,
~
tr
.
.
.
' .
.
.
~eventJ
aster greetings from the real Easter Bunny, your flopsy, mopsy, cottontall friend. lt's the busiest time of the bunny calendar at the moment. Much of my day is spent hopping from garden to garden hiding my special little presents in devious hiding places across the land. There's a huge number of bunnies hare at UEA(!) all eager to help hide my vast egg stash across Norwich. Of course, even bunnies as busy as my good self must take a break every now and then and what better thing is there to do at UEA than relax with The Event, giving you the low down on the Norwich scene. This Issue is crammed with eggcellent stuff, those cheeky Scousers, Space, chat to The Event as do the heavy Irish rockers Therapy? and Scots newcomers Mogwai. Give me Echo and the Bunnymen any day... The movie pages hold a possible answer to the Universe in the form of Kevin Bacon - find out how he is the veritable superglue of Hollywood. Check out the reviews bonanza as The Event takes on The Edge, Amistad, Good Will Hunting and Regeneration and a wicked Cinema City competition. In the aftermath of the tidal wave of the docusoap fad the centre spread investigates their popularity. fnter@ctive has its second lnstallment on the issue of porn on the net, should it be censored? As an Easter Bunny I couldn't possibly comment. I could, however, speak with authority on the subject of eggs tried and tested in this issue's food section. Funnyman Sean Lock tells us what makes him laugh in the Arts pages, plus the regular book and play reviews. There's more stuff in here than Mr Mcgregor could ever shake a stick at, plenty to tide you over the Easter break and your wait for the eggs to come rolling in. Cheers big ears...
ow it's easier to get in touch with your mates anytime, anywhere with this latest offer from Ceilnet. Students have now been catapulted into the telecommunicating world at last. The complete Social Life Package at £129.99 includes connection to Ceilnet's analogue Social Life Tariff, a £130 Motorola handset and
subscription, which is equivalent to just £7.50 each month. On top of this, up to two pounds of calls are included free each month, that's up to 40 minutes' chat with your mates. Off peak calls, between 6pm and Barn on weekdays and ail day and night at the weekend, cost just five pence a minute, whilst peak calls cost SOp a minute. To celebrate this lab offer, the gang at Cellnet have put together a Social Life kit and we have ten to give away. The kit includes a groovy dispatch bag and funky t-shirt. So if you fancy a kit, just answer this taxing question ... Who Invented the telephone? Answers on a postcard along with your name, school and phone number and place in the Concrete competitions box in the Hive. Good Luck!
8
Editor-In-chief: Jane Kirby Editor: Catherine Jones Huslc Editor: Paul Stokes Assistant Huslc Editor: James Tapsfield Design and Screen Editor: John Spacey Assistant Screen Editor: Diana Goodman TV&Radlo Editor: Amy Pierce lnter@ctlve Editor: Stuart Dredge Arts Editor: James Graham Copy Editor: James Goffin Advertising Manager: Amy Kingsweil Contributing Writers: Keily Moran , lmogen Rose-Smrth, Katie Durrant, Paul Pearhouse, Neiil Johnstone, Luke Turner, Melissa Fully, Debbi Marco, Matt Walsh , Lee McNicoil , Paul Hamrlton, Emily Hunka, Sian Moles, Tom Harbard, Daniel Bardsley, Sarah Freeman, Kale Walker, Fiona Spence, Lucas Psiilakis, Magnus Poole, Mark Kennedy, Dan Brigden, Lara Fitzgerald, James Roy, Nick Wright, Jack Hanover
~eventJ ~-?:~
HMV
·a ' I
. . I
·.·
0
Those tartan terrors Mogwai have been hotly tipped for the top. lmogen Rose-Smith spoke to them about other people's pants ...
P ''
ants," says Stuart Braithwaite, mouthpiece for the Glaswegian indie-ambient four-piece, Mogwai. Pants have never been thrown at Mogwai on stage. Nothing, in fact, has been chucked at them, except bottles in America and maybe, "Er... a flower. Once. But certainly never pants. We wouldn't want them anyway. They might be old smelly guys' Y-fronts with skid marks or something, you know what I mean?" The band are fairly safe. Mogwai's music Is not the kincj that encourages you to strip naked and run around screaming, "I'm so happy!" Listen to Mogwai and you feel your own emotions crashing back against you. "I think our music is quite sad on the whole," concedes Stuart. Sad? it's curl up and think about slitting your wrist music. To say "quite sad" is rather like saying "the Pope is slightly religious ." lt makes The Verve sound like a feel-good gospel group, and transforms Portishead's wails into the perfect soundtrack for a gentle afternoon stroll along the beach. Mogwai are hard core depression gremlins. A fundam.ental aspect of their music is that it draws individual reactions from the audience rather than imposing a feeling. "it's not about anything, it's about whatever you want it to be," claims Stuart, who has only listened to their album, Young Team, once, a fact that probably explains why his mind is still relatively intact. The absence of vocals means that Mogwai's effect on the listener is very subtle and understated. Don't expect them to provide any words of succour. Mogwai are purely rhythmical and rarely lyrical. Stuart dismisses this with a flippant, "I'm no good at writing words," but it is clearly more significant than that. Mogwai are deadly serious about their music. They produce highly complex tunes which have the power to take the list~ner somewhere where language fails to reach . A fitting achievement for the post drugs,
post irony - hell, even post speech - late 90s, making it clear why Pavement's Stephen Malkmus tipped Mogwai to be "the best band of the 21st century." 11 also explains why they are unlikely to ever become the most popular band of the new millennium. Most people will always prefer to remain at home, suffocating beneath the collective egos of pop sluts like the Gallagher brothers, than venture off into the unknown territory of their own mind. Stuart's self effacing modesty testifies to Mogwai's avoidance of the media ideology: "You should be playing music because you think people deserve to hear it, not because people have some strange sort of idolising nonsense going on in their head." No nonsense then, and certainly no pants. Mogwai did however have a certain rock and roll image. They became notorious for being loud Glaswegian geezers who drank a lot of beer. No longer. Apparently there are a great number of unconsumed cans of lager lurking on the tour bus.
recent Virgtn music poll, The Stone Roses was voted the second most important album ever made behind Revolver by the Beatles.
no•
No.lo:Tbe Stone Roses What's the big fuss then? Pioneering tunesmiths who wrote the soundtrack of the late 80s, creating Britpop and inspiring Oasis along the way. Defined the musical boundaries of the 90s. Who did/does what? The original line-up included former Danger Mouse animator John Squire on gUitar, lan Brown on vocals, Gary "Mani" Mounfield on bass, and Alan "Reni" Wren on drums and backing vocals. Early live shows also featured a Bez-like vibe-merchant named Cressa. In 1994 fighting over royalties and drug abuse led to the departure of Reni and. a year later, John Squire, the main songwriter and
Life on the road is now primarily about skate boarding and collecting comics, with getting plastered a strictly secondary aim. What happened? "We just got sick of feeling rubbish all the time." Understandably playing anything like their music with a hangover would be close to a living hell. They also used to slag bands off a lot, but again they're trying to cut down. "I don't like talking about bands I don't like when I'm sober," explains Stuart, "lt just doesn't seem fair. There are so many bands I met recently that are such nice people and there we've been slagging them off." Who for example? "Catatonia. I don't really like their records or anything, but they're so nice." Stuart is, in my opinion, also nice, and Mogwai are producing great music, even if it does tend to send me into fits of depression. But the problem is that they don't say anything. At their recent Arts Centre gig I found myself screaming for just one word, one lyric. BU1 no. Apparently some things are best left unsaid.
driving force. They were replaced questionable session .... u.~""""'" Robbie Maddix, Aziz and keyboardist Nigel lpphan, was grafted on around this time to beef to the live experience. a few records then? never realised their true potential, from the cusp of greatness at the of the 90s due to long legal battle record label Silvertone. Their album, The Second Coming, came out on Geffen in 1994 despite criticism. Far more imr,..,rt,.nt in terms of influence and tn .. nlf:~ltr\n than sales. Which is best? Their self-titled debut album was probably the most influential album of the last ten years. In a
Are they still going? Fortunately, no. The Roses barely survived the loss of Reni and were pronounced dead by most after the subsequent departure of John Squire. The band struggled on but thank1ully called it a day after a sub-standard Reading Festival appearance tn 1996. Old we mention attitude? When Liam Gallagher was still a teenager the Roses were claiming to be the best band in the world. In their first live TV performance on the BBC's Late Show. an equipment failure 30 seconds in to Made of Stone left the presenter flailing and lan Brown ranting, "Amateurs! Amateurs! We're wasting our time here. lads!" So what does the future hold? John Squire is enjoying success with the Seahorses and lan Brown has recently launched a promising solo career. Mani joined Primal Scream, and Reni contributed to lan Brown's album but is focusing more on his family for the time being. In retrospect? What the world was waiting for....
VEN
EO
Ullfil
0
-
.
路
:~- ~HMV ~event)
Therapyt are back after deciding a rest was better than a change . Katie Durrant told Martin McCarrick, guitarist and cellist, to lie back on the couch and relax ...
T
herapy? are proper, noisy, straight-up rock. Loud, heavy, dark and sweaty, rockier than a rocky place, Therapy? belong to the school where rock is spelt RAWK, and must be shouted , never said. And , refreshingly, they don't pretend to be any1hing else. Says member Martin McCarrick of their new album; "We wanted to make a noisy rock record. Hopefully that's what we 've achieved." Therapy? , hailing from Larne in Northern Ireland , made their grubby mark on the music scene in 1994, courtesy of a man with his head in a dustbin. Their album Troublegum wi th its intriguing cover (you know the one) introduced bearded
The title can also apply on a more personal level The resu lt of this sojourn is that Therapy? are now in black to a wider audience of indie/rock/metal to that general feeling of not fitting in . "it's also making a new start, rested and rejuvenated and kids who took the loud, angsty, driven tunes to about trying to keep a hold on your life but at the with a new line up. As well as Martin, who now their heart s and pogoed along like mad thi ngs. same time trying not to become too normal with adds strings and guitar full time after In 1995 they released the follow-up, Infernal Love, it." accompanying the band on their last tour, there is and a single which revealed another side to the The record is said to have the essence of a 'best band, a moving cover of Husker Du's Diane, a a new drummer Graham Hopkins, who has of'; according to Martin it takes in all aspects of injected a bit of enthusiastic young blood in to the disturbing song about rape and a serial killer. I Therapy? , reflecting old records like Baby Teeth band. spoke to the man responsible for the sad and and Troublegum. One track, Tramlines, is "lt feels like there's nothing we can't do now. hauntingly beautiful cello on the track, Martin tentatively described by McCarrick and asked him what the band had been up to since we ~-------------------------------......_ Martin as "almost a drum 'n' bass track" heard from them last. "We gave but he is quick to quell ourselves some time off because fears that Therapy? we needed to live a normal life might "do a David away from each other, away from Bowie." the band, away from the tour bus. lt Martin, like Orville, believes he can fly. "it's not really drum 'n' bass, but it is an can become very surreal being on the road enormous sounding, hugely noisy track. lt'd Graham's really in to music and he's willing to because that's all there is in life and all there is to probably be really clumsy if I tried to do drum 'n' experiment which is something that was missing think about. We needed to experience some other bass. I'm better at doing things that involve noise from the band." thi ngs in life, like just going down the pub or falling and volume than something so precise." The new album Semi-Detached sees the band in love ..." Rani Size can rest easy, then . But if drum n' bass reunited with Troublegum producer Chris Sheldon . isn't the new direction, is it possible that the Martin says he was chosen again when the band heard Going Nowhere on the radio. burgeoning new music scene 'Interpreting Scandinavian Rock' might be calling Therapy?'s "Compared to the songs either side, Going name? Nowhere sounded huge and really great. We just Martin reveals that they've considered covering thought it's a great sound and we should work with this guy again ." Take On Me by the mighty A-ha . "We thought it'd The first fruit of the renewal of this relationship can be a laugh to do it in a sort of rock way," he says. be heard on March 2 when the single Church of Likewise , don't be alarmed if technical problems Noise is released . it's not, thank goodness. an bring forth a quick burst of Dancing Queen from ode to a church or rock music, but was inspired by Martin . "I learn songs on guitar when I'm sitting at home, the seeing the conflict and violence in Northern songs by Abba and people like that. The other day Ireland inspired by religion. I was learning The Winner Takes it All. it's funny if Semi-Detached follows at the end of March , the things go technically wrong at a show to throw in title of wh ich has little to do with houses and more an Abba song. They wrote amazing pop songs. to do with Therapy?'s position in relation to the Whether you like them or not, the songs, the curre nt music scene. words, everything is really great. " Martin explains: "Musically we felt like we didn't fit Therapy? do Abba? in anywhere. In a way, one of th e things I like I can 't wait! about Therapy? is that we don't really fit. We're a Catch them at the Waterfront on the March 31 and bit like a sort of musical mongrel because we all you can say thank you for the music. come from different areas of music."
CAN WE BREAil THE CHAIN?
THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1998
lt feels like there's nothing we can't do now...
....
~ .o.._ JJJ
>-;. .
-,..
HMV
·,'
~·· -~ Champagne Supernova •••
it's all boll**ks innitt rically, any Space song is almost mmediately recognisable. Let's face it, who lse would write: "I'm the f**ked up driver of a stolen tank/ making my withdrawals from the local bank/ armour piercing bullets never cramp my style/ they only make me smile," this being just one of the more peculiar couplets taken from their forthcoming album, Tin Planet. "There's always got to be a story," enthuses the suddenly animated Jamie. "Take Bob Dyian - I've never liked Bob Dyian, I think his music's sh*t, but the way he tells stories mean the lyrics are better than a band like Ocean Colour Scene or Cast or Oasis. F**king, Champagne Supernova, in the sky, with my eye, we can fly- it's all b*ll*cks innit? lt doesn't mean nothing, it's just rhymes . People prefer proper stories, it's more interesting." From the serial killers and criminals of debut album Spiders, Tin Planet sees tracks about Tom Jones and the king of rock and roll himself, so it's fair to assume that Jamie, one of the two main writers in Space, can enlighten us as to why
0
D
Angelic avengers they're certainly not. Guitarist Jamie Murphy tells John Spacey what's going on in Space's neighbourhood ... he Brit Awards, bar a somewhat interesting incident with a politician, an anarchist and a bucket of water, proved to be nothing out of the ordinary. The event is now considered perhaps the ultimate accolade for many bands, as witnessed by All Saints tearstained joy at winning two of the little statuettes. However, the night of Ben Elton hosted backslapping had only a negative impact on Space guitarist and eo-songwriter Jamie Murphy, who is in no doubt as to his opinion of such ceremonies. "Aiot of bands like them, they all go to the ceremonies, but I wouldn't go. I think it's f**king ... shite. I'd end up getting pissed and knocking someone out. All these people who slag you off in the press, they come up to at the Brit Awards and they'll take your hand and go, 'alright, how ya doing,' and it's like, 'oh, f**k off.'
T
it's all f**king slimebags. We've never been to an awards ceremony, and we will we f**k ever. We'll never go to one. I'd rather have a night off at home. I'd rather go out with the lads." Songs like Female of the Species, Neighbourhood and Avenging Angels have established Space as being very distinct from any of the so-called Britpop bands that sprung up a few years ago. The Liverpudlian quintet, consisting of singer Tommy Scott, bassist Yorkie, keyboard masetro Franny Griffiths and Jamie have new recruit Leon on drums. Something of a cheeky Liverpudlian, Jamie insists that the band found Leon, "in a skip. In a skip when we were on holiday in Bangkok." After been recommended to Gut Records by Right Said Fred a couple of years ago, Space found their initial exploits championed by Chris Evans during his Radio One Breakfast Show days. Despite the Ginger One's grip on popular culture, Jamie's adamant that he wasn't crucial in breaking the band. "We're the people that broke Space. He helped us on the way, but so did everyone else. He was championing ten bands at the time. I mean, we owe him one and we're grateful, but I don't think he f**king gave us any special attention. I don't mean to slag him off, but he never played a leading role ." They profess similar views about their own Merseybeat musical heritage. "No-one influences our music," Jamie declares. "I think we're out there on our own . The best bands have never been influenced by anyone. The Beatles were never influenced by anyone." However, Jamie points out that the band never had any wish to imitate those other, more famous Scousers. "it's not a conscious effort to not sound like The Beaties, we're just not that way inclined. I love Th 3 Beatles, they're my favourite band, but even if we were Cockneys they'd be my favourite band. There are hundreds of bands in Liverpool - when the La's were out there, everyone did aiot of follow)ng in their footsteps, but since then new bands have been signed, and everyone seems to be in a different area"
"
I
'
'J<
0
there's a track about Elvis? "Sorry, dunno. I can't tell you. Tommy did that. I think Elvis is sh*t. I don't know anything about it, it's just sh*t. No disrespect to Elvis - he must have been good, but I've never really heard him. I've always been into the La's. John Powers is a nice fella when you get to know him. I used to f**king hate Cast but I think their latest album's smart." At last, a positive comment! This is followed by a possibly surprising admiration for Sheryl Grow's latest album ("I'm not taking the p**s or owt, it's honestly f**king smart") . One band Space have perhaps predictably got alot of time for is Mulder and Scully's (pronouced Scul-ley) favourite band Catatonia. Lead singer Cerys does after all do a duet with Space singer Tommy on new single The Ballad of Tom Jones (Still haven't solved our problem/ you mean we hate each other's guts/ still wanna poison your pizza/ and I still wanna cut off your nuts). "The reason we got to do it was because we knew her already," reveals Jamie. "Our very first tour when we first got signed was with Catatonia. We got to know them very well and became great mates, so when Tommy had this idea for a duet we just thought of Cerys." With their second album clocked up, Space are facing the prospect of ever growing fame . "We were talking about this earlier today," muses Jamie, suddenly becoming unusually contemplative. "This tour we're doing now is of the biggest venues a band can play before you start playing arenas. I dunno, I wouldn't like to be in the press every day, with people sleeping outside your f**king house and all that. it's just not nice, is it?" So apart from paparazzi free gardens, what is that a man such as Jamie wants? "To go home and change some sh*tty nappies I've got a baby on the way. it's due today. it's a girl. No, the plan is, keep doing this for as long as I keep doing it, then I'm gonna buy my own studio and form my own record company. If it works out, it works out, if it doesn't, it doesn't. I just wanna be happy. Have a happy family and bring my daughter up right. The usual boll**ks."
D
ewsounds . .
~"'HMV ~event) EVER CLEAR So Much for the After glow
Get down, get down ... WARM JETS Future Sign
TORTOISE
Hot off the NME Brat Bus tour, the Warm Jets are the latest band to throw their hats into the post-Britpop scene with their debut album , Future Signs, which hints at a promising future . When listening to the Warm Jets you can't help but feel th at you've heard it al l before in the recen t past. With no apparent style of their own , the Warm Jets' sound randomly flits between the musical territory that Blu r, Radiohead , and Carter USM respect ively ca ll home. The strange mix of styles whic h ensues dominates the Warm Jets direction , by making its presence felt throughout the entire album . However the Jets' concoction IS not without appeal. Future Signs is a very listenable album Th e track Never Never has already secured the Warm Jets a Top 40 hit. proving t11at th e band certainly have th e potential to make it big, th ough to tru ly succeed they need to leave behind the baggage of the 90s music scene and find themselves. All 1n all the band have attempted an ambitious album. and produced one that you JUSt can't help humm1ng to despite its apparent mediocrity. Debbie Marco
Tortoise are the undisputed bearers of the 'post-rock' torch. Th ey're not anti-rock , but they allow their music to display an awareness of music genres, such as jazz, dub, electronica and folk, resulted in compelling listening. Their first two albums were heralded as ground-breaking , which inspired a plethora of bands to attempt to replicate the surging bass loops, complex rhythms and simple melody which are peculiar to Torto1se. In the run up to TNT, the band have not rested. Leader John McEntire, has produced Sterolab's Dot's & Loops, and cut the odd remix , and th e rest of the band have pursued various other projects. Now, with an even more formidable force than ever, Tortoise are back. TNT blasts open with th e hectic Swung From the GuNers, which features a shift1ng drum opening that settl es mto a mood driven by th e re petiti on of simple guitar interspersed wi th wa rm, muffled trumpets. Other highlights 1nclude TenDay In terval which attempts to paint a warm sunset. using percuss1on sewn together by guitars, brass and a backing of electronic subtlet1es. TNT allows ideas to run their natural course but the tunes never' outstay their welcome . TNT is Tortoise's most accomplished album to date and proves to be a meeting pomt for listeners, whatever th eir tastes. Matt Walsh
HOOD
Arts Centre Monday, February 13 Support for 1ndie new corners Hood was provided by the UEA based Hershe. who provided a kickass set which exuded energy even in their slower numbers. They gave a potent perform ance despite several technica l mishaps with th eir eq uipment - th eir bass developed probl ems du ring th e set and th e lea d m1c packed up halfway through th e1r last song caus ing lead singer. lan Hecto r. to storm off stage in true rock 'n' roll fashion. Without the technical hitches things can only get better. Havi ng never heard of Hood. I'd like to say I wen t al ong to the gig wi th an open mind. however, in actual fact I was somewhat doubtful that they would be anything more than yet another Jndlewannabe band complete with laddish front man an d anonymous )angly gu1 tar riffs. Nothing co uld have been furth er from th e ban d that took to the
TNT
Art's Centre stage . Hood confronted the audience with a mass of electronic, bass-driven effects
which could be conci sely described as moody, experi mental, acid-indie trance - with a twist of lemon ! Hood enhanced standard gu itars and drums with FX board s and oth er gadgetry
Everclear probably want to live in a cliched America where the sun always shines , and there are wholesome smiles from coast to coast. They are a band who produce an eclectic range of light rock: a rem inder that music doesn't always have to be heavy or politicai.They occasionally toy with emotions on tracks like Father of Mine. but general ly they decide that the superficial works best .The harmonising at the beginning of the title track yields to a world of bouncy guitar tunes centred around easy listening vocals. 11 must be a nice world to live in. On the track Like a California King they entertain th e lyrics. "I see you hide behind your noise," but this is something Everclear are ca reful not to do. Th e vocal s aren't prepared to take a back seat to stonking riffs and ground shaking basslines and often they dive to the front of th e mix . Don't get me wrong , Amphetamine has the power to make the dust on your speaker dance, and th e instrumental El Distorto de Melodica verges close to industrial strength, but generally Everclear leave 'de melodica' intact residing with softer tunes. So Much isn't an inspirational , revolutionary or definitive reco rd , but with punchier tracks that keep it alive, th e album flows along nicely. All you have to do is lie back and feel th e glow . Lee McNico/1
Although only his second single as a solo artist, Bernard already seems close to surpassing anything put out by his old band, Suede. Not Alone represents everything that a single should be. it's catchy, lyrically simple, yet musically full , and sung with style. Quite simply, it's a fantastic record . Paul Pearshouse
RECOIL Stalker Alan Wider's newest single sounds like a combination of Tricky, Portishead, and a hint of his former band , Depeche Mode. Sombre keyboards intermingled with spoken word and a bit of sampling produce a contemplative, calming effect. Good for a stormy night and not Melissa Fully for the pop hour on the rad io.
MANDALAY Flowers B loom
resulting in crazy sounds. W1th the use of a violin and clarinet adding to this, their music produced a stark individualism to be admired. They also possessed a we don't give a clucking bell about anything' , attitude wh ich is an attitude that many established bands don't even possess. Desp1te some in1t1al problems with the groups tuning , which caused them to restart the first song, Hood turned in a good g1g. Th e set proved that they are an innovative band akm to Mogwa1. and if th ey learn to use th eir effects more competently th ey co uld produce som e really cool stuff. Paul Hamilton
Nice, but unexciting like one of Chris Rea's custard creams; even rem ixer Alex Reece is hard pushed to make something out of Flowers Bloom. Whilst aiming to strip music down to its bare elements, the end result is unfortunately like a techno-Enya, except it's Nei/1 Johnstone more bland.
MAINSTREAM Step Right Up Given that Mainstream share the Nude record label with Suede and Geneva, you might expect glammy guitars and falsetto vocals. However, Step Right Up is more of a mixture of a catchy chorus, punchy Hammond organs and an Indian tinge that leaves th is record sounding like Kula Shaker taking tea with the Charlatans. Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Luke Turner
PULP This is Hardco re
OPEN SUNDAYS 10.30AM-4.30PM
At Gentleman's Walk, opposite the market THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1998
There was always something incredibly sexy about Pulp's music, but Th is is Hardcore sees Jarvo et al trying too hard to be seductive and failing miserably. lt begins promisingly, with big John Barry strings and a bit of a late night jazz vibe, but instead of developing into the Bondes que number you hope for, it ends up sounding like the tuneless, drunken ramblmgs of man obsessed with sex (not Jarvis surely?) A disappointment. Katie Durrant
l
1
~event) is our right at birth"
Jackie Brown Opening March 20 Tarantino gets back in the director's chair at last for a tale of guns, drug deals and profuse swearing. But this time it's got a 70s twist, starring blaxploitation star Pam Grier.
The Man in the Iron Mask Opening March 20 Leonardo DiCaprio ditches the Titanic for mid-17th century France and a role as the Sun King, Louis XIV - oh yes, and his twin bro, who wears the titular iron mask.
B
ased on the true story of a rebellion on board a Spanish slave ship in 1839, Steven Spielberg's Amistad promises a "history of the repressed ," but delivers mostly lawyers and arguing. The slaves, who massacre their white captors in an attempt to flee impending enslavement, unfortunately find themselves off the coast of America. The rest of the film charts the efforts of a young lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) trying to fight an almost impossible case against an essentially racist court and country to free the Africans and allow them to return to their homeland. As in Schindler's List, the story is introduced from the perspective of the . victims, with a couple of quite gruesome scenes of whipping and throwing slaves into the ocean because of overcrowding, which serve to initially shock the audience into sympathy. The hypocrisy of the land of
the free and the home of the brave exploiting people from other countries is brought out when the slaves are compared to the persecuted Jesus Christ, condemned for a non-existent crime. Therefore, are we right in passing judgement over other people? Or is Spielberg having a pop at an Oscar? Amistad boasts an excellent cast, including Oscar nominee Sir Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman, Pate Postlethwaite and Nigel Hawthome, all of whom do their best to carry the film along. But, at over two and a half hours long, the majority of which is set In a courtroom, many will find it hard to keep up their interest. The film has the potential to captivate and a few moments will impress, but these are let down by a slow plot. Spielberg aims high and misses, perhaps because his (and our) expectations are so high in the wake of masterpieces like Schindler's List. Mark Kennedy
Anastasia Opening April 3 Meg Ryan provides the voice for the lost Russian princess in an animated tale for once NOT by cartoon-monopolist Disney. Expect song and dance aplenty.
Sphere Opening March 27 Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone and Samuel L. Jackson go to the bottom of the ocean to investigate some orb. Scripted by Michael Crichton of Jurassic Park fame.
Kiss the Girls Opening March 6 Morgan Freeman comes straight from Amistad to star as a cop chasing a serial killer who gets too close to his case when the murderer kidnaps his
Beginnings: Born 18 December 1947, Cincinnati, Ohio to Jewish parents. Age 12, using a 20mm Kodak video camera, he won an amateur film competition for a 40 minute epic entitled Escape to Nowhere. During the 60s, he makes several amateur films, including Firelight and later Amblin', which, after he graduates from Cardiff State College at Long Beach with a BA in English in 1970, gain him recognition and the position of TV Director at Universal.
Fame Bites: 1974 sees the release of Jaws, which breaks box office records . Costing only eight million dollars, it grossed $260 million. Two years later, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is released and is another huge commercial success.
Success Continues:
As Good as it Gets Opening March 13 Jack Nicholson is Oscarnominated as a mean old novelist who forms a touching and amusing friendship with waitress Helen Hunt and artist Greg Kinnear.
From 1979-81, he directs Raiders of the Lost Ark in collaboration with George Lucas, following up with ET the Extraterrestrialthe next year. In the 80s, his film , The Go/or Purple, gains critical acclaim while the Indiana Jones trilogy culminates with The Last Crusade in 1989. More recently, Schindler's Lisfs seven Oscar success finally brought him the Academy recognition that The Go/or Purple, although getting 13 nominations, had failed to secure. Despite a relatively poor showing for Amistad at the recently announced nominations, Spielberg's position as the most influential and commercially viable director of his generation can only be enhanced by setting up his own studio, Dreamworks.
The Enigma: A man who has never settled in one specific.genre of film, but is driven by the desire to elevate his audience above an everyday existence into a world only the imagination can reveal. Or to put it another way, you can guarantee his films are Magnus Poole going to be fantastic.
Don't forget Mother's Day, March l.l.n CHOCOLATES AND CARDS 15p 35p lOp 15p l.Op 30p
Telegraph Times Guardian Cream Eggs
mon-fri sat-sun mon tue-fri mon-fri each
MORETALK INTERNATIONAL PHONECARDS iS, i I O, ilO
OPENING HOURS: 7am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat-Sun TIE E ElT,
[
us Van Sant, whose former offenngs include Drugstore Cowboy and To Die For. moves toward the mainstream with this story of maths prodigy, Will Huntmg (Matt Damon), who would rather work on a building site than use his g11t Such a plot could cause alarm bells to start ring1ng , but fears that this well-crafted film might be worthy-but dull-are largely unfounded. What largely distinguishes Good W1ll Hunting from no end of crappy, sentimental TV movies is a witty, Intelligent script and uniformly excellent performances There IS the poignancy of the maths professor who has come to terms with the fact that he could study a lifetime and never hope to equal Will's natural brilliance, even hough he says only about six people in the world could tell them apart. Robin Williams' appearance as a shrink b ught in to help Will cope with h1s talent could have been a celebrity wa lk-on, but Mark from Ork couldn't be cast further from your mind. Williams delivers a performance that captures the vulnerability of a brilliant man changed forever by the death of his wife. When Will realises why, despite the pain , Williams doesn't regret a single moment of time with his wife , his own reconciliation with the gift he has begins. And while the en d result may be predictable, it is only as predictable as life itself, for this is the script's great achievement creating characters we can believe in. Good Will Huntmg has been nominated for nine Oscars, it deserves to win at least one for best original screenplay. Good stuff. Nick Wright
The Fr ench Connection
us
( 1971)
Dir: William Friedk in U n ion Film - Tu esd ay
s far as films from the 70s go, The French Connect/On has to be the - - - most timeless (or at least the least dated). it is one of the original "tough New York cop tackles the mob'' fil ms, a group wh1ch 1ncludes everyth ing from Serpico to Shaft. and paved the way for countless imitations which we still see at the cinema almost thirty years later. it is based on the true life story of tough cop, Edd1e Egan, who tracked down a consignment of drugs being smuggled into the country from the south of France. hidden ms1de a car Cast in the hard-boiled cop role is Gene Hackman who. up until this film, was almost completely
unknown. His unforgettable portrayal of J1mmy 'Popeye' Doyle, the co p who does not like sticking to the rules , earne d him an Oscar and opened the doors to Hollywood. The film also deservedly won the Oscar for Best Picture, pretty rare for wh at can be viewed as an action movie. The director does well in paint1ng the less glamorous side of New York. no seedy and d1sgust1ng like Taxi Driver, but with a certa1n gritty realism, and concentrates on captivating the audience's attention first with a gradually building plot and then with action without the stereotyp ical Hollywood relia nce on big explosions. The fil m is famous for 1ts chase scenes. th e most famous of which has Hackman racing under a raised railway line trymg to keep up with the tram, a sequence-second only to the hill JUmping chase scene 1n Bullitt. So, if you like classy action films involving drugs guns, chases. and villai ns that are smart without being diabolical and pointlessly evil, go and see it. Satisfaction is guaranteed. Mark Kennedy
R
egeneration certainly starts off with a bang. but, after an incredible open1ng shot, the film deteriorates into a slow and almost unwatchable example of all that's wrong with Bnt1sh film-mak1ng . Based on the Booker prize-winning novel by Pat Barker Regeneration documents with faultless penod precision the slow psychological recovery of poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen from the rigors of WW1. Under the care of psychiatrist Willi am Rivers (Jonathan Pryce), the pair are able to come to terms with the l1orror of their graphica lly depicted experiences in the trenches, and are then successfully packed-off to France for more of the same. With its sombre classical score, pained emphasis on period detail. and shoddy, shallow, dialogue. the plot lurches from one emotional setpiece to the next. ts 1nane Intensity made all the more ludicrous by Pryce's shakey ce ntral performance. Desp1te attempts to enl1ven proceedings, there rema1ns a fatal lack of either energy or direction Touted as "powerful" and harrowing", Regeneration is in fact. rather dull. Sassoon and Owen laugh. cry and read poetry wandering the grounds of their picturesque Scottish asylum. declanng various sad and obvious tripe British director Gillies MacKinnon tries to make his point by throwmg m dream sequences. flashbacks. and surrealism, but the net result1s merely a pompous and eminently forgettable film . Do I 1-Javc to spell it OLJt? Get drunk. Have a curry Write that essay. Read the book. Just don't go Dan Brigden and see Regeneration.
TH EVE T, WEDNE
Well he might not have liked it. but The Event and Cinema City have got together to offer you the chance to see Regeneration for yourself You can win tickets to the film as well as other fantastic prizes .To enter just tell us ..
Which war poet s feature in Regeneration% FIRST PRIZE Two free tickets for the Thursday, March 12 showing of Regeneration at 8.15pm: a copy of th e Booker Prize winning novel, Regeneration, by Pat Barker: a copy of the Ghost Road audio cassette, read by Paul McGann: one year's free membership of the Cinema City mailing list. SECOND PRIZE Two free tickets for the Thursday, March 12 showing of RegeneratiOn at 8.15pm: a copy of the Ghost Road audio cassette, read by Paul McGann. THIRD PRIZE Two free tickets for the Thursday, March 12 showing of Regeneration at 8.15pm. Competition entries 1n the competitions box 1n Un1on House by Monday, March 9
AY, MARCH 4, 1998
t had to happen it was mevitable .. But it still doesn't make 1t any more bearable X-Files: The Movie is on its way and there ain't nothin' you can do about it. Run flee, escape before the government starts tracking you via that microct1ip in your spl een. Mariah Carey has arrived in the film industry All That Glitters will see the queen of mainstream pop playing the part of an aspiring smger who overcomes adversity to hit the b1g t1m e. Suggestions that the film 1s of an autob1ograph1cal nature have been fi'rmly denied, and there are ru mours that Carey s1mply not1ced the rampaging success of the Spice Girls foray into film and couldn't resist the tempta tion to fo llow su1t. Previous to this. Carey has been one of several singers to d1rect one of her own v1deos. a group which 1ncludes Alanis Mornsette , who directed that video 1n which she stares at the camera and sings for three minutes. "A planet where apes evolve from men!?!" Titanic director, James Cameron, seems to have built up the clout to get another of his pet projects, a remake of cult 1968 film The Planet of the Apes. off the ground. probably as producer only. Whether or not Cameron
I
will spend $200 million breeding an actual race of ape-men to capture 路realism" remains to be seen, and, alas Charlton Heston is unlikely to be mak1ng an appearance . Oh sorrow! Afte r the muted success of Luc Besson's foray into the future with The Fifth Element , the director has decided to go in th e opposite direction . His next effort will se e Milia Jovovich - who starred in The Fifth Element - star as France's favourite charred woman, Joan of Arc. The recent revival of the British film mdustry looks set to continue with Th e Avengers. The f1lm. shot at the famous Pinewood Studios. and starnng Ral ph Fiennes and Uma Thurman (in requisite leather cat su1t) IS due for release in the sum mer. However the soundtrack to go with the movie does not look as promising. Rumours have it that the recent Space single, Avengmg Angels, was indeed commissioned for the film but was not deemed good enough and rejected by the producers. An interesting decision cons1denng the song's success n the charts. Jack Hanauer
., .:
~
路 C
0
Lucas Psillakis checks out the game that's
taken Hollywood by storm... opernicus couldn't find it. Galileo had a wild stab at it. Newton could only guess. But now three Americans claim they have conclusive evidence on the nature of the centre of the universe. lt has a name - Kevin Bacon. The six degrees of Kevin Bacon's game is credited to Messrs Fass, Ginelli, anq Turtle, who obviously have too much time on their hands. Based on the play, Six Degrees of Separation (whose suggestion is that any person on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet - or indeed off it- via a maximum of six other people), the game's premise is that any film actor can be connected to the ubiquitous Mr Bacon via six links. For example: Leonardo DiCaprio starred in The Quick and the Dead with Sharon Stone. Before her break-out (and we mean out) role in Basic Instinct, the lovely Ms. Stone had a small part in He Said, She Said (note the chauvinistic title They Said, or One Said, Then The Other Said would be much more PC). In that unpleasantly cute film, Stone played Kevin's girlfriend, thus DiCaprio is linked to- Bacon by two steps, and anyone in Titanic (Kale Winslet, Kathy Bates, Gloria Stuart etc.) is linked by three steps. The inclusion of Gloria Stuart, who has starred with
cinematic prowess by linking Elvis to Bacon (answer: Elvis was in King Creole with Waiter Matthau, who was in JFKwith Kevin Bacon). All this may sound like drivel-a party game for film students which has gone on for about four years too long-but a book based on the game, and featuring an introduction by Bacon himself in a "jovial" mood, spent six weeks on the LA Times best-seller list. Who said quality publishing was dead? A boardgame has just come out, which may make the zany Fass, Ginelli, and Turtle very rich indeed for having done nothing at all but wallow in their loneliness on a couch with their copy of Video Hound Film Guide 1997. But the strange thing is that Kevin Bacon isn't the centre of the film universe, Rod Steiger is. According to one of the websites dedicated to this burning issue, Steiger connects with more actors via less links than anyone else, followed closely by Christopher Lee and Donald Pleasance. But these actors also have the advantages of having been around for several million years and of only occasionally starring in their films, as opposed to playing smaller, even unnoticeable parts. So does this mean Kevin Bacon is some kind of icon for New Hollywood, even if he is not at the concentric centre of the universe? Should we be looking for meaning in films he has starred in, such as Quicksilver, She's Having a Baby, or
~---路路---------------------------~
as Claude such greats Rains, Charles Laughton, and Boris K'arloff helps connect much of the cla~sic film world. And introducing Bill Pullman allows things to run full circle: Pullman also starred in Singles with Kyra Sedgewick, who has been married to Bacon for some ten years. Why Kevin Bacon of all people should be the centre of the film universe is very good question indeed. Born July 8, 1958 in Philadelphia, USA, Bacon started out on the New York stage before small PlirtS in Animal House (1978) and the more prestigious Diner (1982), followed by television appearances on the soaps, Search for Tomorrow and Guiding Light. His big break came with the surprise hit Footloose in 1984, and since then he has, gone on to make some 40 films, by and large respectable, and impressing in the occasional character part (i.e. jailed gay hustler who knows something in JFK) . But without a true blockbuster, overwhelming and all-powerful screen charisma, or a DeNiro-esque well of talent, how (and why) does a mid-level star become the centre of the film universe? But does that matter on a slow Saturday night sitting in your kitchen proving your
God forbid
Tremors,
or are there deeper things to be read into ensemble pieces like Flatliners, Apollo 13, or Sleepers? Is he telling us something by directing Losing Chase, a TV movie a.bout a woman who is driven mad by being a bit too upper-middle-class for too long? Is this a parable for his need to break out in Hollywood once and for all? Or is this a warning to players of the Kevin Bacon game to leave him alone or live with guilty consciences when he finally goes berserk? Or, more interestingly, is this all a bunch of rubbish which has caught on because people will find anything hip and amusing for ten minutes, which the recent book and boardgame are sad attempts at cashing in on before a new bright and shiny fad catches the eyes of the easily bored? Does the popularisation of the Kevin Bacon game marks its demise as a cool alternative to charades? Alternatively, it could be as pointless as naked Twister, backwards Monopoly, or even worse, Eye Spy. We may never know.
NEW GROUND FLOOR BAR NOW OPEN
路care style food served
throughout the day lOam-llpm
ALL STUDENTS! FREE ROOM HIRE AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES WITH FULLY LICENSED BAR... BUFFETS AVAILABLE THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1998
+
+
1\.
Maureen's an icon, but in her wake have followed a glut of people who, despite doing mostly quiet, run of the mill jobs, arl! still household names because someone's seen fit to put them on the box. Stuart Dredge investigates a televisual phenomenon••• the motives behind making it:
1 wanted to put a working-class family on television because it hadn't been done before. Until then, people from that class had always had their opinions ahd attitudes filtered by The
Establishment"
e Family caused a stir amongst viewers, many of Whom were surprised (and even shocked) at how much the family were prepared to reveal to the prying cameras. Another programme which was a more indirect influencs on the current crop of docu-soaps was Seven-Up, in whjch children were filmed every seven years in an effort to show the ageing proceSs. MTV did Its bit for FOTW in the 80s. The Real World was a show that portrayed life for a group of housernates. Although lt used the techniques of docl.Hoap, it was also heavily controned by the programme-makers. MlV advertised for participants, and picked only the best-looking, :qt41i!Hit...,.._ T1IB RtMI Mbrld'JD ripped off for 9ritlsh Televfalon with a show caBed Th6 Uvlng Soap, which focused on a group of students living in Manchester. One episode made headlines when a brick was thrown through the window of one of the studenf s houses; an incident which naturally featured heavily in the next episode. At about the same time, British viewers were treated to a show caUed Troubleshooters, in which they were invited to take an interest in the hard-nosed business dealings of some floppy-jowled old men as they rescued ailing companies from bankruptcy. Your dad probably watched it. In the Autumn of 1996, Airport and Vets' School were first shown, quickly building up audiencss of over ten million; figures previously unheard of for peaktime documentaries. Vets' School in particular had 1i'ude, the Norwegian-bom student who made cats all over the country grimace with one inept .attempt at vaccinating a wriggly mog. She was one of the first recognised 'stars' of docu-soap, opening supermarkets and even becoming a centrefold (albeit In the Radio Times • hardly top-shelf stuff). However, in June 1997, the BBC brought Driving School to our screens. lt followed a varied group of people who were learning to drive, and made a star of Maureen Rees and her beleaguered husband David, as she struggled against all the odds to pass·her test. A nation gulped at THAT motorway moment, when she almost rammed another car In the fast lane, yet we all shared her tears when she eventually did pass. At its peak, Driving School had over 12 million viewers, • regularly beating the pants off its rivals, particularly The Bill on ITV.
·
f you're a fan of fly-on-the-wall docusoapa. then the last fortnight has probably been a pretty baffling one. Last week, the BBC announced thltt it Is to stop commissioning them, deepite the success of shows such as Driving School, \Ws in Practics, and The CtUise. At a tneetil1g with Independent production companies, BBC1 Controller, Peter Salmon, claimed that there was a severe danger of "viewer fatigue•, with the increasing number of docu-soaps on our screens. This was, don't forget. the same week in which the channel added two new programmes to its already bulging repetolre: Doctor's Orders (set in a GP's surgery) and Premier Passions (Sunderland FC's fight against relegation). Fans were thus confused when, In the same week, ITV declared its intention to put MORE docu-soaps on screen, in prime-time slots. This was emphasized by the announcement that ailing drama The Bill was to be moved from it~ traditional post-Coronation Street slot to make way for a docu-soap featuring an airline. Wlth the media trumpeting docu-soaps as the most exciting thing to happen to British television in years, or, alternatively, as tedious and unimaginative shows of the lowest common denominator, the time seems ripe to take a closer look at the whole phenomenon. The story starts way back in the days when BBC was the only channel we had. lt was supposed to offer 'Public Servics Broadcasting', and claimed that its aims were to 'educate, inform and entertain'. However, you wouldn't find 'ordinary' people on the BBC • all tl')e announcers spoke the Queen's English, while the schedule was made up of worthy programming designed to improve the minds of the presumably oafish audience. When ITV was created, all that changed. ITV had to appeal to advertisers, and thus needed to win audiences. This meant less dull stage plays, and more
I
programrnea c:atemg for the interests of the bynow large worldng-clael audience. Whereas before, dramll on tefevfllon had been mostly 'claaald plays, often televised si111ply by pointing a camera at the stage, new writers began to focus on charaders and Issues that could be more easily idenllfled with, In programmes SLch as Armchair 77'1eatre. The BBC was forced to rethink Its outmoded policies when Its ratings dropped sharply. lt chose to copy ITV's successful formula, creating its own Wednesday PIS). Ordinary people could now watch television drama that they could identify with. This In tum, eventually spawned the first successful soap opera, Coronation Street. Wlth its cast made up of unknown actors chosen for their ordinariness, H struck a chord with millions, helping it to become the institution that it is today. In the years since, British viewers have been presented with a variety of soap operas, tran Crossroads through to Brookside, Eastenders and even the illfated Eldorado. Their down-to-earth realism transformed Britain into a nation of soap-lovers. All this historical blathering Is to show that fly-onthe-wall (or, for ease's sake, FOlW) has roots stretching back a hell of a long v.ay. The progression is clear from soap-opera to docu-soap. If you think about it, soap opera relies on the premise that it follows the day-to·day lives.of ordinary people, taking in their j<JVs and traumas along the way. With proven popularity, why
The bandwagon was now rolling1 with every major channel filming FOTW series'. There was Hotel, .
Television even got in on the act, with its semilegendary series Ibiza Uncovered, in which Brit tourists were shown 'living it large' abroad, by shagging, drinking, clubbing and shagging some more. And, recently, the docu-soaps have kept on coming. Pleasure Beach has been raking in seven million viewers keen to see the ins-and-outs of running a theme park. The lamentable Superstore has tried to thrill with its gritty portrayal of the tensions behind Tesco's one-in-front policy. Best of all, Sunderland boss Peter Reid is shooting to cult status in Premier Passions for his Tarantino-esque approach to team-talks. ("You f..*ing f***s shouldn't be losing to this f* ...ing bunch of f***ersl") lt doesn't end there. In the coming months, some of the delights on offer include series based around Lakeside Shopping Centre, Selfridges, traffic wardens, wheel clampers and even trainee midwives. it's this glut of shows that has been provoking cnes of overload from worried telly bosses, even as others have been scrambling to jump onto the bandwagon. Perhaps the most vocal critic has been Paul Watson. Yes, THAT Paul Watson, who started the whole shebang off in the 70sl In .a recent article written for the Daily Mail, he thundered: "This is television at its cheapest and laziest, fobbing off the viewers with somethiog not much better than moving wallpaper... They may be slick, well-filmed and skillfully edited, but they're also completely empty. They say nothing to us. They reveal no insights, inspire no controversies, and enrich nobody. They are just dross, and the only reason they dominate our screens is because they're cheap."
'
S
trong stuff, yet it's a
"
•
.,
~
view that is ' increasingly being echoed, particularly amongst papers like the Mail, which consider docu-soaps to be in some way 'un-
whole hog, andthan actualy ~---~~~~~--------------------------not goreal the people, follow rather actors? Most people say that the first prc.per docu-soap was The House, in which a camera crew gained unmediated access to the backstage shenangans at Not everyone's a fan . .:· ~c the Royal Opera House. Howeve·, it wasn't the first wt al'. There of its kind by a long chalk. The true original docuclashes between fiery manager Eileen and her is no doubt though, minions. Set in the Adelphi Hotel in Uverpool, soap was called The Family, and was shown in the that there's a fair bit despite the warts'n'all portrayal of employees, of barrel scraping mid-70s. lt pioneered the FOTW approach, as it recorded the day-to-day life of a family in Reading. being done at the rumour has it that bookings have gone up by more Paul Watson, who was responsilje for it, explained than 50% since the series was shown. Sky moment. For one
thing, production companies are promoting each audlencee. 10 it can conllrale to charge 118 show's 'star' befdre it even goes on air. Whereas aMrtlsers the same amount. people like Maureen Rees and Trude rose to fame More lmportanUy, what Is it about docu«NtP.t• as the audience responded to their characters, the attracts so many of us? Author and UEA Maclil current docu-soapa are telling the audience which Lecturer Dr Glen Creeber polnla tp their .pecllc charl:\cter they should respond to. Take Airline, qualities: ITV's Bill-beating newie. I1V have been promising "They combine the best alament8 ol8011p 01*8 that the series' 'character' will be BJ Aldridge, a and documentary.lhe 80811'1 elamlnt ...... .us "camp cabin manager with a tine line in cutting wit." hooked, With plollnee and~-· Aldridge has a background In musicals and acting documentary element alow8 U8 to 1hink ..... apparently. You can almost imagine the production watchklg aomelhlng worttrJ." company going to the airline and demanding an There's also the element of ldenllllcallon - Qf employee just like BJ, with one eye fixed squarely looking at people 11ca us. Paychologlst·or Parnala on the ratings: -v./e've got to have someone camp, . Spurr recently pclnt8d to the fact that "When w, but not too camp • we don't want to upset the see a 'rael' person on Tv. we ldenllfy wfth1hem aid grannies. Maybe someone who knows his WB!I trust them in a WJ!1f we rarely actora and around a camera? They've got to be photogenic, celebrities.• These people are Just like us, allhoUgh you know...• The mind boggles, especially when that's a scary thought when you conelder 1hose 12 you hear that one woman featured in Pleasure million Ddvlng School tens..• Beach hired a PR firm BEFORE the series was · Another view Is 800lm8d up ~ Dr Creeber: 1n even shownl many ways, it all boils down to the~ \W can watch other people lYing, without being ...,.. yourself. lt's safe W,f8UI1sm In other words..lt's 1hls that lies at the very heart of the gem, tor we truly o what lies behind the popularity of docucan be flies perching on the wall, ~ and soaps? First of all, why are television hearing werythlng, lnc:tudlng things that should be companies so keen to make them? The kept priVate. answer lies in the fact that they deliver high _ Docu-eoaps also give us the chance to crftlclse audiences at a traction of the cost of other other people, and this ~ explain the popularity of programmes, such as drama. Whereas peciktime series such as Holiday Fleps, which focused on the
do-.
S
Reps. Through • Ma~~ee!! Rees - who d~ pass her test costume drama heroines' love lives. made well awareofifli.tll].ltfi ~- such as Pride and Britain is a nation of boyfriend was cheating agony aunts, at least under the surface, and we Pr~judice can cost up to a million pounds per herself. This could only ElflCOI.II8ge us of episode, Airline cost only like nothing better than tQ feel that we know what her as somewhat naive, or 8Y8Il stupid, which was other people should be doing. H Harry Enlleld's Mr £600,000 for the whole surely undeserved. As the cameras seek out those series. With budgets You-Don't-Want-To-Do-That was real, he'd be a · who are potential stars, they will also look for being limited, yet the huge fan of docu-soapsl There's aleo the fact that potential falf,.guys. there's a strong British tradition of loving the need to pull in large l seems pretty clear that docu-soaps are here to eccentric, or the glorious loser. Think Maureen, stay. Soon, the advent of digital television wll • audiences even more pressing, it's not hard Carolina from Holiday Reps. Trude (a glamorous create a huge number ofnew channels, all to see the reasoning loser, at least in the first sertes). Arrt dOcu-so'ap competing to make cheap programmes thal'll behind telly bosses where the subjects didn't ever make mistakes · attract the most viewers. it could go two wetJ8. commissioning more would probably be a huge flop. Either programme-makers will find new and and more docu-soaps. inventive slants, or else they'D plumb the.depths ITV is particularly even further ill the aearch for ordinary people. Then dependent on again, they could simply repeat themselves. More securing course, the continuing quality of docuflan one person has speculated that, In 40 years high tme, we could be faced with ~ prospect at Vfts ( ) :aps depends on their popularity. Pretty oon, it wDI be impossible to point a n Retirement being prime-time viewing. We have b hope that the quest for ordinary stars doesn't camera at a group of empio¥ees without being trampled by a hundred people trying to make continue to lead to ordinary_television. --==~~~~~~;:;::;;:;;~=========---, themselves as famous as Maureen, 1l'ude or Jeremy from Airport. After all, starring In Driving School allowed Mo to giw up her cleaning job and rake in the cash from television appearances on .... the National Lottery and any morning show thafd have her. And why shouldn't she? The problem Is that, for programmes that rely on the idea that they are capturing reality, you can't have the subjects gooning around for the benefit of the cameral Dr Creeber certainly agrees: "I think the problem is with the fact that documentary soaps are presented as fact, when in fact they're highly manipulated. People often give performances because they know the camera's on them. They're not factual at all; and they're certainly not the documentaries that we used to know." Indeed, some have claimed that the rise of docu-soaps has led to the decline of traditional investigative documentaries, which cost more to make and bring in less viewers. Shows such as Panorama and World in Action have declined, save when they veer into the territory of human melodrama (as seen in the famous Diana interview). Whafs more, there's the element of possible exploitation. While we were led to sympathise with Maureen's driving ability (well, lack of), other occasions have been distincUy dodgy. For Pleasure Beach's JR at work example, there "!85 poor Carolina in Holiday
~
THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1998
THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1998
+
r
+
The Edge us (1997) Din Lee Tamahori
Odeon • now showing
.,.C~1r.}
ction, drama, and bloody violence - this film has it all, but sadly not in the right proport.ions. Despite boasting Oscar-winning Anthony Hopkins, who has an undoubted acting pedigree but is given some damn corny one liners, we are forced to put up with the dire Alec Baldwin, an actor who is proof that absolutely anyone can make it in the 'l'lovies. Billionaire Hopkins accompanies his wife, a model half his age (adequately portrayed by Elle Macpherson), to a mountain photo shoot. The love triangle is complete with Baldwin as the confident fashion editor who quite obviously fancies Miss Macpherson. Baldwin and Hopkins take a much needed flight
A
on a flimsy plane over some seriously treacherous mountains, and·guess what, the plane crashes, leaving the love rivals alone with a barely known actor who, like the red-shirted people who beam down to the planet in Star Trek, is clearly going to die very soon. The interesting stuff commences here. There ensues a survival ordeal with shades of Alive, during which they are pursued by a psychotic bear with all the murderous intent of Hannibal Lecter. The three survivors have a literal mountain to climb if they are to be reunited with their loved ones. Of course, Hopkins and Baldwin share the same loved one - yes, Elle Macpherson. Baldwin jokes throughout the snow adventure about how he will do away with Hopkins, but the calm billionaire, even when having a rifle stuck in his face, can't hate Baldwin, who has become a rare buddy for the money man. Isn't it sweet? No, not really. Some of the action sequences actually make this film worth the entrance fee. I just wish Hollywood would stop depicting animals as serial killers. Hopkins apart, Bart the Bear (who gets a special mention at the beginning of the end credits) is
CINEMA CIT'Y
uns, drugs, murder and other downtown hi-jinx provide the backdrop to this particular butkly movie, With Stretch (Tim Roth) and Spoon (Tupac Shakur) de<:iding, as their new year's resolution, to give up drugs. Inevitably, this Is easier said than clone and. before the day Is out, bureaucratic red 1ape, the police, and all manner of baddies have all-done their best to thwart their honourable intentions. In the meantime, Stretch keeps himself busy looking surprised for the full 90 minutes, whilst Spoon does his best to
G
WINI WINI WINI To enter, just answer this simple question WHICH MEMBER OF THE FUNKY BUNCH APPEARS IN BOOGIE NIGHTS?
look cool. The whole spectacle fs quite pleasing to watch, althpugh it Is difficuh to work out what point it is trying to make. One minute it'$ aH -laughs and chase scenes, then it starts to attempt social commentary on the desperation of drug abuse and the shortcomings of the US welfare system.
siH~. ALIB TEL: 763188
LIVE SOUNDSI
THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1998
Twelve Angry M en us (1957) Dtr: Sidney Lumet Cinema City • Mar IS
or anyone who's allergic to black and white oldies, Twelve Angry Men is the cure you've been waiting for! lt may have an archaic production date, but by no means is it a dated or old hat film. On the contrary, it is a study of 12 jurors who have to decide the fate of a murder defendant; complex, character-driven, and topical. lt is also one of those rare films which is gripping and intense but doesn't involve a psychokiller with a knife. On the other hand, it might not be everyone's cuppa. If you're looking for non-stop action adventure, or sentimental romance, give it a miss and stick to Titanic or The Terminator- no insult intended, it's just that Twelve Angry Men is deeper than the Atlantic the Titanic reached the bottom of. You have to pay attention, and you have to
F
FIRST PRIZE Two free tickets for Boogie Nights. Two free drinks at Take Five restuarant. One year's free membership of the Cinema City mailing list. SECOND PRIZE Two free tickets for Boogie Nights. One year's free membership of the Cinema City mailing-list. THIRD PRIZE Two free tickets for Boogie .Nights. Entries in the Concrete competitions box in the Hive by Wednesday, March 11 . Tickets are for Wednesday, March 18 at 7.45pm.
think. Sidney Lumet's film version of the Reginald Rose stage play is primarily set in one room, and it is precisely the claustrophobia of the confined space, added to the stiflingly hot weather, which create the film's incredible intensity. Henry Fonda plays the lone dissenter on a jury of men ready to convince a teen of killing his father, trying desperately to convince them that there may be ground for reasonable doubt. lt is no easy task, as most of them are t:~arrow minded, apathetic, and totally convinced of the defendant's guilt. What is interesting is the change that occurs in the majority of the men through intelligent discussion, bantering, and heated arguments. What is infuriating is the racism, ignorance, and down-right hypocrisy of a few of them. If you're up for a slice of deep and meaningful, a murder mystery in which the murder isn't so much investigated as pulled apart, get yourself a nice bottle of Chianti and see this movie Lsrs Fltz~I'IJid classic.
....
I
TASTIC
TOO
The 90s cartoon has an uncanny knack of perception. Now the grown ups have something to watch ... We beg1n by mourning the end of the current senes of The X-FIIes (Wed, March 4, BBC 1, 10-10.45pm). The ending is even more dramatic than expected, and the wait to autumn to find out the conclusion will be agonismg. Come back to us, Mulder and Scully, we m1ss your cheery sm11ing faces ••.• The Guide to 20 Years' Hitch-Hiking (Thurs. March 5, Radio 3, 7.20-Spm) talks to Douglas Adams on the anniversary of the first radio broadcast of the classic Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Another class1c figure, who possesses as much charm as ever IS Jack Nlcholson, talkmg about his life and career in Woman's Hour (Mon, March 9, Radio 4, 10.3011.30am) Keeping up to date though is Jayne Middlemiss (Mon, March 9. Radio 1, 122pm) who takes over Jo Whiley's show while she gallivants off on holiday. Comedy 1s still the dominating feature of primetime television 2 point 4 Children (Thurs. March 5, BBC1, 8.30-9pm) seems to have the ability to keep going without actually getting any better. Nevertheless, Bill & Ben are back and still about as funny as the flower pots they should go back to. Since the death of Dermot Morgan, who played Father Ted, at the weekend, Channel Four is unsure about screening the third senes of Father Ted this week (Fn, March 6, C4, 9.30-10pm). Also gracmg late night comedy is the return of The Adam & Joe Show (Fri, March 6, C4, 11.05-11.35) our answer to (and improvement on) Wayne's World. Celebrating England's top comedians, First on Four (Wed, March 11, C4, 10-1 0.30pm) reviews the careers of Brita1n's funniest people, beginning tomght with Harry Enfield. Still with comedies. we look at the Importance of tim1ng, .or rather lack of it. Unless I'm mistaken, we haven't gone back in history IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS NOW! Nevertheless there are three Christmas specials on. The disaster-prone Crane family is reeking havoc In Frasler ( Fn, March 6, C4, 10-10.30pm) while over m Ch1cago we find miracles galore in a sickly sweet episode of ER (Wed, March 11 , C4, 9-10pm). Not to be out done in the schmaltz ratings, Phoebe is saving abandoned Christmas trees, with some help from her Friends (Wed, March 11, C4, 10.30-11 pm). If you're one of those people who (a) likes watching films on a comfy sofa rather than Sitting behind a six foot, popcorn-eating menace to society but (b) hates paying to rent out f1lms, fear not! A varied selection of films find the1r way onto our TV screens, beginning with Mel Gibson's directorial debut The Man Without a Face (Tues. March 10, C4, 10pm-12.10am). This is followed by Of Mice and Men (Tues. March 10, C4, 12.10-2.10am). Also worth watching is the network premiere of Outbreak (Wed. March 11,1TV, 9·12.05 -Interrupted by news) Conspiracy theories and tragedies galore. To finish we have the curse of the modern remake, also known as 'if you can't find an original idea mut1late a classic one.' The Wombles (Wed, March 4, ITV, 4.05-4.20pm) heroes of the enwonmental movement are back, with exciting new characters ...
I
mm !!I
T
here was a t1me when cartoons were aimed primarily at children and involved good guys, bad guys, unlikely situations. 1000 ton we1ghts and lots of th1ngs saying ACME on them . Then five yellow. crudely drawn, politically 1ncorrect, and hystencal flgu•es where thrust on to pnme-time TV The Simpsons did somethmg unique. They used the seemmgly 1nnocuous genre of animation to pass some of the most biting and satirical commentaries on modern American life 1magmable. S1nce 1! was first broadcast on BBC. The Simpsons has proved remarkably successful, attracting a combmed audience figure of s1x m1111on for its Monday and Sunday screenings. On Fridays 11 also consistently out performs TFI Friday. A BBC spokesperson sa1d that the show has been "phenomenally successful, attracting a large cult following", an assertion borne out by the
fact that The S1mpsons remams the most popular programme on BBC2. Of all the family, Homer has emerged as the real star, playing the role of the Shakespearean fool He falls from one calamity to another, remain1ng blissfully unaware. incompetent and unscathed. With w1cked self-parodies (notably the demon1c Tom & Jerry cop1es. Itchy & Scratchy), the show also encourages 1t's guest stars and broadcaster Fox to get involved 10 the mockery. Th1s Irreverent ht.mour has reflected much of the cyn1C1sm of modern life: a random sample of episodes reveals t'le dangers of capitalism nuclear power. p1ety and Homer's appetite. The success of The Simpsons has been echoed by the even more 1nsid1ous King of the Hill. Shown at 10.30pm on C4, 11 regularly attracts an audience of 1.8m, much higher than the station average for that time slot. The Hills are all together a different breed. Much more abrasive, the mockery of the working class Texan . Hank Hili. 1s painfully accurate Nevertheless the Hills are the heroes of the show, atypical maybe, but a fiercely loyal family un1t. Rednecks w1th small mmds and big hearts. The popularity of these two shows has opened the floodgates for a number of spin-offs. the latest being South Park. Descnbed as "Peanuts meets A Clockwork Orange". this is the newest Amencan craze. With four main characters, Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny (who dies every episode) the show stoops to new depths of perversion. C4 has
bought the rights to show South Park. and w11i screen the f1rst series 1n June. Cartoons have established theiT'selves as an 1mportant part of modern pop culture are both subtle and soph1st1cated in tre1r humour and rema1n laugh out loud f;Jnny Amy Pierce
film of the fortnight s part of Channel Four's new season of war films . this fortn1ght sees the classic Apocalypse Now on our screens. Although be1ng largely misconceived by audiences and cnt1cs on its release Francis Ford Coppola's film, is a brilliantly surreal tour de force, that once seen 1s never forgotten. Attacked at the time, this film was unfa1rly dismissed as be1ng yet another glamonsat1on of the Vietnam experience. To judge the film on th1s criteria however. is to overlook one of the most v1sually and psychologically intense pictures ever made. Based on Joseph Conrad 's novel. Heart of Darkness, the film follows Captain Willard (Martin Sheen). a burned out intelligence officer sent on a miss1on mto Cambodia to assassinate Colonel Waiter Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando. The colonel's "methods have become unsound" (in other words, he's too psychotic for even the US army). The film follows Wiliard's boat-journey mto '1he worst place in the world" in search of Kurtz. Set aga1nst Coppola's nightmarish vision of war,
A
Apocalypse Now ''Is the ultimate tnp" The eventual meeting between W11iard and Kurtz is short and dramatic. Brando. largely improvising puts 10 a masterful performance as the disturbed officer seek1ng death Look out for good performances by Dennis Hopper as the mad photo journalist, and Robert Duvali as the death and glory air cavalry officer in the black stetson. W1th a stunning s1xties soundtrack adding much to the mood th1s IS a truly breathtakmg film. Marcus Poole
eek:WWF hen it was announced recently that Mike Tyson's next ring engagement will be as the referee in a wrestling match, the world chortled. However, for some of us, the mere mention of Wrestlemanla was enough to conjure up nostalg1c memories of a time when, by official playground law, If you couldn't suplex your best mate into the dust, you were a nobody. For a short while at the turn of the 90s, the World Wrestling Federation captured the hearts of thousands of impressionable people in Britain lt all started with Sky television. In its early days, its main sporting attraction was the WWF. Now of course, ifs show1ng a whole d~erent bunch of crazed mates beatmg the crap out of each other, but that's enough about the Premiership for now W1th personalities such as Hulk Hogan,
W
The.Uitimate Warnor and, oh yes, Macho Man Randy Savage, the testosterone-fuelled gladiators of the WWF bodyslammed their way into our affections. We even had a Brit to cheer on: the absurdly greasy British Bulldog, Davey Boy Smith. "But it's not real!" whined your less clued-up mates, as if that mattered in the slightest WWF was pure theatre, combin1ng athleticism, spot-on comic timing, tragedy, treachery, and a healthy dash of wanton v1olence. The peak of the WWF's popularity here came when rts Summerslam event packed out Wembley Stadium one balmy mght. Of course, 1t's still gomg strong 1n Amenca, but our interest has waned . Still, the memones remain of a time when Britain was READY TO RRRUMBLEIIII ! Stuart Dfi g
THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1998
-
--------
-
·-
-
-
-
• 14
•
I
,
@
•
I
.
. •'
\
•
•
~
evenij
tent of Internet
concerns over the ~x t stuart Dredge Despite grave h' the right optson porn, is censors •P people think not explains why many the world can access sites anywhere else in the ight. We heard last issue that, according to anti-pornography world. This was highlighted in the infamous Rimm report (see last issue), which claimed that users in campaigners, the Internet may well be awash with enough smut and China were using the Internet to access pornography in the United States, and which they perversion to corrupt even the most could be sentenced to death for doing. With pure of souls. They point to the fact that many different countries having radically different children have easy qccess to the Net, and point approaches to what's acceptable and what's not, out that often these children know far more than their parents, and so are able to access whatever whose standards should we take? You can imagine the fuss if every single Internet site in they want without fear of being found out. This, amongst other principles, is what leads to the calls America was required to comply with indecency standards in , say, countries such as China or Iran. for censorship that are periodically heard. But is this the answer? For, just as there are many There is also the question of different standards even within the same country. Any government people who think that it is the only way to fight illegal on-line porn, there are also a great many considering censoring the Net's pornographic content will have to decide for itself what is people who passionately believe that the principle offensive and what's not. Some people may find of freedom of speech requires the Net to continue to be unmediated by those in authority. Their certain types of porn deeply offensive and arguments ~. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .._~ are
R
varied, seeing as they represent a number of very different interests. Some are passionately devoted to th e cause of free speech, while others are fearful of any government control of the Net. Of course, others just like porn ... The overriding argument against any attempt at censorship is the question of whether it's actually possible. Put simply, even if we wanted to eradicate porn from the Internet, could we? Probably not, considering its unique nature. Close down one porn site, and it can easily be opened again somewhere else. it's been going for too long now for any attempt at creating a regulation system to have much chance of working, especially when you think about the fact that many of the people who pioneered the Internet were committed to the idea that it wou ld never be abl e to be tampered with by any government. Another consideration is over whose standards we should take when deciding what should be censored. Most printed pornography is supposed to abide by the ru les of the country in which it is based. Th e trouble with the Net on this score is that anyone in
disturbing, but does th is give them th e right to ban other people from viewing it? We're not taking
either view here, but the potential wrangles involved in attempts at censorship are obvious, to the extent that you have to wonder whether an agreement could ever be reached that would please any more than a minority of the population . Many people who believe that the Net should not be censored cite the principle that everyone should have the freedom to do whatever they want, as long as they don't impede the freedom of others. This can be applied to pornography, as something like child porn is clearly not protected under this view. Perhaps so-called 'responsible adults' should have the right to view porn that's produced by 'consenting adults' at their leisure? This is where the issue of pornography's effect on social attitudes becomes important. Last issue, Shyla Welch gave her views that having pornography freely available is damaging because of the effects
it has on men's views of women . This is particularly relevan t when it comes to the sort of porn th at caters for specific 'fantasies', such as rape . While the pornography may be only posed, who can tell what thoughts it might spark off in the people who look at it? it is issues such as this which show why more research needs to be done on the whole area of pornography in general, concentrating less on the Internet as a dangerous new method of transmitting it, and looking more at porn's social effects. The Rimm report has been cited constantly by opponents of pornography, yet it has been described by opponents AND neutral observers alike as severely flawed . For one thing, most of its research was not done on the Net at all, but on private bulletin boards that have to be dialled up using a modem. lt has even been said that Rimm's fascination with looking at 'deviant' sexu al practises bordered on the fanatical, although speculatin g more might well be libellious. Put simply, the report was not a good example of the sort of research that needs to be don e. While kicking porn off the Net is impossible, there are ways of ensuring that it is less likely to be accessed by children, wh ich is one of the great fears . If hardcore porn sites could be made credit-
card only, theoretically this would restrict them to over-18s only. Of course, childre n can get their hands on cards of their parents, but if that happens, they could just as easily place a mail or telephone order for anything they wa nted. However, this method will never completely protect children, for this reason : The vast majority of pornographical sites now require credit cards, but they all provide a certain amount of free images, so as to convince potential members that it's worth parting with their cash. If all material was memberonly (ahem ..), people might not ioin . Another way of protecting kids is by way of the increasing number of 'filters'. These are programmes, with names such as Net Nanny, Cyberwatch and Surf Patrol , which filter out adults-only sites and stop children from accessing them . The benefit is that the sites are only censored at the level of the user's computer, rather than being kicked off the Net entirely. They work in the same way as child locks on satellite television , which prevent the little devils from accessing Red Hot Dutch when their parents aren't looking. However, there are problems ... One is with the way filters choose which sites to block. Some (although not so many nowadays) use a method of checking for 'skin tones' on Web sites to see if they are pornographic. Of course, this can restrict childre n from accessing a number of resources, incl uding sites on sex education, swimming, and even fine art. The painting at the top of the page is one example of something that might be censored by filter software for its gratuitous flesh tones, despite the fact that it's a fai rly we ll-known painting in the pre-Raphaelite style. Oh well. .. So, if the answer to illegal (and legal) Internet pornography isn't censorship, and won 't be fi ltering for a while yet, then what to do? An increasing number of people who oppose pornography are themselves getting online, putting up their own sites to argue their case. Most people assume that the Internet is rife with disgu sting pornography, and indeed, this assumption is the reason for our two-part examination of the subject. However, the Net is more than just an enormous rack of Razzles; it's a multi-media extravaganza, with the potential to educate and inform as well as entertain. A well-presented site that argues against pornography is far more productive (and democratic) than a thousand ill-informed calls for censorship. Maybe one day, this will sink in, making the cyber-world a better place.
SUPBRIIARIBT CBBCIOUT
No. 8
Easter Eggs
There's a new subterranean eaterie to hit the Norwich scene. Melissa Fully tickled her tastebuds at Owen's ...
[2®/J[JiJ9 [!!]!JD@]® f?fJ]f?@[!!]!JD@] ~
lt's that time of year again. When Easter Monday is spent on the sofa in front of another James Bond film, armed only with five Easter eggs, which one came up trumpst Nestle Smarties Egg 190g ~ £2.25 . _,..,...... A medium sized D) ~ chocolate egg with "!'.-- a small bag of Smarties. This colourful little number came complete with a joke disc containing all the old favourite ,.. .:-M~v• egg yolks - sorry jokes. The chocolate was OK but left a cocoa aftertaste despite having only a 25% content, and packed full of hyperactive E-numbers. Sainsbury's Smooth Milk Chocolate Egg 190g £2.99 D] Sainsbury's offering contained milk chocolate minatures. This looked like the most plain , boring and unenjoyable egg but for taste it was the best. it was smooth. creamy and. like all good chocolate should, it stuck to our teeth the best. This one contained more cocoa solids than the other eggs, except Thornton's, with 29%. Cadbury's Flake Egg 185g £2.95 The traditional chocolate egg with two flakes.
2
: .fjt: · ?,
~:
~~
kind of egg you would buy for your Mum. You can't go wrong with Cadbury's creamy and not too sweet and
for any bar you can think of there's an egg to go with it. There was a lot of packaging with all the eggs we tested - this one was the worst. This one had the least cocoa solids in .it, 20%. lt was also the only egg not to carry a nut warning. Thornton 's Brachiosaurus Egg 125g £2.99 A two-tone egg of milk 1 and white chocolate. This novel egg was a real eye catcher. 1t came with nothing else except a lot of into about the Brachiosaurus. This Jurassic novelty was tasteless and too sweet with a very thin shell. Being Thornton's this egg was expected to come out tops but it scored very low on taste, even though it had 30% coca solids content. Credit is due to Thornton's though for minimal packaging and it's a great idea. Wallace and Gromit Milk Chocolate Egg 175g £2.49 An egg with a bag of fruit flavoured jelly bones ins1de. Average tasting chocolate with a disappointingly thin shell. Being an unbranded chocolate it was much better than expected and was very similar to the Cadbury's egg in that it was creamy. The best part was the cutout collecter cards of Gromit and Feathers McGraw. Fiona $pence
Entering Owen's Cafe Bar it was pleasantly surprising to find an atmosphere quite different from that of the traditional English pub. You know the kind: a meagre hamburger with chips for lunch and in the evening a pint of lager drunk over a fruit machine whose only yield is heartache. Owen's, situated just metres from the Bell Hotel, is a welcome change. What first caught my attention was the glow of blue light from the ground floor bar, reflecting off its stainless steel furniture. Bar owner, Nigel Bates, described Owen's as a "continental cafe-style operation." Definitely not your traditional • pub atmosphere. Owen's is made up of three levels, the top of which houses the cafe restaurant Colourful blue and yellow decor creates a friendly environment and the cheery red window sills frame the beautiful castle view. The menu features rarities like tuna and onion potato skins and brie amandine, while the more gourmet Italian menu includes such unique dishes as millefeuille of sun dried tomatoes and hallouni to pan-friei:l pousan with a veronique sauce and straw potatoes, all that posh nosh for just five
quid a go! The lower level, dubbed The Cellar, houses the American themed bar with portraits of American presidents gracing the walls. The space was previously occupied by a pawn broker and you can even enjoy your pint in what used to be the safe. Looking around you'll notice quite a few small plaques on the bar inscribed with the names of individuals and the cryptic phrase, "drink the fridge." How would one go about earning this highest of highly esteemed honours? I enquired. Nigel replied that the fridge contains twelve different bottles on each shelf. If you succeed in drinking all twelve different bottles, ranging from Bud to Hooch, you can earn a plaque and a place in the hearts of .Owen's regulars. The record stands at 12 bottles in 20 minutes, any takers? You don't have to "drink the fridge" to find a good selection of alcohol at Owen's. Their draft beers include Grolsch, Guinness and a good selection of ales and lagers. For all those non-beer drinkers there are home-made flavoured vodkas, deliciously spicy Bloody Marys and wines from Portugal, Germany, Italy, Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. Owen's is an impressive new addition to the Norwich restaurant scene, worth a visit either for eating or drinking. Don't forget to ask bar manager 'Adie' Toole to tell the story behind the name Owen - it's quite interesting.
American Diners Americans eat more than just hamburgers and hotdogs. Different regions feature different specialities on their menus, but the bill of fare at diners and coffeeshops throughout the States will always feature a few essential items, says Lucas Psillakis Filter Coffee This will often be black coffee with creamer on the side, but more pretentious coffee-shops will serve a variety of coffees with exotic names: black or latte: extra strong to weak; and even sprinkled with typically unsubtle toppings of cinnamon or nutmeg. The Egg A breakfast staple. these can be 'sunny side up' or ·over easy'(the latter are flipped over during frying so the yolk doesn't show), poached soft or hard-boiled. Longjohns ... Pastries such as doughnuts or longjohns (frosted oblong doughnuts) are rife in the Ameri can diner. as well as delicious cinnamon rolls and the uniquely American pecan pie. Starches Potatoes are popular at breakfast time throughout the US, except in the South where ground corn. or hominy grits. is preferred. Potatoes can be grated to make hash browns, or mashed and shaped into patties, and will often accompany bacon, sausage or meat patties at breakfast or lunch time. Another popular breakfast starch is sweetened porridge, or oatmeal , beloved of most American mothers and of rather fewer children. Slang Commuters and other diner clientele are familiar with the often funny and sometimes downright bizarre items on the men: 'bloodhounds on the hay' denotes Frankfurter sausages on sauerkraut; a 'mother and child reunion ' will mean a dish of fried eggs and fried chicken ; whilst, ironically, a 'complete chicken dinner' will often consist of no more than two eggs.
THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1998
}ames Graham talks to up and
coming comedian Sean Lock about mud; drunken peasants, and attempts to avoid fame at all costs ... elcome to Lock-World Sean IS the pub landlord, mixing pmts of beer with shots of kung-fu, and solving everyone's problems. Wombles have been elevated to the ultimate objects of des1re. Confused? You will be. This is Sean Lock's unique brand of comedy and it's about to h1t Norwich. Dedicated watchers of the Stand Up Show and other similar programmes probably know Sean very well now, whilst those with an eye for detail might well have spotted him on The World Of Lee Evans or Newman and Baddielln Pieces. But unfortunately Lock doesn't seem to be looking to increase h1s profile much above it's present level for the moment. The comedian seems to be making a concerted effort not to be seduced by the bnght lights and potential accolades his own te levision series might bring him . "The comedy business 1s littered with people who have done one television series and never done another one, and probably never Will either," explains Sean. "I'm definitely going to be very careful about how I handle that side of things. There 's no point in jumping at the first televison senes you are offered so I think I'm just going to carry on what I'm doing at the moment." Although on first 1mpress1ons it seems as if Sean uffers from a definite lack of ambition he is very careful to explain why he IS happy to "pootle along and do whatever''.He carries on,"l th ink my motto is that every dog has ll's day. You can have a
~
E A
~1 ·:·
SOC E
he
p
aw
I At Lenwade House Hotel on 6th June
very long career in this business so there's no need to jump at the first bit of fame which comes your way. lt's not like pop music where you can be m a band one day, become the biggest thing in the world the next and be forgotten the day after." Sean illustrates his po1nt by mentionmg Black Lace, singers of that school disco class1c Agadoo. "I mean, what are those guys doing now? And who cares? As far as they were concerned the world was their oyster at one point. I guess what I'm saymg is that I'm not especially anxious to grab my five minutes of fame." Not that Sean will be m complete h1bernat1on for the foreseeable future. He has recently completed a scnpt for Film On Four wh1ch could be going into production later in the year. Based on a book by Emile Zola, it has been named This Filthy Earth. Sean enthused , "it's basically about a load of peasants being horrible to each other. There's lots of mud, spunk, shagging, witches and drunkards falling into hedges." He has also recorded six shows to be broadcast later in the year on Radio Four and is presently on tour across the country. Sean's current mission is to wipe out any memories us pun ters have of useless pub comedians. "I see so many people doing comedy in pubs and they're just crap at it That was one of the reasons I started doing standup," explamed Sean, "I just thought I could do a much be te r JOb of it than most of the people I had seen." See if Sean 1s true to his word when he appears at the Norwich Arts Centre on Thursday , March 19. James Graham
all
~
~
Transport provided to and from UEA
~ FEATURING: ~ Roxy's Tool Box Jazz Band ~ DJ's (Tyderium, Drum 'n' Bass) ~ 70s Retro/chart music ~ Mojo's DJs ~ ENTERTAINMENTS: ~ Fun Fair Bungy Run Bell and Hammer ~ Casino ~ Firework Display Inflatable Boxing Bouncy Castle ~ Rodeo Bull ~ TICKETS ON SALE: 9am April 29, members, 9am May 1, non-members PRICE: Dinner, £40 members, £45 non~ members, After Dinner, £30 members, £35 non members (closing date for Law Society membership March 20)
lecture theatre one SI/EAitfUS HIEANIEY
A
lmost everyone will have heard of Seamus Heaney, whether it's from studying Digging at school or because he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995. His widespread popularity and appeal was demonstrated last Tuesday by both the large numbers of people queuing to get into Lecture Theatre One and by the hushed silence that spread across the audience once the poet had arrived. In the introductory speech Andrew Motion heaped praise on Heaney which, having taken the stand, the poet was later at pains to deny. He began, not surprisingly, with his most famous poem, Digging, before reading a wide ranging selection of his work including several translations. A seasoned lecturer, Mr Heaney was at ease with the audience, who maintained a respectful quiet throughout. His voice was both rich and resonant and demonstrated exactly how his poems ought to be read. Some may have been disappointed that he did not stay for the usual post-lecture question and answer session, but this was more than made up for by the length and quality of his reading . Between his poems Heaney kept the audience entertained skilfully with short introductions and anecdotes. He was ever the quotable poet and several of his one-liners were particularly memorable, for example his description of the shipping forecast as 'one of the most beautiful poems available'. Afterwards, Heaney signed what must have been several hundred copies of his books despite still suffering from a recent hip injury. Hopefully this, his third visit to UEA, will not be his last since we would greatly miss the opportunity of seeing a poet of such enormous talent again. Tom Harberd
here is a plot to John Vanbrugh's The Relapse, but like many other Restoratton comedies, it ultimately takes second place to lots of screwing around. Loveless is content in his marriage to his wife Amanda until they return to town after a spell living in the country. However, back in the city he promptly relapses back into his old, cheating ways. What follows is a string of extra-marital affairs, bawdy jokes and closeted goings on. Vanbrugh wrote this play in a hurry and this is evident in the ending, since there doesn't actually seem to be one. However, the strong cast didn't let this deter them from creating a brilliant and lively production. There were some great touches, such as the explosive entrance of the
country squire and his eccentric household, whilst the seamless scene changes gave the whole performance a highly polished edge. 1t was refreshing to watch a play which didn't try to take itself seriously and the actors often played directly to the audience for laughs. There were particularly good performances from Greg Hicks as Loveless and Yolanda Vazquez as his long suffering wife. John Gill also gave an excellent cameo performance as the doddering priest. This play could be deemed as raunchy seeing as there was as much sex in it as your standard Sharon Stone film, but, being a period piece it is instead considered entirely respectable. A shameless way to spend a naughty night. Slan Moles and Emlly Hunka
melanie mcgrath espite the title this semiautobiographical novel is not indecent adult literature plucked from the top shelf, but a trans-global odyssey in which the author tries to get to the heart of the virtual world. Melania McGrath's second book sees her visit San Francisco, London, Moscow and Prague in search of hackers, programmers and other cyber-fanatics in a book which is frequently as much about herself as it is about the relentless ascendancy of the digital age. Her occasional scorn for the self-importance and over confidence of the techno junkies in fact disguises her envy and admiration of a generation seemingly more attractive and clever than her own .. The ticking of the biological clock is probably at the root of the author's insecurities and it could be said that she has tried to deny the passage
D
HARD, SOFT AND WET of time with this attempt at Immersing herself in today's rave culture. But for the most part, this book reveals an enthusiasm and humble willingness to learn about the technology of the future rather than any fear of being left behind The characters are all restless Bill Gates style prodigies who display the nerdiness one expects from computer crazed nutcases. and the 'crotch potatoes' who surf the Net in search of cyberpom are a particularly unappealing bunch. lt may have its less attractive side, but there is no stopping the computer-led changes sweeping through our lives and this book perfectly captures the excitement of those on the cutting Daniel Bsrdsley edge of this transformation.
uea studio BUD WISER
ever having been to a play written by a student, we were unaware of what to expect from Bud Wiser. We were, admittedly, quite sceptical as we entered the UEA Studio, but this comical play quickly dispelled any reservations we had. After the curtain fell we laughed all the way to the pub and spent the rest of the evening recalling the quips and anecdotes which were delivered with such razor sharp timing by the talented cast. Jim Knox and Claire Dunnett were especially good in their devilishly outrageous, loud mouthed nymphomaniac roles. These characters contrasted starkly with the raving, paranoid and extremely feminist Marissa played by Sarah Berry and the snide, conniving Gina played by Sam Jackson. The well crafted caricatures, created and realised by writer, director and lead Chris O'Neill , all came across very well throughout the play. The plot, although rather long and over complicated, managed to weave together a number of stories concerning Bud, his group of male friends , and Elise, Bud's therapist, and her flatmates. The audience's attention never faltered and nether did the fits of giggles. The play had a predictably happy ending and in true Shakespearean fashion , each character found their perfect partner after a sequence of mishaps.ln all this was a wonderful light hearted comedy with many easily recognisable caricatures from modern society. Bud Wiser was thoroughly enjoyable and it was a great shame that more students didn't go and see it.
Sarah Freeman and Kate Walker
lecture theatre one ALI.EN HOIUNGHURST lien Hollinghurst, author of The Swimming Pool Library and The Folding Star, has chosen UEA as the venue to debut his soon to be published novel, The Spell. And sure enough, the usual band of fans, creative writing students and passers by are attracted to the rather too roomy Lecture Theatre One for the event. So what's this new novel all about then? To raise the suspense, Hollinghurst first reads form his earlier work The Folding Star. Like all his writings it deals with gay relationships and desire. The sensitive nature of the prose means it is impossible not to become caught up in the "heaven of hell and love and iusr which the extract presents. But never mind the old book, what about the new one? Hollinghurst explains that it deals with the lives of four male characters of differing ages during the summer of '86. "Oh no," you cry, "That means, drugs, clubbing and AIDS". Yes, it does, but as Hoilinghurst reads his proof copy of 37 year old Alex's first experience of E in a Soho club you almost start to forget that lrvine Welsh even exists. The Spell sounds good; it's got humour, poetry, and more than a bit of originality. Yet nobody falls off their chair with shock or amazement. The evening moves gradually on to questions, with Hollinghurst playing very much the writer's writer. Unfortunately, this means discussion revolves around the finer nuances of creative prose rather than debates over Soho sex shops or whether Let's Hear it for the Boy was really 1984's pop classic. But that would probably have been far too much excitement for a Tuesday night at LT1 anyway. lmogen Rose-Smith
A
•
evenij MRS BROWN ... has got a lovely daughter. GOOD WILL HUNTING Matt Damon is smart and somewhat loveable.
CINEMA CITY ABC TITANIC Regal splendour two miles under water. PAWS Cute doggy does cute doggy stuH. Oh dear. AMISTAD Things are bad on a Spanish slave ship. Surprise! FAIRYTALE : A TRU E STORY Flit, flit , flit.. IN & OUT Kevin Kline learns to be "a real man" and fails. THE FULL MONTY Clingfilm works wonders in SheHield. BOOGIE NIGHTS Featuring "Brock Landers VII : Oral Majesty." SPICEWORLD: THE MOVIE Richard E. Grant obviously had noth ing better to do .
ODE ON TITANIC An hour of th e upper class being tosse rs, then we 're supposed to feel bad as they start dying in droves. THE EDGE Anlhony Hopkins out-classes a bear. Cor! SPICEWORLD: THE MOVIE This one's been around so long, Baby Spice is now Middle-Aged-With-Alimony Spice . FLUBBER Robi n Williams bou nces arou nd.
WI NGS OF THE DOVE Wed, March 4 at 5.45pm , Thurs. March 5 to Sat, March 7 at 8.15pm. Helena Bonham-Carter lashes out a bit after years of E M Forster novels. LUCIE AUBRAC Wed, March 4 at 8.15pm , Thurs. March 5 at 2.30pm & 5.45pm, Fri , March 6 and Sat, March 7 at 5.45pm. WWII story of French Resistance , Gestapo, etc. LA HAINE Fri , March 6 at 11 pm. Three gritty French teens don't like living in lowincome housing. GEORGEOFTHEJUNGLE Sat, March 7 at 2.30pm . George swings from vines. Talks to ape . Ape is smarter. Wow! WILD STRAWBERRIES Sun, March 8 at 5pm. A road movie , but by lngmar Bergman . You know what that means. THE FULL MONTY Sun, March 8 at 7.30pm . But you can leave your hat on. REGENERATION Mon , March 9 to Wed, March 11 at 5.45pm, Thurs. March 12 at 2.30pm & 8.15pm, Fri , March 13 and Sat, March 14 at 8.15pm. WWI story of shell-shock, poetry, etc. THE WINTER GUEST Mon, March 9 to Wed, March 11 at 8.15pm, Thurs, March 12 to Sat, March 14 at 5.45pm . Phyll ida Law and Emma Thompson play a mother and daughter. Gosh! BAD TIMING Fri, March 13 at 11pm. Nicholas Roeg's take on mi nd games in Vienna.
SPICEWORLD: THE MOVIE Sat, March 14 at 2.30pm . They don't just sing I (Did I ever say they did?) TWELVE ANG RY MEN Sun, March 15 at 2.30pm. The American jury system, but not so boring _ HINDI FILM Sun , March 15 at 5pm. Film to be announced. WI LDE Sun , March 15 at 8.15pm . All he has to declare is his genius. THE WOODLANDERS Mon, March 16 to Wed , March 18 at 5.45pm, Th urs . March 19 at 2.30pm & 8.15pm, Fri, March 20 and Sat, March 21 at 8.15pm. Young couple are kept apart in true Thomas Hardy fashion. BOOGIE NIGHTS Mon, March 16 to Wed, March 18 at 7.45pm, Thurs. March 19 to Sat, March 21 at 5.30pm . Dirk Diggler "rises" to fame.
UNION FILMS THE FULL MONTY Thurs. March 5 Hear that Hot Chocolate song one last time. CHASING AMY Fri, March 6 Comic book geeks cope with life, sexy lesbians, and every1hing . ANTONIA 'S LINE Mon, March 9 Oscar-winning chick film from Holland. THE FRENCH CONNECTION Tues. March 10 Oscar-winning bloke film from the States. LA CONFIDENTIAL Thurs. March 12 Forget Titanic, this is the best film of the year. CAREER GIRLS Fri , March 13 Two ladies talk for an hour and a half.
THE KILLER and MAN BITES DOG Tues. March 17 John Woo's seriously cool shoot-'em-up and a fake documentary about a serial killer. A good dark, bloody double bill. FACE/OFF Thurs, March 19 Nicholas Cage and John Travolta metaphysica lly tango for twenty minutes too long. G.l. JA NE Fri, March 20 Demi Moore shows us once more that she's really fit. Maybe now she'll leave us alone.
THEATRE ROYAL STEVE COOGAN Sunday, March 15- Tuesday, March 17 at 7.30pm Alan Partridge makes a special homecoming to his beloved Norwich, bringing along his good friends Paul and Pauline Calf and Tony Ferrino. £3/ £16
MADDERMARKET THEATRE LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES Thursday, March 19 - Saturday, March 21 at 7.30pm, matinee on Saturday at 2.30pm. Sexual misdemeanours abound in th is aristocratic world of eighteenth century France. £4/£6.50
NORWICH ARTS CENTRE SEAN LOCK Thursday, March 19 at 8.30pm Planet Lock touches down in Norwich for some quickfire gags concerning every1hing from the weath er to th e Wombles . £6
\
~eventJ UEA LECTURE THEATRE I KATHY LETTE Tuesday, March 10 at ?pm The author of Foetal Attraction and Mad Cows drags herseli away from the telly panel circuit. £2/£3.50
NOR lCH C S71E NUS . UN TWO BRmSH IMPRESSIONISTS Wednesday, March 4 - Saturday, March 21 The works of British Impressionists, Waiter Sickert and Philip Wilson Steer. Free admission
\.,
THE WATERFRONT CATHERINE WHEEL+ FELINE+ RADIATOR Tuesday, March 10 Fireworks night come early? £5 adv. OYSTERBAND Tuesday, March 17 £8 adv. THERAPY? Tuesday, March 31 The Irish metallers are back and this time they've left their 'lashes at home. £7 adv.
OUT TO LUNCH Saturday, March 14 With Moneypenny DJs Tony Clarke & Adrian. Hurrah! LUVDUP £9 adv.
THE WATERFRONT MELTDOWN Saturdays Regular indie, Britpop, and alternative dance club, with a variety of musical styles in the Studio each week. 9.30pm-2am £3 uea £4/£3.50 cone.
FEEDER Sunday, April 19 £7.50 adv.
IKON
NORWICH SCHOOL 0' ART & DESIGN
NORWICH ARTS
SANCTUARY Mondays Old favourite Student night. 9pm-2am £1 stud. before 11/ £2 stud. after
ALAN JOHNSTON Wednesday, March 4 - Saturday, March 21 from 10am-5pm Alan Johnston will be showing his work and creating a drawing on a purpose-built wall just for our pleasure. Free admission
URUSEIYATSURA Monday, March 9 £5 adv.
I
\. . 'I '\ \' I
CENTRE
GROOP DOGDRILL Monday, March 16 £3.50 adv./ £4 on the door MAGOO + NEW RADIANT STORM KINGS Monday, March 23 £3.50 adv./ £4 on the door
I
~~·
I :___.,~,...·
.
JUICE Saturdays Uplifting house & garage. 10pm-3am Girls £2.50 before 11 / £5 after Lads £3.50 before 11/ £5 after
RICKtS PLACE PLEASURE Thursdays FREE with flyers before 11 / £2 after DECADENCE Fridays Over 20s
SUPER PUB Wednesdays A regular club night, with live bands and pub prices. 8pm-midnight FREE
zoo MORE MEDICINE Mondays The Student Social. 1Opm-2am £1 stud. before 11/ £2 after HELL FOR LEATHER Wednesdays Goth, indie, metal , and alternative. 10pm-2am £1 stud. before 11/ £ 2 after WRAITH Fridays The best in goth. Grrr!
UEA LCR BLUETONES Sunday, March 15 The kings of jangle return to the LCR after a year out of the limelight. SOLD OUT SPACE Wednesday, March 18 Cheeky pop scousers. £10 adv.
UEA LCR CLUB RETRO ACTIVE Saturday, March 7 Featuring Wham ! tribute, FAITH . Hurrah! £5 adv.
Starring Alan Partridge, Paul Calf, Pauline Calf and Tony Ferrino
an
thewaterfront
139 King Street, Norwich 01603 632717
GIGS Thu
s
Mar
~CCIHJ
Tue
10 Mar
Sat 7
£5adv
Sat14
£9
RETRO ACTIVE feat. FAITH, a tribute to WHAM!
OUT TO LUNCH with Moneypennys DJs Tony Clarke & Adrian LUVDUP Sun 15
SPACE
Wed 25 Mar Tue
31 Mar
SOLD OUT
Sun
&IPIRlliiL .
19
Apr Sun
£7.50
Thur 23
17 Mar
SOLD OUT
. BLUETONES Wed 18
Tue
club MIXMAG Positive Education
3 May
Tue
with Carl Cox & Jim Masters
19
Mon 27
£7.50
PROPELLERHEADS Wed 29
£10
SHED SHEVEN
May
••• •
-
FILM OUIZ1£1.oodr CATHERINE WHEEL + FELINE+ RADIATOR Irs.oo OYSTERBAND + FOLKLAW l£8.00 JOHN MARTYN +SUPPORT I£1o.oo THERAPY? +KING PRAWN · I£7.oo FEEDER + EVER CLEAR + CARRIE I£7.50 TURA SATANA +SUPPORT 1£6.so HEADSWIM \£6.00 +SUPPORT SYMPOSIUM
Sun 24 May +SUPPORT
K
M
c
••• •
I£6.oo
CLUBS Sat 16
£11
THUNDER
Fri
EIGHTIES NIGHT
6 Upstairs CON BRIE-0!
Mar . cheesy beats 9.30-2
Mon 18
£8.50
SUPER FURRY ANIMALS ~i~
~
BY-JOVl a tribute to Bon Jovi
I£4/£3uea
MELTDOWN
Sat INDIE & BRITPOP 7 Upstairs CLUB FATBOY Mar big beats and breaks 9-2
I£4/£3uea
DELUSION
Fri HARDCORE, JUNGLE, OLD SKOOL, TECHNO 13 DJs Ray Keith, Sharkey + more I Mar ALLNIGHTER 10-6
£12.0Dadv
Sun 18
£11
MOTORHEAD
Tickets from Union Finance Office, Weekdays, 11 am·3.30pm Prices quoted are the student advance prices '
.
MELTDOWN
Sat INDIE & BRITPOP 14 Upstairs GROOVADELIA Mar Top psych , funk & pop 9-2
I£4/£3uea
Tickets are available from:
Union Finance Office 11.oo-1s.Jo Soundclash, Ticket Shop , HMV, Andy_'s & Our Price CREDIT CARD BOOKING 01 603 764764 Club prices are door only unless otherwise noted Gig prices are advance only advance tickets may be subject to booking fee
••• • +