINE COMEDY

Sat 2nd • 18.30 • LCR £30.00

UK FOO FIGHTERS

10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR Sat 2nd • 18.30 • WF £14.50

COURTESANS

Sun 3rd • 19.00 • WFS £9.00

JW JONES

Tue 5th • 19.30 • WFS £10.00

Sat 12th • 19.30 • WFS £7.00

Sun 13th • 19.00 • WFS £10.00

UK SUBS

+ LONDON CALLING (CLASH TRIBUTE) Tue 15th • 18.30 • WFS £16.00

POUT OF THE DEVIL

KAVES

+ CLOWN SMASH EVERYTHING + SUCKING GRUINTS + RATS PACKING GRENADES Wed 7th • 19.30 • WFS £6.00

+ EMMA MCGRATH Tue 13th • 19.30 • WF £18.50

SANTA CRUZ

Sat 17th • 18.30 • LCR £27.50

+ SKARLETT RIOT Thu 17th • 19.00 • WF £12.00

MOSTLY AUTUMN

Thu 21st • 19.30 • WF £15.00 GENERAL, £13 CONCESSIONS

REBECCA FERGUSON PAUL YOUNG

+ CHINA CRISIS Sat 17th • 18.30 • WF £25.00

PIRATEFEST FEATURING THE QUIREBOYS - “TIME FOR ALESTORM + THE DREAD CREW OF ODDWOOD THE XMAS PARTY” + RUMAHOY Sat 23rd • 18.30 • WFS £18.50

JANUARY MELTDOWN LIVE PRESENTS FINN DOHERTY + WE’LL BE DETECTIVES + VAUDEVUE + KULK Sat 13th • 18.30 • WFS £6.00

SKIDS

40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR Fri 19th • 18.30 • WF £25.00

TO KILL A KINGZZZ

Sun 21st • 19.30 • WFS £10.00

HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD

+ THE ONE HUNDRED Sat 27th • 18.30 • WFS £18.50 CANE HILL & ICE NINE KILLS Sun 28th • 19.00 • WFS £17.00 Tue 30th • 19.30 • WF £15.00

YUNGBLUD

Tue 30th • 19.30 • WFS £7.00

FEBRUARY

THE SOUNDS OF BLACK UHURU

(PERFORMED BY MYKAL ROSE) + SKIPYARD ROCKERS + REBEL LION DJS Thu 1st • 19.30 • WF £17.50

FOR FULL LISTINGS & TO BOOK TICKETS GO TO

UEATICKETBOOKINGS.CO.UK

Fri 16th • 18.30 • WF £15.00

Sun 18th • 19.10 • WF £13.00 + THERAPY? Mon 19th • 19.30 • LCR £27.50

SKID ROW

+ TOSELAND Mon 19th • 19.00 • WF £24.00

THE HANDSOME FAMILY + SPECIAL GUESTS Tue 20th • 19.30 • WF £17.50

Fri 16th • 18.30 • WFS £16.00

HIGHLY SUSPECT

PERFORMING ‘SUBSTANCE’ BY JOY DIVISION & NEW ORDER Wed 7th • 19.30 • WF £22.50

HAYSEED DIXIE

+ MACHINE HEAD U.K. + DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS Wed 16th • 18.30 • WFS £14.00

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES

PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT

+ SOIL + LOCAL H Wed 10th • 18.30 • WF £20.00

CHOP SUEY (SOAD TRIBUTE) SPACE

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE

+ BASEMENT Wed 7th • 19.30 • LCR £16.50

Tue 9th • 18.30 • WFS £12.00

+ BLIND TIGER + SCREAM SERENITY BOWLING FOR SOUP Wed 14th • 19.30 • LCR £25.00 Wed 16th • 18.30 • WF £7.00

ROLAND GIFT OF FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS Tue 6th • 19.30 • WF £22.50

Mon 8th • 19.30 • LCR £20.00

Wed 21st • 19.30 • WF £18.50

THE CHRISTIANS

Fri 23rd • 18.30 • WF £20.00

THE FRONT BOTTOMS

+ THE SMITH STREET BAND + BRICK & MORTAR Sun 25th • 19.00 • WF £17.00

MARCH REJJIE SNOW

Thu 1st • 19.30 • WF £20.00

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING Fri 2nd • 18.30 • LCR £19.50

THE BRITPOP REBOOT FT. OASIS, BLUR & PULP TRIBUTES Fri 2nd • 22.30 • WF £12.50

BLUE OCTOBER

Wed 21st • 19.30 • WF £25.00

GUANA BATZ “35 YEARS ON TOUR”

Thu 22nd • 19.30 • WFS £18.00

FIELD MUSIC

Sat 24th • 18.30 • WF £15.00

APRIL MØ

Thur 5th • 19.30 • LCR £15.00

GBH + THE VARUKERS (COHEADLINE SHOW) + SICK ON THE BUS Fri 6th • 18.30 • WFS £16.00

THE METEORS “THE POWER OF 3 TOUR 2017” + SPECIAL GUESTS Sun 8th • 19.10 • WFS £17.50

WALK THE MOON

Tue 10th • 19.30 • WF £18.00

THE SOUTH

Sat 14th • 18.00 • WF £25.00

ANDREW WK

Wed 18th • 19.30 • WF £20.00

THE OVERTONES

SKINDRED

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK: LIVEWIRE AC/DC VS LIMEHOUSE LIZZY

AKALA - THE VISIONS TOUR

Sat 3rd • 18.30 • LCR £25.00

Sat 3rd • 18.30 • WF £20.00

+ CKY Thu 19th • 19.30 • LCR £24.50 Wed 25th • 18.30 • WF £16.00

PAUL DRAPER

BARENAKED LADIES

FEEDER - ‘THE BEST OF’ TOUR

THE PRINCE EXPERIENCE

Tue 6th • 19.30 • WF £17.50

Thu 8th • 19.30 • LCR £27.50

Wed 25th • 19.30 • LCR £30.00

Sat 28th • 18.30 • WF £13.50

/thelcr - /waterfrontnorwich @officiallcr - @waterfrontnr1

CONCRETE

002

Gaming

Super Mario Odyssey: the game Mario fans have been desperate for Nintendo may have made a fair few mistakes during their existence, but Mario has never been one of them. After several years of more linear Mario games, Odyssey brings back that open feeling of games more akin to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, while capturing the sleek level design of games more like Mario 3D World.

level that you will face, and some of these captures are even necessary for taking down bosses, making every single battle an entirely new experience. There are over 40 different characters that Mario can possess, including everything from series mainstays, such as the mushroomlike Goombas, to a frog, to an actual T-Rex.

While these similarities are clear, Odyssey has no problem feeling like a completely unique experience, and this is due to a new character introduced right at the beginning of the game. Cappy, whose appearance takes on that of a ghost inhabiting a fancy top hat, becomes Mario’s companion after Bowser’s airship rips Mario’s iconic hat to shreds. Luckily, Cappy can transform, and soon it doesn’t matter than Mario’s hat was lost, as he now has a replacement. You learn that Cappy is useful in more ways than one, not only assisting movement, but also becoming crucial for a major gameplay mechanic.

The game itself consists of over a dozen different sandbox style stages, each including tons of content, its own theme, and occasionally its own art style. Each level is as beautiful as the last, and really shows the potential of the Nintendo Switch. You will be finding power moons, which are vital for progressing the game.

As you move through stages, you will need to find these power moons in order to progress to the next stage.

For those familiar with Mario games, the titular protagonist will control very similar to how you’d expect, being able to pull off fancy triple jumps and backflips, but Odyssey brings a whole new element to movement. Mario’s new companion, Cappy, provides a whole load of new movement options. You can throw him in order to jump off, and more skilled players have been able to utilise this in order to perform this jump multiple times, being able to climb up to high places that would be impossible to get up to otherwise.

As for Cappy’s other purpose, that’s what truly makes Mario Odyssey special.

When Mario throws Cappy at specific enemies or objects within the game, he can possess them, and use their abilities.

This leads to a large variety in the types of

20

They can be found in a variety of ways, including defeating bosses, completing side challenges, or finding them hidden away somewhere. While you do not need to find every single moon to complete the story of the game, there are all in all around 880 power moons to discover, some of which are only available after you complete the story.

Each stage also has the all too familiar golden coins to collect, but also a new type of purple regional coin. These coins have a different design in every stage, and unlike the golden coins, there are only a limited amount of these to collect. You should expect to find either 50 or 100 of these purple coins, depending on the stage you’re in. Unlike previous Mario games, gaining 100 coins does not give you an extra life, as there are no lives in Odyssey. Instead, in each stage you’ll find shops that sell souvenirs, power moons, and best of all: new outfits for Mario to wear. If you’ve ever played a Mario game before, you’ll find something familiar

Illustration: Miles Atkinson Mushrooms: Wikimedia Commons, Nintendo

within Mario’s clothing choices.

The music in Super Mario Odyssey is an absolute delight. Each stage is accompanied by its own music, and I found myself more than once humming along. I could say more, but it’s much better when experienced first hand.

If I had one issue with the game, it would be that some moves with Cappy are locked behind motion controls. If you snap the Joy Cons to the side, Cappy will do an attack which spins around Mario, but the only way to do this without motion controls is by spinning Mario first, which takes at least a couple of seconds longer. Throwing Cappy both vertically up and down also suffers with the same issue. This problem would be rectified if the motion controls were accurate, but unfortunately this is not always the case.

Aside from this issue, Super Mario Odyssey is the game Mario fans have been desperate for for over a decade now.

It is incredibly hard to fault, and I believe that if you own a Nintendo Switch, this game is one not to be missed.

-Sapphire Butcher

The games that need remastering

Although classics such as Grim Fandango, Kingdom Hearts, and God of War have now received shiny new HD releases on current-gen platforms, the current theme with remasters seems to be to focus on games that had near universal acclaim upon their original release. What about the titles with flaws that could do with some gameplay TLC alongside a graphical coat of paint?

Destroy All Humans

This sequel to the human-abducting action game is a tongue-in-cheek Cold War era parody, with a fun arsenal of weapons ready to be used on squishy fleshbags by a whole new generation of

James Bond: from Russia With Love

Although Goldeneye is easily the most famous Bond game, spare a thought for the title that gave the best attempt to try and focus on the gadgets and intrigue alongside high octane gun battles.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II

Obsidian’s sequel to the Bioware classic is rarely held in the same esteem but the wealth of cut content hits at a rarely seen darker take on the Star Wars mythos.

Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines

An unsurprising entry for sure but one that still merits a mention. Troika’s vampire RPG is a beautiful mess in desperate need of a true remaster.

Alpha Protocol

Closing with another spy game, the intention behind Alpha Protocol was to allow the player a chance to choose between a Bourne, Bond or Bauer style of play but the buggy title never achieved the heights that it now has the potential to do.

-Harry Routley

Gaming

Why aren’t we talking about Monster Hunter World?

It’s been a while since E3, and the gaming press has decided which games they want to cover in the usual frenzy. Then there are the games that have been relegated to back pages – and one in particular.

It was announced with relatively little fanfare, and coverage of it has been drowned amongst the speculation about Anthem and ravings about Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. It’s a game from a decade-plus-long franchise that used to be the biggest selling franchise in Japan.

It’s a franchise with many games and a film in the works, a franchise with a respectable Western following despite being a predominantly Asian series. That franchise is the Monster Hunter series by Capcom, with Monster Hunter World, the fifth iteration (if you’re excluding the numerous spin-offs) set for release in early 2018.

The Monster Hunter series is defined by hunting huge monsters, and the epic duels they entail. Capcom didn’t mess about with the title. As the hunter, you gather materials

to make weapons, armour and supporting items in order to kill huge wyverns, dragons and other mythical creatures. Afterwards, you scavenge materials from their carcasses to make even bigger weapons and armours.

The series has many distinguishing features - its maps split into different zones, the oversized and goofy armour, its bizarre humour, and a strange obsession with cats.

Announced for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Monster Hunter World looks set to reinvigorate the tiring staples of the series, including a revised map system, new stealth mechanics, and a transition from regionlocal multiplayer to worldwide. This means Eastern and Western hunters will be able to play together for the first time.

It really looks like World is trying to attract Western audiences, with the new features bringing it more in line with other Western RPGs like Dragon Age or The Witcher, and the release on home consoles as opposed to handheld devices appealing more to console gamers, which tend to be associated far more often with Western audiences than Eastern ones.

So why aren’t we talking about Monster Hunter World?. It’s introducing significant and risky change into a beloved franchise in order to widen its appeal and attract new gamers - how many franchises can boast that they do that? Far from ruining the game, it looks like these changes could transform World into an incredible step up for the franchise.

It’s a great example of taking risks leading to a better game, as long as those promised features end up in the game.

And as Monster Hunter games aren’t in the business of forgetting promises, it looks like the January 2018 release date could give us one of the best games in recent years.

-Tom Bedford

Illustration by Charlie Nicholson

21

Gaming

Indie-penchant: Doki Doki Literature Club Doki Doki Literature Club was recommended to me by an Engineering friend, who pitched it to me as ‘a bit creepy’. It follows the main character, played by you, as he is influenced by one Sayori, another fundamental character, to join the literature club. You accept, thinking it will be a chilled way for you to meet some lovely-looking ladies.

The club members are Sayori (your childhood friend), Monika (the secretive president), Natsuki (the typical teenager full of angst), and Yuri (the tender, yet severely problematic love interest). The girls initially ask you to write poems and share them with the club.

Sayori or Yuri, both girls kill themselves, either out of sadness that you rejected them, or out of happiness. That leaves Natsuki and Monica. This is when the game gets weird, if it isn’t weird already.

The plot thickens when it is revealed that both Sayori and Yuri both like you.

You must pick between Sayori, the girl you have known forever, and Yuri, the girl you really like. Whether you pick

After Monica deletes the files of the other girls, she rips a hole in the space time continuum so you can spend eternity together, because she also likes you. The game ends by Monica deleting

It is revealed that Natsuki’s experienced a terrible upbringing from her father, who abuses her heavily. When the game begins to turn dark, Natsuki’s head cracks to the side, and she swoops towards the screen. Moreover, Monica becomes self-aware and starts talking to you as the player behind the screen. Safe to say I was not happy sleeping in an old house after this.

the game from the laptop, after you let her down ‘gently’.

Not only is this game a complete twist on the conventions of a typical literature club, it also uses poetry as a key aspect to unlocking the plot of the game. This manga game takes a simple idea and distorts it, playing on the idea of character and player, which is both interesting and complex as the game unfolds. Although one or two ‘surprises’ may become clearer as the game continues, and the plot becomes a little far-fetched at times, when asked to make a decision that will influence the direction of the plot, it is never easy to decide what to do. This game is emotionally investing and addictive, which are two qualities of a great game.

-Saoirse Smith-Hogan

A shadow 0ver Shadow of War

‘I love making my army of slaves run around taking over Mordor!’ This was my friend, describing the appeal he sees in Middle Earth: Shadow of War, Monolith Productions’ followup to Shadow of Mordor. I must say I agreed with him – there was a certain joy to be had in using your magical abilities to force orcs, goblins and various other Tolkienian beasts to join your army. It’s a very well-executed and visible way of showing your progression through the game - after besting them in combat you are given the option to execute them or use ghostly powers to force them into servitude, to join your ever-growing ranks, while they beg instead for mercy or death.

And as my mental train reached that station, I stopped. The ‘Nemesis System’, the main draw of the game, involves you forcing a large groups of people, specifically people from a certain race, to work and fight for you against their will. As my friend had called them as a joke, they were ‘slaves’.

between them somewhat, but it has the unfortunate side effect of humanising these creatures that we’re supposed to disregard.

The Lord of the Rings universe makes it clear that orcs are subpeople. They are the manifestation of evil in Middle-Earth, they only survive with the rulings of evil overlords and their only purpose is to destroy all the good in the world. That should make enslaving them OK, right? It does, until you remember that dehumanising tactics like these were used by white slavers during the slave trade to attempt to justify the vile acts they carried out. In the game you can even hear orcs talking and having banter – probably a way for Monolith to distinguish

I’m sure that the Nemesis System was in no way intended to accidentally mirror heinous real-world acts, and that the features of the game that aid my unwilling reading of the game were only included to lend extra realism and immersion to it.

Nevertheless, there are some unfortunate parallels, both historic and current, that make the game a rather uncomfortable play.

Art exists outside of the intentions of the creators, after all.

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One could argue that Shadow of War is above comparisons to real-life problems, but this seems like a rather backwards approach. Games have been begging for a long time now to be considered ‘art’, and one of the main factors that enhances an artistic reading of a game is a strong grasp of the context of the real world and its history. For example aspects of The Lord of the Rings are clearly shaped by World War One, in which Tolkien fought. Fantasy is an escape from the real world, but it is also usually a commentary or critique of it by being such an escape.

I’m not suggesting that Monolith Productions endorse slavery.

Far from it – everyone knows that slavery is a disgusting thing and people are glad that, for the most part, it’s gone.

- Tom Bedford

Television

The End of the F***ing World: an American style road trip...in rural England Although the genre has become increasingly popular in the last few years, few dark comedies in recent memory place as much emphasis on the ‘dark’ aspect as Channel 4’s newest hit The End of the F***king World. The show follows two teens on the run, the rebellious Alyssa and secretly psychotic James who both escape unhappy home lives only to find more misery on the open road. The trailer for the show makes James’ psychopathic tendencies appear to be its most unique selling point. However, these appear to be almost completely abandoned as a plot point fairly on, making the decision to emphasise this side of the show so much in marketing a strange one. Instead, the staying power of TEFW comes with the relationship between James and Alyssa.

Early on, it may be easy for the viewer to fear for Alyssa’s safety as James discusses his morbid fascination with dead animals and his desire to eventually kill her. It soon becomes apparent that not only could Alyssa defend herself if need be, but that there are far greater monsters in this world than a scrawny teen who killed a couple of pets. James goes from predator to prey over the course of the show as he is consistently let down by those with power over him, from his father to the police.

This is where the relationship dynamic between our leads switches around, a welcome and refreshing idea. Initially, Alyssa shows a romantic passion for an obviously uninterested James. Later, as his world begins to unravel we see that it is truly James who needs Alyssa.

Such a complex relationship drama would only be possible with exceptional acting talent and thankfully Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden deliver. Both are experienced actors but Lawther’s role as Kenny in Season 3 of Black Mirror deserves a special mention here for the role’s initial similarities to James.

Lawther has perfected the ability to show Image: maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com

a character almost constantly on the verge of total breakdown. While in Black Mirror, Kenny’s particular crimes only mark him as a pathetic coward, James is a truly sympathetic character. The gradual reveal of his mother’s own unique problems helps the viewer to understand why he seems so broken inside.

This isn’t to say that Alyssa is any less complex, in fact she may well be the more fascinating of the pair. Although James self-diagnoses his seemingly psychopathic tendencies, he rarely shows genuine cruelty. Alyssa is incredibly volatile, showing a disregard for the consequences of her actions, serving as a trigger for most of the trouble that the duo end up causing. Again, this is explained (but not necessarily excused) by her family life.

Apart from two fascinating leads, the show boasts a cavalcade of excellent supporting characters ranging from the hard-working but ineffective to the truly monstrous. For the former is Officer Eunice, played by Gemma Whelan of Yara Greyjoy fame. Far more than the stereotypical bumbling police officer,

Eunice is an incredibly incisive detective, able to piece together the true story of James and Alyssa in the face of mistruth.

Her humorous relationship with nononsense partner Teri helps to capture the sympathetic and unrelenting sides of modern law-enforcement perfectly.

When it comes to true villains, the audience is absolutely spoilt for choice.

Perhaps the standout, however, is Alyssa’s own father. Without spoiling anything too specific, the real heartbreak comes with seeing his interactions with Alyssa in the final episode as plot points from the start of the series are raised just in time for a nail-biting final scene.

Behind the glamour of this American style road trip in rural England, The End of the F***king World could be called a cautionary tale for teenagers. However much school and other stresses may seem like the worst thing imaginable, don’t grow up too quickly because there’s far worse waiting in the real world.

- Harry Routley

23

Television

This is American Idol, but does anyone care?

In 2002, Ryan Seacrest delivered a line that revolutionised the television landscape “This is American Idol.” ABC announced the revamped American Idol’s air date of March 11 2018, following the final season that aired on FOX in 2016. Being off the air for only one TV season, the questions are: is American Idol coming back too soon? And can it succeed in today’s world of media saturation and streaming?

Originally an addition to the original British Pop Idol, American Idol became the most successful variant of the franchise and in its decade run, it changed the media landscape in an unprecedented way.

It spawned the careers of artists like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jordin Sparks, and revolutionized the role of the spectator as audiences had a chance to affect the outcome of the show by voting for their favourite to stay in. American Idol had been such a success that rival formats like The Voice, The X Factor and [insert country name here]’s Got Talent

have been created to tap into this market.

The most profitable genres of television are game shows and reality competition shows due to these show’s relatively simple formats. Despite language and cultural differences, American Idol is a show that almost any audience can understand. American shows in particular are easily bought and aired in international territories. Thus, while dozens of shows like Idol are aired in the world, this series in particular has a global audience that guarantees ABC a profit.

the story of an individual singing in front of the judges to getting lucky and transforming into a Hollywood star.

Another reason this revitalised Idol could shine is because for the first time ever, hopeful contestants can audition for American Idol via social media and the internet by simply using #TheNextIdol.

Contestants can now also be as young as fifteen. Along with using ABC News to release Idol updates, Disney has used its own resorts to allow for open auditions and continued P.R. opportunities.

Nostalgia is an evident phenomenon in today’s TV landscape, and Idol is returning at the perfect time to fit into this trend. From the success of shows like Stranger Things and Riverdale, executives are noticing the hunger people have for reinventing older media. American Idol is the show that truly ignited the public’s interest in reality competition TV. Even if someone has not seen Idol, they know

In 2017, hundreds of shows are being developed and aired, and there is doubt about whether American Idol will still captivate audiences during its initial run.

I believe that despite franchise fatigue existing, this new season has already begun to change its DNA for a new generation.

example of film to TV adaptation ever, the morbidly dark comedy which the Coen brothers established in 1996 is still there but we get even more bizarre yet nuanced characters with a whole new cast and premise every season. If this Lord of the Rings TV series ever sees the light of day, Amazon could take a note or two from Fargo through delving further into the characters (more so than three nearly 180 minute films already did), and getting the balance of loyalty and creativity right.

Too similar to the Peter Jackson films and people will complain it’s just more of the same, but too different and people will complain it is not Lord of the Rings at all.

adapted to TV because of their fantastic concepts, and presumably because executives thought it would be a lovely cash cow for them. A drug that allows you to unlock the full potential of your brain, a world where citizens are arrested for crimes they’ve not even committed yet, and a buddy cop comedy. These are all very watchable and fun concepts but their respected TV adaptions thought this would be enough and did not invest time into building the world around it or making the characters interesting.

- William Samayoa

Lord of the small screens: the two mediums

With the huge, and surprisingly unpopular, announcement that Amazon are flirting with the idea of adapting Lord of the Rings for the small screen, it is worth examining other attempts of films that have been bastardised - sorry I mean lovingly crafted - for TV, to see what LOTR can learn.

On the one hand you have the successful adaptations which include most notably Hannibal, Fargo and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (little known fact: Buffy was actually based on a film!), all established off the back of their successful 90s’ film counterpart. What they all manage to do is successfully cherry pick the best bits of the film while adding something new, but most importantly flesh out the world which your standard 90 minute film can never do properly.

Examining Fargo, arguably the best

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One thing this potential adaptation can definitely learn from though, is the recent lukewarm film to TV adaptations. Yes I’m looking at you Limitless, Minority Report and Lethal Weapon. All well respected films but the problem being they were

So bearing this in mind let us also hope that along with LOTR, the upcoming TV adaptions of What We Do in the Shadows, The Nice Guys, and Four Weddings and a Funeral live up to their film counterpart.

Please don’t taint our memories of these classic films. Please, Hollywood.

- Dan Struthers

Illustration: Miles Atkinson

Television

In my unpopular opinion: The Walking Dead should end

Adapted from a comic book series, when The Walking Dead came out in 2010 it was hailed as one of the most exciting new shows on TV. It showed skill at creating a dystopian world with a grounded sense of reality. Following a group of survivors dealing with a world thrown into chaos where the dead come back to life, we are thrown in at the deep end as we follow Rick Grimes and co while they struggle for survival. However eight seasons in, it should just end now…please.

The problem? The show seems to have run out of zombies. And for a show that centres on them, they’ve been getting very little airtime in recent years. The last couple of seasons have been severely lacking in this respect and I’m just getting bored of the living shooting at one another.

Back in season three we began to focus more on the threat of fellow humans and the way in which this world had desensitised them to violence; however walkers could still be found at the heart of the story. We were introduced to villains, such as the Governor, but he was an extra threat alongside the dead.

Halfway through the season we even saw the Governor attack the prison with walkers! So whilst we still had the element of conflict between the deterioration of human morality, the Image: Pixabay

unpredictable and thrilling threat of the living dead was still brought to the forefront. The scariest weapon that could be used was the walkers, because they are presented as an unyielding threat in this new world. The struggle recently is that the action has revolved around shoot outs (as apparently everyone has an endless supply of ammunition), rather than the quest for survival that was paramount within the first few seasons.

Certain deaths at the beginning of season seven shifted the show into a new territory of gruesome, relentless torture.

Whilst we have witnessed grueling death scenes in the show before (remember Noah’s death? I still don’t like entering the library through the revolving door), season seven premiered with an extreme assault of the senses. One was a favourite character amongst viewers who had journeyed with him since episode one.

I for one, believe he deserved a better death, rather than a cheap shot at extreme violence to shock the viewers.

We seem to have lost sight of any walkers, because we’re so focused on the fight against Negan and the Saviours, and it seems that there has been more shooting in the most recent season than talking. And by the looks of things, it doesn’t seem likely to change soon (again, thank god for all

that ammunition they are able to lay their hands on). I just want some old school dead eating the living, for goodness sake!

In fact there appears to be so little walkers that all the women have found the time to relax and shave their armpits (obviously finding an endless supply of razors with all those bullets). At this point the only way ABC could pull me back would be to give me a zombie Shiva - no one is outrunning a tiger, not even a dead one!

Evidently and ironically, The Walking Dead’s viewers are slowly dying out in response to this as well as many other problems with the show. Ratings of the show have been dropping significantly with the season eight opening episode only getting 11.4 million viewers compared to the previous season opener which received a more satisfying 17 million viewers.

The most recent episode only scored a measly 50 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating – literally splitting the audience in the middle.

With a dwindling viewership and the dead deserting us it is finally time for The Walking Dead to end.

- Sophie Ludkin

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The A List Norwich’s Biggest Night

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22.30-03.00 Every Saturday

C. writing

Nothing in between How does one find words for things that are but one big blur?

I have indeed lost all control, who knows what I might do

A fragment here, another there, as countless feelings stir

Something deep within myself plays tricks upon my mind

It’s all inside, and all locked in, one big emotive load

It brings about a side of me to which I’m then confined

I feel so much, I’m all filled up, I think I might explode

And though it is now her who pulls the strings that force my hand

And still I cannot help but think this chaos makes me shine It heightens every part of me and makes me feel divine I’m capable of anything, I am invincible When I am shot up with this high, no part of me is dull Like concentrated caffeine is added to my veins At once I feel like superman, I’m rid of all my strains Nothing has a limit, oh no, I can do it all I cannot break, I cannot lose, no, I will never fall But then I see the things I do destroy more than they make This hero that I thought I was is nothing but a fake I am not free, I am in fact my own worst enemy My malady, it conquers me, and makes my loved ones flee With strings attached to all my limbs, my mind a prisoner too

Image: Pixabay, darksouls1

Those I love, they do not know, I’m under her command These strings, my chains, are clearly there, but they cannot be seen And so to all around me, I am guilty of the scene I feel this guilt so strongly, I’m indeed my cruellest judge I’ll condemn myself quite easily, I know to hold a grudge This mania has sentenced me, it brings about my doom Sometimes I wish I never left my mum’s unknowing womb For when the high is over and the low is drawing near All I can do is wait, as I relive my own worst fear Again I face the beast that lies inside and waits to strike Its jaw so strong, its claws so sharp, I do my best to psych As I am filled with emptiness, my wings weighed down with woe

I lose my grip on who I am, my mind my greatest foe I hold on tight to sanity, but pointless are my tries My morbid hell it sucks me in, and so my spirit dies The bottom reached, the low achieved, what contrast to before

I push away what’s good for me, embrace what does me harm Self-damage is my bitter talent, one I can’t disarm My illness is invisible and people think I’m well But my own mind’s a prison, a cage, in fact it is a hell

When I could feel and see and do so much that I could soar

Those jaws and claws are in myself, my prison lies within

Now I have been swallowed by this black and hopeless pit

This war inside, it never stops, and no one is to win

I could but sleep a thousand years, I care not if I quit

I wear my armour day and night, waiting for this beast

All I know is that I’m numb, I cannot feel a thing

I never know when it arrives, know not when it’s unleashed

I have no will, I have no hope, no happiness to bring

It drags me down, it wears me out, but with no final blow

I see no light, I see no way, what point is there to life?

And so I’m forced to live it through, to rise up from this low

When all I know is high or low, I beg you for a knife Black and white or fire and ice and nothing in between I never know which one to come, it cannot be foreseen Uncertainty as this is so much more than I can bear No middle ground to find my rest, I cannot but despair And yet the worst is what I do to hurt the ones I love

If but this climb could offer more a certain sweet relief But I know I must go down again and so there lies my grief The fall is unavoidable, there’s nothing I can do And how long in the depth I’ll spend, oh that I wish I knew.

- Christina Foss

I never mean to do them harm, I never mean to shove

27

For when she congratulated me on not having an “Asian accent”

New mouth; You press it against your teeth— It bruises your lips With all the sounds you cannot Must not Make

‘T’s are not blunt and dull like ‘D’s that aren’t brothers of ‘B’s which do not pounce like ‘P’s when they leap from your newly Minted mouth that holds you back From pronouncing your ‘A’s A broad wail Ahhhhhhhhhhh For all the sounds you cannot Must not Make

-Cara Ow

November

There is a calmness, I find, something tranquil and true In walking out in November, the sky crisp, new, and blue, The leaves on the ground are many, the ones on the trees few, Forming a path of gold for feet to walk through.

The days are growing shorter, with no sun to look to, And Christmas lights are twinkling, in warm, comforting lieu.

There is a calmness, I find, something tranquil and true, In knowing that when walking out in November Everything will be exactly as you remember And yet every single part of it will be something new.

- Isabelle Harrison

28

C. writing

I, who watches

I have not a coin in my purse, but this weighs as no consequence. Nor am I a lonely man, hence I am rich in friends.

My wealth lies in those acquaintances with whom I make habit to chatter andpontificate, drink tea and eat cake, Supermarket beer exchanged with a clink of glass necks, a cold sip of cheap bubbles to open apart our case of words, of my companion and I Whom with I discuss the day before us as we see it and the world whose face across we stride.

On park benches, upon beds outstretched; on a mattress, in comfort or in duress, in times happy or bleak, when in high spirits or when depressed by the week; Sat in bars or in cafes, across tables, over nights or through days, we watch the cracks in the ceiling, count the coffee stains on our table or take note of the free-flowing moat of human life that borders us, the quick-footed rush who glide past in this vortex called Norfolk, their eyes and thumbs lost in the bright electric tangle of Twitter or Insta.

And a moat it is, not a stream or a river, not a ribbon of water that has its own path to follow, but a moat, human life a moat, whose circumference seals my vantage point;

For though they say no man is an island, an island I am. Upon my shores do I stand to see the sea, in its varying clothes and colours, that tide which we determine to be, life.

I sit with my friends, no poor man am I. As I said, as I say, a wealth of friends have I and we eat your beautiful nonsense, the snags of speech, fragments of your concerns and distractions.

No sir no sir, oh please I concur with your judgement that I sit here alone, on this brown sofa in this blue Unio, I sit on my own but sir I am not alone, for I have pen in hand and paper beneath me. I am writing, I am writing. Sir, I am not alone, for I need only so much talk, only so much speech with which to beseech hard feelings of lonesomeness, for I am content to see the sea, the water of skin and scarf which rolls past.

I, I who watches, at times in company, at others solitary, it is neither here nor there who should I be sat with, who should care. I enjoy the taste of others’ words but they do not always need to be fed to me, I can catch them from the air like Turkish perfume, sugared powder in my ears and salt on my tongue: Everything dissolves and bleeds out onto paper. This, your words isolated and crystallised, I present to you.

- Liam Hetman-Rice

An experimental study of defamiliarisation Sea shells Brighton waves have left their imprint Imperfections eroded to nothing, smooth sides Soft like rocks in their hundreds, hugging your hand as they pull you inside Chocolate swirls like liquid eyes dripping There is a home in the curve of its white marble Dent perfectly fitting a thumb Pushed together one curving swell Stark white, warm hotel sheets Hands full of ‘could-be’s Swan-arched, Each crunch closer to the one left in Bassenthwaite Image: PublicDomainPictures, Pixabay

- Amelia Court

C. writing

Fly on the wall The silence was deafening and it was making her dizzy. She felt as she had felt that time all those years ago. The room was spinning around, the faces of the people around her were blurry.

And suddenly everything faded. She couldn’t feel the pain in her chest anymore and she just heard the silence. Everything was calm and dark. A sound. Her voice. It was her, but she couldn’t be there.

I’m here to help her and to get an explanation of what the hell happened with her. Because I’ve been told to rush to the school only knowing that my little sister was in the nurse’s office but she wasn’t and I quote ‘in any physical pain’. How do you expect me to calm down?” Ada’s tone was high pitched and loud, very loud, but it didn’t lose the authoritarian tone that was so characteristic of her.

“Where is she? What happened?” The desperation in her voice was palpable, although she sounded muffled, as if she were in another room. Rory followed her voice. If her sister was there she wouldn’t waste the opportunity of seeing her.

Ada was freaking out. “I need to see her! I demand to see her!

Immediately!”

In that moment, the door at the end of the hall opened and a woman appeared in the threshold. Ada and the man stopped their argument and turned to look at her. She frowned at them, probably for being too noisy.

Rory followed her sister’s voice through the dimly illuminated space to what seemed like a door that had been left ajar. And there she was. Her sister was striding down a corridor following a man and gesturing around while she used her loud voice to make demands. Yes, that was her sister, the one and only Ada Lane. Rory couldn’t understand what was happening or why, but she recognized the corridor of her old school as soon as she saw it.

“You can’t see her yet, miss. I’m sorry.” The man was clearly distressed and was trying to find a way out of all the shouting.

“What?! I don’t know if you heard me, but I said ‘demand’ and ‘immediately’, which of those two damned words you don’t understand?” Ada was growing impatient and Rory knew that the situation wouldn’t end well for the poor bastard standing opposite her sister.

“Miss, please, calm down. I promise you will see her as soon as the nurse gives us green light to let you in. She’s in a very vulnerable state right now. I’m sure you don’t want to stress her further.”

“Stress her further? I’m her sister. I won’t stress her in any way!

“Can I see her now?” Ada asked while walking towards the woman.

“Miss Lane, your sister needs to rest, she’s been through quite a lot in the past few hours.”

And that was the last straw. Ada was raging and for Rory it was quite amusing to see that playing out without her being on the receiving end. “Enough! I came here knowing nothing of what happened, deadly worried, and when I get to this damn school I cannot see my sister and you tell me she’s well, but you wouldn’t let me see her. What the hell is wrong with you? You know what?

I don’t care what you say, I’m going to see my sister right now.”

Ada started for the door but the nurse stopped her.

“Miss Lane, please we cannot let you come in, it’d be against the protocol in these cases…”

“The protocol be damned! And you must know that I don’t have a problem with pushing you out of my way if you don’t let me into that room when I finish this sentence!” With that, the nurse let out a heavy sigh assuming defeat and got herself out of Ada’s way. Smart decision, if you asked Rory. Her invisible self followed Ada into the room and saw her shot a furious glare to the nurse before slamming the door shut.

Bitcoin beach

- Alicia Alarza

I arrived at bitcoin beach. Picked up a coin and flipped it into the sea. I watched it smack the water then glimmer to the bottom. It hit the water but hadn’t made a sound. I squirmed my feet in the sand of dulled gold and the pieces caved and fell over my toes until I couldn’t see them. They were hollow like bottle-caps but felt to my feet as heavily bolstered as cement.

I reached down to grab another. Looked at it, tipping precariously on my finger. The gold came away, thick and chocolatey. I rubbed it between finger and thumb and the thing started to disappear. I picked up another and it did the same, disappearing faster than the first. Quick, I shovelled a handful into my pocket, grabbing great amounts of them, packing my body with their hollow-weight.

My pockets were empty before I reached for another, hands like spades hitting the bottom of my hard leather apron. The sun began to dribble into the sealine, splitting into fractures of pinks and whites. I would try one more time before it got dark. I marched up the beach, watching my pockets as I ran. The bitcoins filtered away the faster I moved, thighs rubbing and hitting them. Their silent jangling teased me, almost like they were giggling amongst themselves in their pact to vanish. Meddling bits of schadenfreude. They wet my pouch with gold.

I reached the pavement. I checked, my spade-hand searched the tough sutures plaiting the cold animal hide. To no avail? Then, one - Cold and hard. I slipped it out, threw it between two hands. It now had the weight of a pound coin. I checked my hands, no golden residue. It stayed, reluctantly bold on my palm.

- Freya Scott Broomfield

Image: Pixabay, potztausend1

29

Find the right place to write Venue gives an insight into our favourite places to get creative

Stay indoors...

This year, I became a creative writer. Having left the world of academic essays behind, I quickly discovered that the computer rooms in the UEA library no longer sufficed. I needed somewhere a little less stuffy, and a little more, well, inspiring to do my writing. So, I have been on a mission to find the best places to write (creatively) in Norwich.

I began with Café Nero. It has plenty of tables, so finding a space wasn’t an issue. It’s also small enough that it never got too crowded or loud. Located in the middle of the Golden Triangle, it’s the perfect writing haunt for those who of us living near Unthank Road, and it has quickly become my new favourite.

Next, I tried my favourite restaurant in Norwich: The Workshop.

It’s hipster vibe and pretty funky interior decoration definitely got the creative juices flowing, but working here proved risky: visit too often and your money is quickly spent on tapas. It’s a coffee-shop by day, restaurant by night sort of place, so if you’re looking for somewhere a bit quieter to write, you’re best off visiting in the afternoon.

Venture into the wild...

A poet must always be in motion. A writer locked inside is a writer not moving fast enough to smash out of the metaphorical box they are thinking in.

I walk a lot. I write a lot. The walker’s mind is free like the dreamer’s mind. Free from the judgement of the blank A4 document. Free from the logic of later, lounging with a laptop and crafting the insanity I’ve spawned into recognisable genius. Even better is running. Once you get into a rhythm, your brain just thinks stuff.

It’s great. And then when you get back home you have an excuse to eat cake, take a long shower, and sprawl in your dressing gown writing up all the great ideas you had.

Sometimes I carry a notebook and pencil with rubber — other times I just use my phone, so I can touch-type. That way I don’t even have to look down as I write. The world goes straight through my pupils to my fingers and onto my phone, no glancing up and down. It’s a more intimate experience, and also I trip over far less.

Often though, the view is so enchanting from the top of the hill that however long I sit there, following the flight of the birds, breathing in the summer blossom, straining my ears but happily hearing no traffic or industry of any sort, that I forget to write. Or take a photograph. The moment was too true, too existential, to put into words without the distortion of memory to prepare it for wordification.

Broke, and full of Nero’s coffee and Workshop Hummus, I relocated to Millenium Library. There was no need to spend my money on coffee, and I was surrounded by books: perfect for any writer! I was a little upset to be kicked out at five, the library’s Saturday closing time. For those who prefer working the evening, this is better visited on week days, when it closes at seven.

That is why writing outdoors is usually the pre-draft; the raw, unfiltered inspiration that provides the material and the tools with With Venue production week looming, it was time to bring my which to craft something awesome. But not always. Something writer’s tour of Norwich back to campus. Next and last stop: I miss from living in the country is sitting in my back garden, UEA’s very own cosy coffee shop, Ziggy’s. This is a great place to watching the cows in the fields, hearing the breakers on the beach work on your writing between lectures, before a trip to Red Bar, over the motorway, feeling the southern wind on my cheeks, as I after adviser meetings: anytime when being on campus is just tap away on my laptop all day long. Now my garden is surrounded more convenient. I found this was one to be avoided at lunchtime on all sides by fences and bricks, and I sit outside less. though, when it becomes near impossible to find a table.

Instead, I garden. Digging my hands into the soil and pulling I am looking forward to continuing my tour throughout the year; out weeds, gently moving earthworms, studying spiders, letting there are way too many lovely hidden gems in Norwich to write my brain go off on its own little tangent. As they say — probably, about them all. But for now, if you need me, I’ll be at Café Nero. somewhere, maybe — keep your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds.

-Kate Romain

30

-Jono Mcdermott

Image credits: Pixabay, inyoung (left) Pixabay, Antranias (right) Pisxabay, Pexels (bottom)

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