Fuse Issue 74

Fuse.

Which arts society is right for you?

Telltale Games Feminism in modern music The Five and Dime Picture Show

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Friday October 10 2014

Short Fuse.

Comments and rants on entertainment news.

This is the last time we want a remastered game

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e all love a bit of nostalgia, don’t we?

When it comes to games, nostalgia can be a pretty powerful incentive to revisit old icons.

Of course it’s easy to reminisce about pinching purses in Thief II: The Metal Age, scrolling for hours through The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind journal entries, burping at strangers in Fable or jamming handcrafted shivs into the necks of zombie mushrooms in The Last of Us. The latter memory should be particularly potent, however, not because it was the most memorable, or the most entertaining, but because it only happened last year.

All of the aforementioned games have been, in some form, brought back to life recently, be it as a reboot, remake or ‘remastering’, fan-made content (fans of Morrowind should take a gander at

Skywind), high-definition revamps, or big budget triple-A releases - a term that apparently these days constitutes to a soggy, uninspired wiggle into the trousers of an older more enjoyable franchise (fans of Thief II: the Metal Age should avoid 2014’s Thief).

But it’s The Last of Us, Naughty Dog’s 2013 follow up to the ridiculously popular Uncharted franchise, that really insults the players.

Alright, maybe it’s not as insulting as Thief. But for a game to be rereleased less than a year after its initial launch with the sole purpose of bulking up the PlayStaiton 4’s sparse line-up (unless you’re one of those types who can satisfy themselves by injecting the latest Fifa directly into their veins), and milking yet more cash out of Naughty Dog’s exhausted udder, is just disturbing. And not only because of the metaphorical udders.

It probably doesn’t help that I

Netflix versus cinema: a small ripple in a very large pond

In Case You Missed It A quick look at some of the entertainment stories from the past fortnight which were too interesting, funny or downright bizarre to overlook.

found The Last of Us entirely overhyped and overwhelmingly dull, but this is unquestionably a growing issue.

Remasterings like Rockstar Games’s Grand Theft Auto V can be excused when their drive is also to bring the game to PC, but there’s still a certain hollowness to the whole idea.

Websites like Kickstarter have surged in popularity recently and appear to be a hub for funding remakes of as many ‘classics’ as possible and, on an entirely unrelated note, for ‘developers’ running off with the cash of nostalgic players who are left disappointed, and playing the original game. Hold on, that sounds an awful lot like The Last of Us: Remastered.

Oliver England

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ecent announcements from Netflix have sent both the cinematic community and several cinema chains into a state of commotion.

The online-streaming company has revealed its plans to enter the treacherous domain of featurelength films, commencing with a sequel to Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

While this alone may be enough to anger some, the real controversy springs from the company’s decision to release the film exclusively in Imax theatres and on its streaming service simultaneously, shunning any wider cinema release.

Undeniably untraditional, this approach to film distribution has set cinema-chains alight with panic.

Partnered with the Weinstein Co., Netflix announced that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend will be available to all its subscribers and in Imax cinemas globally in August 2015.

In an indignant wave of selfpreservation, several major cinemas, including Cineworld, plan to

Threshold Entertainment have teamed up with The Tetris Company to line up a gaming treat in the form of a live-action Tetris film.

Threshold CEO Larry Kasanoff, who was previously responsible for adapting Mortal Kombat, suggested that the film would have depth, rather than simply being “a bunch of lines running around the page”.

participate in a world-wide boycott of the film, refusing to show it in their own Imax cinemas.

Although cinemas may be riled, should we be concerned that Netflix could potentially obliterate traditional cinema-going? The simple answer is no.

Call it romanticism, but the cinema offers a (mostly) enjoyable social experience and it’s highly unlikely our attitude towards it will change any time soon, regardless of the “flexibility” that Netflix claims to offer.

Netflix seems to be merely testing the water here. Behind Harvey Weinstien’s rhetoric of “evolving” and “movement”, this decision is basically a marketing tool - not a revolution. Producing a sequel to a memorable and fairly popular film is a safe bet. But, selecting an unusual form of distribution adds that special edge.

As an audience, we love the opportunity to become involved with something different and experimental.

Even after its history, viewing

a film in 3D remains a big selling point for mainstream films. We all want to be part of the new revolution that promises to change what has gone before. Netflix may simply be playing on this desire.

Why you ask? While Netflix has proved its worth through its TVbased original content, featurelength films are an entirely different beast.

Films either boom or they bomb and Netflix wants to secure success.

Select distribution will be instrumental in making their product appear different from the rest.

But with the biggest of film production companies having a vested interest in cinemas, and the cinema itself remaining a cherished pastime, we aren’t going to change our viewing habits so multiplexes and cinema-houses won’t fall into disrepair. Netflix has made a small ripple in a very large pond.

Andrew Martin

As if we hadn’t had enough of sparkling vampires baring their chests on our screens, Twilight is to make a return to the entertainments spotlight via five short films that will be shown on Facebook.

Although most people will now be rapidly searching for ways to block this from their news feed, the good thing is that Lionsgate is using it to promote the Women in Film organisation.

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Friday October 10 2014

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elcome to the second issue of the year! As I’m sitting typing this, I’m suffering from a very particular, and very wellknown ailment.

No, not a hangover. Not tonsillitis. Not the weight of 1,000 years of male oppression. (Well yes, that, but that’s for another issue). It’s Freshers’ flu.

Believe me, I’ve tried telling people that it’s just a cold, but every time I do they’re adamant: ‘Oh no, you haven’t got a cold, you’ve got Freshers’ flu’. So now I’ve given up

on trying to convince anyone otherwise.

Freshers’ week has breezed by, passed into memory, and left me with an illness that’s renowned across pretty much every university in the country.

I’ve managed to avoid it for three years, but, somehow, in my fourth I’ve succumbed.

So for anyone else in a similar predicament (and from what I’ve heard there are plenty of you) my recommendation is this: snuggle up with a hot mug of tea, the free Galaxy bar (or two) that you hopefully

picked up from the Students’ Union last week, and this issue of Fuse.

As always, we’ve got reviews aplenty, and several features that will hopefully have you feeling slightly perkier after just one read (we’re not saying Fuse is the equivalent of Lemsip or anything, but we have been known to have some regenerative powers).

This fortnight, Music have a feature on feminism within the industry, Games are giving us an exclusive overview of the life and times of Telltale Games, our Arts editors have been delving into the arts so-

cieties within the Students’ Union, and Screen have scooped an interview with the Five and Dime Picture Show.

If that’s not enough, we also have a brand new set of listings on the back page, telling you about all of the best entertainments and events coming up in and around Sheffield in the next two weeks.

So get well soon, and enjoy!

Kate Lovatt & Phil Bayles

Editorial.

This fortnight’s front cover is brought to you by the brilliant Nicholas Moody.

National Theatre Live is just short of a leg-breaking performance

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here is a certain kind of intimacy in theatre that makes it so magical.

Each show is a unique experience that has taken place solely for the people in the room.

That frisson of excitement you get from watching actors play out stories and emotions in front of your eyes is addictive. You’re occupying the same space as the action; sharing an experience with the actors and your fellow audience members that can never be identically reproduced.

Since 2009, the National Theatre has been recording and livestreaming performances to 260 cinemas across the UK, and over 650 abroad, in a bid to open its doors to a wider audience. But can these screenings ever replace or recreate the experience of live theatre?

Looking at NT Live, the most important thing to consider is that seeing a live-streaming in a cinema is a virtual experience that

will never be able to fully recreate the reality of attending a play in person.

Transmitted to the audience through a lens, theatre unavoidably loses its ephemeral and personal qualities, leaving the cinema goers distanced from the action.

Equally, being a hybrid between cinema and theatre, NT Live faces many difficulties in the production of its recordings. The technical crew has to capture plays in a way that will be effective on screen, without altering performances carefully crafted for the stage.

Finding a balance between the two is tricky, as the integrity of the stage production must not be damaged, yet it’s essential to meet the expectations of a cinema audience in order to make the screenings a success.

While NT Live screenings struggle to recreate the experience of a live production, they remain a

welcome addition to the theatre world.

Although audiences are seeing plays through a different guise, it means they are able to experience a version of a production even when the original venue is inaccessible. While the visceral effect may be diluted, that doesn’t mean it won’t be moving, thought-provoking or intelligent.

It doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be gained, learnt or shared.

NT Live gives audiences the opportunity to catch a glimpse of many iconic productions that will be talked about for years to come. In doing so, it opens up the conversation and continues the learning around theatre.

By granting greater accessibility to the National Theatre’s shows, NT Live adds another feather to theatre’s cap, simultaneously complementing the great live theatre on offer across the country.

Image: NT Live

Rachel Turner

They tried to make me put out a posthumous record, but I said no, no, no...

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here are artists whose flame burns bright and long - even beyond their demise. Some are long-standing stalwarts of the music industry whose legacy was expansive even before they passed, others are volatile mavericks whose absolute genius burned out far too early.

Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch announced last month that no new material would be released under his daughter’s name, so as not to “rip off” her fans.

This is surely the kindest, most respectful course of action to take - to bastardise old B-rolls or unfinished cuts would be a shameless cash-in on the memory of a stellar and eternal talent.

But the problem is, this exact sort of thing is happening constantly.

Repeat offenders include Michael Jackson’s estate and the remaining members of Queen, who continue to churn out album after album

With Miley and Nicki Minaj vying it out for most risqué music video on YouTube, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that several record labels have agreed to pilot of scheme that involves giving music videos the same age ratings that films have.

Sony, Universal, and Warner have all signed on to the scheme which will involve them submitting videos of potential harmful viewing to the British Board of Film Classification.

of discoveries and rarities that weren’t released when Jackson or Freddie Mercury were alive.

But, most of the time, there’s a reason they went unreleased - they just weren’t good enough. Departed musicians live on through their greatest work; the biggest songs, the most beautiful albums.

The releases that are remembered forever are the ones that were put out intentionally with an artist’s love and motivation behind them. If a discarded song wasn’t good enough to release when they were alive, it’s only greed that leads those left behind to release it once they’re dead.

Mostly, it results in a case of diminishing returns in quality. Jeff Buckley’s posthumous second album Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk is highly listenable and touching, but it barely scrapes the absolute elation of listening to his masterpiece Grace, which he obvi-

A heartwarming piece of Arts news came to light last week that we simply had to include! A survey released for National Poetry Day saw The Owl and the Pussycat voted the nation’s favourite poem.

Written in 1871 by Edward Lear, the poem was a favourite of both younger and older age categories and beat off both Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and Humpty Dumpty for the top spot.

ously put his heart, soul, and graft into making.

Similarly, Winehouse’s Lioness compilation is a moving tribute to a lost visionary, but its hodgepodge nature - inevitable due to how little material she left behind - means it falls entirely short of Back to Black or Frank, both of which are revelatory albums.

To see artists’ names being exploited for that extra buck, when they’re not around to protest, can be heartbreaking. People will remember albums like Bad and Thriller, not Xscape. They’ll remember anthems like ‘We Are The Champions’ or ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, not ‘Made in Heaven’.

The decision not to dirty Amy Winehouse’s name with half-hearted scraps seems to be the obvious one, and it’s a credit to the Winehouse family that they chose as such.

Rhys Handley

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The folks at Telltale have been developing games for almost a decade, but it’s only in the last couple of years that they’ve really found themselves pushed into the limelight. Licensed properties from across the spectrum of pop culture - from websites to comics to TV shows - have found themselves adapted for the small, interactive screen. Their efforts have ranged from the now-defunct Homestar Runner to A Song of Ice and Fire, but here are three of the most iconic series.

Words: Robin Wilde Design: Sam Fielding

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urassic Park is not an idea which lends itself easily to thoughtful adventuring, but this series set during and after the story of the 1993 film was a solid entry in Telltale’s library.

Following park veterinarian Gerry Harding (and fail) to escape and his daughter Jess as they tryPar k: The Game feathe overrun Isla Nublar, Jurassic sho ws us what hapand , ters tures entirely new charac pens after the film’s conclusion. games, takes the form Gameplay, like most Telltale added quick-time of a point-and-click adventure with . There’s visceral ard forw y events which drive the stor Telltale’s signature action, moments of tension, and humanity and how we themes of the darkness insideaks e. respond when it inevitably bre morloos listic than the rea e htly The graphical style is slig

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enture games, The n the greater hierarc hy of adv d competitor for goo a ly Walking Dead is probab TV show , based on a a on ed bas e, the best gam faint praise with ning dam comic book. That’s not risin is surp g. that’s part of the reason its quality ting for items, using hun of The bulk of gameplay consists the world and battle the quick-time events to interact with and making quick, difoccasional troublesome zombie, to other characters and, ficult decisions over what to sayand who will die. from time to time, who will live r media to video Adaptations of concepts from othe es based on a seri a and games have a spotty history,tures very little combat with zombie apocalypse which fea sn’t the titular walking dead doe ld sound as though it wou translate well. But the op-

efforts, which sometimes company’s other cks of the enormous adds to the atmosphere - the atta e impact than the T. Rex, for example, have muc h mor d would have Dea g lkin hand-drawn style of The Wa conveyed. rly so well known Jurassic Park: The Game is not nea pite coming out for as others in the Telltale canon, des Sam and Max sethe r consoles as well as PC and aftepromin ence. The game to rise ries had begun Telltale’s and despite the high consists of only four episodes, only four episodes, but profile license is rather short at franchis e should very fans of the it. y muc h enjo

pressive environments to an engaging characof The Walking Dead play host yea rs, and pulls at more ral seve ns ter drama which spa es. selv heartstrings than the beasts them r freed by chance one pris a , Lee wed The first series follo he rescues from girl the , from his captors and Clementinetwo a close bond elop dev The ter. ysit her reanimated bab e their way mak and s as they join up with other survnivor Of course, tes.

Sta ed Unit her sout across the devastated thrust into are we that things go wrong, and it’s from here allies. new find to ing hav m Cle the second series, with tional emo of e mpl exa The Walking Dead is a shinings developers like David itiou amb e storytelling that mor past. The story of ClemCage have tripped over in thewhi le the monsters outside that us ind entine serves to rem those within who give es are more numerous, it is sometim us more to fear.

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he much belated sequel ies to 1993’s Sam and Max Hit The Road, ser Sa m The World appeared in 20 and Max Save ber of failed sequel attem 06 after a numpts by LucasArts, and was Telltale’s first big Following Steve Purcell’shit. com titular characters are a sixic series, Sam and Max’s foot dog in a suit and a “hyperkinetic rabbity thing” who act as freelance detectives in a Ne ever seen. Across the thrweeYork City like nothing we’ve on a hypnosis based conspi Telltale series, the duo take bie apocalypse and an armracy, an alien invasion, a zomy of cloned, pudgy Sams.

Even those scenarios are not nearly so down to earth as they seem. Some sol tured throughout are a selectutions to puzzles feawhich grant psychic powers,ion of children’s toys knocking out Santa Claus, and having Max ele d to the presidency of the United Stacte tes. The level of

wackiness involved is to some of Telltale’s othinersharp contrast making everything as weirdgames, but the effort put into deser ves sustained applauseas possible while still coherent The Sam and Max mes. deliver wall-to-wall laughs from start to finish, andga de spi te are endlessly fun to pla The some fairly simple puzzles entire series of 16 episodes is constantly on sale ony.Ste am chase for those who love ene and is a worthwhile purrgetic videogame comedy.

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It's all about the . . .

You're at the university with the best Students' Union in the UK, so what next? Jo Gallacher and Ben Brunton have done the hard work for you and found some of the most exciting arts socieities available here at the University of Sheffield.

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t's a universal truth (well, a national truth) that the University of Sheffield is acknowledged as being first for student satisfaction. Part of this amazing achievement is due to its impressive range of societies on offer to students. Many societies are linked to the creative arts, which allows students to take a break from their somewhat hectic academic schedules.

The Bellydance Society offers both beginner and intermediate classes for anyone who has ever fancied giving it a wiggle - experience not needed. Those adventurous among us may be interest-

ed in the Burlesque Society which allows for creative expression, as well as gaining confidence and self-esteem all in the name of fun.

For those who like to stay fit, Dancesport and Pole Fitness are great ways to exercise and remain active while having fun.

Dancers can learn new routines, meet new friends and completely forget that they're actually exercising. A win-win situation!

The Poetry Society is every writer’s dream. It encourages you to get creative and inventive, as well as working as a fantastic emotional output if university life ever gets too much. Stitch

Soc welcomes fashionistas of all levels to have a go at stitching, from simple embroidery to dress making, absolutely anyone can get involved. But, if you love nothing more than cuddling up with a good book, then Book Soc may be perfect for you. Meetings are every three weeks and aim to discuss and debate a huge range of books chosen by their members and the committee.

Jo Gallacher

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o act, or not to act? That is the question, and if to act is the answer why shouldn’t it be with the vast array of theatrical societies on offer at the University of Sheffield?

Whether you’re new to the university and have a passion for performance, or you’re a returning student and can no longer repress your inner thespian, there are always a variety of roles to be filled.

From SUPAS to SUTCO, Platform performance to USLES, you are bound to find a society that caters to your tastes.

Be it musical theatre, pantomime, or top quality drama, we have it all. Over the years the university has played host to great musicals such as RENT,

Guys and Dolls and FAME, proudly produced by SUPAS. Multiple stagings of the immortal bard’s best bits have been shown, alongside the likes of Frankenstein and A Clockwork Orange by SuTCo - not to mention the light hearted yearly pantomimes and summer comedies from USLES. What’s more, if you’re not lusting for the limelight, but would still enjoy getting to grips with theatre behind the scenes, there is plenty to get involved with. In the true nature of all good student organisations in Sheffield, all of the above are inclusive, and a comprehensive range of contact information can be found on the Students' Union website.

Ben Brunton

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YOU KNOWYOU WANT IT: FEMINISM IN MODERN MUSIC Words: Rowan Bennett, Laura Mullen and Laura Mulvey From raucous rock to heart felt folk songs, derogatory lyrics to half naked women in music videos, musicians throughout history have been repeatedly slammed by feminists for their sexist portrayals of women. Feminism in today’s society however is beginning to be integrated between the notes of the music industry. As we turn our ears towards the chart-dominating female vocalists, we see women taking control of this otherwise seemingly sexist industry. The word feminism often receives scorn in todays society, so these female artists may just be the link we need to empower modern women, and for the population to finally fully embrace the feminist movement.

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Female Bands across the globe Although the now outdated girl groups such as Girls Aloud and the Spice Girls effectively brought more focus to female bands, they may have fallen short of evoking feminism within their music, being highly criticised for their focus on having a sexually appeasing image as oppose to the music itself. A new wave of girl bands, however, begin to embrace the feminist concept, as we see a positive change in this section of the music industry transforming the face of female bands.

Most famously known for their feminist stance, the Russian punk rock group Pussy Riot rock out in rebellion against the suppression of women in their country, and the control of Putin, iconically seen in their tune ‘Kill the Sexist’. Pussy Riot’s music and consequential arrest sparked a wave of feminist outbursts not only in Russia but around the world. Although Pussy Riot have been criticised with regards to their harsh rock music not appealing to the wider population, we cannot deny that they are a prime example of using music as a form of political weapon, creating debate and awareness of the struggles of everyday sexism.

Another example of feminism closer to home is the American pop rock band Haim. In contrast to Pussy Riot, this group, made up of three sisters, has arguably more relevance in western society, integrating feminism within their popular music. Saying “We’re a band. Not a ‘girl band’” distances them from the arguably more stereotypical female vocal groups. Haim are leading the way towards a reformed view on female bands, potentially reflected in new band Little Mix’s chart-topping single ‘Salute’ projecting a much better image of women. If we continue like this, we might finally achieve a gender-equal music industry, with female bands evoking feminist power rather than female sexuality.

Lana vs CHVRCHES With over 7 million hard-earned album sales and a GQ ‘Woman of the Year’ award to her name, Lana Del Rey seemingly epitomises the model of a contemporary feminist icon. Her extensive fanbase affords her the influence that many activists can only dream of, creating the potential to empower and inspire young girls worldwide. How disappointing, then, that Del Rey has chosen to release a series of disparaging comments on the subject in recent months, vocalising a dismissive attitude towards the feminist movement. By undermining the issue of gender equality as “not an interesting concept”, the singer risks being labelled as part of the problem. But, as a woman at the top of her industry, is she right to feel that gender issues hold no relevance for her?

While this would certainly be a victory for the cause, Del Rey’s blasé approach to sexism is at odds with the experiences of many of her fellow musicians.

Increasingly prevalent is the insidious emergence of online sexual harassment towards high-profile women, described as ‘overwhelming’ by CHVRCHES vocalist, Lauren Mayberry. Shockingly, Mayberry is able to cite abusive messages from a collection of thousands, spanning from misogynistic comments to direct rape threats. The artist’s stance however, is impressively unwavering; she maintains that the objectification of women ‘is not something anyone should have to “just deal with”. By simply articulating this point, Mayberry has sent a clear message, both to abusers and victims, that sexual harassment in any form is unacceptable.

Of course, Del Rey may merely be choosing to rise above the inescapable culture of objectification, as is her absolute right. However, the disturbing experiences of singers like Mayberry contradict Del Rey’s dismissal of the topic as ‘boring’; proving that the debate on gender equality in popular culture is not only interesting, but vital.

Who run the world?

Some may condemn feminism as an unutterable f-word, which shouldn’t be spoken aloud or else you will face the wrath of mass judgement. But regardless of whether you agree with her branding to feminism or not, Beyoncé effectively took the movement to an international level with her performance of ‘Flawless’ at this year’s MTV Video Music awards, whereby, behind her silhouette, the word “Feminist” blazoned brilliantly on screen.

Performances are not the only route through which Beyoncé promotes the movement, evidenced by the fact that she co-founded a campaign known as ‘Chime for Change’ which focuses on promoting health, education and justice for girls and women. As well as that, Beyoncé has also supported the #Banbossy campaign, which aims to boycott this somewhat gender-coded word, which has disenchanted women from pursuing leadership roles, fearing that they will be deemed bossy, while their male counter-parts are celebrated as ‘good leaders’.

When penning an open feminist essay, Beyoncé condemned the myth of gender equality and noted, “We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that, as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible.”

So, who run the world? Well if domination of the music scene is the litmus test, we may hail Queen Bey. But some musicians are not keen to adorn Beyonce with her feminist laurels just yet, apparent as Annie Lennox notably condemned Beyoncé as a “Feminist Lite”, believing that she has “simply taken the word hostage… to promote [herself]”.

Is it fair to criticise Beyoncé’s feminist credentials? But, simply for identifying herself as a feminist, and getting involved within the movement, she should be appreciated rather than interrogated.

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Words: Charlotte Pick Images: MUTE

Friday October 10 2014

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The Five and Dime Picture Show (5&D) are back for another year and Charlotte Pick speaks with their co-founder Ryan Finnigan

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ith the third highly anticipated event screening of cult classic The Room taking place this week (October 10) and a Spaced marathon in collaboration with Channel 4 later this month (October 18), The Five and Dime Picture Show really is the place to go for all things indie cinema.

The Five and Dime Picture Show is an independent organisation which screens cult and indie films at the Students’ Union in collaboration with Film Unit. Their relationship with Film Unit is important to them because the volunteers do everything from projection to ushering, “without Film Unit there wouldn’t be a 5&D”.

They highly value audience interaction and participation, having previously put on a Bugsy Malone sing-along and being renowned for screening The Room in a highly interactive and entertaining way, creating a unique cinema experience that they pride themselves on.

5&D co-founder, Ryan Finnegan, says that for him, the idea for their Picture Show stemmed from film nights he used to put on with his friends. “My friends and I would try and find the weirdest stuff we could find and surprise each other with it”, mixed with his co-founder’s being involved in small screenings at the Lantern Theatre. They were also inspired by the Prince Charles Cinema in London and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, an American cinema chain, as they put on events that they believed were missing from Sheffield.

Though the name and the references it makes to classic cult 70’s American cinema; (Robert Altman’s Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show), such films are not often shown at 5&D.

“For the next screening of The Room we had someone threaten to fly over from LA” The founders wanted to evoke a “thrift store kind of feel about it because we wanted to keep the night cheap.” With tickets for each screening costing only £3.50, it certainly is a cheap but entertaining night out.

The Room, the most popular 5&D screening last year, attracted around 280 people. If you don’t get round to catching the fast approaching screening, don’t worry.

“We’ll probably do it again next year. I’d quite like to do it more regularly if anything”. The screenings of The Room have become highly anticipated events, with people coming far and wide, “we’ve certainly had people travel, for the next screening of The Room we had someone threaten to fly over from LA”.

5&D believe their audience to be their biggest collaborator and like to add extra excitement to their events, as Ryan believes it can be ‘flat’ to have no introduction to a film and “if a film like The Room is around then you should really present it as it should be shown”. So for this next eagerly-awaited event screening, 5&D goers can expect pre-screening presentations and warm-up context, fancy dress, giveaways and spoon-throwing.

If you haven’t been before then don’t be worried that you won’t quite get it, as 5&D cater for all viewers. “We try and prime an audience beforehand … last year when we showed The Room, we printed out viewing guides that explained it to people”. “This year we’re kind of going to single new viewers out and reward them in some way … it would be quite nice to reward people for having gone through that experience with us”.

The term ‘cult’ has a multitude of meanings, which can make it difficult to know what you could be letting yourself in for. However 5&D have developed a ‘Spectrum of Cult’.

The spectrum has Ghostbusters, Anchorman “and things that pretty much everyone likes, that everyone knows the lines of” on one side of the spectrum and boot-legged films that “one person has seen in the world and feels really passionate about” on the other side.

They keep this spectrum in mind when choosing films for screenings as they’re aiming to move further from the more popular films,

wanting to know “what is the weirdest thing we can find and still get an audience for?”.

The marathon screening of Spaced, in collaboration with Channel 4, is another effort of 5&D’s to scale up what they do, through cost sharing, getting more people involved and getting more perks for the audience. With plenty of cult TV shows that they would like to screen, such as Twin Peaks and Freaks and Geeks.

Ryan explains that “the problem with TV is the duration. Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, the first one we did was great because it was only six, 25 minute episodes, so it was basically the length of a film anyway, but Spaced is a bit more difficult because it’s like six hours”.

Channel 4 mentioned other titles such as Black Books and Father Ted. “They were like ‘we’d like to do this again’… but it’s just weighing up which ones would work in a cinema really”.

The incredible screening posters have been created by a local artist, and good friend of 5&D’s, MUTE. These works of art have boosted their profile no end, “because his work is so good, it reaches people that we wouldn’t normally reach.

The Spaced poster [above] got retweeted by Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes last week and that got us loads of new followers because it reached something like 5.5 million people on twitter in an evening, so that really helped us”.

The future of 5&D lies in screening even weirder films, diversifying, showing more foreign language films, and potentially showing some of their own content. “We’re certainly very interested in finding weird things from around the world… we’ve found a lot of other YouTube videos and just odd things that we’d quite like to put into some sort of other programme called the The Five and Dime Picture Show”.

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Fuse Games.

FIFA 15

EA SPORTS

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ust the thought of the new Fifa installment is usually enough to make every football fan purr.

And with EA’s efforts being fuelled into improving the game’s dynamism, interaction and presentation, Fifa has successfully used the release of next generation consoles to close the gap between video gaming and reality.

The gameplay of Fifa 15 has had a considerable shake up, and its fluidity really sets it apart from Fifa 14. No longer does a pass slowly roll to a gleeful look-

CULT CORNER

DILBERT’S DESKTOP DreamWorks 1997

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f you want a game that’s truly ‘retro’, how about one that no longer runs correctly on the majority of operating systems newer than XP? One of the first games I ever crossed paths with, on my friend’s Windows 98 PC, no less, was Dilbert’s Desktop Games.

Based on the protagonist of the same name in the Dilbert comic strip (a white collar office worker with a rare medical condition that allows him unparalleled intuition about anything electrical and mechanical, but zero social skills to speak of), the game includes nine mini-games, the best of which is undoubtedly ‘Techno Raiders’.

Sounding like a cross between Space Invaders and Tomb Raider, ‘Techno Raiders’ is every office worker’s nightmare.

Dilbert must make his way up through the office floors, avoiding (or even stunning) co-workers and collecting gadgets and pink donuts, which equate to points, and ultimately additional lives.

ing opposition player (a struggle endured by Fifa players for many years), with Fifa finally realising that the ball can speed up as well as slow down.

Defending, too, is now more an art form; the opposition have a greater awareness of player positioning and movement, and are able to put up a staunch defense, especially in the dying embers of a one-nil game. It is disappointing to see few alterations to game modes, with only slight tweaks to the menu appearances of Career Mode, Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs being changes of note.

Then again, it is relatively difficult to see where EA can explore new avenues in game formats such as

To climb through the levels, there are two options: lifts that can randomly alternate the direction they’re travelling in, or doors on different floors that link up to each other. The latter option sounds like the safer bet, except that you have no idea which doors are connected.

So you may well walk through a door and into the welcoming arms of a co-worker. Boom. Life lost.

The allure of ‘Techno Raiders’ is in its Pac-Man-like avoidance techniques, and the adrenaline they create. There’s nothing quite as exciting as running away from your boss as he plods down the corridor in a royal blue suit.

For those who like a challenge, the levels increase in difficulty as Dilbert rises up through them, with the co-workers increasing in speed, and more of them appearing the higher you get.

Sadly, due to system requirements, it seems unlikely you’ll be able to play ‘Techno Raiders’; the game has to play on intrusive mode, rendering other PC tasks inert.

But, if it still sounds like good ol’ fashioned 1990s fun, you can always check out the comics it was based on, and the animated TV series, which went on to win an Emmy.

Kate Lovatt

11v11 and 90 minutes.

Another noticeable element is the complete renovation of goalkeeping mechanics, adding that unconventionality which was lacking in the previous instalment.

More and more you begin to see enthralling, fingertip saves that provoke a feeling of absolute awe. The improvements do not stop there, however, with goalkeepers having an enhanced ability to make some unbelievable howlers.

It is the switch from EA’s Impact engine to the modern and advanced Ignite engine which has really allowed Fifa to accelerate in its overall presentation, matching the articulate details that

compound the ‘beautiful game’.

Previous installments lacked that cutting edge wow factor, but small details such as Manchester City’s Poznań celebration, the inclusion of Premier League referees and all of its 20 stadiums demonstrate that this is a game made for hardcore football fans, by hardcore football fans. Even grimaces can be seen strewn across a player’s face after turning an ankle in the turf or getting nailed by a horrendous two footed challenge.

There are, yes, still some irritating and at times infuriating technical issues that follow on from Fifa 14, that will make you wonder what EA’s game developers have been doing for the past 365 days.

The ball boy weakly throwing a ball towards your throw in taker is one every player will have experienced, and be experiencing again.

But to EA’s credit, they have once again assembled a football game that has come on in leaps and bounds. It may not be the perfect game, not by any stretch of the imagination, but it will certainly keep its players glued to their screens for the rest of the footy season and beyond.

nEVERENDING nIGHTMARES

to ensure that the gore is always prevalent in the player’s mind. The game’s use of lighting to restrict the player’s view invokes a primal fear of the dark, or rather, a fear of what lurks there.

Even the backgrounds are terrifying; I walked into a room filled with broken dolls, which is bloody awful as it is, and then... a doll blinked. Little touches like that just serve to unnerve the player more and more until they are left jumping at shadows and panicking at the merest sound.

However, the atmosphere and the environments are unfortunately much scarier than the actual enemies that Thomas encounters. These inner demons, while initially terrifying, are very easy to avoid and often have clear paths and behaviours, making them much too predictable to be truly threatening.

On the other hand, the game’s sound design is phenomenal. When played through headphones, the

game comes alive; I heard things skitter behind me, heard breathing in my ear, and heard footsteps to the right, just out of my view... The sound fully immerses the player into the game, making it feel as though you are standing directly in the room, ensuring that you feel genuinely vulnerable.

Over time though, the game does lose its scare factor, with the monsters becoming more tedious than scary, and at times I did find myself becoming frustrated. The ideas behind the game are perhaps it’s scariest aspect; being trapped inside your own head with no possibility of escape is truly daunting, and heavy themes of self-harm and suicide give the game much more weight and meaning than your average horror game. The fact that this is based on real life experiences makes it a unique and doubly horrifying experience.

INFINITAP

A

2D psychological horror game directly inspired by developer Matt Gilgenbach’s battle with depression, Neverending Nightmares offers a deep and emotionally resonant experience.

The player follows the story of Thomas, who wakes from a terrible nightmare only to find that he is still dreaming. Each time he wakes, Thomas finds himself in progressively more discordant environments, falling deeper and deeper into hellish dreamscapes. This game will inspire real-life nightmares.

Neverending Nightmares features an individual hand drawn art style, almost exclusively in black and white, with splashes of red

Kai Piercy

Matthew Reynolds

11

Friday October 10 2014

Fuse Arts.

Twelfth night este stands in the middle of the Crucible, guitar in hand.

Through windows at the back of the stage, we see the faces of the rest of the characters of Twelfth Night.

The lights are spookily low and it sounds like rain is hammering down on the stage. In the midst of this chilling scene, the director and designers of the English Touring Theatre’s production have managed to perfectly capture the extremely fine line between comedy and tragedy that Shakespeare is so well known for. What unfolds over the next few hours is a fantastic, gripping and hilarious adaptation of Twelfth Night.

The cast are extremely versatile.

Of particular note is Rose Reynolds proving to be the perfect choice for the leading role of Viola. She made her portrayal of a character defined by both supposed tragedy and contrastingly comedic situations look easy and effortless. Interac-

tion with the audience was not too much nor too little. Her expressions were enough to silence the audience or encourage them into peals of laughter.

Additionally, Brian Protheroe’s stunning portrayal of Feste, a traditionally difficult character, also contributes to the true success of the production. He is the glue that holds the verse of the main characters, and the prose of the fools, together and by doing so acts as a smooth transition between scenes.

The talent of the rest of the cast however should not be left unmentioned. Sometimes getting into Shakespeare-mode can be quite tricky, but the cast of the English Touring Theatre’s production made the transition feel like child’s play.

The design, thought up by Colin Richmond, proved simplistic but beautiful and striking, with the main prop being a wardrobe. The physical dramatic techniques were original and elegant.

The overarching theme of love in Twelfth Night was represented by red petals, not only on stage but bursting from costumes and falling from the sky, filling the stage of the

Crucible and remaining there for the whole show. At first, it was so surprising to see petals fall from dresses and shirts, and novelty never seemed to wear off, but instead added to the atmosphere of love in the story.

This breathtaking and truly comical production of Twelfth Night, is without doubt, one of the best yet.

I recommend you recover from freshers by ditching Corp (and the quad vods) and replacing it with a sophisticated night at the Crucible.

It might just be your best night out yet.

plaques detailing the content of the prints and providing information on how they were produced.

In addition to this, the gallery has added explanations from the artist himself, with the possibility of listening to them using a smartphone. The artist’s anecdotes give a real sense of involvement and while at first it seems hard to see the beauty in something so brutally synthetic as an enormous, iron clad steel shed, the mystery of Pennell’s motivations becomes clearer.

Finally, the exhibition sheds some light on matters of local importance. Among the industrial names, that are naturally conveyed through the artist’s depiction of their factories, one in particular that stands forth against the smog is Vickers.

Originally a Sheffield based steel foundry set up at the dawn of the

industrial revolution, Vickers went on to diversify into multiple branches of engineering, but is perhaps best known for its pioneering work on aircraft and armaments during the Great War. For an inhabitant of Sheffield, the First World War and consequently the world in which we live today, hinged upon a factory on the outskirts of the city in which we live.

It seems odd that the work of an

American artist should be what highlights this intrinsic part of local history, it does. And it does so through an amazing collection of prints that are definitely worth a look at.

Ben Brunton

and Harry Houdini. What follows is a masterpiece; an epic yet intimate tale of changing identity, newfound love and heartbreaking loss, all set against the backdrop of the Golden Age of superheroes.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Michael Chabon’s writing is the insane attention to detail that has gone into his research. He writes on every subject, from the legendary Golem of Prague to the history of escapology and the lives of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, in such a meticulous way that it’s hard to believe he isn’t a time traveller from the 1940s.

He documents his character’s struggles – Josef’s guilt at the thought of leaving his family behind, Sammy’s reluctance to come to terms with his sexual identity – so minutely that they feel like living, breathing people. But even as they

struggle, Chabon’s prose soars.

From the opening pages when Josef stands “slumped like a question mark” against Sammy’s bedroom to the house “as charming as a carton of eggs” where he ends up living 20 years later, the sentences modulate like smooth jazz, the kind of effortless improvisation that comes with strict and rigorous discipline.

I’ve read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay a dozen times. It should be familiar to me now, the flaws more readily apparent. But, if anything, like watching a master magician perform right in front of your eyes, the trick gets more impressive with each subsequent viewing.

Phil Bayles

The Crucible

F

The wonder of work: prints of war & industry by joseph pennell Graves Gallery

U

ntil December 13 2014, Sheffield is host to an exhibition of lithographic prints

by Joseph Pennell – a display that casts the first world war in a different light.

A far cry from Flanders fields in both location and content, the exhibition currently resides in Graves Gallery. Giving us a glimpse into the industrialised, British home-front of the first world war, Pennell’s prints are a stark reminder of those

workers that we should remember as we mark the centenary of the Great War. Enabling us to view the driving force of the war effort from behind the scenes, the artist’s monochrome prints capture, by means of their simplicity, a unique beauty in the scenes of industry that they portray.

The charcoal shading in each scene almost gives the impression that we too, the observer, are standing in the soot filled air of the enormous steel works - the forges of modern warfare.

The masterfully captured interplay of light and shadow project the heat of the great furnaces. That which the characters of this collection of pieces lack in distinct features is made up for in the projected atmosphere of the prints.

Alongside Pennell’s works are

BOOK CORNER The amazing adventures of kavalier and clay Michael Chabon

I X

n the summer of 1939, 19 yearold Josef Kavalier arrives in the Brooklyn bedroom of his cousin Sammy Clayman after an arduous escape from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, nestled in the foot of a coffin.

Recognising his cousin’s potential as an artist, Sammy invites Josef to help him write comic books. Together they pen the first adventures of the Escapist, a Nazi-busting superhero like the lovechild of Batman

Twelfth Night continues at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until October 18 2014 Chloe Coleman More reviews online Read more reviews online at Forge Today

DOT COM

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Friday October 10 2014

12

Fuse Albums.

JAMIE T

Carry On The Grudge

A

fter a gruelling five-year wait, Jamie T’s album Carry On The Grudge is finally here. Still a frustrated, angst-ridden individual, his more refined view on life has produced his darkest record to date.

The opening track, ‘Limits Lie’ is his reawakening to the world of the public eye, exposing more insecurities and grit than ever before. His quick, lip-smacking lyrics are virtually gone and in ‘Turn On The Light’, and a more decayed, self-loathing state is brought to light; “I’m sweating in a carcass, I’ve given up on me”; a more broken and deteriorated soul than the sprightly youth we’ve been used to. Delving much deeper beneath a potentially tormenting few years, his comeback song,

‘Don’t You Find’, creeps right out of a tattered, isolated corner, its brooding nature far removed from merry days of ‘drinking under age’ and ‘lightweight pricks’.

“A more broken and deteriorated soul than the sprightly youth we’ve been used to” There’s still ashes lingering around from Jamie’s past two albums that he’s yet to shake off though, not least in the form of lyrically-poor, ‘Zombie’, which falls just short of rekindling an aura not felt since ‘Sticks ‘n’ Stones’. Those unimpressed with

a more laid-back approach will, however, be sufficed by an almost recognisable trio of tracks. ‘Trouble’ is where last album, ‘Kings and Queens’ left off with quick wit, nonsense lyrics. ‘Rabbit Hole’s infectious chorus will leave you dizzy in its bullish trails whereas the scratchy ‘Peter’, a snarling track about Jamie’s filthy alterego, is a boisterous, disturbing number.

The tender moments are a step away from the upbeat anthems of Jamie’s yesteryear, but tracks such as ‘The Prophet’ peel back the layers and deliver lullaby chorus’ befitting for more heartfelt tales.

He’s likely to be accused of going ‘soft’ on this album, but the personal turbulences behind its mature undertones make it just as realistic as his last, and above all still distinguishably Jamie T. Josh Shreeve

JOhNNY MARR

Prince

I

T

Playland

t’s arguably taken Johnny Marr a significant amount of time to find his own feet as a solo artist. Where his former ‘other half’, the acerbic wallflower that is Morrissey, immediately launched into a lengthy continuation of his Smith’s persona, Marr has taken far longer to establish his musical identity. And that's no discredit to Marr here – the guitarist has played with an impressive and eclectic array of musical stalwarts over the years. From The The, to Pet Shop Boys, to The Cribs and Electronica, Marr certainly has proved his worth as one of our most cherished and talented guitarists.

So, when 2013’s The Messenger was released, it was understandable then, that fans of Marr, and indeed The Smith’s, didn’t quite know what to expect. Of course, we knew of Marr's astonishing musical ability, but the cynics among us would perhaps forever be comparing his lyrical ability to that of Morrissey's. And what a pleasant surprise The Messenger was then, when we saw the Mancunian establish himself as sharp, smart and resolutely modernist.

On Playland, Marr's latest endeavour, we have to congratulate him on his ability to write a catchy tune (the first single ‘Easy Money’ being perhaps the best example on the album). A self proclaimed pop fanatic, Marr’s strength undeniably lies in his astonishing ear for sublimely blending musical forms – and obviously some pretty neat guitar work. But, some pretty clunky, awkward lyrics are inescapable, and are surely what lets the album down.

We can’t, however, hold this against Marr entirely, because the concept behind many of them is impressively forward thinking, constantly toying with esoteric ideas (‘This Tension’s’ “conceptual son with an intellectual gun protection” for instance). Ultimately, Playland serves as a reminder of Marr’s unique musicianship and is a commendable (and certainly not disappointing) effort.

Rachel Bell

Art Official Age he closing track of Prince’s newly released and typically unpredictable album Art Official Age includes a baffling array of dystopian lyrical quips.

This certainly seems to be the motto of the heralded, but increasingly temperamental, guitar god’s new piece of work, an album which storms head-first through a range of genres and forms, while retaining a vaguely recurring theme of disillusionment with the modern world (“in this brand new age/how do we engage”).

The opening tracks provide us with a clear heads up as to the hit-and-miss, confusing nature of this album.

‘Art Official Age’ is an up-tempo, euphoric and almost unbearable rush through an EDMstyled world, in which Prince seems to be the disorientated protagonist trying to free his mind from an “artificial cage”.

‘Clouds’, is a sumptuous track dripping with classy background percussion, infectiously funky bass and lyrics that ooze sexual prowess in Prince’s recognisable lyrical style.

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The album contains some beautifully crafted and musically intriguing gems, though each requires a certain degree of patience and perhaps multiple listens.

‘Breakfast Can Wait’ is one of the few solo releases from the album and has to be one of the most incredible R&B tracks for years, with minimalistic guitar licks and a bass riff that supports the catchy, sensual vocal hook.

“One cannot help but respect Prince for his ingenuity”

Though this album could be seen as a ‘Yeezus’ style entry into the modern sphere (a dizzying collection of musical forms that is not for the faint hearted) one cannot help but respect Prince for his ingenuity, experimental ability and masterful prowess behind a tune.

Past the façade of pretentious interludes, this is a truly inventive piece of work filled with generous helpings of funk and soul crafted with the future in mind.

Stanley Penrose

13

Friday October 10 2014

Fuse Gigs.

Cate Le bon Plug September 18

P

lug is an unlikely venue for Cate Le Bon, it being better known for student debauchery and flying visits from properly lamentable ladrock bands than subtly psychedelic and intensely personal folk-pop.

Tonight is, in fact, a double header of gently wonky Welsh pop, with H. Hawkline proving disarmingly endearing, veering from dissonance to gentle acoustic melodies and slightly shifty whistling before returning to be part of Cate's backing band.

She squares up to her mic, shifting from foot to foot, eyeing the crowd warily through a haze of smoke, brandishing a fistful of bells and emitting a startling foxlike yelp every so often.

Singles like ‘Are You With Me Now?’ and ‘I Can’t Help You’ recall 1960s French pop, given an unexpected and appealing slant by Le Bon’s unmistak-

able Welsh accent.

Before 'Wild', Le Bon notes that she's "somehow managed to make a two syllable word out of a one syllable word", voice going up in a yelp in the middle of every repetition of the word. It's the same effect as in the chorus of Kate Bush’s ‘Wow’.

The sound of the words creates more emotional impact than their meaning, and especially so in a live context. This makes sense, considering how much of Le Bon’s latest record, last year’s Mug Museum, deals with the struggles of articulating loss and grief – the incommunicable spaces between what is felt and what can be translated for others.

Live, this cathartic process can be enacted, and that distance spanned with the sound of joy and anguish rather than signified meaning.

Another part of the appeal of Le Bon's music, live, is the way its reliance on repeated, cyclical patterns is interrupted by eruptions of abrasive noise, far louder than you’d expect from someone with

her folk origins.

I'm informed by my considerably more technically musical friend, that she "did all the fun guitar parts" and expanded upon those actually present on the album, which is excellent news for fans of fun guitar instrumentals.

I would probably have called it shredding, partly because the word shredding is hilarious, but also because it’s appropriate foreshadowing for the encore, in which Le Bon warns the crowd that “you asked for this, Sheffield, remember that" before playing, of all things, Thin Lizzy’s ‘Wild One’.

It’s unexpected, certainly, but ends up making a strange kind of sense, more plaintive and sincere in Le Bon’s very capable hands than in the hair-metal original.

An evening of gently jarring surprises, then, and pleasantly unsettling.

Rosalie Bower Photography :www.filtermexico.com

CHILDHOOD

Photography: www.sos-music.com

The Leadmill October 3

S

outh Londoners Childhood have been part of a recent wave of indie pop bands to incorporate elements of psychadelia into their sound. After opening for acts such as Johnny Marr and Interpol, Childhood’s first headlining UK tour kicks off with a hazy bang at the Leadmill.

Their fusion of spacey, psychadelic chords and playful sing-a-long hooks elicits sways among the crowd. Frontman Ben Romans-Hopcraft’s emphatic stage presence stirs a more energetic reception in hits such as ‘As I Am’ and ‘Solemn Skies’.

It is in numbers such as these, and opener ‘Blue Velvet’ that their song writing skills are well demonstrated. The constant ring, however, of Pink Floydian chords and over-use of WahWah guitar effects, in songs such as ‘Right Beneath Me’, create a mist of monotony that persists throughout the middle third of the set.

ELIZA AND THE BEAR The Leadmill October 2

I Photography: Beth Hutton

can almost guarantee that you’ve heard at least one song from Eliza and the Bear.

If you have managed to sit through more than 20 minutes of programming on channel four you will know that their music has been associated with a certain brand of cider.

Opening with the renowned ‘Friends’, the band had an immediatly amazing stage presence.

Of the five piece band, the two frontmen, were clearly having a great time.

During songs that the band debuted at the gig, the crowd were involved as if they already knew them word for word.

Although Romans-Hopcraft’s performance as a frontman and vocalist is consistently strong, his enthused screams appear too often to have the intended impact, and are sometimes jarring over the dreamy guitar arrangements.

Despite this, his Hendrix-esque guitar tricks and confident interaction with the audience remains a highlight of the set.

The final song, ‘Solemn Skies’ is without a doubt the climax of the performance, with a cascade of Strokesy garage-rock guitars behind the song’s melodies. The song’s anthemic chorus instigates singing and dancing in the audience, and you feel that this is the performance and reception the band were striving for since the beginning.

The closing song, as others before it, descends into an apparently improvised psych-jam. Unlike previous breakdowns, this feels more climactic, more emphatic, and less contrived.

It is clear from this performance that underneath any psychedelic pretention, there lies a skilled, creative band with the songwriting skills to keep up with other indie-pop competitors.

The music was light and easy to listen to- the stuff that happy summer montages are made of.

Reminiscent of Two Door Cinema Club or The 1975 with a folky air, the songs were not hard hitting or gritty, just good clean fun.

Usually, it’s evident in a band’s stage presence how much fun they’re having. When Eliza entered the stage, they lacked the air of a sombre group about to showcase their talent.

That being said, this was their opening night of a month long tour, so they may grow into the artful air we were expecting.

Once their tour is over, they will be recording an album which I personally, will be eagerly anticipating. Surrounded by a younger audience, I couldn’t help but toe tap.

The opening band, Lisbon, are

Jacob Steiner definitely one to watch. For a group that emerged early this year, they played some quality music, with a similar alternative indie vibe.

Gimmicks in music almost never pan out, so I was shocked to find their song ‘Khaleesi’ (inspired by Game of Thrones) was actually really catchy. I expect them to get a big following after this tour.

Eliza and the Bear finished up with ‘It Gets Cold’, a song that really defines the band’s playing style: indie, alternative with a hint of folk but most of all fun.

Nick Moody Nick Moody

Friday October 10 2014

14

Fuse Screen.

Fuse. screen gone girl

Dir: David Fincher

A

fter almost three years of cinematic silence, and a spell directing Netflix’s Emmy-winning series House of Cards, David Fincher returns to Hollywood to direct a thriller. He’s no stranger to this genre having directed: Seven, Zodiac, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Gone Girl is an adaption of the best-selling novel of the same name

by Gillian Flynn (who also wrote the screenplay for the film), about the mysterious disappearance of a woman.

Amy (Rosamund Pike) and Nick (Ben Affleck) are an upper middle class couple from New York who, after losing their jobs, decide to have a fresh start in North Carthage, Missouri.

On the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick comes home to

find that his beautiful, perfect wife is missing. The investigation and the media attention that follow Amy’s disappearance puts Nick under an uncomfortable spotlight and soon new, distressing aspects of his temperament begin to emerge.

Inevitably, everybody in the small town of North Carthage begins to wonder: did Nick kill his wife?

The film moves from this question to explore the dark side of a peculiar, problematic marriage, in which domestic abuse, psychological and physical violence escalate towards a life-and-death struggle.

Gone Girl is not just a regular thriller. Fincher builds his movie around a theme that is very familiar to his line of work: human introspection. He is also equipped with the bravery and the talent to explore new, fascinating visions. And in Fincher’s film, everything works with the same attention and precision. The gloomy atmosphere of the desolate American province, united with the refined minimalist aes-

thetic of the photography and the brilliant soundtrack by Fincher veterans Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, provides a solid foundation of dark beauty.

Between the two protagonists the synergy is perfect, and their constant ambiguity between guilt and innocence, normality and insanity, forms the strength of this movie.

Gone Girl is a box of hate and lies, in which nothing is how it seems and the plot twist is always around the corner. Disturbing from the off, this movie will have you trembling in your seat with wide-opened eyes, torturing you with anxious questions and terrifying answers about the person you love most in the world.

Mariaclaudia Carella

SMALL SCREEN gotham: episode one Dir: Danny Cannon

W

ith the conclusion of the Dark Knight trilogy two years ago, for most Bat-fans, watching Gotham will be the next logical step. The show’s premise, however, sets it up as an ‘early years’ Batman – basically Batman before he became the Bat. Bruce Wayne is still a child, and although it would have been interesting to explore the younger side of his character in more depth, the producers have decided to go with Jim Gordon as the protagonist.

The big question for many, then, seems to be whether Gordon’s character is solid enough to hold up

CULT CORNER The cremator Dir: Juraj Herz 1969

J

uraj Herz’s The Cremator was a relative latecomer to the Czech New Wave and was subsequently banned almost immediately upon its release, only attaining significant circulation with the fall of communist rule 20 years later.

The Cremator exemplifies wellestablished traits of the aforementioned movement, including dark, farcical humour and subversive social critique, while also adding thematic and cinematographic elements of psychological horror.

The film tells the story of cremator Karel Kopfringl (Rudolf

Hrušínský) who, obsessively devoted to his work, believes that it is his duty to emancipate the deceased and deliver them from suffering - “the sooner man returns to dust, the sooner he is set free”. As Nazi forces begin to encroach upon Czechoslovakia, Koprfringl makes the acquaintance of Walter Reinke (Ilja Prachař), former war comrade and propagator of national socialist ideology.

Corrupted by this influence, Kopfringl descends further into a disturbing mania as he begins to embrace his own German heritage, and consequently becomes convinced that his half-Jewish wife and children must themselves be ‘liberated’.

The film succeeds largely due to Hrušínský’s darkly comic portrayal of Kopfringl, coupled with Herz’s impressive and idiosyncratic cinematography. With rapid pace,

scenes transition between the macabre and the mundane (and often both simultaneously), with frequent use of jump-cuts, perfectly accentuating the protagonists dispassionate, desensitised attitude towards death.

Of course the film’s narrative, characteristically of the New Wave movement, also serves as an allegory of oppression under communist rule and of the corruptive power of propaganda.

Kopfringl’s transformation thus presents a cautionary and timeless tale of the ease with which individual morality may be exploited and contaminated for political gain.

The Cremator is an under-appreciated gem from the Czech New Wave movement, and one arguably deserving of wider recognition.

Tim Metcalfe

the series on his own. If the pilot is anything to go by, he’ll do just fine.

As with most pilots, the main function of the first episode is to introduce the major players into the story. Rather than struggling under the weight of this mandate, as the likes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has in the past, Gotham manages to strike up a good balance of introducing the characters, and playing out the sub-plot of the episode.

The first scene opens with a young Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) pick-pocketing a few passersby for a few bucks and a carton of milk. She then chances to witness the iconic scene of Martha (Brette Taylor) and Thomas Wayne (Greyson McCouch) being shot and killed right before the eyes of Bruce (David Mazouz). From here we jump to Gotham PD where we meet a young Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) managing to diffuse a hostage situ-

ation.

Although scenes seem to flit a little erratically from one to another in the first half of the episode, their transitions become more fluid by the second half. Executive producer Bruno Heller seems keen to showcase Gordon as a hero from the off.

As the episode plays out, however, with Gordon and partner Harvey Bullock attempting to apprehend the Waynes’ killer, we see that he isn’t infallible and has an impulsive side that gets him into trouble several times.

The pilot is dark in both tone and lighting, with more of a tangibly adult tone than most other Fox dramas. If Heller’s previous work on Rome and The Mentalist is anything to go by, we’re in for an intellectual, tenebrous, and well-developed series.

Kate Lovatt

Friday October 10 2014

Tony benn: will and testament Dir: Skip Kite

I

n director Skip Kite’s tenderly put-together farewell to political firecracker, socialist stalwart and compassionate family man Tony Benn, we look back over his 88 years, mapping his unique and rocky journey through the 20th century, humanising his controversial public persona along the way.

Will and Testament tracks Benn’s life more or less chronologically, through wars, elections, resignations, victories and defeats. Key episodes from both his public and private lives are spotlighted in warm and colourful homilies from the aged figure.

At no point are his opinions or stories compromised for easy viewing. This is an accurately-painted portrait of a hardline left-winger who has seen the entire spectrum of the human experience that while adding plenty of nuance to the monstrous character he was once portrayed as by his enemies leaves no space for the alternative argument.

Benn’s deeply-ingrained world-

magic in the moonlight Dir: Woody Allen

A

ny Woody Allen movie has particular features by which it’s immediately and easily recognisable. Magic in the Moonlight is no exception to this rule - sadly. It lacks originality, repeating to the point of tedium some of Allen’s favourite topics: in particular the fight, usually generational, between rational and irrational, pessimism and optimism, reality and magic.

In this game the two contenders are Stanley (Colin Firth) and Sophie (Emma Stone) on the field of the breath-taking French Riviera. Live-magician Stanley is asked to unmask a supposed clairvoyant, Sophie, who is a guest at an American multimillionaire family’s estate and has small

dracula untold Dir: Gary Shore

A

n emotional insight into the creation of Bram Stoker’s vampiric creature, Dracula Untold follows the trend set

by X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Batman Begins, revealing a heartfelt story of love, loss and sacrifice amid a plethora of intense action.

Playing on the namesake of Stoker’s Dracula, the story follows Lord Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) of House Draculesti as he attempts to defend his people from the will of the invading Turkish Sultan Mehmed (Dominic Cooper).

Faced with the possible loss of his son, Ingeras (Art Parkinson)

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view fills all four corners of the screen, showing the same steadfastness and stubbornness in his old age that he did in his political heyday. That said, the tales he spins are nothing if not relatable.

Anecdotes include the loss of his brother Michael in the second world war, the touching story of his life with wife and childhood sweetheart Caroline DeCamp, his campaign to reject the peerage he inherited from his father and his departure from the Labour party in the latter days of his career.

Benn casts light on his perspective of key incidents in British and international history, such as the miner’s strike, the Falklands war, or 9/11, and Kite wisely gives him the space to do so untempered and uninfluenced. Archive television and radio snippets aside, Benn’s is the only voice airing in Will and Testament, making it a deeply personal piece.

Someone else’s words cannot do proper credit to a life as remarkable as Benn’s, which is what makes the film essential viewing.

Kite sets the film up with little fuss, just an elegant and gentle touch.

Newly-filmed material centres around a soundstage which features a mock-up study surrounded by nicknacks from Benn’s life - a

tent from Occupy London, a selection of socialist mugs - as well as blown-up red top front pages condemning Benn as “The Dictator” or rejoicing as “Benn gets the Boot”.

Benn sits in the kitchen of his modest flat and spins yarns between old footage from news and film (Brassed Off is his favourite) that supports, rather than overshadows his extended monologue.

Little can really be said of Will and Testament’s content without taking away the experience of discovering new layers of this ridiculous, wonderful figure. Like Benn himself, this fond farewell is unpredictable, multifaceted, delicate, beautiful and utterly human.

Rhys Handley

night-time conversations with Mr Catledge, deceased husband of Mrs Catledge (Jacki Weaver) and father of Caroline (Erica Leerhsen) and Brice (Hamish Linklater).

Despite his initial attempts to expose Sophie as a fraud, Stanley starts believing in her extrasensory powers, reconsidering his rational world view. Meanwhile, he makes her uncertain about her life and her relationship with Brice.

For the last decade critics have commented on Woody Allen’s creative crisis, a crazy rollercoaster of more downs than ups, from Rome and London to Barcelona and, now, the French Rivera. Since Allen’s previous movie set in France, Midnight in Paris, is an original and well-written movie, Magic in the Moonlight is by comparison a flat attempt to emulate himself, bringing back the marvellous sightseeing – working with

the same DP Darius Khondji and using the same 20s music.

The dance between Firth and Stone is simply an imitation of Gil’s dance moves at Fitzgerald’s party in the earlier film. Here the screenwriting is like something out of film school:

– and every other first born son in his Transylvanian dominion – Vlad is forced to resort to unholy means through the Master Vampire (Charles Dance) in order to save everything he holds dear, testing both the loyalty of his people and the love of his family to their limits.

Dracula Untold makes use of a vast amount of special effects to deliver a sense of Vlad’s supernatural powers. The true power of these effects comes forth during the battle scenes.

At one point the action is observed in the reflection of a fallen sword, while in another instance, from the perspective of a flying bat. Although sea-sickness could be a possible side-effect for

some viewers, director Gary Shore maintains audience captivation throughout what would otherwise be a monotonous battle scene.

One thing that certainly could not be described as monotonous is Evans’s portrayal of the noble, yet inevitably cursed, Vlad.

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Allen follows all the rules concerning times and situations, but this makes the film boring and flat, leaving the viewer with a simple question: when does the film actually start?

Apparently not even at the end, which is predictable and preceded by an even more uninteresting plot twist.

There are a few elements and lines that are brilliant and humorous, if taken on their own. As for the actors, Firth and Stone give good performances, as you would expect from an Oscar winner and a rising star, yet there is poor chemistry between them.

Ultimately, the main themes - the disillusionment with magic and the fight between the rational and the unknown - stay buried under six feet of stupid, annoying little chats and never come out as they should, as they do brilliantly in Allen’s previous film Whatever Works.

Like Stanley says, in order to find a fraud you have to make the suspect repeat the trick over and over until you can see it. With Magic in the Moonlight, Allen is just showing us the same trick over and over again.

Valeria Vigilante

Alongside Vlad’s wife, Mirena (Sarah Gadon), Evans crafts a character driven by love and fear – in contrast to the preconceived perceptions of both Dracula and Vlad the Impaler, giving

Vlad a distinctly human quality prior to any conception of both his gruesome past and his cursed future. Alongside one another, Evans and Gadon weave a heartwarming love story that draws you involuntarily into emotional investment in their characters; a surprising and somewhat disconcerting result given Vlad’s implicitly horrifying past.

Ending with an unashamedly clear preparation for a sequel, it may be possible that we see more of the franchise in the future. It seems unlikely that any future sequels could match the intrigue and emotion in the storyline of Dracula Untold, however.

On the whole, Dracula Untold presents a new and rejuvenated take on the original story.

Not simply a reproduction of previous films, it presents thrilling action while emphasising the underlying humanity Vlad maintains as a victim of circumstance, and the selfless reasons for which he takes on his curse.

Tom Herrington

DOT COM

Fuse Listings.

All the events in Sheffield that you don’t want to miss in the next fortnight.

Screen.

Games.

Filmed in Supermarionation (October 11, 4pm, the Showroom Cinema) Documentary about the puppetry technique pioneered by Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet creator Gerry Anderson, hosted by Lady Penelope and Parker. F-A-B! Showroom Film Quiz (October 14, 8:30pm, the Showroom Cinema) Sheffield’s greatest film quiz returns with a special horror-themed evening. Prepare for creepy clips, spooky soundtracks and terrifying trivia!

Cult Tuesdays: Videodrome (October 14, 8:30pm, the Showroom Cinema) David Cronenberg’s 80s body horror classic comes to the Showroom for one night only. “Long live the new flesh...”

Kes (October 18, 2:30pm, the Showroom Cinema) Showing as part of Off the Shelf, Ken Loach’s heartbreaking tale of a young boy and his kestrel is a landmark in British film.

Coming soon to the University of Sheffield’s independent cinema...

Friday October 10: The Room (Five and Dime Screening) Saturday October 11: The Wind Rises Sunday October 12: Calvary Friday October 17: The Square Saturday October 18: Spaced Sunday October 19: Maleficent For more info on future releases or to volunteer go to filmunit.org.uk

Tickets: £2.50 each

LAN45: The Freshers LAN (October 11-12, the Ridge, Ranmoor Village) Sheffield’s gaming society, SLUGSoc, has organised a local area network (LAN) extravaganza over at Ranmoor village where dedicated gamers can play for an entire weekend!

LAN favourites include Civilisation V, Team Fortress 2 and Minecraft.

For more info on upcoming LAN events, go to slugsoc.co.uk Give it a Go - Card Games Society (October 11, High Tor 4, Endcliffe, £2 entry) For a more low-tech gaming experience, give the Card Games Society a try - those who like to live dangerously can even play for Amazon vouchers!

Game Releases October 14 Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Raven’s Cry (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One) Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (PS4, Xbox One) The Evil Within (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One) October 21 F1 2014 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Just Dance 2015 (PS3, PS4, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One)

Arts.

Music.

Off the Shelf Festival of Words (October 11 - November 1) Sheffield’s literature and media festival celebrates its 23rd year with a huge range of talks, readings, debates and exhibitions from some of the leading figures in literature today. To find a full programme of events go to welcometosheffield.co.uk/visit/off-the-shelf This Is My Family (October 9-18, the Lyceum) Calendar Girls writer Tim Firth makes his return with a laugh-out-loud musical that looks at family in the modern world. Not only does it sound like a barrel of laughs, it’s also your first chance to see the newly refurbished Lyceum Theatre in all its glory.

The Woman in Black (October 21-25, the Lyceum) It’s had over 25 years in the West End, and now Stephen Mallatratt’s terrifying musical returns to the Lyceum in Sheffield. Daniel Radcliffe is all well and good, but for a truly, pant-wettingly scary experience the live show cannot be beaten.

Macbeth (October 15-25, the Lantern Theatre) Sheffield’s oldest - and possibly smallest - theatre plays host to the Gilys Guite Players, who present their modernised production of Shakespeare’s tale of horrifying deeds.

Traces of Empire: Decoration and Design in Roman Britain (October 11 2014 - October 31 2015, Weston Park Museum) A look at how the Roman Empire influenced fashion and decoration in ancient Britain.

Romeo & Juliet (October 22-25, Drama Studio, Tickets £8) The Midland Players’ adaptation of this immortal tragedy puts the Montagues and Capulets in the seedy world of prohibition-era America.

Live Gigs James Yorkston - 10/10, The Harley Glass Caves - 10/10, Rocking Chair Dreadzone - 11/10, Plug Kids In Glass Houses - 12/10, Corporation Wolf Alice - 12/10, Queens Social Club Billy Lockett - 12/10, Leadmill Marmozets - 13/10 Corporation The Amazing Snakeheads - 14/10, Plug Album Releases Greylag: Greylag -13/10 Kele Okereke: Trick - 13/10 Kevin Morby: Still Life - 13/10 Meatbodies: Meatbodies - 13/10 Pharmakon: Beastial Burden - 13/10 The Body & Sandburn: Split LP - 20/10 The Budos Band: Burnt Offering - 20/10 Bear’s Den: Islands - 20/10 Charlie XCX: Sucker - 20/10 Fences: Lesser Oceans - 20/10 Kindness: Otherness - 20/10

Bella Hardy - 15/10, Shakespeare Glass Animals - 16/10, Plug Clean Bandit - 18/10, 02 Maverick Sabre - 18/10, Plug Eugene McGuiness - 21/10, Harley Boomtown Rats - 22/10, 02 Little Comets - 22/10, Leadmill Menace Beach - 23/10, Bungalows & Bears Mark Lanegan Band: Phantom Radio 20/10 Primus: Primus and the Chocolate Factory - 20/10 Slipknot: .5: The Gray Chapter - 20/10 Scott Walker and Sun O))): Soused 20/10 Thurston Moore: The Best Day - 20/10

Life at the University of Sheffield is about so much more than lectures and seminars. Which is why the Union created the Give it a Go programme; an easy way to try everything from archery to chocolate tasting. Joining an event couldn’t be easier. Once you pick an event you like, buy a ticket from the Union Box Office (or online at sheffieldsu.com/events), then turn up on the day! Be prepared to try something new and make friends! Oh, and don’t forget to bring a bottle of water.

Man Utd Stadium Tour Durham Road Sunday October 12 8:30am £27.50 Take a walk around the hallowed halls of Old Trafford, including a look in the changing rooms, before spending the afternoon shopping in Manchester city centre.

Medieval Sword Fighting No.66 (TV Studio) Sunday October 12 2pm £5 Unleash your inner Inigo Montoya with the Medieval Society, and try your hand at swinging some swords, broadswords and battleaxes.

Armor not included.

Bouldering Goodwin Sports Centre Friday October 17 6pm £5 Try your hand at climbing one of the biggest rock walls in the UK. We guarantee there’s no danger of getting trapped and then being forced to saw your own arm off.

Aikido Bar One Tuesday October 21 5pm £3.50 Aikido is a Japanese martial art based around the idea of using an opponent’s force against them - Tuesday sessions are perfect for beginners!

Historical Murder Tour Bar One Tuesday October 21 7:30pm £4.50 Already getting tired of your housemates? Then take this tour of Sheffield’s most gruesome murder sites and find the perfect place to dump their bodies.