The Edge - Issue 2 (October 2020)

Issue 2 OCTOBER 2020 Free

CELEBRATING BLACK ENTERTAINMENT

INTERVIEW WITH PETER MURIMI INSIDE

FANTASY IS THIS THE REAL LIFE, IS THIS JUST FANTASY?

EDITORIAL

ISSUE 2

The Team EDITOR

Morgan McMillan

editor@theedgesusu.co.uk

DEPUTY EDITOR

Maddie Lock

deputy-editor@theedgesusu.co.uk

NEWS EDITOR

Sam Pegg

news@theedgesusu.co.uk

RECORDS EDITOR

Alice Fortt

records@theedgesusu.co.uk

DIGITAL CULTURE EDITOR

Harry Geeves

culture@theedgesusu.co.uk

CLASSIC CULTURE EDITOR

Olivia Dellar

culture@theedgesusu.co.uk

FILM EDITOR

Theo Smith

film@theedgesusu.co.uk

FILM SUB-EDITOR

Lucy Maggs

film@theedgesusu.co.uk

LIVE EDITOR

Jo Lisney

live@theedgesusu.co.uk

PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

Kiera Gormley

liverecords-pr@theedgesusu.co.uk

PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

Becky Davies

culturefilm-pr@theedgesusu.co.uk

ONLINE MANAGER

Menno Kramer

design@theedgesusu.co.uk

HEAD OF DESIGN

Rebecca Ormsby

manager@theedgesusu.co.uk

FEP OFFICER

Georgie Holmes

publicity@theedgesusu.co.uk

FEP OFFICER

Charlotte Brennan

RECORDS/LIVE EXECUTIVE

Katie Evans

Editor’s Note In this magazine we wanted to push to the forefront amazing black talent, from literature legends like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (p. 19), to upcoming musicians like House of Pharaohs (p. 15). We also have a captivating interview with Kenyan director Peter Murimi (p. 23) ahead of his film screening for I am Samuel at London Film Festival. This is just a taste of the wide and versatile range of talent we wanted to convey, and give attention to, alongside the magazines main theme of fantasy.

As it is also Halloween season, we wanted to focus on an area of entertainment which has really shaped the world we live in, and that is: Fantasy. From fantasy poems (p. 30), movies (p. 11) and even our top Twilight soundtracks (p. 9), this magazine has your spooky fantasy needs fulfilled. This magazine is peculiar, odd and completely out of this realm.

Whilst reading everyone’s articles, I enjoyed discovering some wonderful fantasy gems.

October is Black History Month, a month to recognise and support the contributions of black people across the UK. We want to encourage readers and writers to celebrate black entertainment and support black creators. Whilst learning black, often forgotten or hidden history, and enjoying black entertainment, remember that this is something you should continue to do even when the month is over. We need to learn and grow to make sure the world knows that black lives matter, and black entertainment matters.

Books Why I am No Longer Talking to White People About Race – Renni Eddo Lodge So You Want To Talk About Race – Ijeoma Oluo Women, Race & Class – Angela Davis Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe Television / Film 13th dir. Ava DuVernay The Black Power Mix Tape 1967-1975 dir. Göran Olsson If Beale Street Could Talk dir. Barry Jenkins Little Fires Everywhere (2020, Hulu) Theatre The Gift by Janice Okoh Les Blancs by Yaël Farber I hope you all enjoy the magazine and support black creators, black businesses and black entertainment.

VICE PRESIDENT ACTIVITIES

Corin Holloway

vpactivities@susu.org

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Morgan McMillan, Editor

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS 01 02 03 04 05 07 08 09 10 11 13 15 16 17 18 19 20

EDITORIAL CONTENTS NEWSBOX DELAYED FILMS AND CLOSED CINEMEAS NOSTALGIC NEWS A LOOK INTO THE WORLD OF...JANELLE MONAE’S METROPOLIS OUR FAVOURITE FANTASY BANDS CELEBRATING THE SOUNDTRACKS OF THE TWILIGHT SAGA A LOOK INTO THE WORLD OF... MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE’S DANGER DAYS....

OUR FAVOURITE FANTASY KIDS FILMS PAN’S LABYRINTH: 14 YEARS ON INTRODUCING: HOUSE OF PHARAOHS TRANS TRENDERZ: MORE THAN JUST A RECORD LABEL DANIEL KALUUYA: AN AURA OF CHEEKINESS STRIPPED AWAY DIRECTOR IN FOCUS: STEVE MCQUEEN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE HOW FANTASY AND SCIFI TRANSFORMED THE ROLE OF BLACK WOMEN IN TELEVISION

21 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 33 34 35 36 37

WHY NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL IS CULTURALLY IMPORTANT INTERVIEW WITH PETER MURIMI STUDIO IN FOCUS: BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS FANTASY AND FILM: TOO DUMB FOR ITS OWN GOOD? NEIL GAIMAN: FANTASY FOR THE NEW GENERATION LAUREN SCHMIDT HISSRICH: A STRIKING FORCE IN TELEVISION FANTASY FROM STAGE TO FRANCHISE OUR FAVOURITE FANTASY POEMS ROOT: A MISCHIEVOUS BOX OF ANIMAL MAYHEM ROCK OPERA FOR BEGINNERS THE STARMAN: DAVID BOWIE’S ICONIC ZIGGY STARDUST LIP-SYNCING LEGACY BATTLE OF THE DRAG QUEENS LISTINGS

Follow Us! /theedgesusu @theedgesusu @theedgesusu Cover image courtesy of marvel and peter murimi

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NEWS

THE NEWS BOX

THE EDGE’S ENTERTAINMENT PICKS EDITOR HOLIDATE, dir. John Whitesell (28/10/2020)

It’s finally approaching cheesy rom-com season and to start it off with a bang is Holidate, a movie about two strangers who pledge to be each other’s ‘holidate’ for festive occasions. Does romance blossom? Most likely!

Starring Emma Roberts its a Netflix film you don’t want to miss.

NEWS

RECORDS EDITOR AC/DC - POWER UP (17/11/2020)

IN BRIEF Xbox Series X/S and PS5 will be released in less than a month, but Sony dominates as their newest console is estimated to make up 80% of all preorder’s.

Mayflower Theatre releases new logo for MAST City, the original home to NST City before its sad closure.

Racism warnings will now show before the start of old animated Disney films.

First Folio of Shakespeare sells for a record $10 million at auction.

SAM PEGG

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FILM EDITOR

Wolfwalkers, dir. Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart (30/10/2020)

An enchanting Irish animation full of folklore and a sprinkle of the fantastical, Wolfwalkers is a wonderful family adventure with great characters, an original story, and beautiful animation work that leaves for something truly magical

The Flaming Lips become the first group to perform a concert while inside Zorb balls.

A Lifeline For Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth

AC/DC are BACK, and better yet, they’re back with the man, the myth, the legend that is Brian Johnson at the helm. Their newest studio album, Power Up, is set to be released soon, and after hearing how banging the lead single, ‘Shot in the Dark’, is, let’s just say I’m near giddy with excitement.

CULTURE EDITOR SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES (12/11/2020)

Coinciding with the release of the PS5 on November 12, SpiderMan: Miles Morales is a standalone spin-off to 2018’s Spider-Man, focusing on the titular character over a new, shorter story. If the previous game was anything to go off, this’ll be a similar helping of fluid gameplay from Insomniac.

LIVE EDITOR SALEM @ THE 1865 (31/10/2020)

Local lad and lead singer of Creeper, Will Gould, brings his side project band back to where it all started - the local indie music scene. What is more fitting than playing the 1865 on Halloween?

The Wedgewood Rooms, a local indie venue, has revealed that they have been awarded from Arts Council England the Culture Recovery Fund. The fund, which was set up to help venues and places of entertainment across the country during the current pandemic, will allow The Wedgewood Rooms to reopen safely in a COVID secure way sometime in the near future. Citing that “there’s still lots of work to do”, the venue assured fans and artists that “we should be open before the year is over”. However, despite being saved, The Wedgewood Rooms also warned “the music industry still needs further support if it’s to ever return to how it was”, something that the venue has set out to strive for during these struggling times. They ended their announcement with the increasingly popular #HereForCulture, showing solidarity towards an industry that still needs more help.

NEWS

DELAYED FILMS AND CLOSED CINEMAS Since March 2020, the UK has battled tirelessly with the current coronavirus pandemic. With a lockdown that spanned months and the massive impact to the entertainment industry as a whole; the UK’s struggle still isn’t lessening. As massive blockbuster films like No Time To Die and Wonder Woman 1984 push back release schedules while others decide to go exclusively to streaming, the film industry is one sector that sadly doesn’t look capable of recovering anytime soon.

When the UK government announced the first lockdown towards the end of March, cinemas had to close doors with the ghostly promise that “we’ll be back in a short time”. All the films that were part way through their release-window like Emma were then forced to adapt and move to video-ondemand (VOD). Other films like Mulan or Tenet, which had their release date approaching, decided to delay releases until cinemas were safe to reopen, something that didn’t seem like a too distant hope.

However, as various countries struggled to get to grips with the mounting pandemic when cinemas finally began to phase in their opening procedures that followed social-distancing guidelines there seemed a glimmer of hope for the industry as a whole.

The first major blockbuster release for the UK was meant to be the hotly anticipated Tenet, directed

by Christopher Nolan. Originally scheduled for July 17th, Tenet had a few push backs backs to August 26th where it finally debuted. As a film that many hoped would “save cinema”, ultimately it looks like the film may have unwittingly condemned cinemas to temporary extinction. After poor box-office numbers showed Tenet struggling to make back its production costs, many film companies have taken this as a sign as an unstable state for cinemareleases and either continued to pushback films by large amounts of time or adopt a VOD model.

Disney’s remake of Mulan was the most notable film to change to VOD during the pandemic but alongside it brought a host of controversies and anger from fans alike. Released on Disney+, Mulan was set at a steep $29.99/£19.99. Having needed a prior Disney+ subscription on top of the Mulan fee, many people took issue with the fact that Disney abused the loyalty of fans and wanted them to fork out the equivalent of almost four months of subscription for one film (despite releasing new original content every month at no extra price).

At current, it is estimated that Mulan has made between $60-$100 million, almost a 1/3 less than Tenet’s exclusive cinema-run.

So, with Disney seemingly proving VOD as a “unviable” option for films, and Tenet creating an uncertain backdrop for cinema releases, many production companies have delayed films in fear that they won’t make as much profit as they had hoped. Included in the pushbacks are Marvel’s entire superhero lineup, The Batman, Dune, and many many more films.

As a result of strenuous releases and pushbacks, cinemas have found themselves in dire situations.

With no big films to draw in audiences, the beloved places of entertainment are faced with the reality of having to close down. Cineworld was the first to announce they would be closing down all their UK cinemas with the hope of returning in the future, while some Odeon cinemas are having to adapt to only opening on weekends. Both options provide a troubling insight into the film industry as a whole, and at current, it remains unclear what the last impacts will be.

Here’s hoping that soon enough the entertainment industry will find a way to recover and that before long audiences can enjoy their films where they’re meant to be enjoyed... at the cinema!

SAM PEGG

Images courtesy of Adeiwn Olichon / UNSPLASH

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NEWS

NOSTALGIC NEWS 35 YEARS AGO

70 YEARS AGO

Alice Fortt

Louise Chase

Queen’s A Night at the Opera

Queen has many albums, but A Night at the Opera stands as one of their best. The most expensive album ever made at the time of its release, A Night at the Opera marked a turning point in Queen’s career. Armed with a new manager, new look, and new determination to change the face of music, they created an album fuelled by their artistic merit and creativity. Lyrical themes go from heartbreak to space travel to driving to 18th-century opera characters, all with the characteristic Queen sense of humour seeping throughout.

Producing many of the band’s best-known tracks, from the catchy ‘You’re my Best Friend’, to the heartfelt ‘Love of my Life’, the album also featured the epic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, one of the longest singles ever to hit the radio. The latter song, a magnificent 6-minute experimental journey through progressive rock, is often regarded as one of the greatest songs of all time. A Night at the Opera is, and always will be, an essential landmark in the history of rock.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was released

Published in 1950, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was C.S Lewis’ first novel in the series which would come to be known as The Chronicles of Narnia. Called one of Time’s 100 Best YA novels of all time, it follows the four Pevensie children as they are evacuated from London during the Blitz, and the mysterious world they stumble across in the back of an old wardrobe... Featuring fan-favourite characters such as Mr Tumnus, the Beavers, and introducing the semi-divine talking lion Aslan; the novel is perhaps the most well-known of Lewis’ works.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has been translated into 47 languages and was also adapted into a 2005 feature film starring Tilda Swinton as Jadis and Liam Neeson as Aslan. It’s safe to say that the novel which started a beloved fantasy franchise is still well-read today as are its sequels.

5 YEARS AGO

Jessica Jones was released Katie Evans

Fronted by the incredibly talented Krysten Ritter (Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23, Breaking Bad), the brilliantly dark and humour-fueled Marvel Comic created Netflix’s Original series Jessica Jones and began streaming five years ago. Protagonist Jessica Jones, whose childhood tragedy leads to a short-lived career as a superhero, lives her everyday life as a struggling alcoholic with anger management issues while acting as a private detective. When she opens her detective agency in the heart of New York City, Jones discovers powers run throughout the town and not just within her own reach as she sets out to help those who have suffered too.

Amongst the expansive field of Marvel-based Netflix Originals that featured a range of lesser-known and rarely explored superheroes, Jessica Jones stood proud as one which featured a unique and mysterious female character who opened up a new landscape, helping move the company slowly away from male-dominated narratives.

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Images courtesy of EMI and Disney

NEWS

NOSTALGIC NEWS 15 YEARS AGO

Chicken Little was released Georgie Holmes

Released in 2005, Chicken Little was the 46th Disney animated feature film to be released. Making full use of humour to tell a story, Chicken Little is the perfect example of all that’s to love about Disney.

The film showcases exactly what its title says - the life of a little chicken. This little chicken, suitably named as Chicken Little, is hit in the head by what he assumes is a piece of sky. As he screams “the sky is falling!”, no one believes him, belittling his size throughout the film. That is until he ends up showing everyone where the piece of the sky came from - a UFO. Chicken Little is unlike any other Disney film.

Utilising one of the most unusual sets of plot points (chickens and UFOs), it’s randomness is what makes it a very memorable film. Also, it’s soundtrack is the Spice Girl’s iconic single ‘Wannabe’. Seriously, what’s not to love?!

65 YEARS AGO

Return of the King by J.R.R Tolkein was released Jacob Hando

Sticking the landing remains one of the hardest elements of storytelling. Setting up a precedence of remarkable quality within a series is the bane of many writers, musicians or filmmakers. Although, J.R.R. Tolkien accomplished the feat 65 years ago with his titanic conclusion to The Lord of the Rings trilogy with The Return of the King; a peerless example of fantasy at its peak.

Embraced by hippie culture in the 1960s (due to the ‘leaf ’ smoking hobbits, anti-industrialisation jabs and ‘anyone can have an impact’ philosophy), the immortality of Tolkien’s work has since thrived in the mainstream. Without it there isn’t A Song of Ice and Fire, Harry Potter and, most importantly, there isn’t Bored of the Rings. 65 years on and it’s good vs evil narrative remains the richest, and most defining one in literature. Its themes continue to resonant and the sprawling world and lore are unrivalled. Bask in its battles, relish in its writing and cry with its characters.

5 YEARS AGO

Scouts Guide to a Zombie Apocalypse was released Louise Chase

This is not your conventional zombie apocalypse. Nor is this your typical apocalypse team. Five years ago The Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse was released. Following a trio of high school students, the film has them deal with the early days of the zombie infestation with their skills honed from years of scouting including tying knots, survival and more. Not sure how singing Britney Spears with a zombie factors into that though.

You could arguably call Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse a coming-of-age movie, with zombies added for extra flavour, complete with the awkward moments of the former and the typical gore of the latter.

It’s no Zombieland but it definitely gives its audiences enough belly-laugh moments and I will just say I have never seen zombie-cats before; so as utterly ridiculous as this movie gets at times it builds the comedy zombie genre just a little bit.

Images courtesy of Disney and Harper Collins

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RECORDS

A Look at The World Of...

JANELLE MONAE’S METROPOLIS SERIES While other artists have used the concept album as a momentary stylistic or artistic break, almost all of Janelle Monae’s discography is made up of her Metropolis series. Over a decade’s worth of music has been dedicated to the narrative of Cindi Mayweather, Monae’s android alter-ego from the year 2719.

Spanning across three albums and five suites, the series follows Mayweather as she does what no android is allowed to do: fall in love with a human.

From here, Monae utilises the metropolis to tell a story of rebellion and the fight for liberation.

The dystopian setting is best introduced in the opening to Metropolis: The Chase Suite on ‘March of the Wolfmasters’, where an anonymous voice announces that Cindi Mayweather has fallen in love with a human named Anthony Greendown and must now be disassembled. The announcement then calls for “bounty hunters” to chase Mayweather down with “chainsaws and electro-daggers”.

In this world, the freedom to love is criminalised.

This outlawing of love and identity is what the Metropolis series focuses on. Monae blurs the lines between reality and fantasy by drawing parallels between our world and her fictional setting.

While Metropolis may appear to be a dystopia, Monae excellently conveys her powers of creating hope to display how simple acts like dancing, singing, and loving can become acts of rebellion against power and tyranny. In ‘Many Moons’, she encourages the androids to “revolutionize your lives and find a way out” of the oppressive system that they are kept in. This continues on ‘Cold War’, one of Monae’s most emotive songs on The ArchAndroid, where ideas of war are combined with love, and listeners are urged to fight for what they believe in.

Monae’s world building skills have been fine-tuned to create immersive images and experiences for her audience. On Electric Lady, interludes from a fictional radio station within Metropolis are used as skits to draw further similarities between our world and Cindi Mayweather’s. Androids uplift each other by celebrating their identity on air, while prejudiced humans phone in to criticise love between androids and humans, and violent androids express their anger (which is quickly refuted by the DJ). The theme of otherness is furthered in these oftencomical interludes, as we see how the divide between groups is furthered by preconceived ideas and anger. In response to this, Monae sings ‘Dance Apocalyptic’ from the perspective of Cindi Mayweather, to thank her followers for “dancing till the end” in response to hatred.

Ultimately, Metropolis is an Afrofuturistic celebratory experience that revels in the spirit of rebellion. While Monae’s storytelling may be hard to follow at times, the series continues to be an excellent display of her hard work and leaves a strong message - one of love, dancing, and hope for the future.

CONNIE SEAMER

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Image courtesy of atlantic records

RECORDS

OUR FAVOURITE FANTASY BANDS Fantasy bands are a niche of the music industry that in my opinion just don’t get enough love.

Here, we celebrate all things weird, magical and mystical with a few of our absolute favourite fantasy bands and musicians.

STEAM POWERED GIRAFFE

Steampunk robots, dressed in formalwear, singing vaudeville. That’s what to expect from American fantasy band Steam Powered Giraffe. Made up of current band members ‘The Spine’, ‘Rabbit’, and ‘Zero’, Steam Powered Giraffe has been going strong for over 12 years now, pumping out 6 studio albums and 2 live LPs in all their magnificent android glory. Steam Powered Giraffe have got to be one of the most fantastical fantasy bands out there, or at least from what I’ve seen. Entirely dedicated to their aesthetic, the band routinely dress up in full on android face paint (think golds, silvers, rivets, the whole she-bang), all following some different form of the steampunk aesthetic, from dieselpunk (The Spine) to clockwork (Rabbit) to swing-style (Zero).

Past members like Jon and Hatchworth followed an art deco aesthetic. Whilst on stage, the ‘robots’ are accompanied by robot puppets and ‘Walter Workers’ (humans), who ‘oil’ them, control the puppets, and also man merchandise tables. They have massive dedication to their aesthetic and stagecraft. Also, their music bangs. My favourite album of theirs is probably their second, The 2 Cent Show, based around, you guessed it, a vaudeville show costing 2 cents for entry. With a simple. beautiful classic style, their sound draws you into their designed world easily, and it’s a joy to behold.

ALICE FORTT

STARSET

It doesn’t get any more fantasy than Starset.

They’re a band led by a fictional group of scientists, the Starset Society. Said society wants to spread awareness about “the message” they’ve received from space, which warns the population of the Image courtesy of...razor & tie

dichotomous effects of technology and capitalism.

The story is so in-depth that in 2017 Starset collaborated with Marvel to turn the backstory into its own graphic novel. Their cinematic sound is unique and futuristic, making every track of theirs sound like a blockbuster movie soundtrack.

Transmissions (2014), their debut LP, is a concept album, with lyrics at a first glance seeming like metaphors for mental illness. However, there is a whole story that gets even richer once you know the backstory of the band. When they perform, they even wear full spacesuits, changing the venue into a complete out of this world experience.

MORGAN MCMILLAN

ALESTORM

Pirates are awesome. Metal is awesome. Alestorm combines these two concepts and unsurprisingly, the end result is what I imagine the idea of ‘awesome squared’ to resemble. While Alestorm may not be as committed to their gimmick as some other fantasy bands, the pirate theme runs through all they do. No song is complete without at least three references to rum, songs tackle the concepts of grand sea battles, or the best mead-halls in every port, and their live shows are replete with flags, canons, and in the case of their 2018 ‘Pirate-Fest’ tour that culminated in Southampton’s own engine rooms; an enormous inflatable rubber duck. Neglecting to ever take themselves seriously, the Scottish pirates never fail to entertain, be it through their incredible live shows (complete with venue-spanning rowing circles), or through hilarious tracks like ‘Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship’, ‘Buckfast Powersmash’ and some with names too raunchy and swashbuckling for polite conversation. Alestorm are still going strong in 2020, with the release of Curse of the Crystal Coconut, their sixth studio album, and as long as there’s rum to steal, and subsequently sing about, it doesn’t look like they’ll be going anywhere anytime soon.

CALLUM HOLGATE

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RECORDS

CELEBRATING THE SOUNDTRACKS OF THE TWILIGHT SAGA The Twilight Saga, a film series focused on the dramatic romance between a human (Bella Swan) and a vampire (the sparkly Edward Cullen) and the woeful, over-the-top issues their weird love brings, is not everyone’s cup of tea. Despite this mixed reception, the soundtracks of the films are god-tier. In this article, a few of our writers celebrate the albums that accompany these *ahem* interesting films.

The Twilight Saga: Twilight

Two Paramore songs, Muse, Linkin Park and Mutemath – all on one album? To me that sounds like the best emo soundtrack you could find. Opening with ‘Supermassive Black Hole’, the album perfectly encapsulates the feelings of the Twilight franchise.

Take ‘Decode’ for example; Hayley Williams has said that this song was entirely written for the first movie, as it centres on the building tensions between Bella and Edward. It’s seemingly from Edward’s view, as Bella is the only mind he cannot read. ‘Decode’ adds a different narrative to the story and furthers our understanding of each character. This can be said for the songs that were not written for the movie, like ‘Leave Out All The Rest’ which is the perfect backdrop to Bella and Edward’s break-up. Author Stephenie Meyer has noted that music inspired her creations and this album captivates the importance music has to the story.

MORGAN MCMILLAN

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Twilight Saga: New Moon

Being devoted to Team Edward, I always used to think New Moon was the worst of the whole The Twilight Saga in terms of the book, the film, and the soundtrack. However, as I’ve got older, I’ve come to realise my mistakes, as the soundtrack is perfect for the story. The depression Bella experiences due to Edward’s departure makes this the darkest instalment of the saga, and this mood is reflected in the songs. Most famously, the scene in which the seasons pass as Bella stares out the window is accompanied by Lykke Li’s ‘Possibility’. The lyrics magnificently encapsulate the pain she feels. The resonance does not stop there; The Killers’ ‘White Demon Love Song’ feels like Jacob’s lamentation pleading Bella to move on. Bon Iver and St Vincent’s ‘Rosyln’, and Grizzly Bear and Victoria Legrand’s ‘Slow Life’, both have a haunting, ethereal quality which suits the film down to the ground. There are far too many gems to mention here, but my favourites include Thom Yorke, Band of Skulls and Death Cab for Cutie - all helping to make this, in my opinion, one of the best soundtracks ever.

BECKY DAVIES

RECORDS

A Look into the World of...

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE’S DANGER DAYS: THE TRUE LIVES OF THE FABULOUS KILLJOYS KATIE EVANS New Jersey alt-rock band My Chemical Romance (aka MCR) took the world by storm with their 2006 concept album Welcome to the Black Parade, but it was their fourth studio album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (2010), which stood out to me as a young rocker. The exciting world which the band created through the album’s brilliant tracklist, and it’s subsequent movie-style music videos, dragged me in and has never let me go.

Danger Days, as it’s more commonly known, displayed the true musical creativity and genius of Gerard Way (who later released a comic depicting further events of the album’s narrative) and the band through its post-apocalyptic plot that allows clever parallels to be created between the music and subsequent music videos. The narrative follows the lives of the “Killjoys”, a fictional group of rogues living in the expansive wasteland of a postapocalyptic California. The album, introduced by DJ Dr. Death Defying (Steve Montano) through the opening track ‘Look Alive, Sunshine’, begins with a bang as we boldly become familiarized with the gang of rebels (portrayed in the music videos by the band themselves) who are fighting to bring down the evil corporation Better Living Industries and win back “The Girl”. ‘Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)’ is the best track to get the ball rolling, as the music instantly cuts from dialogue to fast-paced action rock as the Killjoys set out on their mission.

One of my favourite tracks from the album follows the excitement of these introductory moments, and goes deeper into the emotions and lives of the

Image courtesy of REPRISE and REPRISE

Killjoys. The track, entitled ‘Bulletproof Heart’, feels much softer than the other action-fueled tracks, as Way sings “These pigs are after me, after you.

Run away, like it was yesterday, when we could run away, run away from here” displaying the horror of the Danger Days world. ‘SING’ is a track that truly encapsulates the world of Danger Days. The song is an anthemic cry for change and twists MCR’s style in a unique and interesting way. The track has an awesome accompanying music video which shows the gang struggling but succeeding in saving many from the doom of Better Living Industries.

Although the whole album explores the world in a captivating way that draws you into wanting to listen to the tracks from start to finish, there are many stand out tracks; the melodic ‘Summertime’, the much heavier ‘Destroya’ and the electronic ‘Planetary (GO)’. It’s mad to think that in 2020, we have now reached the timeline ‘reality’ of the postapocalyptic Danger Days world. Even though there are few obvious similarities between the world of the Killjoys and our world, it reminds you of our perceptions of the future - something we see in many films, such as Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Blade Runner (1982).

Danger Days is a perfect example of a concept album done in such a strong way that it draws you so far into the tracks and atmospheric narrative that you forget you’re actually listening to an album and not just being told a story. It will always remain one of those albums you can listen to from start to finish and retain your energy throughout.

KATIE EVANS

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FILM

O U R FA V O U R IT E FA N TA S Y K ID S F IL M S H o o k (1 9 9 1 ), d i r . S t e v e n S p i e l b e r g Following the story of a now grown Peter Pan who has to return to Neverland to save his children from the bloodthirsty titular pirate, Captain James Hook, with Robin Williams with all his charm in the lead role, it’s one of my favourite fantasy films, even if the critical consensus don’t necessarily agree with me. Firstly, I dreamed of being able to join in on that iconic food fight (frankly, my 20 year old self still wants it), and I fell in love with every single character. From Lost Boy Rufio (Dante Basco who also voiced my favourite character, Zuko, from Avatar: The Last Airbender) and Tootles; to Tinkerbell the Fairy and Thud Butt. On its surface, Hook is merely about Peter Pan coming back home but on a deeper level, it’s about a man’s relationship with his children, and the importance of family and love over work. The film is just magical, to put it in a word, which sounds really cheesy but it’s true. This is helped, of course, by John Williams’s beautiful score as its emotional rises and falls became the defining soundtrack of my childhood. Hook is not a perfect film by any means, but to me, it captures a magical feeling that I’ve never seen encapsulated anywhere else.

ALICE FORTT

J u m a n j i (1 9 9 5 ), d i r . J o e J o h n s t o n There are very few films that can pull off the film-based-on-a-game, but 1995 release Jumanji decides to change this up by having the film centred around a supernatural board game; as much as this is being classed under “kids fantasy film” - this is not child-friendly in the slightest. Compared to Robin Williams’ other films like Aladdin and Mrs Doubtfire, this is dark and full of nightmare fuel with the myriad of ways children are put into danger with its tricks and challenges. Alan was stuck inside the game for twenty-six years being hunted by Van Pelt, and from what we’re shown in the film, it is tame. Jumanji was the first film I watched as a kid that starred Robin Williams, and it’s something that I rewatched over and over again. For a film to count as “fantasy” doesn’t mean it needs to be set somewhere mystical like Neverland, but applied to a modern and real setting. The CGI might appear a little dated now, but Jumanji’s narrative journey remains strong LOUISE CHASE

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Image courtesy of...TRISTAR PICTURES

FILM

P e t e r P a n (2 0 0 3 ), d i r . P . J . H o g a n Undoubtedly in my mind, the best version of Peter Pan that has ever hit screens was the 2003 classic. Not only was it a personal favourite for its childhood fantasy elements, but also one that could be constantly re-watched as it helped prepare those same childhood brains for later life. Based on J.M. Barrie’s titular play of the boy who never grew up, Peter Pan managed to bring the story to life with its stellar cast, and spooky dramatic settings. It also featured Jeremy Sumpter as the eponymous hero, who would later be described as an absolute heartthrob, if our squishy, primary-school-aged minds could muster such thoughts. The child actors in the film were surprisingly really good, and succeeded in convincing us that this kind of magic could be very real. This is by far one of the best known and most beloved fantasy kids films, and is one that should be kept around for a long time, especially after showing us, even now, that all you need is magic, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust.

EMILY DENNIS

L a b y r i n t h (1 9 8 6 ), d i r . J i m H e n s o n Any film featuring David Bowie’s music and the man himself, who plays the eldritch and mysterious Goblin King Jareth, is going straight to my heart as an all time classic. I owe my dad for raising me on 70s and 80s pop culture, as Labyrinth is a film that I fondly remember watching on Saturday nights and, despite knowing the story like the back of my hand, it still took my 12 year old self by surprise which amplified the film’s irresistible magic. Whilst sometimes it lapses into absurdity and verbose events, it’s exactly what an 80s fantasy should be: a narrative so ludicrous and unique that it has you laughing and shaking your head in disbelief.

Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie are the only ‘human’ characters in the entire film; the rest is full of goblins and creatures that are (in Jim Henson fashion) all puppets who have striking appearances to actual living beings. It’s a nostalgic film for me that brings back childhood memories.

OLIVIA DELLAR

B i g (1 9 8 8 ), d i r . P e n n y M a r s h a l l What happens when a child’s wish comes true? What are the consequences? Is it worth it? It’s a simple idea, one that is charmingly explored in Penny Marshall’s 1988 gem Big, where 13-year-old Josh Baskin wishes to be ‘big’ in order to get on a fairground ride. The following morning, he wakes up in the body of Tom Hanks and grapples with being an adult. Watching Big as a child was wonderful: it spoke to the kids who wanted to be grown up whilst remaining immensely fun and funny. Tom Hanks is superb as a young teenager navigating the adult world financially, emotionally and (in a delightfully awkward scene) sexually.

But Big’s strength comes from watching it many years later as an adult and finding that the situation has flipped: it makes you wish to go back and be a child. It ensures, as a great fantasy films should, a magical and sometimes nostalgic experience for both parents and their children to have together.

JACOB HANDO Image courtesy of...UNIVERSAL, HENSON AND GRACIE PICTURES

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FILM

PANS LABYRINTH: 14 YEARS ON The way I see it, Fantasy Horror as a genre is a melting pot of spectacular imagery. Spectacular could be, just that, an amazing array of colours, artistic techniques and the overall success in astounding people which Pan’s Labyrinth achieves. However, Guillermo Del Toro’s film individualised a visual ability to be sumptuous, idyllic and warm in the midst of the impossibilities, dirt and anger infused in what we have all decided is the real world.

It’s safe to say that since its release in 2006, many films have followed a similar combination of comforting imagery and all of its fairy-tale like connotations with harsher truths. Coraline released in 2009 is one such film. The notion and image of a button: familial, safe and, most importantly, maternal, is subverted into a black circle of terrible nothingness and terrible pain. As much as Henry Selick’s animation shares traits with Pan’s Labyrinth (a girl travels through a door to find an alternate unsettling version of her world) Coraline answers the question of reality, we get the relief of knowing which world is real and which world is safe. Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth doesn’t.

Whether Del Toro’s masterpiece gets to be called one of the greatest films of the 21st century is probably up to a desk of men sitting in a room somewhere. But why it’s on the table for such a position, I think, is because it doesn’t do what Coraline and other Fantasy Horror films do.

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It doesn’t answer the question.

A child’s eye is just as able to distinguish between truth and lies, and both worlds which Ofelia inhabits have enough of both. As a film that explores beliefs and the powers that they can have, Del Toro leads us by the hand as he explores a range of options. Although the story heavily leans to our own moral inclinations, there’s fair time and space given to Vidal’s belief in power and traditional masculinity. We also follow and invest in Mercedes’ belief in morality, virtue and loyalty, almost as much as Ofelia’s belief in her own fantastical quest. Even Carmen’s belief in marriage and a kind of safety in family is clear to the naked eye.

The reality bending beauty of Pan’s world is simply another option that Del Toro gives the audience. You could call it escapism, it could be seen as a delusion but, to me, Pan’s Labyrinth’s staying power and dominance in Fantasy Horror comes from its way of exploring all of these beliefs, all of these realities with the same grade of grit and tangibleness.

Del Toro’s mastery is in supplying the spectacular and the fantastical with dirt and earth and blood. In death, Ofelia fulfils her quest, she answers her questions and picks her truth. It’s the audience, it’s us, who are left no longer knowing what is real.

TILLY MAGWAZA

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CELEBRATING

BLACK ENTERTAINMENT

CELEBRATING BLACK ENTERTAINMENT

INTRODUCING HOUSE OF PHARAOHS Hailing from South East London, House of Pharaohs have been transforming the rap scene. The group first established their distinctive sound with debut mixtape Southern Stamp in 2015. Unlike other traditional rap groups, House of Pharaohs blend hard-hitting grime/trap beats with psychedelic synths making their sound “free, versatile and eclectic” as said by rapper DannyStern. They do not confine themselves to any individual genre and this is represented clearly through their music. Take their most recent track ‘AM to PM’, which is an upbeat track with pounding bass, compared to ‘GANG’ from album Season II, which is more aggressive and features R&B influences. Each track created

by House of Pharaohs shows the ways in which they are constantly aiming to improve themselves, making them a huge name in the London rap scene.

The collective is an extensive crew of management, fashion, videographers, graphic designers and 6 vocalists – Sam Wise, Blaze, Bandanna, Kevin Taylor, AJ and DannStern. They officially formed in 2015 and have stated they do not really have an origin story, but that they all met in different ways and that it wasn’t until they all met up at Sam Wise’s place in Kennington that they really started to come together. They are an invention that just happened, it was not planned but instead, it seemed like fate that the crew would come together. House of Pharaoh’s aim is to make each member a “king” by encouraging creative and individual growth. They want to be involved in films, writing and making music via a method in which they are not limited to music or confined to a record label.

Their creative freedom is the heart of the band, each member plays a key role in their own way and

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represents the South East London music scene. As someone who grew up in the same area as House of Pharaohs, the continuous support and localism in their music are what drew me to them. In their track ‘AM To PM’ they mention Bagel King, a 24/7 food place I used to go when I was younger. Bagel King is a staple to South East London culture and their ability to keep their music so close to home, despite reaching those across the country, is what gives them their special edge.

2017 was the year that put House of Pharaohs on the map, Frank Ocean played their track ‘RWM (Run With Me)’ on his Blonded radio show putting House of Pharaohs on an international stage. In the same year, they were invited to join Charlie Sloth on The Plug Tour which saw them travel across Europe.

They quickly released killer track ‘London’s Finest’, which was sponsored by Nike, the video captured the reality of life for black youth in London. They further proved their creativity during lockdown, as they filmed the music video for ‘AM To PM’ on the infamous House Party app whilst the nation was in national lockdown. Not only are they creative with their musical stylings, but with every single aspect of the industry, separating them from other London based rap groups.

Their twist on drill and grime music sets them on a path to success, they are constantly improving upon themselves whilst producing some of the most unique and timeless sounds you’ll ever hear.

Give House of Pharaohs a listen and trust me you won’t regret it.

MORGAN MCMILLAN

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CELEBRATING BLACK ENTERTAINMENT

TRANS TRENDERZ: MORE THAN JUST A RECORD LABEL Trans Trenderz is a French-American record label pushing black trans artists to the forefront of the music scene. Founded by Blxck Cxsper in 2016, following a collaborative album of the same name, Trans Trenderz was formed to allow trans musicians a platform to have their music mixed, mastered, and shared on Spotify - something Cxsper found many were scared to do after coming out. They even help artists with marketing and branding, giving them the assistance required to start their own independent business that’ll hopefully become mainstream.

At present, arguably the biggest transgender musician is Kim Petras, featuring on various playlists and albums such as the latest soundtrack for the 2019 movie Charlie’s Angels.

SOPHIE is another transgender musician making waves in mainstream music, having collaborated with Charli XCX and Madonna, and being named ‘Artist of the Year’ for OUT magazine. The next biggest transgender musician is probably Laura Jane Grace, lead singer of punk band Against Me!, who came out after the band had formed.

They’ve have performed at Portsmouth’s Wedgewood Rooms in 2014 and featured on the Slam Dunk Festival 2017 line-up. However, outside of these artists, there are very few trans musicians close to becoming mainstream. Also to note, Kim Petras, SOPHIE, and Laura Jane Grace are all white musicians, making Trans Trenderz’s goal to promote black trans artists even more important.

Currently, Trans Trenderz seeks to help black trans artists with their newest initiative, The Ghostly Beats Project. As they’re aware that it would be virtually impossible to sign every black trans musician, this project aims to at least give guidance and free services. It operates as a network, where these musicians can seek help from fellow trans artists and allies giving their assistance and services free of charge. Though

Image courtesy of UNSPLASH

this won’t provide the same exposure that being signed by a record label would bring, it at least allows these artists a way to professionally create and monetise their music. For instance, Studio G in Brooklyn provides Trans Trenderz with studio time free of charge, and many individuals are aiding the engineering and videography of their musical projects - this is the type of allyship Cxsper hopes to see more of.

Alongside Blxck Cxsper, Trans Trenderz has had two artists signed for a little while now - Apollo Flowerchild and Heather Hills. While Cxsper creates hip-hop/R&B beats, Flowerchild focuses more on acoustic indie/folk, and Hills expresses herself through house/electro hip hop/PC pop.

This trio each have projects currently in the works, with Cxsper illustrating their passion for producing by recording, mixing, and encouraging both Flowerchild and Hills to create their best music. The newest signees to the Trans Trenderz label are Jae, Lady Londyn, and Jupiter Gray, who will be releasing new music soon. Cxsper is hoping that Trans Trenderz will teach mainstream labels a lesson - that screaming ‘Black Trans Lives Matter’ isn’t enough when they refuse to invest in any black trans musicians. They want to make it clear that “these voices need to get heard, and we are a financial risk worth taking”.

Though based in New York City, Cxsper is hoping Trans Trenderz will have studios based in both Los Angeles and Boston in the near future.

They cite the ultimate goal as having studios in every big city in the United States, with others in Canada and Europe, stating that they “want this to be everywhere. I want a trans takeover!”.

Be sure to keep up with this empowering and essential record label, hoping to bring those musicians most ignored into the world of mainstream music.

MADDIE LOCK

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PULLOUT MASTER

DANIEL KALUUYA: AN AURA OF CHEEKINESS STRIPPED AWAY Hailing from London, the now 31-year-old Daniel Kaluuya has already cemented himself as a prominent star of the 2010s, with a promising career heading into this decade. Having started out with bit-parts in a number of British television series, he found his first recurring role as the constantly codeswitching Posh Kenneth in E4’s first generation of Skins. Bringing a level of charisma that would become a prominent factor in his later roles, Kaluuya imbued Kenneth with an aura of cheekiness that makes him feel both real and likeable.

After a few more stints on TV, Kaluuya appeared in the 2009 Doctor Who Easter special, ‘Planet of the Dead’. As 20-year-old Barkley, he was a secondary character transported to a dead alien planet whilst aboard a London bus. This type of character was emblematic of his early television career. Often, he was never given much opportunity to shine in very limiting roles, but showed promise in what he could, and did, bring to them.

His jump to feature film came two years later in Johnny English Reborn (2011), in which he plays English’s partner/overseer Agent Tucker. Playing the straight man to Rowan Atkinson’s English, Kaluuya continued to work within the comedy genre that he had first started with in Skins.

Through the mid-2010s his career quieted down with the most notable parts being a small supporting role in Kick-Ass 2 and as the protagonist of the Black Mirror. It was then, in 2017, when Kaluuya’s c a r e e r exploded.

Jordan Peele’s Get Out had Kaluuya star as Chris Washington, a black man living in America on a trip to meet his white fiancée’s parents. To Chris, Kaluuya brought with him the charisma that had been present throughout his career. Very cleverly, Kaluuya uses his charismatic smile and demeanour to hide Chris’s true feelings of weariness towards the casual liberal racism seen throughout the film.

This treatment takes a toll on Chris, slowly tearing him down until the cheeky Posh Kenneth Kaluuya has been stripped away and a new, more serious Kaluuya has been born.

Following his Oscar nominated role as Chris Washington, his next feature role came in the over $1 billion grossing blockbuster Black Panther.

Starring alongside the late Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira and Michael B. Jordan, Kaluuya took on the role of secondary antagonist W’Kabi. Still new to the Hollywood scene, Kaluuya holds his own against an all-star cast. His conflict with both Boseman and Gurira brings another level of conflict to the film, as W’Kabi is torn between loyalty and tradition.

In a serious departure from his previous cinematic roles, Kaluuya’s next appearance was in 2018’s Widows, Steve McQueen’s remake of the 1980s mini-series by Lynda La Plante. Playing gangster Jatemme Manning, Kaluuya is near unrecognisable.

As Manning, he commands the screen through sheer terror, his appearance enough to change a scene and the film revolves around his every word.

Manning’s mannerisms feel inhuman as he inspects, calculates and punctuates with violent outbursts.

Over the last decade and a half, Kaluuya has worked to cultivate his career. While it has only now begun to bear fruit, his early efforts can now be re-examined and looked upon through the guise of what he has become; showing promise early on and grafting his career into what he has now. With his upcoming film Judas and the Black Messiah, he plays real-life Black Panther, Fred Hampton, in a seemingly suspenseful story inspired by true events. If his past is anything to go by, the trajectory for Daniel Kaluuya’s career can only go up.

ROSS HOLMES

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CELEBRATING BLACK ENTERTAINMENT

Director in Focus: Steve McQueen Known mostly for his 2013 memoir-based drama film 12 Years a Slave, London-born filmmaker Steve McQueen has made a name for himself as one of the most interesting and thought-provoking directors of the 21st century. His small but impactful filmography showcases his talent as a not only a filmmaker but one that is black and British. Throughout his work, McQueen aims to move away from stereotypically ‘black’ narratives of crime, but instead explores a variety of stories that display a range of lives and the struggles of those who are not portrayed in the mainstream.

McQueen has become quite a household name for British filmmaking due to his critically acclaimed drama films which always manage to capture the attention of critics and audiences alike. His first directorial feature Hunger (2008) which stars Michael Fassbender in the leading role as the film uses the overarching narrative of the 1981 Irish hunger strike. McQueen quite often works with similar actors throughout his work, as Fassbender also starred in the grippingly shocking 2011 drama film Shame, which brought another level into McQueen’s work - one that created a haunting storyline of sex addiction and trauma.

12 Years a Slave was the true breaking point for McQueen’s work, winning him a multitude of Academy Award nominations and three wins - most notably the coveted award for ‘Best Picture’. The

true shock and realism the film portrayed, whilst being targeted towards a Hollywood audience that McQueen had not faced before, is what makes it a stand out production to this day. 12 Years a Slave holds both a stellar cast and an incredible screenplay, but it is McQueen’s directing that really brought the film to the forefront and made a name for his work from then on.

Although McQueen is known for his emotive drama films, his filmmaking career began in a style that was much more minimalist and experimental. His collection of short films that he made from his days at college to his move into feature films include black-and-white experimentations and much more.

After winning the Turner Prize in 1999, McQueen became a breakthrough talent within the United Kingdom and gave a challenge to existing directors of the time by showcasing himself as fresh and contemporary.

McQueen is a force to be reckoned with in the filmmaking circles of both the UK and Hollywood, and it will be interesting to see what his next feature film explores and if he diverges away from his expectations of historical and psychological dramas.

It is always refreshing to see black-British directors who know that they can delve much deeper than fulfilling stereotypes through their filmmaking, making Steve McQueen a true talent of the industry.

KATIE EVANS

Image courtesy of...NEW REGENCY PRODUCTIONS

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CELEBRATING BLACK ENTERTAINMENT

C h im a m a n d a N g o z i A d ic h ie : Lectures Daughter to African Literature’s Leading Lady Nigerian-born writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has a long list of awards associated with her work. Each of her three key novels, Purple Hibiscus (2003), Half of A Yellow Sun (2006) and Americanah (2013) have gained critical acclaim, as well as her short stories and lecture series. Inspired by Chinua Achebe, who is arguably the one of the best Nigerian writers of the twentiethcentury, Adichie paved her own path in the literary sphere. Despite impressive long lists of accolades, it is in light of the Black Lives Matter protests Adichie’s work has come to the attention of many more readers in the hope of supporting black authors and understanding more about the movement.

Adichie was born in Enugu, Nigeria in 1977 as the fifth of six children and grew up on the university campus in the town of Nsukka where both her parents worked — her father was a statistics lecturer and her mother was the first female registrar to work at the University of Nigeria. At nineteen Adichie travelled to America for her studies, eventually going on to earn an MA in African Studies from Yale University. Her three novels all draw on elements of her own experiences, ranging from growing up in Nsukka to trying to comprehend how race is perceived differently in the US. Adichie’s work is highly focussed on the lives of those who are deeply impacted by societal change, not just in Nigeria directly but in the USA and UK too.

Adichie’s novels have won numerous awards and they are well deserved in every way. Nigeria continues to feel the long-lasting effects of British colonial rule which caused a number of issues regarding politics and religion. Just six years after gaining independence

on October 1st 1960, Nigeria experienced its first military coup, only a year before the Nigerian Civil War. Although Adichie recognises the impact of these events in her novels her mastery of characterisation and plot mean they fade into the background, not to diminish the significance of the events themselves, but to highlight how characters live before, during and after the events of the 1960s.

Adichie’s second novel, Half Of A Yellow Sun, is a perfect example as it follows the lives of twin sisters who live very differently from one another, yet as they experience love and loss during war they find their way back to one another. The outcome of the war is secondary to the impact on the characters, and this happens frequently in each of her novels; no matter what is happening on a national scale, people and their lives always take precedence.

Adichie is well known for being an advocate for feminism and female empowerment. As well as writing strong female characters, she has showcased her feminist views in her 2012 TED talk, ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ which was adapted into an essay and published in 2014. Like other works this essay received critical and commercial acclaim being viewed over 6 million times on YouTube. Currently, Adichie splits her time between the United States and Nigeria where she teaches writing workshops.

Considering all of Adichie’s achievements and beautifully crafted stories, it is unsurprising that her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

Adichie’s work over the last twenty years has won numerous awards, but it is the lessons learnt by

readers which makes her writing so profound. In such unprecedented times people are concerned about the future, but as Adichie demonstrates in her novels, the most important lesson concerns living in the present; ‘we do not just risk repeating history if we sweep it under the carpet, we also risk being myopic about our present’.

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KAY MILLER

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CELEBRATING BLACK ENTERTAINMENT

How Fantasy and Sci-Fi Transformed The Role of Black Women in Television In recent years, black women have finally been given the starring roles in television and film they deserve, with actresses such as Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Michaela Coel and Kerry Washington having recent success. These roles range from superheroes, to horrors, comedy to educational, but what they all have in common is this: these black women aren’t seen as the historical tropes of maids or servants, they are given feelings, emotions, and storylines that actually drive the plot. However, none of this would’ve been possible if it weren’t for black women’s role in fantasy/sci-fi, so read on to see this development unfold from aliens to human protagonists.

It all started with Star Trek: The Original Series, which starred Nichelle Nichols as Nyota Uhura (continued

by Zoe Saldana since its 2009 reboot), the ship’s communications and translation lieutenant. She was seen making herself vital to the ship, its crew, and the show’s storyline in many ways, even having power over her male counterparts. Citing just how impactful this meaningful role was to her and other black women at the time, Whoopi Goldberg states: “Well, when I was nine years old Star Trek came on. I looked at it and I went screaming through the house, “come here, mum, everybody, come quick, come quick, there’s a black lady on the television and she ain’t no maid!” I knew right then and there I could be anything I wanted to be”. Goldberg went on to star as Guinan in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Since Nichols’ groundbreaking role in Star Trek, many more black women have gone on to dominate with starring roles in fantasy/sci-fi television. For instance, though often overlooked due to starring between Rose and Donna in Doctor Who, Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) was the companion that mobilised Doctor Who and allowed him to move on from Rose. However, as Stephanie Holland

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states, “anytime a character is announced with a black actress playing her or a black woman is introduced into a popular franchise, the internet is flooded with racist comments from trolls disguised as ‘real fans’”. Whilst it isn’t television, these style of complaints are particularly evident in the public’s reaction to Hermione Granger being played by Noma Dumezweni in the stage show of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, despite Rowling’s literary description of Granger never stating her race.

Thankfully, with shows such as Black Mirror frequently having black women play the protagonist in its one-off episodes, seeing black women in leading roles is becoming more and more normalised. And unlike the alien-like roles black women in sci-fi/fantasy are sometimes given (I’m talking Gomorrah (Zoe Saldana) in Guardians of the Galaxy), and though the world around them may be utterly warped, the roles black women are given in Black Mirror are human, allowing them to be celebrated. CW should also be noted for their role in giving black women in sci-fi/fantasy television huge roles. Think Iris (Candace Patton) in The Flash, and Kelly (Azie Tesfai) in Supergirl. But again, Tesfai notes: “I don’t think it’s a secret that most of the Black actresses in the DC world have faced racism,” highlighting that shows created in 2014 and 2015 still face explicit racism, even if these starring black women are important to their black viewers.

To name a few more, Vampire Diaries, Game of Thrones, Merlin, and even cartoons such as SheRa and the Princesses of Power are putting black women at the forefront of their narratives. This shows how fantasy/sci-fi have been vital in giving black women a place in television and film, even if some viewers remain ignorant.

MADDIE LOCK 20

CELEBRATING BLACK ENTERTAINMENT

Dancing in The Streets: Why Notting Hill Carnival is Culturally Important Ok so I’m not here to give you a whole history lesson on Notting Hill Carnival but there is no denying that in its 54 years since beginning in London, important moments have risen from this.

I’m not an expert in all things Notting Hill Carnival, but I’m here to talk about why you should care - it’s the 2nd largest carnival after Rio de Janeiro. To put this into perspective, Notting Hill Carnival is around 11 times bigger than Glastonbury’s attendance!

Carnival is traditionally from French culture that was imported to Trinidad and Tobago during the slave trade. Eventually, the British colonised the islands.

As the people of the islands had been partaking in carnival for decades, this became tradition for natives there. When many of those from Trinidad and Tobago (as well as many other Caribbean nations) came to the UK via the Wind Rush, they also brought their carnival tradition with them, thus Notting Hill Carnival was born in 1966.

Originally known as the ‘Caribbean Festival’ up until ‘66, Notting Hill Festival did not have a peaceful beginning. Born out of the aftermath of the 1958 Notting Hill Race Riots - the beginning of what we know and love today is marked unfortunately by the intolerance of the far-right and racism ingrained within British society. However, embracing the differences in culture has helped break down stereotypes and enriched many people’s own cultural capital.

Carnival has always been about the display of beautiful and intricate costumes; today is no different. Notting Hill Carnival introduced the first world-class sound system, mainstream blending of Afro-Caribbean beats and amazing dance moves.

From your samba to your calypso, it will get your heart going. The carnival itself is a staple in many people’s lives as the diversity of cultures blend with that of West London. Regardless of age, gender,

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race, and ethnicity - people come together to celebrate what makes one another unique. The festivities are about learning each other’s cultures and finding ways to peacefully live together... and sharing some glazed plantain that neighbours have cooked to feed hungry revellers!

As street performers pass by, many children and adults on the side are being told a story through dance. From stories of emancipation from slavery, to celebrations of life and death - there is so much going on that one can hardly describe. Performers also embrace onlookers by often stopping during the concession to teach them some classic dance moves you see in calypso or samba. Embracing such vibrant cultures through dance is an emotional experience, no wonder thousands, if not millions of people attend this over the August bank holiday weekend!

This is a joyous occasion to celebrate the blending of multiple cultures - a day to give it your all.

Strangers become friends over this time and is a way for revellers to learn about the local community as many performers live in and around the area.

Similar to how carnival became ingrained in the culture of Trinidad and Tobago, Notting Hill Carnival has a special place and importance to London.

As one of the most diverse cities in the world, it is activities such as carnival that allows generations after generations to learn and explore different cultures. People travel from all over the UK and the world to spend their time getting stuck into taking part in their own way as performers make their way around the area. I implore you all to immerse yourself in Notting Hill Carnival at least once. I promise you will not be disappointed!

JO LISNEY

FILM

An Interview with Director Peter Murimi THEO SMITH

An intimate and inspirational documentary, I Am Samuel tells the brave story of Samuel and Alex who fall in love and handle the pressures surrounding Kenya’s law and loyalty towards his family’s needs. As it’s playing at the London Film Festival, I spoke with the film’s director Peter Murimi where we discuss about the film itself, the challenges that he faced when filming it, and what it means for it to be playing at the festival.

What is the film about, and how did you UP come with the idea of it?

It’s a film about love and resilience, and hopefully when you watch it, you know what it’s really like for a gay man in Kenya. The idea came from a very personal place: there’s someone really close to me who’s gay and they were really struggling with their family at the time. So, I remember we were brainstorming, and I was like ‘If only there’s a documentary that when the parents watch it, they’ll really understand what’s going on’. At the time, we couldn’t come up with a clever documentary, so I said that we’ll make one as a story. That’s when through a mutual friend, during my research, I got introduced to Samuel. I told him about the idea, and he said he always wanted to do this because when he was younger, he didn’t know any grown-up who was gay, and always thought something was wrong like, ‘I’m the only gay man in the world’. He said, ‘I wanted to do it for the generation behind me, and that they can see a gay man who’s from a village in Kenya’.

Leading on from that, what drew you towards Samuel’s story?

What I also found very interesting about Samuel, especially back home in Kenya, is that society tends to put people in boxes - if you’re gay, then they think you’re automatically not Christian, or your African roots are not as strong. But for Samuel, you can say he’s traditional, he’s conservative in his political leaning, he’s very religious, and he’s gay. So, in a sense, he was going against this rule that society has of boxing people, and I found that very fascinating.

At the start of the film, it says that homosexual activity is illegal in Kenya. As well as Samuel’s story, was that something you also wanted to address?

Not really and in a sense, that’s why we chose to show that right at the start. We felt it was important to give the context of the world setting. Part of that is the law,

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which is repressing, and the next thing is the society, that’s where we see the clip of Samuel’s friend being beaten. But after that, what’s really important was his relationship with his father and Alex, but also his life - where does he work and how does he live? To me, those were the things that I really wanted to focus on because, especially in Kenya where there’s almost nothing about the narrative of a gay man onscreen, I just wanted to have as many connection points to show there’s a lot of similarities with any other Kenyan.

He has a job, he goes to Church, he has a lover, who’s a man, but still has a relationship that’s really strong and sweet. That, for me, was the focus of the film.

You shot this over five years, how did you edit it to make it feel like a cohesive narrative?

Basically, the father’s story is the spine of the film.

When you look at every other thing happening, Samuel’s relationship with Alex is constant: they love each other at the beginning, and they love each other at the end. The only thing that advances their relationship is when they get engaged. However, the father begins the film by saying ‘I want my son to have a wife’. But at the end, he has to manage and deal with the fact that his son is gay. So, the father’s narrative arc is what guided us in and somewhat shaped the final outcome.

You filmed it in a verité-style, and there are moments where you know more behind the camera than Samuel’s family does. How were you able to stay unobtrusive?

During the filming, it was really important for it to be really intimate. In that sense, at the beginning it’s like, ‘I’m going on this journey with Samuel’, and Samuel is the first person who was on board with the film. But the next hurdle was bringing the rest of Samuel’s world into this narrative that we’re making, and essentially, we built it brick by brick. I started with Samuel, then Alex, and then the next level was to bring the family on board. But, how do you achieve that without bringing a catalyst for conflict? So, I had to form my own relationship with the parents and document what was happening. But when the father fell out with Samuel and Alex when he discovered their relationship, he also fell out with me.

Oh really?

Yeah! And when the reconciliation happened, there was also a reconciliation that I had behind the scenes.

FILM ‘We should all just be who we are, and let’s knock the walls and barriers that restrict US’ He said, ‘okay, I see what you’re trying to do, now I understand’, so he was on board with the project and wanted to finish it. I became part of that family, I’m still part of that family in a sense, they call me every day and they’re very enthusiastic to share this story with the world.

What challenging aspects were there when making this film?

The challenge was that when I decided to make this story intimate and verité, everyone had to trust me, get used to me, and then forget about me. Especially with Samuel’s friends understandably, they had to be apparent, so it took a lot of time for them to understand and get onboard. Once they did it was absolutely fine, but getting that trust and intimacy was the challenge.

Can you explain more about that trust and intimacy?

I’ll give an example. In the first scene, we see Samuel’s friends talking about the challenges they have with the families. To get to that scene, it took me three years for everyone in that circle to say, ‘you’re a cool guy, we like what you’re doing, we accept you in this circle’, and then I shot that scene during the fourth year.

As the film jumps between the Kenyan countryside and Nairobi, was there a contrast behind the camera?

Like Samuel, I also grew up in the countryside, so it felt very refreshing when we went there. When we were filming in Nairobi, Samuel lives in an informal settlement: it’s very crowded, it’s very noisy, it’s very hectic, and also that’s where the most danger would come from. However, once we left the city, and I tried to portray this in the story through the sweeping drone shots, it’s like everything is peace, it becomes more calmer. There’s another drama with the family but the physical peace is there. That was refreshing for me, and really refreshing for Samuel because it meant he was less alert to the physical risk.

Your film is playing here at the London Film Festival, one of the biggest of the year.

How does it feel for it to be picked, as well as playing to a massive audience online?

It means the world to me, especially in two ways. One is that I’m Kenyan, and it’s very nice to see a Kenyan story, made fully by a Kenyan crew, being on this world stage. So, the validation that that gives means that our stories can be on the world platform and be appreciated, which is really good. The second thing is this film has to be taken home at some point, which is going to be difficult. Just getting the support here, showing it at the London Film Festival, getting more

Image courtesy of...Peter Murimi

allies, getting more followers and supporters will help us so much down the road when you’re back home and the road is potentially bumpier.

As this is a Kenyan film, would you like to see more films from countries like Kenya being shown to wider audiences on a world platform like LFF? Absolutely, and it will be really refreshing. As I said, for me, I want to give big accolades to LFF for being brilliant enough to show it. When making a first film, we wanted to be really authentic because you’re normally told, ‘try to conform to how other people do international documentaries’, but we encouraged to be treated with our own voice, and how we tell it. We left all of our African nuances in the film, like there’s no big conflict with the father and son so we’ve shown how Africans would handle it. So it being here, it’s very important to have that diverse narrative and voice, and I hope more African films can come to the London Film Festival and many others from around the world.

As The Edge is a student entertainment magazine, what would you like university students and young people to take away from your film?

There are two things I want them to take away. One is to celebrate ‘love’ because my film, ultimately, is about love – the love between Samuel and Alex, which is beautiful, and also the love between father and son, despite all the disagreements and difficulty. But to me, and this is what I think is the core of the film - it’s about breaking boundaries that people have been forced into and allowing them to be who they are. That’s the biggest message in the film: we should all just be who we are, and let’s knock the walls and barriers that restrict and conform us!

Do you have any plans for what you would like TO do next?

Yes, I have a few ideas I’m involved with, but I’m just planting the seeds. I’m just waiting to see if they would actually germinate and shoot, so I’m a bit scared to let them get out of my lips.

Lastly, would you like to return to Samuel’s story in the future?

I think, for the film, it’s finished. But as I said, for what we’ve been through together, that is my second family, so we’ll always be in touch with them. There have been developments after, and we all follow each of them. However professionally, that camera has been put down for that project.

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FILM

Studio in Focus: Blumhouse Productions

KATIE EVANS

First established in 2000, the formidable studio Blumhouse Productions, known for its wide expanse of low-budget horror films, turns 20 this year. The production company, founded by the now very notable film producer Jason Blum, has racked up a hefty filmography of horror/thriller-based features, all of which are funded by the Blumhouse company and most of which you’re very likely to have seen or at the very least heard of.

Over the past few years, Jason Blum has made a name for himself and the company which surrounds him as a producer who is not afraid to support films which may not meet Hollywood expectations and instead use lower budgets, lesser-known actors and follow somewhat unconventional storylines. You may be familiar with a few of Blumhouse’s projects, such as the high-grossing possession-horror film Insidious (2010) or perhaps the supernatural thriller Sinister (2012), both of which fulfil horror conventions in a twisted way. When Blumhouse began as a studio, the aim of the company was to offer small budgets to a range of upcoming/ small-time directors and to give said productions a saturated release across cinemas globally. The first feature to fulfil this plan was Oren Peli’s 2009 incredibly low budget horror film Paranormal Activity which to this day remains one of the most profitable films of all time, with an insanely high box office upon the back of an extremely low budget.

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One of the greatest successes to come out of the studio is the 2017 psychological-horror film Get Out which follows a unique and gripping original screenplay, written by director Jordan Peele (who has worked with Blumhouse on more than one occasion) which recalls the events of Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a young African-American man, who faces a series of uncomfortable and disturbing experiences when visiting his girlfriend’s parents’ house. The film won the award for ‘Best Original Screenplay’ at the 90th Academy Awards alongside numerous nominations, making it a hit for both the company and the director.

As well as sticking religiously to the ever-sopopular horror style throughout their growing list of film productions, over recent years Blumhouse has begun to diversify into a wider range of genres including drama and thriller films. The incredibly tense drama film Whiplash (2014) and the eerily confusing psychological thriller Split (2017) are just two examples of the differing but incredibly successful outcomes of the studio which have earned a great deal of critical acclaim.

It’s obvious with the number of sequels, prequels, and series that have come out of Blumhouse Productions over the past few years that the studio is one of the (if not the) most popular horrorproducing studios in the world at this moment in time. The studio still has so much life left in it, with clear evidence that they can easily turn their hand to supporting not only horror productions but with thrillers and dramas alike.

FILM

FANTASY AND FILM: TOO DUMB FOR ITS OWN GOOD?

Fantasy as a genre has been at the face of cinema for years, from Georges Méliès’ 1903 French silent film A Trip to the Moon to upcoming releases like Dune.

However, as fantasy has dominated mainstream cinema since the late ’90s, it’s success has never been assured. With a growing trend in making the genre more “accessible”, it has also suffered from a decline in complexity and a decrease in quality. With this correlation becoming more apparent, one wonders if modern fantasy’s failing is the fact it’s becoming inherently dumber.

Fantasy never particularly started as complex. In the age of silent movies where there was an arguable limitation on narrative, they were usually defined by their fantastical elements such as magic, unique creatures or at least something idiosyncratic that could be seen or imagined. It was the emphasis on the visual spectacle that often meant that silent fantasy films were left relatively uncomplicated.

However, after the introduction of sound into movies, it didn’t take long for fantasy to quickly adapt. The late 1930s, in particular, boomed with fantasy films with releases like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Wizard of Oz and King Kong. These films began to create worlds packed to the brim with lore and magic, making organically lived-in universes that captured filmgoers of all ages and felt undeniably distinct. But as time passed, pure fantasy slowly lost its notability as its subgenre inspirations like science-fiction and horror took the reins.

It arguably remained like this however until the Lord of the Rings trilogy took the world by storm, adapting J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga into a trilogy of movies that seeped with complexity and side-narratives that weren’t spoon-fed to audiences. Jackson took risks, allowing revelations to come from audience interpretation, or later narrative reveals rather than holding the audience’s hand. It was this faith, and in a sense, the process of understanding the world of Middle Earth that makes the Lord of the Rings enjoyable to watch and thus successful. To a lesser extent, this is what made Harry Potter so successful Image courtesy of STAR FILM COMPANY and BLUMHOUSE

as well, as we were offered complex worlds that had lore that expanded past the strands of narrative and created a cohesive world that felt alive. While these films may not seem complex or even complicated to understand, their worlds served much more than to furnish the narrative, making them feel real and rewarding to watch.

This becomes the fine line that trips up modern fantasy, as films try to create fantastical worlds that aid the narrative without organically filling the world.

Artemis Fowl suffers dramatically from a bombardment of magic and creatures that are never fully connected to the world around it. On the other hand, A Wrinkle in Time simplifies its source material in favour of visual spectacle and humour, losing the heart and tightly compact scientific edge that underscores the novels. Their worlds feel shallow and provide minimal opportunity to understand the film’s world through a process of “learning”. Every world-building event is either explained to death or relegated as nothing more than trying to be entertaining. It makes them seem dumber and less thought-out and therefore, less engaging and enjoyable.

When trying to discern the complexity of fantasy, it’s essential to know that complexity doesn’t mean it’s hard to understand. What we mean is that its narrative is not the only thing that furnishes its world, but instead is one part of a whole. With successful blockbuster fantasy films, we often see a depicted and thriving world stuffed full of lore and stories that need a history book to comprehend them fully. For dumbed-down fantasy, its world is the sum of its narrative, with no sense of an expansive plan that the narrative inhabits.

While Lord of the Rings can be seen as the apex of modern fantasy, it’s also proof that fantasy thrives on complexity. So, with no films regarded in the same vein of fantastical accomplishment since it’s release almost twenty years ago, it begs to answer the fear that modern fantasy is becoming too dumb for its own good.

SAM PEGG 26

CULTURE

NEIL GAIMAN: FANTASY FOR THE NEW GENERATION Many avid readers, tv-watchers, movie-watchers and really anyone who has an interest in entertainment, will be familiar with Neil Gaiman. A fantasy writer both for the page and screen, Gaiman arguably transformed the genre, from casual to high fantasy, across multiple media platforms.

angel and a demon trying to stop the apocalypse, Stardust about a man who travels over a wall to the faerie world, and American Gods centres on a man recently released from prison who falls into a world dominated by a war between ancient gods and new young upstarts.

At this point Neil Gaiman has pretty much had a spot in every single aspect of fantasy media. Starting out as a journalist, using the role as a means to learn the ins and outs of the publishing industry in order to secure his own contract with his own works, Gaiman slowly worked his way to stardom from the ground up. He later quit this career path, asserting that the British media was more obsessed with lies than truth. His true breakthrough onto the fantasy scene began with The Sandman; a dark, twisted tale about Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, that ran for 75 issues in the early 90s to huge success. Acting as a springboard of sorts, it catapulted Gaiman to new heights, garnering him a following and considerable reputation in the industry.

All such novels and comics, also, have at some point been adapted onto the silver screen. Stardust, directed by Matthew Vaughn, was released in 2007, grossing over £137 million, and winning several awards. Henry Selick’s rendition of Coraline was released in 2009 to rave reviews, even receiving an Academy Award nomination, and has become a cult classic (and a personal favourite). Starz bought the rights to American Gods in 2014, with the show being released in 2017, with Ian McShane, Crispin Glover and Emily Browning all in starring roles. And, of course, Good Omens, starring David Tenant and Michael Sheen, was released on Amazon Prime back in 2019, and to be honest is kind of a huge obsession of mine.

In 1990, Gaiman published Good Omens, a collaboration between himself and fantasy legend, Terry Pratchett. A pretty big flex for a first novel if you ask me. Following this came Stardust, American Gods, and Coraline, all once again massive successes. Gaiman became a force of nature on the literary scene, releasing bestseller after bestseller, dazzling readers and critics alike. The refreshing thing about Gaiman’s works was that they’re all incredibly individual, and don’t often follow the same tropes or motifs (aside from his trademark allusive narratives); Good Omens follows an

Through the popularity of his works, and their cross-platform editions, Gaiman has pretty much situated himself in every single aspect of the media industry. From TV shows to movies to comics to novels, Gaiman has done it all at this point, and in fantastic fashion. He’s the modern day fantasy guru, and certainly THE fantasy writer for the new generations of readers. Even if you don’t think that you’ve encountered any of Gaiman’s works out there, you definitely have; there’s no escaping him, he’s everywhere.

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Images courtesy of AMAZON PRIME

ALICE FORTT

CULTURE

LAUREN SCHMIDT HISSRICH: A Striking Force In Television Geralt. The Hargreeves. Matt Murdock. Three major franchises and Netflix original series. But what does each have in common? One creative mind and genius behind the writer’s desk called Lauren Schmidt Hissrich.

Born in 1978, the screenwriter grew up in Ohio and graduated in 2000 with her BA in English and Creative Writing. Lauren Schmidt Hissrich has been a striving force in the television world since 2002 where she worked as a writer for The West Wing.

Until 2007 she was solely a story editor and script writer for fellow NBC shows such as Justice and Drive, when she became the Executive Producer on the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off Private Practise until 2009.

From there, her career and popularity have only gone upwards. 2016 saw her become involved with Marvel series Daredevil and 2017 with its Defenders, which stars a returning Matt Murdock from Daredevil teaming up with Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage from other Marvel series on Netflix. In 2019, Schmidt Hissrich worked as a writer and co-executive producer on Netflix original The Umbrella Academy, which adapted the comic series of the same name. The series was the third most popular on the streaming site in 2019, raking in an audience of over 45 million within its first month, and renewed for a second series just as quickly.

Perhaps her most famous project is the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher. Released in 2019, this adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels is gritty and expansive and her work as the showrunner

of the entire project has made her become a household name. Her writing and creative vision allow for such a unique viewpoint to come across in her creations; in The Witcher: A Look Inside The Episodes, Schmidt Hissrich presents questions about humanity, decisions, humanity and fantasyfulfilling moments that display a critical eye and thinking about why instead of simply what.

Sure, The Witcher contains gore and nudity, which may make people think of Game of Thrones and the backlash behind some of its more shocking moments. “Fans are savvy,” she says in Making The Witcher. “They don’t need to be shocked” with overthe-top gore and other content. For that decision, The Witcher comes across as more well-rounded and welcoming to new audiences. It’s no wonder it’s become one of Netflix’s best-loved, most-watched series.

All of Lauren Schmidt Hissrich’s projects, particularly those in the past five years, show just how dedicated to her craft she is; the 49-year-old takes care with what she adds into each episode of her work, thinking not just for the current series, but (and especially in terms of The Witcher) the longevity of story and characters - what will their character arcs look like three, four, five series down the line?

Season 2 of The Witcher is currently filming and writing for its prologue series Blood Origin is likewise in early stages. Whatever happens, it’s safe to say that it’s in some talented hands.

LOUISE CHASE Image courtesy of netflix

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CULTURE

FANTASY FROM STAGE TO FRANCHISE: WHERE OUR INFLUENCES ORIGINATED When you think of witches, you think of cauldrons, black spiky hats, broomsticks and black cats.

But where does this automatic association come from? The image of the traditional witch has been circulating the fantasy and supernatural genre for centuries with one of the earliest mentions of the witch in the Bible. Since then the witch and the supernatural has evolved throughout different medias, one of the most interpreted and influential images being on stage and in theatre. Much like films, the director and playwright have free reign of how they present their characters, but the ways in which the fantasy and supernatural thread is used alters the entire dynamic of the production, not to mention certain threads and tropes of fantasy having connections to specific time eras and playwrights.

The idea that Shakespeare, to name the most prolific playwright, presents us with supernatural beings, because people believed in them at the time is just not true. All the sources of fantasy and supernatural he acquired were from books that explicitly stated fantasy as superstitious nonsense and that witches and fairies did not exist in any way shape or form.

However, when presenting these supernatural figures and events, Shakespeare appears to be much less original than he actually is being. This is mainly because everything we know about witches, wizards, fairies and ghosts and what they look

like and are supposed to do, all come to us from Shakespeare’s plays. When we think of ghosts we tend to think of something a bit like Hamlet’s father or the ghost of Banquo in Macbeth, and when we think of fairies we tend to think of something rustic and involved with delicate flowers and nature much like the fairies in the woods from A Midsummer Nights Dream. Not to mention the magic and conjuring we see in The Tempest which aided in forming the ritual of witchcraft. Shakespeare is fully prepared to convince us that these supernatural figures and events are real beings, yet he is also prepared to go in the opposite direction. In Othello we have this extremely evil character without the involvement of the supernatural and, as Othello checks his foot to see if it’s cloven he dismisses it as ‘a fable’, implying the devil and other creatures are purely non-existent.

The theatre can be a place where you go to look into the other realm, it acts as a threshold between the two worlds. However, it can also be a place to go to view the world just as it is, to see human behaviour in any usual way. Not only was it Shakespeare at this time using the fantasy tropes in his plays, Marlowe’s most acclaimed play Dr Faustus has angels and demons rising from the ground and people competing to sell their souls to the devil in exchange for magic and possibilities beyond the world itself. This thread of fantasy has a huge impact on Faustus as he’s blinded by the fantastical elements and eventually makes a deal with Satan, which makes fantasy the downfall of the character and is at the centre of the play. Many people enjoy the genre of fantasy and ever since its first representations on stage it’s become a huge mainstream genre with franchises like Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings, and many children’s genres such as Narnia and Alice in Wonderland have continued to influence the genre for the new generations.

OLIVIA DELLAR

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Image courtesy of Disney

CULTURE

OU R FAVOU RI T E FAN T AS Y POEMS: FO LK LORE, W I TCH ES AN D DEV I LS Kubla Khan - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Kubla Khan is a transcription of a dream-vision Samuel Taylor Coleridge experienced whilst under the influence of opium, the entire poem was inspired by a travel book, Purchas His Pilgrimage.

Coleridge began to focus on the line “at Zanadu Kubla Khan built a pleasure palace”, this line opened Coleridge’s vision to begin writing the poem in a waking dream. We see him travel through central Asia visiting the land of Kubla Khan. The poem, apparently left unfinished due to being interrupted during his opium induced vision, however the poem beautifully describes the city of Xanadu from the giant plants, sweet fragrance of nature and people of the land. As Coleridge becomes more transfixed in his vision we see a deeper level of imagination as Coleridge looks upon the land where he notices a woman waling over her “demon-lover”. This line begins to see the supernatural imagery, which the dream-like vision is starting to change into a supernatural world.

MORGAN MCMILLAN

The Lammas Hireling - Ian Duhig

Throughout 7 volumes of poetry, and numerous essays, Ian Duhig shows that he is no stranger to fantasy. However, his complex ideas on the genre are most prominent in his well renown poem, ‘The Lammas Hireling’.

The poem is one that blurs boundaries between reality and myth, the disturbed and the stable, horror and trauma. Duhig masterfully mythologises trauma, delving into folklore of witches and devils all tied together by the narrator’s untrustworthy account of a supposed ‘warlock’ hired as a farm hand. The poem persists to be disturbing, as it pushes readers with extreme images of fantastical evil haunting a man that might simply just be crazy.

As often described, Duhig is deeply complex and clever. He employs this heavily within ‘The Lammas Hireling’, ultimately revealing the first person narrative as a church confession, further mixing Duhig’s concoction of fantastical evil and mental trauma, with religious consequence for the narrator and the reliance on it for escape from fantasy.

Although not the most overtly fantastical poem, Duhig blends elements of the genre, mythicising a troubled mind, and blending them in with the consequences of mental trauma. He essentially makes a fantasy out of the damaged human mind.

JACK BRANDON

La Belle Dame Sans Merci - John Keats

Not to sound like an English Literature nerd, but John Keats has got to be one of my favourite poets, and not just because he was a member of the ICONIC chaotic trio that was made up of himself, Percy Shelley and madman Lord Byron. His works are beautiful, and ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’, first published in 1819 is beautiful for so many reasons.

First being, it’s a poem that is entirely based on one’s own interpretations. Is the titular Dame taken advantage of by the knight, an allegorical implication of industrialisation in the 19th century, or does she take revenge against the knight, destroying him in her fury, implying that nature will always triumph? La Belle herself is ethereal, a ‘faerys child’ the classic picture of fame in romantic literature. The knight in contrast is metallic, hard and rough, uncertain with this ‘lady of the meads’ but tempted by her regardless. For a poem centred on desire, it’s far from being a love story, instead descending into horror with its descriptors of the knight’s nightmares of ‘pale kings and princes’, crying out ‘in the gloam’.

It equally explores the pure, innocent beauty of fantasy, and it’s dark, twisted and gnarled side, suggesting to me that it’s amongst the very best of the poetry genre.

ALICE FORTT

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CULTURE

ROOT: A MISCHIEVOUS BOX OF ANIMAL MAYHEM When picking up the box for the first time, it dons the facade of a cute game: there are four forest animals mice, foxes, eagles, and badgers - and all of them are wearing woodland gear. However, first impressions can be deceiving and Root invites you with its gorgeous hand-drawn artwork by Kyle Ferrin before sucking you and your friends into a strategy war game full of complexity and brimming with imagination. It has all of the usual ingredients that you would expect from a board game (dice, cards, reference sheets) but its asymmetrical design and charming cast of furry characters makes for a very unique gaming experience.

At its core, Root centres around four different factions vying for control over a woodland area. Each faction plays by their own rules with their own objectives and completing these earn you victory points, with the first person to reach 35 being crowned the winner. At the very start, the Marquise de Cat (a word pun of ‘my kittycat’) controls the board and is wishing to industrialise the forest by constructing sawmills, workshops, and recruit stations within her newfound territory; the more of the same building she has on the map, the more points she scores. On the opposing side, you have the proud Eyrie Dynasties who are determined to reclaim their rightful land from the Marquise by building and protecting roosts in each forest clearing whilst sticking to a set of ever-increasing mandated Decrees.

If you’re looking for a two player game, these factions already make for some engaging warfare. However, once you add two more players, it becomes an ecosystem that evolves in each round. There is the Woodland Alliance, a group of mice who wish to unify the creatures of the forest and rebel against their invading oppressors, causing other players’ plans to

rapidly derail. Lastly, there is the Vagabond, an everchanging player who aims to appease all sides of the conflict alongside completing their own quests that boosts their fame throughout the woods.

I could continue to explain other elements within the game such as crafting with cards, and battling fellow folk using the dice combat system. I could even go into detail about the Riverfolk expansion in which even more factions get added, as well as a unique trading economy that helps for purchasing crucial items to aid your objective. However, what makes designer Cole Wehrle’s creation so special and unique are the factions and their own playing styles.

In most board games, players will all have the same objective and similar tools at their disposal, so replay value is likely to diminish overtime. But in the case of Root, your experience and strategy will change depending on the faction that you pick. In most games, I like to be aggressive with the Eyrie from the start so that the Marquise’s resources are effectively dried up, but I can’t deploy that tactic with the Vagabond as that requires a more cautious approach and a little diplomacy with my fellow players in order to graft victory points. There have been sessions with my friends where the Marquise and Eyrie conflict has been at the forefront, and others where the Woodland Alliance dominate proceedings (largely due to some smart play from my brother); there is rarely a similar game from last which makes each return to Root that more enticing.

When gamers think of fantasy board games, Dungeons & Dragons or the epic behemoth Twilight: Imperium are likely to spring to mind; very soon, Root might be on top of your wanted list.

THEO SMITH

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Image courtesy of european broadcasting union

Image courtesy of MTV VH1

LIVE

ROCK OPERAS FOR BEGINNERS A Rock Opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a story.

This is most seen in concept albums and are created to present a message to its audience. The way this translates into live performance is extraordinary; we are left with a performance that isn’t like any other gig you have been to, despite the album not being meant for acting we are able to visually see a story told by the narrator. This can often make us feel a deeper connection to the artist onstage.

Popular rock operas include Green Day’s American Idiot, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar and even En Vogue’s Masterpiece Theatre. All these different acts master the genre in different ways and bring a new element to the rock opera genre. By creating a story through music, we are able to see a tale play out on the stage. The masterful thing about these rock operas is that some have even turned into their very own musical for example American Idiot or Jesus Christ Superstar. Webber has stated “the piece was written as a rock album from the outset and set out from the start to tell the story through music itself” when translating to the main stage we saw this beautiful musical which transformed the bounds of live performance.

This can be said for non-traditional rock operas, My Chemical Romance were able to fully captivate The Black Parade when they performed to a live stage wearing extravagant costumes and capturing what the story is really about.

When Gerard Way sings “when I was a young boy” onstage we are captivated

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by the story of a young boy who is finding it hard to find his way, though you may be moshing, crying or dancing to the song whilst live, we are able to see a fully formed story that is only properly translated once its performed live. Every single member of the band is portraying a different character or emotion, like Frank Iero’s guitar showing anger, drums showing conformity whilst the piano sways away from all these themes by being an obscure sound throughout the whole album. We are shown raw emotion and feelings a rock opera can make us feel through the art of live performance.

What makes a rock opera performance different from any other is that each and every song that is played is for a purpose and a part of the story the musician is trying to convey. Unlike seeing a tour that consists of their greatest hits and their newest album, a rock opera aims to only show the songs relevant to the story provided. It’s a musical with no acting, no script, it is instead raw human emotion that is captivated through the art of performance. This is evident in most rock operas but one that truly stands out has to be Green Day’s, they have quite a few concept albums like American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. Both of these albums live show the importance and extraordinary ability that live music can do.

Another standout is Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, for reasons that will never need to be explained. But the truly ground-breaking and legendary album and performances of Queen mark the reason and power behind rock operas.

MORGAN MCMILLAN

Image courtesy of...

Image courtesy of UNSPLASH

LIVE

THE STARMAN: DAVID BOWIE’S ICONIC ZIGGY STARDUST David Bowie was well known for his extravagant and innovative music style, hailing from Brixton the singer-songwriter was an act so fresh to the scene, he captured people’s attention and changed music as we know it. Part of his brand was having personas - Aladdin Sane being one of the most established acts, including Ziggy Stardust, Major Tom and Thin White Duke being amongst the most iconic fictional characters. Bowie wanted to change the music industry that he thought was too boring. This expressive industry is for individuals and groups to sing and write about personal experiences and taboo subjects.

Ziggy Stardust, the man from Mars, was concocted for Bowie’s 1972 concept album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and fitted in with his backing band ‘Spiders from Mars’. The character was inspired by an encounter Bowie had with British rocker Vince Taylor who, after many years in the industry claimed to be a messianic figure sent from space; yes an alien messiah. After his meeting with Taylor, Bowie was struck with inspiration and spent months creating Ziggy Stardust, who’s name he took from a barber’s he saw from a train window. The story was that the earth had five years left until destruction and Ziggy Stardust and his band were sent to warn everyone of the natural disaster.

Despite Ziggy being one of Bowie’s most recognisable personas he is frequently mistaken for the lightning bolt symbol, which was in fact the symbol for Aladdin Sane. The look was one of the most striking appearances in all of the industry, with a gold circle slap bang in the middle of his forehead and copious amounts of eyeliner and electric blue eyeshadow not only was the music and theatre industry changed, but the fashion industry too.

Bowie made everyone look, listen and stare at the gorgeous magnificent spectacle he had put out there. The 70s really was just Bowie’s world.

On stage Ziggy was enigmatic. Many of the records explicitly featuring Ziggy such as Life on Mars and Space Oddity were more low-fi and acoustic.

However, the persona and performance were less of a live music experience and more of an artistic movement. The more rambunctious tracks later on in Bowie’s career such as ‘Let’s Dance’ and ‘Modern Love’ of course proved to be groundbreaking, but nothing reached the heights of Bowie’s freshmen albums and characters. This alter-ego of Bowie’s changed rock phenomenally, lighting that theatrical flare that has since been echoed in every corner of the music and film industry. Not only did it create a new era for rock music, it was also an extremely defining moment for Bowie’s career. Ziggy was a song cycle so tightly and impeccably tailored together, it set out a visionary direction for pop music setting a new standard for rock and roll music, whilst delivering his synthetic ideal with campy sex appeal and raw power. Emerging on stage in outrageous shoulder pads and bodysuits, his stage presence was altered forever. Sadly Ziggy was short lived and after twelve months of rigorous maintenance Bowie retired the persona in 1973 as the lines began to blur, convincing some fans that Ziggy was actually there to save the world.

After that there was a fear Bowie would never return to the music scene and that the Brixton born genius had quit the music business for good.

However, Bowie would return of course with new personas and new music and new characters. But with Aladdin Sane, Halloween Jack and Thin White Duke getting their time in the spotlight none would ever resonate quite like Ziggy Stardust did.

OLIVIA DELLAR

Image courtesy of MTV VH1

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LIVE

Lip-Syncing Legacy: Deceitful Controversy or a Faithful Experience?

In the modern era, lip-syncing is all around us, changing the face of what it means to be “live”.

From battles on RuPaul’s Drag Race and Lip Sync Battle to controversial concerts and “failed” live performances, it’s both the bane and boon of the live industry. Equally celebrated and shunned, the original lip-syncing legacy extends from the 1960s to current days and has been at the forefront of many performances, bringing about important questions: “does lip-syncing fail to give authenticity” or “and does lip-syncing mar the audience’s experience”?

While some musicians don’t sound as good as they do on record, others sound better, but what trumps the whole experience is the authenticity that “live” aspects bring to a concert. Yet, lip-syncing is always cropping to audience anger when used as dishonest means and it’s even caused controversy for artists who have wanted to sing live but have been expected to lip-sync.

Look at the Top of the Pops in the 80s where musicians were expected to lip sync and mime rather than perform live. It wasn’t until the infamous 1991 performance from Nirvana which saw the performance of their song ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ deliberately messed up in a statement against the show’s faked “live” aspect. In a performance

that sees frontman, Kurt Cobain, lifelessly strumming a guitar in a mechanically fake way or the onstage carnage that ensues when audience members disrupt the performers as the song continues playing unabated; Nirvana’s statement against lip-syncing was remarkably clear as ruining an experience, not just for audience members but for musicians as well. It established lip-syncing as a faithless legacy that felt fraudulent and more importantly fake, and had no comfortable place within the music industry, or at least if it was the main proprietor of a live performance.

However, a famous musician caught in the complication of lip-syncing was none other than Michael Jackson, leaving many people unsure of how far the “dishonesty” of lip-syncing stretched.

Anyone who saw Michael Jackson in his prime often revelled in the spectacle of his concerts with bombastic dance numbers, killer vocals, and allround great performances. However, a prevalent fact remained that Jackson often favoured lipsyncing during songs like ‘Billie Jean’ where the dance routines were too demanding to be able to provide vocals in a competent way. While at first, it seems like exploiting the audience, in actuality, one has to wonder if there was a valuable trade-off.

Jackson would always sing live during his ballads (which often dominated most of his concerts) and never performed whole concerts using lip-sync.

When the truth was revealed, some argued it marred the experience while others saw it as a worthy trade-off; a Michael Jackson concert wasn’t just about the singing but about the whole experience, something that Jackson delivered expertly on.

Lip-syncing is vast and complicated, predominantly hated when used without the audience’s knowledge and often loved when used as a riff to greater things. It’s had a long history and this article only scratches at the surface of its legacy, but one fact remains: lip-syncing is here to stay.

SAM PEGG

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Image courtesy of...VHO

The Battle of The Drag Queens: Lip-Sync Edition

LIVE

Ginger Minj vs Jaidynn Aja vs Nina Bo-Nina Diore Fierce Brown In a tense moment of season 7, the makeover challenge called for the remaining queens to add an eliminated queen to their drag family. This challenge saw Ginger Minj and Jaidynn Diore Fierce battle it out in the bottom. However, this was a lipsync like no other, with the queens being physically attached to the other queens they made over.The Ginger/Sasha Belle and Jaidynn/Tempest DuJour combos battled it out to Tiffany’s ‘I Think We’re Alone Now,’ which is in itself a high-quality joke. The actions on the main stage reflected the comedy set up, with Ginger Minj cutting her very shoddy, breast connection with her sister, while Jaidynn was left attempting to disco dance with a very tall person with their crotch attached to her butt. In some antics that would often look a bit messy, Ginger’s broken costume and wigless head beat Jaidynn’s splash of Sunday Night Fever, ending her few weeks in the bottom and giving more reason for season 7 to get a lot more respect than it usually does.

EMILY DENNIS

Coco Montrese Alyssa Edwards

vs

When people think of ‘best drag race lip syncs’ they sadly don’t always bring up the ICONIC season 9 battle that was Aja vs. Nina Bo-Nina Brown. Although often outshone by the other lip syncs of the season (see rose wig and ‘can I keep it on please?’), I think this lip sync deserves due credit. It has DRAMA, SKILL, and most importantly, is massively entertaining. The girls hit every beat of the song, despite them going about it in wildly different styles: Aja vogues and splits and flips, whereas Nina utilises her huge wig and pads, duckwalking across the floor and giving us FACE. I’ve also got to shout out the other girls going wild in the background: I love a good lip sync where you can tell the live audience (the other queens) are having fun too, as told by Shea’s excited call of ‘Come on ladies let’s go!!’ and Trinity’s exhilarated jumps as the girls hit the same move at the same time. It’s one of those lip syncs that just feels so alive, like the girls are having a great time whilst doing it. Not to mention, the song (‘Finally’ by CeCe Peniston) is an absolute banger.

ALICE FORTT

The epic rivalry between Coco Montrese and Alyssa Edwards came to head in the most epic lip-sync in RuPaul’s Drag Race herstory. In season 5, episode 9 - we see Coco and Alyssa lip-sync to Paula Abdul’s ‘Cold Hearted’. It is full of stunning moments and epic moves as the queens use their feud to light up their performance. Alyssa does a helicopter spilt, is that even legal? And prances around the stage proving just why she is the dancing queen, whilst Coco swirls in her epic yellow outfit which is eyedropping. But the most epic moment is when Coco points to her mouth whilst lip-syncing to the rapid paced almost rap-like lyrics. They both prove why they are lip-syncing assassins making all our jaws drop to the floor. If there is any lip-sync I would recommend for someone to watch it’s this one!

It encapsulates everything there is to drag from drama to extraordinary performances, even after 7 years of the performance being available to watch I am still gagged to this day each time I watch it.

MORGAN MCMILLAN

Image courtesy of...VHO

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EDITORIAL

LISTINGS LIVE MUSIC 23rd October – Hippo Campus @ noonchorus.com/hippo-campus/ 24th October – PUP @ noonchorus.com/pup/ 24th October – The Dead Freights @ The Stage Door 24th October – Our Propaganda @ The 1865 26th October – Elles Bailey @ The 1865 28th October – PINS @ The Joiners 30th October – Crystal Methyd’s Nightmare @ The 1865 31st October – Salem – Church of Salem @ The 1865 6th November – The Pretty Visitors @ The 1865 10th November – Halflives @ The Joiners 11th November – Ally Venable + Felix Rabin @ The 1865 13th November – Kid Klumsy, The Straights, Blind Falcon & Lonely Dakota @ The 1865 20th November – Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs @ The Engine Rooms 20th November – Pioneers @ The 1865 21st November – Tribute Festival @ The 1865 24th November – Sea Girls @ The Engine Rooms 26th November – Anvil @ The 1865 27th November – The Manatees @ The 1865 5th December – Glass Animals @ The Engine Rooms 12th December – Seán McGowan @ The 1865 12th December – Led By Lanterns & Mouth Culture @ The Joiners 16th December – Hands Off Gretel @ The 1865 23rd December – Bad Manners @ The Engine Rooms

THEATRE 20th to 30th October – Prelude Festival 2020: Sites of Revolution @ preludenyc2020.com 22nd October – Rossini’s La Cerentola @ metopera.org 23rd October – Verdi’s Falstaff @ metopera.org 24th October – Rossini’s Le Comte Ory @ metopera.org 25th October – Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier @ metopera.org 19th November – Satyagraha @ metopera.org

COMEDY 18th to 23rd October – Fake Friends Presents Circle Jerk @ circlejerk.live 22nd to 24th October – Edingburgh Horror Festival @ edhorrorfest.co.uk 21st October – The Stand Comedy Club @ YouTube 25th October – Josh Widdicombe: Bit Much… @ offthekerb.com 28th October – Herlarity @ The 1865 28th October – Clogg Comedy #14 Hahaweeen! @ Zoom 29th October – Comedy On The Spot @ Facebook 30th October – Comedy With The Stars @ Zoom 31st October – Tricks and Treats with Magic Gareth @ Zoom 31st October – Charlie’s Comedy @ Zoom 26th October – Comedy On The Spot @ Facebook 4th to 7th November – Almost Romeo and Juliet @ adctheatre.com

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