The Great Escapists

Written and Designed by Eleanor Morgan

Genre pick: It’s a mystery While in lockdown, for some reason I’ve seem to be caught by a murder mystery bug. With us all turning to our streaming services and kindle stores to find some entertainment, it’s easy to settle for anything that sounds mildly interesting just because helps pass he time. So why not try something that might be a little different to your normal pick? While still being entertaining, I find that a good murder mystery can also keep the little grey cells in your brain working as you -sometimes subconsciously - start to make assumptions and try to figure out whodunnit yourself. The murder mystery is a classic genre and therefore has been revamped and reinvented many times, so if you’re thinking that it’s just for grannies, you may be surprised. If you’re a book lover, you are spoiled for choice. The classics run for miles: pretty much anything by Agatha Christie and any Sherlock Holmes will promise an interesting read. If you’re a regular reader of the college mag, you may remember that I also recommended the Truly Devious series before, which is a modern YA twist on the classic murder mystery. For the film lovers who are waiting patiently for the cinemas to re-open, you will also have plenty to choose from. Many of the classics have been adapted into film - BBC iPlayer currently has two Agatha Christie’s up to watch for free. Don’t let the old timey quality fool you, they’re classic whodunnits. And of course there’s the iconic Clue, inspired by the equally iconic board game, Cluedo (shocker, I know). But if you really can’t stand the sight of 1950’s film, then never fear. The 2011 remake of Murder on the Orient Express is AMAZING (please go watch it, it’s one of my favourites) and, of course, Knives Out (2019) has just been realised to DVD and is a cinematic masterpiece. Take your pick! I promise you won’t be disappointed. Escapism can sometimes be seen as a bad word. To some people, it’s just another way of avoiding responsibilities or choosing to foolishly not face reality. But I for one have always been the biggest advocate for the escape artists of our generation. To us dreamers those films, books, games and worlds that we choose to lose ourselves in are a crucial part of our identities, our personalities and even the lessons we’ve learnt. At the moment, we find ourselves with an abundance of time on our hands. For weeks now, our escapisms are all we’ve had. After all, when you turn on the TV, if it’s not the news telling you the death toll, it’s a handful of new documentaries and dramas from those in isolation or even a lovely new and up-to-date advertisement featuring face masks and rubber gloves. It’s hardly a surprise that we turn to our on-demand feature films and e-book providers to get away from it all. While I agree it is good to be informed about our situations and circumstances, don’t feel bad for turning away from it once in a while. Peace of mind and mental health should be more important in my opinion and therefore I’m more than happy to accept the role of the cheerleader for the blanket-grabbers and biscuit munchers who are curled up in the corners of their beds and losing themselves in the plethora of fictional wonders we are blessed with today. While all in good intentions, I wonder if I am the only one feeling that there’s currently even more pressure to do something remarkably reinventive with oneself. All around people are encouraging us to learn challenging skills or “finally get fit” that it’s in fact had the opposite effect on me. If you’re the same, then let me the first to tell you: there is pride in having the thing you you accomplish by the end of this is that you finally got to enjoy those films, books and games you’ve been meaning to get to. So whether you want to broaden your horizons or re-kindle an old classic, here’s some ideas.

To begin, I’m going to throw something universally recognisable at you. I’m sure you’ve heard of Tomb Raider, especially if you’re an avid gamer then you’ve probably already played through the 3 Tomb Raider games (the 2013 reboot series - I’m currently on Rise of the Tomb Raider. Love it). I highly recommend them and if you haven’t gotten all the relics yet or nailed those challenges, now is also the perfect time for a full sweep rerun! 2018 also saw another film reboot which you can watch on Netflix right now, or - f you’re more of an Angelina Jolie fan - BBC iPlayer currently has the two earlier films (slightly more hammy and questionable, but they exist). If you’re someone who loves a series binge though, may I offer you some anime? Now if you’re not a regular anime watcher, please don’t roll your eyes! I urge you to give them a try: they’re all the entertainment of a TV box set and so much more - especially when it comes to style. My two rec’s are relatively short series (as I know I get very intimidated by super long seasons of 1000 episodes), so these are long enough to keep you company, but aren’t overwhelming. Death Parade is set in a mythical bar in which the recently deceased are judged via morbid gameshow-esque competitions in which their behaviour decides whether they get to ascend to rebirth or be dammed to the darkness. Each episode provides a circus ride of moral judgment and mystery plus it’s super cool and dramatic. On the flip side, Violet Evergarden follows a young woman once a brutal war weapon who has now lost both her arms, her commanding officer and, mainly, herself. It’s a tad longer and more slower paced, but utterly beautiful and, I found, emotional. The full series is on Netflix, and if you like it, there’s even two feature-length specials on there to take you even further. And finally for my last two suggestions, I’m going to turn the clock backwards to our childhoods. Hopefully you’re not a stranger to Narnia. If you’ve never

Short Escapisms for The five minute runaways: Webtoon: Free to download on your phone or access on your laptop, Webtoon is a comic reading platform with hundreds of free comics to read, created by independent artists around the world. You will have to make an account to save comics to your My series and read multiple chapters at a time, but it costs absolutely nothing except a password. My personal favourites at the mo are Cursed Princess Club (fun fairytale-esque comedy about self love and sisterhood) and Shiloh (dystopian steampunk thriller with an epic art style).

Empire Magazine: Personally, I’m not a big magazine r reader, but this lockdown Imahin I found myself picking up the these pages on a whim. The Jun June 2020 edition of Empire is is a feel-good collection and [p packed with both eager looks forw forward to the future of your favo favourite movies and loving looks looks back. Lovers of all things givh fiction can pick up something from from this mag - it might be a new rec recommendation or just something you you never knew about your already fav favourites. Give it a go!

actually read them, now’s a good time! Each book makes for quick, light reading, but with seven main books in the series it will provide extended fantasy-filled sittings. And once you’ve lived up to your inner post-war childhood fantasies via ink and paper, you can always turn to the three movie adaptions (although I’d probably stick to just the first two myself - Voyage of the Dawn Treader went way down in quality). If you’re not a Narnia fan however (silently judging you), A Series of Unfortunate Events is another iconic and vast universe to indulge in just a touch darker and more sarcastic. There’s multiple books, a bingeable Netflix series and one glorious film to lose yourself in, all sharing that gothic wit of Lemony Snicket aesthetic that I personally adore.