The Event - Issue 181

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Art Fashion Film Music Television

Supergrass Interview!

Inside... Zombies Stephen Fry Wallace & Gromit

Contents Features

Centre Spread

Stephen Fry 10 & 11

TV 4

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Reviews

Art 9

TV 14

Fashion 12 & 13

Art 15

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Regulars

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Creative Writing 8 Listings 6 Horoscopes 8

Music 18 & 19

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Hello We certainly have been rubbing shoulders with the biggest and brightest celebs this fortnight. The pressure has been entirely lifted from me with regards to writing anything witty as the intellectually mighty. Stephen Fry is occupying the centre spread, leaving its pages dripping with unfathomably clever stuff. It certainly was a pleasure to have him speak to us, and we hope that you enjoy reading all about it. Don’t feel dwarfed by his obvious marvellousness, instead use this as an inspiration to go out and do something creative

Editor-in-chief 4BSBI &EXBSEFT of your own. Perhaps this could be the first step towards a profitable career as a playwright, sculptor or very good TV presenter for one fair reader. If this is the case, then please let us know. If you’re not feeling quite so ambitious, try your luck at our competitions. They’re free to enter, and the sense of trepidation with fill your life with excitement for at least an afternoon.

Kate

Competitions Win a copy of Concrete, signed by Gaz from Supergrass! %P ZPV XBOU B DPQZ PG $PODSFUF * MM CFU ZPV XPSET PS MFTT EP #VU EPO U ZPV XBOU JU BMNPTU UXJDF BT NVDI CFDBVTF JUT TJHOFE CZ (B[ GSPN 4VQFS 8IBU T ZPVS GBWPVSJUF UIJOH BCPVU $PODSFUF HSBTT 8FMM ZPV DBO IBWF POF BMM ZPV IBWF UP EP JT USZ WFSZ IBSE UP BOTXFS UIJT RVFTUJPO JO 4FOE BOTXFST UP DPODSFUF FWFOU!VFB BD VL

Win tickets to see Elizabethtown 0O 5VFTEBZ TU /PWFNCFS 5IF 5JNFT 'JMN RVFTUJPO 'JSTU .PWJF .BOJB JT QSPVE UP QSFTFOU BO FY DMVTJWF QSFWJFX TDSFFOJOH PG A&MJ[BCFUIUPXO 8IP EJSFDUFE &MJ[BCFUIUPXO " TUBSSJOH 0SMBOEP #MPPN BOE ,JSTUFO %VOTU 4FOE BOTXFST UP DPODSFUF FWFOU!VFB BD VL *G ZPV XBOU UP XJO UXP UJDLFUT UP TFF UIF GBO UBTUJD &MJ[BCFUIUPXO UIFO BOTXFS UIJT USJDLZ

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Feature

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ith the latest series of The X Factor in full swing, the nation has been thrust yet again into reality television fever -­ yet are reality TV shows stooping to new lows in order to shock their audiences and boost ratings? With shows such as ‘Cosmetic Surgery…Live’, ‘Extreme Makeover’ and ‘Cheaters’ flooding our screens, it seems as though producers will stop at nothing to gain viewers, throwing their ethical and moral considerations aside. Most of the shocking concepts of these reality shows come from across the pond in America (surprise surprise). The new ‘makeover’ genre that has gripped much of the population recently was devised in the USA;; for those of you who have missed out on this phenom-­ enon, the basis of the programme is to take the ugly duckling and turn it into the beautiful swan. The extremeness of the genre varies – the relatively tame ’10 Years Younger’ merely fixes the person in question up with a new wardrobe and gives them a few make up and personal hygiene tips in an attempt to make them look 10 years younger (the clue is in the title!). However, ‘Extreme Makeover’ takes the person and spends literally thousands of pounds on surgical fa-­ cial and body reconstruction so that the person is unrecognisable at the end. Cameras follow this whole process, including gory close ups of the actual surgery and after-­care, neither of which are exactly TV dinner viewing. Men and women with extremely low self-­esteem and deep psychological problems are deliberately chosen and are told that being beautiful will resolve their issues. Perhaps it is a reflection of our shallow culture that a person has to be attractive to be accepted and have a problem free future. Are

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television companies failing to see the superficial quality of these programmes as they readily promote the illusion that the more good looking the person the more successful and happy they will become? Or are they simply pampering to our morbid fascination with plastic surgery and the grotesque to boost ratings? This means that the media is now dictating what we think about ourselves and clearly defining the boundaries between beautiful and ugly, leaving those who fall into the later category as social outcasts. Many competition programs have now slipped into the realms of reality television with the success of shows like ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Pop Idol’ which themselves are pretty harmless. Yet concerns were raised recently when the programme ‘Be My Baby’ aired in America -­ the concept of which was that couples battled it out to ‘win’ a

1SPEVDFST XJMM TUPQ BU OPUI JOH UP HBJO WJFXFST UISPX JOH UIFJS FUIJDBM BOE NPSBM DPOTJEFSBUJPOT BTJEF newborn baby from a young woman who was putting her child up for adoption. Even the most morally relaxed of us know that there is something seriously wrong with having a competition in which a human life is the prize. However, as much as the ethics (or lack thereof) can be condemned, the show does sound like compelling viewing and it would probably receive huge viewing numbers if it were broadcast in England. Therefore, perhaps it could be said that reality shows like ‘Be My Baby’ say more about the audience than the producers, who are proving that we all revel in the act of voyeur-­

ism and are suckers for this exploitation of raw emotion, no matter what the cost. A similar argument can be conducted in reference to the Amer-­ ican hit show ‘Cheaters’. The idea is simple;; take an individual who believes that their partner is being unfaithful and follow said partner using hidden cameras, then establish a confrontation between the accused and accuser and watch the sparks fly. The moral predica-­ ment remains as to whether it is wrong to gain entertainment from the misery and embarrassment of others and it almost certainly is wrong, yet it is hard to deny that part of us does gain a weird kind of self-­satisfaction from watching programmes like ‘Cheaters’. We take pleasure from the fact that we are not in their shoes and we enjoy ridiculing the guy who couldn’t keep it in his trousers, while we sympathise with the woman who couldn’t hold her man down and assure ourselves that we would never make her mistake. Ad-­ ditionally, all of the confrontations are carefully constructed and of-­ ten result in violence that would have otherwise been avoided. The most famous example of this was when the host of the show was stabbed on a fishing boat by a so-­called cheater who really did not want to be found out. The issue of privacy is also raised -­ what right do television crews have to follow random members of the public around with cameras and make unfounded judgements on their private lives for the whole world to see? Perhaps the most controversial reality television show yet has been made and broadcast in Russia. The aim of the show is for contestants to steal a car and become involved in a real chase with the police;; if they get away, then they win the car. The idea is lu-­ dicrous and highly illegal, yet the show is fully supported by the Russian police force. Perhaps the producers had just been drinking a bit too much Smirnoff or maybe the Russians are even harder to shock than us Brits. Either way, the programme blurs the bounda-­ ries between illusion and reality by allowing the contestants to act out the classic fantasy of being involved in a high speed Bond style car chase. The show also undermines the authority of the police by sending out the message that, as long as you get away with a crime, you can escape without having any guilt. Back in England, we have the man that merges magic with re-­ ality TV -­ Derren Brown. Millions tuned in to see Brown play Rus-­ sian roulette live on Channel 4 in the expectation that they may actually witness the suicide of another human being, which surely says something about the morality of our country. A cultural critic recently commented that the next step in the downward spiral of reality television is the live broadcast of executions in America. In each of these examples, television producers are drawing upon an element of the human psyche that is both horrified and intrigued to witness the death of another person. We have seen all manner of taboo subjects on TV and possibly the only avenue left unexplored is that of witnessing real live deaths. In the end, we are left questioning whether tel-­ evision executives are disassociating themselves from their morals by producing shows that exploit the pain and embar-­ rassment of others, devalue human rights and promote the illu-­ sion that only the beautiful are ever happy. Alternatively, are the shows merely catering for our increasing need to take the moral high ground by scrutinising and making judgements on real peo-­ ple, while comforting ourselves with the fact that nothing like that would ever happen to us? Or are we simply just fed up with watch-­ ing bad acting in films and TV and crave to view the raw emotion of others which we can easily understand and connect to? Maybe the answer lies in a combination of all three;; yet the TV bosses need to lead the way by producing shows that provide real moral messages instead of superficial garbage.

Feature

Demise of the Dead

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an you hear that noise too? That lonely moan of hor-­ ror and despair? That shuffl e of limping feet on emp-­ ty streets and sidewalks? That bone-­rattling lurch of old, decaying fl esh? Can that be what we all imagine it is? What many of us have been in an anxious, 20 year wait for? A terrifying return of the legion of the living dead, ready to sink decayed teeth once again into unsuspecting, fearful cinema audiences? It would be great to say so, but unfortunately, no. What you’re probably hearing is the arduously painful sound of a wounded George A. Romero, stumbling back from the signifi cant box-­offi ce failure of his most recent (and possibly last) addition to the leg-­ endary Dead series, Land of the Dead. We can only imagine what thoughts must be now squirming their way around a mind that ar-­ guably gave birth to a new kind of horror some 37 years ago;; back when the legendary, genre-­breaking Night of the Living Dead genu-­ inely terrifi ed audiences with its intelligent, believable take on the zombie fi lm. We can only guess that these thoughts are something along the lines of: “But what went wrong?” So what exactly did go wrong? The recent decade has seen something of a revival in the cellu-­ loid land of fl esh-­eating monsters and helpless, hysterical victims. After all, Resident Evil – with it’s loose take on a bestselling video game – racked up enough cash to spawn a sequel (though argu-­ ably one that should have been left on the cutting room fl oor). In a similar fashion the Dawn of the Dead remake lured audiences in with a result of a $60 million dollar gross;; while the closely-­followed Shaun of the Dead, with its Spaced-­style tongue-­in-­cheek homage to the zombie tradition, dragged in fi lm-­goers and TV fans alike with its unique take on the genre. So why is it that when the undisputed father of all modern fl esh eaters – 20 long years since the release of his last walking corpse extravaganza, Day of the Dead – returned to the big screen, he wasn’t received with the warm, open embrace that we all expected;; but a cold, distant frown of disapproval? Is it just possible that in the 2 years since Dawn of the Dead (Ironically a remake of Romero’s fi lm of the same title) the zombie fi lm has once again dropped from the spot-­ light of popularity, ready to carry on its existence in the hearts

4IBVO PG UIF %FBE recent boom in DVD sales – has gained a serious momentum over the past few decades;; and whether you love them or loathe them, zombies have undeniably cut themselves a nice, thick slice out of the cult cake. So why the failure of Land? What particular thing about it turned the noses of just about everyone who wasn’t a hard-­ core Romero fanatic? The answer lies in the fact that while audiences still revel in a good old, all-­out splatter fest, the true zombie fi lm has perhaps gone a little stale in a fast-­paced age of scientifi c thrillers and edgy, psychologi-­ cal horrors. Zombie fi lms have never been something to take too seriously. While their primary purpose has always been and (and most likely) will always be to, fi rst and foremost, shock, they nevertheless share a closely paralleled existence with com-­ edy. It’s hard to not splutter into hysterics when so much lu-­ dicrously, over the top gore comes fl ying at you from the television screen, or when the poorly-­spoken dialog of an inexperienced actress makes you cheer and yell as she’s helplessly ripped apart.

dead kill survivors’ cinema, and the hard-­edged fans witnessed the long awaited return as looking suspiciously like a higher-­budget Resi-­ dent Evil. Romero’s last effort came across not as the embodiment of all we’ve learnt to love and cherish about the genre, but as an aging concept horribly draped in a mess of over-­the-­top metal tunes and high-­budget special effects. In short: it looked too, just plain... new for our liking. The fi lm might have had a chance however (after all it was Romero at the helm) had it not been for one fi nal, crippling blow: a BBFC-­awarded 15 certifi cate. It was a time when you could stick your head out the window and almost hear the distant thud of a million fans’ hopes dropping limply to the fl oor. It’s safe to say that a zombie fi lm deemed suitable for an emo-­

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and video-­ racks of its legions of gore-­loving fans alike? It’s pos-­ sible, after all it is a genre that has never truly been a tremen-­ dous pillar of success for cinema. But nevertheless, Romero’s tril-­

To put it bluntly, what makes zombie fl icks great is that they’re usually complete and ut-­ ter crap. But it’s good, messy, fun crap. Crap that you can stick on at any time of the day (maybe not dinnertime) and always have a genuinely good time. Some may be so old fashioned and so ridiculously cheesy that there’s barely any horror left at all;; but this is – in essence – what they’re truly all about. And this is where Romero perhaps ran into trouble. The main problem with Land of the Dead is that it man-­ aged to spectacularly miss pretty much every type of target audience imaginable. The average fi lmgoer saw the advertisements and yawned at

tionally fragile mass is one that misses the entire point of the genre. There are few people out there who could admit to watching Zombie Flesh Eaters without the notorious splinter-­in-­the-­eye scene in mind, or turning on Day of the Dead for the pure purposes of its cinema-­ tography and heavy-­handed subject matter. The sad truth is that the zombie fi lm is one of those cinematic rarities that actually relies on the process of aging to make it all the better. It’s easy to forget that while Shaun of the Dead did achieve a moderate amount of success, it was pitched almost solely as a comedy. A similar thing can be said of 28 Days Later, which presented itself as more of an edgy take on a post-­apocalyptic society that an all-­out zombie carnage fest. While the much loved tradition of ridiculous dialogue, body-­shift-­ ing shocks, gut churning violence and fantastically ludicrous amounts of internal organs will always hold a warm place in the hearts of movie fans alike, it seems that for the time being, the true, humble zombie

ogy of the dead – aided by the

yet another, repetitive looking piece of ‘dead rule earth, dead seek survivors,

fi lm has become a little stagnant in this day and age. Maybe in 20 years time, another generation will look at our recent attempts with

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Norwich Arts Centre Tickets:£8 adv. or £9 on the door 8pm

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Feature

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ith a top ten album called ‘Road to Rouen’ released this sum-­ mer, a massive selling best of collection under their belt and a brand new single out this week, Supergrass have hit the road. A date at UEA marked the last night of their tour and The Event was lucky enough to get a brief interview with Gaz Coombes, lead singer and guitarist with the group, before the band’s sound check. Firstly, Gaz was asked how the band came together over eleven years ago. Taking a drag from his freshly lit cigarette, he replied “We all met at school, pretty much. Me and Mick [bassist] lived in the same village, so we knew each other from that, and then I met Danny [drummer] at school. And then there’s Rob, who I guess I’ve known since I was born.” He laughs at this – Rob is the group’s keyboard player and Gaz’s brother. “We got together and realised that we loved making music, so started to do our own stuff.” A series of questions on the new album came next – it’s a marked departure from previous albums, retaining the band’s sense of fun and adventure yet taking the music in a completely new, mellow and blues-­orientated style. Through these questions, Gaz revealed a lot about Supergrass’ thinking behind the album. “We’re a completely different band now. Its been eleven years or whatever since our first single and I kind of expect our music to change in that time and go along different paths that lead to differ-­ ent styles. When we go to the next album, it’ll be an entirely differ-­ ent direction then. We don’t want to alienate our fans or anything, but we want to keep changing and keep them interested in what we do. If we kept repeating the same record, it wouldn’t be as exciting. In a way, we wanted to make a record that felt really true. There are times when you have a hit single and it kind of takes the focus away from the album. I definitely felt a satisfaction when we finished the record, that it didn’t have any clear singles, and I feel that it’s stronger musically than any of our previous work.” On the subject of singles, The Event asked if it annoyed the band because they’d be remembered for Alright more than anything else. Gaz took a drag on his cigarette before replying emphatically. “No not at all. I still think it’s a really good song. The song wrote itself and we had no idea what was going to happen with it. People think it’s a joke song, but it really isn’t – there are elements of the verses that are really interesting musically. We’re very proud of it and it’s a big part of our past.” So, what does ‘we run green’ actually mean? “It just means freedom and running through life, oblivious to the results of your actions.” Gaz also revealed that the next single from the current album will either be Fin or Road to Rouen. When questioned about the massive success of Supergrass’s best of compilation, released last year, Gaz seemed very happy about it. “The songs hit a lot of people and a whole new generation picked up on our songs with that best of too. It reinforced one of our slogans – Supergrass: Everyone’s Second Favourite Band – be-­ cause everybody knows our songs and putting them all on one CD was great. It was a really rewarding period for us to get all that stuff together.” A lot of bands were namedropped in answer to a question about what he listens to at the moment. “The White Stripes have consistently impressed me. Arcade Fire are pretty interesting and Acoustic Ladyland are great. Son of Dave [the band’s support act, a one man blues group] is inspirational for having the guts to do what he does. We listened to a lot of Elliott Smith when we were recording the new album, as well as some Zappa. I really like Kings of Leon’s second record. There are some mad things out there, but they’re not the big things. It’s always the way. The big thing at the moment is Hard-­Fi and those sort of bands. The Arctic Monkeys

are a bit cheeky, aren’t they?” He grins. “It’s a bit worrying that they remind me a bit of some of the darker sides of Britpop, like Menswear. That’s why it’s always interesting to hear things that go against the grain a bit”. The video to new single Low C is directed by Hammer and Tongs, the brains behind the brilliant videos to Supergrass’ Pump-­ ing On Your Stereo and Blur’s Coffee and TV. Gaz told us why they asked them to do their latest video, a strange documentary about a town inhabited by mermaids. “After they did the video to Pumping, we really wanted them to give their treatment to this song. They’re really good people and they make excellent videos. Garth [one half

0G DPVSTF XF E MPWF JU JG PVS SFDPSET TPME NJMMJPOT CVU XF SF IBQQZ XJUI PVS NVTJD BOE XIFSF PVS MJWFT BSF BU UIF NPNFOU of Hammer and Tongs, and the director of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy] in particular is really imaginative and it was him that came up with this crazy idea for a society of mermaids. We weren’t surprised when he told us about it.” After the praise heaped on these videos, we asked Gaz what made a good video, in his opinion. He took another drag while thinking and replied, “A good video is one that lets the audience connect with the band. Too often, the vid-­ eo is stylish for the sake of it, like a story or an angle that’s just too fancy for the song, and the band get diluted. Like videos where the director takes a crazy angle for a story where the band keep turning up in different places, and they all look really uncomfortable.” He mimes the nervousness of the band in the video he’s clearly think-­ ing of – although he didn’t tell us what it was. “They should just be themselves. They should take an idea and stick with it. One of my favourites that we did was Rush Hour Soul, where I’m dressed as a tramp walking through London. It’s only one idea, but I felt that it

said a lot. The Kiss of Life video was an early idea that we felt worked and we stuck with it – it was one of our cheapest videos, it only cost £12,000.” He then told us that Low C’s video cost about £25,000 and Pumping On Your Stereo cost around £200,000! Returning to the questions about how Supergrass have turned their back on commercialisation to make music they’re happy with and also about how they’re seen as underrated (for example, by Brett Anderson of Suede and The Tears), Gaz seemed slightly bitter about it. “At times it does feel that we’re underrated, but that’s just the way it is. There are things you can do to get yourself out there, but I don’t think we’re prepared to do them. It’s not that we’re unambitious or lazy, but you need privacy and personal space sometimes and there’s a level you can reach where you completely lose that. Of course we’d love it if our records sold millions, but we’re happy with our music and where our lives are at the moment. That’s why it’s great that we’ve got the freedom to make the records that we do;; if we sold three million records every time, then there’d be a lot of pressure on us to maintain that sound. Like Coldplay, they’re keeping EMI up in the rankings and a band that’s holding a record company up is such a massive pressure for them. They’ll either disappear or do another X&Y;; they’ve got no other choice. It’s a horrible situation to be in, because they’re not free. It becomes a vicious circle – to be more popular, you have to be more commercialised, but we don’t want to be commercialised and so we remain… not unpopular, but on the fringes of popularity. It’s all a bit hectic.” On finishing the interview and signing some CDs, Gaz left for the band’s sound check. We were left with a strange impression of the band – they seem to love the music they’re making, yet want to be more popular, but don’t want to compromise their music for the sake of that. However, the sell-­out gig proved that there are still many Supergrass fans, no matter what they do. The set mixed gentle songs from the new album with many of their biggest songs, which got the crowd relaxed and bouncing around equally. We even got to the front, where Gaz acknowledged us! Whatever direction the band go in next, they’ve proved (both over the last eleven years and at the gig) that they can carry out anything they put their mind too, and be bloody good at it. Hopefully, another Supergrass gig at UEA won’t be too far away.

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Creative Writing Longing

TAXI Cabby’s Corner

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Cabby’s corner is dedicated to the taxi driv-­ ers of Norwich with their endless facts, sto-­ ries and revelations. Next time you get a taxi bring your notepad and email your own cabby’s corner to m.whitton@uea.ac.uk

It raises my blood pressure see, all these fancy dress LCR’s with girls in well you know, not much yes. I had school girls in last week, cowgirls, pocah-­bloody-­hontis, you name it. Who are you meant to be then? Jessica Alba. Sin what? Here, we’ve got this one old guy, sixty he is, I’m not mentioning names but last week two stoodents didn’t have enough money to pay for the taxi, so, well, you know, they did him. Oh yeah happens all the time, you didn’t know that. I’ve never, but my wife worries. Some women I’ve had in though, put it this way I can’t say I haven’t been tempted, but there’s this one girl always grabbing my balls, I had to have a serious word last week, grabbed them just as I was dropping her off at her boyfriends, he couldn’t see like but Christ it gave me a shock. blood pressure see, all these fancy dress LCR’s with girls in well you know, not

Madonna Without Child

Longing is not A deceptive word Like when I say I long to have you here, And in in your absence Wear your shirt. It tells of something Which is not love But aches almost as much.

She stares at me, that frozen-­faced beauty of crinoline. Diaphanous folds of organza conceal the bruise, pristine. I want to fall deep within her feather-­flowered hair, Hide my soul’s desires within tight pores never seen, Live my hermit contentment inside her there. &SJDB 8BSL

Ode to the New Beat Poets

Your ego dances across the keyboard;; starving, hysterical, naked. Mindless tangerian opiate dreams a spooling nonsensical spiel of boxcars, boxcars, boxcars… Always with the boxcars. Your words are aperçus into a fascinating mind, cryptic signifiers to some elusive signified…* [*of which I begin to doubt the existence] “You can’t understand my poetry without understanding me.” and “Poetry is no longer an elitist artform”, but some people are more unique than others and, personally, I find the inside of your head so tantalising that I just want to crawl inside like it was a big… rotting… peach. Because you’ve read Derrida and you’re the girl everybody wants to decon-­ struct.

But love’s transience is a cloud already packed with tears And as the first flecks fall death-­slow decay appears. My walls are being stripped out to the winds and, below, The knee high leather boots mould within her fears: Flesh malleable and corruptible that longs to flow. I would kiss her zippers and stroke the eyebrow shorn, (Some Nazarite vow of a body from its longing torn), A commitment to vapours, rosaries and the reli-­ gious mystic. Palm to palm I’d lick the little finger nail, forlorn, While thoughts drift within pale bubbles wet slick. The wings at her back like love’s first bed-­duvet, A body to lie upon in pleasure, a smile au fait. The corners of her mouth: the orbit of my whole world. But Eve crunched the apple so love became fate And this fallen angel into my open arms was hurled.

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In A Slip

In a slip, with white calves smoothing down into ankles red from cold, from dusk in October— I lift my hem, invite night to fill the space. in bed, when his body is absent, a glow marks where the edge of shoulder and neck should be. I rest my head there, pretend the heart that I am hearing is his. my mouth drifts open in the night, and the light of stories leaks out from between gaps in my teeth, over soft tongue, into thick air. the comet-­like trails hover, flicker, and fade. they appear in old photographs, get mistaken for the circles of the dead. they are actually stories who have had their wicks lit. dreams to keep me company when I awaken in the night and find myself alone in the linen. yet, I awaken with such a toothy-­grin. this is a luxury. I run my finger along the edge of my morning glass and the water sings. +BNJF "HOFMMP

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HOROSCOPES Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21

The waning moon suggests your wa-­ tery ways will no longer be winning -­ dry up, go out, get in! This fortnight, it’s all about the social scene. Lucky Colour: A sort of reddish-­brown.

A friend will ask to borrow some money for ‘private problems’. If you choose to help them, get your mon-­ ey’s worth in gossip first -­ it’s what you know. Lucky Fruit: Plum tomato.

Aries: Mar 21 - Apr 19

Leo: Jul 23 - Aug 22

Scorpio: Oct 24 - Nov 21

The stars suggest romance, but also a nasty rash -­ be cautious. Keep your temper in the supermarket queue, your tutor WILL be behind you. Lucky building: Colman House

A blonde in your life does not mean well -­ avoid confidences this fort-­ night. That essay will only get harder if you avoid it. FACT. Lucky pixie: kelpie

The stars are against you this month -­ keep your head down. An old friend will get in touch offering a lifeline, but check your facts first. Lucky beverage: peppermint tea.

Cancer: Jun 22 - Jul 22

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 23

Taurus: Apr 20 - May 20

Your opening up has paid off ro-­ mantically, but storms are on the way -­ don’t retreat at the first sign of trouble, it’s worth it! Lucky implement: can opener

Avoid traffic and get in touch with your sensitive side -­ a walk round the lake will uncover a useful secret. Be wary of making assumptions. Lucky tree: weeping willow.

Your lucky streak continues -­ but know when to stop. Rely on the advice of a stranger with nascent dreadlocks. A tat-­ too is NOT a good idea. Lucky time: shortly after 3 am (don’t sleep!)

Pisces: Feb 19 - Mar 20

Virgo: Aug 23 - Sept 22

There’s little that can go wrong this fortnight -­ go with the flow and all shold be well. Use this peaceful time to prepare for forthcoming challenges.

Persist with that special someone -­ they will succumb in time. Venus fa-­ vours assertiveness. Make that trip this month -­ Customs Officers will be lax!

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19 Give up that filthy habit -­ you know what I’m talking about. Replace it with some good clean fun -­ something outdoorsy. Trials are good for the soul. Lucky cheese: jarlsberg.

8

Gemini: May 21 - Jun 21

Event The

Lucky shape: octagon.

Shoot first, ask questions later -­ your instincts will be right. Do not trust people who ask if you’ve lost weight. Avoid oily fish on Mondays. Lucky letter: M

Lucky pastry: cream horn.

Feature

No Strings Attached

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ou can tell upon entering the Norwich Pup-­ pet Theatre that it is a wholly unique place. From the outside the converted church of St. James looks austere, just as much a part of the natural surroundings as any other flint church in Norwich. It doesn’t seem like the most obvious choice of building for what immediately appears to be children’s enter-­ tainment. However, as The Event stands waiting for the theatre’s general manager, Ian Woods, we have the chance to have a look around, and the life of the theatre becomes apparent. There is a fascinating array of puppets and props hanging from the walls and ceiling that give the impression of being only temporarily station-­ ary, as these are the very actors of the performances that take place at the theatre. In particular there are two puppets directly opposite where The Event is sitting that seem to be staring straight towards us. They have unsettlingly blank expressions and what look like big green hats on their heads. We later find out that these are Hansel and Gretel, and what seemed to be hats were actually halves of ba-­ guettes that had been painted, intended to symbolise the bread trail the characters left behind. Clearly appearences can be deceptive. Talking to Mr. Woods The Event soon realises that there are a fair few things still to be learnt about puppet theatre. The best way to think about it is that, as he succinctly put it, ‘puppet theatre is theatre.’ This may seem self evident, still it is good to remember that the Norwich puppet theatre is one of the best places in the country to see both childrens’ and professional puppet theatre. The events that have been arranged for the 25 year anniversary dem-­ onstrate this mix well. The majority of the afternoon and morning shows are targeted to a younger audience, and include versions of well known fairy tales like Jack and the Beanstalk, Pinocchio and a reworking of Cinderella by the Banyan theatre company. Although these have been written to appeal to children, and the timing of the celebration has been arranged to coincide with the school half-­ term, they can also be appreciated by adults, as there are different levels of interpretation for each show. The evening shows, however, are specifically intended for adults. There are avant-­garde perform-­ ances, shadow puppetry and interpretations of serious literature as well. This variety is just one way in which the puppet theatre has tried to demonstarte its multi-­faceted history and influences. The puppet theatre was established in 1979 by Ray and Joan DaSilva after they bought the St. James church just off Whitefriars roundabout. They converted the building and opened for business on the 1st of December the following year, and it is now one of only

" HPPE QFSGPSNFS DBO UIVT FYQSFTT UIFNTFMWFT GVMMZ UISPVHI UIF NPWFNFOUT PG UIF QVQQFU TPNFIPX DSFBUJOH UIF JMMVTJPO PG MJGF XJUIJO JU two theatres in Britain specifically dedicated to puppet theatre. The DaSilva’s original intention for the project was to have a theatre that supported and encouraged both puppet theatre and its allied arts. They were very much involved in the theatre’s early successes, however they handed over direct artistic control in 1985 to Barry Smith who changed the theatre’s direction quite radically. Smith was very artistically driven, and steered his productions to more high-­brow, original shows, which was very different to the traditions of the 60’s and 70’s that the DaSilva’s represented. The change was uncomfortable for some however, and since Luis Boy became artistic director in 1991, he has tried to provide a range of different

shows in order to appeal to a wider audience and show a more evolved style. One of the defining roles of the puppet theatre has been to act as a resource and focus for all kinds of artists involved in the art of puppet theatre, both from Britain and abroad. The shows created by the theatre’s professional company for instance, under the di-­ rection of Luis Boy, have toured extensively, performing at national festivals and in various countries around the world. This aspect of their work is reflected in the variety of cultures and nations show-­ ing during the celebration week. There are performances by visiting companies from Spain, France, Portugal, Japan, the Slovak Repub-­ lic and Russia, and by guest performers from India and Argentina. One of the highlights of the travelling shows is the Nevsky Prospekt by the Russian company Theatre Potudan, which is based on a story by Gogol. It is described as a ‘theatrical world in miniature,’ which follows an artist’s life in St.Petersburg, and has been chosen to be the closing show of the celebration because of its sheer intensity and scope. It is slightly longer and has more puppeteers than all the other performances, which makes it more visually challenging, however it is a great example of serious puppet theatre from a for-­ eign tradition. The theatre’s management have arranged their anniversary cel-­ ebration to be a recognition of their past work by putting on shows that appeal to both young and old, and ones that appeal both to those who know about puppet theatre and those who have not been to a show before. Another important feature of the theatre’s role is to teach people and facilitate amateur interest in puppet theatre. During the week there are four workshops put on during the day so that people of all ages can learn about the practical aspects of puppetry. The individual workshops are for origami, circus perform-­ ance, hand shadow, and rod puppetry. The Event asks Woods what

are the most important qualities in a puppeteer, to which he replies that it is important that the audience do not notice the strings or rods, but focus their attention on the character of the puppet itself. This is how puppet theatre can be compared to theatre in general, as the puppets are meant to be extensions of the performers and not replacements for them. A good performer can thus express them-­ selves fully through the movements of the puppet, somehow creating the illusion of life within it, so that the audience almost forget the character is not real. After visiting the theatre and talking to Mr. Woods, it becomes apparent that puppet theatre is not a shallow or restrictive art form, but that it can be as complex and multi-­faceted as any other theatre. It is also very entertaining and thoroughly unpretentious, which is demonstrated well in the range of shows that are being put on for the celebration. The puppets look fantastic, and are constantly visu-­ ally surprising. Clearly a lot of thought goes into their design by the artistic director. They can almost certainly be described as a form of sculpture in their own right. Since opening 25 years ago the puppet theatre has become an intrinsic part of Norwich’s cultural landscape. This may be because puppet theatre is quite under-­represented in Britain, despite the immense popularity of programs like Thunderbirds, Sesame Street and the Muppets. The theatre is partly responsible for maintaining standards in the industry, as it provides the much needed stability for less focused individual performers and companies. Therefore it seems fitting that the theatre should celebrate its past successes, not to mention its present importance to the people of Norwich, with the diverse range of shows on offer this week in its International Celebra-­ tion of Puppet Theatre. The events on display perfectly demonstrate the theatre’s progress throughout its twenty-­five year existence.

Event 9 The

Feature

Feature

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tephen Fry’s laughter ricochets through the walls, boundlessly illuminating the drab, dull office in which he sits. The man behind such creations of comic genius as Blackadder, Jeeves and Wooster and QI, lounges languidly in his seat, jovially expounding upon the joys of seasonal smoking. It transpires that he prefers to smoke pipes in winter, while in the summer he enjoys the odd cigarette. He is currently in a transitional period, however. As if to illustrate this, he now flamboyantly lights up a ciga-­ rette whilst speaking, explaining that his only worry is that pipes can look a little pretentious. Pretentious is in fact one of the very last adjectives it would be fair to attribute to Fry. He is incredibly self-­deprecating, open and genuine. For a man so widely revered, he doesn’t shy away from any discussion of his rather turbulent past, on the contrary he welcomes it. When asked whether he thinks that growing up in a rural area af-­ fects the way you are brought up, Fry is impressively candid, remark-­ ing wryly: ‘Well, you wouldn’t expect someone from my background to end up spending three months in prison, so it‘s hard to tell.’ Hav-­ ing spent the majority of his formative years, when not at boarding school, living in deepest darkest Norfolk, he should know. Fry’s chequered past is no secret to most these days: the noto-­ rious adolescent credit-­card theft that landed him three months in prison, the numerous expulsions from schools when he was young-­ er, the frequent battles with heavy episodes of depression. Not to mention the time he absconded from the West End production of ‘Cell Mates’ half-­way through the run and fled to Belgium. Again, he amicably links these misadventures back to his upbringing, citing the rurally situated house where he spent much of his childhood as a mo-­ tive for why he always ‘runs away from schools and things’. He puts it down to a need to ‘go in search of adventure.’: ‘I was cut off from any kind of entertainment when I was younger: friends houses, cinemas, bars, we simply couldn’t imagine having that kind of thing nearby. It gives you a certain desperation to leave. All I really had was books.’ Thus, a more positive outcome of his remote childhood is un-­ covered: ‘That’s what got me started on all this, I suppose. I spent my whole time reading.’ If that be the case, then Fry’s loss as a child was later to be our nation’s gain. His literary credits are many, hav-­ ing already written a wide selection of novels, including The Liar, The Hippopotamus and The Stars’ Tennis Balls, an autobiography enti-­ tled ‘Moab is my Washpot’ and, his latest published work, a guide to writing poetry called ‘The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking The Poet Within’. Alongside this impressive array of accomplishments, he has built up an enviable CV, including, among many other things: becoming a millionaire at the age of twenty seven after writing the libretto for the musical Me and My Girl, playing Oscar Wilde in the film Wilde, directing his first major feature film, Bright Young Things, perform-­ ing in a host of roles for television, including Sherlock Holmes, and presenting the BAFTA awards. For a man of so many talents he is an incredibly affable, charm-­ ing and generous conversationalist, his banter littered with all the trade-­marked wit you would expect from one so renowned for his intelligence and humour. Any attempts to highlight his numerous achievements, in the face of his acute self-­deprecation and modesty, are dismissed with a humble wave of the hand. Beneath his debonair charisma, however, lies a muddle of insecurities. Nuances of his ex-­ treme physical self-­loathing surface occasionally, offering glimmers of understanding into his self-­imposed sixteen year period of celibacy and the beginnings of an insight into what motivates his infamously wayward behaviour. For a man who is so openly analytical of his many neuroses, writ-­ ing an autobiography seems like the perfect way to achieve some kind of catharsis. The Event suggests that it must be extremely healthy

10

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to be given the opportunity to reflect in this manner, to which Fry readily agrees: ‘There’s definitely an element of catharsis. It sounds incredibly banal to say it of course, but I suppose it really depends on the type of life you’ve lived. In my case I was writing an autobi-­ ography of a very, I think, unusual childhood.’ When asked if there is any chance of a sequel, as the book only covers the first twenty years of Fry’s life, he ponders for a moment before responding: ‘If I was to write a second volume, it would be very hard for it not to become more typical, because it would be-­ come a showbiz biography. The difficulty is that now I would have to write about people that everybody knows, whereas when I was writing about my school days I could conflate and amalgamate peo-­ ple. I could even make up their names if I wanted to protect their identities. But now there’s no way I could make anything up now. I’d have to be gushy and showbiz-­like and greasy. Which basically means I’d have to write about my life not touching on my work, which has been the large extent of my life. So that’s the difficulty. Besides I’m still too busy living life at the moment, but I might get around to it at some stage.’ Moab Is My Washpot is a remarkably affecting autobiography. In it Fry effortlessly details the agonies of his childhood with an honesty that is both startling and unique. At times he paints such a

A5IF UIJOH XJUI UBMFOU JT UP QSFUFOE UIBU ZPV EPO U mOE JU FBTZ BOE UIFO JU JT NPSF SFXBSEJOH UP CF DPOHSBUV MBUFE GPS JU tormented portrait of himself that it makes for quite unbearably sad reading. When asked whether he ever had any qualms about being so excruciatingly frank in the book, Fry remains realistic: ‘I think part of the pleasure in writing about oneself is that it is, in a sense, the purest sort of writing you can have. The beauty of writing is that you can inspect things with pitiless honesty, it’s just about being able to remain humble in the face of facts about yourself. Also, part of me is always aware that I‘m writing for me in my past, I’m writing what I would like to have read when I was younger.’ ‘A lot of people find all these sorts of things very embarrassing. I think one of the advantages I have in not seeming to be neurotic in a sort of American way, is that it means I can reflect on what I am feeling. I always enjoy myself so much more when I read people being honest about their lives and I never think worse of them for it at all, quite the opposite in fact. Part of you of course thinks vaguely ‘Oh God are my parents going to be embarrassed?’ But I‘m very lucky to have parents who I can share this kind of thing with.” The Event wonders then whether he feels that, without these insecurities, would he be able to write and act so successfully? ‘It’s such a good question, I mean, W. H. Auden once said, don’t take away people’s devils because you’ll take away their angels too. One sometimes feels that the idea of trying to get rid of these neuroses is kind of insane. Neuroses are the things that make us precisely who we are and maybe they can seem sometimes to burden us, but then you think, ‘alright well you know, lets think of someone I really envy, who’s life would I like to have? Would I want to be Bill Gates?’ No! Good God, I mean imagine waking up every morning being Bill Gates! And then you think, well, what about writers I admire? Would I want to be Seamus Heaney or Julian Barnes?’ Again, no. I’m happy to admire those people, but it doesn’t mean I want to be them. So I think one praises God for ones neuroses in a way, I certainly praise God for everything that makes me different.’ He pauses or a moment or two, before adding: ‘One of the

absolute privileges of being a student, for example, is that it au-­ tomatically gives you a sort of visa to bohemia. You don’t have to spend your life thinking ‘Oh God, did I leave the lawnmower out?’ Lawnmowers are a symbol of everything one should hate. Never care about your lawnmower.’ Could it be then that, although the idea of the tortured artist is somewhat of a cliché these days, it is a cliché that contains a degree of merit? ‘Well, exactly. I think Oscar Wilde put it very well, as he does with so many things. He discusses in one of his essays the idea of the artistic life. By the artistic life, I mean the dynamic life. Some people have a very clear idea of what they want to do and be in the world, for example, a lawyer or a teacher or an industrialist, and they nearly always become it. That is their punishment. But for those of us that choose the artistic life, we do not know from one day to the next what we want to be, we only know that we want to try to be things, eat different fruit from different trees from all the orchards around the world. And some will be bitter and terrible, and some will be wonderful, but not to have tried them at all seems to us to be a failure.’ ‘Every old cliché says that this is not a rehearsal, this life, that this is all you get, but I think it is an insult to creation not to throw oneself into all available possibilities and experiences.’ Does he feel then that it is possible to achieve the more posi-­ tive accomplishments in life, his extraordinary artistic abilities, for example, without the more negative aspects, his compulsive over-­ analysis and self-­laceration, for instance? ‘Well, it’s an integral part of many philosophies, this idea of balance. The Chinese, for exam-­ ple, have this idea of Ying Yang, and I think you cannot help but observe that there is a kind of equation in these things. Alcohol and drugs are a good example, for every ounce of joy that you get from taking a drink or drug, there is always an equal amount of misery to be suffered afterwards. Or if you take more obvious examples, the things we all envy, beauty and talent for instance. Someone who is astonishingly beautiful, say, we all want to be, because we would like to know what it feels like to be beautiful. In fact, it’s very hard for us not to think that beauty isn’t almost a sort of moral qual-­ ity, that the beautiful aren‘t invested with something extra then us mere mortals. To be found to be beautiful is something we would all love to experience, and yet we also know that beauty is an awful privilege, partly because it means one can never be sure whether one is loved for one’s true character or not, and partly because of the knowledge that it is absolutely transient. So one can recognise that, for all the advantages it may offer, there are also terrible dis-­ advantages. ‘Similarly with talent, I think. The thing with talent is to pretend that you don’t find it easy and then it is more rewarding to be con-­ gratulated for it. You never hear of a renowned cricketer or tennis player saying, ‘I’m really pleased that I’m so talented!’ What they want to be admired for is the effort that they put into it, the fact that they worked really hard to get where they are. Because that’s what they feel that they invested their whole self into. Talent is just an extra really.’ There is a paragraph in the foreword to ‘The Ode Less Trav-­ elled’ where Fry argues something similar to this. Clearly then, The Event suggests, it is a subject very close to his heart. It’s an interest-­ ing idea. If this is the case, if people are indeed reluctant to accept praise for their God given gifts, then surely many of Fry’s seemingly innate qualities, his quick-­witted sense of humour and his intelli-­ gence, for instance, must come into question when he is making an appraisal of himself? ‘Well, it’s interesting. There was actually a much longer section originally in the foreword, which I then cut, about how people often apply that horrendous phrase to me ‘multi-­talented’, and I find it deeply distressing and uncomfortable. I hate it that people refer to me as this kind of renaissance person. Partly, of course, that’s van-­

ity. I would like to be thought of as someone who worked hard to achieve what they do. I mean, I’m aware that some things seem to come, perhaps, more easily to me then they do to other people, but I would like to think that it is not just something I’ve been given. I suspect, of course, that that’s all nonsense really, though.’ Whether he feels that he can take credit for the skills he pos-­ sesses or not, however, it is undeniable that Fry’s powers as a writer are truly formidable. His stories are infused with a strong, sharp sense of wit and an eloquence that is rare among his British con-­ temporaries. Time and again he has been lauded by critics for his mastery of language and skilful storytelling. The Stars’ Tennis Balls, in particular, is a modern day masterpiece. He manages to achieve a balance that so few other writers seem to accomplish these days, combining well woven, meticulous plots with intricately depicted characters and piercingly accurate observations on everyday life. In his latest book, ‘The Ode Less Travelled’, he takes a break from his usual style of writing, however, and tries instead to teach others how to write. The basic principle of the book, he explains, is to educate people in how to write poetry, so that they can pick it up as a hobby, should they wish, much in the same way that they would pick up painting or dancing as a past time. It becomes apparent he sorely feels that poetry is a much maligned art form, asserting his opinion that people are ‘embarrassed’ to admit that they indulge in the activity of writing. Even more irksome then that, however, is his irritation at the ‘arse dribble’ that is modern poetry. This is an idea that he specu-­ lates on at length in his book, for he condemns the ‘English-­lan-­ guage poetics of today’ as ‘tattered and tired’ and argues that ‘most of what passes for poetry nowadays is utterly listless, there’s just no energy and drive in it anymore.’ What he thinks is needed then is a return to traditional form.

He believes that more attention should be paid to the rules, poets should start adhering to ideas of metre and verse once more. He scathingly describes the ‘free form meanderings’ of contemporary poets as ‘emotional masturbation’ and suggests that it is much more fun to make use of existing forms and structures and play around with them. Much of his fictional work is invested with a highly accom-­ plished, imaginative flair, yet it is also peppered with recognisable links to his own past. A number of the ideas dissected in his au-­

A-BXONPXFST BSF B TZNCPM PG FWFSZUIJOH POF TIPVME IBUF /FWFS DBSF BCPVU ZPVS MBXONPXFS tobiography, for example, seem to turn up with great frequency in his writing, predominantly, the recurring themes of public school struggles, middle class guilt and physical self-­loathing. Given this, The Event would like to find out whether he agrees with that old adage you should only write what you know? ‘Yes I do, although I think that it is very difficult to examine what one knows because oddly enough, I think that write what you know is actually exactly the same as saying use your imagination. Of course it sounds like they should be two complete opposites, but imagina-­ tion is not the same as fantasy. Fantasy is when you make things up, imagination is when you penetrate the truth of the thing, it’s what you really truly know about something. The trick to writing is to know what it is like to be someone different, it’s really even the trick to just behaving well as a human being.’

‘So that’s all writers do, essentially, they write about what they know. If, for example, I was to write my next novel about a coffee plantation in Columbia, the truth of the book would not be in re-­ searching how many hours the characters would work, or finding out when the coffee harvest is, it would be in knowing how people re-­ spond to things. Because that’s the truth of what human beings are. But on a more obvious level, I mean, if one is to write a novel, then clearly it is easier to set it in a milieu one is familiar with’ The Event points out that this is particularly apparent in his works of fiction, especially in the frequent allusions to public school life and the middle classes, to which he enthusiastically agrees: ‘Well, yes, exactly you see, because then I understand most of the backgrounds and ways of thinking of the characters in my books. I mean The Stars’ Tennis Balls is loosely based on The Count of Monte Cristo in terms of its plot outline, but I wasn’t going to write it set back in medieval times, or indeed the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, be-­ cause that’s just not what I am familiar with. But I am familiar with the nature of man and it seemed to me to be more truthful when presented in this way. Really, above all else, you just need to imagine what it feels like to be someone else. That’s what great writing is.’ And with that, the interview finishes and he is off to give a lec-­ ture on ‘The Ode Less Travelled’ to the waiting masses. Flicking the now long ago out burnt out cigarette into the waste paper basket as he leaves, he meanders towards the door, amiably muttering words like ‘terrific’ and ’splendid’ in his intoxicatingly erudite undertones. Watching him, it is impossible not to come to the conclusion that, for all his modest misgivings, he may very well just be one of those ca-­ pable of achieving the ‘great’ writing he so admires. Only he’s never likely to let us acknowledge it.

Event 11 The

Fashion

Fancy Dress to Impress

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ost students dress up from head to toe whatever the theme is, as a naughty school girl/boy, a ghost or a lifeguard…as roles and char-­ acters from themes, which have become popular amongst the enthusiastic university student today. Efforts for these dressing up occasions faze other students, however a little planning means you will be going to the party looking the part. Participation gives a dressing up party the edge. The saying “a little goes a long way” is appropriate -­ dressing up is less hassle than some may believe. In-­ ventiveness costs little. The allegorical costumes for example, which enjoyed quite a vogue during the 1860s, were often nothing more than a few stars or flowers sprinkled on a cloak or evening dress. In those past times, the removal or addition of different trimmings and decorations transformed and indeed rescued what might have otherwise been another monotonous social event! Costumes such as these were often given an exalted name, adding to the atmosphere of “anything goes”. Fancy dress parties are not anything new;; the idea of wearing

a costume or disguise has long been part of cultures around the world, being particularly popular in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. This popularity of fancy dress is largely down to Italy, who contributed in making the craze. Their extravagant costumes and masks worn during carnival was a direct influence on the 18th century European attention to masquerade. However, much of Europe, especially England, lost this inter-­ est in the 19th century and discarded masks. The Victorian age still held a keen interest in fancy dress parties luckily, and it was the Queen’s interest in literature, poetry and history which kept fancy dress something people united and got involved in. Think of any notable figure in history and literature…this was likely to be an inspiration to the fancy dress party guests. Well-­known charac-­ ters such as those from the Shakespeare plays were welcomed as people to dress up as but there was also an inspiration for original and creative costumes. It seems Queen Victoria’s personal inter-­ est in British history and her desire for authenticity helped those fancy dress parties to reach frenzied proportions! (Let’s have three cheers!). Although this desire for authenticity reflected the fashion-­ able line of the day, it was used as an excuse to expose flesh! Yes, these times witnessed the display of many a lady’s calf and ankle! Gosh! It was an opportunity for ladies to step outside some of the strict codes of their society. The 19th century saw many a fancy dress gather-­ ing, illustrating an important impact on the Queen’s long rein. Fancy dress today is gradually be-­ coming less of a scene. A great excuse then is to keep it popular. Everyone has an upcoming event to celebrate: Halloween…which is one of the more popular times people of today gener-­ ally dress up for…another excuse to be all for a dab of daring make-­up and the swish of a black cape! Fancy that! We know you want it to be as easy and cheap as possible. If you think that

the original iconic robe worn by Sir Alec Guinness as Obi-­Wan Ke-­ nobi in Star Wars was found in a fancy dress shop at a value of £25,000, ready for the public to hire at street prices, costumes on hire don’t have to cost the earth! But even more affordable for the student: Charity shops. A convincing Halloween outfit can be found in Charity shops around Norwich to aid the transformation of old clothes into new costumes, or you can find a top to toe outfit for less than five pounds if you’re a bargain hunter.

Dress Up Everyday This may be the season for fancy dress, but with au-­ tumn’s grey skies blending with the grey concrete of campus why restrict your dressing up to Halloween? Prolong the warmth of summer and capture the hap-­ piness of those months by bringing colour and imagi-­ nation to your outfits. Bold, bright colours are ideal for this season, they’ll make you look and feel happy and most importantly they will make you stand out amongst the crowds in their black, brown and grey. You don’t need anything new, just rummage through your cupboards. Particular colours to look for are blues, greens, yellows and oranges. Layer items of different colours and styles together. Be brave! Try combinations that might oppose each other, some contrasts look really fantastic! Blue or green with or-­ ange for example. Boys could use long vests under T-­shirts or T-­shirts with fitted shirts. Girls should try

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old fashioned dresses like those from ‘The Dustbin’. To keep warm wear T-­shirts or vest tops underneath and/or a cardigan. Better still mix a dress with a tank-­ top. To keep those legs cosy wear coloured or pat-­ terned tights. To emphasise the dressing up style accessorise liberally. Use complimentary coloured badges, col-­ ourful belts, bangles, broaches and plastic beads (all can be found in charity shops). These are great for transforming your outfit into something special. Also look out for unique items either from charity shops or ‘found’ from family members. Remember the most important thing is to be bold and to have fun – the essence of dressing up. .BSL %FOMFZ BOE *NPHFO 5PQMJTT

Fashion

Under £5

Dead Bride Outfit

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Oxfam 8-­10 Magdalen Street Norwich NR3 1HU Tel: 01603 665508 Ladies gloves £1

British Heart Foundation 64 London Street Norwich NR2 1JK Tel: 01603 766228 Ladies silk white dress £3

Anglian Fashion Fabrics Dress & Haberdashery Dep 29 Magdalen Street Norwich NR3 1LE Tel: 01603 611661 Black mesh material £1 for veil

5IJOHT ZPV SF MJLFMZ UP IBWF BMSFBEZ Mud and leaves from your garden! Ribbon…black or blood red Alice band/ black elastic/ tiara Talc powder for skull like face accompanied with blood red lippy Pearly necklace & bracelet Black nail varnish Heels or just muddy bare feet! The perfect prop: dead, drooping flowers #FDLZ 3VUU BOE 7JDLZ 8BMMFO

Event 13 The

TV

Primetime

Blessed ##$ QN 'SJEBZ

Blessed is the latest effort from the BBC to fill the dreaded Friday night sitcom slot. Written by Ben Elton (his first sitcom since The Thin Blue Line ten years ago) and starring Ardal O’Hanlon and Mel Giedroyc of Mel and Sue, it follows the lives of Gary and Sue as their peaceful urban existence is torn apart by the birth of their second child. The first episode followed each of the couple as they tried to get a good night’s sleep, with Gary resorting to sleeping on the floor of the recording studio that he works in as a jingle com-­ poser. It also introduced the various supporting characters, such as their scarily enthusiastic yuppie neighbours Bill (Robert Webb of Peep Show) and Mary (Sue Bretton from Green Wing), and Gary’s backing band. Surprisingly for a Friday night BBC1 show, Blessed isn’t too bad. The laughs don’t exactly come thick and fast, but there are occasional great moments, such the typically Elton comic device of the monologue – in this episode, Gary rants at a queue in the corner shop about how their lives revolve around being served

Suds

:PVS EPTF PG TPBQ OFXT )PMMZPBLT Once again the Hollyoaks village has been brimming with activity. The estranged Justin has roped in schoolgirl Nicole to help with his dirty work and caused their two families to fall out. Nicole turned to Becca for help, but ended up making the situation worse and jeop-­ ardised the chance of Becca defending young Justin in court. Things have also been hotting up with the students, as Louise woke up in Joe’s bed with no idea of how she got there. Unknown to him, she is planning a gruesome revenge after his dishonest ways which will come about at the Halloween party. Mandy and Tony’s relationship hasn’t been going well after the birth of her premature baby, as she refuses to touch or even accept it. Cameron and Steph are still madly in love but she can’t bring herself to be seen dating a geek, so their relationship is still being kept under wraps from the other students. The Halloween party is set to be an exciting episode with all the char-­ acters getting up to no good -­ make sure you don’t miss it. #FDLZ 3VUU

/FJHICPVST Wow! Could Neighbours have been anymore dramatic this week? Producers pulled out all of the stops for the show’s 20 year anniver-­ sary and consequently we have seen the welcome return of many old faces, including Joe Mangel, Lucy Robinson, Phil Martin and personal favourite Lance -­ yet, sadly, there was no sign of Kylie. Perhaps even more shocking was when Izzy confessed to Max that Gus had not in fact raped her and that she had only said this to pre-­ vent Karl from finding out about her affair. Yet. in true Neighbours style. it turned out that Karl was listening behind the door and had heard the whole sorry tale. What followed was a sensational scene in which Karl let rip at Izzy in front of the whole of Ramsay Street. Izzy was left with no one to turn to and -­ as a last resort -­ looked to Susan, who was at the time symbolically throwing out the trash. Additionally, Kayla fled after confessing to Boyd that she was still in love with the father of her baby and Lou found out about Paul and Izzy’s affair. What on Earth will happen next? 3FCFDDB )VOU

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by the mindless drones that work there. The monologue itself is amusing, and it’s easy to imagine Elton himself or perhaps Rowan Atkinson’s brilliantly bitter Inspector Fowler from The Thin Blue Line performing it. Ardal O’Hanlon doesn’t have the comic deliv-­ ery of either of these and, despite Gary’s impatience, it’s difficult for the viewer to take the character as such, thanks to O’Hanlon’s previous nice-­but-­dim roles in Father Ted and My Hero. The mono-­ logues look set to become a recurring feature, as Gary’s character seems doomed to heighten any situation into a terrible ordeal, whether it’s trying to buy shopping or remember the names of his next door neighbours. This feature harks back to ‘classic’ sitcoms, such as One Foot in the Grave and Fawlty Towers. The character of Sue hasn’t had the chance to develop beyond ordering Gary to carry out her every whim, yet there seems to be the potential there for her to become as interesting and funny a character as Gary proves to be in the first episode. She has given up her job to live in their toy-­strewn house and has become trapped by the responsibilities of caring for the toddler and baby while Gary

earns money for them – or gets a break from it, as she sees it. She is possibly more bitter than Gary at the situation they’ve got into it and this shows itself in the funny put-­downs she frequently hisses at him. With more character development, and Giedroyc’s obvious comic talents, Sue seems likely to become funnier than Gary. After this promising start, Blessed has some way to plummet to reach the depths of previous Friday night sitcoms (My Family, According To Bex) but, due to it’s sharp script and interesting char-­ acters, this – thankfully – doesn’t look likely. $ISJT )ZEF

TV DVD

$4* /FX :PSL b 3FMFBTFE With the huge success of ‘CSI’ and ‘CSI: Miami’, it’s not surprising that producer Jerry Bruckheimer decided to set up another money spinner. Set in the gloomy aftermath of post-­9/11, ‘CSI: New York’ distinguishes itself with an even darker, grittier tone than either of its predecessors. Veteran film actor Gary Sinise heads the cast, playing Detective Mac Taylor, ex-­marine and lead CSI. Sinise may be less intense than Miami’s David Caruso and lacks the humour of the original’s William Petersen, but he brings a more human appeal to the show. Though his stoic exterior masks the pain of losing his wife in the World Trade Centre attacks, he brings a glow of warmth to the shad-­ owy setting of New York. The pilot uses emotional plot rather than shock factor to draw the audience in and create a connection with the characters. This seems a bit lacking in excitement, but the plot lines pick up as the series goes on. Location is everything for the show -­ where else would you be able to triangulate location from skyscrapers or be able to use sewer rats as witnesses? Some of the storylines seem a bit farfetched (such as the blunt force trauma victim killed by a fall-­ ing frozen human waste from an aeroplane), but on the whole are

engaging and often humorous (such as ‘Recycling’, which features murderous dog owners). However the character episodes are what give the show an edge. Messer (the team’s smart-­alec) is something of a loose can-­ non, letting his prejudices guide his actions rather than being the impartial detective. ‘On The Job’ is one of the stronger episodes in which Taylor’s no-­nonsense attitude distances him from the rest of the team. The setting is decidedly dark and gritty with sombre, blue-­tinged cinematography, visually separating it from the other shows. The spin-­off emphasises well-­drawn character development without sacrificing any of the grisly criminal and scientific elements that made its parent show such a smashing success. For those of you who have never watched either preceding se-­ ries, you need not worry – the series stands alone, so starting with ‘CSI: New York’ will not leave you at a disadvantage plot wise. But if you are fed up with the likes of ‘NYPD’ or ‘Law and Order’ and are looking for a more daring, complex show with a stronger plot, then the original CSI is the only way to go. /BUBTIB ,VOEBJLFS

Telly Classics 0QFO "MM )PVST To mark the unfortunate passing of British comedy legend Ronnie Barker, we’ve decided to review a classic Barker program. While ‘Porridge’ and ‘The Two Ronnies’ proved strong contenders, it was decided that ‘Open All Hours’ deserved a mention, as it’s been un-­ fairly overlooked for a long time. ‘Open All Hours’ is about a shop in a typically bleak Northern town that is owned and run by the miserly Arkwright (Barker), helped by his dozy nephew Granville (David Jason). Most episodes revolve around either Arkwright’s schemes to make easy money quickly or his unsuccessful attempts to woo the local nurse Gladys. To add to these very simple plots, any opportunities for comedy are taken advantage of. One major comic device is the stutter that Barker oc-­ casionally uses. Watching Arkwright trying to pronounce the word

‘Granville’ and the facial expressions used is very simple, yet very effective, comedy. While Arkwright is content with his life revolving around the shop, Granville is constantly trying to escape from it and live his life to the fullest. The theme of escapism was present in a lot of 70s sitcoms (e.g. ‘The Good Life’) and the contrasting attitudes to it of the two main characters in ‘Open All Hours’ reflected those of 70s society: the younger generations flocking to the cities and leaving the older people in the way of life they grew up in. Without Ronnie Barker, ‘Open All Hours’ wouldn’t have been any-­ where near as funny as it is. It’s vastly underrated and deserves to be remembered amongst Barker’s best work. $ISJT )ZEF

Art

Bestsellers

Theatre

1 5IVE

Stewart Lee

Terry Pratchett £7.99 Bloomsbury

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2 6OUPME 4UPSJFT Alan Bennett £6.99 Corgi Adult

3 5IF %B 7JODJ $PEF

After hitting something of a rough patch, Stewart Lee is touring again, performing standup across the UK. The last time Lee’s name was in the papers it was because of his involvement in The Jerry Springer Opera, a charming production that caused some contro-­ versy amongst those partial to religion. Its screening on Channel 4 earlier in the year resulted in a barrage of complaints to the network and a number of demonstrations. Stewart Lee was not a popular man at the time. This bout of bad press doesn’t seem to have stunted him as his stand-­up routine is as prickly as it ever was, pricklier in fact. However, with this established, the usual pitfall of many comics who choose to take a controversial aprroach to comedy (not being funny), is happily avoided by Lee who is currently in peak condition. The calming, measured tone of his voice meanders through a pleth-­ ora of topics, few that would be suitable for discussion with one’s wrinkly relatives over tea, with the ease and dexterity of someone who has been on the circuit a very long time and has thicker skin than most. One hangover from the Springer affair does peep into the show in the form of a rather gruesome climax, obviously de-­ voted to flying in the face of all the criticism the comedian has had to swallow in recent months. Whilst the point of these efforts may be admirable, there is a rather more serious tinge to the comedy at these points in the show that reveals a man rather more bitter than his finer comic moments account for. ,BUF #SZBOU

Dan Brown £6.99 Abacus

4 5IF 8PSME "DDPSEJOH UP $MBSLTPO Jeremy Clarkson £6.99 Penguin

5 (PJOH 1PTUBM Terry Pratchett £6.99 Corgi Adult

6 +POBUIBO 4USBOHF BOE .S /PSSFMM Suzanne Clarke £7.99 Vintage

7 5IF 4IBEPX PG UIF 8JOE Carlos Ruiz Zafon £6.99 Time Warner Paperbacks

8 "OHFMT BOE %FNPOT Dan Brown Ebury Press

9 4DPUMBOE 4USFFU Alexander Mcall Smith £7.99 Vintage

10 5IF 'JWF 1FPQMF ZPV NFFU JO )FBWFO Mitch Alborn £8.99 BBC Books =

Books

5IF PGmDJBM 'BISFOIFJU .JDIBFM .PPSF Reading the screenplay of Michael Moore’s controversial documentary in print is a some-­ what different experience from watching the film: it certainly loses some of its impact with-­ out the shocking images. However, being able to focus solely on the words means it is easier to make connections between some of the dif-­ ferent revelations presented throughout the narrative. It also shows that the facts put to-­ gether in the documentary are strong enough to stand on their own as a condemnation of the Bush regime, without the intense pathos cre-­ ated by some of the film footage. The book also contains evidence to support Moore’s claims, a selection of e-­mails from

the public, essays and critiques, and articles on issues raised by the film. This makes for an enlightening collection, although it is more suitable for reference, than something to read cover-­to-­cover. Some of the e-­mails collected here are rather moving, but it would have been interesting to include some criticism of Moore for comparison, as it gets a little tiresome read-­ ing page after page of sycophantic prose. The supplementary evidence and the writings on issues from the film, however, contain some particularly disturbing information and would serve as a useful starting point for anyone in-­ terested in this area. $IBSMFOF 1SJDF

5PLZP %PFTO U -PWF VT "OZNPSF 3BZ -PSJHB Set in the very near future, this is the story of a travelling salesman floating from arid Arizona parking lots to steamy Bangkok bars to ped-­ dle the hottest new commodity — a drug that erases memory — for a group known only as The Company. The quote on the cover is highly alluring: “If Don Quixote had known about Tamazipam, he’d have been much the same . . .brilliant”, not to mention misleading. Clearly, the reviewer for Arena magazine simply heard that there was a book by a Spanish author that was a bit loco, so decided to make a feeble link between one of the greatest novels ever written, and a book in which the protagonist is incapable of keeping his penis in his trousers when faced with either

man, woman, child, or indeed, feet. However, the prose is chilling and concise, hitting you like an iron fist in your stomach. It relaxes you into the disjointed and repetitive narrative of Loriga’s futuristic and nihilistic world, each page becoming a dark spotlight on the modern allure of pharmaceuticals’ power to attempt to assuage all ills. We’ve all wished that we could take a pill and forget, but after Loriga’s pithy and thought-­ provoking portrayal of narcotic dissipation, you’ll be holding on tighter than ever to those fading memories. Despite this, it remains in no way comparable to Don Quixote! (MPSJB 4BOEFST

Event 15 The

Film

Main Feature

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit %JS /JDL 1BSL 4UFWF #PY 3FMFBTF %BUF

It’s been a heck of a long time since we last met Nick Park’s Oscar winning, plasticine duo;; 10 years to be precise: plenty of time to allow for the dust build up, and the gags to go as stale as an old cracker. Luckily though no such thing has happened, as the ever loved team of a genius/ idiot/ professor and his sullen mutt make their very first cinema outing, with outstanding results. A phenomenal 5 years in the making (and boy does it show) Aardman seem to have lost none of their flair, expertly telling a wonderfully offbeat tale of humongous rabbits, massive vegeta-­ bles and a surely-­unhealthy amount of Wensleydale. The film kicks

off with the two running a ‘humane pest-­control’ service, keeping a population of crop-­hungry rabbits harmlessly at bay while the whole town prepares for the annual competition of exceptionally large vegetables. Everything is going fine however until reports of a supernaturally-­large, long-­eared, produce-­devouring beast begin to circulate, leaving it up to the two to solve the obscure case, all in the short time of the quickly-­looming competition (plus home for cheese and crackers of course). At a trim 83 minutes (but still 50 longer than their previous outing) the story takes no time for stops, careening the plot around with neck-­jolting speed, always making you wonder just where it will end up next. It’s this sense of unpredictability that aids in mak-­ ing just about every minute of the tale so unbelievably fun. Add to this a continual string of every gag under the cinematic sun (slap-­ stick/ vocal/ even a few raunchy innuendos for the older folk) and even the most stern-­natured of cinema-­goers will find themselves smiling by the time the credits role. Peppered with surprisingly fitting CGI, and beautifully con-­ ceived under a budget of $30 million, it’s safe to say that Park’s take on an obscure, perfectly satirical British town has never looked quite so good. The sheer quality of the stop-­motion animation (now largely abandoned in an age dominated by computers) shines through in every frame, bringing with it a warming sense of old-­age

charm, while at the same time proving just why the Aardman pro-­ duction team managed an average of 3 seconds worth of footage a day. It’s a truly astonishing sight, and one which will surely put Park up for his fourth Oscar in achievement in animation. The voice talent is also second to none: Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) brings to life Wal-­ lace’s wealthy, upper-­class love interest Lady Tottington (‘Please, call me Totty’) with distinguishable charm, while Ralph Fiennes (Spider, Red Dragon) energetically sneers his way to great effect through his role as the hunting-­obsessed Victor Quartermaine. Though the celebrities do sparkle, and Peter Sallis again proves himself more than perfect for the voice of Wallace, it’s the mute, sullen Gromit that truly steals the frame, riding many a well-­placed joke on a mere flex of his plasticine brow alone. Never held in place by any weighty, under-­running subject mat-­ ter (I think the closest you’ll get is Tottington’s distaste of hunting), Curse of the Were-­Rabbit establishes itself as a breezy-­light but forceful gale of pure, delirious entertainment. In a cinematic age of such heavy-­handed subject material, it’s a refreshing change to take a trip through Park’s vast, unforgettable imagination, having a grand day out in the process (it just had to be done). &EEJF )PXBSUI

Other screens *OUP UIF #MVF %JS +PIO 4UPDLXFMM 3FMFBTFE

%PNJOP %JS 5POZ 4DPUU 3FMFBTFE

For anybody moping over our lack of summer this year here’s a sexy thriller set in the Caribbean sun. The film is based on the hot cou-­ ple: Jared (Paul Walker, 2 Fast 2 Furious) and Sam (Jessica Alba, Sin City), who are so poor that they live in a caravan and their boat is half flooded….yet between them they have enough designer swimwear to fill a small store! I digress. Another couple arrives on the scene: Bryce (Scott Caan, Ocean’s Twelve) and Amanda (Ashley Scott, SWAT) who drive the group into all sorts of problems with not-­to-­be-­messed-­with island drug lords. After a slow opening it picks up a little, but lacks the intensity that could have made this plot great. With some drug lords here and a shark attack there the film remains nothing more than a weak thriller with some buff bods! After all, nearly every scene is a chance to enjoy Walker’s six pack or Alba in her itsy bitsy bikini…. in the water, out of the water, wet, dry etc etc! $BSPMJOF #FFS

Domino is a ‘biopic’ of the life of Domino Harvey, albeit “sort of” based on truth. Kiera Knightley takes the title role and is stunning on screen as the model turned Bounty Hunter. Knightley does her best with the role but her BBC World Service accent (that Harvey actu-­ ally had) just feels pretentious and distracting. However the undeni-­ able problem lies in the direction and script. Tony Scott’s direction is too much;; the spinning camera and editing gimmicks mean we miss most of the film. But more damaging is the flawed script which introduces far too many pointless subplots and results in an incom-­ prehensible conclusion. The reason why this is so disappointing is because the script was written by none-­other than Donnie Darko creator Richard Kelly. At their best Tony Scott and Richard Kelly could have made excellent use of the resources of cast and story they had, unfortunately the result is just a soulless mess. -ZEJB .PTTBIFCJ

-PSE PG 8BS %JS "OESFX /JDDPM 3FMFBTFE

$PSQTF #SJEF %JS 5JN #VSUPO .JLF +PIOTPO 3FMFBTFE

Con Air, Gone in 60 Seconds, Windtalkers, and now Lord of War. The list for sub-­standard Nicholas Cage films just continues to grow, not to mention Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. The narrative follows the life of an arms dealer as he struggles for recognition, giving a sense of originality and realism – an optimistic view which quickly evaporates. In fact this film is anything but. For a start Yuri Orlov (Cage) and his brother Vitaly (Jared Leto) don’t appear to age a day, despite the fact that the story spans over twenty years, including a constant as-­ sociation with drink and drugs. The script is cheesy, the shots even more so. Cage delivers a performance blessed with monotony as he acquaints himself with warlords from the heart of Africa. Though di-­ rected by Andrew Niccol, (Gattaca), and with an established cast in-­ cluding Ethan Hawke, this picture is not worthy of such A list names. It could be said to be mildly amusing but that’s not a great compli-­ ment. If you haven’t guessed, I don’t recommend it!

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Event The

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The most pressing question on everyone’s lips about Tim Burton’s second dalliance in the land of stop motion animation is ‘will it be as good as The Nightmare Before Christmas?’. Sadly, one of the first things that becomes apparent when watching Corpse Bride is that it fails to capture the same off-­beat majesty that Nightmare had, even though it treads an all-­too-­similar path. However, the film does have a very inticing style about it with a Calligari-­esque cast of characters, Even with such big shoes to fill it manages to be playful and wallow in its beautiful idiosyncratic details. There is a pleasing contrast drawn between the monochrome land of the living and the bawdy, vibrant land of the dead with its bars and jazz bands that gives Corpse Bride a little more for adult audences to mull over. Other than this, the nar-­ rative is a little thin and predictable and despite the all star cast, none of the performances are winning enough to transcend this. ,BUF #SZBOU

$PSQTF #SJEF

Film

DVD Releases 0O DPOOBJU MB DIBOTPO %JS "MBJO 3FTOBJT 3FMFBTFE CZ 1BUIF %JTUSJCVUJPO

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It’s difficult to get excited about yet another film about the French middle classes, the favoured topic of Gallic cinema for some time now. This is a drama about six Parisians connected by estate agents, of all things. Unfortunately, the characters regularly burst into song, almost at random, though usually when expressing emotion. What is so unusual, not to say plain odd, is that the actors themselves don’t sing;; they lip-­synch, badly, and the original recording is piped in. Cer-­ tainly an interesting idea, but it really doesn’t work. The songs are all French pop from the 1920s to early ‘90s, and they don’t translate well to a foreign audience. Would Moulin Rouge be as enjoyable if you had no knowledge of music post-­1960? Besides this, any mood cre-­ ated is instantly destroyed by the overly-­chirpy songs. Similarly, the quirky special effects, like those popularised by Jean Pierre Jeunet, are confusing and unnecessary, leaving this an acquired taste and hard to recommend. +BNFT #FSSJMM

Gregg Araki’s tender, intimate, and harrowing portrait of teenage sexuality in Kansas suburbia is a welcome modification of the stifling nihilism to be found in previous works Doom Generation (1995) and Nowhere (1997). Gone are the excruciatingly staged spectacles of an-­ nihilation and punk-­youth clichés, and in their place a poignant psy-­ chological drama. There is still a good degree of provocation in Mys-­ terious Skin though, which follows 18-­year-­old Brian’s (Brady Corbet) search for the truth surrounding a missing episode in his childhood – a repressed memory that he thinks one-­time Little League team-­ mate Neil (Joseph Gordon-­Levitt), now a gay hustler, may be able to unlock. As a complex meditation on fantasy and memory, the film weaves some exquisitely beautiful hallucinations with a series of visceral shocks (involving child abuse and sexual violence) that will prove uncomfortable viewing for most, notwithstanding their sensi-­ tive and un-­sensationalised presentation. 4FC .BOMFZ

Cinefile N o 60 .

Hana-bi

"MPOF JO UIF %BSL %JS 6XF #PMM "VUVNO 4VO %JS &EVBSEP .JHOPHOB 3FMFBTFE CZ .PNFOUVN 1JDUVSFT 3FMFBTFE CZ 1BUIF %JTUSJCVUJPO Based on a semi-­famous computer game, here we follow ‘paranor-­ mal’ detective Edward Carnby (Christian Slater) as he tries to stop a demonic invasion assisted by Aline Cedric, a historical professor played by… Tara Reid?! This film would like to think it was a clever su-­ pernatural thriller/horror with a complex plot. But the plot is shoddy and makes no sense, whilst the thrills come from overuse of shad-­ ows, which is just irritating and intrudes on the action. Director Uwe Boll has a fixation on camera tricks, such as slow motion and bullet time, which are not only pulled off poorly but at precisely the wrong moments. The acting is consistently wooden and bland, and the soundtrack is also particularly excruciating. Frankly, my time watch-­ ing Alone in the Dark could have been better spent setting fire to my own pubic hair, whilst listening to Bon Jovi’s latest album. "OEZ +VETPO

Clara Goldstein is a charming middle aged Jewish woman who places an ad for likewise gentleman in the personal columns in an attempt to console her brother’s desires for her to settle down with a nice Jew-­ ish gentleman. She meets Raul who at first glance fails to fulfill any of her requirements including being a Gentile. With no alternative on offer, Clara proceeds to instruct Raul in an intensive understanding of Judaism. The relationship is interesting as the two fall for each other and affections cloud Clara’s mission. What begins as an arrangement of convenience ends in an affectionate love story. My reaction: A wee bit slow to get off the ground, with subtitles on a small telly difficult to accommodate, but once going the content of this film is humorous and captivating. The kind of thing to watch when you’re washed out and in need of some comfort and a few glasses of red! 'SBODFT )BSWFZ

Special Feature Kung Fu Hustle

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Ever since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the Asian film industry has shown that commercially and globally it’s in league with the cream of the crop in Hollywood, and Kung Fu Hustle is no excep-­ tion. Fusing together the mayhem of Hong Kong action movies, su-­ perb fight sequences, the humour of silent comedies and elements of the Looney Toons via Kill Bill, Stephen Chow creates a visually stunning comedy that will have you splitting your sides. Writer, di-­ rector, producer and star, on-­screen he’s the reluctant and initially misguided hero, while behind the camera he’s a mastermind of style and creative vision. Set amidst the chaos of pre-­revolution China (with an uncanny resemblance to classic Westerns), Chow plays Sing, a small-­time and rather pathetic crook who attempts to blackmail the locals of the run down slum of Pig Sty Alley, by posing as a member of the feared Axe Gang – the all singing, all dancing ruthless mobsters of Shanghai. When the real gang members arrive to cause trouble, Sing is caught in the middle of a raging turf battle and discovers that hidden among the humble poor are three legendary kung fu masters. The battles are pure art in motion and do not disappoint, as to be expected from Yuen Wo Ping, choreographer of The Ma-­ trix. The scenes incorporate the traditional with the visually artistic styles of fighting, as well as bullet-­time moves;; however Chow in-­ cludes snippets of humour integrating both combat and comedy into the film.

The plot is thin but it is not a movie that only serves to show off the fight sequences – beautiful though they are. Hidden behind it is the morality that much Asian cinema is steeped in – the fight for justice and good verses evil. Though the end is a little lacking in strength, with Chow choosing the happy and almost generic ending of the guy getting the girl and finding the path of good, it is the only part of the film which steers towards convention. Chow complements the kung fu action with its unique sup-­ porting characters – namely the three seemingly unlikely kung fu masters who are looking for solitude in ordinary life, the extremely creepy assassins with their homicidal harps and the odd-­ball hair-­ dresser, to whom you can only say one thing – pull up those pants! However it is the hen-­pecked landlord (Wah Yuen) and his chain-­ smoking, battleaxe wife (Qui Yuen) that steal the show with their fiendishly entertaining and outrageous personalities. With screams like earthquakes and foot chases clocked at Roadrunner speed, this movie will leave you dizzy, make you cry and laugh (often both at the same time), and have you reaching for the tissues. Kung Fu Hustle more than lives up to the promise of Chow’s previous film, Shaolin Soccer. Hollywood would never al-­ low such state-­of-­the-­art absurdity, which is what makes this film so unique – there is literally nothing quite like it. A must see movie.

4P XIBU T JU BMM BCPVU Expertly written, directed and edited by Japan’s premier writer/ di-­ rector/ cult-­superstar Takeshi Kitano, Hana-­Bi unfolds a delicately crafted tale of love, hope and despair, punctuated frequently with scenes of gut-­churning violence and dark humour. After losing his job in the metropolitan police when his partner is inadvertently killed, Nishi (Takeshi Kitano), racked with the guilt of his lost colleague, has to face further problems in the form of his wife Miyuki (Kayoko Kishimoto) slowly wasting away from a terminal disease, his friend permanently confined to a wheelchair, and the mafia hounding him for interest on an unpaid debt. It’s not long before Nishi has to re-­ sort to more drastic measures as a means of straightening out what remains of his slowly collapsing world, turning to a violent criminal life so that others may gain a sliver of hope and happiness in their otherwise joyless lives. 5BLFTIJ ,JUBOP )BWFO U * IFBSE PG IJN CFGPSF Perhaps more generally known for his recently revived ‘Challenge’ hit, Takeshi’s Castle, Kitano also happens to be one of the most prodi-­ gious and critically acclaimed actors/writers/directors to come out of Japan since the grainy but glorious days of Kurosawa. While having penned and directed a whole string of ‘cult-­hits’ (Violent Cop (1989), Sonatine (1993), and most recently the sublime Zatoichi (2003), which won its director a wider audience through a beguiling mix of stylish samurai action and deadpan humour), Kitano is also known for his remarkable skills at acting, starring in a variety of other Asian Cult-­Classics, namely the late Fukasaku’s darkly comic masterwork, Battle Royale. 4PVOET EFQSFTTJOH 8IZ TIPVME * XBUDI JU Not a leisurely stroll through the Hundred-­Acre woods, nor a mad dash across the rooftop of Nakatomi building, Hana-­Bi nevertheless manages to construct something attributed more to an unforgettable experience than a simple hour-­and-­a-­half of entertainment. Kitano’s performance is nothing short of a cinematic slap in the face, effort-­ lessly conveying a character on the teetering brink of madness, while still delivering a heart-­breaking sense of tenderness and loyalty to-­ ward his expiring wife. Add to this frequent scenes of cold, brutal violence (just wait until you see what he does with some chopsticks), plus moments on the pitch-­black end of comedy (try not giggling at Nishi’s insensitive destruction of the little girl’s kite) and it’s safe to say that Hana-­Bi isn’t just a hands-­down winner, but a praise-­worthy wonder of modern cinema.

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Music

Depeche Mode Golden Sounds Playing The Angel ,JOHT PG -FPO

:PVUI :PVOH .BOIPPE Few bands have managed to tint masculity in all its boozy, hairy glory with such tenderness and sensitivity as Kings of Leon. Youth & Young Manhood catches a key stage in the development of the band, on the cusp of success but also (somehow more significantly) adulthood. The hormonal screeching of vocals and guitars, impatient and frantic, is knowingly laced in touching, considered lyrics. Most of the album focuses its attention on the classic trio -­ sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, but with the intensity of a greasy haired youth strumming to Bowie in his bedroom. This isn’t an album to ruminate over, its one to connect with on a more fundamental level. The album remains rough around the edges, betraying the inexperience of the band but also elec-­ tric with promise and originality. Rather than signifying the peak of an already booming career, Youth & Young Manhood is loaded with the promise of a journey just begun. Kate Bryant

Singles "SDBEF 'JSF 8BLF 6Q 2005 has arguably been the year of Arcade Fire. From relative obscurity in January, they’ve gone from strength to strength with the release of the amazing ‘Funeral’ album and their famously spec-­ tacular live shows. This song is the last single from that album and is one of their best songs. The first few seconds completely hook the listen-­ er’s attention, with chugging guitars and drums giving way to a chorus of chanting voices that take you completely by surprise. This is very uplifting, as are the verses, which Win Butler sings in a voice cracking with emotion. The choir and guitars grad-­ ually build up the song to an intense and dramatic climax, which is then blown away by a minute-­and-­ a-­half long piano-­led jam that takes the song in a completely different and unexpected direction. ‘Wake Up’ is a powerful and truly moving song and cannot be rated highly enough. If you buy only one single this semester, then buy this and find out exactly why everyone thinks so much of Arcade Fire.

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For some time now, the 1980s have been recognized as one of mu-­ sic’s darkest decades but of course not in terms of talent. The synth revolution, the rise of Goth -­ these and other factors contributed to some truly innovative and exciting bands which has now returned as a fashion amongst cutting edge artists. Among the original tal-­ ents however were Depeche Mode, and little has waned from their impact since. With this new album, carrying the tagline “Pain and suffering in various tempos“, Depeche Mode give us a fresh reminder of what it is that makes their music special -­ the element of surprise. A highly anticipated world tour is scheduled for early next year where they have bagged the slot of becoming the first ever band to play at the New Wembly Arena, Playing The Angel is their silver anniversary gift. The rhythms are disjointed, the beats are murky, the lyrics and imagery are ice cold, yet rather than sounding like the contents of a teenage Goth‘s poetry book, Playing The Angel feels like a touching collection of love songs, albeit somewhat sinister ones, the under-­ ling religious metaphors of DMs exploration of relationships is still their forte. Dave Gahan’s vocals have not aged a day since 1980, and the backing combo of Andy Fletcher and Martin Gore provide some truly emotive soundscapes. Things have developed though;; the industrial screeching of “A Pain That I’m Used To,” ranges from sounds of industrial noise and techno style beats but not an inch of their sincerity has been lost. On Lilian, Gahan’s anguish seems to be personified and at its most poignant, while Nothing’s Impos-­ sible yields some menacingly beautiful guitar work. These are two strong tracks among many.

%BOJFM 1PXUFS 'SFF -PPQ Daniel Powter’s second single ‘Free Loop’ is good, but whether it will be able to convince many of the undecided to buy the album yet, it’s doubtful. It’s another lively tune, which is easy to hum along to but it maybe slightly too similar to ‘Bad Day’ to sway the critics. Written by Powter, the familiar progressive piano chords are there, along with the repeat-­to-­fade chorus which makes it an ideal pop song and it will no doubt do well in the charts. If you liked ‘Bad Day’ you’ll definitely like this single, although we’ll have to wait a little while yet to see Powter’s full abilities as a singer-­songwriter.

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The twenty five year life-­cycle of Depeche Mode has been one of drug abuse, gruelling live commitments and multiple line-­up changes. After providing some true classics in the form of “Just Can’t Get Enough” and the anthemic “Enjoy The Silence”, this is a band who can proudly proclaim to have found their winning for-­ mula. What is also noteworthy is that Depeche Mode, much like other 80s veterans such as The Cure, The Pixies and New Order, return to the public fore at a time when a generation of new bands are busy trying to emanate their music. Depeche Mode, like their peers, prove here that the original is often the best.

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A male-­female partnership, producing raw, stripped down blues-­rock without a bassist. Sounds famil-­ iar. However, the obvious comparison between transatlantic band The White Stripes, is perhaps not the most revealing. Alison Mosshart has had her haunting, seductive vocals likened to both PJ Harvey and Chrissie Hynde;; altogether more tell-­ ing comparisons. Forthcoming single No Wow employs just the two voices, a guitar and a drum machine to menacing effect, while it is the nega-­ tive space on the track that proves compelling. The military drum-­machine intro and pounding climax give the single an intense darkness, epitomizing the attitude which makes the band so exciting.

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(SFFO %BZ +FTVT PG 4VCVSCJB Yet another single in the deluge taken from the American Idiot album -­ am I the only one who feels like Green Day are out to fill their coffers from this “comeback”? What is really just a combina-­ tion of five songs threaded together in a jam ses-­ sion feels aimless and wandering;; you cant help but think that theses were five ideas that weren’t good enough to be made into full length songs. I Don’t Care is the highlight of the five sections, injecting some welcome vitriol in an otherwise mediocre selection This nine minute epic is sadly neither a return to the Green Day of the good old days, nor a progression.

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'JHIUTUBS (SBOE 6OJmDBUJPO 1U The black cloud of Busted that critics thought would consume any talents Fightstar might have had never came. Charlie remains a bit of a legend, indeed it was his former band who caused this new project to get any attention at all. The bottom line is that Fightstar certainly can hold their own in the field of UK post-­hardcore. It may only be the breakdown that saves this song from standard rock drudgery but that friendly Busted influence means that they truly know how to make the mu-­ sic listenable.

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,BJTFS $IJFGT .PEFSO 8BZ The Kaisers return once again to offer us some heavy relief after lethal overdoses of both I Predict a Riot and Oh My God;; yes people this is not an-­ other re-­release, it is genuine. The melancholy feel of The Modern Way makes it all too easy to draw comparisons with Blur at their darker periods, how-­ ever even if this single sounds like a momentarily lapse in pace for the Kaisers after earlier dance floor fillers, you are soon encapsulated by perhaps one of the most original and addictive tunes to be taken from debut album Employment. This is essentially another slice pure Brit-­Rock, which seems ironically heavy on ambition from a band on the verge of mammoth proportions;; “and I will stop at nothing, Just to get what I want”. In an era full of mainstream neglect, it would seem simple to write off The Modern Way as cheap moneymaking farce, but its easy enough to forgive with another pop number as grand as this. Looks like another top-­ten single in the bag then Ricky!

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Music

Live: The Subways

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One year on from John Peel’s untimely death, the only appropriate way to celebrate his momentous life and prestigious career was to gig it! And The Subways were certainly a band worthy of our late favourite’s passionate musical ear. Support came from hairy baby faced wonders The Kooks, energeti-­ cally bopping about the stage and filling all hearts with blissfully fizzy vibrancy. These delicately dapper boys would break even the stoni-­ est of expressions, with ‘Eddie’s gun’ receiving waves of frolicking souls. But The Subways obviously stole the show. Looking cool but modest they simply and effortlessly invited the crowd to scream their lungs out in over excited appreciation. There was not one caged voice in the building and every single body was giving them a shimmy or an

energetic shake-­down. The room was awash with heaving euphoric high spirits. ‘With you’ and ‘Oh Yeah’ shook all to the core and finishing track ‘Rock and Roll Queen’ filled many a heart with pride, I’m sure John Peel was rocking away on his cloud somewhere upstairs. Lead singer Billy’s leap into the crowd only heightened the audi-­ ence’s passion, as he swung from the ceiling, gripped and petted by achingly amorous audience members. Charlotte on stage, looked on, probably anxious for her moment, but as many a girl jealously hissed insults at her after the show, truly her whiney tones deserve it! But thankfully together ‘You are so cool, you are so Rock and Roll!’

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The Coral -$3 Despite being hampered by a slightly muddy PA, which prevents the intricacies of their songs being fully appreciated by the audience, the Coral were on top form tonight. Following on from the feisty but ulti-­ mately formulaic indie rock of support band Little Flames, the Scouse seven-­piece arrive on stage to massive applause from a packed LCR. Singer James Skelly is a commanding and charismatic presence, de-­ spite saying little to the audience and his slightly rubbish haircut. He croons his way through the songs’ dark lyrics whilst his bandmates plough through a wide variety of genres, ranging from perfect, sum-­

mery pop (“In The Morning”, “Pass It On”) to eerie, voodoo psych-­ edelia that sounds like a soundtrack to the League of Gentlemen (“Bill McCai”, “She sings the Mourning”). The crowd is suitably ecstatic, muting slightly only during the more obscure album tracks. The sin-­ gles, however, especially their best known song “Dreaming of You”, with its bouncy bassline and insanely catchy chorus, ensure that by the time the Coral leave the stage they have the audience in the palm of their hands.

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Albums &VSZUINJDT 6MUJNBUF $PMMFDUJPO

Released to coincide with the recent interest in their trademark decade, Ultimate Collection is so eight-­ ies it hurts. From the power suits worn on the cover to the lashings of synths and reverb-­heavy drum loops, it pretty much distils the whole of eighties pop into one handy package. As a result, it is cool, catchy, unashamedly sincere and often irritating. Most potential buyers will want this compilation for the six or so hits that turned the band into a global phenomenon. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) and Love Is A Stranger, with their pulsing dance beat and icy vocals, are deservedly recog-­ nised as prime examples of eighties pop, but as a result have been played to dearth in a thousand cheesy discos. Likewise, Who’s That Girl? and Here Comes The Rain Again will please those who can remember that era and like to sing along. Unfor-­ tunately, the hits die out after track 11, the naffness skyrockets and the tunes disappear, turning the

last 30 minutes into more of an endurance test than an enjoyable listen. Songs like Miracle of Love and 17 can only be described as sentimental, over-­ blown fluff. Recent single I’ve Got a Life is equally cringe-­inducing – epic eighties style disco backing a laughably straight-­faced vocal that is both defiant and pleading. Annie Lennox turns scary soul diva in duet Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves and there are even some steel drums and samba whistles on Right By Your Side. Think long and hard before making that “ironic” record purchase. 5PN 1SFTUPO

,JMMB ,FMB &MPDVUJPO Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake think he’s the best in the world, admittedly though you have to see it to belive it, singing and beatboxing at the same time is one of those things too easily eminated in a studio. Kela, and indeed the rest of Spitkingdom’s, live show is however no less than phenominal. Those of you lucky enough to have seen him last thursday will fully understand that Kela’s debut solo album is simply second rate to showing off is awesome talents. Indeed the com-­ parisons with Stateside Rhazel has caused some-­

what of a rivalry but for Kela its not all about the beatboxing;; Elocution shows of the very best of UK MC and DJ collaborations.

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