Intertainment Issue Six

ISSUE 6 // MARCH 2017

That’s...

If you haven’t already guessed from the cover, we have a Mancunian them this month.

The good folks of Manchester International Film Festival (MANIFF) had us cover their entire festival, and we’ve compiled a handy guide of our highlights, from the features, to the documentaries, to almost every short screened.

We’ve also got the usual mainstream films reviews of the month with Logan and A Silent Voice, music reviews including the new track from Lorde, Green Light, and Grandaddy’s new album Last Place reviewed.

Plus interviews with July Talk, fresh from supporting Catfish and the Bottlemen on their UK tour, and Slotface who are just same damn good eggs.

All in all it’s another packed issue.

Happy six month anniversary guys, lets see where how we’re doing by the twelve month mark.

- Jack Holmes Editor-in-Chief Intertainmentmagazine@hotmail.com

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@IntertainmentM

Editor-in-Chief: Jack Holmes Editors: Corey Davies, Jack Holmes, Jayna Patel and Evelyn Sweeney Writers: Alice Denison, Aaron Brady, Charlie Jordin, Evelyn Sweeney, Jack Holmes, Joe Croft, Kieran Bowie, Matthew Richardson, Wes Bowie and Zac Gardiner Design and Page Layout: Jack Holmes, Katina Petrou and Rhys Hoyte Photography: Evelyn Sweeney, Georgia Osborn and MANIFF © All Rights Reserved. All Material in Intertainment Magazine may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the magazines ownership. Intertainment Magazine cannot accept any liability for reader discontent arising from our features. Intertainment Magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any article or material supplied for publication or to edit this material prior to publishing. The opinions expressed or recomendations given in the magazine are the views of the individual author and do not necessarily represent the views of Intertainment Magazine. We accept no liability for any misprints or mistakes and no responsibility can be taken for the content on these pages.

Logan

A Silent Voice

Katie Says Goodbye

Joesphine Doe

Public Intimacy

Cardboard Gangsters

The Black Prince

Das Wassup

Happy

Stanley: A Man of Variety

Shorts Screening One

Shorts Screening Two

Shorts Screening Three

Shorts Screening Four

Shorts Screening Five

Shorts Screening Six

Shorts Screening Seven

Animated Shorts

MANIFF: Jury Panel

MANIFF: Women in Film

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

July Talk Interview

July Talk @ Night and Day, Manchester

Slotface Interview

Grandaddy - Last Place

Lorde - Green Light

What?

You don’t want new life changing music?

By Wes Bowie Since the first trailer for Logan was released last year it was clear we were getting a different kind of Wolverine film, but more importantly, it showed hints that we wouldn’t be getting the typical superhero film either.

When sitting down to watch Logan, if you’re expecting to see big scale battles between costumed heroes, fighting for the Earths survival then you need to find a different film.

Logan is far removed from the superhero genre and is a better film for it.

Influenced by the Old Man Logan storyline featured in the comic books and set in 2029, Logan sees an aged Wolverine struggling to care for a mentally ill Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart). His mutant ability that once made him a lethal killing machine has taken its toll. The wounds he now incurs take hours, sometime even days to heal instead of minutes.

Movement is restricted because of a limp he has developed and the scars over his body shows the audience that it isn’t just Logan that has slowed in his old age, so too has his healing factor. When Laura (Dafne Keen), a young girl seeking help from Logan and Xavier enters the picture, all their lives are thrown into further turmoil. As the film progresses Xavier and Laura form a bond which Logan is reluctant to be a part of. However, circumstances outside the trios control forces them to rely upon each other as they run from the big bad of the movie, The Reavers, a militia group of mechanically enhanced soldiers led by Donald Pearce (Boyd Holbrook). The question of who is protecting who is constantly called into question.

Hugh Jackman’s latest portrayal as Wolverine/ Logan has long been established as his last and if this is the case then he couldn’t bow out on a higher note. The same can also be said

LOGAN

Director: James Mangold Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Boyd Holbrook Studio: 20th Century Fox

LOGAN

for Patrick Stewart. Since his first appearance as Wolverine in 2000’s X-men, Jackman has been loved by comic book fans for his screen adaptation of the most famous mutant and his faithfulness to the character. For Logan the claws are truly out this time. Within minutes of the opening credits, James Mangold, who wrote and directed the film allows Jackman to unleash the rage and brutality that Logan is known for. Heads are pierced and limbs detached, you are in no doubt people are dead after Logan has dealt with them. This level of violence continues throughout the film. The brutal scenes may at times seem excessive for those that have never read a Wolverine comic book, but for those that have 17 years of watching X-men films will be worth the wait.

The introduction of Laura, the young girl that Logan and Xavier charge themselves with protecting, will have fans salivating as again James Mangold keeps the character very true to her comic book origin. However good the fight scenes involving her and Logan are, they are nothing compared to the quiet moments and silence the two share on screen. I’m not ashamed to admit I had a tear in my eye a few times during the course of the film.

Logan isn’t just a great superhero film, it’s a great film regardless of the genre and proves that spandex, a superhero name and world changing events are not essential or needed.

It’s a very emotionally driven film and relies on the dialogue and moments shared between characters to understand the real story that is being told. Thank you Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart for your dedication as actors and embracing these characters, and thank you James Mangold for finally giving us the Wolverine film the character deserved.

Director: Naoko Yamada Starring: Miyu Irino, Saori Hayami and Aoi Yūki Studio: Kyoto Animation and Shochiku

By Matthew Richardson Based on a manga series by 27-year-old Yoshitoki Ōima, A Silent Voice is a delicately told coming-of-age story of transgression, redemption, and romance.

Ishida Shouya has been living in self-imposed but also external isolation for years, ever since he caused a deaf classmate to transfer out due to increasingly serious bullying incidents in primary school; it wasn’t until that turned him into a target and victim that he truly understood the pain he caused. Now, the only thing that keeps him alive is the desire to atone for his sins. Kyoto Animation produced A Silent Voice, with award winning animator Naoko Yamada (Tamako Love Story) as director.

Ishida Shouya desires to make up for his past mistakes. In an immediate flashback, the viewer is witness to the bullying Ishida takes part in towards his new deaf classmate Shouko Nishimiya. He wasn’t alone in the bullying; he also witnessed teachers look the other way and friends who took part in the abuse.

The light-hearted montage of Ishida’s pranks is reversed after a tense scene where he becomes the single scapegoat for all these incidents, thus becoming the turning point of his life. The director Yamada’s sophisticated approach to the film is already clear after these sequences; the limited screen time becomes an advantage rather than a disadvantage, and the concise delivery only makes the content more effective, smoothing and sharpening the original manga’s rough edges. This adaptation envelops Ishida’s story with tenderness instead and rather more articulate of the work’s message. It’s still full of deeply unpleasant topics, but it hits with precision rather than blunt force.

The only genuine flaw of the film is that the secondary cast has partly been stripped of their backstories and clear goals. Characters such as Mashiba come across as shallow in the film compared to the manga counterpart. This however, is a price worth paying for a well-focused story and the alterations are more than welcome, as the source material experienced natural manga serialisation issues. The final scene has a better payoff than an aftermath detailing the lives of the entire cast.

The story is beautifully visualised through an uninterrupted barrage of expressive motion, which eventually makes the viewer stop noticing the countless individual instances of delicate character animation. So much care is put into every scene; exceptional craftsmanship becomes the standard rather than noticeable highlights. The film is full of sign language conversations from beginning to end; there is no intent to cut corners by obscuring those, and so much care is put

into them that they even correctly animate a character getting a gesture wrong.

Futoshi Nishiya’s design work saturates the film with tenderness.

Characters are drawn with soft but not smooth lines, forming meticulously detailed drawings that still embrace stylisation for the more experimental sequences. The soft colour palette and backgrounds, beautifully rendering the city of Ogaki, also coincide in harmony with every other component.

Apart from notable exceptions like My Generation by The Who – licensed to act as the opening sequence defining Ishida’s quest for entertainment as a child – Composer Kensuke Ushio creates a beautiful mix of soft piano, ambient tunes and pure silence. There aren’t many standalone tracks in the score I would consider memorable, but as a whole the soundtrack is a tremendous sensory experience.

The sound effects play as big of a role as the background music – Shouko relishes opportunities that she can actually sense, like fireworks exploding, and the viewer gets to feel those vibrations as well. Actress Saori Hayami delivers a limited but painfully convincing performance as Shouko.

Not everyone will walk away from A Silent Voice satisfied, as a fundamentally polarising subject matter acts as the underpinning of a tender but unapologetically uncomfortable movie. On top of that sits an adaptation that manga readers might be ecstatic to see, but the most die-hard fans won’t get the unflinchingly faithful adaptation they desire. If it does though, this might be one of the most powerful animated movies you’ll watch.

I would give it a chance.

Cardboard Gangsters Director: Mark O’Connor Starring: John Connors

By Charlie Jordin

Directed by Mark O’Connor and shot on location in Darndale, Dublin, Cardboard Gangsters is a low budget crime thriller about the extreme measures a man will take to provide for his family.

The modest film stars John Connors as Jason, a struggling DJ who turns to dealing drugs when his benefits is cut off. We watch as he transforms into a violent and ruthless drug dealer, driven by money, sex and power. He wants to escape his sordid hometown as well as his criminal lifestyle by starting a new life in Spain but a gangland war breaks out before he has the chance.

Ireland is critically underrepresented in both cinema and television, making Cardboard Gangsters in many ways a breath of fresh air. It is unapologetically working-class and Irish, much like its colourful characters who run, fight and party across the screen.

The lead actor’s vulnerability in his role is tangible. He says his performance was based on his own personal experiences in Darndale, where he grew up and still lives. As well as acting he also

co-wrote the film with the director. Many of the scenes were improvised, adding to the authenticity and realism. The stand-out scene in which he smashes his bedroom in frustration was shot in one take, and was filmed in the actor’s own bedroom. Connor’s impressive performance does not overshadow his co-stars however. Each performance seems genuine and representative of a real community. Many of the supporting actors were Connors’ own friends and one actor was even out on parole to film. Cardboard Gangsters is not a contrived, elegant drama but a gritty, real one.

However, the film is not without its faults. The soundtrack, which consists of Irish hip-hop and techno, has been lauded by critics as refreshing, but at times it felt like a music video, downplaying the action that takes place onscreen. Some scenes would have been better in silence. The female characters feel drastically underwritten compared to the vibrant male roles which makes the film frustrating at times. The sex scenes feel awkward and expose a lack of chemistry between the characters which, if executed better, could have added a new dimension to the film.

Cardboard Gangsters is an undeniably unique and fascinating insight into crime and poverty in Dublin. Fans of Ken Loach’s Sweet Sixteen and Peter Mullan’s Neds will find it an interesting viewing.

Das Wassup

Director: Johannes Schaff Studio: Rosemilk Productions Starring: Yo Majesty

By Jack Holmes

If the introductory description of “imagine Dreamgirls, but instead of it being about three friends from Detroit it’s about three God-fearing lesbian rappers from Tampa, Florida” doesn’t sell you on Das Wassup, I’m not sure what will.

Directed by Johannes Schaff, who also acts as the film’s narrator, Das Wassup follows the journey of Yo Majesty, an American hip-hop group consisting of singer Jwl B and rappers Shunda K and Shon B. The trio eventually becomes a duo just as the group set off on their UK tour and it’s from here that Shunda K and Shon B steal the show, both on and off stage. From stories of badly timed slut drops, to the endless confrontations between the two, the films content feels almost too good to be real.

It’s impressive that the film manages to create such a strong link between the audience and the two band members. While at each others throats for the majority of the film, revealing an extensive past criminal history of one of the girls and presenting multiple incidents of property damage, we find ourselves wanting the group to put their differences aside. Through their humour and honesty, both Shunda K and Shon B easily win over their viewers throughout.

The film’s cinematography certainly lends to this, clever editing helps to add an extra edge and emotion to scenes and one in particular that intends to demonstrate the monotony of life on tour e.g. eat, sleep, wake up early etc. is especially effective.

It’s occasionally a little difficult to place footage into a wider picture of the duo’s journey due to the speed at which the film moves from scene to scene. This could equally be representative of the rapid and chaotic nature of life on tour however, and in particular, with Shunda K and Shon B

confined in small spaces together for long periods of time.

The film focuses on the interpersonal drama of the band, yet unlike the film’s description suggests, rarely touches on the band’s sexuality and gender past the comment of “they didn’t get it.”This doesn’t remove anything from the film, if anything the film would likely have felt a little cluttered with content with its conclusion. The detail certainly makes for an eye catching description, even if not covered in the film’s content.

There’s a surprising number of links to punk music for a film focused on hip-hop as well, and name drops of iconic feminist musicians will immediately catch your ear in the opening scenes including Peaches and Beth Ditto. This helped to give the film a wider appeal, and highlights the fact that this is a film about characters, rather than the music they create.

Das Wassup, is a goldmine of wonderful dialogue, creative film making, explosive drama and heart warming humour. It might not have been what we expected, but it was certainly a welcomed surprise.

By Zac Gardiner

Happy was unveiled at MANIFF 2017 by first-time director Michael Patrick McKinley. It tells the story of Leonard ‘Porkchop’ Zimmerman and his ‘Happy’ campaign which has taken the world by storm over the last couple of years.

The screening was opened with a showing of a hardhitting short film about homophobia in Africa, directed by Zimbabwean-born Lawrence Zidyana titled Because I Am. It was a short experimental film using silhouettes against drawn or painted backgrounds, featuring an all-female cast from various countries in Africa, all of which were refugees who had to flee their homes to avoid persecution due to their sexuality.

The short was followed by Happy, which opens with absolutely stunning visuals designed by Porkchop himself, backed by some funky music. The film follows the story of Porkchop’s life, ending with him as he is today, taking us through meeting the love of his life, dealing with the grief of him passing away and how he transformed that grief into his art. He teaches an incredibly strong message of how ‘you can’t be sad without the happy and you can’t be happy without the sad’, that happiness isn’t something we can ignore even when sad but we also can’t ignore the sadness when we’re happy. It’s a beautifully handled, incredibly moving story about an eclectic painter with a fantastic sense of humour.

The ‘Happy’ campaign focuses on spreading this idea of happiness throughout the world. It started locally in Porkchop’s home city of Augusta, Georgia but spread throughout the US and then eventually it made its way around the world. Even those of us at the screening got badges and stickers to spread it ourselves. There’s no profit making involved in the campaign; it’s all paid for out of Zimmerman’s own pocket or from sales of the merchandise on his website.

After the screening finished we got a great opportunity to have a Q&A with Michael Patrick McKinley, the director. The first question asked was: ‘How come you made this into a film?’ to which McKinley answered: “I saw Leonard’s TED talk on YouTube and it really stuck with me.” He continued with: “I woke up at 6:15 in the morning and I thought someone should make a film about his life… I heard an audible voice in my head telling me I should make this film.” He was then asked if he’d make another film to which he replied: “Oh yeah! I’ve got the bug now.”

Happy is definitely a film everyone should watch. It tells a beautiful story; teaches an amazing lesson and through it’s use of graphics offers stunning visuals. Keep an eye out for Michael Patrick McKinley’s future work as well. Stay happy Folks!

Stanley: A Man of Variety Director: Stephen Cookson Studio: CK Films, Special One Films & Red Rock Entertainment Starring: Timothy Spall

By Joe Croft Stanley: A Man of Variety is very much a one man show. In the film Timothy Spall plays the eponymous Stanley, a man who, at first glance, seems rather dull and ordinary.

However, Stanley has been locked up in a mental institution for the past fifteen years, with his mental health issues taking the form of frequent hallucinations of a variety of show characters (all of which are played by Spall) from the last century such as George Formby, Margaret Rutherford and Tony Hancock. This film is very much a character study of Stanley and the inner workings of his mind.

What struck me most was the way it used the styles, sensibilities and even bits devised by the aforementioned comics and recontextualised them, making their playful innuendos increasingly disturbing. Timothy Spall is wonderful to watch, playing characters with such energy that it’s sometimes easy to forget it’s him.

There are a couple of scenes which felt too long to me- but I suspect feel appropriate if you’re a fan of the style of comedy utilised in the film.

The cinematography on the whole was good, giving the film a fantastical quality however, as with many films with the kind of budget constraints as Stanley: A Man of Variety, it’s special effects could have been improved, not that this removed anything from the films entertainment value.

During the Q&A following the film Timothy Spall said that they had aimed for a cross between Kind Hearts, Coronets and Eraserhead, which really sums up the feeling you get watching the film. This is really one of those films that’s going to appeal to a very specific audience, so if any of the above sounds interesting to you, I’d recommend it in a heartbeat.

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Shorts Screening One

By Zac Gardiner The Manchester film festival had forty-one short films being shown in seven different screenings throughout the weekend. I’ve picked out the two that I felt stood out the most from MANIFF’s first shorts screening.

Twat Clinical Twat Clinical, by director Ryan West, is a mockumentary style film set in a world where being a twat has become a medical condition. It follows various characters who have been diagnosed with the condition and their carers. The film has a fantastic premise and features a hell of a lot of hate being directed at Kanye West. The comedy throughout the film is excellent; from the names of the characters, (‘Robert Swanker’) to the dialogue, “The entire House of Commons was tested recently with most returning positive as twats” receiving one of the biggest laughs.

After the screening finished we got a Q&A with the director. He was asked where the idea came from to which he answered: “There’s probably a deep rooted satirical meaning to it all but at the heart of it I just wanted to get at traffic wardens” in reference to one of the main ‘twats’ being a traffic warden.

The Last Laugh The Last laugh by Paul Hendy shows three of the UK’s most iconic comedians, Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse preparing and rehearsing in a changing room before a big show.

The infamous quick wit and quips from these comedians are shown throughout the film and the characters are perfectly cast. The sound design is fantastic, the tense undertone of the entire film is brought out incredibly by it. There’s a fantastic mix between emotional storytelling and great humour throughout this short resulting in a nicely done, respectful ending that is subtly hinted at through the sound design.

Sadly the director wasn’t around for a Q&A after the screening but he did speak to the festival, the video of which is on the MANIFF YouTube channel. About the film he had this to say: “It’s more about what makes somebody funny, what makes somebody want to be funny, why is it important to get a laugh. Y’know some people are driven by that. It’s about three incredibly well-known comedians, how they’re funny, how they can be funny in the future and why they’re funny.”

All of the films I saw at the MANIFF were fantastic creative pieces of film but these two stuck out to me the most due to their ability to be comedic yet somehow tragic in their own way. They both taught lessons in their own odd way and that’s what makes a film a great film.

Shorts Screening Two

By Zac Gardiner The Silent Man The Silent Man is an odd comedy with an interesting premise revolving around Annie (Sophie Kennedy Clarke), the films lead, losing her romantic partner, and in retaliation ordering a life size sex doll (Cian Barry) in his image. Her neighbour Aaron (Simon Amstel) notices and investigates (and also masturbates over).

The movie progresses to Annie essentially losing her mind with Aaron continuing to investigate. There’s some great use of sound design with trains on a television being used to convey a deep sense of tension amongst the bleak comedy of the rest of the film.

It’s a lovely little romp that garnered plenty of laughs throughout and features a great cast. Certainly one to check out if you get the chance.

Juliet Remembered Juliet Remembered is a short by English actress and director Tamzin Mechant, about an actress who has grown old and become ailed with dementia. She can’t remember her son but can remember her favourite Shakespearean role as Juliet from Romeo and Juliet so she lives out her life everyday playing the character. It features Maggie Steed as Juliet, Rakhee Thakrar as Deena and Mathew Lewis (of Harry Potter and Bluestone 42 fame) as Toby; both of which are nurses at Juliet’s care home.

The film follows Juliet living out various scenes from the play as Deena tries to treat her normally, eventually Toby steps in and recites lines from Romeo and Juliet in retaliation to her causing her to be slightly surprised but she then happily joins in. Strong comedy one-liners fill the film, the line “Sounds like Communism” being particularly amusing.

These films were the two out of the five shown in the second session that piqued my interest the most. The Silent Man is a great bleak comedy that starts quite suddenly and odd but dives straight into brilliant comedy. Juliet Remembered tells a beautiful small story that has love, comedy and tragedy; much like a Shakespearean play in of itself! I can’t recommend these films enough.

Taubman Taubman was one of the films that particular stood out to me from the screening. Directed by Ben Price and featuring Coronation Street stars Ian Puleston-Davies and Jack P Shepherd, the film told the story of a piano tuner applying for a passport with an interesting twist. As it deals with the rejection of the application from the interviewer, it also explores the xenophobia of modern day despite its futuristic setting. Through Shepard’s outstanding performance it became a clear favourite of mine from across MANIFF’s weekend of screenings.

Dunaromin Oliver Milburn’s tale of what seems to be a simple house viewing with conflicting characters becomes so much more. Robert Emm’s terrifying performance in particular makes it a very satisfying watch and with a shocking twist at the end of the film, Dunaromin certainly deserved more praise than it received.

The Backseat Directed by Miranda Howard-Williams, The Backseat is a tale of young girl ‘Shelly’, who always sits at the back of the bus whilst commenting on her journey and her life. She’s a loveable, funny yet vulnerable character, that you can’t help but feel protective and sympathetic for. While the pace of the film is arguably a little on the slow side, the film’s real draw is it’s key message that keeps its viewer engaged throughout.

Birth of a Leader This story of independence directed by Antoine Bary, explains the humorous struggles of entering the

Shorts Screening Three

By Evelyn Sweeney

‘real world’ for the very first time. Despite the French films interesting points, it seems to lose itself in a multitude of seemingly random events that can be difficult to dissect for meaning. However, the lively and awkward characters add a spark to the film that makes a refreshing watch, yet complex watch.

The Disposers The film directed by Eden Hadan tackles the themes of friendship and sacrifice by examing two men in their late 60s, who are undertakers for an Israeli organisation. It’s an interesting film with dark themes that run throughout, making it’s somewhat uplifting ending quite a triumph for Hadan.

One Sunday Directed by Zack Spiger, One Sunday explores the importance of family and how betrayal can effect it. If the film had been paced slower and explained in more depth, it could have been a great watch, however, I spent the majority of the film just trying to keep up with the plot and feeling dissatisfied as it came to a somewhat rushed conclusion. While it may have been flawed, it’s protagonists development throughout the short and interestingly portrayed themes kept it an enjoyable watch.

The screening also included a Q&A at the end featuring director of The Backseat, Miranda HowardWilliams and its Producer Adam Gregory Smith. They discussed how their inspiration came from them hearing about homeless people often being told to ride on night buses if the shelters were too full, and how they wanted to make a monologue type film based on their experience. They also talked about the actress, Kate Lassman Long who played the protagonist, ‘Shelly’, with the audience commenting on how they enjoyed the vulnerability she portrayed through her lively and vibrant performance.

Shorts Screening Four

By Matthew Richardson My Cousin Klara The first film of the screening, My Cousin Klara, felt a little unfinished. It tells the story of two young girls, Lisa and Klara, running out of the woods where they meet a man on an isolated road, who gives them a ride. Beginning with hints of mystery about what Lisa and Klara were up to in the woods and the sinister intentions of the man who picks them up. The piece would have benefited with more time, the run time of eight minutes led to the ending feeling sadly rushed and anticlimactic.

Neon The film that stood out the most to me was Neon, a hybrid of science fiction, fantasy, thriller and romance written and directed

by Mark J. Blackman. The film uses a non linear combination of a phone call, flashbacks, and reality to tell its story of a man with a secret. Forbidden by a higher power from experiencing love the short focuses on his attempt to spare the woman he loves from a life of heartbreak. The voiceover phone call between Elias (Joe Absolom) and Mary (Kerry Bennett) grounds the film in realism, and the story is heightened by neon visuals that evoke both an 80s/90s sci-fi aesthetic, for the fantasy elements, as well as complimenting the modern elements, such as the clubbing scenes and Elias’ apartment. Neon is an engaging example of magic realism with excellent performances from the cast, outstanding visuals and a take on fantasy and science fiction grounded in reality.

Son Son is a gripping psychological drama about the relationship between a father and son. With his son in a coma, the father cannot forgive himself and move on but then his son starts to appear to him in terrifying ways during a night shift at the children’s psychiatric hospital.

Whoever Was Using This Bed Based on a Raymond Carver short story, Whoever Was Using This Bed begins as a mysterious telephone caller looking for “Mick” calls a neurotic middle-aged couple in the middle of the night. While the husband is both ashamed and excited in his response, the wife, whose outward reaction is jealously, seems peculiarly relieved by the interruption of monotony. Once they unplug the phone and remove the disturbance, this dialogue quickly devolves into an unsettling preoccupation with illness and death. Eventually the conversation turns whether or not they want to be kept alive via a machine in a hospital if the worst ever happens and Iris is determined to know the answer to this

question of pulling “the plug”.

Among the Dead The next two films focus more on death and the relationship between parent and offspring. In Among the Dead, mortuary assistant Erich is trying to reestablish a closer relationship with his daughter, so as to help her understand the true meaning of life. But his word view, narrow-mindedness and selfishness lead him into disaster.

Celebration of Nothing There was also the world premiere of Celebration of Nothing, a narrative filmed and acted by the directors David Kapp and Courtney Loo across the Pacific Northwest of the Unites States. The main theme of the film is communication, as the couple communicate indirectly via Walkman.

This serves as the film’s commentary on modern communication via technology and came across like a hipster’s quirky visualisation of the rehashed argument about the over reliance on technology for communication rather than having anything new or clever to say on the subject.

Terminal The last film Terminal is a direct commentary on women’s reproductive rights, especially in the film’s setting of Ireland. Two women of different ages, meet in an airport departure gate in Ireland before boarding a plane to Manchester. From here the viewer is witness to a private exchange as they share the different reasons that brought them to the decision to seek safe abortions in the UK. The film is an effective dialogue-focused piece, with writer and director Natasha Waugh presenting the subject matter in the foreground. This is highlighted when one of the women says, “I wish I could talk about it” heavily echoing a common sentiment that many face with the heavily divisive topic of abortion. The dialogue and the performances by Andrea Kelly and Aoife Doyle are the best aspects of the film and are wonderful and engaging.

Shorts Screening Five

By Matthew Richardson On Paper On Paper tells the story of a Home Office bureaucrat in charge of scrutinising newly weds who have recently applied for a spouse visa. His job requires him to prove the intangible, demonstrating the true or false nature of the applicants’ love for each other. His judgement is crucial in establishing the authenticity of their bond, and to fail his scrutiny means risking being singled out as a sham marriage. The abstract precision of a state-run bureaucratic apparatus, however, is pitted against the imperfections of Hamilton’s own less-than-satisfying life and relationships.

Spoken Word In Spoken Word, race, perception and consequence become the centre point of three lives, as Judge Douglas Matthews, played perfectly by Lance Reddick, can no longer overlook his actions from the bench after his ruling on the case of a shooting of an unarmed teenage boy by a police officer. This film stands due to multiple great performances from the cast and the build up to its tragic climax foreshadowed from its opening. The film makes a deliberate point that tragedies, like police shootings, can come about from a variety of circumstances unknown and paints a broader perspective of what leads up to the tragic ending with multiple character viewpoints.

Memory Hospital Memory Hospital is a comedic black and white film that satirises people’s dependence on storing memories onto computer devices as patients from different backgrounds visit the ‘Memory Hospital’ to recover their memories from corrupted hard drives, damaged phones and various technical problems one might have when visiting a PC World for an easy fix solution. There are plenty of laughs to be had during the screening, especially during the story of the mother who accidentally erased her daughter’s wedding photos because she mistook what “formatting” a hard drive meant.

Only Child Only Child is the beautifully shot film in which the viewer watches a gypsy couple go through a life journey, dealing with the harsh reality of love and the loss of a child they conceived during an affair. The opening act of the film is particularly beautifully and effectively told in the form of a montage. The camera constantly revolves around the couple’s caravan home as months pass by and the series of events that set up their grief transpires over months. Just like with Birdman the cuts are so seamless the entire set up of the premise plays out perfectly like one long take.

The Wonderful Flight Based on the true story of two brothers that froze to death inside the wheel well of an American Aid plane flying from Ulannbaatar to Okinawa, The Wonderful Flight (2015) is simultaneously tragic and heart-warming. A mother learns that local doctors are unable to cure her young son’s sudden loss of hearing; and that her son will no longer be able to play his beloved Horse-Head Fiddle. This news does not stop the boy’s older brother trying, with the help of his best friends, to find a cure of their own – no matter how ambitious their plan.

Shorts Screening Six

By Matthew Richardson Sweet Maddie Stone National Film and Television graduate Brady Hood makes an impressive award winning debut with Sweet Maddie Stone. 15-yearold confectionary tycoon Maddie Stone rules her schoolyard under the protection of her family name. But after discovering her notorious father has been arrested, she has to make his bail money or lose the yard.

The more Maddie fights against her competition, the more her world spirals out of control–and the closer she becomes to turning out like her father and continuing the cycle of violence that runs in the family. The strongest aspect of this film is Maddie herself. She’s clearly wise for her age but her anger is ultimately her downfall, which furthers the film’s theme of fighting; from childish playground scuffles, her fight for survival to far more dangerous aspects in the climax.

Tryst in Paname Tryst in Paname was the weakest narratively of Session six. The glamourous ‘M’ believes her self-value is secured firmly to her beauty and happiness to the love of her man. When she is rejected and ends up alone in a hotel, M spends the night on a journey of self-discovery, to find she is all that she needed all along. The journey of self-discovery and a much healthier look on self-value and happiness came across as extremely convenient as all it took was getting hammered and a conversation with a neighbour in the hotel on the balcony to achieve this. This is another example of the film’s length being a hindrance to a narrative’s message.

Shoot Me Nicely What I was fortunate to see was the UK Premiere of Shoot Me Nicely.

Photographer Sean Wheeler (John Behlmann) is searching for a lucrative celebrity photo to launch his career. After being laid off from his dream job and losing his supermodel girlfriend his life has hit rock bottom plunging him into a downward spiral of odd jobs and celebrity chasing. A compromising photo of a politician’s seedy escapades quickly takes his life on a wild ride in his journey to return to the glitz and glam of the high-fashion world of New York. There were plenty of laughs to be had at the screening from the dialogue and the excellent performances from the main cast. I found myself enjoying it in the same manner as an episode of Californication or Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The protagonist Sean falls under the category of an unlikable protagonist that is sympathetic enough that you want him to overcome obstacles but still laugh at the misfortune he brings upon himself for his selfish actions.

Linda Hamilton and William Sadler are also great in their supporting roles and get plenty of laughs from putting Sean in his place.

Pebbles There was also the UK Premiere of Pebbles from director Jonathan Shaw. A woman named Ruby returns to the hotel where she spent her Honeymoon on her 50th Wedding Anniversary, awaiting her estranged Husband to honour a promise made on their wedding night. The film jumps back and forward from present to the past where Ruby sees flashbacks to her younger self in love.

The slow pace of the film reflects the passing away of youth and romance. Marie Mullen gives an understated performance as Ruby. The hotel’s décor is unchanged from Ruby’s honeymoon visit, echoing the sense that Ruby is stuck in time and has come back looking for closure in order to continue with her life. When her husband finally arrives there is a weight of things not said, feelings not expressed, wrongs that will never be made right from their interactions. The film begins and ends with a small grey pebble Ruby picks up and eventually returns to the beach; the symbolic weight of heartbreak and loss she has carried with her finally being laid down ending the film with a moment of a hope.

The Interrogation of Olivia Donovan The Interrogation of Olivia Donovan is a gripping psychological drama that works brilliantly as a pilot for a multi-part series, as mentioned by the crew at the screenings Q&A. Following the arrest of Bradley Donovan for the abduction of a young schoolgirl, DI Watkins and child psychologist Sarah Hardy set out to Donovan’s house in the hope of finding the missing victim.

When they arrive, Donovan’s worried wife, Olivia, greets them. With Olivia’s state of mind in a very vulnerable place, Watkins and Sarah must use all their experience and tact to try to encourage Olivia to cooperate. However, what Watkins and Sarah do not realise is that Olivia has an agenda of her own. The cat and mouse game going on between Olivia and Sarah is incredibly immersive and tense, with revelations to the mystery of the girl’s disappearance being incredibly creative. The two female leads Eva Pope (Sarah) and Ellie Paskell (Olivia) give very realistic performances and have great chemistry with their opposing dynamics; Sarah being restrained and calm and Olivia with clearly conflicting emotions provide great tension. I wanted more after the film was finished and fortunately, there should be a mini part series coming up as mentioned by the crew during the screening’s Q&A.

One Last Dance One Last Dance made its UK premiere this year at Manchester International Film Festival. Set in the faded grandeur of Herne Bay on the Kent coast, One Last Dance tells the story of three generations of men, lost love and the intimacy of a dance. The legendary actor Jonathan Pryce (Brazil, Pirates of the Caribbean) plays Jon, an old man, who on a visit to his grandson’s dance competition sees a vision of his late wife, played by Sara Kestelman. They dance, giving Jon a chance to reconnect with his past and reignite his passion for life.

The Record: The World’s Largest Family Another film that made its UK premiere is the hilarious Australian comedy The Record: The World’s Largest Family. Sketch comedy duo Veronica Milsom & Steen Raskopoulos transport the viewer into the world of would-be record breakers in this fictional documentary about an absurdly large family.

Real Artists Manchester International Film Festival saw the World Premiere of Real Artists, a new sci-fi short about AI and the future of filmmaking based on the short story by Hugo award winning science fiction and fantasy writer Ken Liu. Sophia Baker (Tiffany Hines) is an aspiring animator whose talent secured her an interview at a top film studio. Semaphore Studios futuristic style rejects the conventional process of filmmaking, leading Sophia to feel uncertain of whether to accept or decline their offer after discovering the truth of the modern “creative” process.

Confection Confection is a comedy set in a sleepy English seaside town about seventeen-year-old Eli Bloom, an earnest misanthrope, who finds himself accidentally catapulted into the thick of a very grown-up situation when on work experience, shadowing an old acquaintance of his – the boss of a once prosperous (but now struggling) local confectionery business.

Eli is set the unpleasant challenge of ringing up disgruntled customers to solicit new business.

After a series of fruitless calls, Eli calls up a

woman named Harriet and, in a terrible blunder, unintentionally exposes that her husband has been having an affair. Mortified, Eli decides to pay Harriet a visit to claim he has made a mistake. But when he turns up, he is horrified to discover that Harriet is no other than his English teacher, Ms. Kripps The situation jolts Eli out of his lazy pessimism and he responds with the warped logic that by ‘putting things right’ for the other lovesick people he has met – his DeliaSmith obsessed neighbour Mr. Heritage; the waitress at the seafront café and boss Brian Ample himself that he can atone for the destruction he unintentionally caused, and in some way create some happiness for those who might not have felt it in a long time.

The Fuzz The Fuzz follows a police officer that struggles to deal with his dark past and fights to differ from his abusive father now that he is a parent. His turbulent relationships suffer because of his lifelong anger, yet it is apparent that he has a softer side when with his loved ones. Throughout the film, the police officer speaks directly to the viewer as he walks about during his and initially we see the lighter side. He is charismatic and funny at times, coming out with quips like “There’s two things I hate; racists… and vegans”. And even when it cuts to his home life we see positive memories with his family, such as building his son’s presents for his birthday and having a laugh with his wife, but periodically when he reflects on his hatred of his father and the abuse he suffered as a child, we see the other side of the coin, and the cycle of violence and anger repeat itself at home and in work. Like one of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues, the viewer gets to know a character with multiple layers and the viewer feels tremendous pathos for his internal struggle.

Land of Exodus The multi-award winning Land of Exodus shows the story of a Mexican street kid with hopes of making it to America, as he helps a recently kidnapped American teenager cross the American border. On the way he confronts the harsh realities of the border from both sides.

Shorts Screening Seven

By Matthew Richardson

Animation Shorts Lockbox Lockbox was by far my favourite of all the animations.

Directed by Glan Johnson and Peter Cotter, the beautifully told tale shows a loving mechanical puppet who searched for a way to save his maker by making the ultimate sacrifice. Only two minutes long, it proved that just because an animation is short, doesn’t mean that it can’t tell it’s audience a stunning and compelling story.

I am Dyslexic I am Dyslexic, directed by Mads Johan Øgaard and Katie Wyman was another that stood out to me from the screening. Earning a special Jury mention for ‘Outstanding Animation’, the short film expresses what it’s like to have a learning difference in our current school system. It uses strong metaphors to portray the characters emotions as he battles with his frustration and disappointment in himself. With fantastic music, adorable style and a positive message, it deserves all the positive acclaim that it’s received and more.

By Evelyn Sweeney Hope Michael Scherrer’s black and white tale, Hope depicts the tale of a mother and her young boy being separated at a prison camp. The bond between the two and the memories that the young boy carries causes a heart wrenching effect. It centres purely on keeping a hold of hope when all else seems lost. It’s a truly chilling story that reminds us to remember the past so we can avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

A Little Grey A Little Grey, directed by Simon Hewitt, tackles themes regarding mental health and family support.

It takes the viewer on the protagonist’s journey as he explores religion, tattoos, bars, and doctors in an attempt to restore his ‘soul’. It’s witty and clever, whilst still tackling quite dark themes. Combined with its bright and colourful style it made a very enjoyable viewing.

Mr. Y A charming student film directed by Yuanyuan Qui. The narrative itself focuses on Mr. Y’s quest to find love; while I didn’t feel as drawn to the narrative as strongly as I did to some of the other animations shown, the beautiful style that Mr. Y presents places it far up in my favourites, it’s charming use of stop motion works incredibly. It’s beautiful and adorable visual ending leaves a lasting impact on the audience, it was a truly lovely screening.

Money Time Perhaps the most gritty and dark of them all is Money Time, directed by Ludovic Houplain. It focuses on the impact of media and the sacrifices to control it, or rather, so it can control us. The twisted reflection of the current world is not only tragically clever but also beautifully animated.

The messages it conveys allows the audience to come away from it with a deeper appreciation of their surroundings and it encourages us to be cautious of the impact of the modern world.

Hugo Bumfeldt Eva Katinka Bognar’s Hugo Bumfeldt tells the story of an alien boy who receives a real human scuba diver as a present; He doesn’t realise that his pet is a real being and not simply a toy, so the animation focuses on him learning how to become more empathetic to those around him.

While I personally hated the protagonist and felt strong sympathy for his pet, this only added to the tale and helped remind myself of the mistakes we all make as we grow up. While the ending was far from satisfactory, I believe that was the point of the film and therefore I can’t fault it.

Digital Romance Directed by Michael Helmuth Hansen, Digital Romance tells the story of a computer game called ‘Brutal Bullet’ becoming infected by a destructive virus. Skullhead, the main character of the game, is suddenly brought to life, which causes the antivirus in the computer to be activated.

We then see Skullhead begin to run for his life which will eventually reach beyond his own world.

With its video game style and its story that resembled the likes of Wreck it Ralph, it was an entertaining and sweet animation to watch.

This is not an animation The most humorous of all the animations was Federico Kempke’s, This is not an animation.

The student film explores a group of pretentious animators attempting to create the ‘ultimate animation’, with characters ranging from a Brony to the Goth. It’s a funny reflection on the recent hipster culture that’s become especially prominent in the artistic world.

Magic Box Directed by Raed Alshaikh, the audience sees that a person discovers a Magic Box that can provide anyone with anything they wish for. With allusions to Pandora’s Box, it’s soon clear to see that it’s not a gift, but rather a curse, and ends up creating a world fueled by dark curiosity and corruption. It’s similar to Money Time in some senses as it focuses on the greed of the human race.

My Man (Octopus) Stephanie Cadoret’s shocking My Man (Octopus), follows a young woman at her house as she sinks into the underwater depths of her apartment. As the audience later sees, this is rather the ecosystem of her spouse, an octopus. While it can make the audience uncomfortable as it arguably tackles themes of consent, claustrophobia and unconventional intimacy, it’s interesting style and music created a wonderful visual effect.

Crack’d Crack’d, directed by Sebastion Brown, focuses on a young bird on a distant planet who lives in a village of eggs that never want to leave their shells. The story focuses on MeeGGo as he attempts to break out of his shell and explore the world outside. While I personally wasn’t a huge fan of it’s audio and animation style, I did appreciate it’s sweet tale of gaining independence and facing the worlds challenges.

Maniff: Jury Select Panel

By Evelyn Sweeney On the last day of the Manchester International Film Festival, an hour-long panel dedicated to a selection of the official 2017 Jury, chaired by programming director Al Bailey and film critic Tom Percival, gave an insight into the competition and what they thought about the year’s selection of films, with a Q&A session available for the audience at the end. Guests included Jane Anderson, Tori Butler Hart, Matt Butler Hart and Neil Jeramy-Croft.

Opening up the discussion, Percival encouraged the guests to discuss how the program for the festival is organised. Bailey began to explain that the main aims for the festival include objectivity, attracting a wider audience and attempting to envision how the film would look on the big screen.The discussion then progressed onto how the selection of the films that had been submitted, were eventually narrowed down. It was stated that the process was split into two sections. The first including how the film had been written, its structure and how it would be observed by the audience. And the second including how the film had been directed and how the characters were performed by the actors.

It was explained that the amount of films that were watched were split among the 15 jurors, with the head juror making the final decision if there’s a tie between two films. The dedication among the staff to provide viewers with the best experience is clear from Bailey having watched over 70% of the films submitted, to the incredibly long process it takes to watch all the films (From May to November) and it’s paid off. It can be seen that the festival itself has increased in popularity as the amount of films that have been submitted has increased from 600, to just under 1000, to the 1500 films submitted this year. Out of the total 1500 films that were announced, only 91 films were selected for the festival, short films take up the majority of these films. Tori Butler Hart explained to the audience what was important to her when selecting the films: ‘If [the feature length film] grabs me in the first 10-15 minutes that’s a very clear indication of whether I’ll like the film or not’.

When the audience were given the option to ask any questions, the guests were given the opportunity to mention the features that really draw them to a film, such as its uniqueness; This comes through especially when regarding the short films, as it allows for them to truly explore such an amazing art. They also discussed what can put them off the film, including bad sound, arguing that if the audio doesn’t sound right then it can ruin the whole viewing experience. A member of the audience then asked if they jurors already know how many films they’ll put into each category or if they decided once they have the films. To which they replied that everything is directed by what type of films they get, it just happens to be that they always receive more short films.

Another member of the audience then asked if any of the guests had any tips for actors. Anderson and Tori Butler Hart then both agreed that serving the story the best that the actor possibly can and making sure that it doesn’t become about yourself is incredibly important.

Another member of the audience continued this discussion by asking if the jurors can overlook flaws in an actor when judging a film as a whole. While the general answer was, yes they can, especially if the film is truly engaging, Anderson however, did point out that a good director would bring out the best performance possible in their actors, which is important to consider too.

The Manchester International Film Festival has been running for 3 years now, with it’s growing success, it was fascinating to see the process of how the company keeps on working to improve itself.

While the guests may have been hungover from the extremely busy few nights before, the informal atmosphere made a great relaxing last panel to attend.

MANIFF: Women in Film Panel

By Evelyn Sweeney Interviewed by film critic Tom Percival, Manchester International Film Festival included an hour-long panel dedicated purely to the work of international female filmmakers. These included Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Stef Dawson (Hunger Games), Tori Butler Hart (Two Down), Alicia Slimmer (Creedmoria) and Bronwen Hughes (Breaking Bad and Forces of Nature). It allowed the women behind some of the best films and TV shows to discuss the impact of females in the industry and allowed the audience to question them on their works and experiences.

Percival opened up the discussion by encouraging the women to discuss the shockingly low amount of women involved in the production making of the top films in the industry.

Bronwen Hughes began the discussion by stating that, although ‘Chicks can definitely make flicks’ women in most cases just have to ‘get on with it’ to prove to themselves and everyone else that they have the same capability and skill to make the best films, regardless of their gender.

Tori Butler Hart continued the conversation by telling her experience at the TIFF Panels where, by pure chance, all of the producers had happened to be women and all the directors happened to be men. She further explained that, while female directors had been invited to speak at the panel, they had simply been too busy working on their own films to be able to make it. It certainly seems to prove, therefore that the film industry is becoming more accepting of women in the film industry, and it’s because of their pure hard work and talent that it’s the case. Karen Allen seemed to agree with this with her optimistic attitude where she stated that, although she believed there needed to be more female directors to bring out new and original projects, she also stated that Sundance had found that when it came to independent films, there were more women than men in production.

While it seemed that the general opinion was that women were becoming more recognised in the

film production industry when Percival mentioned obtaining finance for films directed and produced by women, the general consensus seemed to be it was more difficult for women than men.

Hart then expressed her belief that when it came to UK financing, BFI money is becoming more and more ‘soft money’, therefore you either need to know someone within the 40% tax bracket to help you, or rely on other companies instead.

Alicia Slimmer then went on to declare simply that ‘fundraising sucks’, as it always has and always will but still believes it is a good time to be a woman because the pressure in on for those involved in the industry, giving them a great opportunity to prove themselves.

However, Hughes argued that when it comes to financing, the risk of a self-fulfilling prophecy causes many women to fall into the trap of feeling they don’t deserve the same amount as men.

She told the audience what she knew about Paramount, stating that they gave less funding to female-led films, as they thought that they wouldn’t sell as well unless they were ‘Women in relationships, so you know… Boring.’ As the lower budget meant that the marketing wouldn’t be as successful, it causes a never-ending cycle, therefore ‘dooming me to indie’. She concluded her argument by proclaiming that ‘Don’t tell me I’ve got to make small ideas because that’s all you’re willing to risk.’

Stef Dawson expressed her opinion that it was an exciting time for women and believed that discussions and interviews such as the Women in Film Panel itself were a great advancement for women. Hart argued that often, especially in commercial films, giving the example of Star Trek, there is always one ‘strong’ woman who can be used to be put in trailers but often do next to nothing in the film. Dawson went on to agree, arguing that while her experience in The Hunger Games was refreshing, as Katniss is a brilliant role model, she’s also tired of seeing the same type of weak roles for females in the top films.

Allen then stated that, while she felt nothing but empowered from her experience in the theatre, as she always felt she had the power to say ‘no’ when she didn’t feel comfortable with or

disagreed with a situation, she didn’t feel the same way when acting in films as she believed it had a ‘vein of sexism running through it.’

Dawson described her experience of fighting to keep a script change, as she believed it made the female character more though provoking and engaging. While she was successful, she also stated the feeling of people saying that you are ‘bossy’, a ‘diva’ or a ‘bitch’ if you’re a woman that defends her professional opinion. Hughes agreed, arguing that whenever she wanted to change something in a film, she had to convince the men involved in the process that it was their idea rather than her own.

Slimmer concluded the debate by explaining her own experience of ‘spending a year crying’ when she spent 10 years making her film My First Car. She argued that she often felt she had to beg, borrow and steal in order to find success, joking that she lied and flirted with men who owned the cars she wanted to be in her film. It was a funny ending to the in-depth debate that had been held.

In summary, the general debate seemed to be that, while women appeared to be progressing within the film industry, they were still being limited in regards to financing, limiting them to mostly indie films, rather than being able to break into the top films bracket. So while we’ve certainly made remarkable progress, we still have quite a way to go.

July Talk Interview

By Wes Bowie Having just recently announced that they are supporting Catfish and the Bottlemen on their US tour, I had the opportunity to catch up with Peter, Leah and Josh from July Talk prior to their gig at Manchester’s Night and Day. Was there one particular moment or event that made you realise you had started to make an impact on the music scene as July Talk?

LEAH: I remember when we played The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto.

Which is the kind of place where you would see, not stadium bands, but any sort of really talented bands coming through Toronto. I’ve seen a few of my favourite acts there. I don’t know when it opened, maybe like sometime in the 50’s or something, it’s been around forever. Anyway it’s called The Horseshow Tavern and that night it was packed! I’d been to a few sold out shows there but I didn’t realise what it looked like with that many people in there until that night. Toronto is our home town and being able to play that show was amazing. It was mostly friends and family that we packed it out with but we texted and emailed every single person that we knew to get them to come out and it really worked. I remember getting on stage and feeling so overwhelmed that I had to huddle in a ball on the concrete floor in the back alley that went into the venue. That kind of makes it sound like my first realisation of something working was kind of traumatising.

But it was like a weird, happy kind of mixed strange feeling and I think that those realisations often happen in that

kind of way. Where you’re just like completely out of your body and out of your mind and have no idea what’s happening.

PETER: I remember that. For the first time it was bigger than just our friends coming out to see us. When we were in the dressing room, someone came and told us “It’s lined up around the block and its pouring rain!” I was like “What the hell?” And it was like this “Oh my god” feeling. It felt like this thing is growing beyond us as individuals.

Are you ever tempted to revisit one of your songs or is it more like once it’s done, it’s done? Let’s move on to the next thing.

PETER: We get requests a lot on the road of songs we don’t really play from the first record.

Ones that don’t really feel right to play. They no longer feel like us anymore. And I often think that maybe we should find a way to arrange them differently but so that people can still sing along. It should be an exciting experience for a crowd because it’s one of their favourite songs, but we’re also able to play it in a way that’s exciting to us.

JOSH: We do that more often. I feel that with the second record it’s easier for us to have the excuse to play the songs as they are. The first record lasted so long and now we could add stuff we hadn’t thought of at the time. We would retool and rework it. It was an exercise. It’s really fun and we all really enjoy it.

There were four years between your debut album and the latest, Touch?

PETER: It was a huge gap but we kept having to release it with new songs so it ended up being almost twenty songs. But you release it somewhere like the UK, then in the States, which takes time. We had new material so in another way we could have probably put out another record. I’m kind of glad we did it the way we did. With Touch, we had the time to write it and there wasn’t as much pressure on us, as the first album was relatively new and the US and the UK are where it matters as you know. So we didn’t feel a pressure in terms of time. We had a lot of pressure just wanting it to be great.

From the songs you’ve produced and written, are any them based on old ideas that you have had individually and brought them to July Talk.

PETER: Yeah Absolutely. There’s tons of riffs or just starting ideas of songs that you could have been tinkering with for years and finally there’s a platform for them and it feels right. There’s a eureka moment. I remember Josh had a band back in the day. He played with one of our friends from Toronto. I remember him when we dropped the new record, he was like, “I heard a line that Josh brought from the old band.” I forget what it was.

JOSH: For me writing when you’re working on a vocal idea or maybe it’s a guitar riff it’s amazing how long, especially if it’s melody related they stick with you. I feel like it’s almost a sense a smell sometimes, like what kind of memory does it evoke. I think we all do it. I think we all feel comfortable as writers with each other at this point. There’s never that worry about will this work, will it not work?

PETER: There’s a song we’re working on right now. I remember coming home in high school and lying on my bed with my acoustic guitar, and that was what I was playing. It never materialised

into anything but now it is. Sometimes it just takes that long for something to become real.

Pete, you covered Bad Moon Rising. Is covering another performers songs ever going to happen on a July Talk album or tour?

JOSH: Stay tuned!

PETER: We kind of made a rule early on, no covers, because we felt if you’re in a band playing covers then people won’t really learn your songs and the cover will be their favourite song. But now that I think we’ve established ourselves more we have a few projects on the go.

LEAH: We covered Heart Shaped Box once by Nirvana. But it was like a one-time thing for a charity event.

Last year you supported Catfish and the Bottlemen on their UK tour. What was that experience like as it seems like the crowd was different from what you would attract on your own tours?

LEAH: In terms of the demographic of the crowds and stuff like that, I have a hard time putting my finger on a July Talk fan. Because the people we meet, everyone is just so different. Everyone has really crazy and interesting things about them and stuff like that but I would never be able to say, July Talk fan! In terms of our exposure over here, the people who know about us are the ones that follow indie music and who listen to obscure playlists created by someone like Radiohead. They’re people that have a love for music and a love for live shows. It’s a really great feeling to be at our shows here, if there’s 60 people or 30 people or whatever, they’re all super passionate about the music that we’re making and music in general. Catfish, this is their home, they have a different crowd to us because they have greater exposure over here, and some of the best music fans, as we know because we’ve all been there as teenagers. Teens who cry and freak out and stand out. It’s like they’re totally into that band and Catfish have so many of those people. They’re amazing music fans. For us to be in front of them is such a pleasure and honour.

JOSH: We’ve played to that type of crowd before back home and they didn’t know who we were.

The weirdest thing initially on the Catfish tour was coming out and us being like we’ve done this before, we’ve done this multiple times. But they have no idea who you are. What was interesting about show one with Catfish to the last show was how many of those people were the same in the front row.

LEAH: There were a lot of crazy people. And by the end of the tour they were singing our songs as well. It was great!

PETER: It was wild. The reason I felt I connected with Catfish originally, was to them as music fans and them as human beings. Because the way they consume music is so inspiring and so exciting. I would talk to them about music and it’s all they only really wanted to talk about. I think that it just felt very pure because they’re very concerned with what you’ve been listening to and the conversation is just so exciting. So going on tour with them was this exciting opportunity to just try and contribute to a very rich, long history in this country of rock and roll. It felt like we were part of a moment that we wouldn’t have had access to and because we were seeing it through this lens of almost our own fandom. But the talking about the bands that inspire us and that one song that changed the course of your life? That felt like the focus for me because with them the focus is always about those moments that their heroes gave to them or will give.

July Talk and Thumpers @ Night and Day Manchester Date: 7th March

By Wes Bowie Images by Georgia Osborn When I went to see Catfish and the Bottlemen play at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse last year I knew that I was in for a good show. What I wasn’t expecting was to walk away from the gig and being more blown away by the support band.

That band was July Talk.

Let me back track a little. Catfish were exceptional! They commanded the stage and the crowd and left you wanting more. However for me, July Talk had the biggest impact that night. They acted as if everyone in the crowd was there to see them and no other band. The very next day I set about searching for them on Google Play and discovered that they had released two albums. The selftitled debut album July Talk and the follow up Touch which had only just been released. They were the only two albums I had on my playlist for the next two weeks.

A few months later and July Talk are taking on Europe with their own tour. This time the crowds are most definitely theirs. With only a handful of gigs throughout the UK I was very pleased to see that they were stopping in Manchester.

However, where they had previously played Victoria Warehouse which has a crowd capacity of 4500, this time the venue would be the Night & Day Cafe with a crowd capacity of 250. A much more intimate gig and one which the band themselves were very excited to be playing as they had heard about the amazing atmosphere at Night and Day Cafe.

Opener Lola + Joseph kicks off the night which is only going to get better throughout the evening. Immediately followed by Summer Dress which is the biggest hit to date in their native Canada, the crowd are already in the right frame of mind for wanting more which only encourages July Talks performance.

By the time the band are half way through third song Push + Pull there’s no doubt July Talk are impressing the crowd.

And it is this which sets July Talk apart from many other bands, established and new.

Most bands will come onto stage, perform their songs, get the crowd singing along and by the end of the gig demanding more. July Talk delivers a performance

that gives the songs character and life. The interaction between lead singers Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay as they perform each song is mesmerising. Leah sways across the stage, swinging on speakers hanging inches from her head whilst Peter watches her every move with lust, hate or envy depending on the current song July Talk are performing. Their voices the perfect combination of rough and soft complement one another. At one point Peter, completely unaware that he had developed a nose bleed, his white shirt covered in blood, saw Leah handing him a towel and helping with the cleanup. Did it halt the show? No, not a chance! This is July Talk after all.

The gig featured a total of sixteen songs from both albums. Stand out tracks were Push + Pull with its heavy guitar kicking in over Peter’s rasps and Picturing Love. Strangely enough in a catalogue of strong, loud and energetic songs, it was one of the quietest tracks, Strange Habit that stood out the most. Having seen it performed live I now listen to it in a very different way when listening to Touch, the album that it is featured.

Band members Ian Docherty (Guitar), Josh Warburton (Bass) and Danny Miles (Drums) played with as much passion and energy as the two singers, Peter and Leah. The five of them were very tight as musicians and genuinely looked as if they were having a great time. For me some bands can be guilty of taking crowds for granted and come across as insincere without meaning to. But for July Talk thatthought never crossed my mind. The women chanting Leah’s name were doing so for a reason as Leah responded to the crowds’ reactions.

I don’t know when the UK will next see July Talk or at which venues. For me they have clearly established that the can deliver an amazing performance regardless of the crowd being 200 or 4000 strong. I just hope we don’t have too wait long.

Interview with Slotface

By Evelyn Sweeney We caught up with Slotface after their recent headline spot at The Castle Hotel in Manchester to talk feminism, putting the finishing touches to their new album and of course, their infamous name change.

You’re a band that hails from Norway, do you think the country has influenced your sound?

Mostly our direct musical influences come from American and British bands, but we grew up going to a lot of hardcore and metal shows in our home town, which is where the inspiration for our live shows comes from. Even though we write pop songs we want to bring that same energy to the live show and give people a really fun and energetic experience.

What’s the live music scene like in Norway and do you prefer touring at home or abroad?

The music scene in Norway is not that different from the UK music scene in terms of what’s popular etc. it’s just a bit smaller which means we play more with lots of different genres at home than we do abroad, where we often play with bands in genres more similar to ours. Otherwise the arts and bands are treated quite well in Norway, so touring there is very fun and we get very well taken care of, but touring abroad is always a bit more exciting because we’re often playing in places we’ve never been before.

Your latest single is titled ‘Empire Records’, is that a reference to the 1995 cult movie and if so what’s the bands relationship with that movie?

Haley, who writes the lyrics, really loves that movie, and it’s one of her favorite 90’s high school rom coms, her favorite genre. It’s just so fun, and all of us have always dreamed of working in a record store, you would just get to listen to so much cool music first. Dream job, great movie that captures that romantic idea.

We know you’ve been recording your upcoming album with Dan Austin of Pixies and Maximo Park fame, what’s working with him been like?

Dan is an amazing producer and fun guy to work with. He never sleeps, eats a kilo of pure sugar a week and is genuinely so interested in new music, even though he’s been a producer for ages. He is one of our favorite people in the world and

really brings out the best in our song writing. We’re so excited to release the record.

When can we expect to be able to hear the new album and can you give us any hints at what we should expect?

The album will be out later this year, probably around early autumn. It sounds like us, but in a lot of different ways. With a full album we feel like we got the chance to experiment more and were focused on just writing songs we thought were good instead of things that were meant to sound like a single genre.

We’re really pleased with the way it turned out.

Your band were originally titled Slutface but have since changed the name to Sløtface. Where did the name originally come from and was there a meaning to it?

The original name was chosen because we thought it was provocative and in your face. We wanted to be a band that would make people dance and have fun and didn’t want a cautious band name. As our message evolved towards becoming more explicitly feminist and we learned more about feminism and Riot Grrrl, we also felt like we grew into the name and it took on a new meaning. We want people to think about why they think of slut as a negative word and your associations.

Were you forced to change your name by outside pressure, we heard there might have been issues on Facebook and Twitter, or was it a choice the band made themselves?

We as a band made the decision to change our name so that we could fully benefit from opportunities that we were missing out on due to censorship issues. We felt it was more important to reach more people with our lyrics than to not be “sell outs” and decided to change our name to reach more people.

There seems to be some strong Riot Grrrl influences in your music, what’s the bands relationship with the iconic 90’s movement?

We only really learned about Riot Grrrl after we started the band, but a lot of the same things they were focused on our really important to us, like women’s issues and making gigs a safe place for women. We really like a lot of what Riot Grrrl was about and identify with the movement a lot, but it hasn’t been a huge musical influence on us growing up as we didn’t discover the music till later in life.

When you’re writing a track are you going in with the intention of adding a political element?

Yes, but that’s because a political song to us is more than a manifesto, or an affiliation to a political movement or any of those very concrete things. Because we are trying to write music with lyrics that are from a female perspective about all aspects of life, the songs we write automatically become political as we’re trying to be a part of the feminist project of telling stories we have heard from men for a long time from a female perspective.

What’s your stance on the media describing Slotface as a ‘Female fronted band’, do you think it’s important to remind the world there are female fronted bands out there or do you think it’s something that shouldn’t really need to be mentioned at all?

If the norm was that music had a gender balance that was 50/50 it would be a stupid thing to point out, and we really hope the music industry develops so that we can just call bands, bands and women can eventually stop justifying or explaining their position in music. As of today however, we still think it’s important to focus on cool female role models so that the next generation of musicians don’t have to deal with gendered descriptions and can avoid those kinds of descriptions.

Grandaddy - Last Place Genre: Indie Space Rock

By Zac Gardiner Grandaddy are back after a six-year break with Last Place and you’ll be happy to hear their blend of indie space rock is still very much up to their classic form.

They manage to return to their fans almost perfectly, sinking back into their classic sound with what feels like ease and pulling their audience into an almost hypnotic state of euphoria.

The album opens with the fantastic Way We Won’t, instantly exploding into the 90’s experimental indie sensibilities that is a Grandaddy song. It raises expectations for the what’s to follow, but thankfully manages to live up to its own hype.

The album continues its upbeat feeling with tracks like Evermore but often nose dives into more ambient sounds such as the swirling fifty-second intermission Oh She Deleter :(. It’s a reprise of a previous Grandaddy song titled She Deleter, which I believe is on the compilation album The Windfall Varietal, an album only sold by the band themselves at live shows. Grandaddy had a lot of fun with call-backs to their previous work on this album, a risky move for a band after such a long time away, but manage to pull it off by injecting new life and sound in ways previous albums never considered.

The Boat Is In The Barn starts off quite a fast paced song following a very odd pattern for a Grandaddy track, not a bad thing at all as it works nicely. It slowly falls into a slower, more powerful tempo, the lyrics “Oh no, my love ain’t gone/ The boat is in the barn” fading into a piano piece with a wistful synth in the background and featuring distorted piano.

The stand out track is certainly Jed the 4th, which brings me nicely back to the aforementioned call-backs. This song is a sequel to Jed’s Other Poem from the album The Software Slump. Jed was a character that appeared on a number of tracks, first appearing on Jeddy 3’s Poem from the EP Signal To Snow Ratio. In Jed the 4th Lytle admits in the chorus that “You know it’s all a metaphor/ for being drunk and on the floor/ so give it up for Jed the 4th/ Though he don’t come around no more” before breaking into a reprise of Jed’s Other Poem for a short verse.

The next track, Lost Machine might not be a direct callback, but certainly feels like a continuation to Broken Household Appliance National Forest also from The Software Slump. It explores a post-apocalyptic world wherein nature and technology have almost become one.

It’s also the longest and most beautiful track on the album.

It’s a six-minute dive into classic Grandaddy sound and according to Lytle himself was the track that helped him to realise he was working on a new Grandaddy record as it took shape. The album then wraps up nicely with a fantastically sobering Songbird Son which feels as if it could be a wave goodbye by the band or a call for us fans to follow on for more “Message better left unsent/ Don’t say nothing”.

This album is likely to be a stand out from 2017 and easily stands up to all of Grandaddy’s previous work.

Alongside their other great albums and I wholeheartedly recommend it to any indie music fan.

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