ENTERTAINMENT

CO-EDITOR FRAN MULVEY

Sadder Days Vol.1

BY RAHUL ANEESH

Sadder Days Vol.1 is the debut project from Las Vegas Hip Hop collective Sad Art Collective, here are my thoughts on each track of this project:

1SADDER DAYS: This is mainly an intro skit which gives an overall taste of what the overall project is going to sound like, each member sings “Sadder Days” over a chilled synthesized instrumental, which is a play on words of “Saturdays”, this intro adds captivation when the project is played like an album.

2

MY TIME FEAT. STRYTLLR & NEVOS TYLER: Strytllr has these smooth R&B style vocals and talks about his depression and wanting to “jump off the edge”, to find a better place. In the easy-going chorus he talks about wanting to make the most of things, and Nevos Tyler gradually slides across the jazzy instrumental, throwing a lot of witty bars in the process. This song was very fun to listen to.

3

GO AHEAD FEAT. NEVOS TYLER, JOEL THE UNICORN & MARCO 4D: Now we dip out feet into a sea of fun carefree songs. It’s got some slick animated flows and lyrics from each of the members in this song. I also like the bubbly production, suitable for a Caribbean setting and atmosphere.

4

DADDY FEAT. TANNA MARIE, JOEL THE UNICORN & LONGLIVEMOSI: This one features a lot of bold personality. Especially Tanna Marie with her sassy singrap flow along with sexualised lyrics giving this track even more of a reason to revisit, Joel and Mosi give the track more sexual presence and come in with some quickwitted lines about sex. This is probably a song that slaps hardest for the parties.

5

SENTIMENTAL FEAT. JOEL THE UNICORN, MARCO 4D, ZERBY & TANNA MARIE: This does give off some nice Earthgang vibes because of the wacky adlibs and interesting deliveries. Despite the song having a very upbeat instrumental it does have some serious

subject matter about being in a toxic relationship with a woman and the bad mental side effects. The chorus is also very smooth, and the adlibs make it a lot more fun and animated.

6IT’S LIT FEAT. ZERBY & LURK FRANKLIN: This is probably the most outlandish of them all. Starting off with a quirky chorus on top of a glossy grimy instrumental, in the verses I can definitely spot some Brockhampton influence, yet it doesn’t take away from the entertainment value of the song. The opening line of Lurk Franklin’s verse got a few giggles out of me, and I just love the overall energy of his verse, this song is quite tongue in cheek.

7WINNING FEAT. MARCO 4D & LURK FRANKLIN: Both add spirit and charisma as well as off-the-wall flows and hard-hitting lyrics (in a fun and entertaining way). The trap drums also provide bounce, as the song title suggests it’s about being unstoppable and living their finest life. This track definitely makes me feel unstoppable.

8BACK IT UP FEAT. LONGLIVEMOSI, MARCO 4D, JOEL THE UNICORN & ZERBY: The verses of each member in this song still never fail to impress in terms of character. They also have some raunchy sex lines, but what does let this track down for me is the monotonic chorus which essentially lacks groove. Otherwise the song still has a notably sexual nature. 9 TELL ME FEAT. TANNA MARIE AND STRYTLLR: Now we move into more of a slow R&B direction. Both artists softly sing about how their boyfriend/girlfriend isn’t feeling ok and isn’t admitting their feelings, the lyrics painting a picture of the distress and worry both artists feel. I also enjoy the soft guitar riffs along the track to give it its melancholic nature. Overall, I think it’s a nice switch up.

10 BUSSIT FEAT. JOEL THE UNICORN & MARCO 4D: The instrumental sounds like it was made for nightclubs. I enjoy the smooth chorus and delivery from Joel, while in the verses adding the fact he’s bored during this pandemic (we all are). Additionally, I enjoyed the strong flow from Marco 4D where he talks about having a good time with the ladies. Overall, this is a celebratory closure.

Overall, this is a very solid effort. I’m interested to hear what they have in store in the future and hope that they eventually gain more recognition.

BY CAMERON LUSTY Train to Busan (2016)

Train to Busan is a South Korean film written by Park Joo-suk and directed by Yeon Sang-ho. Its budget was a reported $8.5 million, and it earned $98.5 million at the worldwide box office and was South Korea’s highest grossing film of 2016. There’s a chance most of you reading this will already know about this film in which case this will take the least amount of convincing of any Film of the Month I’ll do. If you haven’t heard of or seen this film and you’re a fan of zombies, thrillers, gore; or you like eclectic casts of characters, themes of family, friendship, and human compassion in the face of human survival - or you’re just a big fan of trains - then this film should be on your list. Set in South Korea, it follows a group of passengers on a train as a zombie outbreak occurs. The film has grotesquely visceral visual and practical effects that will have you captivated by the horrendous distortions and contortions of the zombies’ appendages. Its story is basic – human survival in the face of unexplainable horror – but its writing is great. It creates characters with depth, pathos, levity, who FILM OF THE MONTH exhibit a wide variety of personalities. The characters all feel different, they serve a function, and you care for them that if – or when – they die you will be left possibly weeping (the person I watched this film with did cry and I was almost weeping). T the predominant theme (the nature and behaviour of Man/people when faced with their death) is supported by a few underlying themes but there’s one I liked that I felt wasn’t developed enough so was inconsistent. The theme I’m talking about is a dichotomy and representation of the classism in South Korean society; and the privilege that comes with being in, or at least perceived to be in, the ruling elite. It’s important to note South Korea has a very Western, Capitalistic society and I think the social tensions that come with that system is presented in this film. That could be one reason why this film has resonated with Western audiences. This is represented by the character of the COO of Stallion Express (played by Kim Eui-Sung) who orders the train driver

to leave the other passengers, not the only time he tries; and then assumes an authoritarian and dictatorial position when he’s placed in charge of the scared room he finds himself in. His behaviour in that situation leads to them locking the other group out, a group of vulnerable, bloodied and beaten survivors, including a child (played by Kim Su-an). The main protagonist, the little girl’s Father, Seo Sook-woo (played by Gong Yoo), is a hedge fund manager and is perceived as part of the capitalist elite (as demonstrated by the remarks made by Ma Dong-seok’s character). (Also, I want to take a moment to give a shout out to Ma Dong-seok’s character as he is hands down the best character in the film. I could easily devote a whole article to him.) Sook-woo’s story could be viewed as him shedding his capitalist life for one rooted in humanity. This is evidenced physically by his suit being ripped and stained as he progresses through the zombie infested train. And evidenced in his behaviour: at the beginning he’d rather work instead of taking his daughter to her mother’s; but by the end he would literally sacrifice himself to make sure his daughter arrives safely. An expression of this theme are the zombies themselves, representing the extreme effects of un-checked capitalism: the metamorphosis of people into beings that have no humanity, no consciousness, but merely the desire to consume and eat, even at the detriment to the survival of others and the very foundations of society itself. This can also be evidenced by the cause of the zombies – nuclear weapons – which is arguably Capitalism’s greatest achievement. Would it have been possible, or as effective, if not for Western free market capitalism? Beyond the themes of human kinship and class struggle, it’s also a Zombie movie. And as someone who considers themselves a Zombie fanboy, I was blown away by the ones in this film. As mentioned above, the practical effects/ special effects were amazing, and the zombies were detailed and scary. There’s one reservation I had about the zombies going in and that was that they ran. In my opinion, true zombies, by definition, shouldn’t run. It’s their relentless shuffling perseverance that makes them scary; how something that slow can cause so much damage and chaos is part of the function of Zombies. In there lies the challenge for writers when they use Zombies. But, Train to Busan flips it on its head and makes them quick. The reason I didn’t mind it in Train to Busan is because the film would have actually been worse if the zombies could only shuffle. Setting it on a train means slow, shuffling zombies would be easy to run from. Whereas the Train to Busan ones are terrifying because they are quicker than the humans effectively. The film’s setting made it a necessity that the zombies run. If the film was of worse quality, then maybe this would be a bigger criticism and I wouldn’t be recommending it. Or maybe these aren’t “true zombies” after all (that could be an interesting article).

Send me your thoughts – and movie recommendations – to my email: cameron@student-life.co

My Comfort Films and Shows

BY CELESTE SPAIN

Like everyone else I have a range of comfort films and TV shows I turn to when in dire need to do any of the following; escape reality for a bit, have a laugh, kill some time – and, of course, cheer myself up when life seems dull and grey. Here are my top five recent comfort films and TV shows:

MURDER MYSTERY (NETFLIX) STARRING JENNIFER ANNISTON AND ADAM SANDLER

Escape to sunny Europe where all is calm. At first. Soon adventure strikes and you’ll be on the edge of your seat. We all know Jennifer Aniston from Friends - if you don’t go watch it on Netflix asap, then get back to me and I’ll quiz you!. Adam Sandler plays a New York cop and Jennifer Aniston plays his wife, who has a love for murder mystery novels, and they go on a European vacation and end up invited by a rich stranger to a private yacht party of this stranger’s family. Before they know it they’re slap bang in their own murder mystery, it’s all excitement for them except for one thing… they’re the prime suspects! FRIENDS (NETFLIX) I think you all saw this coming especially after reading the first in this list. What can I say about Friends? From Joey’s “How you doin’ ?” and Chandler’s sarcasm, to Phoebe’s ‘Smelly Cat’ song, Friends is a must watch and an absolute classic. For those who haven’t watched this TV show, the clue’s in the title. It’s about an amazing group of friends who live and work in New York: Chandler, Monica, Ross, Phoebe, Rachel, and Joey. We follow their lives on screen but I’ve never been able to watch it and not smile and laugh all the way through. ANY MUPPETS FILM

You’ve got to love The Muppets. From Muppets Take Manhattan to Muppets Most Wanted starring Ricky Gervais and even further back to Muppets Treasure Island which, a day before I wrote this article, celebrated its 25th anniversary in America. The Muppets films are a

comforting watch. Join the countless characters: Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Rizzo, Fozzie, Walter and the whole gang in these heartwarming films. I thoroughly recommend watching any and all of these films. You may take one look at a picture of any the films on your google search and think ‘no, it’ll be cheesy and I won’t enjoy it.’ To me it can bring me from misery to joy within a few seconds of watching the characters and their antics on screen.

JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN (NETFLIX) STARRING ROWAN ATKINSON

From Mr Bean to Johnny English working for her majesty’s secret service Rowan Atkinson is a comedy genius. Johnny English Strikes Again is the third film of the series. He’s happy to leave his position as a Primary School teacher to become a secret agent once again with his sidekick Boff. Johnny English even meets the Prime Minister (played by Emma Thompson), she explains that they are grappling with a technological super villain. How will English cope after so many years out of the game? Perhaps all he needs is a good bit of British ingenuity. I also recommend watching the previous two films as well. BROOKLYN NINE NINE (NETFLIX) I’ve binged watched this American TV series so many times! It’s based in a fictional version of the NYPD (New York Police Department), specifically the 99th precinct. The main character, Jake Peralta (played by Andy Samberg) is a talented detective despite his immaturity who quite often conflicts with his commanding officer Captain Raymond Holt. The show is modern, exciting and LGBT inclusive. You will fall in love with the characters one by one throughout the series.

Netflix Debate

BY CAMERON LUSTY

Has Netflix changed how we watch TV and movies? Well, gone are the days, mostly, where we had to wait a week for our favourite shows; and where we would memorise the TV guide (or was that just me?). And definitely gone are the days where you had to rush back from the bathroom, so you don’t miss even a second of the latest episode of Doctor Who (other popular primetime shows are available).

Some shows do still air weekly, but, even then, it’s becoming more and more common for them to simultaneously do that and make all the episodes available on their respective streaming – or “catch up” - services (such as BBC iPlayer or 4od). They still give you the chance to watch it whenever you like, instead of being forced to watch it at a specific time and date – which is how it always was. My question is: Are you “catching up” if you’re watching episodes that haven’t been released? Or are you catching ahead (whatever that means)? The success of weekly released TV shows (such as WandaVision and The Mandalorian to name two) is because 1: they are phenomenal shows; and 2: because we are becoming so used to binge watching that watching it weekly is not laboured by being the standard norm. It’s also important to note both of those shows were released on a streaming service – so maybe they see a balance is the key. Streaming services mean people have ready access to a library of films. Before, if a classic, must-see movie was on TV, for all you knew that could have been the last time they would air it. But, with streaming services, you don’t need to rush. In fact, you can take your sweet time, you can watch as many other movies and TV shows first and it will probably still be there for you afterwards. The algorithm waiting, tempting, seducing you to watch it. But - the important question is - is it a good thing or a bad thing? I personally love it. I have discovered TV shows and films I never would have watched if it wasn’t for Netflix and other streaming services. They serve the function of a library, where films and TV can be preserved and watched by future generations.

An interesting change could be a blurring of the lines of popular culture between generations. Every generation has their own catalogue of shows they relate to the most (because they watched them during their childhood; and nostalgia is a powerful drug). But, with steaming services, it’s not guaranteed people will watch the shows of their generations, they now have access to shows previous generations did. Children in the 90s and 80s effectively had to watch the shows of those decades. But kids now don’t have to watch shows from the decades they were raised on. They could choose to watch the shows that the 80s and 90s kids watch. Or even further back. What, then, does that mean for the zeitgeist? If they don’t watch the same shows they can’t share the same experiences; will that lead to a disenfranchisement in the newer generations? Will they not feel as connected to each other as previous generations have? Perhaps it will lead to a strengthening of inter-generation connections. Only time will tell if streaming services are a new bastion of watching content. Or, as with most things, the different services will get too entrenched in competition and their fate will go the same way as cable in America (it already kind of has what with the plethora of streaming services now available).

Netflix’s influence is undeniable; we just don’t watch TV shows the same way. And based on Netflix’s foray into making award worthy films, they may change the fundamental nature of how we watch the best films as well. In conclusion, Netflix’s dominance and influence is obvious, but only time will hold the answer as to whether they will become everyone’s preferred choice as their AI enhanced algorithm is superior to everyone in some Black Mirror-esque world; or if they eventually take over the world and force us to watch every episode of Friends on repeat. The power is literally… In your hands.

Send me your thoughts – and movie recommendations – to my email: Cameron.lusty@student-life.co