P
U
PULP
L
P
“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” Oscar Wilde
FRONT SECTION 5 FEATURES l4 SHOUT OUTS 2O REVIEWS 28
The colour scheme is fuckin’ brown Everywhere in chicken town, The fuckin’ pubs are fuckin’ dull The fuckin’ clubs are fuckin’ full of fuckin’ girls and fuckin’ guys with fuckin’ murder in their eyes, A fuckin’ bloke gets fuckin’ stabbed waitin’ for a fuckin’ cab, You fuckin’ stay at fuckin’ home, The fuckin’ neighbours fuckin’ moan, Keep the fuckin’ racket down This is fuckin’ chicken town The fuckin’ pies are fuckin’ old, The fuckin’ chips are fuckin’ cold, The fuckin’ beer is fuckin’ flat, The fuckin’ flats have fuckin’ rats, The fuckin’ clocks are fuckin’ wrong The fuckin’ days are fuckin’ long, It fuckin’ gets you fuckin’ down Evidently chicken town John Cooper-Clarke Control
welcome to PULP
Philip Seymour Hoffman On February 2nd, 2014, the world lost a profound artist. A man who bravely explored the catacombs of the hurt, the exiled and the misunderstood with his signature touch of honest, humour and compassion. an actor who never had a single dishonest moment on camera’ ; Caleb Slain “I’m very, very saddened by the passing of Phil. He was a wonderful actor. This is one of those times where you say: ‘This just shouldn’t be’,” ; Robert DeNiro “It was a real shock. We were always in touch... he demanded respect, he had a quiet, friendly attitude to his work. “This event I believe to be misadventure.” “He was on a list of mine as an actor to work with and hoped to be directing. “He had that little bit of danger to him and vulnerability to him, all those qualities that I think make somebody watchable and very special.” Gary Oldman; “A tragedy to lose as supremely talented an actor as Philip Seymour Hoffman. An unspeakable loss for film, theatre & all who knew him. RIP.” Kevin Spacey
PULP’S TOP 5 FILMS ABOUT MUSICIANS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walk The Line (2005).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Who? Johnny Cash. Starring? Joaquin Phoenix (Johnny Cash) Reese Witherspoon (June Carter). Rating? 8/10. An in-depth story of the life of Johnny Cash, from his journey to fame and his struggles with drug addiction, fidelity and love.
8 Mile (2002).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Who? Eminem. Starring? Marshall Mathers (Eminem). Kim Basinger (Eminem’s mum). Rating? 7/10 8 Mile reflects the everyday trials and tribulations Eminem faced living within Detroit’s infamous gang culture, where violent battles ran alongside MC battles.
Control (2007).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Who? Ian Curtis and Joy Division. Starring? Sam Riley (Ian Curtis). James Anthony (Bernard Sumner). Harry Treadaway (Steve Morris). Rating? 8/10 This biography of Ian Curtis’s life shows his battle with epilepsy, drug addiction and depression, which led to his suicide.
Almost Famous (2000).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Who? Lester Bangs. Starring? Philip Seymour Hoffman (Lester Bangs). Rating? 8/10 Set in 1973, this film focuses on music journalism at its peak, as a young aspiring music journalist is taken under the literary wing of Lester Bangs.
The Runaways (2010).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Who? Joan Jett and The Runaways. Starring? Kristen Stewart (Joan Jett). Dakota Fanning (Cherie Currie). Rating? 6/10 Based on 70s rockers The Runaways, this film documents two girls chasing their dream of becoming a successful all-female rock band.
Greatest Film Soundtrack Moments, EVER --------------------------------------------------------------------Six
The Royal Tenenbaums- Elliot Smith- Needle in the Hay -------------------------------------------Elliot Smith’s sombre vocals make this scene the most haunting of Wes Anderson’s, and possibly the twee-est display of suicide in films to date.
Pretty In Pink- Otis Redding- Try a Little Tenderness -------------------------------------------John Cryer’s charm had every his rambunctious charisma as he
Molly Ringwald-wannabe swooning over mimes along to this soul-ridden classic.
Control- Joy Division- Love Will Tear Us Apart -------------------------------------------Sam Riley’s phenomenal portrayal of Ian Curtis is at it’s utmost as ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ bellows in the background and the film musters a mournful turn.
Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind- Beck- Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometimes -------------------------------------------
Beck’s is a
remarkable approach superb squire for the
to elated yet melancholy finale of such a passionate
ambience narrative.
The Life Aquatic- Devo- Gut Feeling -------------------------------------------Wes Anderson has a way with soundtracks that ineluctably propels two of his finest moments into this list. The moment ‘Gut Feeling’ creeps in is an exquisite example of his flair.
Trainspotting- Underworld- Born Slippy -------------------------------------------One of the most highly acclaimed film soundtrack moments of all time, Trainspotting’s final scene undoubtedly fills every 90s Hacienda-goer with ecstasy-induced memories.
“When I’m no longer rapping, I want to open up an ice cream parlour and call myself Scoop Dogg.”Snoop Dogg _____________________ There are thousands of ways to die in films, some go in a valiant fashion, some go down pulling on them heart strings, some go with a sigh of relief and some just plain nasty. We will not be looking at these type of deaths, but at the god awful ones that have never been nominated for anything worth a mention, actually the deaths to be discussed have not been nominated for anything but we at PULP felt that these were the ones that needed some recognition due to their extremely third-rate nature. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hard Ticket To Hawaii (1987) This lovely bit of cheese from the high waisted 80’s comes in at the top spot because it’s death by frisbee. Two competitive frisbee lovers go at it hard (playing frisbee....) and then bang, a deadly frisbee to the jugular.
Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (1978) This could be arguable for the number one spot with some unfortunate man getting his arse kicked by some martial arts master, but one move in particular kills off the poor bloke, the deadly cock shot. That’s right, he get’s cock shotted and dies very shortly after.
NEWS THAT ISN’T ----------------------------------------------Two people in Japan think Godzilla is TOO fat In New Film The original New York terror ‘Godzilla’ is still stirring up a ruckus 60 years after his debut film in 1954, but not for tearing down buildings and killing U.S citizens, he’s being pumping a little too much iron and the Japanese ain’t happy about it. The new release of Godzilla (16th May) has caused a little controversy within the iconic mon-
ster fan-base, the new CGI giant has turned the heads of Japanese film fans claiming the mythological creature as ‘super sized’ when compared to the original. Here’s what director Gareth Edwards had to say on the subject. “I feel really bad because I know Godzilla reads the forums. He’s already got an image complex and he’s a really
lonely guy. If people want to see him in a sequel, we need to learn to accept him the way he is.”Gareth Edwards Edwards in a more serious manner goes on to say that the new movie will be more for the “big kids” relating to the 1945 Hiroshima atomic bombing, of which ‘Godzilla’ was originally an metaphor for, just nine years
after the bombing. The new film will be featuring the “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Canston, oscar nominees Sally Hawkins (Layer Cake, Blue Jasmin), Ken Watanabe (Inception, Batman Begins) and Juliette Binoche (Three Colors: Blue).
Mark Mothersbaugh to Release Pin Badge Sets
D
evo’s Mark Mothersbaugh is set to release a limited selection of Pin Badges. The badges, entitled ‘The Visual Art of Mark Mothersbaugh’, are limited to 300 and are designed by Mothersbaugh himself. They feature the imagery from his ‘Postcard Diaries’, a collection of postcards he designed to send to his friends and
family, and were originally made to sell at his art gallery tours in 2007 and 2008. Additionally, there has been a limited amount of pin badges featuring Motherbaugh’s ‘ B e a u t i f u l M u t a n t s ’ photograph collection. “The photographs in this show were corrected in order to examine those who have walked the planet before us”
Mothersbaugh states on his website, “Old photographs were ‘corrected’ using a combination of both antiquarian hand-crafting and modern c o m p u t e r technology.” Mothersbaugh has recently taken on a considerable amount of work, having been the primary composer of Wes Anderson’s latest film ‘The Grand
Budapest Hotel’ and releasing new music with his band Devo. The badges are a delightful sideproject that both Devo and Wes Anderson fans can enjoy. The individually handstamped sets will be available in packs of 4 for $15.00 and Mothersbaugh affirms he has no intention of having them r e - m a d e .
BORING AS HELL -------------------------------------------------------------Star Wars: VII Filming has begun, on the long awaited Star Wars: Episode VII. On may 16th, American prod ucti on company ‘Bad Robot’, founded by Episode 7’s director, J.J. Abrams, tweeted an on set picture of a slate clapper board bearing the film’s archaic title. Speaking to Radio 4’s Front Row show, actor, Oscar
Isaac who’s role in the film is still as yet unknown, told how “The whole process is under way. We’re shooting in the studios here in London.” After admitting he was on strict orders to reveal very little about the film. Other actors newly confirmed for the film, are Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, who will work alongside
returning stars Mark Hamill (Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Leia) and Harrison Ford (Han Solo). This news followed the news that Andy Serkis would appear in the film. Serkis, speaking at the X-Men: Days of Future Past premiere, d e s c r i b e d the script as ‘Beautiful”, and let on no more, admittedly also
on strict directions not to disclose information about the long awaited production. J.J Abrams earlier Star Wars films were met with criticism by devout fans, accusing the director of succumbing to the needs and wants of a Hollywood b l o c k b u s t e r. Will his new offering appease the hoards?
Cohen Brothers Announce ‘Hail Ceasar’ as Next Film The Coen brothers have announced that they are putting together their next film, titled ‘Hail Caesar’. It is a comedy about a fixer in 1950s Hollywood whose job is to keep the reputation of its stars clean. The protagonist has been confirmed as Eddie Mannix and is allegedly based on the life of Fred Otash - a
Hollywood private investigator and ex-cop in the ‘50s. Otash worked for Confidential magazine and had the duty of controlling how the film stars were represented in the media. He did this by ensuring that any scandals or opportunities for journalists to write negatively about them were
prevented by any means necessary. This meant privately investigating Hollywood stars via wiretapping and invasion of privacy. He was hired by Peter Lawford to investigate Marilyn Monroe. This latest project from the duo, who produced Inside Llewyn Davis, has been on the agenda for the last ten years. It
was
previously
going to focus on a group of theatre actors in the 1920s. George Clooney is rumoured to be starring as the main character. He has also been casted in previous Coen films O Brother and Where Art Thou.
“I never cared so much about making perfect sense. I wanted to make perfect nonsense. I wanted to tell jokes, but I didn’t give a fuck about the punchline.” Harmony Korine
P
U
L
P
Herein lie four of the greatest, most undeniably emphatic speeches ever to grace the commercial silver screen, these benevolent offerings, are the reason films exist, the reason we comstantly live vicariously through our imaginary heroes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------If there is hope, it lies in the proles. If they could become conscious of their own strength, there would be no need to conspire. History does not matter to them. It was three years ago on a dark evening. Easy to slip the patrols, and I’d gone into the proletarian areas. There was no one else on the street, and no tele-screens. She said: ‘Two dollars,’ so I went with her. She had a young face, painted very thick. It was really the paint that appealed to me: the whiteness of it like a mask, and the bright red lips. (She hiked up her skirt) There were no preliminaries. Standing there with the scent of dead insects and cheap perfume, I went ahead and did it just the same. (1984/1984) Well, maybe it’s like Casy says. A fella ain’t got a soul of his own - just a little piece of a big soul. The one big soul that belongs to everybody...Then it don’t matter. I’ll be all around in the dark. I’ll be everywhere - wherever you can look. Wherever there’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever there’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there. I’ll be in the way guys yell when they’re mad. I’ll be in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry and they know supper’s ready. And when the people are eatin’ the stuff they raise, and livin’ in the houses they build, I’ll be there, too. (The Grapes of Wrath/1940) You read the Bible, Brett?...Well, there’s this passage I got memorized. Sort of fits this occasion. Ezekiel 25:17. ‘The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee!’ (Pulp Fiction/1994) With the coming of the Second World War, many eyes in imprisoned Europe turned hopefully, or desperately, toward the freedom of the Americas. Lisbon became the great embarkation point. But, not everybody could get to Lisbon directly, and so a tortuous, roundabout refugee trail sprang up - Paris to Marseilles... across the Mediterranean to Oran... then by train, or auto, or foot across the rim of Africa, to Casablanca in French Morocco. Here, the fortunate ones through money, or influence, or luck, might obtain exit visas and scurry to Lisbon; and from Lisbon, to the New World. But the others wait in Casablanca... and wait... and wait... and wait. (Casablanca/1942)
1928- NOAH’S ARK
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1928’s cinematic feature Noah’s Ark, administrated by cult director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, Mildred Pierce) was the spark in the ignition for the 1929 stunt safety regulations in film, which in the long run has most likely saved a few fortunate, unassuming actors from an untimely death on set. This was not for a free cost though, three actors had drowned whilst shooting the grand finale flooding scene during the film and many injured, one of which was Dolores Costello the so-called “Goddess of the Silent Screen”and in a more present and relative sense, Drew Barrymore’s Grandmother. Costello was succumbed to a perilous case of pneumonia, with many others receiving cuts, wounds and broken bones (including an up and coming John Wayne aged 21) with one ill-fated extra having to endure a leg amputation due to such critical injuries. 1936- THE CHARGE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Michael Curtiz is once again the subject of drastic changes within the safety of early film with The Charge of the Light Brigade released in 1936. On account of the use of trip wires with these preliminary films a shameful 125 horses (usually the outcasts of racing) were trip-wired, and 25 horses suffered broken legs which had to be put down due to the inoperable nature of a horses broken leg. The horses weren’t the only unfortunate members to suffer from the inadequate safety regulations, an un-named extra fell from one of these doomed nags and landed on an unfortunately placed sword, this was to be a short and gruesome end to his acting career, and also his life. Due to the amount of horses trip-wired and killed unnecessarily, this film was never to be featured in cinemas again unlike any other of Warner Brothers “classics”. 1956- THE CONQUORER ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Howard Hughes, producer of action packed 1956 film The Conquerer probably couldn’t have picked a worse spot to shoot one of the worst indirect set disasters in the history of film, no more than 130 miles from Nevada, USA where the atom bomb was being tested. Out of around 220 people, a staggering 91 had become infected with a form of cancer including the set-disaster prone John Wayne who died of the ill thought out cause along with many other of the film recruitments. Although it is not certain that this catastrophic situation was caused by dangerously high radio-active levels, over three times the average were taken ill with the cold-hearted killer and would seem a tad coincidental. 1994- ENTER THE DRAGON ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Brandon Lee, son of martial arts master and legend Bruce Lee who’s film career also led to his untimely death during work on Enter The Dragon on 9th May 1973. Director Alex Proyas was in the final stages of shooting the film where Brandon’s film persona Eric Draven gets shot by his film nemesis and nefarious villain Funboy. During the scene the handgun pumped out a shell which had unknowingly been lodged in the barrel, this hit Brandon in the abdomen at the speed of a normal bullet around 700 to 1200mph causing his to die shortly after in the hospital.
MACUMENTARY: Currently fashioning the crown of bedroom pop, Mac Demarco is caressing everyone with his charismatic charm and the smell of summer. That jingling summer pop that your next door neighbour’s been playing at every barbecue is inevitably Mac Demarco’s new album ‘Salad Days’, and the looppedal infused surf-rock that your dad taps his foot to every time it’s on the radio is undoubtedly his new single ‘Let My Baby Stay’. He’s strutting down the catwalk of the music industry, exposing body parts and impersonating a ‘poverty-stricken white trash’ attire yet ceaselessly spending his earnings on lobster banquets and antique reel-to-reels. His ‘Macumentary’, a documentary presenting his envy-inducing lifestyle, is a 30-minute insight into his bedroom-based recording studio and his undying love for his girlfriend. The documentary sees the band tackle a spread of oysters and champagne whilst bantering and explaining the ways of the music industry with more irony than most Americans can comprehend. But what is it about Mac Demarco that’s making every every music fan
deranged with adoration for his smooth, dreamy pop? His band members, a 4-man troop of immaculately trimmed moustaches and backwards caps, possess a magnetism in their comical charm. The bassist renders an essence of idiocy with his Keith Lemon-esque appearance and his words are drenched in wit and foolery. Not one serious word slips from any of their mouths in the documentary, validating that Mac Demarco doesn’t take the industry seriouslyan endearing trait that not enough bands seize. At only 24, he has built an impressive fanbase that’s financially feeding the lifestyle every boy of his age dreams of. Recently releasing a limited edition of vinyl subscriptions, whereby fans can pay £100 to receive monthly 7” singles of Demarco’s songs, he’s garnering dollars and applause like a chimp at the zoo. Furthermore, to add to his accelerated celebrity lifestyle, his friends are an accumulation of superstars in American dream-pop. Sky Ferreira and her boyfriend Zachary Smith, lead singer of the band Diiv, are often seen inducing carnage with Demarco, as well as Marnie Stern, her dog and
the boys from Beach Fossils. They’re a dream-pop mafia successfully dominating the American underground music scenes with their greasy hair and gap teeth, playing shows together and throwing pool parties like the A-list celebrities but with less paparazzi thirsty for gossip and hiding in the bushes. Despite his glorified lifestyle and celebrity friends, Demarco’s charm is his holy grail- an accession of idiosyncrasies that have girls swooning and every 24 year old drowning in jealousy. Without spitting ironically idiotic comments like “you don’t get expresso machines in the f***ing woods do you Bon Iver” and his vivacious energy that is ceaselessly bouncing on stages around the world, Mac Demarco would struggle in such a challenging industry. Luckily for him, he’s fundamentally grasping the music industry by the balls with his effortlessly polished 12”s and alluring behaviour. Let’s hope it lasts.
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2014: All film lovers will know that Cannes 67th Film Festival is currently taking place at the Palais des Festivals de des Congres, France. This annual event welcomes all the big names in film around the globe to preview all the new up and coming films over the space of eleven days, from all genres, from all countries. This year some big names in film that will be making an appearance include the on-screen lovers Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Ryan Gosling. This iconic festival raises the profile of films, giving smaller works the chance to be recognised. Each year, professionals from the film industries around the world form a jury who decide who wins the Palme d’Or award the highest prize awarded at Cannes. Last year the Palme d’Or was given to French-produced film Blue Is the Warmest Colour. This award was created in 1955 to replace the Grand Prix du festival.
New Zealand film-maker Jane Campion has been appointed as president of the jury this year, following on from Steven Spielberg in 2013. She is the first woman since 2009 to have this role. Joining her on the jury will be Sofia Coppola, Gael Garcia Bernal, Willem Dafoe and Nicolas Winding Refn. The international aspect of Festival de Cannes is one of the most important elements of this event. Every film that is selected comes from a variety of countries and the festival is a huge part of the media at this time of year around the world. This means that countries that produce films can pitch the talent of their cinema to many other countries, creating international awareness for their films. Director of Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Fremaux, says the core values are “a passion for cinema, the discovery of new talent, and the bringing together of professionals and journalists from around the world”.
The festival first began in the late 1930s when Jean Zay, the French minister of national education, organised an international cinematographic festival. His aim was to start a cultural event in order to compete against the Venice Film Festival. Since then it has gradually progressed in to the prestigious event it is now recognised as today, costing around 20 million euros to launch every year. It started to attract attention in the 1950s when film legends Kirk Douglas and Grace Kelly made an appearance. Cannes Film Festival celebrates the art of film and cinema with glamour and style every year, allowing entry to people with an invite only. Over the last 67 years since its first ever launch it has gained international publicity and a very highly respected status. The most admirable part of this event is its intent to bring cultures and nations together to celebrate one of the world’s best accomplishments - film.
“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.� George Orwell
P
U
L
P
Should Walt Disney just Fuck off? W
alt Disney is unarguably one of the biggest film production company’s of the 20th and 21st century, and rightly so. It’s un-questionable that Walt Disney Pictures have brought out some pioneering classics like The Jungle Book (1967), Alice’s Wonderland (1928), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) among many other family household classics. Classics that have shaped childhoods for the last few generations. With all this being said, what has Walt Disney Pictures brought out since The Jungle Book (1967) which has had as much impact on childhoods as such a film? The first Pirates of the Caribbean film was a big hit with seemingly everyone, Johnny Depp’s love of whiskey and drunken charm captured the love of many film goers at the time, but then three (soon to be four) more films came out, feelings turned and Captain Jack Sparrow became a predictable pirate with a bad drinking problem. This wouldn’t be the first time Disney have rinsed films for all that they are worth, for instance “Oz the great and Powerful” as the sequel to the classic 1939 film
“The Wizard of Oz” adds a little unneeded tarnish to the title and does no justice to the original. Walt Disney have also brought out a trilogy of films with all of them equally as bad as the next, spawning a new wave of annoying children trends, a trilogy of films called “High School Musical”. If musicals weren’t cheesy enough, add the location to an American school with woeful banter, overtlyenthusiastic/nice school children, chiche fist pumps and High School Musical is spawned out of the fiery depths of hell. Here’s what one Disney fan had to say on the current level of quality within all these new films and TV shows. “It’s as if they ask Mickey Mouse to put on his Fantasia hat, eat glitter then shit out script for them.”- KooboriSaphire Well there it is, KooboriSaphire can’t be too far off the mark there. You can dress up a turd with glitter all you want but at the end of the day, it’s just a glitter laden turd. The exact same formulas are being used in the TV shows on the Disney Channel, give some adolescent a super power
and then keep it secret from everyone (except that one guy who always finds out).... Or else Disney might be in jeopardy of creating something even slightly original for the first time in years!! Disney have also been slammed for dumbing down their TV shows to create mind-numbingly standard story plots. These including characters with an aggravating sense of eccentricity, goofy voices and pestilent one liners followed by a laugh found more commonly on the (stereotypically doltish) American redneck. Opinions differ though and with being one of, if not the biggest film production company’s it has a monolithic fan-base and here’s what one hardcore fan had to say on a blog about the poor quality of the Disney channel. “Disney has not made one fucking bad thing and you are not on this to fucking insult disney”elsaicequeen1 Tastes differ, but when it comes down to it Disney have gone far far away from their iconic early years and doesn’t show any sign of coming back.
Why Remakes are Cool. E
very year a remake of a famous film is released in cinemas and the reaction is always an uproar of criticisms before its even hit the screens. The responses usually go something along the lines of: “Remakes just ruin a good movie”, “What’s the point? We all know the storyline anyway” etc. But why can’t a remake be as good as the original? With all the new technology and filming techniques we have discovered in the last ten years, surely a remake of a film from the 50s is bound to be better now? Stephen King’s first novel Carrie was created into a film in 1976 and is one of the most iconic horror movies of all time. It follows the life of a young girl with telekinetic powers, whose mother is a strictly religious psychopath. It ends with... well, you know the drill. Last year this film was subjected to a remake by Kimberly Pierce, which was just as good as the original. It captures exactly what school life would be like for 1976 Carrie in the 21st century. But unfortunately technology led
to the humiliating start of her woman hood becoming engraved in history, to be played over and over, rather than a fleeting moment of embarrassment. Admittedly, there are some remakes that were just a ghastly waste of time, such as Wickerman, but despite their reputation for being terrible, everybody rushes out to see this year’s new remake. No matter how much we claim to hate them, we all love watching a remake of a classic film because we can see what actors are playing the original characters. Are they better or worse? What scenes have they changed or cut out? The 1976 Carrie, directed by Brian De Palma, featured some of the biggest names in film, such as John Travolta. It received great ratings from the word go, but its rival remake gave this classic a run for its money. Some important differences in the film starts with the sinister opening scene. In the original it goes straight to the shower scene, but Pierce’s version shows where Carrie’s life began - in
the basement of her mother’s house. The amount of airtime momma White has is significantly different. But with Julianne Moore as Margaret White this was expected. Her skin-crawling acts of self-harm are also far more vicious in the remake, with her scratching and jabbing at herself until she draws blood on numerous occasions. Another major difference is Carrie’s attitude towards her mother. In the 1976 version, even at home she is a timid girl who is pushed around by her mum, but not this time. Carrie has moments where she calls the shots, with a scene where she throws her mum into ‘the cupboard’ telekinetically. Pierce has managed to pull-off a great remake, intensifying the violence and making use of the ability we have to produce mindblowing special effects. She has created classic characters of 21st century film, with Chris as the ‘Regina George’ of horror film. Carrie 2013 has shown film critics that remakes can be successful.
The Punk Singer T
he taboo that surrounds the lack of women in media has become an unwelcome topic in the eyes of both the music and film industries. You’ll find magazine editors frantically searching for mild misogyny in the reviews they are sent and screenwriters ridden with guilt for not including a female lead role in their up-coming film. Yet these actions shouldn’t be chores to keep consumers happy, they shouldn’t be letting these things happen in the first place. Journalists and filmmakers should be aware of the oppression women musicians and actors deal with without having to find out from their enraged twitter followers. Recently there has been an abundance of music magazines abruptly clamping down on the mild sexism that journalists still seem to let ‘slip out’ after readers have pointed it out. However, misogyny isn’t something that should ‘slip through’ as though it were an innocuous typo. Nevertheless, the point isn’t that we should stop misogyny being printed; we
should be abandoning the idea of misogyny in media altogether. The shortage of female daytime radio DJs has been reductively concluded with the concept that ‘listeners prefer male voices’ which, despite its alarmingly sexist intent, summoned not half the uproar that it deserved. Furthermore, the outrageously misogynistic content that the radio provides us with would make the late Virginia Woolf scream from the grave. Dare I utter the lyrics of Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’? Allowing such vulgarity to be aired, let alone become one of the biggest selling singles of last year, is an embarrassing attribute that the media possesses. However, remarks that fall from the lips of artists such as Lily Allen spawn insanity among journalists. Her “we don’t need feminism” announcement saw every journalist throw their palm to their forehead before racing to their computer to tell the world about the ill-advised Allen. Everyone with a small dose of common sense will agree
that Lilly Allen’s comment is senseless, but it looks as though these people are sitting back and letting Pussy Riot repeatedly put themselves behind bars for us. ‘A Punk Prayer’, the Pussy Riot documentary that was released last year, had little to no circulation. It was aired only at independent cinemas or streamed from people’s bedrooms. This is a harrowing concept as it suggests feminism is a ‘niche’. Additionally, ‘The Punk Singer’, a featurelength documentary on Kathleen Hanna, is being screened this Friday (9th May) at 71a Gallery in London. Events like this provide us with some hope that feminism is flourishing; nevertheless, the importance of Bikini Kill in the rise of feminism is worthy enough for the documentary to be screened at every major UK cinema. Until films like this are forced into the eyes of the mass media, feminism will continue being considered a ‘niche’, leaving a majority of men and women convinced it’s irrelevant and that they can live without it.
Just because you pretend to be Lou Reed, it doesn’t make you Lou Reed. For the record, I hate how much I love some rock biopics; but I’m always wary of them, I’ve learned the hard way. If they’re at least semi accurate and haven’t fallen victim to 99c Hollywood glitterati, then they’ll generally do in terms of being approved for production. I don’t have high hopes for ‘Love and Mercy’, the latest attempt at recreating the LSD fuelled rollercoaster to insanity that is the life and times of Brian Wilson – surf pop genius, and the visionary behind The Beach Boys. (If I’d’ve had to get sand from between my toes more than three times a week as I imagine Brian did, my breakdown would’ve been spectacular. I hate sandy toes with venom) Rock biopics (I hate the term rock biopic) can be spectacular, Johnny Depp in ‘Fear and Loathing’, Con O’Neill as Joe Meek - RGM production pioneer in ‘Telstar’ and Andy Serkis as Ian Dury in ‘Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll’ are all brilliant in their own right, and properly un-glamorised, (They’re mostly British films…) They not only accurately, but beautifully recreate scenes of anguish that, in most basic of basic terms, allow
people to be nosey. Watching the films because you’re hero is the troubled protagonist is all well and good, but in essence, past or present, for most it’s about getting to see something you shouldn’t - something that’s a bit taboo, something that more often than not involves nudity and is thoroughly debauched. I despair of humanity’s need to watch naughty things and giggle instead of going out and just doing them.
‘going to get him’? Has he ever autobiographically had to describe himself as a ‘zonked out zombie, a star-crossed 60’s rock star who took a drug trip and never returned’? Has an advantage-taking therapist ever mentally and spiritually abused him? Has he ever snorted his body weight in DMT? Has he ever aged, dare I even say it… worse than our Jagger? NO. He has not.
The detrimental downfall of these films is the fact that when an uninformed, passive bystander encounters the film, it is accepted as truth. Although Sam Riley is glorious in Control, is it possible to say in personal terms, disregarding correct historical context, that he portrays Curtis accurately? Can someone who hasn’t succumbed to such internal trauma really do the emotions involved justice? Not really, no. For instance, has Paul Dano (The actor to play Wilson in Love and Mercy) ever had a mental breakdown because John Lennon ‘wrote a better album’ than him? Does he constantly endure a string of voices in his head informing him that they’re
So, to conclude; if you’re after a cinematic thrill, embellished with the dickish whims of a director’s artistic license, and you’re not really that into the subject’s music/history/truth then the rock biopic is probably for you, as is Costco and beige chinos. If like me, you’re a so weary of seeing your heroes depicted by someone, who ISN’T ACTUALLY THEM! Then the ‘Detroit’s Burning’ Motown documentary is a must see. As are ‘Raw Power’ – Iggy Pop, and The South Bank’s piece on The Velvet Underground. The people allowing the sought after insights, were there, they felt it and were a part of it. For me, that’s better than a dramatisation any day.
“All directors are storytellers, so the motivation was to tell the story I wanted to tell. That’s what I love.” Spike Lee
P
U
L
P
Nic
Hamilton
#2.
N
ic Hamilton enters a world of light and futurism with this series of short films filled with ambiance, industrial environments and ambiguity in every sense of the word. It starts off in what I would imagine a microscopic organism would see in a human nervous system, scanning neural pathways whilst flirting with the sounds of electro signals going back and forth between brain receptors. This transcends into a heavy industrial environment, capturing the murky undertones with lo-fi tinny sounds that reflect the habitat it is surveying, sounds of hard industrial labor and reflective of Berlin’s underground techno scene.
The
Life
&
A
nimated TV series “The Life & Times of Tim” documents an unassuming man from New York who by all fault of his own gets stuck into some of the worst situations you could think of. His dry humour and unusual sense for picking up on irrelevant things when he’s being caught out in the act is all part of Timothy’s charm.
This could be anything from eating a deaf colleagues 50th birthday cake to meeting his girlfriends parents for the first time...... sat next to a hooker offering the extremely competitive price of a ‘ten dollar BJ’).
St.
John
Sessions
Nic Hamilton seems to be playing with the concept that the ball of light isn’t just a fragment of our reality as we see it. Instead, portrayed as an entity scanning the various terrain from sun kissed landsites with all the ambiance of an Ibiza beach party, to desolate warehouses unaccompanied by life whilst still emitting energy in the way a 1940’s reel-to-reel film might do in a dark room. This is a journey into a post-apocalyptic world run by foreign matter and inanimate objects in a time not yet surpassed.
Times
of
Tim
Tim’s sensitivity and zero common sense makes him frequently look like the office wanker, occasionally a bum rape victim and at times slightly primitive and cannibalistic. This is why we love Tim, more often than not he is doing someone a favour, favours that are more like blackmail put nicely, favours that shouldn’t really be favours, more odd acts of mustered up courage like explaining to your whole workforce that it was in fact ‘you’ who took a little dog shit on the rug outside the elevator stating that he can do what he wants, when he wants and how he wants. This is what makes The Life & Times of Tim so infectious, with two short 15 minute episodes instead of one long half hour episode Tim becomes possibly the easiest and most funny animated TV show on at the moment.
PULP’S TOP SOUNDTRACK PICKS: 13/14 --------------------------------------------------------
DRIVA
MAN
-
ALABAMA
SHAKES
(12
YEARS
A
SLAVE)
“Driva Man” is a cover from American rock band Alabama Shakes, originally from a jazz album We Insist! in 1960 by Max Roach and Oscar Brown. It explicitly links to slavery and the Civil Rights Movement in the ‘50s, reflecting the story of 12 Years a Slave.
tor of a bass to begin, with the hit of the drum and piano repeating after every verse. It progresses into a whaling saxophone solo, which descends into an eerie quiet rattle of a symbol, as the saxophone replicates the sound of a beeping train.
It has a powerful start, with the band’s lead singer Brittany Howard releasing her deep vocals alongside the sound of silence and an occasional tambourine. A sudden beat of a drum and piano acts as the conduc-
Lyrics such as “you’d be happy just to die, runaway and you’ll be found, by his big old red bone hound”, really capture every essence of slavery that this film is trying to portray.
DUST MY BROOM - ELMORE JAMES (WOLF OF WALL STREET) This blues track by American singer Elmore James is one of the first songs featured in the Wolf of Wall Street. When protagonist Jordan Belfort is boasting about his life, driving in his white Ferrari whilst receiving fellatio from his blonde, model wife, this track sways in the background. Released in 1951, it epitomizes the twelve-bar blues sound of the ‘50s, with James’ deep, wispy vocals alongside rhythmic guitar.
The striking sound from an amplified slide guitar is the first instrument heard and carries on after each bar, replicating the sound of a territorial rooster during sunrise. High pitched piano chords whistle in the background as they hit the song in time to the slide guitar. The track holds a cheeky tone with its sarcastic lyrics of ‘I’m a get up in the mornin’, I believe I’ll dust my broom’, sang over the skirt-swinging beat.
“I’m a get up in the mornin’ I believe I’ll dust my broom”
DEXTER: Dexter is an American crime-drama based on Jeff Lindsay’s 2004 novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Since it was first aired on Showtime in October 2006, Dexter Morgan has gathered a loyal following of fans that have grown to love this troubled serial killer. But he is not like your average killer, because he prays only on those that kill. Set in Miami Metro Police Department, Dexter is a blood spatter analyst come day and a strategic vigilante come night - his passion for blood runs deeper than his colleagues realise. He spends his days wearing a metaphorical mask of a pretend person he has perfected over the years around ‘normal’ people; including his sister and co-worker Deb.
But behind the mask lies ‘the dark passenger’; a man of little emotion or remorse for the brutalities he subjects his victims to. But is Dexter really the h a r r o w i n g , cold-blooded killer he makes himself out to be? Throughout each series a new secret arises and Dexter learns something he never even knew about himself. At the start of the first series it is unclear how and why he has become a killer, but this mystery unravels a savage secret Dexter had even suppressed from himself. After a few episodes you almost sympathise with him and you come to understand that his violent inclinations are a passion much deeper rooted than you could imagine - what he does is almost justifiable.
Dexter is a concoction of grittiness, suspense, horror and comedy. Brimming with strong characters, you will feel yourself becoming attached to them and dreading that moment when something bad might happen to one of them. But with such a dark drama, tragedy is inevitable, however the paths that lead you down d e v a s t a t i o n road are unforeseen and will shock you when you’re most vulnerable.
Having composed music for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, among other e v o c a t i v e soundtracks, Alexandre Desplat musters an inevitable gloom on The Grand Budapest Hotel. Ridden with chimes and jingles that oppose the booming harmonies that inflict goosebumps and shudders on every viewer, it’s yet another i m p e c c a b l e soundtrack making Wes Anderson’s latest affair as delightful as the rest. Fantastic Mr Fox and Moonrise Kingdom both rendered Desplat’s ability to devise a faultless soundtrack. Even with his orchestra
occasionally taking a break from haunting the audience, Wes Anderson continues to assemble c e l e b r a t e d soundtracks that crown the i m p e c c a b l e cinematography. Moonrise Kingdom’s prominent beach scene, chaperoned by Francious Hardy’s ‘Le Temps De L’amour’, is an exquisite illustration of his superlative choice in sound. Nevertheless, choosing Alexandre Desplat to compose the soundtrack to his eighth featurelength film has undoubtedly been his finest moment in soundtrack selection yet. ‘Canto at
Gabelmeister’s Peak’ is an extraordinary array of thunderous yet harmonious vocals carried by a rhythmical brushing of drums and an effortless chord sequence that will resonate around your head for days. It echoes fragments of the soundtrack of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, possessing an unusually m e l a n c h o l y approach to Wes Anderson soundtracks. The song cunningly escorts a scene of men gracelessly escaping from prison, a prime time for an ‘edge of the seat’ stance as both Desplat and Anderson inject the audience
with adrenalin, forcing them into a hypnotism with their eyes and mouths wide open. The Grand budapest Hotel seizes the renowned ‘stacked suitcases’ prop, along with all of the distinguished quirks from earlier Anderson films. Alexandre Desplat drenches the film in even more sentiment with his heavy use of pizzicato and pealing chimes, continuing the twee and delicate themes that run through both the scenery and music that all Wes Anderson films acquire.
THE DOUBLE: To explore the darkest of cognitive human realms, to conjure bleak Orwellian imagery and have your subjects attempt to recite vows of love, loneliness and fight to retain their sanity in a cruel, industrially dystopian coup de grace, is a directorial feat reserved for the latter days of an art house director’s career, a masterpiece even, if that wasn’t such a vile term. Never even attempted by many, let alone accomplished. Richard Ayoade has achieved this most difficult feat, in his second feature film. As with his previous film, the debutant of ‘Submarine’, it is a subtle exploration of the foulest human capacities. It seems that some pompous critics have missed the point completely, calling his premise absurd and childish.
That his doppelgänger character is a cheap trick, well it isn’t. This only serves to reinforce the intricate subtlety in which Ayoade forges his narrative. Do we as humans, not see ourselves in others we aspire to? Are we not, in fact the most fragile of beings, capable of complete disarray and emotional torment? It seems cheaper that in age of symptomatic, diagnostic hypochondria, he would permit the assumption of schizophrenic tendencies in the protagonist, but subsequently, as the scenes descend into a furore of internal conflict separate to one definitive, modern condition, we as voyeurs begin to question not only the film, but also ourselves as instant judges of other people. Amongst the afflicted, the film still occasionally manages
to be light hearted, in a back handed, blunt manner that in no way detracts from its purpose. Derived from a discarded Dostoyevsky novella, and co-written by Avi Korine, the film is deliberately vague in regards to it’s location, but it sings of the Dickensian backstreet, of Oceania, circa 1984, and Huxley’s Brave New World. These loveless, sinister places are a foundry for self-exploration, where subjects are laid bare and dissected by their plight.
Š richie fryer
God Help The Girl Sometimes, a slight idea of a film’s plot, prior to viewing can jeopardise our attitudes in favour of a negative stance. We hear that a Girl is in hospital, lost, and of course alone, picks up (guess what?), a guitar and finds solace in song writing and the life of a tortured troubadour. All well and good, but smacking of a certain insincerity that is the downfall of most coming of age, indie shorts. Such productions are often a director’s vanity project, a romanticised, pseudo-memorandum made solely for themselves alone, or, quite equally as
self absorbed – a long lost love who may or may not see the actual film. Well, if this is Stuart Murdoch’s vanity project, if it is a self-expressive outlet, it may just be the most truthful, honest work for a long time. His naturally bleak affectations habitually render that which should be clichéd, dark and self-deprecating. They make what should be flaccid and unimaginative, wholly enthralling, and more importantly, real.
Her Despite Joaquin Pheonix and the voice of Scarlett J o h a n s s o n fabricating a flawless cast, ‘Her’ is a disturbingly soppy romance that has the viewers either sobbing into the shoulder of their neighbour or throwing up into their popcorn box. The film simply documents
the emotional turmoil one man experiences due to falling in love with a computer system. Nevertheless, it acquires a soundtrack that almost allows the sickeningly romantic cliches to be overlooked, generating a film that is far more appealing to your ears than
to
your eyes. The soundtrack, consisting of unheard songs from Arcade Fire and Karen O, rapidly became eminent in the stream of re-blogs and Facebook posts- a successful scheme to distract attention away from the m o d e r a t e l y adequate film. However, the
soundtrack reaches an unfortunate mawkish juncture when ‘The Moon’, written by Karen O, is performed by Joaquin Pheonix and Scarlett Johansson. The ukulele-ridden jaunt is a syrupy eruption of sop that solely destroys what could have been a touchingly tasteful film.
Warpaint- Love is to Die It seems every band is film made about them
getting a this year.
First Mac Demarco, a man with barely half an hours worth of a music career had a 30 minute film made about him portraying his maverick lifestyle. Now, Warpaint. 4 women, 2 albums and an absurd number of fans for such a similar discography of XX-esque songs. Their song ‘Love is to Die’ was recorded exclusively for their documentary. It’s a short and eery jaunt that echoes a congregation of all their previous recordings.
Mustering extended harmonies and a repetitive verse that doesn’t deviate or improve except for a bleak breakdown of ‘oohs’ and moans, the girls contradict themselves when criticizing Rihanna and Beyonce for being too sexualised. Nevertheless, the documentary is undoubtedly going to illustrate Warpaint’s tasteful methods of recording and demonstrate that generating two very similar albums can amass a dedicated following.
Next Goal Wins This week sees the release of the already critically acclaimed football documentary ‘Next Goal Wins’. Directed by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison, the film documents the struggles of ‘the worst football team in the world’ – American Samoa. The film chronicles the
team’s despair upon conceding the worst defeat in the history of the international game, 31-0. Initially, due to the almost comical nature of their almost perpetual defeat, the team were reluctant to be the subject of any footage or allow foreign reporters questions. Brett and Jamison finally earned the rights by promising that the film would be ‘a
celebration of their efforts’, and their ‘continued efforts in the face of defeat’. The film debuted at the Tribeca film festival, and is, by all accounts, completely beautiful. It’s a real life struggle, and documents the darkest aspects of human competition, selfloathing and despair.
A Touch of Sin: Harvesting mainly good reviews, director Jia Zhangke took a turn to create a more dramatical look at four Chinese citizens living in contemporary China. On the search for peace and unity in one of the most wide spread communities in the world, these four citizens will endure much violence, street grime, prostitutes and many other factors that make up the dark underbelly of China, each with it’s very own story line. What most people don’t know is that each of these four stories are directly linked in with real current newspaper stories in the Chinese media, this gives could almost make the film a slight chiller because the sense of realism comes into play, our natural human emotions start to take over and a strange bond of affection attaches itself to stray characters within all of these stories.
Zhangke intertwines these stories beautifully with nothing looking a hair out of place, he has documented the Chinese bandits with violence in mind and the desperation which these criminals would have been going through escaping the authorities. All of the documented criminals are none alike, they are all from different backgrounds with differing ideologies and attributes to help them on their journey. The journey covers the expansive Chinese landscape which will have you viewing China in a much different light, a light that harks back to a more traditional time. All of these beautiful landscapes are caught by cinematographer Yu Lik-Wai, a landscape that will send shivers up your spine.
“I slowly began to see the problem of individual violence in society. There are many tragedies or societal problems in which people in the end rebel, resulting in a very big tragedy. So I began to pay more and more attention to this problem, because, frankly speaking, I feel like Chinese people do not really understand the problem of violence because society has never had a widespread discussion of the problem.”- Jia Zhangke
PULP is:
Philippa
‘I
Lewis
‘pig?’
Ayesha
‘i’ll
love Jones just
fly’
Dexter’ -
Ghosh Reviews
Linton-Whittle
& -
Editor/Daytime
Boozer
News
Editor/Life
Guru
Features
Editor/Plastic
Geordie
Benjamin ‘thanks for coming’ Maney - Art Director/Designer/Producer/Brew King
Front Cover by: danijela dobric