Fuse Issue 78

Fuse.

Christmas novels 12 exciting games for 2015 A fresh holiday playlist Unusual festive films

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Friday December 5 2014

Short Fuse.

Comments and rants on entertainment news.

GameStop are a necessary evil

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hile the rest of the gaming world has been preoccupied with the upcoming Christmas sales boom, one story has slipped by unnoticed. It came about during an investor call from Gamestop, the biggest physical games retailer in the USA. Tony Bartel, the company’s president, claimed “We want to help ensure that our industry does not make the same mistake as other entertainment categories by driving the perceived value of digital goods significantly below that of a physical game”.

To those unfamiliar with impenetrable business speak, he’s complaining that Microsoft and Sony’s digital distribution methods, through the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Gold, are stripping them of business by piping cheap games directly into players’ homes.

What a patently ridiculous argument, you might think. In this market driven industry there’s surely nothing wrong with the manufacturers getting a competitive advantage

by giving directly to the consumer, and kicking the gouging retailers in the eye.

Nothing legally wrong, perhaps.

Maybe even nothing ethically, if you discount the thousands of retail jobs in the video games industry.

But there’s a deeply troubling recent trend in the world of gaming towards centralisation of control in the console market.

It is now the case that a player can have a vast library of content installed on their machine without actually owning any of it. They own a license, which can be revoked at the console manufacturer’s whim.

In the prehistoric days before the internet infected our consoles, games came on cartridges and discs, which you bought from a shop. Revolutionary. The appeal of this system was that a single physical device held an entire game which loaded quickly and, more importantly, to which you had unrestricted access.

There’s something deeply unsettling about a world in which Sony and Microsoft are the direct mas-

ters of what we can play, and when we can play it. At the flick of a server switch (or the discontinuation of a console) access to digital content will cease.

Sony are not like Valve, who have promised a “dead man switch” code which will be sent out to remove copy protection from all games in the event of the company going bust.

Sony make no secret of limiting the number of times a digital game can be installed and of disabling game transfer between accounts.

With the ability to issue and revoke licenses for games to be published, they already control the message.

We should not let them control the medium as well.

Even if it saves a few pounds here and there, cash in hand is not sufficient reason to give up our physical copies of games. Flawed, gaudy rip-off merchants they may be, but if you want to call your games your own, there is no option but retail.

Robin Wilde

Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a little bit of Bruce Willis

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hat makes a truly special Christmas movie?

Must it have feelings of sentimentality and nostalgia, leaving that warm feeling in your belly for the rest of advent? Should it indulge in the lessons learnt about the true meaning of Christmas? Must it have big pile of presents underneath a tree?Yes, yes and yes.

But while some may disagree, I think that Die Hard fits the bill perfectly.

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.

Nostalgia stems from tradition.

Crackers, mince pies, fancy light displays - these are all Christmas traditions. A lazy night in watching ITV2 as they dust off the old Die Hard DVD is one which sits happily amongst them.

Even if it is met with groans of “Oh not that bloody film again”, it still meets the criteria for tradition.

Would Christmas be Christmas without somebody yelling at the TV because John McClane was wreaking semi-bald havoc on their tinsel-

surrounded television again? Probably not. Die Hard is a gift, and one which keeps on giving.

I’m one who jumps for joy as they see the brave New York cop, out in the unchartered territory of Los Angeles, single-handedly saving hundreds of hostages from the evil mitts of Hans Gruber.

Put me under some mistletoe and I would kiss John McClane in a heartbeat.

But don’t let the unashamed fangirling fool you; there are other A report has revealed that This War of Mine, a recent survival adventure game for the PC, managed to make its budget back in just two days. Historically, this is a rare occurrence for any videogame, but for one so indie as this it’s as rare as EA treating The Sims as more than just a cash cow. The game, from 11 bit studios, will also be released on mobile devices next year.

moments throughout the film that imbue Christmas spirit into the viewer.

McClane’s happily-ending tussle with bolshy ex-wife Holly Gennaro can’t help but bring together families who’ve managed to sit down together for the first time all year.

The huge tree in the Nakatomi Building, and the numerous references to the most wonderful time of the year, along with the closing credits treating us to a non-Bublefied version of ‘Let it Snow’, all con-

vince me that Die Hard deserves its place in festive film history.

There may be a lot of violence, death and swearing compared to what you’re used to but whose Christmas is perfect?

If I haven’t convinced anyone yet, well, yippee ki-yay motherfuckers.

Matt Drew For more Christmas oddities, check out Screen’s feature on page 4!

On Friday November 28, independent filmmaker JJ Abrams released a teaser trailer for a lowbudget arthouse film called Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, and the Internet promptly exploded with joy. Seriously though, when the Millennium Falcon flew into view with the John Williams score in the background we were basically kids again. The Force is very strong with this one...

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Friday December 5 2014

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elcome to the final, and very festive, Fuse of the year. We hope you’re all done with assessments and enjoying the run up to the holiday period. The hats and scarves have all come out, the Christmas-flavoured drinks are in full flow, and the shops are stocked full of mince pies – it certainly feels like Christmas now. Hands up, who’s eaten all the chocolate out of their advent calendar already? There’s always one.

December is when it really hits that the holidays are on the way.

Any time before that, and it just doesn’t feel authentic yet; every time I hear Christmas music emanating from a shop in early November I have to fight the instinctual urge to run in the opposite direction.

We’ve had no snow yet, but who knows – by time this issue prints we may have had a light dusting on the ground. Hopefully no ice though, because the legendary stories of people trying bravely to battle their way up Conduit Road in icy weather are not pretty.

As you can see, we’ve gone all out with the Christmas theme. From

the front cover, lovingly crafted by the talented Annie Mullineux, right through to the back page full of festive listings, there’s a hint of Christmas wherever you look.

Arts and Screen have done a semi-collaborative feature on unusual Christmas films, and some of the best novels you should put on your Christmas list. Music have chosen some festive songs that you’ll actually want to listen to (so Mariah Carey is firmly out), and Games are looking ahead to some of the games coming out next year that you’ll most certainly want to get

your hands on.

We’ve also got reviews aplenty, and if you’re not quite ready to throw on your reindeer jumper and eat your body weight in mince pies, then fear not, we’ve got articles on Pokémon, Mockingjay, Wolf Alice, and Cabaret for you to enjoy – all completely Christmas-free.

So whether you’re a festive fanatic, or too chilled for mince pie thrills, sit back and enjoy everything our editors have got for you this fortnight.

Kate Lovatt & Phil Bayles

Editorial.

Our festive front cover was created

by Annie Mullineux

Shock for its own sake is beneath the Turner Prize

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he Turner Prize was announced at the end of last month, and with it came a dash of controversy.

The art award, set up in 1984 to celebrate new developments in contemporary art, has recently become the subject of ridicule by many top critics and even some of its past winners.

Instead of art and sculpture, the Turner Prize opted this year to pay tribute to the digital age with a special interest in film.

Tate Britain director Penelope Curtis, who chaired this year’s jury, justified this by saying that: “This reflects the mobility of art today, while the prominence of film, performance, and participation reveals an interest in work that adapts according to changing surroundings.”

This year’s nominees were Duncan Campbell, Ciara Phillips, James Richards and Tris Vonna-Michell.

All the nominees, except for Philips, have opted for the film genre.

This movement towards the film rather than keeping with tradition is a sign that the Prize is evolving and looking for innovation and intelligent design. Redefining itself could be a refreshing change but it should be executed in moderation so that figurative art is not grossly undermined.

This is not to say, however, that the ‘shock factor’ of the exhibition has decreased any less. James Richard’s film, Rosebud, notably contains a series of erotic images found in a Tokyo library, and also a rather questionable moment where a flower is tenderly brushed against someone’s sphincter.

Other nominees such as VonnaMichell and Philips have also received some backlash from major broadsheet art critics for their entries. Philips’s colourful, patterned prints have been particularly slammed as over-praised wallpaper, rather than creditable art.

The winner was Duncan Campbell, an Irish filmmaker who is be-

Led Zeppelin deserve a whole

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ccording to disputed reports, Robert Plant has recently rejected Richard Branson’s £500 million offer to reform Led Zeppelin.

Led Zep are immortal, eternal and vital. The great pioneers, the originators of heavy metal - a group of unstoppable creatives.

At the same time though, they are damn old. Visibly aged, less sexual, less wild, less dangerous. Their creative peak and their debauched youth is a glint on the horizon - a distant memory.

This apparent rejection of big bucks in the name of integrity is only the latest example of the band’s committal to growing old with grace and honour.

Their post-Zep careers have been fluid, experimental and exciting without clinging desperately onto nostalgia to shift units.

Bassist John Paul Jones pops up all over the place, lending wisdom and experience to the efforts of his successors.

His rollicking, mind-bending excursions with Dave Grohl and Josh Homme in Them Crooked Vultures are fresh and exciting, his and his collaborator’s other projects are merely an afterthought as great music is made for the sake of great music.

He dips in and out of offthe-wall projects that fascinate and surprise - from avantgarde experimentalist Diamanda Galás to shambolic, radical bluesman Seasick Steve - instilling their projects with life and vibrancy, rather than hollow callbacks to old times.

Plant is similarly both sensible and surprising in his continued career choices his recent explorations into Americana (Band of Joy) and world music (Lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar) Photographer Sacha Goldberg has amused many a thespian by photographing well-known American superheroes and fictional characters in 16th century Flemish painting styles.

The project included over 100 participants and was exhibited in the School Olivier Castaing Gallery in Paris.

ing praised for his intelligent design and his exploration of various uses and values of art. His constant sense of doubt throughout It for Others and the yearning to further his understanding was something that set him apart from others.

Digby Ware-Aldam, the Turner Prize Winner (1999) also put forward a scathing review of TATE and the prize in the Spectator, stating: “You are insulting the public, who are expected to cough up £11 to look at this crap. And you know what the real kicker is? You’re undermining any justification for the Turner Prize’s existence.”

Producing outrageous, shocking exhibitions of work for the sake of it, is not in the true spirit of Turner Prize. It is high time the officials behind the Prize re evaluate their criteria in order to truly let the innovative shine.

Devni Kitulagoda

lotta love for not selling out are unexpected, imaginative delights.

Plant recently performed a tribal reworking of the indomitable ‘Whole Lotta Love’ on Later With Jools Holland as an affectionate nod to both the past and present - a perfect display of reserve and creativity.

Arguably, Zep have said all the farewells they need to say.

The explosive 2007 reunion at the London O2 Arena, with Jason Bonham taking the place of his late father, drummer John, said everything else that needed saying about the Zep canon.

It’s a lesson to many other acts who just won’t let it lie that a reunion needs a purpose.

There’s something upsetting about the diminishing returns of an ageing Guns ’n’ Roses or the depressing Everyone’s favourite pizza-loving actor, Jennifer Lawrence, managed to enter the charts last week, after her newly released version of ‘the Hanging Tree’, created for Mockingjay, managed to reach number 14 on Sunday, when the chart was published. Director Francis Lawrence admitted that when asked to sing, Jennifer cried for most of the day on set.

desperation of last month’s S Club 7 comeback on Children in Need.

When artists are long past their best and have nothing else to say other than “Please give us money to see a worse version of something you once loved,” the result is invariably hollow and sad.

A reformation needs justification and enthusiasm.

It should be a loving footnote, the closing chapter of a story like Zep at the O2 or Blur’s triumphant reemergence at Glastonbury in 2009.

Alternatively, it should be a display of sudden, glorious creative resurgence like Pixies or My Bloody Valentine, who both returned with solid, listenable albums that look forward, rather than backward.

The fact Plant evidently is aware of, and Richard Branson is sadly ignorant of, is that reunions need the warmth of heart and love, not the cold of cash and greed, to thrive.

Rhys Handley

Full of Christmas

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With Christmas around the corner it’s time to time to put in a DVD and watch a good Yuletide film. It’s a Wonderful Life? Nah! Miracle on 34th Street?

Yawn. Home Alone? Not on your life. A Muppet Christmas Carol? Pur-lease!

Elizabeth Davas is here to set you right with some of the strangest Christmas films ever released

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ne of the holiday season’s most cherished traditions, the Christmas film, offers us an opportunity to take a walk down memory lane to the warmth of our childhoods or simply just get away from the passive aggression that builds up after around 20 hours of your extended family cooped up in the same house. But, instead of going for “It’s a Wonderful Muppet Christmas with Silver Bells, Actually” this year, why not consider something else?

Why not go for the weird side of Christmas cinema?

Think about it. It’s kind of a weird holiday. Sure, it’s about being with your loved ones, spending time with them and really taking a break from the life’s hectic pace to consider what matters. Then there’s that whole thing where we cut down a tree, cover it in bright shiny orbs, work ourselves into a crippling anxiety for two months over the perfect gift, then get up first thing in the morning to exchange them in a frenzy, telling ourselves that a fat, bearded man in red crushed velvet managed to get himself and all of our presents down the chimney.

You might be shaking your head and clutching onto your copy of Elf but there’s something for everyone with these weird Yuletide classics.

Santa Conquers The Martians (1964) The ultimate weird Christmas classic. This one regularly tops lists as one of the worst films ever made. Filmed in blazing space colour, this Christmas tale takes us to Mars where bored, emotionally repressed Martian children find an inkling of happiness through American television. Their parents, green humans with wholesale scuba gear, decide that Santa needs to come to the Red Planet to help save the kids and show everyone what a bit of fun looks like. So they kidnap him.

There’s a villain who wants to stay square, there’s a Martian Santa, there’s a factory of toys, and the American Air Force. Did I mention the cardboard box robot?

Gremlins (1984) We can all relate to trying to find

Weird

the perfect gift. Billy’s dad, acting as some type of father on a guilt trip and trying to make up for not being there/Santa Claus hybrid, goes above and beyond with Mogwai, a little ball of fuzz that comes with attachments — don’t get him wet and don’t feed him after midnight. Of course, Billy doesn’t listen and instead we’re treated to a band of self-multiplying Gremlins wreaking havoc on Christmas from screeching carols to launching grumpy old neighbor, Mrs. Deagle, off her stairlift and through a window — ripping all the trappings of the holiday apart with a cheerful cackle.

The Magic Christmas Tree (1964) It’s the afternoon of Halloween and little Mark helps his neighbour, who is a witch, get her cat —who is named Lucifer FYI — out of a tree.

In gratitude, she gives him a magic ring filled with seeds. What comes out of it? A magic, talking Christmas Tree that grants wishes, cannot be chopped down and manages to kidnap Santa (There’s a theme with kidnapping St. Nick, it seems) and give a little boy an “hour of absolute power.” Because what says Christmas more any of the above?

Jingle All The Way (1996) Pre- politico Arnold Schwarzenegger and 90’s comic Sinbad - as a mental postman - duke it out over an over hyped, much wanted action figure, Turboman. Unfortunately for both men and their children, the toy has been sold out for months.

What begins as a tale of two fathers just trying to find their kids’’s dream present becomes a satirical journey through Christmas commercialization with a secret gang of toy counterfeiters posing as shopping centre Santa’s and parental desperation like no other. The film weirdly enough culminates in an action sequence where spandex Ahh -nold and Sinbad hit the pavement, duking it out in a fight for the plastic doll at a Christmas parade.

Die Hard (1988) When you strip it down, it’s just a film about man trying to get back in time to see his family for

Christmas. Policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) can’t just get a break and instead has to fight 12 alleged terrorists, including Hans Gruber (played by an always fantastic Alan Rickman) who are holding his wife and her colleagues hostage in an office building in the worst office Christmas party turn of events ever.

If the pop of your Gran pulling a cracker isn’t cutting it for excitement this year, the gunfire and explosions of the classic action thriller will probably get you going. Ho ho ho and yippee kay yay!

The Gingerdead Man (2005) You know what Christmas has really been missing? Gary Busey’s maniacal smile on your screens. He (and his teeth), stars as a convicted killer Millard Findlemeyer, who was sent to the electric chair by the testimony of the daughter of the man he killed. But because this is a horribly awesome low budget masterpiece, he comes back as a walking, talking gingerbread man hell bent on killing those who wronged him. His methods include covering one victim in icing, decorating them and stuffing in the freezer. You’ll never look at Christmas pastries in the same way. There’s even an original song and dance number from the crazed cookie!

Santa Claus (1959) Forget the North Pole. In this Mexican classic, Santa rules over a magical kingdom in outer space called Toyland where instead of elves, he employs singing children from all over the world to make toys. Meanwhile down in Hell, Lucifer, possibly just envious of the holiday joy, instructs his chief demon Pitch to “make the children of the world do evil” and turn against their jolly bearded leader, enslaving him. Cue mechanical reindeer, some creepy dancing dolls, and some warped kids. Did I mention that Santa and Merlin the Wizard are BFFs? Yeah. The mythic magician makes an appearance, giving Santa a “magic dream powder”.

Right.

Friday December 5 2014

Friday December 5 2014

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For our festive feature, Phil Bayles, Chloe Coleman and Joss Woodend give you their favourite books, and why you should add them to your Christmas list

Strange Meeting Susan Hill

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usan Hill’s Strange Meeting is a great read if you like literature about the Great War. The novel follows Private John Hilliard, his disputable relationship with fellow soldier David Barton, and their experiences of the war. As always, Hill’s writing is utterly compelling and draws you in from the first page. Her characterisation of Hilliard makes it harder to deal with the emotional experiences that he goes through, including deaths and injuries of fellow soldiers. This may not be an easy read, but it is well worth one.

Joss Woodend

Wildlife Joe Stretch

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ot for the faint hearted, Joe Stretch takes a fresh take on technology and relationships in his book Wildlife. Janek, Anka, Roger, and Joe spend life in isolation until they discover the ‘Wild World’, an online platform that merges the real world with the online. Throughout the novel the four of them fall under the influence of the online world, which affects their lives dramatically, making it hard for them to distinguish between what is real and what isn’t. If you want to get lost with the characters and the internet, this is a great book to read.

Joss Woodend

To Kill a mockingbird Harper Lee

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n undeniably amazing classic to which I will never be able to do justice. To Kill a Mockingbird is such a remarkable book which still, to this day, challenges prejudices and socioeconomic paradigms. It shows the world through the eyes of Scout, a child who has been raised by her father, Atticus Finch, to adore reading, a trait for which she is reprimanded in school. The novel raises many questions about cultural problems of the time such as the importance of education and issues of gender and class. It is an exceptionally moving novel, and despite its heavy themes, will make you reminisce playful summer days as a child.

Chloe Coleman

The Rosie Project Graeme Simsion

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his endearing romantic comedy is the perfect easy read to give you a break from revision this Christmas. Professor Don Tillman has undiagnosed Asperger’s syndrome and Simsion uses him to explore how an autistic man may approach a romantic relationship. Don decides to launch the “Wife Project” to try and find his perfect partner. Despite his efforts, however, he doesn’t find his suitable wife. Enter Rosie; an exhilarating character who is everything Tillman disapproves of, and through humour and heartwarming interactions, manages to bring them closer together. A powerful character in her own right, you will find yourself falling in love with the connection between Rosie and Don. Chloe Coleman

Good Omens

Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

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s the end is nigh; the Four Horsemen are saddling up, and the armies of Heaven and Hell are preparing for the final battle for the fate of the world. The problem is, nobody can seem to find the Antichrist. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett teaming up to write a novel is the literary equivalent of a collaboration between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. And it doesn’t disappoint: Good Omens is an astoundingly funny piece of fiction, as if Douglas Adams rewrote Paradise Lost. The two authors’ styles meld together so well that it’s impossible to figure out where one ends and the other begins, but you’ll be laughing so hard through every page that you won’t really care.

Phil Bayles

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Friday December 5 2014

All I want for Christmas is...

A DECENT PLAYLIST

You’ve heard the Mariah Carey and Wham! classics thousands of times, and although we are definitely not knocking them, we wanted to grace your ears with some of the weirdest, most subversive yet brilliant Christmas tunes that you need to add to your December playlist.

KATE BUSH : MISTY If Kate Bush falling in love with a snowman is something that gives you the same sort of feeling as when your mum announces Christmas dinner is ready then you’re in the right place.

‘Misty’ is Kates 13 and a half minute christmas song from her 2011 album 50 Words for Snow.

She falls in love with the snowman but (shock! horror!) he begins to melt. (“I can’t find him/ The sheets are soaking/And on my pillow: Dead leaves, bits of twisted branches and frozen garden”).

It’s madness and genius combined.

The song is beautiful and despite the weird lyrics and video it fits the crucial “lonely depressing Christmas song” criteria perfectly.”).

Rebecca Stubbs

GARY JULES : MAD WORLD We live in a world where Christmas has become a three-month event where billions of pounds each year are spent on Iceland turkey twizzlers and expensive crackers with contents better than your average yo-yo.

With all the fuss it may come as a surprise that 2003’s ‘Mad World’ wasn’t written about the festive season at all.

The song itself was an odd number one hit; the original by Tears For Fears is a catchy array of glockenspiel echoes. On the other hand, Gary Jules’s version, recorded for the Donnie Darko soundtrack a couple of years later, is more chilling than a hole in your winter coat.

When most shopping centres blare the traditionally upbeat Slade and Shakin’ Stevens throughout their stores, along came Jules with his beautifully dejected cover of one of Britain’s greatest alternative songs.

What’s he done since? He’s probably lived off the back of a big fat number one cheque - a nice Christmas present for him I’m sure.

Josh Shreeve

THE KILLERS : DON’T SHOOT ME SANTA! ‘Don’t Shoot Me Santa!’ by the Killers, first played in 2007, is about a “kid” (played by lead singer Brandon Flowers) who has been kidnapped by Santa Claus as punishment for his sins.

It depicts the struggle between feeling guilty and thinking that it was a necessary evil. The catchy, quirky lyrics and the impressive storytelling behind them make it a great addition to anyone’s Christmas playlist. The normal portrayal of Santa is replaced with a burly, if slightly philosophical, gun wielding maniac who wants to bury Flowers alive. The song embodies a dark sense of humour that could be an acquired taste for the masses but I strongly recommend it escape the monotony of regular Christmas anthems. It is still a refreshing alternative to the usual flood of weepy, bland, one hit wonder X Factor ballads that arrive for the festive season.

Devni Kitulagoda

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MEW : SHE CAME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS With the opening line being “Don’t touch her there, she’s blindfolded” and “He watched her/She knew his look from behind” the penultimate, it’s clear this isn’t a typical Christmas song extolling merriment, joy and love to all nations.

The feelings implied seem much more sinister and of a more troubled family past.

That said, this is a very beautiful song from the little-known Danish band, with the haunting voice of singer Jonas Bjerre similar to the singer of Sigur Rós.

To best enjoy the song from tingly opening to chorus crescendo, watch the rather evocative official video.

In snowy forested scenes a good fairy dances with a man in a bear suit before the advent of an evil fairy spoils their waltz and then turns into a tree.

It’s not your typical Christmas-fare; more like Scandinavian noir.

Peter Watson

MONGOL HORDE : HOW THE COMMUNISTS RUINED CHRISTMAS Name me another hardcore punk Christmas song portraying communist ideals through a grim story or murder and betrayal, I dare you.

In Möngöl Hörde’s ‘How the Communists Ruined Christmas’ we hear the tale of Father Christmas (here played by Karl Marx) squeezing down the chimney to disgustedly find a communist household, void of decorations, gifts or cheer.

Frank Turner’s second venture into the hardcore punk world is a much more relaxed one.He confesses that his old Million Dead lyrics were often trying to be too deep and political whereas with Möngöl Hörde, Turner has found a way to bring in humour and Christmas spirit - whatever that may be.

Marx says: “You all claim to think I’m a genius but a genius would never want this.”

This riles the likes of Lenin, Stalin and Castro who murder Marxy Claus and pretend, in true Soviet fashion, that he never existed.

Matthrew Drew

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE : KILLING IN THE NAME Ah, Christmas songs. They have us wishing we could be festive everyday as we glide through the air with a fictitious snowman.

That was until 2009, when a Facebook group and the unstoppable force of Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name’ ploughed right through Frosty the Snowman, leaving him a little more cold hearted.

The campaign to get the song to Christmas number one also dented the wallet of Simon Cowell, as it saw The X Factor’s greedy grip on the annual top spot slip.

In the words of singer, Zack De La Rocha, it was a massive “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” to Britain’s cream of the crap, who turn out a monotonous cover year in, year out, and pushed aside the ghosts of Christmas jingles past.

Contrary to belief, ‘Killing In The Name’, did not kill Christmas. It brought it back down to reality through rebellion and with more spirit than the commercialism of Christmas itself. to reality through rebellion and with more spirit than the commercialism of Christmas itself.

Josh Shreeve

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Friday December 5 2014

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The Order: 1886

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Star Wars Battlefro

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Just Cause 3

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Friday December 5 2014

Lionhead Studios are back with a change in style play for their Xbox RPG, this time allowing you toprota set one of d instea s heroe rent diffe as four ct aspe e choic l mora ganist. While leaving in the that was at the core of previous games, it’s nice to see they’re trying something new.

Fable Legends

swer to your problems, Murder may not be the itanreally is ‘them’ or you. but in this indie-sequel r gameplay of the original, Expanding on the stella introduced new characters Devolver Digital have e a million more ways to that are sure to providgs while wearing an animal clear a room full of thu mask.

Dice would make millions of pounds if they just released a game that was no different to the previ ous two instalments, but it’s pleasing to see thatthey’re going in a different direction. With a tiplayer cops vs criminals setup. hopefully thismulwill add some much needed variation into the tired FPS genre.

Battlefield Hardline

ded The story of Nathan Drake is set to be conclufranlar popu Dog’s hty in this installment of Naug of chise, and while it will probably feature morefully hope will it play, the same in terms of game satisfy the story that has been the focus of this franc hise from the beginning.

Uncharted 4: A Thief ’s End

Hotline Miami 2

One of the most iconic duos ever to grace Playstation are back in 2015, with both a featuthe re length film and a game to go along with it. While nobody asked for the movie, rediscovering characters on the PS4 will be good for nostathese lgia reasons alone.

Ratchet & Clank

This shooter breaks away the stealth based staple of Tom Clancy gamfrom es, inst jump on the multiplayer bandw ead opting to also some gimmicky features, agon. There are based control scheme. It may not suc h as an iPad but at least it isn’t another Call ofbe revolutionary, Duty.

Tom Clancy’s The Division

to clusive, Halo 5 is sure Though it’s an Xboxhitexs the shelves next year, bemake waves when it s does. Boasting new mechancause, well, it alway anteed to be a hit- as long as ics, this game is guarfix the multiplayer issues that 343 industries can rchief Collection. plagued The Maste

Halo 5

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Forza Horizon

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PokEmon: Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby Game Freak

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ost students at the University of Sheffield probably remember Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire’s initial

FAR CRY 4

Ubisoft Montreal

I

f you liked Far Cry 3, but thought it needed more elephants, prepare to be amazed.

Far Cry 4 is an open world first person shooter set in the mountainous region of Kyrat. This game is very much a power fantasy; it has you riding around on beasts while wielding a machine gun and blasting away at a Bengal Tiger pretty much from the outset. It is very silly, and I love it.

Known for their open world mayhem, Far Cry’s new addition to the franchise is certainly no different. The map is a veritable theme park, packed full of side missions, hidden areas, loot, and enemy camps. The game will continue to surprise and delight you as it throws more danger and explosions your way. Even when you think you’re safe, you’ll find that a crocodile springs out of the mud at you and attempts to make you dinner (and not in the nice way).

The highlight of the game for me nonetheless is the incredible writing and voice acting. Pagan Min, the main antagonist, is possibly the most compelling villain I’ve come across in a video game, perhaps even surpassing Vaas of Far Cry 3. He can switch from being brilliantly demure and humorous to

release back in 2003 with varying degrees of fondness. Eleven years later, the new 3D remakes have arrived, entitled Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire respectively, with the pretty hefty task of updating the games to entice a new generation of children while staying faithful enough not to upset the previous one. Yet Nintendo and Game Freak seem miraculously to have managed it.

In typical Pokémon fashion, Ruby and Sapphire’s gameplay was linear. You played as a child recently relocated to Littleroot Town, who, after choosing their starter Pokémon (either Treecko, Torchic or Mudkip) went on to defeat the eight Gym Leaders, challenged the Elite Four to become the new Champion of Hoenn and caught, evolved and traded to obtain all 386 Pokémon.

Along with this you encountered and battled Team Aqua or Team Magma, who sought to achieve ‘the greater good’ for Pokémon by either drowning or drying out the entire planet. Herein lie the bones of the plot for Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby. The story is fleshed out through the addition of Mega Evolution, a temporary state of Pokédownright menacing in an instant, leaving you constantly on the edge of your seat.

However, while most of the characters in the game are impressively well written and fleshed out, the same cannot be said for the character controlled by the player.

All you know is that you are in Kyrat to spread the ashes of your mother, and that your family is connected to the Golden Path, a resistance movement fighting against Pagan Min. Despite only being there to spread the ashes, you end up single-handedly fighting the entire war without so much as a word of complaint. It’s just a shame that the player character is so faceless and bland when all the others are so brilliantly realised.

It is blindingly obvious that this new addition to the franchise is just Far Cry 3 made prettier and in a different setting, but I don’t think that this is a bad thing. After playing the last game, I wanted more, and Far Cry 4 gave me exactly that.

The game also features a few new mechanics such as the autodrive mode in cars that greatly aids vehicle combat, and a grapple that introduces pseudo-platforming sections, resulting in a greater feeling of freedom.

There is also a heavier focus on using animals when taking on your enemies; you can ride elephants

mon evolution carried over from the most recent games, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. However, due to these new elements being woven into the same locations and using similar characters to scenes from the origi- n a l games, these additions and edits of dialogue are not clumsy and do not register as out of place or unfamiliar.

It’s not only the plot elements that have been given this treatment. The game feels more packed, with a lot more side material than before.

The route is still linear, with plot events and gyms needing to be beaten in a pre-ordained order, but the amount of content encountered throughout the story is definitely more diverse.

Pokémon contests, introduced in the originals and forgotten again thereafter, have been given a major clean up, a new name and a face-lift using the new 3D engine.

Now, it’s so much fun it can cause you to consider move sets and your squad makeup not just on power, but on how well they can perform, and just how Cute, Beautiful, Tough, Cool or Smart your Pokémon actually are.

Visually the remake is beautiful.

Rendered in 3D, the camera angles implemented from X and Y cause you to see areas in a way the old top-down camera angle made impossible. Buildings always meant to impress now do, with detailed and

into a base and smash everything in sight, or you can lure in a grizzly bear and sit back as it rips your enemies to shreds for you.

Having said that, the basic formula for Far Cry remains the same, which is fine this time around. I just hope the franchise doesn’t do an Assassin’s Creed, becoming iterative and as stale as month-old bread.

I do, however, have a big complaint. Far Cry 4 was launched with day one premium downloadable content. This seems to be becoming the norm for triple-A releases, but it is not on. After paying upwards of £40 for a game, I really don’t expect Ubisoft to carve it up and sell pieces of it back to me. Stop it, games publishers. Just stop.

To conclude, despite Far Cry 4’s similarity to the last game in the series, and setting Ubisoft’s questionable business practices aside, this title is fantastic fun. It remains fresh and exciting, due in no small part to the beautiful setting and it’s facilitation of elephant based rampages. A must buy for fans of mayhem, violence, and silliness.

Matthew Reynolds

r e imagined exteriors able to be appreciated fully through allencompassing views. However, as this has been lifted straight from X and Y, it can feel a little awkward at times, as the Hoenn map was not initially created with this camera flexibility in mind. Expect to, on more than one occasion, have your 3DS at eyelevel with scrunched-up eyebrows to figure out if you are actually where you want to be.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire offer a twentyfive hour main storyline that will appeal to all, whether they be new or die-hard fans. Not only that, the game is so full that even after the credits roll, there are many challenges to face, such as the everenduring task of catching ‘em all.

Due to new features such as the brand new DexNav feature that allows access to information on a variety of Pokémon with ease, this is now actually the most possible it has been to achieve, even with 721 Pokémon in total. If you’re unsure

CULT CORNER COMIX ZONE

SEGA 1995

E

ver wished that your comic book hero would come to life instead of being stuck as inanimate drawings on paper?

Comix Zone kind of made that dream possible…

In a unique premise, you control Sketch Turner, an aspiring artist who gets trapped inside his own graphic novel, and you have to help him fight his way out of it.

Along the way, you will encounter a variety of enemies and obstacles, with some occasional puzzles.

Still, it’s not just another beat-emup game, and the comic book setting is not just for show; you are able to choose between different paths, and sometimes simply destroy the borders between the panels. You can also have your pet mouse, ‘Roadkill’, reach places you cannot enter and tear the page to uncover a usable item underneath it, incorporating humor that is brilliantly written and executed.

whether or not to try it, do - you’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how much fun the whole experience really is.

Moya O’Rourke

As for the graphics, Comix Zone is arguably the best looking game on the Genesis. Everything is drawn in great detail, and enemies will explode in tiny chunks of paper that appear surprisingly realistic. Plus, the game packs diverse and solid voice acting, sound effects and fast paced rock music.

The real frustration with Comix Zone, however, is the unforgiving difficulty; you have one life, and punching stuff will drain your health, health that often will not be replenished when you start a new level. Nonetheless, in knowing that the game is relatively short, these two drawbacks kind of cancel each other out. Since it has two endings and several path choices, the replay value is also very high.

Comix Zone is a game crafted with style and love. Its hand-drawn scenery, engaging story and gameplay should entertain you for hours, provided you can overcome the frustration of dying and restarting all over again.

Tareq Omairi

11

Friday December 5 2014

Fuse Arts.

Cabaret

University Drama Studio

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et in Berlin in the early 1930’s, Cabaret is a story about an American man who loses himself in the dazzle and darkness of the city during the Nazis’ rise to power.

SUPAS’s performance of the musical manages to maintain the excitement and beauty of the Emcee’s world; however, director Kier Shields has clearly taken time to address the incredibly important historical aspects of the piece.

This has been done tremendously, with the production managing to invoke both raucous laughter and even a few tears throughout the audience.

Favourites such as ‘Willkomen’, ‘Perfectly Marvellous’ and of course ‘Cabaret’, were brought to life by all those present on stage, especially by the fantastic orchestra.

‘Cabaret’ in particular stood out, with Tori Klays’s incredible vocals giving me goosebumps and a lump

the snowman Lyceum

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t started out as a popular children’s book written by Raymond Briggs, and then became an animated film in 1982, responsible for the immortalizing fame of everyone’s favourite Christmas melody ‘Walking in the Air’.

Now, The Snowman is reawakened on stage at the Lyceum Theatre to capture the hearts and minds of the next generation, as well as reaffirming itself as a familyfriendly Christmas tradition.

For those of you who do not know the story, firstly, where have you been? The Snowman combines a live orchestra, mime, and choreography to tell the story of a young boy who builds a snowman which, with a little bit of Christmas enchantment, jumps into life at the stroke of midnight.

The Snowman and the boy travel on a journey of frivolity and laughter, while meeting many familiar characters along the way.

The show delights in its appeal to children, and it was enjoyable to hear the children audibly laughing and joking

in my throat.

On reading the programme before the performance it was a shame to see a few personal favourites had been cut, such as ‘Money’ and ‘Mein Herr’. This disappointment, however, soon disappeared upon seeing the enthusiasm and passion shown by all cast members in every number, and these

“It is rare to find a performance in which every cast member glows” cuts were promptly forgotten.

Cabaret managed to balance comedy with topics of a serious nature extremely well. A particularly memorable throughout the performance.

The first act was compromised of the pair exploring the boy’s house, with the scenery and props proportionately increasing in size to demonstrate a child-like perspective of the world.

What the first act of the show lacked in choreography, the second act more than made up for.

Snowmen of different nationalities, dancing penguins, magical reindeers and Father Christmas, who of course got the loudest cheer conveniently at the time of Christmas lists being written.

No children’s show would be complete without the inclusion of a villain, where Domenico Ramelli relished the role of the wicked Jack Frost. Ramelli was a strong dancer who brought a welcomed alternative dynamic to the show which worked to encourage the audience’s participation in the action, and their

willingness to interpret what the mime and dance meant.

The most memorable part of the show came as the first act ended in the infamous ballad ‘Walking in the Air’. This saw the Snowman and the boy quite literally walking and skating through the air in large arcs across the stage.

As a university student, I was just as encapsulated as any sevenyear-old, and felt the magic of stagecraft once again impress and amaze.

Overall, The Snowman is an insightful and intelligent piece of theatre, which specialises in telling a story through less conventional methods, such as mime and choreography, rather than the spoken word. It works well as an introduction to the capabilities of theatre to a younger audience, and reinforces the fact that theatre is an inclusive sphere where all can find enjoyment.

Jo Gallacher

moment was during the engagement party of Fräulein Schneider and Herr Schultz. The cast managed to create an enjoyable party atmosphere which suddenly snapped into a truly threatening scene, showing the serious and unforgiving nature of the Nazi party.

Bryony Parker and Jonathan Cooke’s rendition of ‘Tomorrow Belongs to Me’ had a chilling tone and gave an eerie insight into the Nazi regime.

One of the highlights of the evening was Sergio Philipe’s portrayal of the sinister yet loveable Emcee. He was outrageous, hilarious and terrifying, luring the audience in to his fantastic world with a menacing grin.

Talented singer, actor and dancer Philipe gave a staggering performance which demonstrated the beautiful car crash that was 1930’s Berlin.

Being such a well-known musical, which has been developed and remoulded countless times over

the last five decades, it was a real pleasure to see such a marvellous production.

It’s thoroughly impressive that a reasonably small cast and team can produce such a vibrant and compelling production, particularly when considering the small amount of time they have had to prepare it.

It is rare to find a performance in which every cast member glows with their love for performing, but in Cabaret SUPAS certainly did just that.

Rachel Mercer

BOOK CORNER

events, it cannot be excused from far-fetched and naïve classification.

The novel’s pace is generally slow, with a good chunk of the first half being intricately, and often tediously, drawn-out. Despite this, the endearing nature works to gently lull the reader in.

Its powerful descriptions of the Lakashi and the jungle become a dominant force of enticement.

Patchett’s clever twists and turns create surprising narrative developments, leaving the reader with profound, emotional attachments to Marina, Easter and Dr Swenson.

When at a loss for something to read, lose yourself in this absorbing novel, and you’ll satisfyingly pass hours, materialising at the close with a shocking realisation of your investment in its charm.

State of wonder Ann Patchett

A

merican novelist Ann Patchett released her latest work of fiction, State of Wonder, in 2011.

The narrative opens in the Minnesotan office of fictional pharmaceutical company, Vogel. One of the company’s researchers, Dr Anders Eckman, a bird enthusiast, loyal husband and father of three, dies from a fever while working in the Amazon, after having been sent several months previously to report the progress of secretive research.

Within the research department secret analysis of the lives of the primitive Lakashi tribe had been taking place for years, whose women remain eternally fertile.

The aim is to recreate the tribe’s secret in a drug that could be used to revolutionise the lives of women all around the world.

Under pressure to find out the advancement of the drug, Dr Marina Singh is sent to discover the truth behind Eckman’s mysterious death, and take over his pursuit of the drug’s development.

The story follows her enlightening and extraordinary journey through the Amazon, and her befriending of a boy called Easter, who soon becomes the son she never had, and likewise enhances the dominant theme of parentage in the novel.

The story’s subject matter is clearly fantastical and, combined with the sometimes melodramatic

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Bethan Littley

Friday December 5 2014

12

Fuse.Albums. music Fuse ALABAMA 3

WIMIN FROM W.O.M.B.L.E VOL 2

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he band open with a quick intro: “We’re the Alabama 3. We make Sweet Country Acid House music all night long. We’re not from Alabama and there are not three of us. We’re from Brixton, London. We’re the fellas that did that Sopranos theme tune. That tune brought someone a swimming pool, but it sure wasn’t any of us...”

Sounds promising right? For those of you aware of the Alabama 3, you’ll know that this is a band that do things differently.

Their 2002 debut album Exile on Coldharbour Lane was a groundbreaking furore into boldly fusing techno with country and western

FOO FIGHTERS

SONIC HIGHWAYS

A

fter an unexpected yet fairly brief hiatus, the Foo Fighters are back and brilliant with their eighth album Sonic Highways.

The brief album follows a musical journey, with each of the eight tracks being recorded in a different city of America: Chicago, Nashville, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Austin, Washington D.C and New Orleans.

Along with the album is an accompanying eight-part TV series documenting the records crosscountry production process in each city.

The tracks focus less on underground burly rock and more on the classic rock connecting big American rock and roll cities from coast to coast.

Each track is attacked from a different direction which means that throughout, listeners are never too bored and never too accustomed.

that bizarrely succeeded. Turning records out at a remarkable rate, WIMMIN FROM WOMBLE VOL.2 is their 12th studio album, and sees the Alabama 3 as eclectically brilliant as ever.

“This is a band that do things differently” While it might be hard for some to take a band that is as tongue in cheek as this seriously, WIMMIN FROM WOMBLE VOL.2 only serves as further proof why the Alabama 3 are that rare sort of band who can use humour in a way that escapes parody, and does nothing to damage their credibility.

Maybe it’s because the jokes are clever, the lyrics so astute - “He had too many parties, he had too many Sonic Highways projects the Foo’s at one of their loudest, brawniest and most raucous stages of their career and it is without a doubt first-rate.

It is a well produced album from an accomplished band that boasts such adventurous and rewarding song writing skills that it is impossible to find a glaring weak point.

People have criticized the record for being predictable, but when a band is as talented and internationally adored as the Foo Fighters are I see little problem with continuing to produce music you know will satisfy your fans- sometimes the familiar chunky chords are most comforting.

If you’re a fan of the Foo Fighters, a rock lover, or simply want to be taken on a familiar but undoubtedly pleasurable musical journey then this album is definitely worth a listen.

Rebecca Stubbs

pills/Daddy’s yacht in the harbour/ Mommy paid all the bills/He had no idea what hit him until/The Devil went down to Ibiza”.

As with all their previous albums, WIMMIN FROM WOMBLE VOL.2 might at first come across like a brazen assualt on the ears – opening track ‘Bam Ba Lam (Here Comes Daddy)’ is a woozy, thrashing take on Ram Jam’s ‘Black Betty’.

A few tracks in, however everything settles, and a groove establishes that carries the rest of the album into sublime house-cumpunk-cum-trip-hop euphoria.

On an album that not only deserves, but demands your time, stand out tracks include the effortlessly cool ‘Soon Come’, and ‘Ballad of a Gravedigger’s Daughter’.

Rachel Bell

KILL IT KID

YOU OWE NOTHING

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ill It Kid, the effortlessly cool Bath based rockers, have been quietly growing their fan base over the last couple of years and You Owe Nothing cements their deserved place in the British music industry.

The gritty rock and blues band’s rise to fame has been no big surprise- they were always set to be one of Britain’s most exciting bands of 2014.

Thankfully, as their fame has risen, so has the quality of their music.

You Owe Nothing is packed with a perfect combination of classic blues and hard rock.

The record is versatile and boasts

the true quality rock music that is often missing on the UKs music scene.

The album opens with heavy rock track ‘Black It Out’ which proudly boasts the same sort of chopped up guitars that make your parents shake their heads and tut.

Stand out track ‘Caroline’ couldn’t be more different, proving that Kill It Kid are one of the most versatile bands in the rock market.

The power ballad is smothered in cool bluesy vibes.

Chris Turpin’s vocals are at their best here: his ability to switch from a falsetto into gritty rock and roll within a verse is something to be celebrated.

Stephanie Ward, pianist and accompanying vocals, brings a sensual female edge to the record in ‘Don’t It Feel Good’ and ‘Blood

Stop and Run’, bringing light to the issue that female voices in rock tracks are brilliant and scarce.

You Owe Nothing is a sexy, gritty record oozing style and taste.

Rebecca Stubbs

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13

Friday December 5 2014

SKATALITES QUEENS SOCIAL CLUB November 23rd

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zemodo Zen Audu cries “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, FREEDOM!” One of the more recent additions to the band, he prepares the eager crowd for a truly, fun-filled, old school, no cares given type of night. Good vibes had already been marinated by support bands Jungle Lion and The Indecision who delivered maximum energy performances.

Everything about the Skatelites gig screamed 70s, from the music all the way to the audience in their ‘This Is England’ esque attire. There was undoubtedly a free spirited atmosphere, judging by the flying of hands and bowler hats. The Skatelites deliver an overwhelming Photography - Flickr

feeling of happiness, no matter how hard you try to stay still there is no way the bass guitar won’t force your feet to stomp and the saxophones won’t pull your hips to sway, almost by magic the front of the crowd had formed a huge mosh pit, throwing their bodies to the music any and every way they could.

“A perfomance that was truly legendary” For those of you not familiar with the Skatalites music, think a Bob Marley and John Coltrane love child. Mixing the cool tones of reggae with the upbeat energy of American jazz, the product is as cool as it gets.

liveFusemusic.

Gigs.

The presence of Lester Sterlin, being one of the founding members of Skatelites, meant that you could almost feel the history in the room.

Just standing there, knowing you were breathing the same air as one of the men who birthed Ska music was an experience in itself. Doreen Shafer, also one of the founding members of Skatelites, graced the stage with an aura of motherly experience, her soulful voice moving the whole crowd.

A rendition of ‘Simmer Down’, the Wailers’ first single (accompanied

by The Skatelites) really was the cherry on top, making the crowd know they were experiencing a performance that was truly legendary.

Aisha Ayoade

Photography: Rebecca Stubbs

THE DRUMS Gorilla, Manchester November 19th

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he Drums have fallen off the music radar in recent years since their last album, Portamento, was released over three years ago and we haven’t really heard anything since. However, with a brand spanking new album, Encyclopedia, and an international tour thrown in for good measure, The Drums are back.

The 700 capacity Gorilla in Manchester was the perfect venue for their sold out show , small but doing the job perfectly.

The support band, three- piece Beverley, was a mix of Best Coast guitar riffs and vocals of The Cranberries, a simple and no nonsense three-piece.

Admittedly The Drums did have a bit of a slow start with ‘Bell Laboratories’ and ‘Let Me’ opening the show, doing nothing more than make the crowd shuffle. But we were swiftly treated

to some old classics like ‘Money’ and ‘Best Friend’ which really got the place moving. Nothing could quite match Jonny’s spectacular Ian Curtis-esque dancing.

Their older stuff is definitely a dancing affair with jangly guitars and loud drums. Encyclopedia?

Not so much, but arguably still a great album, far more mature and melodic, albeit harder to dance too.

The hefty 6-song encore was definitely something to shout about. A highlight being when front woman of Beverly, Drew Citron, joined Jonny Pierce on stage for ‘Don’t, be a Jerk Jonny.’

Just as everybody thought they had forgotten, the obligatory ‘Lets go Surfing’ filled the room.

They gracefully finished with a magical rendition of ‘Down by the Water’. A sombre note to finish on but everyone’s hands were in the air, and everyone was belting out every single word.

Emily Hodgson

Photography - Emily Hodgson

OHM SWEET OHM Plug November 22nd

Belfast whose signature sound can be described as ‘intergalactic-80swherehouse-inspired’. The vigorous fist pumping and arm waving was testament to how great their sound he anticipation of dancing was, reminiscent of warehouse into the wee hours of Sun- raves as wide-eyed teens vibed day morning, as the infec- off each other while the booming tious electronic dance beats beats that made moving every inch blared from within the club, made of your body second nature.

Joining Bicep was Leon Vynehall, finally getting inside all the more a DJ praised for seamlessly mixed exciting.

The packed, pitch black venue house and techno sets, Will Saul, was alive and pumping with en- described as being dedicated to ergy. Everyone seemed to be in drawing on elements of dubstep, their own worlds, free of inhibitions disco, house and techo, and finally and not caring who witnessed their Pedram who along with the others gave us a wide spectrum of dance tawdriest dance moves. music to take pleasure in.

The night boomed on and while unable to tease ourselves away from the intense, lively atmosphere we had immersed ourselves into, it was hard not to hear the cries of sore, protesting feet. Pulling ourAs we weaved further into the selves away from our prime locacrowds of boogieing bodies, their tion right in front of the DJ booth vivacity was matched by the flash- was a struggle as the rhythm ing lights of colours. We saw snap- stayed with us, and we cut shapes shot views of fellow students in until we had finally left the buildtheir elements, making the most of ing.

Chip-shop bound, the reminiscing two of the UK’s biggest electronic music institutions; a FeelMyBicep began and it is safe to say my first house music rave in Sheffield was Vs Aus Records delight.

The cavernous Plug nightclub was a success.

Monkey/Flikr Hope Cunningham host Photography: to of Bicep, aBozward two piece from

T

“My first rave in Sheffield was a success”

Photography - Plug

Friday December 5 2014

14

Fuse Screen.

Fuse. screen No Good Deed Dir: Sam Miller

T

he Luther dream team of actor Idris Elba and director Sam Miller reunite for No Good Deed, a delusional mystery thriller that misses its point.

Elba is Colin, a violent man who has been in prison for five years until, after being denied parole, escaped on his way back.

Terri (Taraji P. Henson) is a bored housewife and mother of two children.

They cross each other’s paths when Colin knocks at her door, after a car accident, asking to make a call and she lets him in. Given his previous sentence for manslaughter, what was supposed to be an act of kindness turns into a nightmare for the woman, seeking to save the lives of not only herself, but of her children.

One of the first rules in screenwriting is not to reveal too much

SMALL SCREEN Remember me

Dir: Ashley Pearce

T

he BBC’s contemporary ghost story Remember Me is intriguing from the outset. An evocative scene, played in reverse, shows us waves on Scarborough beach lapping against an anonymous human form covered in cloth, which proceeds to rise off the sand and, apparently, return to life.

Michael Palin’s return to acting is the biggest selling point. The Broomhill native’s portrayal of lead character Tom Parfitt is equal parts amiable, mysterious and jittery.

Jodie Comer plays Hannah, a teenage care assistant at the home where Parfitt comes to live.

While some of her decisions in this episode would have a genre-savvy viewer shaking their head, she is undeniably the most interesting character.

The cinematography is nicely stylised - infused with shots of a desolate Yorkshire. Artsy camera angles are used to great effect in conveying the sense of the unnatural that goes along with whatever spectre is following Tom Parfitt around.

Filmed in Huddersfield and Scarborough, but set in an indeterminate part of God’s own county, the show is infused with a heavy sense of place, which should please northerners.

The soundtrack is suitably haunting, centred on a minimalist rendition of the classic folk song ‘Scarborough Fair’.

Less well executed is the pacing of this first episode. It serves mostly

about your character, but instead, letting the viewer discover them over the course of the movie. Aimée Lagos seemingly has completely ignored this rule, bluntly telling viewers everything about the main character: he’s a bad guy, end of story.

“No Good Deed is simply no good”

This, together with the not-sohigh-quality directing, makes the movie flat and unoriginal. Despite aiming to be an intense thriller, the movie is quite predictable because of weak direction, which sometimes falls into the trap of the usual clichés of a common B-movie. Apparently Miller is not ready for the green hills of Hollywood and should come back to TV. On the other hand, the soundtrack

by Paul Haslinger gives the only suspense to the entire movie,

although it’s the usual thriller music and nothing more.

No Good Deed is partly redeemed by its strong cast.

Elba succeeds in playing the rude and very violent villain, trying to get the most from a very badly written character.

As a bored, then later desperate, housewife, Henson is the perfect counterpart for Elba, balancing what she lacks in brute force with her determination.

Their performances, however, can’t rescue the movie. Rather they seem even to emphasise its weak points.

Ultimately, No Good Deed lacks originality and quality.

It is mainly a waste of time, money, and talent, leaving the viewer with only one question: who was crazy enough to produce this?

No Good Deed was shortened to No Good on my cinema ticket.

Perhaps it was a sign, and surely it’s my final comment: simply no good.

Valeria Vigilante

to introduce cast members, with only a single major plot development occurring over the hour.

After spending a lot of time cultivating a chilly atmosphere, the final minutes of the episode hint at resorting to a more overt form of horror. It would be a shame if, like so many of its predecessors, Remember Me took the easy way out and resorted to cheap scares.

Until the last fifteen minutes, it isn’t clear whether the show is pitching itself as a character-driven drama or a horror. The appearance of a haunted rocking chair and a creepy attic settles the question in favour of the latter.

If we’re being stern, there isn’t much here that hasn’t been seen before. That said, Remember Me is worth watching, and will surely improve over time.

Joshua Hackett

CULT CORNER

friday night lights NBC 2006 - 2011

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rama series Friday Night Lights (FNL) is about American football and the crazy fascination that it exerts over the population of a small Texan community.

In the fictitious town of Dillon, everybody is focused on the new coach of the famous high school football team: the Panthers. A long, challenging season of American football is ahead of Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his family, because in Texas football is a big deal, even in a minor league. His burden of responsibility is great, as he strives to bring his young champs all the way to the State Championship.

Now, you may think that the kind of football we are talking about here is the wrong one, you may think that you’re not very into sports series, you may even think that Texas is too distant a place, but I would still assure you that you‘ll adore this show with tender love and burning passion.

The first two seasons are a thrilling honeymoon, a feverish trip into the ruthless world of football competition. The third and the fourth seasons are like a consolidated relationship, full of ups and downs, but definitely worth it. The last season is the celebration of a fortunate marriage of action and drama, a balanced combination of sport sequences and teen romance that will drive you to tears at the end.

FNL is the best sport series ever made, but there so much more to it than that. It is a great piece of

television, a deep, moving narrative of a collective passion. Directed and developed with experience and elegance by Peter Berg and enriched by an extraordinary ensemble cast, Friday Night Lights will take you inside the lives of its characters, cheering for them, knowing them, loving them. And in the end it will make you a maniac football fan.

The emotional and epic journey of Coach Taylor and his team is recommended to all kinds of spectators, so don’t hesitate, let a piece of Texas in your house and get ready for this superbowl of a TV series.

Mariaclaudia Carella

Friday December 5 2014

Winter Sleep

Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

F The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1 Dir: Francis Lawrence

T

he awful curse of teenage fantasy novel adaptations which split the finales of Harry Potter and Twilight has claimed its third victim. Mockingjay, the final piece of the Hunger Games trilogy, simply does not have the substance to fill two feature-length films.

Part 1 is gripping but there is only so much that director Francis Lawrence could do with the duller half of the novel.

Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence at her finest) wakes up in the underground caverns of District 13, previously thought to have been destroyed, where the rebellion against the Capitol is taking shape. Under the military-like ruling of President Coin, a wonderfully unlikeable Julianne Moore, there’s plenty of planning, organising, and discussing, but a disappointing lack of actual conflict.

Instead, the two-hour movie is spent watching Katniss – injured and traumatised by her bizarre rescue from the arena at the end of Catching Fire – being pruned into the poster girl of a revolution she triggered accidentally. We see flickers of that girl on fire who captured the hearts of both Panem and the paying audience, but she has lost much of her spark.

The leaders of the uprising have, in creating their Mockingjay, caged her. This is all too evident in the scripted “propo” films she is coerced into fronting, which battle for the airwaves with the Capitol’s channel, and its new star – a kidnapped, indoctrinated Peeta (Josh Hutcherson).

Lawrence, as always, brings Katniss to life, whether she’s curled up weeping or shooting down some planes. But spearheading a

Stations of the cross Dir: Dietrich Brüggemann

N

amed for the artistic representations of Christ carrying the cross to his crucifixion, the subject matter of Kreuzweg (Stations of the Cross in English) might seem obvious to anybody giving a cursory glance at its poster.

Yet, told through 14 fixed-angle continuous shots, each introduced by the name of its corresponding Station of the Cross, the film is radical in spite of its self-inflicted

“It is difficult to imagine a more stunning picture” sense of impending tragedy.

Dietrich Brüggemann has directed a film of stunning intensity. Its stars, Lea van Acken and Franziska Weisz, fulfill Brüggemann’s concept with almost unbelievable skill and control.

The opening tableau sees Maria Göttler (van Acken) taught the values of a true orthodox Catholic in preparation for her confirmation, which naturally include self-sacrifice in order to make space in the heart for Jesus Christ.

Torn between the usual pressures on a modern teenage girl and the extraordinary burden of the guilt of sin laid mercilessly upon her by her mother (Weisz), Maria is caught in a devastating living purgatory, which manifests itself in her horrific anorexia.

revolution means her love life takes a back seat, which can only be a good thing as Gale (Liam Hemsworth) still hasn’t learned to crack a smile, and things with Peeta aren’t plain sailing.

The late Philip Seymour Hoffman is sharp and intriguing as rebellion strategist Plutarch Heavensbee.

With most of the movie spent underground, we feel the suffocating confinement endured

by District 13’s inhabitants, the few above-ground shots bringing a literal breath of fresh air. Finally, the propos begin to pay off, and one by one the other Districts join the uprising, but just as we lean forwards in anticipation for the real action to start, the credits roll.

It’s as good as a half-film could be, overflowing with brilliant actors, and with just enough drama to keep the excitement building for Part 2.

Keri Trigg

This is far more than a retelling of Christ’s crucifixion, though. The relentlessness of the long shots, never interrupted and rarely moving, give the film an intensity which never lulls.

In his inaction behind the camera, Brüggemann wants us to look for more beyond the story of religious extremism on screen, and Kreuzweg certainly asks questions of Germany’s relationship with immigrants, their good judgement so tragically shunned by the traditionalists in the story.

On that subject, what might a religious fundamentalist make of the film? Though few could disagree that Maria is treated despicably by her mother as a result of her unshakeable orthodoxy, the film’s conclusion leaves room for a sympathetic attitude to the unnamed mother, extreme though she is.

In any case, the mastery of the film is worthy of its perfect score here. It certainly won’t be popular with all viewers: its complete lack of music and almost entirely stationary camera prevent any dash of levity. But within the restrictive boundaries Kreuzweg sets itself, it is difficult to imagine a more stunning picture being made.

In its flawless realisation of Brüggemann’s vision, with actors, script and direction coming together to create a masterpiece, Kreuzweg is entirely deserving of all five stars.

rom his mountaintop hotel, a wealthy, ageing man looks down in indifference on the impoverished townspeople below. Taking stock of his vast, hollow empire, his contemplations uncover some dark truths about himself and human nature.

Colossal at 196 minutes, director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Winter Sleep may not be the most digestible film of the year, but it is one of the most remarkable.

The Palme D’Or winner’s sprawling runtime lends the space for some powerful, in-depth character deconstruction, which Ceylan navigates masterfully, keeping a steady control over his themes and ideas.

Haluk Bilginer stars as Aydin, a wealthy former actor who muses on morality, philosophy, religion and poverty (among other things) with a well-read wisdom, but he shrinks and shrivels at the thought of taking action against the wrongs he condemns.

Bilginer toes a delicate line between sympathetic and reprehensible as the film slowly chips away at Aydin’s forthcoming exterior to reveal the cowardly, snobbish complexities that lie beneath.

He is a man who has the capacity, but not the energy, to do real good and the character’s fascinating depths are exposed in how his resignation is simultaneously justified and repugnant.

He is despised by his sister Necla (Demet Akbag) and younger wife Nihal (Melisa Sözen), who both strive to break out of their stifling life in the mountains, but are constantly berated by Aydin for their attempts.

Large swathes of Sleep are passed in extended exchanges between the three as they deconstruct each other’s flaws and ambitions, slowly wearing away at their motivation and happiness.

15 Aydin also clashes with the villagers at the bottom of the mountain, whose houses he owns, as they struggle to keep up payments.

His contradictory principles about charity and self-sufficiency leave him emotionally prostrate - too indecisive to alter the course of their plight.

Ceylan’s gentle direction gives space to his expansive screenplay, which features several lengthy, meandering exchanges in dialogue, stretching up to 30 minutes each.

The characters often speak balletically and fluently, but just as often their speech is fractured and naturalistic - they will hover around a topic (gender, justice, conscience) without landing on a point, saying nothing as much as they say everything.

Ceylan’s imagery is subtle and unfussy, meaning that all the power of his script remains intact. Conversations that start innocently become vital and world-shattering as the small cast shifts around, each digging out the worst sides of each other.

There is little to be said of Sleep’s plot, of which there is little. Ceylan captures the inescapable, bleak pointlessness of life, offering little resolution, but at the same time capturing earth-shifting revelations and ideas.

Sleep digs deep into the human soul and emerges with infinitely more questions than answers, but the experience is a valuable and vital one.

Its extended runtime is a pleasing necessity, allowing itself to get lost in its characters, to create them and recreate them in the pursuit of meaning.

What Ceylan’s dramatic epic offers is, simultaneously, nothing and everything we need.

Rhys Handley

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Jack Collier More reviews online Read more reviews online at Forge Today

DOT COM

Fuse Listings.

Photo: Joshua Hackett

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

Screen.

Games.

Cult Tuesdays: Things to Come (December 9, the Showroom Cinema, 8:30pm) A visually sweeping sci-fi classic full of futuristic vistas and modern cityscapes, based on the story by HG Wells. Beginning before World War II and travelling to 2036 AD, this journey predicts a host of modernities before following a rocketship to the moon.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (December 13, the Showroom Cinema, 1pm) Is it a Christmas film? Is it a Halloween film? All we know is, Tim Burton’s classic tale of a skeleton who has an existential crisis is still charming even after twenty years of being hijacked by unimaginative people on Tumblr.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (December 19-24, the Showroom Cinema) “There goes Mr Humbug, there goes Mr Grim... If they gave a prize for being mean, the winner would be him!” The Muppet Christmas Carol returns to the Showroom for another Christmas.

Many people forget this classic movie in the Muppets canon, but frankly, few things are more awesome than seeing Michael Caine and Miss Piggy in the same movie.

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

Friday December 5: Miami Connection Saturday December 6: Boyhood Sunday December 7: The Boxtrolls Friday December 12: Requiem for a Dream Saturday December 13: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For Sunday December 14: Love Actually For more info on future releases or to volunteer go to filmunit.org.uk

Game Releases December 5 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (WiiU) NES Remix Pack (WiiU) Ultimate NES Remix (3DS) December 9 Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (PC, PS4, Xbox One) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (3DS) Star Wars: The Old Republic: Shadow of Revan (PC) December 11 BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend (PC) Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PC) The Talos Principle (PC, PS4) December 18 Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PC)

Tickets: £2.50 each

Arts.

Music.

Picturing Sheffield (November 29 - April 12, the Millennium Gallery) Journey through Sheffield’s past and present, and explore the links between the changing city and the people who have lived there. The exhibition covers art from the 1700s to the present day, and includes the likes of JMW Turner, Frank Constantine and Linda Benedict Jones.

Dick Whittington (December 5 - January 4, the Lyceum) This year’s star-studded family pantomime includes performances from Samantha Womack ( ’ Ronnie Mitchell), Damian Williams, and Andy Day (CBeebies). Last year’s pantomime was seen by over 44,000 people so book early to avoid disappointment!

Bolshoi Ballet: La Bayadere (December 7, the Showroom Cinema, 3pm) This story of impossible love between the beautiful dancer Nikiya and the warrior Solor is set against the backdrop of a lush, mysterious India. Bolshoi principals Svetlana Zakharova and Maria Alexandrova bring Marius Pepita’s choreography to life in one of the Bolshoi’s most accomplished pieces.

The Princess and the Pea (December 10 - January 3, the Studio) In this new fantastical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea, Mike Kenny and the inventive Tutti Frutti team create a funny, original, beautiful retelling of this familiar tale. Not for the faint hearted, fake princesses, or those who have trouble sleeping at night!

Robin Hood and the Babes in the Woods (December 12-15, Broomhall Centre, 7pm) With charming heroes, dastardly villains and comedy capers, USLES’s winter pantomime promises to be more Men in Tights than Prince of Thieves! In the spirit of robbing the rich to give to the poor, all proceeds will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Society of South Yorkshire.

Live Gigs John Garcia - 5/12, Corporation Northside - 5/12, Rocking Chair Inspiral Carpets - 6/12, Leadmill Mike Sanchez - 7/12, Greystones Deacon Blue - 8/12, City Hall Mark Radcliffe & Foes - 9/12, Greystones Human League - 10/12, City Hall

Hot Diamond Aces -12/12, Harley Gogol Bordello - 12/12, Leadmill Kasabian - 13/12, Motorpoint Arena Rival Sons - 13/12, Leadmill The Enemy - 14/12, O2 China Drum - 16/12, Corporation

Album Releases Union J: You Got it All - 8/12 Lil Wayne: Tha Carter V - 9/12 Smashing Pumpkins: Momunments to an Elegy - 9/12 Neon Hitch: Eleutheromaniac - 14/12 Charli XCX: Sucker - 15/12

Nicki Minaj: The Pinkprint - 15/12 Tohoshinki: With - 17/12 JMSN: JMSN (Blue Album) - 19/12 Tyga: The Gold Album (18th Dynasty) - 23/12

Christmas Concert 2014 (December 13, Sheffield City Hall, 3pm and 7pm) The internationally-renowned Black Dyke band joins forces with the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus for their fourth annual Christmas concert, full of classics. If nothing else it should make a nice change from the endless repeats of Jona Lewie and Michael Bublé.

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.

Lincoln Christmas Market Durham Road Saturday December 6 09:30am £14 Lincoln is the perfect place to visit to get in the Christmas spirit. There’ll be nearly 200 stalls at the market, and we bet at least half of them will be selling mulled wine.

Christmas Crafternoon Activities and Sports Zone Monday December 8 12:30pm £1 Nothing feels more Christmassy than handmade presents; and by using recycled materials to make them you’ll also be giving a gift to Mother Earth this year.

Making Parol Gallery Room 4 Tuesday December 9 2:00pm £1.50 As the old carol says, “don we now our gay a-Parol...” Ahem.

Seriously though, the Filipino Society will teach you how to make one of these traditional lanterns using bamboo and coloured paper.

Castle Howard at Christmas Durham Road Sunday December 14 9:00am £25.50 Unfortunately we can’t all spend Christmas in Downton Abbey having tea with Maggie Smith, but a trip to this stunning 18th-century house is surely the next best thing.

Christmas Origami Gallery Room 3 Wednesday December 17 5:00pm £1 The perfect way to make Christmas decorations or even gifts on the tightest of budgets. All materials are included in the session, so there’s no need to rip up your lovely copy of Fuse for paper.