CRITICS RECOMMEND...

CRITICS RECOMMEND...

Staying Alive : 1970’s MUSIC RECOMMENDATION

By Rachael Proud

Defining the 70s music scene is a massive and arduous task for anyone – in a time when artists took the standard pop conventions of the time and not only threw it out of the window but whilst doing so set the punk subculture on them for good measure.

During a time when rock was getting simultaneously harder and softer, completely new forms of music were being created… and, for me? It’s all about the funk/disco scene.

Some of you may be familiar with a really underground movie called Saturday Night Fever… it’s really not that popular at all… and for a movie that pretty much defined the 70s, it’s only right to take a look at its soundtrack.

I recommend Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees – there’s something about that iconic funky bassline, the fouron-the-floor beat and the strings that can make one feel like they are transcending into the beyond.

At its core the song is for everyone facing hard times and struggling to stay alive, whilst also showing that we’re not alone and encouraging us to dance the pain away. I must say, that’s what the 70s and disco is all about!

FOUL PLAY: 1970’s FILM RECOMMENDATION

By Hannah Walton-Hughes

Too few people have heard of the 1978 gem of a film that is Foul Play. Starring the wonderful Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase, this is one of those movies where I honestly got to the end and felt disappointed that it was over.

There is a plot: a plot to murder the Pope. Ruthless criminals are behind it and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Gloria Mundy (Hawn) is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time; who knew that a packet of cigarettes handed to her by a relative stranger would put a target on her back?

Despite the intensity of the film, it is sprinkled with truly hilarious moments. Even some of the action sequences are perfectly choreographed in a way that inspires laughter. The film will have you chuckling one minute and jumping out of your skin the next.

There is also a sweet romance between Gloria and Tony (Chase), the policeman assigned to protect her. The dynamic between these two characters is perfectly balanced.

I could not recommend Foul Play enough. A gripping storyline, a love story you can root for, Barry Manilow serenading the opening sequence...what else could you ask for?

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas :1970’s BOOK RECOMMENDATION

By Natalie Howarth

A transgressive roman à clef based on the real life experiences of the father of Gonzo journalism, Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a highly subversive and surreal piece of hazy, drug-induced writing.

It follows journalist Raoul and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo who are driving to the Mint 400 Motorcycle Race: the journey is more important than the destination in this novel. On this journey, they take several drugs, including large doses of acid and LSD.

A timeless classic from a foreign perspective of an addict, Hunter S. Thompson will forever be an irreverent figure for his experimental and unique journalistic style.

There’d Better Be A Mirrorball :MODERN MUSIC RECOMMENDATION

By James Hadland

After a four year wait since their last album, Arctic Monkeys teased their seventh album’s release with lead single There’d Better Be A Mirrorball, which blessed my ears on the 29th August 2022. The expectation was for Turner and co to continue the jazzy style of their previous album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, a space-age away from their first album’s raw, nascent sound.

The song transports you into a Bond-esque mellowness from the first note, with Turner’s now-preferred piano sound underpinned by sweeping strings. The blueness of the instrumentals immediately establishes a mournful feel of a breakup well before a word is sung, with a philharmonic sound opposite to the preceding ballad.

As the orchestral progressions halt at 0:36, the anticipation of lyrics is palpable, giving a real feeling of arrival to their new sound.

Turner’s lines still have a John Cooper Clarke-esque quality, exploring heartbreak in abstract terms like ‘yesterday is still leaking through the roof’. The song’s intimacy is achieved not only by its circumambient melody but Turner’s ability to sing and write so personally and directly

The band perfectly achieved their aim to give it ‘the old romantic fool’, providing a sound perfect for the hopeless romantic.

Come on Barbie, let’s go party! :MODERN FILM RECOMMENDATION

By Isabelle Wileman

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is, in a wonderful way, nothing like what was first expected from a live-action film based on the polarising doll. The extremely pink, hilarious, and emotional masterpiece sees Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) navigate the gender-based power dynamics of Barbie Land and the ‘real world’ during her attempt to understand her existence.

Whilst also touching on other topics like consumerism and existentialism, Gerwig primarily uses Barbie’s experience

to highlight some of the contradictory standards that women face, and in doing so successfully creates a space for feminism to be discussed.

Robbie’s ability to portray Barbie as initially cartoonish and later incredibly human,after the character’s descent into existential crisis is phenomenal.

Ryan Gosling was more than ‘kenough’ for his role as Ken – his comedic delivery was perfect, culminating with his humorous and memorable musical number “I’m Just Ken.”

Though the writing of Barbie is fantastic, the quality temporarily drops around the middle of the film. The presentation of Mattel and the mother-daughter duo could have benefitted from some subtlety to convey thematic concepts in a more realistic way.

Overall, however, Barbie is sublime. It ultimately shows that Barbie really can be anyone, even a normal, ‘imperfect’ human being.

The Silent Patient : MODERN BOOK RECOMMENDATION

By Hannah Walton-Hughes

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides was first introduced to me by the University of Nottingham Book Club. Being a huge fan of the psychological thriller genre, this was right up my street…

Alicia Berenson murdered her husband.and then she stopped speaking. Theo Faber is determined to break her silence and learn the truth.

Unlike many other works of the same genre, The Silent Patient is very easy to read- I finished it within a few days.

The whole story is told in a dual narrative. The bulk of the book is narrated from the first-person perspective of Theo, a psychotherapist who takes an almost obsessive interest in helping Alicia.

The other side of the story is told through Alicia’s own, often frantic, diaries. As the timeline of the two narratives combines, an explosive and shocking bombshell of an ending ensues.

This is a very dark and unsettling novel that plays on your imagination- I would not recommend reading it alone in your house at night! Once you get to the end, you want to re-read it in an attempt to pinpoint the clues that you missed.

If you are in need of a good page-turner, pick this book up!