The premium publication for independent lifestyle and business in North East Wales and Chester
Unchained
May 2010
Book Shops: Survival and Growth The next Ridley Scott? Director Daniel J Fox speaks about his sci- fi thriller ‘Dreamscape’ Chester gets folked up: Up and coming band Shy and the Fight talk about their style and influences Battlestar Galactica comes to Wrexham: The TV and film convention Comic Con hits Wrexham once again, with bigger guests than ever
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Contents In this months Unchained:
Page 3:
A word from the editor. James Cain introduces Unchained to the world.
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Wales Comic Con. A gaggle of celebrities and artists flock to Wrexham for our pleasure, with one or two surprises along the way.
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Book shop special. We look into how the book shops in the area are surviving now the recession has ended. Some are evolving, some are changing the furniture.
Page 10: Shy and the Fight. We review Shy and the Fight’s recent gig at the Frog and Nightingale in Chester, and we speak to the band afterwards in an exclusive interview. Page 13: Location, location, location. We look at the shops in the area, and give you reviews of two stores; one good, one bad.... Page 14: Daniel J Fox and Chris Owen. We speak to two up and coming film directors who live and work in North Wales. Page 15: Dreamscape. We review their film, to give you an honest opinion before the film hits shelves.
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A word from the editor... Dear reader, Thank you very much for purchasing the launch issue of Unchained, the magazine which we hope you will come back to every month for articles on independent lifestyle, culture and business in North-East Wales and Chester. It’s been exciting putting this publication together. Our staff have scoured the area researching music shops, book shops, events, gig venues, and yes, pubs and clubs. In this magazine we offer you information and reviews on all things unchained. If a bohemian coffee shop opens up in Wrexham, we’ll cover it. If a retailer that specialises in progressive metal hits Hoole, we’ll cover it. If a martial artist from Ruabon teams up with a filmmaker from Hope, we’ll cover it. For the first issue, our main feature focuses on book shops, and how they are surviving and evolving in these financially harsh times. We also speak to Daniel J Fox and Chris Owen, two filmmakers who have their first feature, Dreamscape, seeking distribution while their second as-yet-untitled feature is currently in the works. Shy and the Fight’s recent gig at The Frog and Nightingale will be reviewed, and the band talks to us about their varied style and rising success. Wrexham Comic Con 2010 is covered in detail, with interviews, photographs and reports to show those who didn’t make it this year what they missed. We also reviews some of the area’s shops, and give you an idea about what you may want to spend your money on. You will find no chain stores here, nor studio films or franchised cafes. This magazine celebrates the independent. We enjoy talking to the underdogs of culture, the smaller businesses, and the people who can give you a more personal service. Unchained was started because we are passionate about what can be done outside of the large sectors of business and culture. This magazine is also about community. If you feel that the magazine could be improved in any way, or if you have an idea of something we may have missed in the area, contact us. Our mission, after all, is to deliver a quality publication that you will enjoy reading. Welcome to Unchained.
James Cain, Editor-in-Chief
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Boba Fett Lands in Wrexham: Casualties Minimal
Sunday 25th April saw the Wales Comic Con once again draw high profile guests to Wrexham, and the event once again proved to be a great success. The Wales Comic Con is one of the biggest independent regular events in North Wales. This was the fourth Comic Con so far, and proved to be the most successful. The guests this year included: the face of Starbuck and, er…Faceman Dirk Benedict, Red Dwarf’s The Cat and Kochanki; Danny John-Jules and Chloe Annett, as well as Star Wars’ coolest badass, Boba Fett himself, Jeremy Bulloch. The fans came early in the day, and one hour into the day Glyndwr’s cavernous sports hall was teeming with fans, geeks, enthusiasts and those wanting to meet their childhood heroes. As usual, fans could have their photograph taken with the guests in professional photo shoots, and most guests took part in lively chat sessions, talking about their work, the industries they work in and their own personal lives, as well as taking plenty of questions from the audience. Staz Johnson was the centre of a team of renowned comic book artists there to draw artwork on demand. One
Danny John Jules
Neil Marshall and Axcelle Carolyn take questions
guest, Kenny, was overjoyed to leave with a drawing of Predator battling one of Aliens’ xenomorphs. The cream of Britain’s merchandise retailers also attended the event, selling a huge variety of film and comic memorabilia. The Chester Comic Co. were also their en force, so many guests left with goodies. “This has been the most successful Wales Comic Con so far,” grins event founder and organiser Jaime Milner. “Everyone seems to be having a great time, guests included.” He’s right, each of the guests enjoyed lively chats with many attendees; Benedict even hijacked his own Q&A session, grabbing the microphone and chatting one on one with questioners. Former horror journalism and rising actress Axcelle Carolyn was there to meet guests, sign autographs and sell her excellent new book New Wave Horror. The Belgian beauty was also in Wrexham to promote her new
film, Centurion. Midway through the day, Carolyn’s husband and director of Centurion, as well as horror classics Dog Soldiers and The Descent, Neil Marshall stopped by unexpectedly. Marshall and Carolyn answered questions in their own Q&A session. Later, Marshall and Carolyn took the time to hold an autograph s ession between them, signing Centurion posters and Unchained’s copy of The Descent. Altogether, the day was a massive success; so much so that there will be another Wales Comic Con this year. “Yeah, you have another one to look forward to,” laughs Milner. “Be sure to mark your diary for September 19th. We’ve got some great guests already.” These guests include: Larry Kenney, who played Lion-O in Thundercats. Mike Edmonds, who played Logray in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
Guest response:
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Dirk Benedict: “It’s always great to come to a place like Wrexham and talk with fans. I’m having a lot of fun today, I usually do at these things. Every once in a while I even meet a fan who knows me from something other than A Team or Battlestar Galactica!” Jeremy Bulloch: “Oh, I’m having a fantastic time. Signed countless videos, DVDs, toys and such, and loved it every time. I had a six year old say to me before; ‘You’re cooler than Han Solo.’ That’s made my day, it really has [laughs].” Axcelle Carolyn: “This place has so many horror fans, I’m with my own people here.” Danny John Jules: “Ah, I’ve been coming here since the first Wales Comic Con. I was here before anybody! Always a good laugh, and I’ve got my family here this time, so it’s even better. But yeah, nice to meet the fans, definitely.”
Chloe Annett: “I didn’t realise Wrexham was such a hotbed Shane Rimmer, the actor who of Red Dwarf fans, but yeah, voiced Scott Tracy in classic it’s been amazing. I’ve had a television programme few laughs too. Before, Thunderbirds. someone just bluntly asked: ‘So, what have you done other Regular guest; comic book art- than Red Dwarf?’ It was really ist Staz Johnson refreshing! [Laughs]” The event will once again be held in Glyndwr University’s sports hall. For more information on this event, keep an eye on www.mercurypromotions. moonfruit.com.
Staz Johnson: “I came here last year, had a great time. It’s definitely worth the drive [from Wakefield]. Always nice to meet fans, make new friends, and draw requests.”
Words: James Cain
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Unchained Opinions: We don’t need to save the Odeon, but use the building! The building formerly known as the Odeon Chester has been languishing in abandonment since its closure on July 14th 2007. For three years the building has been sitting on Northgate Street - one of Chester’s busiest areas - and has not been used. With several cinema room, three floors, and an ‘interesting’ Art Deco design, it seems ridiculous that the building isn’t being used at all. Obviously, the location could be renovated to once again be used as a cinema (that itself would be a fantastically located alternative to the hit-and-miss Cineworld multiplex on Sealand Road. If you were in Chester city centre and felt like going to the cinema, you wouldn’t have to factor the thirty minute walk into your plans. However, the building needn’t necessarily be used as a cinema. Imagine the possibilities of a new, classier club in Chester, or an educational centre, or perhaps a new art gallery or museum. We don’t necessarily need another huge multiplex there, but doing something with such a great building would only seem right. Just so long as we don’t end up with another RBs.
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They’ve been part of our society for ages. We visit them whenever we want to feel something, or explore a new world. We go to them when we want to be thrust into a gripping adventure, or when we want to explore the darkest aspects of our humanity. We visit them when we want to buy a present for a parent who we have no idea what they want, but we know they like the Sharpe novels. With so many opportunities and the country making its way out of the recession, why are…
Our Friends, the Book Shops …struggling to remain popular? Words: James Cain For years now, it’s been possible to, within two minutes, to go online, select a book you want to buy, and pay for it. Three to five working days later (or even the next day, if you need it that badly) the book will arrive at your home. It’ll even have that new book smell everyone loves (new car smell has nothing on this aroma). Buying books online is, most of the time, unquestionably more convenient than buying from a book shop. It’s also much less personal. In December 2009, the UK saw the final Borders stores close their doors for the final time. The book behemoth, which also sold films, music and caffeine beverages, had lost to
the recession and had finally shut down. Borders was the one of the largest book retailers in Great Britain, in both 2005 and 2006, it won the Bookselling Chain of the Year and Chain Bookselling Company of the Year at both the 2006 and 2007 British Book Industry Awards (BBIA). These are just a few examples of the many awards that Borders won in the few years previous to their downfall in the United Kingdom. The recession had finally taken its toll on the company. While Borders offered a wide selection of books, there are still thousands of independent book shops across the UK. However, their presence is being threatened. One of which is the online element. “We opened the shop in 1981,” says Caroline Johnson, who along with her husband David owns The Book Shop on Mold High Street. “Things have changed tremendously since then. In the early eighties, very few people had a computer, whereas today there’s the online availability of online shopping. So we’ve had to evolve as a business to keep afloat. “One way we’ve done this is by starting our website, which we put up a few years ago. There, someone can browse our entire selection, and have a look at what they want. They can order a book to be delivered to their home, or they can reserve it and come into the store to pay for it here. Only recently a customer came all the way from Nantwich because they saw online that we had a certain book,”
she exclaims. The Book Shop offers a wide array of books, both fiction and non-fiction, and these aren’t the only products available. “Like a lot of other book shops, we’ve had to branch out into other forms of media, such as CDs and audio books,” explains Caroline. The fact that she points out that the shop had to branch out into these products to survive illustrates how
“Independent shops definately offer a lot of things that the bigger shops don’t.” - Mike Bowden, Gildas Books competitive the business is. There are over three hundred Waterstone’s stores in the United Kingdom, and WHSmith has 550 high street stores as well as 440 travel outlets across the country. These stores offer a huge selection of books; popular fiction, travel books, graphic novels and collected comics, autobiographies, books on the bloodiest battles in history, and glossy guides to water polo. Can the independent shops really compete? “Well, I think they can compete, still, as independent shops offer a lot of thing that the bigger shops don’t,” says Mike Bowden, who has owned Gildas Books, on the City Walls in Northgate, for four years now. The shop specialises in second hand and antiquarian books, and Mike believes that independent book shops have special qualities of their own. “I try to cater for the different customers that come in here. For example, when students are starting university, they’ll be hunting for certain books. If they’re wanted, I’ll sell them very quickly,” explains Mike. “The key to a good bookshop is to keep your stock rolling over as fast as possible, so there’s always something new to look at, especially for the regular customers.” Mike’s keen interest in keeping things
Unchained May P.7 fresh has ensured a steady flow of customers during the recession. This emphasis on keeping customers enticed is also a large part of Fact Not Fiction, a second hand bookshop which is located on Earl Road, Mold. “Oh, I’m always making changes to the store, to keep it interesting and appealing,” nods Roy Marsh. “It’s all about customer service, though. In a shop like this, it’s like looking through the world. Everyone likes to have a root through old books. In the shop, you know exactly what you’re getting. We don’t give you the hard sell, we don’t mither, and it’s a place for book lovers.” Roy’s book shop is a much smaller operation than The Book Shop (the two shops are only about a minute-long walk away from each other), however the two find their relationship mutually beneficial. “The Book Shop
Mike Bowden sends a lot of people over to me,” says Roy. “We complement each other – they sell the new stuff, I sell the older second hand books.” Fact Not Fiction does not (yet) have an online presence, but Roy feels that internet shopping is not the biggest threat he faces. “For me to have customers, there needs to be people on the street, or footfall as it’s known in the retail industry. And footfall in towns like Mold is being threatened by out-of town shopping centres. For Mold, you’ve got Cheshire Oaks, Asda in Queensferry, and Broughton Park. This means less people coming into Mold, and less people coming into the shop.” The retail park in Broughton, just a short drive away from Mold, has a WHSmith, as well
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Caroline Johnson as an Asda Home and a Tesco. Each of these offers, at the very least, a moderate selection of books; WHSmith is a book shop primarily, so their selection is huge. Since the opening of the Eagles Meadow shopping centre, Wrexham’s town centre has lost its bustling vibrancy, with most shops and shoppers heading to Eagles Meadow. This led to the closing of independent multimedia shop XLC. “Mold is still doing fairly well. It has great independence and strength. The market is also a major draw, it’s a very popular market. We’re lucky to have it, it still keeps people coming to Mold,” says Roy. “but so far as I’m concerned, the retail parks are a bigger threat to the business of independent shops than the recession or internet shopping. Some books shops face other threats. Gaz Jones is manager of Chester Comic. Co., a shop which sells comic books, graphic novels, and the merchandise based around the culture. “Oh, the recession’s hit us hard, absolutely,” says Gaz. “Though there are other problems. A lot of people now buy comics online, or even download them illegally.
“One massive problem is actually to do with the suppliers. Specialist shops like this one have carried the comic book industry for years. Now that comics are starting to become more popular, and more mainstream, the suppliers and publishers are starting to mess us around,” he explains. “For example, Kick-Ass came out last month as a trade paperback, before the film was released at the cinema. We have it
“A lot of people now buy comic online, or download them” - Gaz Jones, Chester Comic Co. now, but the larger chain stores like HMV got it weeks before us. Because they’re a much bigger retailer, they could put it at a much lower price. Therefore, a huge amount of people will have bought the book at HMV before we even had it to sell. The worst part is, this is far from a rare incident.” It would seem, therefore, that there are
flaws in the system. This is a horrible example of a huge company (Marvel Comics, the largest of its kind) neglecting the kind of shop that has carried its products for years. Therefore, independent shops cannot always rely on the people who supply their stock. Roy Marsh feels that the government should be doing more to help independent shops: “I mean, the government’s always talking about, ‘Oh, Morrisons versus Tesco’ and so on. But you don’t hear them talking about the smaller businesses enough. At the end of the day, shops like Fact Not Fiction have hada scary time in this recession because we’re not part of a big chain.” During the recession, independent book shops, and well as other small shops and pubs have shut down. It is vitally important, then, that these shops evolve in order to stay relevant and appealing. Mike Bowden finds his online business important, but it isn’t anywhere near his affection of running his shop. “I have about 15, 000 books in the shop. On the net I have about 1000. A lot of people put books on the internet for a penny and make money from the postage, but I don’t do it that way,” he says. “I think the internet will become more and more useful for selling books, and obviously this is going to continue to affect shops. But I find that customer service is key, and I prefer to do that personally. Over the last two years, trade has definitely gone down. Book shops haven’t suffered as much as I imagine other people have suffered, though, as books are a fairly cheap form of entertainment.” Some patrons of Gildas Books will spend £200 - £300 on one book alone – such is
Unchained May P.9 the rarity of some items there. Mike’s business also depends on the time of year, too. Because the Chester Walls are a very tourist-centric area, he sees a massive amount of business during the summer. In the winter, however, the Walls are much quieter. This leads to a drop in business, and a time when Mike’s online dealings become even more valued. This shows how the independent book shops in the North-East Wales and Chester area have to keep altering their businesses in order to keep making a profit. “Aesthetics are very important to us,” says Caroline, gesturing around her admittedly very pleasant-looking shop. “The shop needs to look nice or interesting enough for people to come inside in the first place. So, yes, those are the two main priorities; keep the shop fresh – we have a brand new children’s section where the kids can sit and read some books, and their parents can feel free to browse the store. We want this to be a place where people can come alone or with their families.” “At the end of the day, all I need to worry about is providing the best kind of service I can to the customers,” concludes Gaz. “We’ve got a lot of regular buyers who visit the store, so it’s all about getting them what they want. If we don’t have it, we can order it. So I think that people will keep coming back here, as a lot of them seem to prefer the personal service. Some people will come in here, and chat for an hour or so before they leave with their batch of books.” Roy seems to see things the same way: “If I can help people get a good book by recommending one to them, great. I really do think that a lot of people will keep buying at book shops, and hopefully at the independent book shops. It’d be a real shame to see even more good books shops shut around here.” It will be interesting to see how these shops develop. It’s evident that many independent book shops will need to have an online presence in order to compete with the internet-based market that already exists. After all, accidental finds in a book shop is far superior to seeing the look of something you like online. Pick class over price, buy from a shop. Pictured left: Gildas books
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Mish-Mash-Flash Band of many genres Shy and the Fight offer up alt-folk with a cavalier rock n roll attitude. Words: James Cain / Photographs: Michael S. Davies The Frog and Nightingale in Chester is often wont to present exciting new acts who have an edge, such as Stokoz to Moscow and Severenth. On Saturday 17th April, North Wales and Ellesmere Port-based band Shy and the Fight blew away the crowd with a variety of instruments, a mish-mash of genres and charmingly childish humour. “We have bitches!” exclaims lead vocalist and guitarist Tom Hyndman, provoking rueful smiles from the two female members of the band; Meg Myatt - vocals, guitar, glockenspiel, tuned percussion – and Carrie Anderson – violin, tuned percussion, vocals, glockenspiel. “We’re Shy and the Fight, and if you don’t like our style, you can fuck off!” The band also contains Chris Done (banjo, bass, vocals), Michael Deponeo (vocals, percussion, bass, banjo), Jackson Almond (programming and electronics) and Tom Wootton (drums, bass, percussion). The band members each have varied musical histories, and bring an eclectic set of styles to the stage. One song is a slow, melodic folk piece that sounds almost Icelandic in origin, and this is then followed up by a faster pace, harder piece of music that has more in common with hard rock.
Hyndman makes an entertaining front man, though this is not to devalue the rest of the band. Myatt provides the best vocals of the group, with her singing voice the audible equivalent of melted chocolate. Anderson’s vocal range is also impressive (despite having a broken voice the night of the gig) and her violin skills manage to transform to whichever style is needed. The instrumental highlights are the banjo and the glockenspiel. These – played mostly by Done and Myatt respectively – add character to the medley of different genres. The twang of the banjo hints at bluegrass, before plunging into an alt-folk style of sorts. The band also keeps up the banter in between songs, and this audience interaction earns them even larger cheers and applause from the crowd. Occasionally, however, the band do show they are still a growing band; there are often moments where two or more members are not synchronised, or a member might seem to not know what the a growing band; there are often moments where two or more members are not synchronised, or a member might seem to not know what they are doing. However, this slight disorganisation merely adds to the
ramshackle charm of the band, and at no point does it make a song any less than excellent. All in all, Shy and the Fight prove themselves to be a highly entertaining band with lots of potential. At their gig in The Frog and Nightingale, they showcased hints of Simon and Garfunkel, The Magic Numbers, Against Me and Arcade Fire. Their range of styles and all-round talent mean that they will be a band to look out for in the future. Shy and the Fight will be performing at Alexanders in Chester on 30th May. Visit www. myspace.com/shyandthefightmusic to listen to some of their music, as well as information on the band. After the gig, we sat down with Chris Done, Michael Deponeo, Carrie Anderson, Thomas Hyndman and Meg Myatt to discuss both the gig that night and themselves. The band were excitable, excited, in good spirits, and perhaps a little drunk… Unchained: So how do you think tonight went? Meg: I think it went really well. We had a lot of fun. Carrie: Tom forces us to have fun. If we don’t have fun, he beats us with big sticks. So we try to have fun, for our own health. Tom: Yeah, I really enjoyed myself, and I think this is one of our best gigs so far. The crowd seemed to have a good time, and I know we did. Unchained: So who would you say are your
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Chris: Michael Jackson, definitely. Manchester Orchestra, too. Michael: My biggest influence, in and out of the band, is The Clash. Also, Love You Moon. Brian Wilson. Brian Wilson’s got to go on the list, or I’ll shoot myself. Carrie: Phil Collins, Good Charlotte, Elton John that kind of thing.. Tom: Anything Matt Embree’s done. Genesis, Peter Gabriel (concurring and cheers at the mention of Peter Gabriel). Unchained: Tell me about your individual style, and how you see it. Chris: Well we’ve all been in bands or solo projects before, apart from Carrie, but she brings a hell of a lot to this band. Carrie: Style. Chris: Yes, style, she does. Michael: If the Beach Boys were originally a folk band, and they moved to Jamaica, and they grew dreads [no members of the band are sporting dreadlocks] and so on, you’d get Shy and the Fight. [Laughter] And then if they hired [self deprecatingly referring to himself] some skin head… to come in and do percussion, and a bit of banjo, you’d get the band as it is today. Carrie: We should be called Defying the Shite, I think that sums us up. Unchained: Tom did tell the audience to ‘fuck off’ at the start of the gig… Carrie: Yeah, I think he should’ve said ‘folk off’. Less offensive and more witty. Mike: ‘Folk off’! Tom! Get on it! Unchained: How long has the group been together? Tom: Two weeks! With Michael, two weeks. Mike: Minus me, a little bit longer. Chris: It’s been a project for about two years now, has it Tom? Tom: Yeah, about two years, with people dropping in and dropping out and dropping in and dropping out. Meg: At first it was going to be a collaboration of solo artists, just to record some songs together. Unchained: What kind of venues do you like?
Chris: In terms of dingy places, we played the Tivoli in Buckley. Mike: We played a fashion show the other day and I got an award for best dressed performer. Tom: We’re hoping to play some serious festivals, hopefully this summer. Carrie: Yeah, we’d love to do Brighton Festival in May, the Big Chill… Tom: We’ve actually been put forward for the Buskers Stage at the Big Chill. Unchained: Mike, you’re the latest member to the band. How did you joining come about? Mike: Well, I joined the band because Tom broke his wrist while skating. They needed an extra man for a gig, they asked me to play. Then it went from “Do you want to play in a gig?” to “Do you want to be in the band?” Carrie: Claire and I were told about this by text! Meg: No! I found out by Facebook! It was the first I’d heard of it, I saw it on there. Tom: It was good that you ‘liked’ it, then. Unchained: So the band’s clearly ridden with management issues. Carrie: Clearly. Mike: There’re too many people in the band. Carrie: You’re trying to get rid of me already?! Unchained: What previous work have you all done? Meg: I used to play solo stuff. I’ve played guitar since I was about fifteen, doing solo gigs. That’s scary, though; I prefer performing as part of a band. It’s much more fun with a band. Tom: Ooh, where d’you start? I used to play in a pop punk band, then the pop punk band changed into a horror band, then the horror band changed into a ska band, then the ska band turned into a ska hardcore band, then the ska hardcore band changed into a hardcore band, then the hardcore band went back to a pop punk band, and then I left that -Chris: Your voice is giving me a headache. Tom: --and now I’m in an indie type band and I’m also in this band. Carrie: When I was fourteen I was in the choir, which Meg was also in – I got kicked out. I played the violin ten years ago, and started playing it again recently after Tom told me he
Unchained May P.12 didn’t want his getting dusty. Chris: I quit school and I was crap at everything… Tom: He was crap. Chris: I even did music, and I was crap at that. When I was finished with school, my dad told me it was either a full time job or more education. I didn’t want to get a job, so I went to college to do music. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but from there I started playing guitar, singing, and I joined a group called Second Hand Sound, who were terrible. Then I was in a band called Malcove, which made alright music, but it wasn’t enjoyable for me. So I started playing my own solo stuff – got
“We’ve actually been put forward for the Big Chill.” - Tom quite a good fanbase, actually. Carrie: There’s six of us! Mike: Everything that Tom said about all the different types of bands; I was in there as a drummer for a while, but left before it turned back into a pop punk band. Unchained: So what does the future hold? Carrie: Well next up, we’re going to Spain, taking a break together. Tom: The next five years: be signed, play loads of festivals, get onto Later With Jools Holland.
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May
Location Reviews Moonlight Records (Bridge Street, Wrexham)
Located just outside the town centre, Moonlight Records specialises in music - both CDs and vinyl - but also sells a huge range of DVDs and computer games, as well as musical merchandise. The shop is very open and well lit, meaning the place has a comfortable atmosphere that allows you to browse for ages. The staff are friendly, offering help and advice when needed but not bothering you if you just want to peruse. The selection of music is decent, even if this is a predominantly classic rock shop. The CDs are displayed at the front, whereas the vinyl is kept in a small section at the back. The music is updated fairly regularly though, with new items coming in all the time. The selection of DVDs is large, yet fairly shallow. These are all very well known DVDs, and you’ll struggle to find a rarity on the wall. The videogames are similar; decent variety, however you’ll likely only get games as far back as the Playstation 2. However, Unchained managed
to find Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for £5 - get it while you can. The band merchandise is standard fare, with the standard rock band t shirts that HMV sell. Moonlight Records, then, is a great shop for second hand music, and decent for DVDs and videogames.
Game Zone (Frodsham Street, Chester)
Game Zone is perfect as an example of a shop that does nothing right. The staff, usually just one interchangable man, seemingly find customer service to be an alien concept. Whoever is watching the shop is usually just at the desk browising the internet (you can often hear MSN sound effects in the store), and if, God forbid, you need to ask a question, the uniform response is a series of mumbles and tuts, as if they don’t want you to leave with a game. The selection is poor at best. PC games make up much of the stock, however the majority of these games are from the late 90s or early 00s,. While some of the games
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are of good to great quality, there are no rare gems here. The console games fare less well. The Playstation 3 had, when Unchained visited the store a few weeks ago, a total of five games on display, none of them remarkable or a bargain. The prices are all bizarrely high, especially considering the shop is a second hand games store. Many of the prices are more expensive than the shop’s chain store peers. Ultimately, Game Zone, is completely sub standard. The store is even depressingly drab, and the fact that it is still open post-recession is a miracle.
If you have any suggestions for reviews, please get in touch on: info@unchainedmagazine. co.uk We write reviews for: Shops Cafes Bars Pubs Nightclubs Cinemas Events Art galleries And so on. So long as it’s independent, so long as it’s unchained, we’re interested. Keep in touch.
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*It’s from Blade Runner
They’ve Done a Man’s Job, Sir*.
Daniel J Fox and Chris Owen are two rising filmmakers who learned their trade at Glyndwr University. When they’re not working on their own sci fi centric projects, they take time to be a part of each other’s. Which Fox’s latest film, Dreamscape (in which Owen plays the put-upon Lookout), currently seeking distribution, we sat down with the two in Penyffordd’s Millstone Pub to discuss their backgrounds, their work, and of course, to discuss films. Words: James Cain “I’ve been a film fan for as long as I can remember,” says Fox. “I’ve always found sci fi films to be particularly enjoyable. They really are the underdogs of cinema much of the time, as a lot of people don’t give the genre the respect of credit it deserves.” “Yeah, I’d definitely say that a lot of people look down on sci fi,” agrees Owen. “We’ve been making sci fi pictures for about ten years now. They’re often fun films to watch, and they’re definitely fun films to make!” Dreamscape is the story of a bored businessman – simply credited as The Man – who receives an invitation to take part in a programme which would give him the virtual experience of being a secret agent. The story is an obvious callback to Total Recall, the Arnold Schwarzenegger film from 1990, and is one of many references to the films that Fox loves. “Total Recall is definitely in there, as is The Manchurian Candidate. The big one, though, is Blade Runner. That film’s had some kind of effect on whatever I’ve done, be it Dreamscape or my earlier films, Click-Base or Target. But yeah, the style of Dreamscape is definitely based on Blade Runner at times.” This is evident throughout the film. Shot in stylish black and white, Dreamscape is more surreal than Ridley Scott’s 1982 masterpiece, and it also contains more mystery, and has a different pace. The first two thirds are relatively slow paced, aside from some tense action sequences. In the third act, though, the film picks up pace dramatically, becoming more
raw and frenetic, more wild and unpredictable. “It was definitely a hard film to make,” explains Fox. “I wanted the film to have something of a dreamlike quality; obviously that becomes apparent when you watch the film.”
“Dan and I have some very different styles, though. He’s more smooth, he likes to use cranes and such, whereas is prefer the more rough and ready style of guerilla filmmaking.” Owen had a great time on the film. “It’s nice to just act in a film. Well, I didn’t just act, really,” he allows. “I did some second unit directing [shoots which are less important], and some basic advising. “Dan and I have some very different styles, though. He’s more smooth, he likes to use cranes and such, whereas is prefer the more rough and ready style of guerilla filmmaking. He’s Stanley Kubrick, I’m Paul Greengrass,” he laughs. “My films are classier, Chris’ films are dirtier,” smiles Fox.
Unchained
May
Review
P.15
Dreamscape
Left to right: Chris Owen, Daniel J Fox Fox is 29, and has been a filmmaker for most of his adult life. For his day job, he works as a photographer and a “shooter for hire”. filming weddings and such occasions. Owen, 42, enjoys a similar profession. He also records sports matches, particularly football and rugby games. In the mornings, the Llay resident works at Chester Habitat. “It’s a good selection of jobs,” he chuckles. “I spent years at the MOD, and it’s really good to have such fun with my work. I get paid to film football, which is always a plus!” While Fox is searching in both the UK and the US (mostly New York) for distribution of Dreamscape, Owen has other plans. “I’ve made a few short films already, mostly with Glyndwr University. I’m still working on my ‘Great Unfinished Project’,” says Owen. “I’ve been writing the script on and off for a few years now, and I may start shooting sometime late this year. It depends on how good the script is. We’ll see...” [Laughs] While trying to sell Dreamscape - it’s going to be bought by an American company, apparently - Fox is also working on the script for his next film, which is as-yet-untitled. “It’s going to be sci fi, of course,” nods Fox. “I can tell you that I’m planning for it to be the first part of a trilogy. It’s going to be set in an alternative-reality 1950s Britain. “It will be low budget still, but we’re going to have a bit more money to play with than with Dreamscape. The sequels will take place in the 1960s, and then the third part will be set in the 1970s.” The two filmmakers seem excited about their futures, with eachother being a part of each other’s projects consistently. They are two filmmakers to watch out for in the future.
The full length feature debut from rising director Daniel J Fox, Dreamscape is a film that can at the very least be called interesting. Whereas some directors shoot their early work in black and white because they don’t have a choice - Kevin Smith’s Clerks, for example - Fox chose to shoot the film digitally without colour because this is, in part, a film noir. It really works, as Dreamscape is both dreamlike, as well as dark and moody. The story, set several decades in the future, concerns an accountant who is looking for something from life, but isn’t sure what. When he recieves an invitation to take part in ‘Dreamscape’, a service which would give him the mental experience of being a spy (basically the same thing as Rekall in Total Recall), he jumps at the opportunity. For here on in, we’re thrust into a giant mystery, where The Man (as he is named), steals a well-guarded macguffin, does battle with a shady government agency, dodges explosions and sleeps with women. The main problem is here; all this is very exciting, but it’s often difficult to figure out just what the hell’s going on. It’s never really clear what anyone’s motives are. The film has no clear good or bad guys. Even single scenes are sometimes incomprehensible. And ultimately some parts of the story make no sense by the end. It really does spoil the film somewhat when you’re not even sure who you’re supposed to root for. But to avoid risking spoilers, it’s worth at least mentioning that this may be the point. All in all, though, the film is good fun. Film geeks can have fun playing spot the reference, and the final 20 minutes or so are massively enjoyable. While the film is far from perfect, it’s a highly impressive effort considering the relatively newcomer director and the low budget. If you get the chance to see this film when it manages to secure a UK release, be sure to check it out. There are certainly worse sci fi noir thrillers out there.
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