Venue Issue 346

Issue 346.

Editorial

A note from the editor

“In this issue of Venue we have embraced the idea that the new year is a time for change”

-Tom Bedford

Deputy Editor I’ve always found January a great month for art. Between many handy year recaps that help you narrow down the huge quantity of content that’s released each year, and speculation of the year to come, it can be quite an invigorating time as an art fan. It’s important for passionate art writers to be able to analyse past and coming trends and events.

Many of our sections take up this mantle; including Music, which looks forward and past on pages 16 & 17, Gaming and Television, which both feature handy rundowns of interesting new releases for 2018, Fashion, which takes a look at some of the trends of 2017 that we don’t want to look at on page 11, and the results of a poll for the best films of the past year in Film on page 10.

The excitement only gets better when, in the coming weeks and months, awards season starts for things like TV, art, writing and film. For art fans it can be a highly political time of fierce opinions and debate, which just helps us appreciate art more. Film, TV and Art all have discussions of the various upcoming festivals, and I know there will be many sleepless nights staying up to watch the ceremonies!

I hope you have all had a lovely month off for Christmas, whether you went back home, went on holiday, or stayed here in lovely Norwich. Though I’m finding it hard to pull myself out of bed on these bleak misty mornings, I have to admit that there’s nothing nicer than coming back to UEA, feeling refreshed and ready for a new year and a new semester.

In this issue of Venue we have embraced the idea that the new year is a time for change. On page 7 our writers share their arts new year’s resolutions, and on page 30 our section editors tell us which arts events, films, and music they are looking forward to in 2018. Creative Writing also has some great pieces on the theme of new year’s resolutions and change. Speaking of Creative Writing, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for our glossy Creative Writing and Arts supplement, which will be out on 30 January.

For those of you who aren’t really on board with the whole “new year, new you” thing, we’ve got some great less, well, new-years themed features. Concrete editor Emily considers how fashion can be used politically, following the controversial movement to wear black in solidarity with victims of sexual harassment at the recent Golden Globes awards. I was inspired to write an ode to the oversized jumper for our Fashion section, after spending the week huddled up by the radiator in huge jumpers, working on this issue of Venue.

There’s also no better time than the start of the year to say a big thank you to our writers, and to encourage new writers and artists to get involved. Please don’t be shy, we’d love to hear from you.

And in the meantime, happy new year from Venue!

Arts Editor - Mireia Molina Costa Film Editor - Gus Edgar Fashion Editor - Leah Marriott Creative Writing Editor - Saoirse Smith - Hogan

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-Kate Romain

Venue Editor Gaming Editor - Amy Nash Television Editor - Dan Struthers Music Editor - Nick Mason

Arts and Design Assistants - Yaiza Canopoli & Emily Mildren

Contents

04

16th January 2018

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11

Film

Fashion

Arts editor Mireia explores the relationship between art and capitalism

James Mortishire hails The Greatest Showman as “a modern-day theatrical spectacular”

Fashion editor Leah looks back on some of our least favourite trends of 2017

16

Music

20

23

Gaming

Television

Molly Bates-Porter talks us through the dos and don’ts of creating a killer playlist

Harry Routley tells us why PlayerUnknown’s Battleground is a game with “room for improvement”

Deputy editor Tom argues that animated TV shows should be recognised by the Golden Globes

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14

Arts

Front and back cover credits: Kate Romain

Creative Writing

Features

Rahul Mehta shares his quick-n-easy recipe for an existential crisis

Roo Pitt tells us what to expect from the LEGO exhibition at the Forum

03

Arts

New year, new art, new me Yes, all of us make resolutions to eat healthier, exercise more, and plan our time/money better. But perhaps just as popular are resolutions to finally read that book you’ve been pretending to have read for years (or even just to read more), to start that project you’ve been telling yourself you’ll start for months now, or even just to get out and be more involved in a particular art form.

Personally, my two arts based goals for the year (I hate the term resolution, it makes me feel so pressured) are to actually start my writing projects, and to read more poetry.

But the real question is why. Why have I given myself such goals? Why have I bothered to create extra pressure for myself for the sake of art? Surely, surely, I would be better off giving myself more useful, and honestly, more realistic targets.

But I suppose that would depend on what your idea of useful is. As someone who intends to go into a career heavily based on writing, writing more is a reasonable goal. But what about poetry? For many people that doesn’t make much sense.

Why bother? For me, the answer is

What’s on in Norwich Live Before You Die 17th Jan - Norwich Arts Centre Around the World in 80 days 16th - 20th Jan - Theatre Royal Volta! Live literature and open mic 18th Jan - The Birdcage JMCAnderson exhibtion until 24th Jan - Norwich Playhouse Power of Performance 25th Jan - Theatre Royal stage 2 True stories - live workshop 29th Jan - Anteros Arts Foundation

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simple. I like poetry.

I like reading poetry, I like writing poetry, I like discussing poetry - and not even particularly prestigious poetry either.

My sister and I have memorised Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo as well as Dr Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham’ and nothing makes me happier than screaming lines with her when I’m supposed to be persuading her to go to bed on time.

So, it stands to reason that reading more poetry will make me even happier. Last year I challenged myself to read two books every month outside of my degree and ended up reading just over thirty books altogether. Those months where I read more made me nearly always be in a substantially better mood.

Art makes us happy, we all know that.

Whether its films or books or paintings or poetry or theatre or interpretive dance or whatever it is you enjoy, it makes us happy. So, what better way to start celebrating a happy new year than to make

resolutions that are intended to make us smile? Rather than making us more organised, or slimmer, or more in control of our ever-spiralling lives, (although wouldn’t that be nice?) why don’t we take time once a month to do something that makes us happy? It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, or critically acclaimed, or even acknowledged as art. It just needs to bring you joy.

As well as being physically healthier and more organised, we need to make sure that we’re doing all we can do to be happy and positive in 2018. Will getting more involved in art this year make a drastic change to your life? Probably not. But the small difference will be felt, and it will be important.

Art can make us feel more positive, it can open our eyes to the views of others, it can be powerful. So, do the world a favour and have a great year, and enjoy all the artistic pleasures life has to offer.

-Abi Steer

Image: Wikimedia Commons, Charlotte Salomon

Arts

What is capitalism doing to art?

American society together. By making art of Campbell’s tomato soup or a can of Coke, he equally represented the higher intellectual elite and the poorest people in society. Everyone could buy a Coke, he said, and it would be equally delicious in anyone’s hand.

As we walk out of a brilliant art exhibition in any part of the world or as we finish leafing through countless books in a bookshop, there is always one last step left, and very often not least, to complete the artful experience. Get your purse out and start admiring, and inevitably wanting and even needing those unnecessary, yet very special, artistic notebooks, postcards or pens.

Klimt’s Kiss themed umbrellas, Van Gogh’s Cherry Blossom mugs and scarves… you can even probably find a matchbox with the face of Frida Khalo stuck on it, and oh, that 2018 diary with deep, daily quotes and book recommendations would be so useful! I could go on and on, but the truth is that I would rather spend a whole hour in the souvenirs shop to see how I can decorate my everyday activities and surround myself with constant inspiration – and let the museum make a good profit on it, too.

However, while you can certainly get some nice room decorations out of it, this constant production of art generates much debate.

King of artistic mechanisation, Andy Warhol saw in art a chance to bring the

Warhol’s series of Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor’s faces turned celebrities into art, and turned art into pop culture.

His production of advertisements and record covers meant art would no longer be exclusive to the intellectual and artistic circles, or the ones who could afford it, but anyone could see his artwork in shops or the streets. Whether you like his work, or his capitalistic philosophy, he in a way made art accessible to everyone.

But while this idea can be romanticised when we look at the bold and bright 20th century pop art, it is not quite as charming anymore.

Yes, everyone can now display a Rothko or a Monet on their living room walls by buying a poster, but only because their distribution is so generalised we can probably even find it in a supermarket.

And while this is making art accessible, such automatic production does not only turn art into a product, it can do it to the point where it loses its meaning.

We have seen Munch’s The Scream countless times, and have been fed with Mona Lisa’s face only to end up seeing it behind rows of dozens of phones and cameras. How can we know if we like Van Gogh’s sunflowers if we have been told they are a masterpiece pretty much all our lives? I do not want to undermine such artist’s works at all, surely they deserve to have grown to be so popular.

However, such artistic bombardment might influence our sense of judgement and might not let us value an artwork for itself. The same happens with films, or books, which are published with the word

Images: (left to right) Flickr, Andrew Moore, Wikimedia Commons

“bestseller’”on their covers as a synonym of “brilliant.”

There is no way we can’t or shouldn’t be influenced by others’ opinions. If anything, they enrich our understanding of art. Reviews and critiques are the main substance of cultural magazines, and often make interesting and wonderful articles that make you think twice, even challenging any assumptions that society itself might have generated.

It is the massification of art, however, its constant and serried production, which blurs the line between artwork and product, human and machinery. And products, in our capitalist society, are made to be sold. Something as seemingly counter-cultural as the hippie or the beat generation movement only survived because of their popular spread - in fact, Kerouac himself stated there was no such thing as a generation - and rock bands’ logos are turned into T-shirts, creating fashion trends.

Paradoxically, art’s success is what makes it lose its uniqueness. Capitalism turns its rebellion into yet another product and sells it to us, and its popularity makes it lose its meaning. Did we really like that film we watched, that book which took us so long to finish or the artist everyone is obsessed with? Or are they just another product that have been sold to us?

As the forever popular Fight Club teaches, perhaps the “things you own end up owning you...”

-Mireia Molina

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Arts

Art: where next?

Judging by the last couple of years, it seems like we are living in an era of change in society, and it seems right that the art world should follow suit as well. As the Turner Prize lifted its entry age limit of fifty, it brought a potentially revolutionary feat in art history near the end of 2017, acknowledging that you can find success in your career at any age – indeed, the prize went to Lubaina Himid, the oldest ever winner at the grand age of 64.

Whether lifting the age limit on a prize designed for young and upcoming artists was right or not can generate much debate.

Still, it won’t leave people indifferent. If there is one thing I am certain of, it’s that it will have an impact.

History of art has shown time after time that artists who present themselves as unorthodox, yet unique, have the power to significantly shake and change art fashion trends and leave a lasting legacy.

Although they are often met with rejection at first, they eventually develop a new sense of genius and originality that challenges the superstructure of the art market trends.

To give some examples, Constable challenged the status quo of the Royal Academy’s formal teaching hierarchy by valuing the landscape as a subject matter, inspiring future landscape innovators, and the Impressionists rejected representational art and instead focused on exploring the vibrancy of the colour palette. They are geniuses to us now; yet, 18th century Paris thought very differently.

In the contemporary art market, what gives most art its legitimacy is much more to do with the ideas and meanings behind it, rather than purely with its aesthetic.

Contemporary art is currently going through many social challenges, which has led many radical artists in history

to suffer from audiences doubting their work’s credibility. However, seeing that unmade beds and divided cows exposed in formaldehyde are becoming a big thing in the art world, I cannot help but wonder: where next?

The future that I can see for 2018 does not lie in the final product, but rather in the artists who make those products.

The Turner Prize having made this change in their rules is surely relevant, but an over 50 actually winning it straight after sets a precedent. I believe Himid will inspire a host of older artists in the year to come, possibly encouraging art collectors to jump on this opportunity. Perhaps she could even be the forerunner of a whole new movement. An older generation of artists, either making a comeback in their careers, or finding their feet later in their life, will perhaps dominate art.

-Mark Barrett

Romantics Anonymous: tasty and perfect

Romance, music, and chocolate! Emma Rice, artistic director of the first musical to be performed in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at the Globe, has created a toothsome rendition of the 2010 Les Émotifs Anonymes (Romantics Anonymous).

Directed by Jean-Pierre Améris, the original French film follows Angélique, an anxiety ridden, anonymous chocolate maker, who joins a support group for the extremely timorous and faints when people look at her for too long. JeanRené, a similarly shy man, is the owner of a bankrupt chocolate factory, who listens to annoying self-help tapes and speaks to his deceased father. Angelique is pushed to find work at the factory and renovates the business with her chocolate making and charm. Despite their timid nature, the protagonists defy several obstacles,

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and fall hopelessly in love.

The play begins in French, with the narrator and a member of the skillful, multi-tasking cast, in a clichéd costume of a beret and Breton stripes. Having given each audience member a chocolate beforehand, they ask us to indulge on the count of three.

The magic of chocolate is revealed when the language spoken by those on stage changes to English. The transition between the languages gives charm to the show, keeping throughout the play with constant references to untranslatable French words and expressions. Mock accents, changing neon lights and its charismatic ‘Frenchness’ made the performance a tasty treat.

The cast could not have been more perfect.

Carly Bawden and Dominic Marsh gave a new perspective to the protagonists with their own portrayals of love and social anxiety. By no means did this duo outshine the rest of the talented cast, who play up to three different characters, but make it easy to forget that they are played by the same people.

The musical aspect of the play was not overbearing, but rather the songs played crucial roles in the development of the plot. The small, yet flawless, orchestra was the ultimate finishing touch to this sweet delight.

The show ends with Angélique and JeanRené strung high up above the stage, as they escape their wedding ceremony, clearly defying his father’s defeatist advice.

-Juliette Rey

Tune in a bit more

My new years resolution is to write every day, even if it’s just a paragraph. I also want to listen to a wider variety of music. I always listen to the same songs over and over and it’s time for a change!

Content tourist I want to learn Italian, or at least learn enough to get by in Italy, eat more plant based meals, write one poem a week, and submit for another section in every issue of Concrete or Venue!

-Kate Romain

...New year

-Saoirse Smith-Hogan

Forget the diet, forget the exercise and forget finding new love. Instead fill up your life with art, culture and languages with these New Year resolutions.

Start the record I want to finally release online my music that I’ve been working on for ages. I also want to try writing about music a bit more, and maybe about film and TV too, and get that work published.

-Jack Powell

Donde está la biblioteca?

Dress to impress

Pursue a Louvre of art

Write for fun instead of for uni, see at least one new film per week to blog about, and try to dress a little more fashionably instead of just throwing on whatever t-shirt is on the top of my pile.

Listen to a new album every week, finally go to the Russia exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre and visit the Louvre to see Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, the painting that was on the front of the first proper album I bought (please don’t judge me).

-Tom Bedford

-Tony Allen

Images (clockwise): pxhere, uncredited, Wikimedia Commons, Rahul Sharma, Pexels, Stephen Niemeier, Flickr, Stewart Butterfield, Wikimedia Commons, Benh Lieu Song, pixabay, PDPics, Wikimedia Commons, Martixx, Wikimedia Commons, Vrinda Rajanahally

Learn Spanish, and help more people transition to not eating meat and read or write for leisure for at least an hour a day.

-Jack Ashton

New you...

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Film

The Greatest Showman “embodies the circus” The popcorn’s ready in hand, the curtain begins to rise, the music begins to play from all around. It’s here, it’s about to begin… ladies and gentlemen it’s The Greatest Showman! The Greatest Showman is a Boxing Day family musical from 20th Century Fox. The film stars Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya and follows the story of real life performer P.T Barnum ( Jackman) and his wonderfully absurd but brilliant travelling museum; commonly known as his circus.

From the very beginning the film thrives on the early cinematic traditions of the spectacle. A strong powerful opening number performed by Barnum and his band of extraordinary performers immerse the audience in the film’s theatrical grasp before the opening credits have even finished. Flash forward a few scenes and we begin to see how Barnum built his performance empire alongside his wife (Williams), business partner (Efron),

the upbeat toe-tapping musical score of both the actors and their surroundings.

However, unlike most musicals the film’s sporadic tendency to break into song does not feel forced. In fact, the audience clamours for it. The music begins to blend into the scenery of the narrative, shaping its world around you. At times, the miseen-scene almost feels as if you were watching one of Barnum’s shows in the most exquisite of theatres on Broadway.

and collection of performers (Ferguson and Zendaya). From humble beginnings, the film takes us from the warehouses of downtown New York to the halls of Buckingham Palace and back again, all to

Ultimately, the film is a modern-day theatrical spectacle that feels like the circus itself at times. It’s weird, it’s wonderful and it’s beautiful; everything the circus embodies. A film that anyone and everyone should see if they’re looking for enjoyment and the escape to the long-forgotten world of the spectacle.

-James Mortishire

Molly’s Game: the gamble pays off

Molly’s Game is the vivacious directorial debut from Aaron Sorkin (the writer of The Social Network, Steve Jobs and The West Wing), and is based on the autobiographical novel of the same name

by Molly Bloom.

The film follows the turbulent and treacherous true life story of almostOlympic skier turned underground game runner Molly Bloom ( Jessica Chastain).

It cuts comfortably and astutely between her preparation for her indictment by the courts with her, at first, disgruntled lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) and the events that led up to her FBI arrest.

The screen oozes with the class and elegance one could expect from the high stake poker games that Molly runs, but quickly cuts to the dirt and grime of the underground world that allows the audience to truly feel the jarring change

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that Molly experiences. Molly’s Game is a long film, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it; your attention is rapt, yearning to see the story unfurl under the capable hands of Sorkin’s writing and direction.

Although the whole product of the film is outstanding, what will stick with you in Molly’s Game, however, is the leading performance.

Jessica Chastain, known for her roles as a standout lead such as in last year’s Miss Sloane and The Zookeeper’s Wife, grabs the agonising story of Molly Bloom in a way only Chastain could, with a nuanced performance that displays the many varied quirks of Molly Bloom. From harrowing moments of mob brutality and comical back and forths with Idris Elba, Chastain shows us all facets of Molly Bloom and demonstrates just how special she is. She is dynamic and soulful, wise and catty, but, underneath, there is the idea of a

woman who is truly, deeply, hurt. She is independent and remarkable, yet desires comfort and warmth. And Chastain can convey this to us by just the movement of her eyebrow as Michael Cera looks at his hand of cards.

Chastain is supported by Idris Elba and Kevin Costner, who, predictably, give heartfelt, earnest performances that still allow the leading actress to thrive. Other almost cameo-like appearances include Chris O’Dowd, Michael Cera, and Joe Keery that only serve to further the concept the movie follows: that everyone was involved in one of Molly’s Games at some point. And this film? Well, if you choose to deal in, you’ll definitely be in for a jackpot.

-Beth Bennett Image: Vimeo, modified by Gus Edgar

Film

Star Wars: The Last Jedi “leaves a lot to desire” Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the second chapter of the new Star Wars trilogy that began in 2015 with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film follows The Resistance – led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) – in their continued fight against the rising power of The First Order. However, the main talking point surrounding the film is, of course, the return of Jedi Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).

At the end of The Force Awakens, we see force-conscious scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) arrive on the isolated planet AhchTo with Luke Skywalker’s blue lightsaber from the original trilogy. This ultimately sets up the big return of the fan favourite character in The Last Jedi. However, his return is not what all audiences and diehard fans of the franchise may have hoped for. It would seem in the 30 years between events in Return of the Jedi and The Last Jedi that Luke has not only developed a sense of sarcasm but he has also lost all the heart and emotion his character was

known for in the original trilogy. Whilst this dark, comic version of the character does add some humour to the film, it is not the character we know and love. The beloved character that audiences have been waiting for ever since that final scene in The Force Awakens is unfortunately tarnished in this long-awaited return to the franchise. This issue with character continuity in The Last Jedi is something that questions the franchise’s reliance on older characters to drive forward the film’s narrative for a new audience.

Skywalker aside, The Last Jedi is not a terrible film. Arguably the film is very divisive as early responses have indicated, yet it does succeed it one area that no film has since the original trilogy: it subverts the narrative formula. Whilst, like The Force Awakens, it relies on similar narrative aspects of the franchise, it does not rely on them as heavily. Midway through the film, we see Rey hand herself over to The First Order and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Supreme Leader Snoke

(Andy Serkis). This scene is familiar with the ending of Return of the Jedi in the confrontation between Luke, Darth Vadar and The Emperor. However, in The Last Jedi this scene plays out very differently.

Whilst I have no intentions to spoil this scene I will note that it contains one of the best choreographed lightsaber battles in the franchise’s history. This makes The Last Jedi feel a much fresher movie in comparison to its predecessor.

Ultimately, whilst The Last Jedi is narratively and visually an amazing film, it does tarnish one of the greatest characters in cinematic history – Luke Skywalker. In a film full of action, comedy and shocks it leaves a lot to desire and sets up more to come. Many fans will be hoping the sequel in 2019 will wrap up this trilogy with an ending that will justify many decisions made within this movie and prove that Star Wars is still the best film franchise in the galaxy.

-James Mortishire

The greatest Oscar race in years?

The Golden Globes may have made their decision, but we are still in no way closer to determining which film is going to win Best Picture at the Oscars. In what has been a great year for movies, the current roster of front-runners suggest that this could be the greatest Oscar race in quite some time. The reason? None of them look like winning.

Dunkirk took an early lead in the polls in October, but has since regressed into “dark horse” territory - it’s expertly choreographed, but doesn’t have that timely political resonance other frontrunners possess. The Post, for instance, is perhaps the most worthy of the contenders: it’s directed by Spielberg, stars Streep and Hanks, and celebrates journalism in the face of corruption, blatantly alluding to Trump’s reign. And yet... it has been shut

out of the awards so far. Spotlight won Best Picture two years ago; perhaps The Post is too similar, too soon?

Which, annoyingly, may be why Call Me

By Your Name is sharing the same fate at the moment - it’s nothing like Moonlight, but with the Academy awarding an LGBT film last year, perhaps they feel that they’ve done their part; ignorant, yes, but considering the Academy’s demographic, not entirely out of the question.

Instead, they may look to the relevance of gender politics in this year’s Oscar contenders, considering the swarm of sexual allegations in Hollywood. And, refreshingly, most contenders feature female leads. Along with The Post, there’s Lady Bird, (a lovely film, but, to be glib, just a spruced-up Juno), the Shape of

Water (it’s okay, I guess. Though I’m not sure the Academy would go for a womanhas-sex-with-fishman film - the genre’s still in its infancy), and Three Billboards (very enjoyable, until you sit back and think about all of its race-related problems).

Or, maybe, none of the aforementioned films will win, and instead Get Out will reign victorious. It’s arguably, along with Wonder Woman, the American film of 2017. But who knows? And, this late in the Oscar race, “who knows” feels wonderful to say. We’re at the final stretch, but in such an unpredictable race, it’s remarkably still anyone’s for the taking.

-Gus Edgar

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Film

Top 5 films of 2017, as voted by our writers 1. Baby Driver (14 pts)

Image: Sony Pictures Releasing

Baby Driver’s first scene is so masterfully crafted that it wouldn’t have looked out of place for any another director’s grand finale. But no. Instead, Edgar Wright shows that all you need to push the climactic scene to its limit is the claustrophobic confines of a car park, a killer track, and the reverse gear! The scenes in between are just as good as, if not better than, the film’s car chase sequences, with slick acting from the villains, and heartfelt performances from Ansel Elgort and Lily James. But perhaps Baby Driver’s biggest feat is its editing: how impressively the actors and their actions sync up with the music is mind-boggling! -Tom Cascarini

2. Dunkirk (11 pts)

Nolan’s Dunkirk was quite rightly one of 2017’s most anticipated films, and it didn’t disappoint. Emotionally compelling, well-paced, and unnerving throughout, Nolan’s epic war movie was a thoughtful production that illustrated the true horrors of war for a new generation. The three timelines and separate stories may not be to everyone’s taste, but Nolan’s artistic decision does the historic event justice. He balances the various perspectives of the evacuation with perfect precision, and consequently Dunkirk conveys the atmosphere of uncertainty and fear that the soldiers would have undoubtedly felt. A necessary film that does not glorify war, but instead the spirit that enabled those soldiers to endure and prevail. -Jodie Bailey

3. Call My By Your Name (10 pts)

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Luca Guadagnino produces a modern-day classic with this enchanting bittersweet coming-of-age tale. Set in the summer of 1983 in the idyllic Northern Italian countryside, Call Me By Your Name tells the endearing love story between precocious 17-year-old Elio and graduate student Oliver that’ll captivate you from start to finish. The beautiful cinematography and keen attention to detail, accompanied by a stunning score by Sufjan Stevens creates a nostalgic atmosphere throughout, whilst Oscar-worthy performances by leads Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer will make you feel like you’re watching the romance develop firsthand, and will leave you contemplating it days later. -Kay Field Image: Sony Pictures Classics

4. Blade Runner 2049 (9 pts)

Image: Sony Pictures Releasing

Blade Runner 2049 is just like its predecessor: a masterpiece of cinematography. Its dark, futuristically gothic and beautifully shot narrative world is simply stunning to behold, and is further embodied in the equally dark yet enlightening performance by Ryan Gosling as LAPD Officer K as he unfolds a society-wide corporate conspiracy concerning humanity’s android slave-force; replicants. Blade Runner 2049 is being called one of the most visually ground-breaking films of all time, and most certainly can in comparison be considered one of the greatest films of all time; even if it is still considered a cult franchise to audiences. -James Mortishire

5. The Disaster Artist (7 pts)

The Disaster Artist accomplishes the rare feat of effortlessly balancing tragedy and comedy. It explores the relationship between Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero during production of Wiseau’s cult film, The Room (2003). James Franco, who superlatively transforms into Wiseau, directs with sympathy and warmth, but, fortunately, does not get lost in the comedy. He also examines the dogmatic and mean-spirited side of Wiseau: the infamous director abuses his actors, forces them to work in awful conditions and is highly manipulative. In this nuanced and sophisticated character study, Franco transcends farce to create a moving and funny, utterly unique piece of cinema. -Alex Caesari

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Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Fashion

Nice t-shirts or jumpers with random slogans on the front

Ode to the oversized jumper

There’s nothing worse that going through the T-shirt rack, find a cute top, only to pull it out and find it says something like ‘Mean people suck’… (yes, that is an actual T-Shirt you can purchase from Forever 21).

Is there anything better than an oversized jumper in January? I don’t think so. Every time I see someone wearing a slightly baggy, slightly ugly, slightly threadbare jumper, I am consumed by style envy.

Unicorn/mermaid everything

Oversized jumpers are comfortable, effortlessly chic, and easy to wear. Think Ariana Grande performing at the 2017 Manchester One Love concert in her big white sweatshirt and blue ripped jeans, looking both understated and classy. Or Selena Gomez rocking an oversized grandad jumper with sexy and sophisticated knee-high boots whilst out shopping. Or, a much more likely scenario, a fashion-and-comfortconscious student sporting a snuggly sweater teamed with leggings, bleary eyes and a messy bun at eleven pm in the library whilst finishing up with those pesky January deadlines. The oversized jumper will give you a stylish edge no matter what the situation. It is, after all, nothing if not versatile.

The worst trends of 2017 In the last issue, we highlighted some of the best trends of 2017, but not everything was practical and inspiring. From clear plastic “jeans” to super long sleeves, there are some trends that should probably stay in 2017.

Clear trousers Topshop sold denim mom jeans with clear plastic panels at the knees. If that wasn’t weird enough, they then released entirely clear plastic ‘jeans’. They’re completely impractical as the plastic just fogs up due to heat and sweat. Not only that, but they make the most horrific noise which will only turn more heads. Maybe not the reinvention of denim we were looking for.

Clear shoes How can anyone walk around in such a suffocating and stiff material with any comfort? Clear boots become popular as they were worn by the likes of Kim Kardashian, and although she did manage to pull them off, this is probably one best left to the experts.

Balenciaga’s IKEA inspired tote bag At $2,145 a bag, this was a particularly expesnive trend. Or you could simply go to IKEA and get the original for 50p, seems like a no brainer really.

Mules Rather hard to walk in and not the most flattering shoe, the mule took over in 2017, with many styles being stocked in practically every store. Hopefully 2018 will have more comfortable and attractive shoe trends.

Maybe not the worst trend, but it has definitely reached the end of its life span. From nails, hair, bags and shoes, anywhere you looked in 2017there would be something holographic or iridescent on sale.

Transparent bags They look cool and would be ideal if everything in my bag was just as aesthetically pleasing.

Fur slides Possibly the most hideous shoe gained popularity thanks to Gucci in 2017.

Definitely one we will be leaving behind.

Super long sleeves They don’t look bad, but when it comes to washing your hands or cleaning dishes it’s impossible to avoid them getting damp.

- Leah Marriott

It’s official: this January, the oversized jumper is my style must-have.

Leggings with mesh detailing They look great on the model online but provide no support when it comes to actually working out.

So, assuming you are sold on the oversized jumper (and you absolutely should be) where can you get your hands on one? Firstly, charity shops.

They are often overflowing with old jumpers of all shapes and sizes, and don’t come with the “vintage” price tag.

Secondly, raid your dad (or grandad’s, or step-dad’s, or brothers) wardrobe. I have a friend with a great collection of oversized jumpers, courtesy of her stepdad’s closet. Stylish, and completely free!

- Kate Romain Image: Pixabay

11

Fashion

This month’s Golden Globes ceremony saw actors sartorially united in black, a statement against the sexual abuse which has until recently been the elephant in Hollywood. Time’s Up, actresses said as they accepted and gave awards. In years to come, red carpet images will be clear marker that this was the year of allegations and revelations of the film industry’s abuse of power. The fallout from these events will be a hard stain to remove from Hollywood’s history, and rightly so.

Sometimes, admittedly, sartorial statements are more superficial than effective. (A $250 “eat the rich” T-shirt, anyone?) Some of the individuals who walked the Golden Globes’ carpet dressed in black have also refused to speak out against Woody Allen or condemn other peers who have abused women or are known to have made misogynistic remarks.

Many asked whether, if paired with a lack of addressing assault at a daily level, black clothes were meaningless.

“Time’s Up, actresses said as they accepted and gave awards”

12

Feminist fashion Writing in Prospect, Johanna ThomasCorr praised the Golden Globes’ blackout for placing a principle “before froth, fantasia and designer name-dropping.” It symbolised grief, power, and dissent, she wrote. It could not be ignored.

Last year, millions of women took to the streets of cities across the world, to protest against a misogynist being inaugurated into the highest office of the United States. Pink “Pussy hats” appeared regularly in shots of crowds snaking along the demonstration routes for Women’s Marches. The sellers of the Pussyhat, now trademarked of course, say the hat is “a symbol of support and solidarity for women’s rights and political resistance.”

In 1984, the designer Katharine Hamnett was pictured shaking hands with thenPrime Minister Margaret Thatcher with a slogan-tee opposing the stationing of nuclear missiles in the country. The image of the pair, with Hamnett in a huge white T-shirt emblazoned with the words “58% Are Opposed to Perishing” was the most widely-published image of the year.

with ‘the future is female’ and ‘feminism’ slogans. The hypocrisy of some retailers has not escaped attention, however: the 2015 general election campaign saw Ed Miliband and other politicians lambasted for wearing grey ‘This is what a feminist looks like’ T-shirts allegedly made by migrant women paid less than a pound an hour.

“throughout history men and women have used their clothes to make political statments”

Sartorial statements can easily slip from effective to performative. Nonetheless, throughout history men and women have used their clothes to make political statements. The fashion writer Hettie Judah, writing for Art Net News, concluded that wearing a political statement, allows “the body itself to become the site of protest and symbol of solidarity, to be visible and counted when others perhaps would prefer you not to be.”

- Emily Hawkins

The slogan-tee has survived the test of time, with the rails of H&M packed

Image: Wikimedia Commons, Mark Dixon

Fashion

Make 2018 your most fashionable year yet January might be a dreary month, but your style doesn’t have to suffer. In fact, there’s no better excuse than the start of a new year to finally update your wardrobe, and begin a new beauty routine. Adopt these new years resolutions to ensure that 2018 is your best fashion year yet (and take a look on page 11 to make sure you don’t repeat 2017’s fashion mistakes...)

1. Get out of the same routine of wearing the same T-shirt and jeans.

2. Incorporate more colours into your outfits.

3. Become a savvy shopper and buy

pieces that will create outfits with clothes you already have.

4. Don’t let your age, gender, body shape

or anything stop you from wearing what makes you feel good.

5. Have a clear out! If you haven’t worn

it in the past year, do you still need it?

Create space for new clothes or just downsize your wardrobe completely. It might also be worth putting some items on eBay or depop for some extra cash.

10. Remove the stress out of style

choices. If Instagram is putting pressure on your to look perfect in every outfit, unfollow the causes.

11. Buy a gym outfit that will make you

12. Go completely cruelty free with

20. Remove your make up before bed.

your beauty products. There are great, popular brands out there that are cruelty free, so there is no point in supporting companies that test on animals.

13. Pay attention to other parts of your

body, such as your hands or neck. When applying moisturiser to your face, don’t stop there, bring it down to your neck as it needs just as much care. Your hands are exposed to the elements and go through a lot during the day so it’s important to ensure you protect them.

14. Try those colours in your eye shadow palette touched before.

that

you’ve

never

15. Embrace your natural hair. Your

8. Pick out your outfit the day before.

16. Maintain a skin care routine. Find

9. Wear more accessories.

17. Throw out expired beauty products.

“Don’t let your age, gender, body shape, or anything stop you from wearing what makes you feel good”

Image: Flickr, Kotaro Machiyama

brushes.

“Use products that have an SPF in them”

7. Buy from new stores.

This will also help you avoid wearing the same cycle of outfits as you will have more time to put thought into what you’re going to wear and avoid rushing around in the morning.

19. Remember to clean your make up

feel good and excited about working out.

hair will be healthier without all that heat, so if you’re someone that uses a heating product every day, give your hair a break. In the long run your hair will be much healthier and maybe even easier to style.

6. Avoid impulse purchases.

a moisturiser or foundation.

Find a remover that is kind to your skin, or even consider natural removers such as coconut oil. It will feel like less of a chore if you enjoy removing your make up with something you know is doing your skin some good.

21. Stop touching your face and your

hair. This will prevent clogged pours and dirty hair.

22. Be patient with your skin when

using new products. It may take some time to notice any change in your skin, but keep at it and you’ll see the benefits.

23. Let your skin breathe. Going days without makeup or wearing less of it is going to improve your skin in the long run.

24. Drink more water. Not only is this

going to improve your health, but your skin will thank you for it.

- Leah Marriott

the products that work for you and put your skin before your make up. Rather than investing in the new eye shadow palette that you probably don’t need, try some new skin care products.

18. SPF. The best way to protect your

skin and prevent it from aging quickly is to apply sun cream daily. An easy way to incorporate SPF is to use products that already have SPF in them, such as

13

BRICK BY B R IC K

Best mini-builds

Roo Pitt explores The Forum’s newest exhibition, Brick Wonders

Stepping into the exhibition, Brick Wonders, at The Forum in Norwich, This small yet innovative model is made I was immediately transported across of a fun and seemingly simple yet effective time and space. With over 70 LEGO colourful combination of LEGO bricks. sculptures on display it’s time to grab your passport and join me as we explore International Space Station this exhibition together. The only limit An intricate model with a beautiful is your imagination. backdrop of colourful tiles that represents the space station and the vastness of the The Forum, Norwich, is inviting galaxy it floats around.

LEGO® fans of all ages to explore the marvels of the world, both modern and ancient, without leaving the comforts of Norfolk behind. Having teamed up with the popular local department store, Jarrold, and artist Warren Elsmore, who has curated the exhibition, The Forum hopes visitors will see “that LEGO [is] a product that helps feed our imagination,” going on to say that “we all want to explore and create. LEGO gives you the ability to constantly experiment with what’s possible.”

Chinese Dragon

Each model has been sculpted to perfection using only LEGO bricks,

and through these incredible exhibits we are given a rare opportunity to go on a journey of discovery across all seven continents, exploring marvels from every corner of both the modern and ancient world. Catching a plane from the major airport that takes centre stage, perhaps you fancy a trip to South America to see the Panama Canal or to Asia to see a pagoda - you can spend hours gazing at the vast array of exhibits. Every time I walked around I spotted something new! If you’re caught by a creative flare whilst visiting the exhibition then fear not, there are plenty of bricks to play with and you can even build a model of your own, or perhaps something that grows out of a brick wall to the side of the room, maybe a creative LEGO comment or profile.

Although the centrepiece is the impressively large airport, it is far from the most impressive display of creativity.

My personal favourite was the mini

Image credits: photographs courtesy of Warren Elsmore, border - PublicDomainimages, K. Whiteford, ISS & Pyramid Builds - Roo Pitt

14

International Space Station at the rear of exhibition hall - easily dwarfed by the large scale version hanging from the ceiling, yet holdings an incredible amount of character and detail, beautifully encompassed by tiles printed with stars and galaxies.

The Old London Bridge is a particular favourite for the staff at The Forum as you spot something new every

time you look at it. I certainly echo that sentiment as it was probably the display I spent the most amount of time analysing. The bridge has six large arches with water and activity above and below. On top of the bridge sits two and three storey buildings, bustling trade, knights on horseback and even a church with stained glass windows.

This is a truly inspiring combination of creativity and history.

The exhibition is free and I’d recommend leaving yourself an hour or two to visit. The space is certainly smaller than I expected, however what Brick Wonders lacks in size it makes up for in quality and attention to detail.

If you are even remotely a fan of the plastic brick, this exhibition is for you!

With over 500,000 LEGO bricks used in the exhibition and some 1,500 building hours, it is certainly an impressive collection. In comparison, the largest commercially available LEGO set to date is the Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon from the Star Wars franchise which was released in 2017. This set contains over 7,500 parts and is estimated to take an experienced builder in excess of 15 hours to build.

The exhibition opened on the 1 December and remains open until the 21 January. Be warned - at busy times there can be quite the queue! And if the exhibition inspires you, the Forum’s shop and nearby Jarrolds stocks plenty of LEGO kits.

- Roo Pitt

1 - Old London Bridge

This incredible model changes every time you look at it and depending on which angle you see. It encompasses what appears to be a thriving community and church, complete with stained glass window.

2. Niagara Falls

A truly magnificent masterpiece that showcases the beauty and wonder of one of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders of the world. This is created using a variety of colours and levels.

3. Aurora Australis

Capturing the true charm of such a graceful anomaly is no easy triumph.

Yet this 2D recreation draws you in like

The best 5 builds no other exhibit. Be sure to look out for the explorers observing from their base below.

4. The Internet

An impressive 2D map of the world in grey scale, that uses different colours to highlight the capacity of internet cables that run between countries. It highlights effectively how todays’ world is connected in an instant.

5. The Airport

The centre-piece of the exhibition is an impressive 6x3m model of an airport.

The sheer scale of this is every LEGO fan’s dream! There is everything an airport needs, from planes and passengers to fire engines.

15

Music

The best is yet to come: Venue’s albums of 2017 and 2018

My album of 2017 Brand New

Science Fiction Eight years in the making, Brand New’s follow up to 2009’s Daisy had immense pressure upon it. Despite being overshadowed by allegations of sexual misconduct against singer Jesse Lacey, Science Fiction remains my album of last year.

Science Fiction was released with little bombast. Pre-orders for a vinyl went live with no title, no track list or artwork. Two days later, a CD in a brown paper wrapping arrived on a fan’s door, numbered out of 500. On it was a 61-minute track titled with co-ordinates to the filming location of ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’: the tracking being Science Fiction. The fanbase exploded.

Across 12 songs, Brand New put down their swan song. From the opening tape of Lit Me Up, through Could Never Be Heaven’s candidness, Same Logic/ Teeth’s atmospheric build, the solo in 137 and Southern Rock belter 451 to Batter Up, Brand New made clear why their mythical status was built. Possibly their greatest album, it cements a musical legacy whilst reflecting the acts of the individual who abolished their personal legacy. Bittersweet in context, but musically brilliant, Science Fiction is a must-listen

What I’m waiting for in 2018 The Dangerous Summer

The Dangerous Summer This was a hard choice, so I’ll start with my honourable mentions: Norwich locals Ducking Punches, Icelandic post-rockers Sigur Ros and American emo-rockers Pianos Become the Teeth.

The Dangerous Summer fell apart in 2014, publicly and uncivilly. In July 2017, their Twitter went blank. Most fans felt this was them deleting the past. When my phone buzzed with a notification that the band had posted a short video which read ‘Hello’, I went crazy. At 11pm at Kings Cross Station, I screamed audibly with joy. That the band would be reuniting and recording together again (albeit without guitarist Cody Payne) was unthinkable at the start of 2017. Yet only a few weeks into 2018 they will return with album four.

The band’s self-titled drops at the end of the month and, if the lead singles are anything to go by, it will continue on from the band’s third album ‘Golden Record’.

If gravelly vocals, candid lyricism and atmospheric instrumentation is your thing, don’t sleep on this album.

kind of artist she is. Her latest offering, the ‘sequel’ to 2016’s ‘Lady Wood’, and her third overall, is an amalgamation of blood, sweat, tears, and a lot of glitter.

Tove Lo has helped write songs for a variety of artists, including Lorde and Ellie Goulding. But she brings to her own work an incredible and powerful honesty that pop music often lacks. The Swedish pop star is no stranger to sex.

At a time when cases of harassment seem to be surfacing every other week in the entertainment industry, Tove Lo continues to embrace and express her sexuality – in both her song-writing and in her live performances – empowering herself and others in the process. Like its predecessor, Blue Lips is divided into two halves: the loud and fast Light Beams against the emotional, introspective Pitch Black. What the two parts have in common is Tove Lo’s raw, passionate lyricism. From the swaggering confidence of Bitches, to the hopeless desperation of 9th of October, it’s clear that when she feels something, she feels it hard.

2017 was a rough year for everyone. But I was able to find some solace in getting drunk and singing about sweat and nipples, thanks to Tove Lo.

-Nick Mason

My album of 2017 Tove Lo

Blue Lips (Lady Wood Phase II)

16

The lead single from Tove Lo’s latest album was called ‘Disco Tits’. In the accompanying music video, she punches, then gets high with, then makes out with, a puppet. If you’ve never heard of her before, I can imagine that gives you a pretty good impression of what

Image: Flickr, Paul Hudson

Music My favourite album of 2017 has to be PICTURES’ debut Promise. The German four-piece has an interesting backstory, led by Maze Exler, formerly of cult rock groups Jonas and Union Youth.

Promise, however, sees a clear divergence from Exler’s grunge roots, with some warm indie tunes interspersed with more contemplative tracks.

What I’m waiting for in 2018 Black Honey

TBA

I first saw Black Honey in 2015. I travelled to London with my best friend to see Superfood, and they just happened to be the support act. The show was so captivating – and anyone that has seen Black Honey can confirm this – that we had no choice but to fall in love with them. Fast forward three years. They’ve released six singles, three music videos, two EPs, and my friend and I have seen them seven times. But still no album. So, you can imagine our excitement when they announced on New Year’s Eve, via Instagram, that 2018 would in fact be the year of the debut Black Honey LP. It is quite the testament to their ability that the Brighton quartet were able to gain such a strong following without releasing an album – racking up almost 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify – but it’s not surprising. Their brand of 60s psychedelic-meets-grunge-meetsTarantino indie is simultaneously fresh and familiar, and atmospheric as hell.

Sure, there’s a lot of pressure, given that they’ve been building up to this for three years, but they’ve never let me down before. And I doubt they’re going to start now.

The best thing about Promise is its variety of styles. We go from Here I Come’s raw riff acting as a real statement of intent from the band, to Emily, a tender, melodic acoustic ballad. The evocative Not the Only One and Come On contain some virtuoso keys and guitar from Ole Fries.

The sprightly Fall and Beatles-influenced Love are the biggest growers, bolstered by some interesting backing vocals. However, the best track of the album comes when Exler stirringly bears his soul on Save My Heart, implicitly reflecting on the ten year gap since the dissolution of Union Youth during which time he gave up music and later suffered from the resurfacing of a heroin addiction which threatened to end PICTURES before they even started.

The fact I’m enjoying Promise as much now as in the spring speaks volumes for its longevity and quality both in terms of lyrics and production. It’s even encouraged me to look back into the members’ careers (PSA: Darkness/Killers fans, check out bassist Markus Krieg’s old band Profession Reporter)

Promise

Morris really came to prominence last year with the perfectly formed pop single Do It, which will feature on the album.

The groovy tune is quite sparse in terms of instrumentation, allowing the natural melody in her voice to shine through.

The second single from the album, Atletico (The Only One), is Morris’ best song to date, a delicious blast of electropop laden with synth bursts and multi-tracked vocals. Lyrically, Atletico tackles the perennial pop theme of regrettable tongue-tiedness in a far more upbeat way than most. If the rest is as good as this, we’re in for a treat.

Opener Push Me To My Limit was recently released, a much more understated tune which exhibits Morris’ trademark sweet twang. One Twitter user accurately (and hilariously) described it as “Björk… but intelligible.”

Despite the understandable focus on her superb vocals, Morris appears to genuinely enjoy her job, evidenced by her quirky music videos.

If 2018 is going to be the year of the great female vocalists, alongside the likes of Sigrid, Rae Morris will be blazing the trail.

-Tony Allen

In a year when pop continued to dominate, Promise demonstrated that there’s still a place for old-fashioned guitar-based indie and enigmatic frontmen with a story to tell.

What I’m waiting for in 2018 Rae Morris -Jacob Chamberlain Someone Out There My album of 2017 An early highlight this year will be when PICTURES

out at the start of February.

Blackpool singer-songwriter Rae Morris’ second LP Someone Out There comes

Image (top to bottom): Flickr, Paul Hudson,Wikimedia Commons, Commons, Freshnewmusic

17

Meme songs of 2017

Man’s Not Hot Roadman Shaq

The party’s over, Roadman Shaq is actually a comedy character by comedian Michael Dapaah. Before this revelation, the footage from Fire in The Booth from BBC Radio 1 of Man’s Not Hot, a rap song full of nonsensical lyrics and wild oral sound effects, was the new big thing. Resulting videos, like his ‘pap pap’ sound effects being added to footage of Big Ben, or the ‘quick maths’ section of the song being dubbed over previous meme ‘pineapple pen’, cement this song as Venue’s meme song of the year.

Shooting Stars Bag Raiders This 2008 song gained meme status in 2017 when it was discovered it proved a rather fitting and hilarious accompaniment to pictures of people jumping, tripping or falling in front of psychedelic backgrounds of space or the sea or other bizarre visuals. Unfortunately, this meme also saw its death in 2017, when Katy Perry used the visual format in one of her music videos.

Big Enough Kirin J Callinan

A special end-of-the-year musical meme came from several artists in the form of Big Enough, a song that sways wildly between soulful country ballad and low-quality house track. One extended section of the song features singer Jimmy Barnes wailing as though he stubbed his toe, which caught the imagination of music memesters. In particular, the appearance in the video of a translucent Barnes hovering above American country landscapes like some kind of screaming, sweaty God caught on. This screaming found its way into memes from Jurassic Park, Game of Thrones, and a particularly fitting one from Rick and Morty.

18

-Tom Bedford

Music

The art of the playlist From mixtapes on cassettes to playlists on Spotify, our lives have always had soundtracks. Here, I intend to update the rules set in the movie High Fidelity for the 21st century. We no longer use cassettes, and creating a playlist has never been easier with apps like Spotify and iTunes. We all know the pain of trying to create the perfect playlist, and trying to satisfy everyone’s music tastes can seem impossible at times. For my fellow hosts and hostesses, I have created a dos and don’ts guide to avoid all musical conflicts.

and exams. Don’t Stop Believing is always a good choice. They may be cheesy, but who doesn’t love a bit of cheddar. Mix these in with less well-known songs, maybe something new or obscure to show off your impressive musical knowledge.

Assess your audience: it would be no use creating an eighties playlist for Stormzy or a punk playlist for the Queen. I’m not sure how approving she would be of God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols.

Don’t

Do

Consider for what purpose are you making the playlist. If your playlist is for pre-drinks the feeling created

by The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel will not do here. For a postbreakup jam Since You’ve Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson is perfect.

Pick a few songs that mean something to you, a song can remind you of a particular event or TV show and these make the playlist personal. Can’t Remember to Forget You

by Shakira reminds me of my Gossip Girl phase.

Place two songs by the same artist one after the other. This can make a playlist repetitive and boring.

With a playlist you must create a flow, which is why a theme or a genre comes in handy. Just as jam and cheese don’t go together, some songs don’t either so make sure to avoid placing those songs on the same playlist.

-Molly Bates-Porter

Make sure to include famous bangers, everyone loves a sing along every now and then to distract themselves from the hardship of essays

Image: (top to bottom) Wikmedia Commons, Fyrsten, Blakkpepper.com

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CONCRETE

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Venue’s hot games of 2018 Monster Hunter World

If you love boss fights you’ll love the Monster Hunter franchise, as fighting huge monsters is, well, the name. The rest of the game is spent recovering from monster fights and preparing for new ones.

This game is revolutionising many tired staples of the series, and so will either be loved by fans or hated. It’ll still be my first game of the year, though.

Far Cry 5

By far Ubisoft’s most intelligent yet action-packed franchise makes it’s way to rural America - they don’t shy away from political references!

Alternating between a run-from-wildlife simulator and the best Arnie film, the Far Cry games have always been entertaining and addictive, and Far Cry 5 seems to be no exception.

A Way Out

Who says splitscreen is dead? Not A Way Out! A co-op only action adventure game, in A Way Out you play as two prisoners who must break out of jail - and stay out.

Where some games stick to tried and old formulas, this game takes really interesting and bold risks, and just for that reason must be checked out. Plus, it’s an indie game being published by EA, which is bizarre enough to be interesting.

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Image: Flickr - BagoGames

Gaming

Assassin’s Creed Origins is wholly original The latest instalment in Ubisoft’s flagship franchise was released in October, following a break from the yearly autumnal releases of previous years. The quality and sales figures of the Assassin’s Creed series had been slowly but steadily declining after the release of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag in 2013, as Ubisoft had set the bar too high and were unable to replicate that brilliance into subsequent instalments. As such, Ubisoft decided to take a step back from their annual release programme in order to really get this one right.

Although it was released in October, I only got the chance to play it when I received it as a Christmas present. To say that I’ve been hooked since is the understatement of the century. In fact, I’m only just getting around to starting to write this the day before it’s due, as I’ve been too glued to my Xbox to do anything else. No wonder it beat the entire sales figures for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (the previous instalment in the series) within just 10 days. It was lauded as a potential game of the year by many, and it’s easy to see why. The more I play the game, the more it impresses me and the more I love it. Ubisoft have really outdone themselves this year. No matter how much I play it, it doesn’t get boring; by contrast, I keep coming back for more.

The combat system has been overhauled to give you a proper challenge when you enter into combat, instead of the days of counter-kills which allowed you to kill an entire city full of guards without getting so much as a scratch. Complementing this perfectly is Origin’s huge map, with its stunning attention to detail. At the time of writing I still haven’t uncovered all the areas of the map, much less discovered everything that lies within them. The map itself is also divided into sections of difficulty, depending on whereabouts in it you are. This ensures that you continue exploring the in-

game world and are always faced with a challenge of some sort, no matter where you go. Furthermore, the map is filled with loads of side-quests if you feel like taking a break from the main storyline, with activities such as discovering tombs, destroying statues, solving puzzles, gladiator fights, finding star constellations, and killing wild animals, so that you never feel truly done with the adventure.

Unlike previous games in the series, the Origins storyline is engaging, and enables you to genuinely develop an interest in the storyline as you discover the origins of the Assassin’s Creed, ranging from the ‘eagle vision’ to how the crest was formed. Contrast this with previous games, where instead of engaging with the storyline, there was more a tendency to disinterestedly cruise through the story and just simply run around killing everything you can (whilst that is fun, it gets boring after a while). The key to the engaging storyline, of course, is the brilliantly written protagonist. The developers have really put together an extremely well-written main character who compliments the story perfectly, and his personal troubles and quest for vengeance tie in extremely well with the story of the foundation of the Brotherhood, and the origins of its centuries-long war with the Templar Order.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the game at first, as I had been excited for previous titles in the series only to be let down. But I was blown away at the sheer quality of this game, and the effort Ubisoft have put into it. I cannot praise it highly enough, this really is a game worth getting.

- Patrick Wiseman

Gaming

Final Fantasy XV: a retrospective

Content provided through the season pass has only just finished being released, and Square Enix is already promising more paid DLC for Final Fantasy XV. Just over a year after its release, the game has an astronomical amount of supplementary content - a full length feature film, an anime series, a multiplayer expansion, and a handful of mobile games and DLC episodes.

From an outsider’s perspective, this might seem like a positive thing, but you have to call into question whether the base game can hold up on its own under this weight. Square Enix have patched in multiple gameplay improvements and a smattering of extra cutscenes to try and flesh it out (at no extra charge, thankfully), and has received some praise for continuing to support the game.

There is a world of difference between providing additional content and providing necessary content. Extraneous experiences should add to the game and its lore, not be used to try and plug up holes in an unfinished product. The base game only ever goes halfway, constantly withholding character development and plot information so that it can be packaged up as DLC and sold back to you. What was clearly intended to be the opening of the game and shown off in trailers as playable content (even after the game’s rebranding from Final Fantasy Versus XIII) was removed, manipulated instead into a full-length movie, which was a critical flop (13% positive ratings on Rotten Tomatoes).

There are points where characters make unexplained exits or attain sudden offscreen injuries in order to sell DLC and explain what happened to them. Even when you pay in and grab the season pass to understand, the results aren’t satisfying enough to justify the patchwork nature of the game, and other elements still remain sorely undeveloped.

There is nothing wrong with a game including mysteries that remain

unsolved, but missing elements here are vital things like character motivations and relationships, which for the most part remain entirely unexplored and unexplained outside of the supplementary material. Even with Square Enix’s attempt to patch in more story content, very little is actually learned about the characters - adding in another scene of Luna crying about Noctis doesn’t tell us anything new about her or their relationship with each other.

A lot of the relationships in the game seem to follow this “because we say so” pattern, and they suffer greatly for it.

Characters can express deep devotion and loyalty out of absolutely nowhere, and Noctis’ relationship with his father seems utterly non-existent. Despite additions and changes to the story, everything still feels very surface level, as though the game is attempting to hit on story beats from previous games in the franchise, but it lacks the context that made them impactful in the first place.

With Final Fantasy XV I felt like Square Enix handed me a puzzle. I desperately wanted to put together the fragmented pieces, take a step back and enjoy it.

The problem is, they took away too many of the small pieces in the middle that contribute to the larger picture. A puzzle isn’t finished if there are still gaps and missing pieces—it undermines the whole reason why you spent so much time putting everything together in the first place. By splitting its story up this way and continuing to omit so many vital elements, Final Fantasy XV similarly undermines the time you spend learning about this world and it’s characters. I wanted to be able to take all of those little pieces, glue them all together, put them on my wall and say “look at this world I fell in love with, let me tell you about this adventure I went on.” But I can’t. It’s still missing so much.

- Amy Nash

Red Dead Redemption 2 It goes without saying that RDR2 is hotly anticipated, as the sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time, made by the developers of nearly every critically and commercially acclaimed game.

This Western action/adventure game doesn’t promise to reinvent the wheel as much as let us enjoy how smooth and finely crafted the wheel is, and by now that’s all we need from Rockstar games.

Jurassic World Evolution

Did you love games like Zoo Tycoon but wish your guests were edible, and that your ‘animals’ were huge prehistoric beasts that could escape, rampage, and destory your park? If so, perhaps this is the game for you.

Jurassic World Evolution is a business simulator set in the world of the popular film franchise, and lets you build your own jurassic park. Just remember what the films taught you about how that always goes...

Days Gone

Zombie games aren’t exactly rare, but now and then one comes out that promises to be interesting or different.

Days Gone is one of these.

The defining feature of Days Gone’s zombie action is “all the zombies!” - you are always overwhelmbed by the sheer quantity of enemies, and running away is usually a valid solution to most problems.

This is a nice change from the usual gunplay of zombie games.

- Tom Bedford

Image: Flickr - BagoGames

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Gaming

PUBG: “likely to get bigger and better” having a Jeep get stuck in the wall for most of the match.

In many ways, the concept and the idea of Battle Royale shooter Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds is more attractive than its execution. The game is capable of delivering high-octane experiences that wouldn’t be out of place in a Fast and Furious film, but these moments happen nowhere near often enough and the appalling technical state of the game makes the decision to leave Early Access a puzzling one.

While the game has now seen an official release, PUBG has been available for months on Steam in beta format.

The game immediately grabbed the attention of prominent streamers and YouTubers for its Battle Royale themed gameplay; 100 players parachute out of an airplane onto an expansive island and then have to find weapons and equipment with the aim of killing other players and becoming the last one standing. While PUBG is far from the first Battle Royale shooter it is absolutely the most popular, with Early Access sales allowing for a massively increased scope for the game, including a release on console.

This popularity also creates an issue with reviewing it; support and additional content has been promised for months to

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come, leading to the very real possibility that most of the criticisms listed here (largely technical in nature) could be rectified by the developer. However, given that the game has been officially released in this state, the fairest option is to take into account the issues it has now while acknowledging the potential for improvement down the line.

Many fans will already be familiar with the host of technical issues that plagued the Early Access version and still go unfixed. Hackers and cheaters have been present since the earliest release and BattlEye (the anti-cheating software) is woefully inadequate for the game’s issues. Aimbots and solo-teams are still far too common, allowing a few people to ruin the fun for everyone else.

Many of the game’s bugs have also gone unfixed since the Early Access stage with poor hit registration standing out in a game where tight-shooting controls should be prioritised.

While this may all seem overly critical and nit-picky, these technical issues only stand out so much because of the incredibly fun base experience. The initial rush to find a gun upon landing and hunt out the nearest players is what I want to remember the game for, not

However, PUBG certainly has an extensive list of positives that will convince many to overlook these flaws. In a sense, the game attempts to replicate the loot-focused style of Diablo or World of Warcraft, except the hunt for gear begins anew with each match. The sense of excitement at finding an LMP9 with ammo and a tactical vest lying nearby never truly diminishes and the desire to constantly look for new gear encourages players to stay on the move.

This system also offers a welcome break to the progression systems that have become a staple in most modern shooters. Items that affect gameplay never carry over between matches so the only thing you can really bring over is skill.

While the official release may not have added a huge amount of new content, it has given players the long-awaited replay feature, finally allowing for an accurate recap of kills and making death less of a frustration and more of a learning experience.

Ultimately, it is easy to see the Early Access roots of the game with longstanding issues that were visible in the earliest builds of the game still being “worked on” by the developers. In spite of this, for those willing to persevere, PUBG offers an unparalleled Battle Royale experience that is likely to only get bigger and better in the months to come.

- Harry Routley Image: Flickr - BagoGames

Television

No reflection from a...

Created by the brilliantly inventive polemicist Charlie Brooker, the anthology show Black Mirror has returned to Netflix for a fourth series.

Retaining its theme of cautionary tales regarding the development of technology, the new batch of episodes includes some of the strongest in the history of the show, but is not without some unfortunate missteps.

Being familiar with Black Mirror has a significant influence on how this new series is watched. It is difficult to root for characters when the possibility of them being stuck in some existential limbo seems all too possible, because it has been well established as a likelihood due to previous series. Brooker uses this to his advantage, and the new episodes often force you to hold your breath until the last second, as the stakes are well-established by the show’s history of brutal, nightmarish conclusions. This is why the few episodes which have, arguably, happy endings can be so hard to believe. But it is also why they stand out amongst the rest, as San Junipero did in series three.

Series four does not isolate its positivity to just a single episode. Instead, it distinguishes itself from the other three series because it has many more moments of optimism. That is not to say that it rejects the previously established tone of the show; these moments are often bittersweet and there is plenty of bleakness to outweigh them. Rather, it is Brooker demonstrating that Black Mirror is not just a show of pure cynicism.

The first episode, “USS Callister”, Image: Flickr - mezclaconfusa

provides a strong start to the series.

A virtual reality videogame provides Robert Daly ( Jesse Plemons) a world of spaceships and aliens which he can preside over, but, when new recruit Nanette Cole (Cristin Milioti) is introduced, the heart-wrenching truth behind it becomes clear—this is Black Mirror at its best. What we get is a cinematic adventure full of horror and hope and a nail-biting finale. Plus, it is not without its share of adeptly integrated humour. One of the biggest strengths of the episode is that the story is personal but by no means small. The homage paid to Star Trek serves as a platform to project the stakes, illustrating the danger and drama in the explosive form of a space opera.

In true Black Mirror fashion, “USS Callister” provides a framework for the discussion of morals. Everyone has daydreams where they are allpowerful and completely exalted by those around them, but Brooker imagines an environment in which these fantasies can be played out as if they are reality. However, in a world with no repercussions for the Godlike person who controls everything, it quickly becomes a nightmare for everyone who is at his mercy and it is here that the episode is at its strongest. Free-will is restricted to only one character in the simulation and so one main goal for the protagonists is to take back their independence and liberty.

However, it is the addition of Milioti’s character Nanette who initiates the group’s retaliation against their oppressive and despotic captor, who

represents a dictatorial, sexist, male hegemony. This struggle against a clearly immoral, perhaps even evil, character propels the story forward by reflecting a very real societal issue, lending the episode some serious gravitas.

It is a shame that not all of the series could live up to the episode. “Crocodile” and “Metalhead” stand out as weaker points. Their stories are not complete dross, but within the complete oeuvre of Black Mirror they are two of the worst. The examination of technology is minimal and not effectively used within the plotlines. In short, these episodes are not as didactic and thought-provoking as we know the show can be.

The end of the series treats us to more gems, including the finale, “Black Museum”, which incorporates a number of Easter Eggs that show how each episode exists in one universe. This creates some issues for the future of the show. It has received some criticism for reusing technologies and ideas seen before, perhaps a result of having more episodes per series since it moved to Netflix, but my biggest concern is that there is less manoeuvrability when it comes to writing new episodes. If each one was fully isolated then there would be a limitless potential for experimentation in the storytelling and exploration of technology. As it stands, we must trust the writers to continue creating compelling, original stories.

-Joel Shelly

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Venue’s hot shows of 2018 Doctor Who As much as the show’s excellent Christmas Special may have made some wistful for a few more episodes of the Moffat/Capaldi era, especially considering the 12th Doctor’s relatively short tenure, it actually illustrated why 2018 is the perfect time for Jodie Whittaker to take on the iconic role.

The difference in attitudes towards women between the 1st and 12th Doctors illustrates how much the character’s personality has changed since Hartnell’s time. What better way to represent the shift in the Doctor’s mindset than for the Doctor’s next regeneration to be a woman?

Whilst Whittaker’s powerful role in Broadchurch is often cited as the best display of her acting talents, the 2011 sci-fi comedy Attack the Block gave fans a look into the ingenuity and resourcefulness that Whittaker is capable of portraying, qualities that should make fans very excited for her first appearance later this year.

- Harry Routley

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Image: Lois Acari

Television

Love-struck by a new season “Finding love is all heartbreak, disappointment and misery... until it isn’t,” laments the ever beautiful Dylan upon his return to our screens. This season provides all of those things, but not necessarily in that order.

Lovesick follows the story of Dylan, a frankly rather hopeless, hopeless romantic, alongside his best friend Luke, an upgraded 21st century version of Friends’ Joey Tribbiani, and Evie, a woman who you can’t help but want to be friends with. The previous two seasons saw Dylan contact each and every one of his ex lovers to tell them that he has chlamydia, with each episode featuring a different flashback to how he met each woman and how they fit into his life. This was intertwined with the love story between Dylan and Evie, who are both in love with each other but somehow never manage to confess their feelings out loud. Typical, eh?

It has been a whole year since season two graced our small screens, and so a desperate scroll through Wikipedia was needed to remember what had happened. So, a quick update: Dylan is in love with Evie, but he is with his girlfriend Abigail. Evie is in love with Dylan, and just broke up with her fiancé because of it. Dylan also loves his friend Luke, but not like that, and Luke also loves Evie and Dylan, but again, not like that. Just in case things weren’t weird enough, they also live together with their friend Angus, who is the recently divorced, ex boyfriend of Evie and soon to be father after accidently getting a woman pregnant...

Season three had some big boots to fill, and some big questions to answer, the biggest being: do Evie and Dylan get together? Well luckily for us, we find out rather soon. They do, they’re happy about it, and that’s about all we know.

Between visiting literary festivals, high

school reunions and rather amazing bouts of karaoke, we don’t find out much about Evie and Dylan. It’s as if their romance had been built up so much that it simply wasn’t possible for the resolution to feel as good. The emotional gauntlet we were thrown through in season two wasn’t lived up to in this season, at least not by Evie and Dylan.

While they have their moments - lying in bed drinking tea and Evie adorably tolerating Dylan’s obsession with a tarot card reader - they’re still pretty dull. Instead of feeling like you were watching an emotionally draining romance plot which could only leave you hollow and alone inside, it felt more like you’d just watched two of your mates have a conversation about which mortgage to get.

Luckily, where Dylan and Evie fall down, Luke and his story arc pick up the pieces. Luke’s journey from hedonistic alpha male to emotionally in-tune, slightly-less-alpha-male is the highlight of the season. His moments in therapy not only provide some of the funniest, but some of the most relatable moments which made the first season so great. Going toe-totoe with the therapist over a notebook being one of many examples of this great opportunity for him to shine.

Combining this new Luke and his relationship with Jonesy, a fun loving female copy of himself, his development proves to be the stand out point of season three, and while the heart wrenching, agonising moments that made us so emotionally invested in season two weren’t as strong with Dylan and Evie, at least we got our fix from somewhere.

-Jack Ashton

Television

An animated debate One of the most interesting TV trends of recent years is the rise of animated adult shows. The traditionally youngeraudience genre has been rocked by series like Archer, Bojack Horseman and Rick and Morty, each one tackling delicate themes; sexuality, mental illness, and violence, in ways that you would definitely not see on Cartoon Network. If there is one group that hasn’t been caught up in the rage, however, it’s the ‘Awards Elite’.

Released in mid-December, the Golden Globes nominations list still does not include a single animated show. Not the critically acclaimed newest season of Bojack Horseman, or the fanatically beloved Rick and Morty, or even genre stalwarts like The Simpsons or South Park. In an age where cartoons are some of the most intelligently written shows around, it doesn’t make sense that they are being forgotten.

Instead, the five nominations for ‘Best TV Series – musical or comedy’ include Master of None and Will & Grace, two shows that received cold receptions and barely hold up in popular culture compared to, say, Rick and Morty.

Whilst some of the other nominations in the category are deserved (or confusing, because the shows didn’t really make their way over to the UK), it is clear that an animated show belongs in this category far more than some of the actual nominations.

The lack of animated nominations is sad but hardly surprising – it speaks to longstanding stigmas and tendencies to assume animation is exclusively for children. This isn’t exactly a baseless assumption either – all but one film nominated in the Golden Globes for “Best film – animated” are kidorientated animated pictures. Among the nominations include The Boss Baby, bogglingly enough, which suggests many of these nominations were picked at random but also clearly shows how animated films tend to target younger audiences. Confusing TV audiences with film audiences, in terms of genre, is a huge error, and one the Golden Globes constantly seems to make.

It’s possible that in future awards seasons, new seasons of shows like Archer or Family Guy will be nominated. It’s highly unlikely, but possible. It’s perhaps more possible that an animated category is created, like for film, which will allow mainstream recognition for awards. But until this hypothetical event, incredible ideas are falling under the awards radar due to the medium of their expression, which is criminal. The awards elite need to buck their stigmas and recognise animated shows for what they are – as some of the most insightful and cutting shows around.

-Tom Bedford

Luther Maybe it’s time for Luther to hang up his big lovely jacket. It seemed he had done just that when season three ended with him throwing his coat in to the River Thames, but alas, he had not. Instead we were treated to a fourth season which didn’t feel like classic Luther at all. We were reintroduced to a retired Luther who is lying low in a cottage on the coast in what was a weak and very forgettable two-parter, not utilising Idris Elba’s talent fully, and focusing on a plot that was rehashed from a previous episode.

Maybe this is why we need season five.

Luther cannot end limping out of our mind. We need to remember the gifted, if at times morally ambiguous, and charismatic detective who we saw back in 2010. Because essentially what stops this being another run-of-the-mill detective show, as let’s be honest we see way too many of those, is Idris Elba. So come on Neil Cross (showrunner and writer), give this man some material that is worthy of him. He’s such a big movie star these days that this may well be the last time the BBC can afford him, so make it count!

X-Files

- Dan Struthers

Although the latest series of the X-Files revival have been going from weakness to weakness, it’s impossible to give up hope for what used to be a classic TV show.

Though stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are mere shadows of their former selves, and the stories are more akin to conspiracy theorist ramblings than the science fiction adventures they used to be, this once great show still has potential. Love for the characters and show is still strong - it just needs good writing to back that up.

The newest series premiered in America earlier this month, and the verdict is still out on it. There is no word of a UK premier.

-Tom Bedford

Image: Pixabay, 683848

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C. writing

Rupa’s quick-n-easy existential crisis I usually make this dish for my family on Sundays, but it’s honestly up to you when to cook it. Just remember that it’s not animalfriendly, so don’t go serving it to your pets or in-laws. Everything in this dish is organic, free-range, vegan, gluten-free, and still quite delicious.

Please note that the Ingredients list below is not comprehensive – some of the things mentioned in the recipe are usual household foodstuffs, so there shouldn’t be a life-long cosmic journey to find them.

Preparation time Irrelevant

Serves

No purpose

Ingredients A sprinkle of looming angst 3 heaped teaspoons of emotional fragility 1½ cups of Excel spreadsheets and mind-numbing office gossip 50g of Facebook requests and vapid comments 3 fl oz of shallow pseudo-philosophical chats (I personally recommend ‘with drunk strangers in the local club’s smoking area’) Thinly sliced handful of childhood regrets Salt and pepper for seasoning

Methods

1.

2.

3.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Crush a teaspoon of futile attempts to pursue escapism, and combine with fresh emotional fragility.

Stir the introspective adolescent anguish you had suppressed so well, slowly folding in the Excel spreadsheets and mindnumbing office gossip.

4. At this stage, be very careful not to let any air into the mixture. A bubbly personality is a sign that you’ve made a mistake with your stirring technique.

5. Bore a hole in the middle with your sharp wit and superiority complex, then pour in the Facebook requests and vapid comments. If you have any spare eye-rolls and exasperated sighs around, feel free to blend them in.

6. Mix together the shallow pseudo-philosophical chats with sundried apathy (2 or 3 should be enough).

7. To finish, add the childhood regrets, though be sure to not add too much as it may leave a bitter taste.

8. Spoon the stew into bowls, and serve with a sprinkle of looming angst.

In terms of variations, it depends on who you ask. My mother-in-law swears by her own recipe, where you switch childhood regrets for vineripened single episode of any reality TV series. Having tried it myself, I’d say the texture is quite thick, and the taste is definitely blander!

-Rahul Mehta Image: (top to bottom) pixabay, bOred, pixabay, OpenClipart-Vectors

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Resolution As I stepped outside Tesco’s With my bag for life in hand I remembered a resolution I’d made in the early hours of Jan I’d go meat free No more meat for me Apart from tuna once a week Isn’t that fine?

If I really try?

It’s hardly even meat But resolutions made at 4am Are never set in stone At 4am give up the night It’s time to go back home After resolutions blindly made I’d gotten into bed 4 days had passed, I hadn’t thought And it had fallen from my head So now bag in hand It’s all too late Only the 4th and I have failed I’ll go back home, put the chicken nuggets on

C. writing

New Resolve, Evolve, Many an element, my newness must involve.

Resolve, Evolve, The importance of newness, my life does revolve.

Resolve, Evolve, For newness to work, my interests must convolve.

Resolve, Evolve, The precedence of my happiness does devolve.

Resolve, Evolve, I am waiting for the wanting to dissolve.

-Saoirse Smith-Hogan

I’m sorry, I have already bailed

-Sophie Bunce

Resolution Resolution no. 1 Laze in bed, get nothing done Resolution no. 2 Watch tv, my grades are screwed Resolution no. 3 Unemployment’s good for me So I guess I’m gonna win the Nobel Prize for harnessing nuclear fusion Because let’s be honest no one ever Keeps their New Year’s Resolutions.

-Jono Mcdermot

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Image: Johnny_automatic

Image: (top to bottom) pixabay, pixabay, ConexaoCabeca, pixabay, PoseMuse (page 29) Wikimedia Commons, Pearson Scott Foresman

C. writing

Retribution Decades after the Third World War ended in 2606, countries that swore bloodshed against each other banded together to fight against a greater force—the Hybridas. Hybridan for males, and Hybriden for females—were enhanced beings that possessed human features with the exception of reptilian scales scattered around their bodies.

The whole world was buzzing with the emergence of these newcomers. Every scientist couldn’t deny that were plagued with hundreds of questions, specifically: What do they want with us?

As much as they tried, no one could uncover the reason for the arrival of the Hybridas. However, not all questions remained unanswered. Not long after the arrival of the Hybridas, a colossal island emerged from the Atlantic Ocean.

Nobody realized what was happening, until one day, it was there. Even the greatest minds—human or robot—were disturbed by what had happened. The island was abode to the Hybridas. Some believed the island to be the lost city of the cold ocean, Atlantis.

two eager journalists had resorted to primitive technology to remain unseen.

Using a small wooden rowboat, they were undetected by the tech-scanners placed along the coastline. It was unknown what had happened but there was a huge commotion the next day. The two journalists were reported dead and their identities could only be confirmed

by DNA recognition. This pushed negotiation out of the picture.

The next time humanity saw the Hybridas, there were more than four and it occurred all over the world. With anything at hand, the U.M tried to fight back but ultimately, it was a lost cause.

Scientists believed that nuclear weapons wouldn’t affect the Hybridas as they were already mutants of some kind. Not even the strongest of forcefields could withstand the power of a single Hybrida.

As a last resort, soldiers were given the order to buy time for humanity to reach the underground safe houses.

No one made it.

Theories suggested that the Hybridas had been waiting in the deep ocean for years, biding their time. All the time under the sea had caused mutations.

Some referred to the Hybridas as the mermaids sailors saw during their voyages. Others believed that they had crashed down from space many years ago. This idea was often ignored as there had to be some proof of a spaceship remains. The Archive had no such evidence, hence it not being possible.

When asked by a human why they were doing this, Shurala the Supreme only stared back with cold eyes and answered, “Revenge,” before bisecting him with a swift swing of her blade. Erlik the Reaper stood not so far away and watched his comrade with eyes void of kindness, only malevolence was present.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what the hybridas wanted, the reason for their arrival. It took less than forty-eight hours for humanity to be exterminated.

The world was now for Hybridas, and only them.

The Archive was the library of the Internet where all information was stored. It had different levels according to importance and confidentiality.

Anybody could enter the first five levels, but one had to be of high status to gain access to the upper levels of the Archive.

With no information on Atlantis or Hybridas, the public had been banned from nearing the island but one night,

Standing victorious on Atlantis, four figures stood on a platform, addressing their kinsman. Shurala the Supreme spoke, “My comrades, we have succeeded in wiping out the humans.” The crowd roared and hands were raised in triumph, the suns rays glinting off their scales.

“Humans once destroyed us, and now we have destroyed them. Our city was lost along with its inhabitants. Our

ancestors started from scratch, and today, we used superior technology to eradicate humanity.”

Raising her hand, their leader held one of her silver scales between two pale fingers. “These scales have allowed us to receive the finest genes, far more exceptional than any human’s.”

Brandishing her weapon, the Supreme smiled with absolute malice. ‘We have been empowered, and it’s all thanks to the ancients who banished us from the surface!’ The Hybridas screamed out their approval, applauding for their rulers.

Karya the Creator stood beside the Supreme, her expression finally matching her guileful eyes. Next to the Creator stood Yuxa the Shifter, silent as usual.

His reptilian eyes could barley be seen underneath his copper hair. A small smirk graced the Hybridan’s face as he stood with his hand entwined with the Creator’s. Erlik the Reaper stood on the other side of the Supreme, his eyes not showing any emotion. His stood rigid, his eyes pierced the air as if he were looking at a battlefield instead of the city where his kin resided.

“Victory is ours.”

“Yes, it is.”

“After so long. I’ve waited for this day for centuries. After being exiled by the ancient humans, this is all I ever wanted.”

“Now we have it.”

“I don’t want to regret it.”

“You are the Supreme, you don’t make mistakes.”

“Humans made mistakes all the time.”

“Hybridas are not humans.”

“But we once were.”

-Amy Newbery

29

A new year for culture The world of art and culture is a busy one, and with every year seeing new events, releases, and trends, sometimes it’s hard to know where to startt! To help you, our editors share the things they’re most excited for in the new year.

Editor’s Pick Bohemian Gaming Kingdom Hearts Rhapsody

I‘m very excited for Bohemian Rhapsody, a film about the years leading up to the amazing 1985 live aid concert; it will be really interesting to see if Rami Malek can live up to Freddie. I’ve always been a Queen fan, so this will be a big one for me!

- Kate Romain

Music Ducking Punches’ Alamort

One of the most exciting new releases in music is from Norwich’s own indie stars.

Ducking Punches’ new album, Alamort, is due to release in February, and I couldn’t be more excited.

The punk band aren’t just popular in the local area, they have been featured in music magazines and websites increasingly. That’s a testament to the power of their music and a sign that they’re on the way up, and I hope Alamort continues this rise. I love supporting local and independent artists, and hope this is a good year for Ducking Punches!

- Nick Mason

TV A Very English Scandal

While this may not be a well-known property returning to our screens, it’s still intruiging! This three part miniseries, penned by Russell T Davies focuses on the political scandal of the 1970s involving disgraced MP Jeremy Thorpe.

This is perhaps the first time many people will be aware of this monumental period in politics which involved Thorpe being accused of murdering his ex-lover Norman Scott. If this wasn’t enough to convince you, the revelation of an MP in a homosexual relationship in the 70s and his alleged attempt to kill him, then you should take a look at the talent in front of and behind the camera.

30

- Dan Struthers

III

Kingdom Hearts III has been expected for such a long time - it’s been in development for over 10 years and was announced 5 years ago, and people have been anticipating its release seemingly forever. Thankfully we now have a concrete release date - sometime in 2018.

For such a beloved franchise, it’s surprising how little buzz there is about this game. But when a more definitive release date is announced, the internet will surely go crazy about it.

That a game as mystical as Half Life 3 has an actual logo and release date is a miracle in itself, we must be careful not to get our hopes up too much - the release date can still change. It wouldn’t be the last time...

- Amy Nash

Arts Condo 2018

Condo arts festival is visiting London during January and February and it looks incredible.

Multiple galleries across the city of London are collaborating in hosting exhibitions of young people and modern ideas. Exhibits include everything from ‘Queer Thoughts’ from New York to the ‘Madein Gallery’ from Shanghai.

Film First Man

Damien Chazelle’s Neil Armstrong biopic looks interesting. It stars Ryan Gosling as the famous astronaut, whom you can’t go wrong with, and the supporitng cast looks equally spectacular. The Gosling Chazelle team is a good one, it seems.

Chazelle’s gone from strength to strength recently, with mountains of awards every year. It’s also great he’s directing a film that’s not about jazz, which will be an interesting change. Let’s hope that this film is one small step for man, one giant - Gus Edgar leap for mankind.

Fashion Pastels

I’m looking forward to the return of pastels, especially lavender, which looks great on everyone!

Fashion shows in 2017 showed that it’s a trend that’s set to return, with fashion weeks like London and New York seeing it a lot. Especially towards the end of the year, it seemed like pastels were big, and I hope this trend continues into 2018.

- Leah Marriott

- Mireia Molina Costa

Creative Writing Zadie Smith’s Feel Free

One thing I am excited for is Zadie Smith’s new collection of essays ‘Feel Free’! I love her prose so I am looking forward to her non-fiction..

Collecting a series of essays on everything from art and culture to society, and including both previously written and new content, the book sounds very exciting.

- Saoirse Smith-Hogan

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons, David Shankbone

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