LIVE: 1975 // STEVE JOBS // ASSASSIN’S CREED SYNDICATE // DAMAGES
FREE ISSUE 90
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Friday 20 November 2015
INSIDE
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ARTS
Regent’s Park Theatre’s Lord of the Flies at the Lyceum (p. 11)
MUSIC
GAMES
A new installation of Assassin’s Creed released (p.10)
SCREEN
SHORT FUSE 3
SCREEN FEATURE 5 The pros and cons of Youtube’s new subscription service
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The anticipated Steve Jobs film hits the screens (p.14)
ARTS FEATURE 8-9 The Art of the Adult Colouring Book REVIEWS AND LISTINGS 10-16 FUSE EDITOR Kazuma Osaki
EDITORIAL soundtracks (I personally hoped the Almost Famous soundtrack would make it in there). Games have, as mentioned earlier, come up with a very comprehensive piece on Fallout – not to mention that the layout looks really good too. They are also very happy to finally have an Assassin’s Creed Syndicate review, so take a look at that too! Finally, Arts have one of my favorite pages this issue, with a great feature on adult colouring books. The artwork provided by Emily Cuthbert is the most adorable and playful artworks I can ever imagine to be one Fuse. If you can have some fun with it and colour it in – even tweet us a photo of your work perhaps – that would be great! On another note, bonfire night happened over the fortnight followed by reading week. The front cover image of this issue is a photo of a firework at the bonfire night taken by Helu Zhang, and the back cover image is by our very own Dan West. Overall I tried to
1975 play the O2 Academy (p.12)
GAMES FEATURE 6-7 The Fallout series explained by Luke Baldwin
MUSIC FEATURE 4 What’s the best soundtrack ever?
ey everyone! My name is Kazuma and I am the new Fuse Editor. This is the first issue I’m officially laying my hands on and to be quite honest it’s a lot of work. And while I can say this without sounding pompous, I hope everyone out there doesn’t take for granted the amount of work the editors and the contributors put into Fuse and Forge Press as a whole. It’s amazing for a reason. Actually, if anything, you should just stop reading my editorial and skip to the Short Fuses. With that being said, for Screen, the long-anticipated Steve Jobs film was just released, alongside peculiar love story Brooklyn. Luke, who joined Fuse with me as Screen Editor, has taken a whole lot of initiative this issue, producing a brilliant feature on Youtube’s new subscription service and even writing an excellent piece on the Fallout series for Games. Music Editors Charlotte and Tara have coverage on the 1975 show at the O2 Academy, and put together a fun, passionate feature on film
fuse@forgetoday.com
aim for a rather peaceful but happy atmosphere for the autumn season – and just to be clear this isn’t because of reading week laziness. In Japan, where I come from, we refer to autumn as a season of arts and entertainment because the tranquil atmosphere of the season lets you to indulge into the wonders of art. And though there have been a lot of tragic events happening around the world, I hope that the exciting-as-ever content on Fuse can help you to take your mind off of the negativities in life and enjoy what enchantments entertainment has to offer. Well that’s about it from me. We only have one more issue coming up this year, which will be followed by a very, very long break for Forge Press. I’ll do my best to finish the year strongly for Fuse, so keep checking our social network outlets and our website, and we’ll meet again in two weeks! Kazuma Osaki
ARTS EDITORS Jo Gallacher Joshua Hackett GAMES EDITORS Ash Emritte Moya O’Rourke MUSIC EDITORS Tara Hodgson Charlotte Pick SCREEN EDITORS Luke Baldwin Rhys Handley FRONT COVER Helu Zhang BACK COVER Dan West
CONTRIBUTORS Alisha Griffiths Amelia Heathman Billy Geeson Benjy Taylor Charles Lamb Chris Saltmarsh Emily Cuthbert Euan Antona Harry Chambers Jack Stacey Jamie Hughes Jay Harrison Joe Bray Katherine Swindells Madeleina Kay Matthew Drew Matthew Mills Mollie Davidson Molly Kerkham Niamh McQuillan Nick Burke Niki Kesharaju Sophie Turner Sophie Wilson Rachel Mercer Valeria Vigilante Wan Asyraf Norarjuna
Email us over at fuse@forgetoday.com or come along to one of our contributor meetings!
Friday 20 November 2015
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SHORT FUSE
MAKING SPACE FOR CREATIVITY
ecently, Southwark Council rejected proposals to turn an old multi-story car park into a gigantic hub of art studios, in favour of the usual conveyor belt of shops and cafes. The winning plan does offer to provide 50 studios, but that is 750 less than the initial proposal. Artists are rarely monied, so to own a dedicated space to cover in work, imagination and paint (lots of paint) is a luxury which few can afford. While the austeritypeddlers continue to throw up bric-a-brac housing everywhere to make up for the homes they plan to sell off, and fail to develop
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anything of cultural value other than yet another lunchtime meal deal, artists are being suffocated. Whose day is not improved when they come across something beautiful or thought provoking? A friend of mine recently found a painting on the street, complete with a note attesting that the creator did not create it for monetary gain, but merely for self-expression. This is a great attitude, but this kind of art ideally shouldn’t be left on the street for lucky people to stumble upon. Art should be in our faces, everywhere and anywhere, brightening up our morning
commutes and dreary Monday mornings. Perhaps opening our arms to street art is the answer? A few spots in and around Division Street have become framed in the Instagram accounts of many first years, but after a recent visit to Prague, it’s clear to me that we can do more. After John Lennon’s death in 1980, one particular wall in the centre of the city was flooded with graffiti in support of the man’s ideals of peace, love and unity, as well as the odd Beatles lyrics. The Communist authorities tried to stop the outpouring of emotion by painting over the wall, but the
graffiti only emerged again the next day. Nowadays, the wall is a constantly changing must-see for tourists and locals alike. We should take this example to heart; open up our walls and spaces to creative people with something to show us. Sheffield, still suffering from the hasty rebuilds after the second world war, has no shortage of grey, ugly spots which could be a canvas for inspiration. So come on, councils of Britain, let the people create something beautiful. MATTHEW DREW
HAVING A BIT OF AN EPISODE
f you’ve followed any prominent Youtube “let’s player” in the last few years, there’s one kind of game that will be at the forefront of your mind; episodic games. Whether it’s Telltale’s The Walking Dead or Wolf Among Us or Square Enix’s Life is Strange, these types of games have risen into prominence. Episodic games are a genre where the player shapes the world around them, and each decision they make shapes the universe. Or at least, that’s what they want you to think is happening. These games sell the idea that every decision matters, but in reality, the exhilaration often builds up to nothing.
“These games sell the idea that every decision matters, but in reality, the exhilaration often builds up to nothing”
Let’s take Life is Strange, for example. The game has a very immersive story, with believable characters and an empathetic
narrative. Yet the culmination of all of your specific decisions, of the journey you took, the path you believed you had forged, is a simple choice between only two options. That is the end. The end of every different journey you may choose to take. A simple choice of two options. This is a perfect example of the lie that developers of episodic games sell you; players are buying into an unfinished game. Unfinished in that for all of your different decisions, you only get one ending. One of the major appeals of these games however is the uncertainty that shapes decision making. In reality, nonetheless,
developers have a set idea as to how the narrative of these games is going to wrap up and player decisions are going to be pidgeon holed into one of a few choices. These pseudo point-and-click adventures are ultimately bound by the imagination of their developers, and therefore the player cannot exert the level of control they are promised and moreover, are forced to be happy with prescribed endings or be disappointed. JAY HARRISON
‘TIS THE SEASON OF OASIS... APPARENTLY
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ver the past few years, the release of the John Lewis Christmas advert has become an annual event. From Monty the Penguin to the adventurous snowman, we’re always treated to a cinematic story accompanied by a stripped-down version of a popular song. This year’s song sees Oasis’ classic ‘Half The World Away’ covered by 19 year old Norwegian Aurora. The advert tells the story of a little girl who sends a telescope – presumably from John Lewis – to a lonely man on the moon, and it has
made everyone very emotional. The song choice feels too obvious, though, bordering on cheesy. It feels like John Lewis made up a pretty rubbish story based on the song title, Oasis are only the latest big name to get the ‘John Lewis’ treatment. The Beatles’ ‘Real Love’ was covered by Tom Odell, whilst Ellie Goulding took on Elton John’s classic ‘Your Song’. Slow Moving Millie covered The Smiths in 2011 and Gabriella Aplin was praised for her version of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘The Power Of Love’
in 2012. So generally, John Lewis covers are well received. This year seems to have split opinion more than previous offerings, though – not many people seemed affected by Lily Allen’s cover of ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Keane, for example. Oasis fans on Twitter claim the cover has ‘ruined Christmas’, with one user, @danbeasley1, even claiming that Aurora should be ‘sent to the moon as punishment’ for butchering ‘Half The World Away’. On the other hand, though, there is a lot of praise for the ‘beautiful’
choice of song. Maybe the difference between ‘Half The World Away’ and other John Lewis songs, is that it’s hard to strip back a song that’s loved for it’s stripped-back nature. The advert itself is not one of John Lewis’ best, and it just feels like Aurora is trying to copy Noel Gallagher, which will rarely end in success. JOE BRAY
HOW ABOUT A PANSEXUAL MARVEL HERO?
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eadpool is the latest Marvel superhero to be adapted for the big screen and with this adaptation comes the welcome news that the character will have non-binary sexuality. Deadpool is pansexual, which means he is attracted to all genders and sexes. Although this may seem like a very small step, given the current paucity of representation for nonheterosexual sexualities, it may actually be a huge leap for the LGBTQ+ community. The news is especially welcome because Deadpool is a hero.
Perhaps ‘antihero’ might be more appropriate, but at the end of the day Deadpool is the one who will save the screaming children. This may not seem that important, but currently the main way in which LGBTQ+ people are represented in films is via queer coding - a term that means someone is heavily implied to be a certain sexuality, but this is never actually confirmed. Think Scar in The Lion King, Hades in Hercules or Jim Moriarty in BBC’s Sherlock; all characters advance hero roles hor have effeminate features, but none of them are ever actually confirmed as gay.
“It is to be hoped that this first step will pave the way for other LGBTQ+ characters in Marvel films in the future”
Only having villainous representations of LGBTQ+ people in popular media is dangerous and leaves questioning young people
without a role model in the public arena. Deadpool may also be a questionably ‘good’ character, but an antihero is certainly better than no hero at all, and it is to be hoped that this first step will pave the way for other LGBTQ+ characters in Marvel films in the future. It is therefore a positive thing that the Marvel portrayal of Deadpool will embrace his characterisation as pansexual and finally give the LGBTQ+ community a hero. RHYS HANDLEY
Friday 20 November 2015
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FEATURE
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rench electronic duo Air, were charged with the task of composing an original score to Sofia Coppola’s stylish and curious 1999 debut, The Virgin Suicides. It proved to be a rare juncture between two creative visions, where sight and sound lifted one another into a timeless piece of artistry. Their anachronistic and synthesised warblings feel purposely displaced among the film’s tawny 1970s aesthetic. Setting an eerie undercurrent, your senses are heightened to the romanticised on-screen fixation
What’s the best soundtrack ever? Five contributors pick their favourites, and explain what makes them so special.
with love and death.
“Sight and sound lifted one another into a timeless piece of artistry” Gooey and seductive lines underscoring intimate scenes between the young characters, create an enticing uncertainty between the alluring, the playful and the sinister. Otherwise banal scenes of home and family life as a middle-class adolescent
are transformed into dreamlike sequences, viewed through a kaleidoscope of analogue electronica and retro-tinged triphop. This spacey and peculiar score frames Coppola’s picture of the darker trappings of 20th century American suburbia in a fantastical and bizarre light, and it’s easy to see why she kept her faith in unorthodoxy when, four years later, she went on to put together the soundtrack to her careerdefining hit, Lost in Translation. HARRY CHAMBERS
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uno, Ellen Page’s quirky teenpregnancy comedy, not only contains the best line in cinema, “this is one doodle that can’t be undid, homeskillet,” it also has the best compilation soundtrack. It’s a light-hearted, slightly wacky soundtrack, which wholly mirrors the film. There’s a big variety of songs on the album, ranging from the well known - the Kinks, Velvet Underground, Buddy Holly - to the more obscure and absurd, like ‘Vampire’, by Kimya Dawson’s band, Antsy Pants. Dawson was apparently
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t is easy to forget that there ever existed a world before ‘Get Lucky’, and by extension electronic duo Daft Punk’s fourth studio album, Random Access Memories. Nevertheless, in 2010, the French pioneers were busy channelling their creative talents into an entirely different project, the result of which is a unique, expansive collaboration of masterful orchestration and trademark electronic simplicity: the Tron: Legacy original soundtrack. Though opinions on the film itself are divided, two key aspects are not disputed: the horror of witnessing a young, fully-CGI Jeff
Bridges; and how expertly the score captures the dazzling and vibrant synthetic universe of Tron.
“A unique, expansive collaboration of masterful orchestration” The album begins with a sweeping orchestral piece in ‘Overture’, and from there accompanies the film’s journey throughout the world
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well as solo. Arguably the best track on the
KATHERINE SWINDELLS
NICK BURKE
W without seeming forced. The soundtrack could work as an album in its own right, as the songs largely work well next to each other. The only track that breaks this rule and offers an interval from indie synths is Francesco Pennino’s ‘Senza Mamma’, a century old song that has also featured on the soundtrack for The Godfather II. After watching the film and listening to the soundtrack, you will always associate the film’s images with each song. As the character’s lives move through endless summer days, long car journeys and loud house parties, the soundtrack moves
“It’s a light-hearted, slightly wacky soundtrack, which wholly mirrors the film”
album is Belle and Sebastian’s ‘Expectations’. Not only is it a wonderful song, but it wonderfully encapsulates that weird sense of not-belonging that many of us, whether teen-pregnant or not, often feel. The soundtrack finishes with a reprise of an earlier song: ‘Anyone Else but You’, this time duetted by Page and Michael Cera themselves with their guitars - the perfect, awkward ending to a perfect awkward film.
of the Grid. Standouts include the punchy excitement of ‘The Game Has Changed’, the subtle moodiness of ‘Solar Sailer’, and the unforgettable freneticism of ‘Derezzed’. This soundtrack, both calm and wild, safe and bold, has a special magic to it that is near unique among films scores. It utilises a large orchestra and overlays it with pulses of synth and bass, creating a final product that, while definitely not for everyone, is up there with Daft Punk’s best.
es Anderson’s films have a play-like nature, they’re like cinematic operas; set pieces in which characters unknowingly seamlessly interact with the music around them. A great example of this effortless fluency between film and music in Anderson’s films is the use of Paul Simon’s ‘Me and Julio down by the Schoolyard’ in The Royal Tenenbaums, played over the montage of Gene Hackman’s Royal, connecting with his grandsons and helping them emerge from their over-parented shells. The song is about youth, rebellion
he soundtrack to Gia Coppola’s 2013 film, Palo Alto, features dreamy synths that play alongside the film’s dreamy images. Compiled by Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes, it is evocative of the bored, adolescent suburbia that the film itself so masterfully presents. The soundtrack features a number of pre-released songs, but most of them were not well-known before featuring in the film. This adds to the authenticity of both the film and its soundtrack. It also features original tracks by members of the cast which fit directly into the film
recommended by Page herself, and as such she dominates almost half the soundtrack, with bands Antsy Pants and the Mouldy Peaches as
with them, piecing the highs and lows together through the music’s versatility.
“A unique and evocative film soundtrack” Upbeat hedonistic party tunes are placed seamlessly next to the dreamy synthpop, creating a unique and evocative film soundtrack. SOPHIE WILSON
and breaking the law, and it fits perfectly with the scenes of the three characters gleefully rampaging around the city, running through traffic, throwing water balloons at cars and shoplifting snacks. Even if having not watched The Royal Tenenbaums for a while, several of these music video-like scenes immediately spring to mind, set pieces masterly melded with well-chosen songs; the Nico song ‘These Days’ heralding Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum’s entrance back into her brother’s life, The Ramone’s ‘Judy is a Punk’ giving power to the montage of her rebellious years, and of course
Elliot Smith’s ‘Needle in the Hay’ providing the backdrop for Richie’s desperate, gory suicide attempt. The Royal Tenenbaums is dotted with these seemingly perfect scenes, and is a showcase for what can happen when the two art forms of film and popular music meet, to make something better than either one on its own. The relatable style and content of the songs allow for them to be perfectly matched with a scene, turning the meaning of the film, and the songs, into something completely different. BENJY TAYLOR
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Friday 20 November 2015
FEATURE
Nick Burke discusses whether Youtube’s controversial new premium service is worth the fee and the effect it may have on the industry
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hese days, the online consumer is spoilt for choice. Near-endless streams of new content are brought to us by an everincreasing number of providers, with a growing portion available through paid subscriptions. It is into this saturated market of monthly fees that YouTube Red arrives. Though the fees charged by companies such as Netflix have
increased in recent years, an argument could be made that recent competition has driven the business model in a positive direction, to the point where the consumer is now benefitting from a greater value for money. YouTube Red will be competing with the likes of Amazon Prime to offer an all-inclusive package including shows, music, and membership perks unique to the YouTube platform. While currently only available in the US, Alphabet (Google’s newly-created parent company) will widen the availability of the service throughout 2016, as well as releasing the forthcoming YouTube Music service, billed as a complement to Red. This will join YouTube Gaming, a recently released live streaming service, the roots of which lie in a failed acquisition of Twitch, now owned by Amazon. It should be noted that YouTube’s free user experience will be unchanged, albeit with more of an emphasis on enticing subscribers with new content. Those that do so can expect the long-awaited feature of Ad-free video streaming (a more legitimate option to Adblock), as well as the ability to both play content i n
the background on a mobile device and save it to view offline in any video quality. Finally, exclusive original shows from current YouTube stars will be offered, with PewDiePie and Tobuscus among the first to be announced. An additional bonus comes in the form of access to Google Play Music, which offers a service with similar features to Apple Music, Amazon’s Prime Music, and Spotify. All this for $9.99 per month, though this will likely translate to £9.99 here in the UK. An additional caveat revealed in the US rollout is an increased fee of $12.99 for iPhone and iPad users, a move Alphabet claims is necessary to combat the 30 percent cut Apple take on all app revenue (and in doing so essentially passes that charge onto the consumer).
“There has been controversy over the requirement for every creator with ad-supported content to agree to the Red service” Despite this extensive content package, there are many concerns regarding whether consumers will embrace the monetisation of a service known and loved for being completely free. The free trial month will likely prove extremely popular, but it is unclear just how many features will actually be utilised when so many alternatives currently exist. People have many options for streaming music, and enough original
Felix Kjellberg, PewDiePie, is the most subsribed Youtuber on the site and one of the leading figures of Youtube Red
broadcasting to last them a lifetime. Because of this, YouTube will be looking to two major demographics for the success of Red: the loyal communities of major creators, and those that already use YouTube as a source for their music. If these two groups are convinced, by exclusive content and a better mobile music experience respectively, the service may succeed. But what of the effect on the YouTubers themselves? There has been controversy over the requirement for every creator with ad-supported content to agree to the Red service, with the alternative that every video will otherwise be made private. This has understandably caused outrage from various corners of the community. Their revenues, and for many their livelihoods, will now be directly linked to Red, with more money earned from a subscribed viewer than a regular one. In this way, it is vital for both established and new YouTubers that the service succeeds, although Alphabet should be given credit for paying creators for content watched during the trial period too. It should also now be easier for a lesser-known channel to make money without having to rely upon adverts, though the distribution of wealth is unlikely to change in the long run. With regard to adverts, many see the introduction of Red as the death of Adblock. On his blog, PewDiePie claimed using a small sample poll that 40 percent of his viewers access his content via this tool. Whether this is accurate or not, the widely-accepted truth is that a large chunk of a YouTuber’s possible revenue is lost in this way. If this is indeed to be a turning point, the question is whether that same 40 percent
are willing to pay more to receive a comparable experience to the free one they currently enjoy. That said, in most cases adverts are a necessity for a service that relies upon the highest quality content that creators can provide, something that must be incentivised and financed. While YouTube will remain the same for non-‘Redders’, a worrying possibility is that Alphabet will choose to subtly alter the framework of the existing experience to steadily push people towards the subscription model. An example of this is the increase of Amazon’s minimum spend for Super Saver Delivery, a move arguably designed to convince those looking for free postage to try their Amazon Prime service. Moves like this do not bode well for any free user alternatives.
“Possibility that the existing framework will be altered to push the subscription” The strength of a subscription platform is to cultivate a loyal, familiar user base that is tied to payments to a single service over a longer period of time. It is very much an either/or system. In this way, new players in the subscription game will have a far harder time convincing the public that their product is truly different enough to warrant jumping ship from their current provider. It is a crowded market with little room for failure, so the question is not whether YouTube should evolve, but whether it can.
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Friday 20 November 2015
FEATURE
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longside the release of Fallout 4, Bethesda is also offering gamers the chance to catch up on the series before the delving back into their favourite post-apocalyptic wasteland. Fallout Anthology includes five of the main games in the series, Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, as well as all the expansions released for the last two games. All these come bundled in a collectible mini-nuke which features an atom bomb sound effect and even has a space ready for Fallout 4. Fallout is a 1997 turn based role playing game released by Interplay Studios, widely considered to be a sequel to their previous game Wasteland. Set in a sandbox, retrofuturistic, post-nuclear war California which has retained a 1950s art deco style, the player is thrust into the shoes of a Vault Dweller. These are one of the inhabitants of the Wastelands many Vaults, underground bunkers protecting the families inside for generations, only leaving for emergencies. In this case the emergency is clear; the player must find a water chip in 150 days or their entire Vault will die. Easy, right? Wrong. One thing
that is very striking about the first two Fallout games is their difficulty, especially considering modern games are generally spoon fed to the player. However this is by no means a negative; if anything the difficulty is a testament to Fallout’s expansive world and in depth RPG mechanics.
“Gameplay is incredibly fun and tasks the player to think both in terms of tactical combat and persuasive dialogue options� Gameplay is incredibly fun and tasks the player to think both in terms of tactical combat and persuasive dialogue options. The player can use a wide variety of approaches, from out and out combat to charismatic wheeler dealing.
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Friday 20 November 2015
FEATURE Of course the game looks very dated, but the detailed gameplay, charming setting and variety of story options more than makes up for it. Even 18 years on, Fallout remains a pinnacle of how to do RPG gaming.
“Fallout 3 is widely considered one of the best RPGs of its time” Fallout 2, released only a year later, is a run of the mill sequel. Set 80 years after the original, the player is given a new protagonist and story but the same rich universe. An engine upgrade means slightly better graphics and some gameplay additions but nothing mind blowing. If it isn’t broke don’t fix it; Fallout 2 is just as good as its predecessor and which is better is really down to personal preference. Fallout Tactics is where things start to take a turn for the worse for Interplay. Dialogue and variety are swapped for out and out combat with only minor RPG elements, meaning the game feels more like faux Fallout. The game is quite good in its own right but when compared to similar turn based combat games series like XCOM, it just doesn’t offer enough depth in terms of tactics. The lack of choice really takes away from the immersion found in previous iterations. Despite Tactics’ relative success and an attempt at making a third Fallout game more akin to the originals, the infamous Van Buren project, Interplay would ultimately file for bankruptcy in 2007 with the rights to the series being sold the following year to RPG powerhouse Bethesda Studios, most known for the genre defining Elder Scrolls series.
This made some fans uneasy, with many worrying that the next game would simply be Oblivion with guns. However, these same fans were left eating their words. Fallout 3 thrust the series into the 6th generation of gaming, and it did it brilliantly. The eerie wasteland, a fantastically depicted Washington D.C., coupled with an array of off-the-wall characters perfectly captures what the series was about. An improved engine allows the game to switch to a first person perspective but without losing its initial charm. Fallout 3 is widely considered one of the best RPGs of its time. Combat feels fluid and fun, but not overemphasized like its predecessor. Rather, the game reintroduces aspects of the first two Fallouts, such as dialogue and morality. Player options are almost endless, as any good RPG should be. Fallout New Vegas is similar to Fallout 2 in the sense that it’s basically a reskin on the game before it. Although some additions were made to make the game feel more in keeping with the expanded universe, the game looks and plays almost the exact same as 3, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, the fact that the game is developed by much smaller studio Obsidian can be obvious at times, with abundant glitches and a distinct lack of the magic found in Bethesda’s iteration. The expansions for Fallout 3 and New Vegas are somewhat lacklustre in comparison to their main game, with the exception of 3’s Point Lookout which is brilliant. But they extend the shelf life time of two very good games, so it’s not all doom and gloom. For the price tag, Fallout Anthology, is an absolute steal, with all five games potentially offering hundreds of hours of gameplay. The packaging is a great add for any collectors too. With Fallout 4 now among us, Anthology is the perfect celebration of one of the most exciting and iconic game series of all time.
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Friday 20 November 2015
FEATURE
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t’s weird. I hated colouring books as a child. Yet at 20 years old, I find myself the owner of one. Well, the adult kind where they’ve tried to turn a childish activity into a creative pursuit. And I’m strangely proud of this. Bizarrely therapeutic, I find myself sat for hours shading in various foliage and ‘aztec-y’ designs whilst critically determining what colour I should use next. Now, I can bear the OCD nature I’ve developed whilst colouring, but it’s what comes after that I haven’t really come to terms with just yet. As soon as you finish any aspect of a picture, no matter how small (you’ve coloured in a leaf perhaps), you immediately revert back into the childlike state of needing praise. My housemates can vouch for this as I’ve repeatedly forced them to examine my colouring efforts in detail and to tell me how well I’m doing. It’s addictive, I would recommend going out and getting a book. But now all I can think about is what pens I’m going to buy next. I know all the brands. I’m a pen connoisseur. Niamh McQuillan
he most engaging part of an adult colouring book is how open to interpretation the images are. It’s a rewind into our childhoods, where the sun could be green, grass could be pink and the sky could be red. Between the black and white lines, anything goes. The complexity of the images is often striking. They are detailed enough to keep you working on them for a while but there is no time constraint on completing it. Colouring books are completely different to work and still give you the satisfaction of achieving something. And the best part is that you need absolutely no artistic skill at all, just a few felt tips or colouring pencils. As someone who isn’t very artistic, I’m an adult colouring application convert. It’s worth noting the bells and whistles that come with transitioning from book to app. You can print out these high quality images, share them on social media or even re-do the same image in different colours. For most of us, the last time we coloured in would be a distant memory. Now we have a pretty picture in a book to bring out the child in us.
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re adult colouring books made for those not wanting to grow up, or a welcome switch-off from the digital age? Whilst the former may be the initial response of the cynic in us all, such worries are cast aside for the promise of reconnecting with pen and paper and making a beautiful mess. For a life so often spent in front of a screen, adult colouring books provide that link to a time when the least of your worries was whether Tommy’s birthday party would have sufficient cake for you to get a second slice. Arguably this may still be a priority for many, but the tactile act of holding a pen, drawing on paper and having your concentration taken away from pixels provides a moment disconnected from it all. That such books have proved popular amongst twenty and thirty-somethings should not be a surprise - baking, pottery and gardening remain the fashionable, must-do hobbies of the tech generation. These books are the logical next step. Getting messy, using your hands and for the end result to not be perfect all hark back to our collective childhoods and the joy to be had in quite simple things. Charles Lamb
Niki Kesharaju
am a firm opponent to the stereotypical children’s colouring book where each page has generic, cartoon images to mindlessly fill, where the only skill involves keeping within the absurdly thick black lines and the creative challenge extends as far as choosing which colours to use. I would rather burn the paper the picture is printed on than inflict such a mundane and pointless task on any child. So I find the latest fad for “Adult-Colouring-Books” completely incomprehensible. Why any self-respecting adult who valued the use of their time would chose to waste it mindlessly colouring blank shapes is utterly beyond me. Nor do I find them therapeutic, the restrictions and boundaries causing more frustration than aiding relaxation. When I was little, my mum bought me the anti-colouring book. I loved completing the variety of activities and creative tasks offered on every page. It was a fantastic alternative to the standard colouring book and a fantastic choice for both adults and children, second only to a blank piece of paper and your unrestricted imagination. Madeleina Kay
Friday 20 November 2015
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FEATURE
The of the adult book
What has long been considered an activity to keep kids busy has increasingly been adopted by adults seeking relief. Are publishers just cashing in, or can images of flowers and geometric patterns really help to deal with anxiety or stress?
ARTWORK: Emily Cuthbert
Friday 20 November 2015
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REVIEWS
ASSASSIN’S CREED SYNDICATE The Assassin’s Creed franchise at this stage is the video game equivalent to Christmas; whilst you may have been excited for it in your youth, the enthusiasm ebbs away faster with each year that passes, to the point where you wish that daddy Ubisoft would just take off the Santa hat and put something different under the tree. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is just
CULT CORNER
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VERTIGO VOID
ccupying the somewhat oversaturated area of indie platformers, Vertigo Void employs the engaging gameplay elements of verticality and alternating gravity to pull in its audience. This, however, is not enough to save the game from falling into low-budget mediocrity with sticky controls, a lack of variety in gameplay and uninspired visuals. This is storytelling at its most basic. An astronaut finds himself on a series of floating platforms, held in suspension above an expanding sun. The goal is to open a hatch using a series of buttons and escape. In between the character and the portal is a force of sticky panels, disappearing floors and a variety of other obstacles. The real attraction here is the gameplay with its traversable edges and vertical challenges which see you swing from right-side
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another reminder that you can’t hold onto things forever. That isn’t to say that it’s all bad however, with the backdrop of the industrial revolution injecting just enough charm to make gamers pay attention to the few features that may actually be described as innovation. The biggest new feature is the ability to swap between two assassins, in the form of twins Jacob and Evie Frye. This allows for different play styles, with Jacob being combat based and brutish, whilst Evie is calculating and most effective at dispatching enemies from the shadows. Playing as Evie is what makes
Syndicate stand out over previous entries, as her inability to counterstab her way through an entire army meant that for the first time ever, Assassin’s Creed became the game that it should have been all along, making the player rely on stealth to succeed, especially in the early stages. Also new to the franchise is an RPG-esque skills system, in which you gain experience as you progress that can be spent on new abilities and items, made better by the fact that the points are allocated to both characters, removing the need to do everything twice. Combined
with the ability to drive carriages around London and use a hook-shot to traverse the city Just Cause style, Syndicate can be commended for its attempts to bring something new to the table. The only problem is that it just isn’t enough. The game is still hit by the usual issues of being rushed out annually. On top of this, many of the new features are obviously just ticking boxes to help Syndicate classify as something different, and it’s painfully obvious when you consider that you don’t ever have to play as a particular character, or use a carriage outside of certain
missions. Even Evie, who the developers held up proudly as one of the few strong female protagonists in gaming, feels like she was included for this purpose alone, despite her presence in the game being one of the highlights. The saddest thing about all this is that Assassin’s Creed still has so much potential as a franchise, if only the developers would stop extinguishing any flame of intrigue or ingenuity by forcing it out each year.
up to upside down and everything in between. It’s a fun distraction for the first thirty levels or so, but swiftly becomes awkward and somewhat boring. Coupled with sticky, difficult controls which see you plummet towards the omnipresent sun all too often, the game quickly turns into a frustrating effort rather than an engaging challenge. The visuals are stylish and wellimplemented if not particularly inspired, opting for the Minecraft look for it blocky characters and minimalist spacescape. The music is almost entirely forgettable. Despite this, the strength of Vertigo Void lies in the value which comes with the original package. Along with the in-built level creator comes over 200 unique levels, each one a challenge in itself and all for the price of £1.59. Vertigo Void provides a momentary ripple in the indie game market, but ultimately proves to be a forgettable and uninteresting experience, albeit for great value.
HALO 5: GUARDIANS
has very little game time. Out of the 15 missions in Campaign Mode, you only play three as Master Chief (yes, that’s right, only three!), the other missions are as Spartan Locke, leading team Osiris, which somehow, always end up letting Master Chief slip away despite their mission statement being the opposite. Secondly, all the ‘Master Chief versus Spartan Locke’ hype in the advertising was disappointingly not present throughout the whole game, even though it would have been the killer theme for the game. Who wouldn’t want to go against another Spartan in a big boss fight? But sadly (beware of spoilers ahead) the only fight you are going to get is a cheap cut scene that you have no control over, of the two brawling each other. However, one crucial thing that gels the game together is that it is absolutely fun to play. The new game mechanics, plus 60 FPS keeps the rants to a side. The maps are more open than ever, keeping your options of attacking enemies
wide and clear. Multiplayer, which I think is the best so far out of all the Halo instalments, succeeds to be innovative whilst still being nostalgic in a way, from the smaller scale Arenas to the larger Warzone, reminiscent of that from Battlefield.
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ot many games will resonate such a sheer amount of expectation from its faithful following. The warrior who won’t give any of his face away, yet still manages more expressions than Kristen Stewart, certainly delivers a punch in this latest instalment, but sadly only towards the other main character of game, Spartan Jameson Locke.
“There is so much to love about Halo 5...”
There is so much to love about Halo 5 but it is disappointingly let down by a few, but major, decisions by the developer, 343 Industries, who recently took the mantle of responsibility from Bungie. First of all, for a game that pretty much Jack Stacey revolves around Master Chief, he
Matthew Mills
“...but it is disappointingly let down by a few, but major, decisions” If you add this to fun new ways of “owning noobs” using Ground Pound and Shoulder Charge, you can easily forget the disappointments you get from playing the campaign. Wan Asyraf Norarjuna
Friday 20 November 2015 /ForgePressFuse
LORD OF THE FLIES
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alking into the Lyceum, it was a shock to see half of a plane crammed onto the stage, surrounded by the ornate decor of the Lyceum. As I sat watching schoolchildren filing in who looked as though they were the cast - I couldn’t help but wistfully think that the set would have been that much more effective in its original outdoor setting of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
DAMAGE SuTCO’s latest, Damage, captivates from the outset. What makes the play even more credible is the fact that it was both written and produced by SuTCo’s very own Ben Price. The play follows the story of traumatised adolescent, Cole, in his futile attempt to emancipate both himself and his former love interest, Cilla, from the cruel fate that enslaves them. Many years after Cole and Cilla last saw each other, Cole’s life has transformed dramatically. Not only has his mother died, but he has been left to contend with an irritating grandfather and a tragically despondent grandmother. Even worse, Cole learns that Cilla is engaged; he and his insufferable housemate, Gus, have been invited to the wedding.
“An undeniable masterpiece, exploring topics most steer away from” Cole and Cilla are then thrust together for one last violent dance with destiny. Emotionally detached from the bizarre characters that surround him, it becomes clear that the psychological damage inflicted upon Cole cannot be remedied. Both Cole and Cilla are unable to cope with the damage that has been caused by their incorrigible former primary school headmaster, Mr Julian.
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Any fears that Timothy Sheader’s efforts to bring the story into the present day would lose sight of William Golding’s original story were dispelled as quickly as they were raised. After the first few ‘let’s take a selfie’ and ‘Bant and Dec’ moments were out of the way, the real substance of the story began. Yet these were not to be dismissed as merely appealing to the sense of humour of the younger audience members, as the overtly current cultural references made the events unfolding all the more horrifying. One of the boys’ assertions that the adults are too busy bombing one another to rescue them certainly Intriguing and at times difficult to watch, Damage is an undeniable masterpiece, exploring topics which most playwrights tend to steer away from. Price has proven that he is able to tackle issues such as death and abuse in a thoroughly understanding and sensitive way. The script is profoundly evocative, interlacing gritty content with dark humour throughout the play, a coupling which is upheld superbly by the cast. Price’s characters, along with his complex yet relatable plot, are utterly captivating. What makes the play even more unique, however, is the clever dynamic between timid Cole, portrayed by Daniel Chappell, and his blunt inner monologue, voiced by the talented Jack Shephard. Both Chappell and his female counterpart, Chloe Christian displayed incomparable performances as two lost individuals yearning for rescue, mastering their roles perfectly. In addition to Chappell and Christian, Martha Roberts and Will Taylor charmed the audience with their humorous dialogues and their wise monologues. Taylor demonstrated an astounding ability to portray a stereotypical Northern grandfather, whilst Roberts brought an embittered yet unbroken grandmother to life. Sophie Barber, who portrayed Cole’s insufferable and neglected girlfriend, Kate, provided a pleasant touch of humour to the play alongside Tom Parrish, performing as Gus.As well as showing their outstanding acting skills, the cast also flaunted a fantastic ability to work well together as a team, making the experience all the more enjoyable. BETH ANDRALOJC
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raises a lot of questions about the state of the world today. Sheader’s staging of the two separate groups of Jack (Freddie Watkins) and Ralph (Luke WardWilkinson) onstage at the same time – with one group frozen and one group acting – was incredibly effective in expressing the contrasts between them; between good and evil. He also managed to take the chaotic scenes, and within them create striking moments that allowed the audience to reflect, with slow motion action to Nick Powell’s moving sound score. Before it all went wrong, and the boys descended into savagery, the
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costume accurately represented class distinctions, as Piggy’s (Anthony Roberts) tatty polo shirt, jumper and trainers set him apart from the other boys who are implicitly privately educated and privileged. Roberts’ acting talent also set him apart, as his genuinely tear-jerking cry for morality, and for his glasses back – symbolic of reason - encapsulated the takeaway message from the production. Meanwhile the impressive use of pyrotechnics immersed the audience in the primordial scenes. The arrival of the military officer signaled both the boys’ and the audience’s return to the real world.
REVIEWS
With the sound of helicopters and the military officer’s hastily made assessment ‘it was all a game – right’ ringing in our ears, the sense of discomfort increased until I was almost thankful for the lights dimming. Watching the boys stood in the line that they were barked to get into by the officer, we are confronted by their loss of innocence, and made to question - ‘what am I guilty of?’ Lord of the Flies is a must-see production that refuses to let its audience rest. RUTH GRIVELL-MELLOR
BOOK CORNER M TRAIN
By Patti Smith
M Train is Patti Smith’s beautiful second book. Whilst most music autobiographies only interest fans of the author, Smith writes in a way that would keep anyone’s attention. That said, M Train doesn’t fit into the music autobiography category anyway. It’s more of an artist’s memoir, documenting her habits and influences in a cohesive, engaging way. It’s a must-read for anyone with artistic interests and it proves that creativity definitely does not decrease with age. The “M” in M Train stands for “mind”, with each chapter being referred to as a “station” that the mind train stops at. M Train maintains a startling level of intimacy throughout. Whilst Smith’s 2010 bestseller Just Kids explores the struggles of being a young artist, M Train focuses more on Smith’s later life, offering a stunning perspective on change, emphasising that even when change is tragic, life is still beautiful, there’s still another cup of coffee to be tasted in a café yet to be visited. Poetic and lyrical throughout, but this does not lessen its humility and the humour scattered across the book. Books themselves are a central theme and M Train demonstrates just how powerful and moving they can be. SOPHIE WILSON
Friday 20 November 2015
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REVIEWS
1975 @ O2 ACADEMY
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rontman Matt Healy appeared onstage, sporting a lively new perm, silhouetted against vivid pink neon: “There are screams everywhere”. The 1975’s frontman stated the obvious, but it was hard to tell if he was feigning disbelief. Up on the balcony, rows of perplexed parents quite comically racked up the average age by about 30 years, standing a few clever steps back from their children,
PRIDES @ LEADMILL
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airy lights adorn the ceiling of the small room in the Leadmill, casting a glow over the audience waiting for Scottish synth pop trio, Prides. It is sufficiently busy, the crowd looks neither sparse, nor packed, which is surprising for a Saturday night in one of Sheffield’s premier music institutions. Prides have, however, only been going for two years, so maybe expecting a sold out show is a bit much at this point in the game.
“Prides’ music is infectious and energetic, it gets you dancing.”
The band come onstage with only the briefest introduction of “hello Sheffield”, before proceeding to launch into ‘Higher Love’. The build up of the chorus had their hardcore fans eager to dance, whilst the remainder of the crowd were content with just a head bop and a foot tap so early into the show. It’s worth noting that Prides are already album perfect on stage; the slick production on their electro, new-wave music is faultless and it’s impressive to see a band so young with such a well crafted sound. Prides weave through their debut album quite fast, without pausing to take much of a breath. They throw in a cover of Ellie Goulding’s ‘On My
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who were gleefully dangling their Snapchat-primed phones over the barrier. Healy insisted that this barrage of cameras be toned down for at least one song. “Let’s experience each other, let’s enjoy each other,” he said, not without a healthy smidgeon of innuendo. It was a cheek fans reciprocated when chants of “we want ‘Sex’!” lured the band back from the encore to play the closing fan favourite. The 1975 have glossed over their heartsick, monochrome demeanour with which they made their initial statement as a band, now favouring Mind’ for good measure, and it is significantly better than the original. Songs like ‘The Way Back Up’ require some audience participation on the “hey yeah” moments. It’s a good method to keep everyone interested and get them to sing along in unison. Things are slowed down with acoustic album track, ‘Same Mistakes’. It’s a welcome change of pace, and allows some of the fans to stand still for the first time all night. The song is slightly ruined however by some drunken revellers who decide to sing the Proclaimers loudly over the introduction, but the band’s concentration and performance doesn’t waver. For the final part of the show, Prides launch into their bigger songs, with a slow chorus of ‘I Should Know You Better By Now’ before launching into the full song, and ‘The Seeds We Sow’. With some of their faster songs though, the instruments become too loud and drown out the vocals, which is disappointing. Their last song of the night, ‘Messiah’, is accompanied by bad feedback towards the end, which almost ruins it, but these are just minor teething problems. Overall it was a solid performance, with only a few minor hiccups. Prides’ music is infectious and energetic, it gets you dancing. It will be interesting to see where the band go over the next few years. AMELIA HEATHMAN
a loud and colourful sheen of optimism. However much they might have hoped, this new look hasn’t quite broken them into the market of musical wheel-reinventing. Nonetheless, the new material energetically takes on the splashy sounds of the very loftiest chart hits of the 1980s.
“A delicious pop treat”
‘Change of Heart’ was a delicious pop treat, which cherry-picks the best touches of Queen’s more
DOG IS DEAD @ ABBEYDALE PICTURE HOUSE
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he Abbeydale Picture house witnessed Dog is Dead perform a set, which was like having a cup of tea with an old friend, and starting from exactly where you left off. Having released no new singles since 2012, it was a worry that Dog is Dead may actually be dead, but despite the three year silence, they have returned with more. They have a new name (they now refer to themselves as D.I.D), more of a pop influenced sound, and the same wonderful harmonies with which they established their own unique and easy-to-love sound. This band are the epitome of indie-pop; they have the hair, the aggressive full body dance moves, and even a gaudy shirt each
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synthesised creations, but was still punctuated by the prickly staccato riffs which hold up the 1975 sound. As if to prove they are not content with anything less than all-out devotion to the charming excesses of that era, unrestrained flourishes of guitar solos and generous helpings of saxophone were ladled onto such hits-in-waiting that form the bulk of the set’s latter half. Once this fanfare was stripped away, it was actually a fairly pedestrian, by-numbers pop show. You could predict Healy’s monologues to the word. These fine-tuned crowd-pleasers
did, however, show that he can read his captive audience as naturally as he can the set list taped down under his feet, and he appeared affable and gracious, even to the point of apologising for fast ticket sales. Bands with such shameless pop propensities are as easy to love as they are to hate, but the 1975 proved they know how to hit their audience in all the right places at exactly the right time, and that means they’ve put in the work to deserve their mantle.
(except keyboard player Joss, who admits to only wearing black t-shirts due to being such a messy eater). Three years is a long time, but the D.I.D fans of Sheffield had clearly been a patient crowd, as proven by the devoted shouting of lyrics throughout the set. The set list itself found the perfect equilibrium between the euphoric anthems of their first album, All Our Favourite Stories, and the new, as yet unreleased EP, which boasts an echo of something rather R’n’B in a few of the tracks. The new songs are memorable and have clearly been thought through meticulously, especially their newest release ‘Fast Food’, which juxtaposes the breakdown of a relationship with an upbeat riff, urging the listener to join them in their violent head banging. Throughout the set it was clear that a great deal of practice goes into what these guys do; each song lyric and each harmony was plainly
performed with a real passion for making music. There is certainly no hiding behind pedals and shoegaze riffs, as proven by their impressive encore which saw the boys perform raw and unplugged in the middle of the crowd. Such immaculate harmonising, which was so well respected with the silence of all audience members, created an atmosphere which can only be described as enchanting. There is no denying that the three year gap between releases has hindered D.I.D in their following, however it was nothing but humbling to see them perform with the same energy as always, and to even join the audience afterwards for a chat and a pint. Despite their edgy get ups and the spectacle they give on stage, they really are just five very genuine guys from Nottingham, who are very good at making music.
HARRY CHAMBERS
RACHEL MERCER
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GRIMES: ART ANGELS
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he song titles on Grimes’ new album, Art Angels, gets things off to a terrific start. Particularly good is ‘Laughing and Not Being Normal’, which encapsulates her shtick: generalised weirdness. While breakthrough album, Visions, struck upon wonky outsiderpop with perfect balance, early glimpses into the world of Art Angels – most notably the sensational ‘Flesh Without Blood’ – hinted that Grimes
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may be moving further towards the top 40 styled end of her diverse talent’s spectrum. The aforementioned album opener, then, seeks to reassure the freaks and others that she’s still weird, with its complex concoctions of brooding strings and trademark vocal fluctuations, establishing enduring eclecticism from the outset, and ‘Scream’ does a pretty good job of cementing that notion. It’s a first for Claire Boucher, aka Grimes, in terms of relinquishing lead vocal duties, and it’s no coincidence that this departure marks a significant musical shift, with the relentless distorted guitar riff and the
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hypnotic rhythm of Aristophanes’ spitting Mandarin combine to create something entirely different from anything Boucher has ever produced. The percussion is multi-faceted, bouncing off itself in a selfcontained propulsive and mildly disorientating recalibration of rhythmic instinct, something that’s exhibited throughout by Art Angels’ brightest sparks. The Janelle Monáe featuring ‘Venus Fly’ soars, turning this percussive quality towards the clubscene, with deep bass and trap claps that recall the kaleidoscopic, R&B influenced ‘Easily’, a song that
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REVIEWS
takes its initially simple elegance of echoing keys and delicately sincere vocals to conjure from them a genre defying treat of sonic expansiveness. This excelling of experimentation provides enough leeway for Art Angels to occasionally falter in its pure pop leanings, but such good will is required only rarely. ‘Realiti’ remains one of the finest moments of Grimes’ repertoire, even in its re-imagination, but is ultimately surpassed in terms of song writing power as well as bubble-gum factor by cheerleader-chanted ‘Kill V. Maim’. The Daphne & Celeste-esque
pop brilliance, however, masks a darkness that lurks beneath the surface of Art Angels. “I’m only a man / do what I can” is a refrain that re-appropriates masculine defiance with unsettling conviction. Or, alternatively, it’s just simply a song about Michael Corleone, but in the form of a gender-shifting, spacetravelling vampire (as Boucher has herself revealed, naturally). Either way, though, it’s distinctively, unashamedly Grimes, and proves that it was worth the wait. JAMIE HUGHES
CULT CORNER
SINGLES
QUEEN: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
THE MAGIC GANG: JASMINE
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ovember marks the 40th Birthday of Queen’s A Night at the Opera. Considered by many as the bands most definitive album, it sported the third best selling single of all time in the UK – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. However, if you move beyond the super-famous single, you discover some rather eclectic gems such as ‘Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon’. This was recorded by playing Freddie’s vocal through headphones into a tin bucket to achieve a sound not too dissimilar to that of singing through a megaphone, as MUSE did on their cover of ‘Feeling Good’. The album also hosts ‘Seaside Rendezvous’ which features both Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor performing the whole bridge section of the song with their voices, imitating various instruments. Not all of the album tracks are quite as unusual though. ‘Love of my Life’ was always a firm audience favourite at concerts; so much so that Freddie would often hear more of the song sang to him from the crowd than he would sing to them. A Night at the Opera has so much more to give than just ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. It can make you smile, laugh and cry in the space of 43 minutes, and showcases the minds that made Queen one of the greatest bands ever. EUAN ANTONA
BILL RYDER-JONES: WEST KIRBY COUNTY PRIMARY
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ill Ryder-Jones, known for being the former guitarist of the Coral and for more recently working with the likes of Arctic Monkeys and the Wytches, has proved his mettle as a performer in his own right with West Kirby County Primary. This, Ryder-Jones’ third solo album, is more coherent in style and tone than his work with the Coral. It is also more immediately accessible than his first work after leaving the band (the purely instrumental album If..., which featured the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and was a film score for an imaginary adaption of an Italo Calvino novel). However, this doesn’t leave this album feeling any less interesting and engaging. Instead, it’s intimately personal,
demonstrated by the album artwork - a snap of Bill grinning in the bath, labelled with a biro scribble. This time around Ryder-Jones has kept the crackling, softly scratching vocals of his previous efforts; reminiscent of the Velvet Underground’s more melancholy outputs. However, his music has also gained a more forceful edge, occasionally swapping gentle acoustic guitars for a newly energetic backing, in a scruffy yet driving Britpop style. Ryder-Jones has also demonstrated his skills as an accomplished story-teller. His lyrics create painful and suggestive vignettes, such as “when we lost our little boy, we tried so hard to stay together” (‘Daniel’) and unpolished tales of messy, unravelling relationships in ‘Catherine and Huskisson’. However, there’s a dry humour in there too, if you listen sharply enough, hidden in amongst all that melancholy, making West
County Kirby Primary more than just a sombre listen. The album, recorded in his childhood bedroom, reminisces about his youth and days-goneby. Songs such as ‘Two Tickets to Birkenhead’, a wistful account of a trip to the Merseyside docklands, does this with subtle poignancy. Ryder-Jones’ gentle use of his native scouse accent and choice of title the name of his primary school add to the feeling that this work is a glimpse into its author’s personal history. West County Kirby Primary is a sweet, slow-burner, swinging from being painful and raw to joltingly fun - this is Bill Ryder-Jones’ most gripping and movingly intimate work so far. MOLLY KERKHAM
he Magic Gang describe their genre as “Music for your mind/body/spirit/soul”, which is a bold statement, but one that is understandable once you’ve had the chance to immerse yourself in the mystical concoction of their music. ‘Jasmine’ is their most recent single, and one that will also appear on their upcoming self-titled EP, due for release in January. It’s instantly recognisable as a bittersweet, indie heart-wrencher, with layers of gentle yet attention-grabbing vocals and mellow bursts of guitar. Influences such as the Kooks are easily heard, but rather than following conventions of a mournful, indie track about heartbreak, the band have managed to create something that offers a relaxing alternative; one that leaves you mesmerised. The slowly driven tempo and lyrics of “Jasmine it’s true/ I’ve waited here for you”, show songwriting abilities that portray the level of maturity that is developing with their new material. Their upcoming EP is beginning to shape up nicely, and ‘Jasmine’ only heightens the anticipation for its release. The Magic Gang will also be performing at Bungalows & Bears in Sheffield on 10th December, and it’s looking to be an intimate showcase of the brilliance of a band whose profile is getting bigger by the second. ALISHA GRIFFITHS
Friday 20 November 2015
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REVIEWS
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“Steve Jobs is presented without any illusions, offering a balanced view of a controversial figure” present their own flaws and motives, except occasionally through the use of flashbacks. This brings Fassbender himself to the fore, and he delivers superbly. His performance is intense yet also charming and immensely human; a man mellowing with age after a lifetime of interpersonal conflict. We can only speculate on the accuracy of his portrayal, as few truly knew the man himself. Nevertheless, Jobs and others are never painted in black and white, with Boyle encouraging the viewer to form their own conclusions. The modern biopic must be
transparent. Audiences expect unprecedented access to the affairs of the influential and powerful, and very few are fooled by tales of righteousness and purity. Steve Jobs is presented without any such illusions, offering a balanced and thoughtful view of a man many consider to have pioneered the revolution in personal computing. Superb acting and direction combine to produce an immensely entertaining film that more than pays tribute to the legacy Jobs himself left behind.
CULT CORNER
SMALL SCREEN
MR. ROBOT (2015)
PEEP SHOW: SERIES 9, EPISODE 1: “THE WILLIAM MORRIS YEARS”
into Mark’s life, we meet Mark’s new flatmate, Jerry (Tim Key), who, as inconceivable as it may sound, is even more boring and painfully irritating than Mark. Though Jez struggles to force an apology for ruining Mark’s relationship with Dobby, the episode draws to a close as most viewers would like. They plot to ‘Litvinenko’ Jerry, with just the right amount of uncertainty to make us question whether they’ll actually do it. What’s more, everybody watching is clearly gunning for this outcome; we just want them back together. The final season of this institution
STEVE JOBS
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anny Boyle’s biopic explores the life of Apple’s famed co-founder presents a flawed, egotistical idealist on a journey of astonishing creative passion marred by bitter personal feuds. It is delivered by a high profile cast under assured direction. Emphasis lies on Jobs’ damaging, farcical paternity saga with Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterson) over their daughter Lisa. This recurrent
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n this golden age of TV drama, it’s easy for lots of good-quality shows to get lost in the crowd. That’s not the case for Sam Esmail’s Mr. Robot, which tells the story of Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek), a hacker with social anxiety. The plot, concerning Elliot and the campaign by Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) and his team of anarchist hacker against the evil E-Corp, is drawn out in a tense, dark, dramatic rhythm. There’s a deep sense of claustrophobia and paranoia, which is to be expected as the show inhabits the mind of a man mired in antisocial tendencies. The complexities of Elliot’s mind are thrown into sharp relief as the plot sprawls out into a complex web of extraneous storylines and characters of a full, rich range. Most intriguining is Slater’s dubious hacktivist Mr. Robot in his volatile, contradictory behaviour. While you want to trust him, a man with a plan like his must surely be crazy through and through. However, Malek’s lead performance is truly outstanding; his voice and temperament perfectly convey the emptiness and paranoia behind Elliot’s eyes. Based on this first season alone, Mr. Robot has already become a remarkable example of excellence in television. VALERIA VIGILANTE
theme serves as a natural foil for the film’s overarching plot which follows the final moments before three major events in both Apple’s and Jobs’ lives. The result is a tight screenplay that is nevertheless held back by two extremely jarring shifts in pacing, as the momentum builds only to abruptly disappear when the narrative shoots forwards in time. Danny Boyle lends his brand of exciting, unpredictable direction to the film’s niche subject matter, delivering a high-tempo interpretation of Aaron Sorkin’s
screenplay. Keen attention is paid to the subtle way in which the characters grow and learn throughout this period. Boyle impressively engages the viewer in a story intertwined with the history of technology without getting bogged down in technicalities. The film condenses the chequered history of one of Silicon Valley’s most influential - not to mention controversial - leaders into two hours of screen time, while sacrificing very little substance from a well-rounded portrayal. The same cannot be said of the film’s supporting cast, who never really find the room or time to
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his is the moment that every respectable connoisseur of British television comedy has been waiting for far too long. Three years since we last saw Jez (Robert Webb) and Mark (David Mitchell), fighting over Dobby (Isy Suttie) in the Quantocks, the iconic intro sequence and the pair’s honest internal dialogue provide a comforting familiarity. Juxtapose this with them having not spoken for six months, arriving at Super Hans’ sober stag do - yes, Hans is getting married and he’s sober! – where we find ourselves in a disturbing parallel universe where everything is wrong. We only have to endure a few minutes of awkward juice drinking, at Hans’ insistence, before all three are crowded around a urinal with Super Hans repeatedly shouting “I love cocaine! I love cocaine!” Balance in the world is restored. With Super Hans back to his usual, endearing, drug-addled self, Jez and Mark’s ongoing conflict over Dobby persists. In a refreshing reminder of their disconcerting symbiosis and ultimately disappointing lives, they find each other when they both need each other most. As Mark is being chastised at his new bank job by his ever-present boss, Johnson (Paterson Joseph), for not selling enough loans, Jez turns up homeless and attracted by the idea of £3000 ‘for free’. Win-win. As Jez tries to force his way back
NICK BURKE
“Peep Show fans can be safe in the knowledge that Jez and Mark remain the hilariously despicable people we’ve grown to love” of British comedy is set to be a great one. The concluding scene of this first episode is already a classic which will make anyone hurt with laughter. He isn’t quite ‘Litvinenkoed’, but as Jerry is dragged out of the flat in a sleeping bag, casually waterboarded by Jez, and shoved into a lift, Peep Show fans can be safe in the knowledge that the show won’t be going out without a bang, and that Jez and Mark remain the hilariously despicable people we’ve grown to love. CHRIS SALTMARSH
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REVIEWS
“Never has immigration been portrayed with such focused passion” BROOKLYN
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his adaptation of Colm Toibin’s 2009 Man Bookershortlisted novel is beautifully done. It begins in County Wexford, Ireland where Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) is bored of the small town atmosphere so her sister arranges for her to migrate to Brooklyn, New York. Immigration is a subject that has been depicted in film in many ways but never has it been this bright
HE NAMED ME MALALA
O
pening to a dark screen, 18 year old activist Malala Yousafzai tells the story of her name. She was named after a young woman who was killed for standing up for freedom. Malala herself made headlines globally in 2012 when she was shot in the head by the Taliban for standing up for girls’ rights to education. This documentary explores the eerie foreshadowing of Malala’s father’s choice for her name. Unlike the first Malala, Malala Yousafzai survived the shooting and, now living in Birmingham, went on to become the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The documentary is empowering, largely for its portrayal of Malala’s naturally humble determination. It is all the more moving for the fact that it offers an insight into the
or portrayed with such focussed passion as in Brooklyn. Ronan is wonderful as Eilis, whether enduring a gruelling boat trip across the Atlantic or frolicking on the beach at Coney Island. She perfectly captures the vulnerability, homesickness and sadness of being a lonely Irish girl in early 1950s America. She does not need to say a single word as she passes immigration control; it’s clear on her face that this is where Eilis’ life is to truly begin. There is love in this film and lots of it, but the love is sweet. Eilis meets Tony (Emory Cohen), an Italian boy
who “likes Irish girls” and who woos her in Brooklyn. Their romance is played with intensity and innocence. However, the scenes that are the most uplifting and loving are those at the boarding house presided over by Mrs Kehoe (the excellent Julie Walters), who scolds the other boarders on their giddiness, taking the Lord’s name in vain and their wickedness but is also kind and provides a home from home for Eilis and the other girls who have made the journey across. The love is in the bond they share together. Michael Brooks’ score is wonderful. It carries the narrative
by softening the stark contrasts between Ireland and America. It stops the romance plotlines from becoming too sentimental and the love triangle that evolves with Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson), a rugby player and prominent “catch” in Ireland, from being too predictable. It never overpowers Nick Hornby’s script or John Crowley’s direction and helps to prevent the need to check the pulse of the actors and audience members alike during some tryingly maudlin moments. The clothes worn in Brooklyn are at times the brightest thing on screen and the most mesmerising.
The yellow dress Eilis often wears - for good reason - is symbolic of her change, highlighting her independence. Crowley’s Brooklyn will please the worried lovers of the novel. It is romantic, heart-wrenching, funny and constantly breath-taking. Brooklyn’s greatest achievement is that it only focuses on the life of one young woman and the secrets she keeps, but manages to involve the world with its honesty and vitality.
lives of those living under corrupt governments in the world today, be it in Pakistan, Nigeria or Syria. In comparison, news stories seem so detached and lacking in emotion. As Malala points out as she helps Syrian child refugees cross the border, “Who’s thinking of the children?” He Named Me Malala focuses on the real people whose lives are being affected by war and corruption. Malala asserts that she feels no anger towards the gunman whose near fatal shot hit her in the left side of her head, causing irreparable damage to the nerves in her face and leaving her partially deaf - it was not an action but an ideology that nearly killed her. Malala’s life has changed drastically since her arrival in the UK. Her love of learning is a joy. Her family continue to follow Islam. They stress that the Taliban do not represent Islam. Religion should not be distorted for the sake of politics. Malala’s age and gender is important because she shows that teenage girls, a demographic
whose views are often not taken seriously, are as capable of understanding the complexities of the world as middle aged men are. However, the documentary rarely puts an emphasis on these factors, presenting Malala as a passionate activist standing up for what’s right, offering a refreshing objectivity. The documentary creates a strong sense of place, showing the beauty of Swat Valley where Malala grew up, with its waterfalls and mountain range, contrasted with the bombings and fear that ravage the land under Taliban rule, again highlighting the tragedy of war and fundamentalist regimes. Malala mourns for her homeland, for if she ever returns she will be shot dead. Everyone should watch He Named Me Malala. It truly makes you see the world differently. It will inspire you to learn as much as you can about everything and to stand up for what you believe in.
TAXI TEHRAN
by a particularly inquisitive illegal movie seller, he reveals that his taxi driver job is merely a cover and a way of earning extra cash. Each character represents a condition or attitude in Tehrani society, including poverty, crime, segregation, obsession with wealth, and the endorsement of execution. There is no fancy, over-the-top camera work. Mostly, the camera sits on the taxi’s dashboard, which aids the film’s realism. It almost feels as if Panahi is an undercover academic using a hidden camera to conduct a sociological experiment. The film somehow manages to retain an odd sense of humour and optimism. Panahi maintains a contented grin for much of his drive, while the character of his niece (played by Hana Saeidi) provides enough charm and wit to give the film some much-needed comic relief. Filtered through the courage and insight of Panahi, Taxi Tehran is a powerful portrait of smiling in the face of adversity.
SOPHIE TURNER
J
afar Panahi’s Taxi Tehran is a film that makes us thankful to live in a country that allows free expression and enquiry. Director and star Panahi bravely lifts the lid on the ugly nature of Iranian society, and how the oppressive regime has altered the lives of everyday Tehranis. The very existence of this film is remarkable. Banned from filmmaking by the Iranian government, Panahi has continued to make films in secret. Whatever the politics surrounding the film’s production, its subversive execution produces a sense of reallife danger, making the film all the more appealing as its premise keeps eyes glued to the screen. The filmmaker’s genuine wariness of discovery is at the very heart of the loose plot, which follows Panahi giving rides to a series of quirky characters. When he is recognised
MOLLIE DAVIDSON
BILLY GEESON
LISTINGS ARTS
GAMES
I CAN READ WITH MY EYES SHUT
STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT 19 November Windows, PS4, Xbox One
20 November, 7:00 PM O2 Academy
Ever since its establishment in 2009, the Bursary Programme by the S1 Artspace has been supporting new graduates in their first year of professional practice. This exhibition will showcase some of the first artists selected for the programme.
With the upcoming release of the next Star Wars film, the third installation of the Star Wars: Battlefront series will make it just in time for Christmas vacation as well. Immerse yourself in the world of Star Wars and enjoy two new maps set in a new planet known as Jakku.
DIGITAL MEDIA LABS EXHIBITION
THE CREW: WILD RUN
19 November – 19 December S1 Artspace
20 November - 18 December Access Space
20 November Windows, PS4, Xbox One
Already in its third year of progressive research and development labs for artists interacting with technology to experience art in a more modern way, Digital Media Labs is hosting and exhibition of their works at the Access Space (which in itself is a weird production).
As a follow-up to the major 2014 success of The Crew, Ivory Tower and Ubisoft will release an extension pack that will provide new vehicles such as motorcycles, driftstars, and dragsters. The extension will also introduce a new mode: The Summit.
REBECCA
KUNG FU PANDA: SHOWDOWN OF LEGENDARY LEGENDS
23-28 November Lyceum
27 November Nintendo 3DS, WiiU, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Rebecca is one of the most important literary creations of all time, with its book being beloved by many and the Alfred Hitchcock film adaptation being a classic in the thriller genre. Now, under the direction of award-winning director Emma Rice, Rebecca takes life on stage. The iconic thriller entails a young bride who is consumed by jealousy when she encounters the memories of her husband’s previous wife, Rebecca.
Just as the title has it, this is a showdown of the legendary legends. All Kung Fu Panda characters you dreamed of fighting with can battle it out with up to four players in a variety of locations in the Valley of Peace and beyond.
ART FOR ALL: THE ART MUSEUM IN BRITAIN 1850 – 1914
1 December Windows, PS4, Xbox One
27 November Millennium Gallery
Sheffield is home to a rich culture of art galleries and museums. Giles Waterfield will explore the development of British museums starting from the industrial period when museums first flourished, to modern exhibitions.
RAINBOW SIX: SIEGE
Known for its emphasis on teamplay and realism, the Rainbow Six games have proven very promising. This next installation will distinguish itself with an even heavier multiplayer focus and destructible environments. Having already received four nominations from Game Critics Awards, it may be one worth looking into.
MEN IN THE CITIES 28 November Studio
Entailing two tragic deaths - one of the mysterious suicide of a young gay man and one of the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in May 2013 - this captivating production conveys the unexplainable forces that shape human relationships alongside the darkness within them. Shown through bits and pieces of seemingly unrelated lives, the story conveys modern culture as it is.
THE SHEFFIELD BLITZ: WESTON PARK MUSEUM 28 November - 31 January Weston Park
In light of the tragic events happening around the world, Weston Park’s display showing artifacts from the worst air attack of WWII in Sheffield, where Weston Park Museum itself suffered lots of damage, is a perfect way to contemplate on such tragedies and get in touch with the history of Sheffield.
JUST CAUSE 3
1 December Windows, PS4, Xbox One The third installation of the Just Cause series sets itself several years after the events of Just Cause 2. Rico Rodriguez leaves the agency to return to his homeland only to find out it is under the control of General Di Ravello who is conspiring world domination.
XENOBLADE CHRONICLES X 4 December WiiU
If you haven’t tried out the Xeno series yet, you’re missing out. This roll playing game with an emphasis on exploration is so engrossing that you will definitely forget the passing of time. The story sets itself in 2056 as a United States spaceship attempts to establish a colony in the planet Mira but is disturbed by aliens who are also responsible for the destruction of Earth.
MUSIC
SCREEN
THE FRATELLIS
TRUE ROMANCE
The impact that the Glasgow trio had on the indie rock music scene with their debut album in 2006 was unbelievable. Now, following their three-year hiatus they’ve established themselves as one of the most notable indie rock bands around. If you’re an indie rock fan, you’d better be there!
Back for a one-off screening for the BFI’s LOVE season is the Tarantino-scripted romantic if not slightly gangster drama. Lovely, crazy, and a bit bloody, if you’ve seen Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and the like and bill yourself as a Tarantino fan, this is a screening that you can’t miss.
THE WAILERS
NATIONAL THEATER LIVE: HAMLET
20 November Cineworld
21 November, 6:30 PM O2 Academy
22 November and 16 December The Showroom
Bob Marley and the Wailers is without a doubt the most well known reggae group in the world. Althuogh times have changed and the band has undergone many member swaps, the passionate music that calls out for freedom is still very much alive. The band will perform the album Legend in its entirety, in which every single song is absolutely brilliant.
Shakespeare has been adapted on stage time and time again, but this Hamlet production will star Academy Award winning actor Benedict Cumberbatch with Lyndsey Turner as director. If you’re up for an exciting, dramatic tragedy experience with critically acclaimed artists, here it is.
MUMFORD & SONS
20 November The Showroom
29 November, 7:30 PM Motorpoint Arena
The British indie folk band from London made its grand return to the British music scene this summer following a series of successful shows abroad. Showcasing their new album Wilder Mind where they have tried on a new color, their UK tour this year is one that is definitely worth watching.
PALMA VIOLETS
5 December, 7:30 PM The Leadmill The up and coming indie rock group are here to prove themselves following the success of their debut album 180. Having received lots of critical acclaim from major media outlets such as NME, the band is an extremely promising addition to the British rock scene. Be sure to catch them before they become too famous!
ALBUM RELEASES
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 2 Did you realize that it’s been three years since The Hunger Games series kicked off? In this final installation of the blockbuster teen epic, Katniss finally faces Snow’s relentless forces in a grand, final showdown. Many notable actors will make a return from past episodes, so be sure to catch the finale!
FILM UNIT
Nelson Mandela Auditorium As ever, Sheffield’s volunteer-run student cinema returns is showing films for just £2.50 each. For more info and a look at their full schedule for the autumn semester, go to: filmunit.org.uk 20/11 - Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter 21/11 - Slow West 22/11 - Inside Out 27/11 - Amy 29/11 - Absolutely Anything 5/12 - Crimson Peak 6/12 - The Tale of the Princess
20 November
NETFLIX RELEASES
Natalie Prass - Side by Side
20 November
We The Kings - Strange Love
Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Season One
Leo Abrahams - Daylight
23 November
27 November The Vamps - Wake Up David Guetta - Listen Again Pope Francis - Wake Up! 4 December Coldplay - A Head Full of Dreams The Kooks - Hello, What’s Your Name? KId Cudi - Speedin’ Bullet to Heaven
Ultimate Spider-Man: Season Three 25 November Home Red Riding Hood Kind Of Wonderful 28 November A Perfect Man The Best Offer Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues 1 December F is for Family – Season 1