BYLINE ISSUE VIII
What’s Inside...
Headlines of Byline: FILM & TV “Colm Connolly explores the concept of violence in films through the lense of 1997’s Funny Games, Aoife Gleeson ranks Tarantino’s top films & Zoe Fitzpatrick looks back at the career of Alan Rickman”
MUSIC “Alan Murphy asks the question: Does Rock n’Roll still exist while Holly Cooney previews upcoming festivals in Ireland for February”
ARTS & LIT Bad Cover Version
Ah yes, the delightful feeling of our third week back in college, a quarter of the way through term two, and for some of us, we are closer to the real world than ever before. Oh god no. Admittedly, someone in his final year of a three year undergrad is hardly in the place to have some sort of life crisis, but it helps me avoid looking at my future, which is nice. It’s also better than looking at the past, because yet more beloved icons have died, which makes me feel a little like my last editorial was a touch cursed. Do you know what’s worse than you or I looking at the past though? it’s when Hollywood does it. Every week, I feel like I look around and see another remake of an essential classic. I saw a trailer for the upcoming Point Break reimagining, and a few thoughts came to mind. Firstly, it looks really fucking dumb, secondly, it doesn’t have Keanu Reeves in it, who still looks about 12 and could easily have re done it, and thirdly, why the hell did there need to be a remake of a acclaimed classic. Okay, ‘acclaimed classic’ might be a stretch, but it still didn’t need a remake. Also, while I’m complaining
2
about Hollywood, It’s definitely racist, horribly sexist, and homophobic as well, see this years’ Oscar nominations, Gillian Andersons’ pay issues with FOX and Stonewall respectively. To be honest, remaking Point Break without Keanu is still the worst thing that they’ve done recently though anyway. I pointedly try to make my Editorials as inane as possible, mostly because I know no one actually reads them aside from the designer, and he only does it to make sure I don’t commit ‘too’ much libel. It is with that in mind that I will ignore everything that has actually happened on campus during the last week and a bit, and actually talk about that ne macklemore song, ‘Downtown’. It’s about fucking mopeds. Literally, it’s a song about how great mopeds are, which, don’t get me wrong is true, but still a song about mopeds. It’s like he heard Queen singing about bicycles, and then said to himself, ‘what’s cooler than a bicycle? Oh, a fucking SCOOTER! I gotta get on this.’ Ech, whatever, go read the rest of the magazine and listen to that song again, it’s actually pretty good. Even if it’s about a scooter.
#BooXander
“Colm Furlong looks ahead at the upcoming theatre schedules for both UCC Dramat’s shows in the Granary Theatre & the Everyman Theatre’s run of shows in 2016”
GAMING “BYLINE looks to the future of gaming in Virtual Reality & compares two of the titans of that industry, while Darragh Murphy discusses his problems with open world games”
HUMOUR “We preview the General Election & this week in politics, talk about the worst first date you’ve ever heard of and the most potentially controversial satirical article about the SU (probably not tho)
COVER FEATURE “BYLINE runs through the various most-common found drugs in Irish society & discusses the various effects & side effects the drugs have in an effort to educate students”
BYLINE EDITORIAL STAFF Editor: Xander Cosgrave Designer: Robert O’Sullivan Film & TV Editor: Olivia Brown Music Editor: Holly Cooney
Arts & Lit Editor: Colm Furlong Gaming Editor: Aoife Gleeson Fiction Editor: Austin Dowling Humour Editor: Lauren Mulvihill
FICTION
EDITOR - AUSTIN DOWLING
Dwarven Architecture
by William H.
The walls flickered with our shadows, strange shapes and sizes cast by the twirl of our torches. “Y’know, I could easily illuminate this entire room with magic” I grumbled. My arms were stiff from holding the torch high enough for my companions to see. Grom glared at me; a punishment for what happened in the last room. Unlike the other two, I’m a lot smaller. A floor full of scarabs is far scarier to me. I was panicked, there was fire, and the scarabs just kept coming. It wasn’t my fault a fireball went astray and set Grom’s hair alight! I think he looks better now with half of it missing. It gives him a reason to get that comb-over he’s been admiring on all the other fighters in town. The walls faded away and our shadows sprawled along the precisely carved stone slabs on the floor. The sounds of our footsteps began to echo louder than before. We must have wandered into a large room. “Light?” Grom commanded seriously. He always had a way of conveying more than just the words he spoke. His tone was always so precise and calculated. And now it was telling me that he was worried. “Sure thing, boss” I said playfully to ease the tension. In a long dead tongue, I drew the symbol for “bright” on the handle of the torch. Its light escalated to a brilliant, radiating white shine, bouncing off the intricate carvings of the chamber. The ceiling above slanted inwards like a pyramid until its peak curved around to form a dome. Six pillars scaled from the ground to roof, forming a neat circle around the centre of the room. The walls of this room were carved in a dwarven style with intricate hammers and trails weaving their way through the chiselled stone. Despite their brutish nature, a dwarf ’s masonry was beautiful to behold. Their work felt impossibly alive. How could someone using only a hammer, a chisel and varying shades of grey create the heart-warming beauty of such marvels?
I steadied myself and turned my attention to Grom. A corpse lay at his feet but the other two were putting up a better fight. Their movements mirrored Grom’s; their smaller limbs weaving around his swings and chipping away at his armour bit by bit. One last deep breath. I pulled my concentration into their legs, focusing on their shins. I made the sign of the hand, reaching out towards my targets, and recounted the necessary words before spitting them out and yanking my hand towards myself. Their legs pulled back from under them, providing Grom the perfect opportunity to slice through both of their necks at once. I would have admired the finesse had I not been rudely interrupted by the pain of my moving leg as an unconscious Palor slowly came around.
“Mage Hand saves the day again” laughed Grom. “It’s just so damn useful” I responded, wiggling my leg off Palor’s back and onto the cold stone. Palor muttered unintelligibly in her groggy state while moving to a sitting position, holding her head drunkenly. “I… What…?” she began before Grom put a hand on her forehead. “Hush, we’ll make camp here and I’ll explain everything later.”
I looked at my leg. It would take an apothecary of potions to fix this shit. At least I’d have the pretty walls to keep me company.
“Careful…” Grom’s warning stirred me. We stood, prepared, just before the gap of two towering pillars. Hearing a faint rustle from our right, we snapped around. A battle-cry erupted beside me and a small, pale green figure leapt out behind the nearest pillar. I dropped the torch in fear and unleashed a ray of frost, which impacted with its chest and spun out in tiny fractals until the assailant fell to the floor with a thud. I hadn’t noticed the commotion until I turned around but at least three of the creatures were swiping at Grom with their makeshift sickles. It seemed Palor was knocked prone by the thing sitting stubbornly on his back. A flourish of its hands and two sickles were drawn, twirled and brought down towards Palor’s neck. I rushed forward to help her, muttering the preparation for burning hands. As I got within arm’s reach, I was surprised by the swift swipe that met me. I managed to crouch in time to dodge it but I wasn’t so lucky with the second swing. I felt the hot sting of the blades carving through the skin of my hands before the spell took effect and shattered the homemade blade. Howling in pain, I kicked the green shit-bag to force him off Palor. It evaded me and clamped on my leg with its teeth. My vision blurred as the teeth pierced skin. My eyesight cleared and I saw its arm swing back to grasp its weapon. That’s as far as it got. I channelled the energy through my palms, from arm to arm, as I pummelled its torso with missile after missile. A sharp shock of pain ran through me and I unleashed more power in a magic missile than intended. The magical force formed a purple comet as it hurtled into the creature, tearing it from my leg and propelling it back into the nearest pillar. I looked down at my leg to inspect the damage only to be greeted by a set of rotting teeth attached to a jaw still firmly clamped to my leg but since separated from their owner.
3
HUMOUR HEADLINES Culture: Feminists poison water supply, burn crops, deliver plague upon our houses College: Student Centre launch campaign to shorten ‘pizza’ to ‘za’ in attempt to “get hip to the youth”
World: UK police ok with detaining children for spelling errors Politics: Government defends cronyism, noting “sure the lads are great craic altogether” Tech: Internet users to continue to believe literally everything they read online
Health: Local man takes photo in better lighting, seemingly becomes better person
TV LISTINGS 4
RTÉ One, Friday @ 5PM: Donal Skehan cooks in nonthreatening manner RTÉ Two, Saturday @ 7.30PM: Watch Daniel O’Donnell as he continues to barely conceal his massive ego from the public
This Week in Politics by Brakkus Exgrove Political parties have begun to launch their election campaigns for the upcoming general elections, to various degrees of acclaim, condemnation, and pointed disinterest. Starting from the Left, we have the traditional launch of AAA and PBP’s Trotskyite manifesto, or is it Leninist? It doesn’t matter, they’re not going to do anything anyway. Following this, the Workers Party, rebranding after realising that actually calling yourself communist is not an effective way of getting people who like iPhones to vote for you, have launched their video calling out all other parties on the left for not being the right kind of left, and challenging them to a fight outside Hillbillies the night of the count. Following this, the Green Party had their election convention, which was a screening of every episode of ‘The Wombles’, a children’s show about recycling things, and living in a field.
Moving to the centre, the Social Democrats presented their plans for election, a 43 page long document that pointed out that they will do exactly what you want, unless that’s what you don’t want, because they really, reeeeeeeeally want to get elected, and ended with a picture of Stephen Donnelly looking very very sad. Sinn Fein launched their manifesto for the opposition, admitting that they are aware of the fact that no one would actually go into a government with them aside from Fianna Fail, and deciding they’d try and get a head start on things. Key points include, the cover simply saying ‘Up the RA’, a QR code for following Gerry Adams on Twitter on the first page of the document, and Mary-Lou McDonald ‘accidentally’ referring to herself as party leader throughout the accompanying video. Impressively, the party managed to only refer to 1916 eight hundred times, one for every county, through the document. Labour elected to follow a manifesto approach that simply said, ‘Please please please let us go back into government, we need a little more time to completely sell out our principles’, an approach that is being applauded for it’s honesty. Fianna Fail also had its Ard Fheis recently, and it was a prime example of why you book a location after you sell presale tickets, as the spacious City West hotel was left mostly empty, due to the bulk of the party membership having to
stay at home in the wintry conditions, being fragile in their old age. Micheal Martin has pointed out that he will definitely not go into coalition with anyone who could form the government, unless they ask nicely and promise us some of the good ministries.
The slightly off-Blue shirts, or Renua as they like to refer to themselves, launched a campaign based around principles of ‘Fuck the poor’, ‘fuck the young’ and occasionally, ‘fuck everyone’. This was seen as an extremely clear way of laying out of the policies the party stood by, differentiating themselves from all other parties that hate poor people, such as Labour and Fine Gael. Finally, Fine Gael launched a campaign built in two parts, firstly pointing out that no matter how awful they are, everyone else is definitely worse, especially Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail. The second part of Fine Gaels’ manifesto was lauded as a strong return to their roots, as they promised to fight in Spain to support the fascist regime.
Overall, we can see that Ireland has a bright future ahead for anyone who is comfortably wealthy, decently employed, and in Fine Gael. When any party was questioned on this, the general response was pointing in the direction of America, and a link to transatlantic Ryanair Flights.
EDITOR - LAUREN MULVIHILL
HUMOUR
SU Welfare Officer Opens Up About Drug Allegations by Langdon Alger Following on from weeks of allegations and rumours about illegal activities being carried out by UCC Student Union’s Welfare Officer, Katie Quinlan has opened up about the accusations. Without a hint of irony Quinlan outlined her shock at the accusations of dealing cocaine from her SU office on thebuzz.ie. “The only thing I’m selling is condoms and don’t let Yik Yak or anything else tell you otherwise”. In an exclusive follow up interview with the Express this week we can confirm that the fallout from the accusations don’t end here. After a number of offers from publishers and media outlets Quinlan has announced she is set to release a book detailing her experiences following the social media storm titled “If I Did It: Confessions of a Dealer”. The book is set to hypothetically discuss the methods by which an
SU member could hypothetically sell hypothetical drugs from their offices. “The trick would be to create deniability” Quinlan told us “you see if I did sell cocaine, hypothetically, I could sell it in condoms in which case I’m still technically doing my job. That’s why I switched, I mean would switch, to selling magnum condoms, to create value for students which is very important to me. Hypothetically”. While Quinlan has come out in force against the accusations which seemingly originated on the anonymous social media app YikYak, similar accusations levelled against other SU members are yet to be challenged. While the rumours range from the mundane, numerous users are insisting Deputy James Upton’s signature ginger facial hair is actually just glued on, others have grown more outlandish with many insisting
Comms Officer Barry Nevin is actually just several primary school children standing on each other’s shoulders underneath a trenchcoat. The rumour mongering doesn’t end with current SU members however, several recent threads have been devoted to predicting the makeup of next year’s union. While most of the apparent contenders are up and comers in societies and other facets of college life there are several surprise candidates being predicted. With allegations of the current Welfare Officer’s side job striking a chord with many, recently recaptured and imprisoned El Chapo is a surprise favourite for next year’s Welfare position. Even more surprisingly many are predicting that should his current endeavours not work out as intended that Donald Trump would make a strong candidate for President. Many are hailing his strong belief in small government and reducing illegal immigration, drawing parallels with possible policies he could enact in the SU including reducing the number of sabbatical and society guild positions as well as erecting
an enormous wall to protect against CIT.
While there is little evidence to back up these rumours numerous national media outlets have picked up the story, why exactly they would comment on the random nonsense of an anonymous social media app is still unknown although according to one YikYak user it’s “all because of the feminazi cabal that’re trying to shut down the college and drill for oil under the Kane building”.
Tough Luck
by Laura O’Connor
It began during the second year of college, a year of great social activity, nights out, and excitement. In the midst of this, I began texting a male friend who I had known for a while. The relationship blossomed; we got on like a house on fire! Soon enough, I found myself tearing through my wardrobe searching nervously for a suitable outfit for a first date. I had to take a few deep breaths as I squeezed myself into my skinny jeans and headed for the door. Now, I obviously couldn’t admit to my Mam that I was headed on a date. The thoughts of the Mam-Interrogation and multiple questions would only heighten the nerves, so I did what any respectable young lady would: I lied. “I’m going for a few drinks with the girls, can I’ve a spin to town please?”
The date location was Reardens. I got a text en route to say he was waiting outside and panic gripped my body. I couldn’t get out of the car and walk up to him with my Mam watching. So I did what I thought best - told her the girls were waiting inside Captain America’s. I got out of the car, went into the restaurant, and did the first thing I could think of whilst I waited for my Mam to drive away… I booked a table for ten. Yes, instead of me just admitting to my Mam that I was headed on a date, I went into Captain America’s, booked a table for ten for “Murphy”, went to the bathroom and walked back out. But, the best is yet to come. The date itself started off blissfully; there were no awkward moments, we were laughing, and the drinks were flowing. However, the drink in question I was consuming was
wine. I am not a wine drinker, and I was purchasing 2-3 glasses at a time. Rearden’s was quite packed that night, a typical busy Friday night but we nabbed a seat in the corner (how romantic, I know). Suddenly, I felt a tap at my shoulder. I turned - and weren’t my work colleagues on a night out in Reardens as well. It was so busy in the bar, they decided to join us at our table while I tried not to go crimson red in the face as I faced the typical “who’s your friend? Are ye on a date? Awww!” An hour rolled by, my colleagues headed to Havanas (thank you, Lord) and just as the date was regaining normality, guess who
felt the effects of all those glasses of wine and proceeded to pass out on the table? Yes, that’s right, I fell asleep on the tables in Reardens while on a date. Needless to say, it didn’t work out between us.
5
GAMING Virtual Reality Preview Which headset looks more promising? BYLINE looks at two of the frontrunners in VR technology The Rift - Oculus VR Jonathan Soltan
When Oculus launched their Kickstarter way back in August of 2012 it was a massive success, but people were still sceptical. Since then, the technology has slowly become available to more and more people and most if not all of these people have become believers. Which brings us to January 2016 where we finally have what we’ve all been waiting for: a price. The price to pre-order the Rift right now is $599 and €700. That’s a lot of money. You could almost buy two PS4’s with that amount of money. The point being that the price, for many people, is simply too high. Especially given that in an earlier interview Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus, said that the final product would end up costing somewhere in the “ballpark” of $350. That’s quite a price gap. Despite this, after pre-orders went live on the 6th January, a huge influx of orders has set the date for shipment of new orders further and further back as the company struggles to keep up with demand. It remains to be seen if this is an artificial scarcity ploy or if this wave of early adopters will be sustainable.
6
When it comes to developer support, Oculus is certainly not lacking in that department. The fact that it resides on the PC means that developers don’t have to jump through many hoops and can design a game is simple or complicated as they want. With well over one
hundred games already having Rift support or having support in the future, you definitely won’t have far to look for a game that suits your tastes. One of the more exciting game is actually one that comes bundled with the headset: EVE Valkyrie. Valkyrie puts you in the cockpit of a space fighter and lets you dogfight to your hearts content. On top of that, there’s an endless number of first-person games, such as Half-Life 2, that have either promised support or already have it patched in, giving you a whole new way to play a familiar genre. Let’s just hope you don’t get too scared playing those horror games. In my opinion the main problem here is that certain expectations were set and have most definitely not been met. Brand new technology of this calibre is never cheap and considering that this is the first piece of equipment of its kind to be available to the average consumer, I think Oculus probably could have set the price even higher if they wanted to. The one worry for Oculus now though is whether or not other companies interested in entering the VR will try to undercut them. Being the first to announce a price for your product definitely gives your competitors an opportunity, but we’ll just have to wait and see if companies like Sony take advantage.
PS VR - Sony Entertainment
Aoife Gleeson - Gaming Editor
Sony doesn’t have the best history with peripherals: PS Move is a testament to that. Yet, PS VR is poised to be an entirely different beast. Anticipation for VR has been slowly ramping up ever since Oculus’ explosive campaign and, if Oculus’ runaway pre-order sales are any indication, there’s ample demand for VR in the market. Palmer Luckey himself said that he perceives PS VR as having a different target market, saying “There’s not many people who already own a PS4 who don’t own a gaming PC who are going to go out and make that roughly $1,500 all-in investment in the Rift.” Evidently, there’s enough to go around. Plus, a little competition never hurt anyone. PS VR (previously titled Morpheus), as of this writing, does not yet have a set release date or price. However, it’s safe to say it should end up costing a good deal less than Oculus’ hefty price tag of €700 (it would be ludicrous to price a peripheral higher than the console it runs on). Unconfirmed reports online have leaked the price as being €450 to €500 which, if true, gives the PS VR a significant price advantage. According to Palmer Luckey, this is due to the PS VR not being as high end as the Oculus, as the computer specs required to run Oculus are higher than what the PS4 can run. PS VR will launch some time later this year.
The games line-up is what makes PS VR really exciting, with a long list of titles in the works. Final Fantasy XIV, the MMORPG, has been converted into VR, as has the first Danganronpa game. An initial demo, called The Kitchen, which has the player tied to a chair while being attacked by a deranged woman, sounds far too terrifying for me to ever play. The London Heist, with its self-explanatory title, allows you to use Move controllers to simulate reloading a gun. You will look extremely goofy, and have to buy Move, but it looks like a blast to play. Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, announced during Psychonauts 2 crowdfunding campaign, will bridge the gap between the two games (this is only exciting if you’re a massive fan, like me). The list goes on and, from the looks of it, there will be something to suit everyone’s taste. The lineup includes both exclusive games and cross-platform titles, like EVE: Valkyrie, which will also be available on the Oculus. It’s clear from PS VR’s extensive line-up that Sony is serious about the peripheral being a success: this is no Move trundling along long after the game is over. With the right pricing and messaging, PS VR could be another big win for Sony.
GAMING
EDITOR - AOIFE GLEESON An Issue With Open World Games by Darragh Murphy Open world games are a thing of wonder. It is incredible to think the amount of time one can put into them, delving into a completely different world for about 50 hours to 200 hours (if you’re a completionist). I’m always excited when I hear about a new game with an expansive map to travel around, where the amount of quests and exploration I do will be various and endless. Unfortunately though, I can’t say I’ve had that kind of excitement over the past few months, as it seems nearly every game I hear about or pick up is one where I must spend more than a few hours on. Don’t get me wrong, all of these recent AAA games are fairly spectacular, with the likes of Fallout 4, MGS V and The Witcher 3 all
deservingly being nominated for game of the year. However there is very little variation to oppose the open world action genre, with only games like Black Ops 3, Until Dawn or Bloodborne as a palette cleanser (and even Bloodborne could arguably be classified as semiopen word). The magic is taken away when so many of the biggest games coming out have maps that span for miles, because everything becomes routine and tedious. It becomes apparent to me that I’m going to spend quite a lot of my time travelling from point A to point B, doing a ridiculous fetch quest I’m not too sure why I’m doing. It comes to the point where I don’t want to have to explore a whole new section of the map where it’s landscape looks exactly like the one I’ve previously
explored (You know who you are, Mad Max). These open-world game traits are something that need to change if gaming culture continues to produce a mass amount of them. Bethesda Studios and MGSV offer particularly interesting open worlds, as within them are random events that can take the player off guard. It makes the player feel a part of the world as opposed to feeling like a bumbling idiot that goes from icon to icon to gain a little EXP.
With 2016 now here and an astonishing amount of
upcoming open world games, with the likes of Final Fantasy XV and Far Cry Primal, it seems a little overwhelming seeing how I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Fallout 4. I hope at least these games give us some new mechanics to mix things up; perhaps less waypoints and more intriguing exploration. All I know is that right now, I cannot wait for some linear, story driven Uncharted.
‘That Dragon, Cancer’ Will Make You Cry By Aoife Gleeson That Dragon, Cancer is one of the most heart-breaking games you’ll ever play. Ryan and Amy Green, the developers of this game, lost their fiveyear-old son Joel to cancer in 2014. This autobiographical game follows their struggle through his four years of life after being diagnosed. It’s, unsurprisingly, absolutely devastating. I would recommend that you only play this if you’re emotionally prepared to cry buckets and you also have someone nearby to hug afterwards. Yet, it’s such an important game, I also recommend you take the emotional hit.
Fullbright’s Gone Home, you feel like you’re intruding on someone’s most private and vulnerable self but, unlike Gone Home, this story happened.
The world of That Dragon, Cancer is rendered in crude, brightly coloured polygons. You begin as a duck in a cheerful pond, swimming towards a laughing child. The voices of Ryan and Amy explain to their other son, while their words are illustrated on the screen in unobtrusive calligraphy, why Joel has developed slower than some of the other children. After that you’ll go through vignettes of Joel’s short life, experiencing the highs and lows of his battle with cancer.
The game feels so deeply personal that, at times, it feels almost voyeuristic. You’ll listen to the voicemails left for each other by the couple, discussing Joel’s treatment and their fears and hopes for the future. As Ryan, you’ll try to comfort Joel during treatment (one deeply upsetting segment has you trying to stop Joel crying, to little avail). Through reading her letters you explore Amy’s struggle with her faith, as she tries to reconcile her deeply held belief in God with the sickness that’s killing her child. Much like
The game effectively evokes the emotional turmoil experienced by these two: the tone varies between bright and hopeful, dark and nightmarish (with large, menacing cancerous cells omnipresent) and ethereally dreamlike, eyes towards a hopeful Heaven. This is all scored by the most hauntingly beautiful scoring, ranging between melancholy and gentle hope. Dark, fearful sections are underscored by heavy, oppressive beats which evoke a sense of anxiety and despair. The game does have some problems though: the controls are clunky and slow to respond. This is notable because it’s sometime immersion breaking: at one point I wasn’t able to interact something vital, so I just had to move on to the next chapter. That Dragon, Cancer is an emotionally draining experience that tells an important story of loss and acceptance. Lasting only about 1 ½ - 2 hours, it’s an experience that’s definitely worth your time.
7
ARTS & LITERATURE Everyman Spring Productions
Colm Furlong takes a look at the upcoming productions in Cork’s Everyman Theatre. As I have said many times this year, Cork City is a hub for arts and literature of every kind. One of the centres of that culture in the city is the Everyman Theatre. The Everyman has recently launched its brochure with the upcoming productions over the next few months. The following are some of the highlights of what is to come:
Beyond the Snug:
The Everyman is bringing back its series of monthly rehearsed readings after a very successful year last year. These readings will take place in the Everyman bar, and will feature the work of six different playwrights; all women, and all either born or residing in Cork. The series looks to give voice to the talents of these women, and questions why their work is not included on modern Irish stages. A variety of different themes will be examined throughout the series, ensuring there will be something for everyone. So for a nice, relaxed evening with the work of some of Ireland’s extraordinarily talented writers, give this series a try. The next event in the series takes place on February 29th, with the work of Carmel Winters, B For Baby, directed by Síle Ní Bhroin. Tickets for these events are €9.
Snow White and the Seven Juno and the Paycock: Dwarves: On the 31st of January, the classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarves will grace the stage of the Everyman in the form of large sized puppets, colourful sets and exquisite lighting, along with a special guest appearance by none other than Bosco himself. Sure to be a fun afternoon, this 65 minute show is recommended as a treat for children up to the age of 10. Tickets are €10.
The Field: The Field is a play by
one of Ireland’s most celebrated Playwrights; John B. Keane. It comes to the Everyman on the 4th and 5th of February. The Field centres on the character of Bull McCabe, and is possibly John B. Keane’s most powerful and best known play. It chronicles the conflict arising from a decision to sell a piece of land, but this play has moved audiences for years. Directed by Tadhg O’Keeffe, The Field will be a wonderful night out for anyone. Tickets for The Field are €17.
From the 10th of February until the 20th of February, The Everyman presents Juno and the Paycock by Sean O’Casey, directed by Ger Fitzgibbon. This play invites you to meet the Boyles: A drunken father, a ferociously loyal mother, a wounded son and a daughter with ‘notions’. A family beset by poverty and war, who are offered the tantalising promise of sudden riches. This play is one of O’Casey’s funniest, and it is a strong examination of humour, politics, laughter, betrayal and heartbreak. Juno and the Paycock is sure to be a hilarious night out for everyone. Tickets for Juno and the Paycock are priced at €26, concessions available.
Aprés Match and Des BishopGrey Matter:
Sticking with comedy for a moment, February also sees two big Irish comedy acts grace the Everyman stage. On the 14th, the Aprés Match boys will be bringing their host of celebrity impersonations to Cork for one night only. People familiar with their work will be sure to enjoy the night. Why not spend part of your valentines laughing this year? Following on from this, from the 25th to the 27th of February Des Bishop brings his Grey Matter show to Cork. Grey Matters tackles the issues facing Des these days, from the prospect of turning forty, to snapchat, to moving back to New York and more. Sure to be another hilarious night out, Grey Matters is not to be missed by fans of Irish stand-up.
Other highlights include The Shakespeare Sessions (29th Feb- 4th Mar), The Dead School (8th- 12 Mar), and Starman (30 Apr-1 May). A night out in the Everyman is always a treat. You get to immerse yourself in part of the city’s culture in one of its cultural hubs, and you get to enjoy a fine evening of entertainment on the stage. I highly recommend taking a night off to pay the theatre a visit this term.
Writing Character - How Strong Characters Work When it comes to writing novels, plays or screenplays, nothing is more significant than character. While plot comes in at a close second, without a population in your piece whom the reader can connect with and empathise with, even the best plots are irrelevant. Strong characters are the foundation of all good fiction. What makes a strong character I hear you ask? Is it someone who is physically strong? Someone who has no problem beating up all the bad guys? The answer to this question is no. This is not what makes a strong character.
8
A strong character is made up of complexities. A strong character has flaws. A strong character has varying traits. A strong character has beliefs. Strong characters can be heroic, strong characters can be weak. A strong character is a character who is real and imperfect. A strong character is someone like you or me. Some of the strongest, most heroic characters of all time have traits or flaws which define them. Sherlock Holmes is a sociopath, but he has legions of adoring fans. Carol Peletier (The Walking Dead) let her abusive husband define her; but her arc has shown her experience significant growth. Hamlet shows signs of madness, lust and various other flaws; yet he is one of the most iconic characters ever created. Strong characters are built of layers and layers of traits; strengths and flaws, characteristics both good and bad. A strong character can be a person of any gender; male, female, transgender, etc. They can be of any race, they can be of any sexuality. What matters is what they are made of, and how they are written. These are the kinds of people we need to populate our works with; real people who all have a story to tell, who all have a history, who are all important.
ARTS & LIT
EDITOR - COLM FURLONG Dramat Productions For This Term Colm Furlong looks at UCC Dramat’s Spring 2016 productions
One of the best parts about being in University is the societies we have available to us. One of those societies is UCC Dramat; the college’s theatre and drama aficionados who consistently put on great shows year after year. This term, why not make it one of your goals to get out there and support your fellow students as they put on four different productions. Here is a brief look at those productions:
Trouble
Little Gem
Butterfly Kiss
An Triail
Written and directed by Megan Roberts, Trouble is the first of UCC Dramat’s productions this term. It runs from the 10th until the 13th of February in the Granary Theatre. Trouble is set in Cork in the summer of 1994; in Pearse Towers, Cork’s largest council estate. It follows a small cast of characters: Declan Ryan- Pearse Towers’ newest resident, Lauren- a woman in trouble, Deano- Lauren’s boyfriend, and a man in awe of the Irish national soccer team, and GerLauren’s father who spends his time in the pub. These men would fight for Ireland- but what happens when Ireland fights the woman?
Written by Elaine Murphy, and directed by Darragh Mulcahy, UCC Dramat is bringing an adaption of the play Little Gem to the Granary this term from the 17th until the 20th of February. Winner of the Fishamble Award for Best New Irish Writing at the Dublin Fringe in 2008 and the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award in 2009, the play is funny, witty, heart-breaking and uplifting. Set in Dublin, the play is about growing up, growing old and being old but feeling young. The story is told through the eyes of Amber, Lorraine and Kay, three generations of one family. The production by UCC Dramat will be stripped back and minimalist; with a focus on their performers and their performances. The story and doing it justice is what is important to them.
Directed by Sarah O’Shea, Butterfly Kiss will run from the 24th until the 27th of February. Butterfly Kiss is a play about matricide. From her jail cell, Lily summons up her past: a vivid collage of cross-fades and flashbacks, which reveal aspects of her experience cumulatively, not chronologically. Thus, throughout the play, the story of her life – and her crime – unfolds. It comes through shifting and mesmeric scenes, with her interlaced memories revealing the psychosexual tangle that was her childhood, and the events that led up to her trial. Scenes change in a matter of seconds, and many a time both the past and present are played out on stage at the same time. Her relationships are chronicled in hard-edged scenes, all leading in an impossible multiplicity of ways to the terrible truth of what she has done to her mother.
Written by Mairéad Ní Ghráda, An Triail, will be familiar to many who might have studied it as part of their Leaving Cert. UCC Dramat is bringing their adaption to the Granary Theatre from the 3rd March until the 6th, with Aisling Reardon at the helm as director. An Triail is a play set in 1960s Ireland. It tells the story of Máire Ní Chathasaigh and her efforts to be accepted into a Traditional Irish society; a society which shuns her, even in her time of utmost need. An Triail is a story filled with hate, discrimination and prejudice, but also one marked by hard work, determination, love and compassion. It calls into question controversial issues that are applicable to society in 1960s Ireland and also many issues applicable to Contemporary Ireland. It remains the well-known play from the Irish Leaving Cert course, but with a few changes to leave audiences thinking.
9
COVER FEATURE
HOW TO DO DRUGS
In years gone by a so called “War on Drugs” took place in many countries. The war, like most wars, was misguided and had more innocent casualties than it could have possibly intended. Although in this war the casualties were more often than not people simply trying to use drugs rather than what were stated to be the intended targets, large scale drug sellers and importers. It’s a sad state of affairs in many countries when you analyse how many individuals are imprisoned for small scale drug possession, particularly given how prevalent serious overcrowding is in such jails. Sadder still though are cases like we saw recently of a group of people seeing immediate negative effects of taking an unknown substance, while some escaped the worst of the possible side effects one young man was not so lucky. So rather than condemn or talk down to those who wish to use drugs we think it is much more important to inform individuals on safe drug use, so that situations like those recently seen in Cork can be avoided. While it goes without saying that drug use is never without risk, it is moronic to assume that this fact will deter most people who wish to experiment with drugs from doing so. As such here is a simple guide to knowing your drugs, their effects and side effects as well as other resources related to drug use. It goes without saying that all drugs, along with everything else in life, can lead to addiction.
Cannabis
An entry level drug for many, cannabis is most commonly referred to as weed. Typically smoked either out of a rolled cigarette called a joint or using a pipe or water pipe, weed can also be baked into edibles or used to make butter. Many countries have begun to decriminalise or federally control the sale of cannabis legally with rumblings of similar actions coming in Ireland. Effects: Cannabis is likely the most popular drug in the world behind alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. It’s used mostly for its induction of a state of relaxation and a mild high compared to other substances. It’s also known to cause hunger in
Cocaine
Cocaine comes generally in one of two forms. The white powder form was popularised in popular culture by appearances and use in movies like Blow and by high power business executives, odds are you may have seen someone cutting a line in a nightclub bathroom at least once. The other form is the rock form of cocaine, crack is generally smoked where powder is generally inhaled through the nose. Effects: All forms of cocaine have a near instantaneous effect with snorting or smoking the substance causing it to quickly hit the bloodstream and make its way to the brain. Here it interferes with neurotransmitters and creates a signature euphoric feeling, including an elevated mood and increase in energy and alertness.
Ecstasy (MDMA)
Usually coming in tablet form MDMA is a popular party drug (although also has use in new age spiritual practises) in many countries. Sometimes referred to as yokes in Ireland, ecstasy tablets often come stamped with various types of logo that vary regionally or by supplier with logos from kids tv shows having become popular as of late. Effects: The effects of ecstasy usually hit between 30 and 60 minutes after ingestion and create a sense of euphoria as well as increased sociability, amplification of emotions and empathy, a sense of inner peace and enhanced physical sensations including sexual contact. Mild hallucinations may also occur in the form of enhanced colours and sound which make the drug popular at clubs.
Ketamine
10
Originally used medically as an anaesthetic, ketamine has grown in popularity in recent decades. Although medically it comes in liquid form for injection, recreationally it may come in powder, liquid or tablet form. By weight/volume ketamine is much more potent than similar amounts of cocaine or some other drugs and as such less should be taken. Effects: Shortly after ingestion, around 20 minutes if taken as a pill or quicker if injected, ketamine results in a rush similar to ecstasy, with music and lights seeming more intense. As an anaesthetic the drug blocks nerve paths without interrupting respiratory or other bodily functions meaning users may not be able to feel injuries sustained while on the drug as well as numbing existing pain.
some users. Highs last around 3 hours generally with very large doses lasting up to 24 hours. Side Effects: Cannabinoids can possibly weaken the immune system making it difficult for the body to fight off illnesses and as with any time of smoking long term use may lead to lung cancer. People with underlying seizure disorders may be adversely affected by cannabis.
Side Effects: The sudden burst of energy and elevated mood associated with taking cocaine is met not long after (30 to 120 minutes later) with a come down involving irritability, anxiety, restlessness and sometimes paranoia. Due to its effects on the brain cocaine can cause stroke or seizure, even in those without underlying risk factors including young people. As much as cocaine effects the brain it also effects the rest of the body negatively, with elevated heart rate and blood pressure sometimes causing abnormal heart rhythms or heart attacks. It can also cause intestinal problems such as ulcers, can damage kidneys and long term effects can permanently damage sexual function.
Side Effects: Dehydration and hyperthermia are common short term effects of ecstasy ingestion with excess water ingestion post drug ingestion sometimes causing hyponatremia (low sodium due to lack of replenished electrolytes). Grinding of teeth is another common side effect along with increased heart rate, blood pressure, insomnia, erectile dysfunction and diarrhoea. The come down which can last up to a week may lead to further insomnia, memory impairment, restlessness, depression and other negative psychological effects. Long term effects can include brain lesions and cognitive impairments.
Side Effects: As an anaesthetic ketamine may cause some users to black out or even an experience an out of body experience known as a K hole, effects of ketamine can be unpredictable meaning more than other drugs it should not be taken with other substances including alcohol. As with most drugs mentioned here a come down may involve depression, other negative mental effects and long term use may result in memory impairment as well as surfacing underlying mental problems such as schizophrenia. Use may also result in cardiovascular failure as with any anaesthetic.
COVER FEATURE Heroin
Generally injected heroin may also come in a powder freebase form which can be smokable. Highly addictive heroin is a derivative of opium with an understandably bad reputation. Effects: Taking only seconds to act on the body if injected heroin causes a near instant euphoric high while it takes longer with a less intense high if smoked via a pipe or in foil. Side Effects: Due to the relatively quick tolerance build up the body has to heroin
Mushrooms
Magic mushrooms as they are sometimes called are one of the few drugs that are naturally occurring/produced in Ireland. The strain of fungus have a natural psychedelic effect when ingested either raw, dried, when cooked or even stewed. Effects: Between 30 and 120 minutes after ingestion a range of effects are purported to be felt by users. Seemingly the reaction is dependent on a user’s head space upon ingestion with trips including distortion of sound and vision, time seemingly dilating, euphoria, deep sleep with vivid dreams, an out of body experience or even powerful hallucinations.
LSD (Acid)
Another popular psychotropic drug LSD is short for lysergic acid diethylamide. LSD generally comes as a small strip of paper to be placed on the tongue for ingestion. Over the years LSD has had many attempted applications including in treating psychiatric disorders or in bizarre mind control experiments by the CIA. Effects: As with other psychotropic drugs like mushrooms the effects of LSD can vary wildly by person, with a trip being negative or positive depending on the person. The sensory experiences caused by LSD generally have a longer lasting
Synthetics
Synthetic or designer drugs are created to be analogues of existing drugs and cause similar effects. However due to the number of these drugs being created, the lack of information about them, the difficulty in naming them and a number of other reasons these drugs can be extremely unpredictable and dangerous. The recent incident in Cork was due to a designer drug with other incidents gaining media attention around the world including a number of “zombie” like incidents. These drugs were commonly sold through head shops but due to the attention in recent years most countries have taken drastic actions to limit the sale and
users typically end up injecting larger and larger volumes to chase the high. This often results in death due to respiratory failure as users begin to overdose. Other long term effects of opioids like heroin include constipation with the main side effect being the dependence a user develops for the drug. However the use of needles means injection related complications are problematic including the spread of HIV or hepatitis due to needle sharing or the creation of abscesses due to improper needle use.
Side Effects: One of the main concerns when taking mushrooms is that the actual mushrooms being ingested are the correct type. Many mushrooms can be toxic to humans. Magic mushrooms may cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea in the short term with long term effects being more psychological than physical. Flashbacks, paranoia and anxiety can result from a bad trip on mushrooms.
effect than mushrooms Side Effects: Again psychotropic drugs can leave a longer psychological effect than physical with drugs of this type being able to trigger underlying psychological disorders. A bad trip can also lead to long term flashbacks and altered psychological state.
distribution of the substances. Effects: Due to the wide variety of these drugs it’s impossible to say with certainty what any one of them will cause a user to feel, ether intentionally or unintentionally. Side effects can therefore vary wildly from the most minor to organ failure or death.
General Advice
Despite the variety in drug types and even variations within the same drug type certain pieces of advice are applicable for anyone intending to ingest controlled substances, illegal or otherwise. easier to forget needed medication than usual least your friends probably won’t try to poison Do not use drugs alone, especially for your first you time using a drug. Should anything go wrong Pay attention to the news when planning to take being around people could save your life drugs, bad batches or strains will be reported in Ensure the environment you are using drugs in is the mainstream media and can save your life known to you, safe and comfortable. A bad trip is Don’t take drugs that you don’t know. Even if never going to be fun you do know the drugs a quick internet search Drugs can worsen or bring to light underlying to ensure you know it’s effects and dosage are psychological issues, if you have a family history Do not mix drugs, prescription or otherwise. advisable of these types of issues drugs are even more Drugs can have adverse side effects when mixed dangerous for you than most people that they don’t have on their own People have different tolerances for different drugs, never just take a dosage that a friend may Never share needles. Ever. There are around 34 If taking prescription drugs, even the pill, double be using especially if they’re a regular user think about when you are using drugs. If you wake needle exchange services in the country currently, seek these out for safe fresh needles. up late after a night on the dance floor it may be Don’t take drugs from people you don’t know, at
Contacts
www.drugs.ie contains a range of information about drug services and information on drugs 1800 459 459 or helpline@hse.ie are free and confidential support services with questions around drugs or substance use as well as HIV and sexual health www.na-ireland.org is the website for Narcotics Anonymous Ireland for those suffering from substance addiction
11
MUSIC Festival Guide With January blues taking over it seems there’s nothing to look forward to but dark mornings, long lectures and treacherous footpaths. Summer is long gone and far away and the festive winter spirit is over once more. It’s not hard to see why January makes us feel down in the dumps but worry not, Byline is here with the answer to you January. Think it’s only the lukewarm summer months that play host to the best gigs and festivals, well think again! Whilst gigs and concerts are ten a penny across the country we thought festivals may be a little harder to come by but fear not, Cork is a city of culture, originality and creativity and one that refuses to let the rain dampen their spirits. With that in mind Byline took a look at two of Cork’s most unique festivals, both taking place across the same weekend.
Sofar Sounds - February 5th
Founded in 2010 and based in 206 cities around the world, Sofar Sounds is a global network of artists, hosts and guests bringing the magic back to live music. A Sofar gig is an intimate, invite-only performance event - the best new music played in unique spaces, to passionate audiences. Nights typically feature three acts of equal importance. There is no “opener” or “headliner”. Line-ups are hand-selected for talent, uniqueness and diversity. The line-up and venue are kept a secret until just before the show, so come ready to discover great new and local music! Many shows are recorded and uploaded to the Sofar YouTube channel, which now has over 25 million views. Sofar Dublin has become a huge success after launching last year, and is now coming to Cork and Galway in 2016. Sofar is nothing but original with tickets a thing of the past, focusing the music on real fans, not just those who can afford it. To attend one of the various Sofar gigs that will be held across Cork you can at https://www. sofarsounds.com/cork. A word of warning is, do not to be disappointed if you don’t get in right away as the Sofar crew work hard to ensure everyone can attend a performance. When you get invited, confirm that you’re going, then select your +1. All they ask in return is that audiences give 100% of their attention to the music with no talking or texting allowed during the performances. Tardiness is also a big no no so come on time and stay until the end and please, don’t be a latecomers as you probably won’t be admitted. Not only is Sofar Sounds for music lovers, but also new musicians and talent from across the city. To perform at Sofar the first thing you need to do is come to a show or two to get a feel for what they’re looking for and then apply via the website. The best thing about this festival is that genre is not important with all kinds of music and art welcome, both signed and unsigned! Not only can you attend and perform but Sofar are also looking for hosts with unique venues, so if you think your basement or barn is banging enough for a Sofar gig, get in touch!
12
Quarter Block Party - February 5-7th
Quarter Block Party, presented by Makeshift Ensemble and the Southern Hospitality Board is now in it’s second year and is host to a unique festival atmosphere of music and arts. This year the theme is “Youth and Revolution” and the aim is to create and develop exciting and groundbreaking work across the City’s historic quarter of North and South Main Streets. This three day festival has something for everyone with gigs in churches, pubs and clubs, pop up shops, street murals and talks and discussions on everything from food to mental health! Some of the highlights include Bitch Falcon, Meltybrains!, Lowlek, Donal Dineen and Cork’s very own Horse! As well as these, check out Rozi Plain, one quarter of This is the Kit who’ll be performing her own solo music. Just like any other festival weekend, day and individual tickets are all available and can be purchased from the box office at 2 Castle Street, Paradise Place, Cork from 12pm-4pm daily (excluding Sundays). Tickets also available on the door. And for the really poor student among us don’t fret as they’re also looking for volunteers for everything from box office, front of house, event stewards and marketing. If interested email volunteer@quarterblockparty.com .
EDITOR - HOLLY COONEY
MUSIC
Does Rock & Roll Still Exist? By Alan Murphy After the shocking departures of some favourite faces from the music world over the last few weeks, Alan Murphy pays tribute to a genre characterised by the music of the past. Taking a look at style and techniques it’s clear there has been a very definite shift over the years from blues riffs to computer beats so the question emerges as to whether “authentic” rock and roll is still alive and kicking. It can certainly be argued that commercial rock music has made significant changes in the last twenty to thirty years and many of these changes have abandoned the authentic and creative aspects both musically and lyrically that it once possessed. The diversity amongst rock’s biggest bands like ACDC, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Steely Dan, The Eagles, The Beatles etc all had unique sounds which fused many different genres and musical techniques together to create a very distinct sound. In terms of today’s most popular rock and roll acts, many of them have a very simple and watered down musical stature lacking the drive, raw and creative appeal those bands in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s all had.
One of the key aspects of rock music that has been declining in more recent years for me is the focus on lead guitar. The absence of strong emphasis on guitar solos and pure guitar tones has been eroded and been replaced by the more digital sounding guitars of today’s commercial rock world. The blistering guitar solos that were so popular within commercial rock music from the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Slash from Guns and Roses, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, Joe Satriani etc appeared to have lost their appeal from rock fans and record producers. Most guitar bands from Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” released in the early 70’s up to Nirvana’s “Nevermind” released in the early 90’s have always had a strong emphasis on the electric guitar, Bass and drums, whether it was a heavy yet pure and refreshing riff in “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or a catchy delay and reverb orientated Floyd sound in “Time”, there was a strong focus on a raw and authentic sound without the feeling of over production that in my opinion has created a deterioration in new, creative and appealing rock and roll. I’m not saying that these bands have not experimented with common production techniques such as overdubbing and high levels of audio layering but not to the same extent as today’s commercial bands who have an over-reliance on digitalized production that’s causing a decline in natural musical creativity and innovation.
Ex Soundgarden and Audioslave guitarist and vocalist Chris Cornell talks about the curse that technology has had on popular music. Cornell explains that music today is too accessible and as a result is affecting the originality and authentic aspects of artists and bands. Cornell states “They’re making music on iPhones. Everything’s fractured. The reason there’s no modern day Shakespeare is because he didn’t have anything to do except sit in a room with a candle and think.” Cornell’s view would suggest that within music industry there is now an over reliance on technology that contrasts with artists in the 70’s for example whose reliance would be on the instruments they play which now appears to be in decline. In the 70’s and 80’s radio stations consisted heavily on not just rock but instrumented music that was popular amongst the masses but now because of technology and a shift in what big record labels are looking for that is commercially acceptable, this type of music has suffered heavily. If you turn on Red FM or 96 Fm these days for example, every song that seems to be played is an overproduced, unoriginal and technologically driven sound which has no real appreciation of musical instruments and the variation that comes with it. Even the biggest so-called popular rock bands like Coldplay, Snow Patrol and Maroon 5 have very little emphasis on the musicianship of their songs that popular bands such as The Police had in the 1980’s. Instead we hear these bands collaborating with Dj’s and rappers who all seem to have a common digitalized computerized sound that lacks the raw and emotional edge that previous artists and bands once possessed. In short, rock and roll has changed, and drastically so, so much so that is it even fair that we call it rock and roll anymore?
13
FILM & TELEVISION Movies, Movies, Violence & Gratuity by Colm Connolly I like violence in movies. It never bothered me, which is surprising because I’m so anxiety prone most my hair has fallen out and I’m one of the few severely balding 19 year olds on campus. I never have an issue with Tarantino’s shoot em up’s (it’s his dialogue and recurring use of 70’s music I take issue with). However, there is a film which, when I saw it, not only made me analyse the way that we all view movie violence, but every aspect of violence on the screen, including media coverage of the many violent occurrences in our time. The Film was Michael Haneke’s “Funny Games” (1997) We have become pretty much immune to becoming too upset over a murder or even murders on screen. It just doesn’t bother us that much, it’s part of the story line. Who the hell wants to see a film without killing? I challenge people to watch “Funny Games”(if you can get through it that is) and try to feel less uncomfortable than I do when I have to try chat up girls. The premise is simple; two young men dressed in white tennis gear break into a bourgeois country home, and then proceed for no apparent reason to torture the two parents and their young son. The main intruder, Paul, frequently breaks the fourth wall, at one stage looking at the viewer
and winking, alerting us to the fact that he can see us watching these horrors. He assures us that he will allow the victims a chance to escape but will have them killed. It truly is a chilling experience. I remember sitting watching it on my own and praying for a chance to help these people. Watching loads of men murdered in any of the Mad Max films never bothered me, but even a laying of a hand on one of the captive people in this film sent me into shivers. Each movie cliché is exposed (at one point, Paul rewinds the film to ensure the mother doesn’t escape like she does originally). It is a totally different experience to any other movie I have seen. Everybody needs to see this film, film buffs and non-film buffs alike, because I read “Funny Games” as going beyond movie violence. We’ve been watching wars on telly from Vietnam through to the gulf and Iraq wars (we liked them so much they gave us new series of them!!). In a world where mass murder is frequently in the headline news, whether it be Syria, Palestine or another US mass shooting, “Funny Games’ show how much tolerance we have for observing violence on screen, whether it be a cinema screen, TV set or smartphone. Are we adapting to the presence of violence on our screens? Will
our kids carry a gene and become biologically predisposed to being immune to onscreen violence. Let’s call a spade a spade, The Paris attacks bothered us because it was too close to home, it could have happened to us. It wasn’t as detached from us, and we began to get the shivers. Drawing a comparison may be over the top, but I feel “Funny Games” does just that. It brings the violence close to home. The viewer is made accountable for watching such horrors, and we know that they could easily have happened to us. There isn’t a rhetoric to suggest that realising our immunity to onscreen violence will make us change the world, and I don’t expect anybody’s life to change after watching this film, but it will fascinate you. It will show you that the psychopathic trait of lack of empathy exists in all of us when we watch movies and the news. Of course, we’re not totally heartless, we are genuinely bothered by a lot of situations we see worldwide, but has screen violence lessened it? I likened “Funny Games to eating meat (sorry Morrissey). I like meat, just like the way I like violence in movies. Doesn’t bother me. I eat a steak without a whimper, along with a nice burger. But I forget about the violence that goes into eating meat. An animal is murdered, sliced
up, and served up cooked and flavoured to take it away from its original horrific s t a t e . “Funny Games” makes you watch the killing of the animal, it makes you accountable for the slicing up, and it doesn’t allow the nice taste and flavour to detach you. It points fingers. Haneke made the film in response to what he saw as the disgusting exploitation of violence by the media. Many critics have issues with it. Mark Kermode, usually a gore fan, disliked its way of making him feel like a naughty schoolboy throughout. Haneke went on to remake the film shot for shot in the US, which I have yet to see (haven’t the guts really). It’s not the best shot film, the acting is weird, the direction is clumpy and the tone is horrifying, but I never ever forgot the sensation that “Funny Games” made me feel, even weeks after my viewing of it. You may not feel it changes your views, you may not even be affected by it, but you will realise that in an age where everybody will not stop using their smartphones, where Netflix is in our rooms and cinema reels us in with its violent action movies, we are becoming more and more detached from our real sentiments.
Ranking Tarantino’s Films - Aoife Gleeson 5. Kill Bill: Volume 1 Kill Bill: Volume 1 bursts with Tarantino’s love for pop culture reference and homage in the most magnetic, and borderline goofy, way possible. The Bride’s showdown with the Crazy 88, Gogo Yubari and O-Ren Ishii are some of Tarantino’s most iconic scenes and the soundtrack is an absolute classic.
14
4. Django Unchained The story of a former slave’s search for revenge and his wife, Django is a classic mostly because of Leonardo DiCaprio’s eccentric turn as Calvin Candie, a memorable soundtrack that fused modern rap and Old
West music, a hilarious KKK scene, and Django’s unforgettable powder blue suit. Asides from Tarantino’s absolutely atrocious Australian accent, Django is an amazingly enjoyable revenge fantasy from beginning to end.
3. Reservoir Dogs This was the original: Where Tarantino’s flair for pop culture dialogue, fantastic soundtracks and squirm-inducing violence first became evident. His newer films lack conversations with the same irreverent pop as the ‘Like A Virgin’ diner conversation and the diamond heist, plus the ensemble behind it, creates a much tauter film that his more modern offerings.
2. Inglourious Basterds Tarantino films are a pantheon of escapist, guilty pleasure violence and nowhere is this more evident than in Inglourious Basterds. After all, no one can feel bad about brutally murdering Nazis. With an incredible ensemble (notably Christopher Waltz’s magnetically menacing villain), a ridiculously entertaining caper to kill Hitler and one of the most satisfying alternative history endings ever, it’s an amazing ride.
1. Pulp Fiction Pulp Fiction is everything Tarantino at its very best: irreverent, tangential conversations; a
fantastic soundtrack; intersecting story motifs and random bursts of violence. Almost every scene is so iconic, and so very, very quotable. Your nightmares after the ‘Bring out the gimp’ scene are definitely worth it.
EDITOR - OLIVIA BROWN
FILM & TV
Awards Season by Zoe Fitzpatrick It’s the time of year when the best of the best of Hollywood’s come out, dust off their finest attire and get themselves dolled up to the nines. The rest of us mere mortals of the world are glued to our screens for updates on whether Leonardo DiCaprio won anything (he did), what Lupita Nyongo is wearing and if anyone has managed to pronounce Saoirse Ronan’s name right yet - apparently it rhymes with “inertia”. These occurrences combined could only mean one thing - awards season!
which was narrowly missed by Saoirse Ronan, was Brie Larson for “Room”. The standard for male nominees was extremely high, with Leondardo DiCaprio winning Best Actor for his performance in “The Revenant”. It remains to be seen if the same will happen at the Oscars! Other notable winners on the night were Jennifer Lawrence under “Best performance in a Comedy or Musical” for “Joy”, Lady Gaga for “American Horror Story: Hotel” (her first award for acting) and Taraji P. Henson for “Empire.”
Starting off this awards season was the Golden Globes, in early January, when everyone from Zendaya Coleman to Lady Gaga flocked to the red carpet in their finest. The winner of the Best Actress award,
The highly anticipated Academy Awards are due to take place at the end of February, and much can be expected of that night. The all-round favourite to win “Best Actor” is Leonardo DiCaprio, although it will
be a tough race between him and Eddie Redmayne for “The Danish Girl”. Another highly anticipated category is “Best Actress” with Brie Larson as the favourite to win but of course there’s huge support here for Saoirse! “The Revenant” is predicted to win numerous awards, including “Best Cinematography” and “Best Motion Picture” - although there will be competition here from the historical “Bridge of Spies”. Some other favourites are “Inside Out” for “Best Animated Feature Film” , “Amy” for “Best Documentary Feature” ,and “Cinderella” for “Best Costume Design” . Lady Gaga and Diane Warren’s “’Til it Happens to You” from “The Hunting Ground” is also a predicted winner for “Best Original Song”, with competition from Sam Spectre’s “Writing’s on
the Wall” among other nominations. More highly anticipated than all the nominations is, of course, the red carpet - and I can’t wait to see what it has in store!
A Legacy For The Ages by Zoe Fitzpatrick This month marks the passing of a film and stage legend - Alan Rickman. Throughout his life Rickman made a huge impact on audiences, playing some of the most iconic roles there are in cinema. From Colonel Brandon, to Severus Snape, to Eamonn De Valera; Rickman gave every role his all, the more complex the better. Alan Rickman originally found his feet as an actor on stage, starring as Valmont in the stage adaptation of “Les Liaisons Dangereuses”, the cynical Jacques in “As You Like It” and Anthony, in “Anthony and Cleopatra” opposite Helen Mirren in the Olivier Theatre, London. He worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and over the course of his theatre career also found recognition as a director. His performance as Valmot is said to have “elevated him to star status”, earning him praise in London and New York, and leading to a long and successful career in both theatre and film as a result. At the age of 42 Rickman, who had never performed on the big screen before, was cast as the unforgettable villain Hans Gruber in the “Die Hard” films. As well as standing out in the series as the best villain, Rickman’s talent and standard of acting redefined what it meant to play a villain in this genre. Rickman had uncountable other successes in this genre, amongst them his betrayal of Emma Thompson as Harry, a disloyal, implied cheating husband in “Love Actually”, and the heartbreaking story of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films. While he went seven films
turning audiences against Snape, all it took was one scene in the final film to evoke their sympathy in a story of loss and heartbreak. Alan Rickman has played an uncountable amount of successful, memorable roles throughout his career. His final two films are to be released this year - “Alice through the Looking Glass” and “Eye In The Sky” and his legacy will undoubtedly live on through this outstanding work.
1946-2016
15