flux Volume IV Issue III | Editor & Layout: Valerie Loftus
Flux | October 31st, 2012
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Top three: stephen king adaptations
HOT
Derren Brown’s Apocalypse
He’s done it again! This time he’s made some poor sod believe the world has ended. Think The Truman Show, but with zombies. Catch the second instalment on Channel 4, Friday at 9pm.
Reading Week
1) The Shining
“Here’s Johnny…” The famous quote from King’s most terrifying novel, which went on to become one of the most popular horror films of all time. The Shining is based on writer Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, who takes a job as an off-season caretaker at an isolated hotel. Soon after Torrance, his wife and son have settled in to their new surroundings, they are trapped in the hotel by a snowstorm. As the film progresses, Torrance gradually becomes more and more influenced by the supernatural presence at large in the hotel and descends into madness attempting, more than once, to kill his wife and son. The Shining has without a doubt made its mark on popular culture with The Simpsons making a parody episode containing scenes called “The Shinning”.
2) Carrie
Carrie is the story of a social outcast who, following humiliation from her peers, teachers and parents, discovers that she possesses psychic powers. When her principal repeatedly calls her Cassie, objects throw themselves off her desk; when Carrie’s mother locks her in a cupboard and forces her to pray, Carrie stares at a mirror until it shatters into a million pieces. One of the girls in Carrie’s school takes pity on her and convinces her boyfriend to take Carrie to the prom. However, other students don’t take so kindly to this suggestion and plan a nasty surprise for Carrie. What they don’t realise about this teenager is that she is a not a girl to be messed with. According to a survey carried out in 2008, the film, starring John Travolta, was named one of the most popular movies watched by teens on Halloween night.
3) Salem’s Lot
Unlike King’s other pieces of work, Salem’s Lot was made into a mini-series solely for television. It tells the story of an author who returns to his hometown after spending 25 years working away. On his homecoming he discovers that a vampire has moved in and is singlehandedly turning the rest of the neighborhood into creatures of the night. Over the course of several weeks the whole population of the town becomes infected and begins to show vampire tendencies. Salem’s Lot is a mini-series so there is much more time for several stories and characters to develop, which heightens the tragedy and fear. The televised version of Salem’s Lot is said to be ‘closest to home’ in relation to sticking to King’s original novel. King has said himself that it is his favourite adaptation of all his work.
have your say
This issue, Flux asks the extremely, ridiculously, unbelievably important question: what are you dressing up as for Halloween?
God knows, we just love reading. (More like sleeping, eating, watching mindless television, plumbing the depths of the internet, then maybe doing a bit of reading. If it suits.)
Christmas
Begone, all ye “But it’s only October!” grinches, and don’t let the holly-and-ivy clad door hit you on the way out.
T O H ‘N’ D L CO Last minute costume shopping Did we not warn you two weeks ago to get your Halloween gear ready? Queues were already forming outside costume shops last week, Lord knows what they’ll be like today.
The X Factor
“Scuba Steve!” John Walsh, AF2
“Catwoman.” Niamh Perrick, ALIS2
“Bane from Batman.” Mike Hurley, JR2
Is it just us or is Gary Borelow’s incessant whining about “integrity” and “musicality” starting to grate a whole bunch? #TeamRylan
Cold and flu season
“A Stop/Go sign” Alan Prendergast, AF2 2
“A dinosaur.” Aisling Duggan, AC2
“A potato.” Golden Ikerionwu, AC2
There is nowhere to hide. EVERYONE is sick, or was sick, or feels something coming on... Time to get on the chicken soup and Berocca.
COLD
Flux | October 31st, 2012
Left to right: Tom Cosgrave (bass) Mark Austin (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Shane Kinsella (drums)
one hot minute With support slots for The Stone Roses and Foo Fighters under their belts, The Minutes are finally taking off after 15 years of hard work. Valerie Loftus chats to lead singer Mark Austin about famous fans, touring and - what else?- partying. Who said rock’n’roll was dead?
Mark Austin sounds a little bit
worse for wear. The lead singer and rhythm guitarist of The Minutes, a Dublin rock band that has been slowly making a name for themself over the last six years, he was out last night until four in the morning. Suitably rock and roll, no? “We were this thing called F.ounders, which is part of the Web Summit. We had to bring around 15 people in a group, myself and Shane [The Minutes’ drummer]. It ended in a pub crawl,” he says. “They’re all multi-millionaires, and there’s me and Shane with not six pence between us. It was fucking mental.” They certainly have reason to celebrate. Fresh from two European tours, as well as support dates with Foo Fighters and The Stone Roses, The Minutes’ time has finally come. After playing together for 15 years, their debut album Marcata was released in May 2011. But what took them so long to get an album together? “We were writing a load of shit Flux | October 31st, 2012
songs! Every time we wrote a song, we went back and thought it was good but it was actually shit. We weren’t working towards an album, we didn’t have that vision. I suppose we were learning, learning how to be a band.” A cross between The Black Keys and their heroes Thin Lizzy, the recent resurgence of old-fashioned rock and roll means The Minutes’ sound has never been more current. Despite this, Mark maintains that it is still a struggle for the band to get their guitarbased rock played on a commercial radio station. “I thought it was gonna be better for us, the fact that The Black Keys and the like are being played on the radio. But in truth it’s the same old shit – we’re still coming up with the same old problems,” he says. “It’s too heavy, it’s too whatever – we know the music we’re making isn’t very heavy at all, but it’s loud and it’s guitar rock, so we’re never gonna replace daytime radio music. I used to care about it a hell of a lot more than I do now.
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We wouldn’t take tips from anybody. We’re such a bunch of bastards - so stubborn
We’re a live band really; you’ve got to come see us. You can get the record for yourself, but it’s a live thing. Maybe things will change and we’ll get played on the radio but it’s less of a concern for us than it used to be.” Did the band pick up any tips on making it big from more established artists like Dave Grohl or Ian Brown? “No not really, cos we wouldn’t take any tips from anybody. We’re such a bunch of bastards – so stubborn,” Mark laughs. “But it’s nice when people have heard of us before. We met Mick Jones from The Clash, we were playing at one of his shows. He had one of our records, which was pretty cool.” A second album is in the works, but the band are in no rush: “We’re up in our little rehearsal room, Monday to Friday, nine to five. Doing it like the job that it is, crafting songs. I dunno what the fuck it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be good though cos we’re taking our time. We’re not gonna put it out until it’s right.”
In the meantime, though, they’re not waiting around. The band will support Swedish garage rock act The Hives in the UK this December. The two bands met at a French music festival and hit it off instantly, culminating in the Hives giving The Minutes the gig: “We let it be known to our agents, here, let us get on that! And then they actually asked us to do it. Pretty fucking cool.” The Minutes haven’t forgotten their fans in Ireland, however, with a headlining date in Whelan’s set for the 7th of December. “When you’re away for so long, to come home and realise there are people who actually want to come and see your show – not that you forget about home when you’re away, but it slips your mind.” Don’t forget about us now, boys. We certainly won’t be forgetting about you. www.theminutesmusic.com | @theminutes | www.facebook.com/ theminutes 3
trick or treat? Gone are the days where a black bin bag thrown over your shoulders was an acceptable costume. Claire O’Connell details her own personal troubles with finding the perfect Halloween ensemble
“Halloween is the one day
a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girl can say anything”, to paraphrase Mean Girls (I’m dead original, me). Now, I’m a lady, so I don’t want to dress up in a tacky revealing outfit simply because a highly entertaining film tells me I can – Girl World Rules and all (hello again, Mean Girls). These days, I’ve moved on from the black plastic bin bag capes, blue Barbie wellingtons, pointed hat and broomstick that once indicated my status as a Halloween witch. But I still want to look classy. I have a ladybird costume that I wore with pride for three outings of Halloween week of Fifth Year, wings and everything. Last year, I stumbled upon a French maid
totally epic When your song is featured on Skins, you know you’re on to a good thing. The Dirty Epics dropped in to the DCUfm studio to perform and chat to Adam Higgins about their upcoming second album 4
costume, with a little frilly apron that I managed to upend a whole pint of beer over (the pint did not belong to me, tee-hee). This year, my lovely friend Eleanore had a Disney fancy dress themed 21st at the beginning of October ( Cindereleanore’s 21st…what a title!). So, I decided to kill two birds with one costume, and get myself an outfit I could wear for both the 21st and Halloween proper. With my wages safely ensconced in my bank account, I set about perusing the online costume shops, looking for the perfect outfit. Snow White seemed the best choice, given that I’m so pure of heart (hahaha) and occasionally have skin as white as snow (I don’t tan well). So, muggins here, ordered the costume excitedly,
The Dirty Epics are a band
on the rise. Formed in 2007, The Dirty Epics consists of SJ Wai on vocals, Richie Power on bass, Darren McCoy on guitar and Gary Nethaway on drums. Their new album One Way Mirror will be released in the New Year and the band are due to support Ladyhawke on the 6th of November in Dublin’s Academy. It’s not their first time playing with the “My Delirium” singer. “We’ve played with her before when she was over doing something for Arnotts actually. It was cool! She’s very very nice, so we’re looking forward to it,” said SJ. The new LP comes after a fantastic first effort in the form of Straight In No Kissing that Hotpress described as “34 minutes of Red Bull rock and skull-crunching riffs”. One of the albums biggest singles “We’re
and waited in for the courier. Upon receiving my costume, I signed for it and skipped back inside to try it on. I try to really embody the personality of my character, you know? It was then that I discovered the heart-breaking truth; instead of Snow White, I had been sent a purple Crayola Crayon dress, complete with matching cardboard hat. A CRAYOLA CRAYON dress. To say I was devastated is an understatement. I cried for a solid five minutes – ask my housemates [She really did – Valerie]. I rattled off a distressed and politely indignant email detailing the situation to the costume company - tears on the keyboard, etc etc. To their credit, they were deeply apologetic, promising to send out my actual
costume the following day. All good things come to those who wait. The next evening, I was bounding around our house dressed as Snow White, complete with red hairband and white knee socks, singing (read: screeching) beautifully at the top of my lungs. Housemate of the year, me. At the 21st, I was joined by the seven dwarves, complete with white woolly beards and coloured hats. Finally, I was ready. Halloween, come at me. Snow White will invade the streets of Dublin, skipping (but most likely stumbling) merrily around. Here’s hoping I don’t lose my red velvet hairband; and that I can get my real-life Prince Charming to dress the part too. Happy Halloween everybody!
Coming Up” even featured on the ultra-popular TV series Skins. When asked about that particular triumph the band said: “It was really cool. We were in Texas at the South By Southwest festival when it was being aired so we just watched it in sections on YouTube, but they kind of wrote our song into the script. It was really good and they played the song in its entirety which was really nice, it was exciting!” The new album is set to be a big change from the first. “It’s very different; it’s a lot better, we think,” said the band of One Way Mirror. “It’s more sophisticated and has more variety, not that there are loads of different genres but there’s more musicality to it.” “Not that we weren’t happy with our first album, but it’s definitely a development,” SJ adds. This is the band’s first time trying to write and record simul-
taneously and they feel that it’s been successful. “There was never any monotony, which can happen a lot when you’re trying to write in a studio all together, so it was really enjoyable in that way.” The album was recorded in a studio in West London and finished off with a week in Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, where they recorded their first CD. The Dirty Epics also gave us the fantastic news that they’ll be playing the festival circuit this year. “Definitely, we hope so. Some of the festivals are just amazing. It can be hit and miss sometimes when it’s a new festival and you’re like, I hope it’s busy, but things like Oxegen and that are just amazing.” With the release of One Way Mirror next year, you can certainly expect to see a lot more of The Dirty Epics. It’s going to be – dare we say it – epic. Flux | October 31st, 2012
back for good...
...or for good money? You can’t go two weeks these days without hearing of a girl or boyband reformation. This is mostly cause for celebration, but Megan Ecock is sceptical - is it really out of commitment to the fans, or just another way to earn a quick buck?
So Girls, Aloud are back together then? Sorry, correction, they
? Flux | October 31st, 2012
never actually split up in the first place, did they? They were just “taking a break to focus on solo projects”. Cheryl Cole had her judging stint on the X Factor, a well-milked divorce in the public eye, as well as a somewhat successful solo career to keep her busy. Kimberley Walsh made waves in London’s West End performing in Shrek: the Musical and is currently competing on this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing. Nicola Roberts brought out her own range of make-up, Dainty Doll, specifically for pale-skinned girls and tried, (emphasis on the word ‘tried’) to follow in bandmate Cheryl’s solo footsteps but failed miserably. Oh, and then there were the other two… A band reforming can be a controversial issue. Fans can never be 100% sure if behind the smiles and the “all of a sudden we’re the best of friends” image there lies a cynical plan to make lots of money, and quick. Another girl group who recently dusted off their microphones are The Spice Girls. The 90s fivesome regrouped for one night only, much to the delight of their millions of ziggah-zig-ah-ers. Following weeks of speculation, hype and interviews
from the five girls talking about how much they love to work together, they sang at London’s Olympic Closing Ceremony. Almost immediately after their performance, the cattiness began. Mel B took to her Twitter account to talk about how much she loves all her fellow bandmates. Well, all bar one. Once the job was done and the money was firmly in her back pocket, Scary Spice thought little of publicly shunning co-Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham, labelling
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Williams got sniff of Take That’s achievment and licked some serious arse until he was allowed rejoin the band her a “face-ache” and “no fun to be around”. So much for Girl Power, eh? However, it is not all backstabbing and unruly jealousy when it comes to group reformation. British boyband Take That woke up from a ten-year hibernation in 2006, took a close look at their bank accounts and decided it was about time they released new material. Although they were still one Robbie Williams-shaped member short,
the group achieved roaring success, scoring a string of chart hits across the UK and Europe, taking their number of records sold to 45 million worldwide. Williams soon got sniff of Take That’s achievement as a ‘man-band’ and licked some serious arse until he was allowed rejoin the group in 2010. The band have since gone on to become the best of friends once more and currently hold the record for the fastest selling UK tour ever and are Amazon’s topselling music artists of all time. Although a large number of bands have announced comebacks in recent years, (90s one-hit-wonders B*Witched are even rumoured to be getting back into their double denims), few have made an outstanding mark on the music industry. Blur were given a prime opportunity to bounce back and amaze in 2009, but many argue that they failed to do so. Maybe what was perfect in the past should be left untouched? Many jaws hit the floor at the beginning of this month when rumours circulated about The Smiths regrouping. Their publicist has since gone on to say that, “The Smiths are never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever going to reunite - ever.” So that’s us told then. Perhaps money-making, lovey-dovey reunions only belong in the world of pop - for now anyway. 5
birds of a feather They certainly do flock together. And sometimes, they start wildly successful vintage clothes shops. Claire Healy sits down with the folks from 9 Crow Street to discuss their Temple Bar beginnings and their big move online
9 Crow Street is Emma Fraser, Dean Ryan McDaid and Melissa McDermott. Started in December 2010, perched on the corner of their namesake, 9 Crow Street quickly developed a reputation for its deadly vintage clothes, lovely atmosphere and amazing team. Working with them for the summer, I soon saw why. Their enthusiasm and creative ideals are infectious so I caught up with the gang for a chat about how it all began, the move online and their future plans. At the beginning of the summer, 9 Crow Street moved the entire business from Temple Bar to their new home, 9crowstreet. com. Transferring online was a big move but a move that has worked for the team. Not being in the shop has given them the space to fix up the little things and the time to figure it all out and think about the direction they want to take the brand in. Mel particularly misses the customer interaction; “I miss the regulars that we had coming in, we miss the community of Temple Bar.” Emma adds that even though they miss having the 6
shop, they’ve been so distracted with working really hard on the website and thinking about the future of 9 Crow Street. “We’re planning loads of big things in the next few months” Emma says, “big expansion plans.” For now they are playing their cards very close to their chests but we can be sure of some exciting developments in the not too distant future. “More nice clothes,” as Dean puts it. Individualism is key, each of the three have their own role to play. Together, the business they have carved out now is a result of years of hard work, putting a lot of us onlookers to shame at their achievements and their general attitude towards their work and the people around them. It just fits. There’s not many businesses you could think of who would take on seven summer interns and give them the space to develop their ideas, be it for shoots, blog posts, and videos. The intern programme has become a big part of what they do. Moving online has allowed 9 Crow Street to sell to a much wider market. “We’re international now, we weren’t before,”
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People all over Europe, America and Australia have all had vintage wear from Dublin sent their way, thanks in part to blogger collaborations
Mel says. People all over Europe, America and Australia have all had vintage wear from Dublin sent their way. A major part of this is blogger collaborations, bringing onboard the stylish folk who influence us and invoke jealousy at the same time has proved to be the perfect pairing. Leaving in a flurry of hugs - there are more scarves to be photographed, new stock needs to be put up, and a quick shoot to be done - you can see why 9 Crow Street is the business that it is. Who knows what the future will bring? One thing is for sure, 9 Crow Street will keep inspiring us and our wardrobes for a long time to come.
What are you dressing up as for Halloween? Mel: 70s Disco Barbie Babe. Dean: A Playboy bunny. Emma: Lydia Deetz, Winona Ryder’s character in Beetlejuice. Winter wardrobe staple? Mel: Black beanie. Emma: Army parka. Dean: Doc Martens. Flux | October 31st, 2012
Luke and Eimear’s Special favourites Luke Reilly and Eimear Shannon run down the things that have provided them with joy this fortnight. Maximum joy.
divinehammer This Halloween, forget your Saws and Hostels and torture-porn - it’s time for a real old-fashioned scare. Rob Ó Conchúir takes a look back on the classic Hammer Horror films of the 50s and 60s
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f there’s one thing that Halloween is incomplete without, it’s a good rip-roaring monsterfest. Today’s modern horror films tend to lean more towards the psychological and the symbolic and at worst lean towards the bare minimum of shakey-cam slashing, with very little in the way of iconism. They typically leave out the colour, the scantilyclad blondes and the bloodthirsty monsters from Hell that no October should be without. Remember when Halloween was about ghosts, goblins and ghoulish creeps? Ladies and gentlemen of my excessively uncultured era, I give you Hammer Horror, that most brilliant bastion of B-movies. In the 1950s, the British production company Hammer gained success following their acquisition of the rights to a number of classic Universal Studios horror franchises, such as Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy. Much like today’s reboot/remake/revamp-crazy cinema, not much differed in the 1950s, as the company cranked out reversions of established monsters who hadn’t thrilled audiences in a while. Their best effort was simply titled Dracula (although to avoid confusion with the Bela Lugosi film of the same name, it was renamed Flux | October 31st, 2012
Horror of Dracula in the United States) starring the seemingly immortal, possible-actual-vampire Christopher Lee as the devilish Count. Whereas Lugosi was more of a suave, charming, closet-killer, there was almost a total lack of humanity in Christopher Lee’s Dracula, who rarely spoke and was so utterly frightening he seemed as though he really was a demonic agent of Satan. This obviously struck
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Dracula, starring the seemingly immortal, possible-actualvampire Christopher Lee as the devilish Count a chord with audiences and Lee was brought back for a smattering of sequels (sound familiar?) with fluctuating degrees of success both financial and critical. Still though, the creepiness in Lee’s performance prevailed, even manage to save camp-fests like Dracula 1972 A.D. in which the Prince of Darkness is resurrected in (you guessed it) the post-Free Love hangover that was the early 1970s. Far out. The other most prominent series helmed by Hammer was
the Frankenstein series, which of course had a tough act to follow considering how utterly iconic the Universal Studios Boris Karloff version of the tragic monster was and is. Rather than retread the same ground, Hammer opted to shift the focus from the monster over to the actual Doctor himself, Baron Victor Frankenstein (as played by B-movie legend Peter Cushing) and his monstrously unethical experiments. Cushing portrayed a doctor who would do anything and hurt anyone to achieve his ultimate goal of unlocking the secrets of immortality, creating weaving a darker tapestry of evil and madness than what was seen in the original Universal Studios series (which owed all of its fright-value to its monster, which was more of a tragic character). The legacy of Hammer Horror is best evidenced in the Star Wars films, which are loaded with references and influences (some of the dialogue is very similar and both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee have prominent roles as similar characters). Bizarrely, it’s difficult to get all of the films on one great big boxset, as they’re handled by different distributors with different sets of rights. If you can get your hands on any of them however, they’re well worth a watch.
Workman’s Does Karaoke
Girls Aloud Return
The Workman’s Club has become Dublin’s own X Factor stage. We all get that feeling, when you’ve said goodbye to the one that’s one too many, and kept going. Now, it’s time to tell everyone your secret talent, you are an amazing singer. But why should you save it for the taxi home? Instead, the people at the Workman’s are giving us a chance to show off our best vocals. For freebies, every Sunday night from 11:30pm-2:30am you can now down some of their delicious (and potent) cocktails and unleash your God-given talent on the world. Throw your head to the sky, ignore the words flashing up on the screen, and with pride, show the world your best Whitney. Shame: it’s overrated.
After a three-year hiatus, Girls Aloud (who shall heneceforth be referred to simply as THE ALOUD) have returned. With their new track, Something New, THE ALOUD solidify that they’re a force to be reckoned with. In a world where Tulisa can be a “thing”, it’s a welcome relief to hear exciting, daring pop music. It’s basically like being slapped across the face repeatedly with a “GIRLS ALOUD ARE BACK” banner, whilst a glitter cannon explodes and the lasers from Waiting For Tonight blind you – ie. the dream. Additionally, there’s a Greatest Hits album and a tour coming to Dublin in March– LONG LIVE THE ALOUD.
IFI Ghouls’n’Stuff
McIvor’s Cider
Yes, it’s that time of the year again, and while some will be happy to get dressed up and messy, others just want to avoid it at all costs. So, for those looking to avoid the 100 slutty Nuns that will be parading around town this weekend, the Irish Film Institute (IFI) has a ghoulish film festival to keep you entertained. For just nine euro a pop, you can subject yourself to a night filled with terror (and we don’t mean the terror of seeing a girl squeezed into that Lady Gaga costume that’s a size too small). So, why not do something a little bit more traditional this year?
After years of extensive drinking, there’s nothing worse than reaching a booze plateau – there’s only so much Buckfast/cheap wine/beer of Polish origin you can drink before the ennui consumes you. So imagine our delight upon discovering Mac Ivors, a new Irish cider that’s all kinds of flavoursome. Available in Dice Bar, Grogans and O’Brien’s off licences, it’s a refreshing, shiny new way to get ossified. Think of it as killing two birds with one bottle-shaped stone. Or you could just use an actual bottle. Why are you killing birds anyway? You monster. 7
reviews
Paranormal Activity 4
Director: Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost Starring: Katie Featherston, Kathryn Newton, Matt Shively The phrase “flogging a dead horse” is one that’s fairly often bandied about when it comes to movies these days. It certainly applies to the fourth addition to the Paranormal Activity franchise, which hit cinemas this week. Paranormal Activity 4 is set soon after the events of Paranormal Activity 2, and essentially takes up where the second one left off. Katie, the main protago-
On The Road
Director: Walter Salles Starring : Sam Riley, Garrett
Hedlund, Kristen Stewart
Despite being dubbed the ‘unfilmable’ by auteurs and literary critics alike, the archetypal American road trip story has finally hit the silver screen. After five arduous years in the making, Walter Salles’s adaptation of the 1957 Jack Kerouac ‘beat’ novel, On the Road, met a tidal wave of mixed reviews upon its recent release, ranging from devout admiration to almighty contempt. Unfortunately, the majority of 8
nist of the first film, has settled down in Nevada several years after abducting her nephew and killing her sister. She moves into a house opposite a typical suburban couple, whose 15 year old daughter Alex (Kathryn Newton) conveniently has a penchant for filming everyday events around the house. Hunter, Katie’s abductee, now goes by the name of Robbie, and is roughly the same age as Alex’s younger brother Wyatt. When Katie ostensibly falls ill and is admitted to hospital, Alex’s mother offers to take care of Robbie pending his mother’s recovery. Wyatt and Robbie immediately become close friends, which leads to the advent of strange activity about the household. Immediately, the most irritating things about Paranormal Activity 4 are the main characters. In lieu of the usual sceptical adult couple, we get Alex and her boyfriend Ben (Matt Shively); two obnoxious 15 year olds who spend their days Skyping, playing their X-Box, and using all the latest Apple gadgets to film ghostly happenings in their house. As Hunter’s influence on Wyatt
becomes more pronounced, the young boy becomes distant, and behaves ever more strangely as the film progresses. There really isn’t a whole lot more I can say about the plot without giving something away. Nothing much really happens between the beginning and the end aside from a few half-hearted scare attempts and some transparent dialogue geared toward creating accessible characters. Ordinarily, I can enjoy even a fairly average movie on the first viewing, but Paranormal Activity 4 was almost insultingly boring. More disturbing than anything this movie had to offer is the news that a Paranormal Activity 5 has been confirmed for Halloween 2013. Given that it has cost just under $14.15 million to produce a franchise worth $576 million this is hardly surprising; one can only hope that future instalments to the series might stay a little more true to its roots, and perhaps deliver a fresh take on the titular paranormal activity.
critiques seem to correlate with the latter. In On the Road, Sal Paradise, Kerouac’s alter-ego and the novel’s protagonist, affords us a birds-eye view of the American hipster scene in the wake of the World War II. Over a series of criss-cross tours of the United States, we bear witness to the intricate relationship between Sal and his closest companion, Dean Moriarty - an untamed young maverick in pursuit of life’s greatest pleasures. Moriarty, an incarnation of the well-known ‘beat’ personality, Neal Cassady, exposes Sal to sex, drugs and the rock ‘n’ roll of the time - jazz. Arguably what makes the novel such a journey in itself is the unique way in which the prose is written. Despite sticking quite rigidly to the original storyline, Salles fails to achieve that sense of adventure found in Kerouac’s language onscreen. Many critics have deemed the film’s plot far too stagnant and incoherent for an audience under the impression that they are viewing a road movie. However, something which translates rather well to the big screen adaptation is the essence
of the original novel. This can be distilled to a single term which is peppered throughout the narrative: ‘kicks’; care-free fun. On the other hand, the most forced, wooden scenes are those definitive moments when it becomes clear that life on the road does not allow for the characters to evade those hardships of the outdated American society into which they were born and raised. As is to be expected, the director focuses on the more exciting and enticing aspects of road tripping, assigning the deeper issues of the original novel a backseat. The cast is probably the movie’s greatest shortcoming though. One would expect Kerouac to contort and cringe in his grave at the notion of Kristen Stewart featuring high in the cast list of the film. To complement this, the author’s alter-ego Sal Paradise is embodied by Sam Riley - a British actor with a less-than-credible New York accent. Nonetheless, it is a noble flick, worthy of a watch if you’re feeling particularly bohemian.
Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg Hype is a funny thing. It can make heroes of some, but for others it can be a fatal shot against their hopes of a sustainable career. With Jake Bugg, the former is the case, as the young Nottingham rocker’s debut album is chock full of memorable melody, catchy rhythms and most surprisingly, insightfulness. Bugg wastes no time in catching the
Daniel McDonald
Will Fleming
Taylor Swift - Red
Six-time Grammy award winner Taylor Swift is back with her fourth studio album, Red. Swift is definitely on to a winner, with the album topping the iTunes charts within 36 minutes of being released. Red doesn’t strictly stick to the country style Swift is known for, with “I Knew You Were Trouble” having a vague dubstep feel to the chorus. She
Leona Lewis - Glassheart
In a niche heavily occupied by the likes of Adele and Alicia Keys, Leona Lewis’ Glassheart needed to make its mark. With songs ranging from powerful ballads to high-energy dance tunes, the X Factor sweetheart succeeds in producing a more diverse sound. Glassheart epitomises
listener’s attention with the achingly catchy opener “Lightning Bolt”, presenting himself as the point where Bob Dylan and Alex Turner meet. Jake almost effortlessly drops track after track, all of which are almost all absolute joys that never overstay their welcome, particular highlights being “Taste It” and “Two Fingers”. One could argue that Jake is living under the shadow off his very noticeable influences, such as Noel Gallagher and The La’s, but let’s remember the boy is nineteen and releasing his debut. Jake may not be reinventing the wheel, but it doesn’t stop his album from sounding like a breath of fresh air. Surely the first step in a long and illustrious career.
Ryan Foynes
has had more relationships then pairs of underwear, so once again she is pointing the finger at boys who could have treated her better on “We Are Never Getting Back Together”, along with pretty much every other song on the album. “I Almost Do” stays true to the genre of her previous albums with a Dixie Chicks feel while “Sad, Beautiful, Tragic” sounds Shania Twain-inspired. Swift collaborates with Ed Sheeran on “Everything has Changed” which is distinctly more his style of music than hers. “The Last Time”, a duet with Snow Patrol front-man Gary Lightbody, is impressive and demonstrates how this is Swift’s most mature album yet.
Stephanie Byrne
Leona’s vocal ability with powerful, sultry numbers throughout. Delicate piano and big, dynamic vocals dominate ballads such as “Unlove Me” and “Lovebird”. “Shake You Up”, as the title suggests, is genuinely exciting and “Glassheart” entertains us with a dubstep feel and a more evolved sound.Although Glassheart does venture into new realms of technique, the singer does not commit herself totally - her ability to perform outside of her comfort zone is questionable. Nonetheless, her sweet, gentle voice does shine through and the album is sure to be a hit for Lewis’ fan base.
Sharron Lynskey
Flux | October 31st, 2012