Siren Issue 4

college tribune entertainment supplement 23.10.12

PLAYING TO THE CROWD: Music & Political Participation

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23.10.12

INSIDE

THE SIREN SPIEL

MUSIC The revolution will not be televised

By Ciaran Breslin Page 4

ARTS Review: Maggie Cassidy

By Sinéad Slattery Page 5

A tale of one city

By Theresa Martaus Page 6

reslin Ciaran B Editor Music

Taking back the street

By Theresa Martaus Page 6

Beasts of the Southern Wild

By Joseph Gallagher Page 7

Halloween Haunts

By Lisa Gorry Page 8

FASHION

y) ka Fox a ( x o F Conor ditor Arts E

The politics of fashion

Taking my duties as music editor particularly seriously this week, I was at a couple of gigs in town. First of all, run by Trinity, DIT, St Pats and a couple of other university Ents officers, was Whelan’s Live. It was, predictably enough, a student friendly affair, heavy on vaguely disinterested SU types who were obliged to make an appearance, and reasonably light on discerning music fans. Which was something of a shame because the music was largely excellent. N11 opened proceeding with a short and wonderfully entertaining set, before Erin McGrath brought his continental acoustic style to mellow proceeding, until finally Roisin O, fresh from an appearance at Electric Picnic, closed the night with her extremely accomplished band. It was a very laid back affair, with the bands in relaxed and jovial form throughout, probably dictated by the comparatively sparse crowd. Despite 168 people supposedly attending on Facebook, I counted around 25 people max in the unfamiliar emptiness of Whelan’s. The second gig I went to really couldn’t have been more different. Taking place in Sweeney’s in Dame St, this was an independent night comprising of bands from BIMM music school. A cramped stage, in front of an adoring crowd of friends and fans crammed into the basement of the pub played host to some of Dublin’s most genuinely exciting young musical talent. I arrived just after twelve, in time to catch Color/Sound’s frenetic headline set to a rapturous reception. The two gigs proved a good representation of the live musical scene among students. On the one hand in the familiar comfort of Whelan’s was the accessible Ents event: shared on Facebook and advertised on posters, attended by friends and politely interested acquaintances who perhaps wouldn’t catch too many live shows, but perhaps lacking a modicum authenticity. In the throng of Sweeney’s basement however, was an altogether more hectic, pint swilled and exhilarating gig: all raucous singing and furious performances. Perhaps it’s extremely positive that the live scene among students in Dublin has room for both.

Do you ever just have those days where you love living in Dublin? The sun is shining - it’s that crisp Autumn day where you can wear a hat to look fashionable rather than to stave off red ears - you’re sipping away at a coffee while people watching with a mate... Then you remember you only have €3.57 in your bank account and have to walk home rather than get the Luas.

Luckily, if you’re as impoverished as myself and still want to get a cheap(er) meal this week, check out Dine in Dublin. This bi-annual event takes place from the 22nd to 28th and celebrates city centre dining! Check out their website to see which restaurants are offering 20% off their regular menu and to catch a Q&A with some of Dublin’s biggest chefs. Rumour has it Merville Centra is doing a deal on chicken fillet rolls as part of it...

You might guess that I’m particularly excited about Hallowe’en after checking out the Arts section this week - Lisa Gorry tells us about rumours surrounding films while Darragh O’Connor previews the IFI Horrorthon. I’m heading home for the weekend to Virginia Pumpkin Festival, home of Ireland’s largest fancy dress party in the ‘Pumpkin Dome’. Here’s hoping Fantastic Mr. Fox wins the €2000 prize.

Stay artsy UCD.

by Lauren Tracey Page 10

Address in the Upper East Side

by Anninka E Barry Page 10

Style Icon

by Roisin Sweeney Page 11

Haider Ackermann

by Roisin Sweeney Page 11

ey Sween n i s i o tor R ion Edi Fash

This week the Fashion section takes a look at the clothing choices of women in politics in an article by Lauren Tracey. The power that women like Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton exert over the industry can be seen in hard facts and figures, British retailer Reiss have seen their profits double since Middleton first wore one of their dresses in her official engagement portrait, and Jason Wu, a talented young American designer, was brought to fame when Michelle Obama began wearing his clothing. The sensitivity with which these two women have to dress is clear when you consider the outrage at Obama for wearing McQueen, a British designer, to a state dinner.

These two women use their power very differently; Middleton supports the British High Street, something I find quite jarring, as these retailers don’t need the publicity she provides them with. Obama is a supporter of little-known young designers. These are the real creatives of the fashion industry, people who will one day move things forward, while Kate’s favourite high street brands try to keep up.

23.10.12

Album Reviews

music@collegetribune.ie

MUSIC MUSINGS

First Aid Kit - The Lion’s Roar - Deluxe Edition influenced by Country legends such as Johnny Cash and Ray Price. This modern interpretation sees any clichés of lyricism or musicality, such as smoking yourself into an early grave or gambling your horse away, nowhere to be heard (with the exception of ‘I Just Needed a Friend’, you may need spurs on your boots for that one). Modern day comparisons are made between First Aid Kit and artists such as Mumford and Sons and Laura Marling, which is by no means a bad thing.

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f someone were to mention Swedish pop and you first associate the atrocity that is Basshunter with this, then First Aid Kit’s The Lion’s Roar- Deluxe edition is clearly a lesson for your starved existence. For those of you not in the know, ‘The Lion’s Roar’, the second album from Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara of First Aid Kit, was initially released in January of this year. It has been regarded as one of the most unexpected great albums of 2012. Their brand of Indie-Country is

In terms of content, the album has the original ten tracks along with three previously unreleased ones, ‘Wolf’, Marianne’s Son’ and ‘I Just Needed a Friend’. ’Wolf’ should be particularly familiar to many fans as its been doing the rounds on YouTube since the album’s original release, when the band decided to keep it off the album, feeling it didn’t sit right with the rest of the album. This is the trend for all of the three new tracks, all would have

a reason to be flagged up on the original release. They are all are a different type of song to those of the majority on the album, which doesn’t mean they are bad songs.

Along with the album is a bonus dvd containing three music videos, of the previous songs, which feel like filler on the disc next to ‘Follow You Down’, a documentary following the bands exploits on their U.S tour. This is a nice insight into the behind the scenes insight into the tour but is by no means breaking any ground in terms of bonus content.

In short, ‘The Lion’s Roar’ is a great album, and if you haven’t got it already, the deluxe edition is further incentive to buy it. Or you could dust off Basshunter’s Now You’re Gone: The Album, if you’re that way inclined…

Chris Becton

Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks

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eleased this year with the usual slew of verbosely titled tracks, Paralytic Stalks marks the 11th studio album from American indie/pop outfit of Montreal. A project that has become an ever increasingly idiosyncratic affair from Kevin Barnes, this offering was not only written and recorded exclusively by the band’s leader and frontman, but also produced by him in his own Sunlandic Studios. What of Montreal requires in their fans, more so than most bands, is a devotion to Barnes as an artist. Each album is treated as a real cohesive project, often in the form of fully blown concept albums, and they tend to be highly (if obliquely) autobiographical. The band are completely tailored to a cult status, with casual listeners likely to be left with the nagging

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feeling that they are not getting everything they could out of Montreal, or worse, feeling slightly cold by the experience.

Barnes is undoubtedly one of the finest melodists of the genre. The 2007 album Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer (I did mention they were verbose) was undoubtedly the most accessible and endearing thing released by the Athens band, and remains the point when of Montreal could have become a genuinely big main stream success.

Paralytic Stalks fits in nicely with its predecessors; sounding variously wonderfully lush, wordy to the point of amusement, stylistically erratic and somewhat dense.

Barnes’ annunciated falsetto is in as fine form as ever, sounding sugary sweet in parts (Malefic Dowery) while giving way to a Black Francis style freak out in others (Ye, Renew the Plaintiff). Dour Percentage, the lead single, is as beautiful sounding a song as you will hear, and operates as an almost irritatingly careless reminder from Barnes of his ability to write wonderfully infectious tunes. For all the ethereal flutes of that song though, there is

always going to be the more impenetrable side of Barnes’ songwriting; epitomized by the 8 minutes of ominous violins and electronic drones that make up Exorcismic Breeding Knife.

Indeed, the album’s only real crime is in parts falling the wrong side of the line between enigmatic and irritating. The possibility of another truly great album remains tangible, simply in the fact that when it’s good, it’s really good. It certainly deserves to be listened to. As Barnes says in in his own brand of baroque vernacular on the uncharacteristically stripped back, but eminently pretty Malefic Dowery: “I live in fear of your schizophrenic genius. It’s a tempestuous despot that I can’t seem to propitiate.” What he means here is that he recognizes his own talent but that harnessing it is where the challenge is. Instead it dominates him, pushes him in his own opaque artistic directions, and that he feels constantly on the verge of something truly great. I think that’s what he means anyway. Possibly.

Ciaran Breslin

Admittedly, we all enjoy the cringe-worthy auditions that are involved in reality shows like the X Factor, but we often fail to see the downside that music reality TV shows have on the music industry.

Let’s be honest; we may find their sob stories entertaining (a dead relative who told them to ‘follow their dream’; the ‘I was bullied at school’ spiel; the ‘I have no confidence’ queen; the ‘I work as a grocer from a town with lots of cows’) but what music reality TV shows provide are quick, manufactured, relatively cheap substitutes for honest and real music.

As Sting put so well, it is “televised karaoke where [the contestants] conform to stereotype.”

The accelerated path to fame it offers contestants, as well as the inequitable market advantage it has over existing, and most importantly, more talented artists, is ludicrous.

Propelling contestants into the limelight perpetuates a celebrity culture, whereby real talent is not merited but the public are drawn to an image (Jedward *cough*).

These shows do not encourage artists to explore and develop their musical talents.

They are moulded and processed, which to be honest I find quite boring.

The music industry is a business that is profit based, but when shows like these are made it devalues that which is important: talent.

by Stephen West

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23.10.12

music@collegetribune.ie

The revolution will not be televised In the run up to the American Presidential Election, Ciaran Breslin looks at the increasingly nuanced role of music in politics

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n the wake of Bruce Springsteen recently releasing a widely published open letter urging fans to re-elect Barack Obama, the popular Democratic sheen of liberality and cultural relevance that undoubtedly partly helped propel Obama to power four years

swathes of voters as possible, were a couple of thinly veiled messages in the tracks: Roll With The Change

by REO Speedwagon, Everyday America by Sugarland and (best of all) Let’s Stay Together by Al Green.

The whole thing left something of a bad taste in the mouth, reminiscent

It would be different perhaps if it felt like his music is actually soundtracking a political or social prevalence or some kind of movement, as it once did, but it doesn’t.

When once he told us of a country full of broken heroes on

“Back then, the senator from Illinois successfully captured the hearts and minds of generations of disenfranchised voters, creating a charge in so many previously politically torpid young people.” ago lost a little more of it’s gloss.

Back then, the senator from Illinois successfully captured the hearts and minds of generations of disenfranchised voters, creating a charge in so many previously politically torpid young people.

The musical highs saw Aretha Franklin singing at the inauguration, Jay-Z developing a relationship with the president, performers across the world coming out in support of Obama, Bob Dylan performing a knowing rendition of The Times They Are a Changing at the Whitehouse.

Now however, four years later, it’s ringing a little less inspirational.

Recently released was Obama’s supposed campaign playlist, the songs that are getting him through the long days and nights on the campaign trail.

Containing a boring and perfectly measured selection of inoffensive popular R’n’B, indie rock and pop music it felt a long way from the credible persona of coolness that Obama once managed to successfully cultivate.

Worse still than the obviously broad and extremely disparate collection of artists presumably cunningly selected in the White House to strike a chord with as many

of Gordon Brown’s claim during the last election that he liked the Arctic Monkeys because they “really woke you up in the morning”.

Similarly, Springsteen just doesn’t have the cultural cache he once did. The Boss’s latest letter reads like a carefully crafted political statement, attune to what the Obama campaign believe should and shouldn’t be mentioned.

The reason he is such a useful supporter from the President’s point of view, is in his unparalleled cultural resonance across the United States in the past. However, the image of the blue collar rockstar in the ripped leather jacket, transcending class divides just doesn’t have the same vitality as it did in the seventies when its proprietor is making regular appearances on Jimmy Kimmel and embracing the most institutionalized of all American hierarchs in political rallies.

This is not to suggest that artists need anarchistic or apolitical credentials to be appealing or relevant. Just that he no longer carries the same devotion as once he did. Instead he is simply thrusting whatever lingering social sway he has behind his own political opinions.

a last chance power drive, he’s now ponderously recounting the “removal of troops from the misguided and deceptive war in Iraq, and vigorously pursuing our real foreign enemies, especially the killing of Osama bin Laden.” Which sounds more socially charged, more eloquent, more inspiring?

Music as an art form does not sit easily with the direct

The Black Eyed Peas, one of the last ten years most successful recording artists, are essentially bent on writing formulaic jingles for a variety of purposes. I Gotta Feeling, perhaps their most iconic and successful single was actually first released to trail CBS’s new television line up.

Will.I.Am was another high profile supporter of Obama, his Yes I Can video watched nearly thirty million times on youtube and helping to secure Obama his place in the Whitehouse. Musically, artistically it was, I think most critics would agree, worthless.

Politically however, it was extremely astute, as measured and functional as all of the Black Eyed Peas output.

Indeed, the more established old guard of American music are likely to support Mitt Romney, whose tax prerogatives are much more predisposed to the high earning power of the kind of bands who have come out in support, The

duty of how best to yield whatever artistic talent one might possess to a disconnected end of getting someone elected.

The National offer a powerfully introspective and intense brand of popular alternative-rock, the kind of music that one might expect of someone struggling with political ideals, and indeed the kind of music that might inspire to one to similarly struggle with them themselves. This is where the power of music and its potential relevance for politics lies. Bruce Springsteen might not be inspiring enough in his open letters to make someone decide how to vote, but his music certainly carries with it the potential for change, creating generations of people amenable to more conventional political wisdom. You won’t vote for Obama because you like The National, but in identifying with The National you are unconsciously buying into an artistic dynamic that will affect how you think in other spheres

“Music as an art form does not sit easily with the direct engagement of the political system.” engagement of the political system.

In a world where music is becoming commoditized it is creativity and originality that is so precious to preserve which is not compatible when it is written directly for something governed by rules outside of the artistry itself, which impacts on artistic freedom.

Bruce Springsteen could make people feel a million times more passionate and empowered with his lyrics than his stuffy political publications; you can’t exactly canvas with a seven inch single.

Popular music, more so than ever before, is dictated by hidden agendas or intentions.

Eagles for example.

One of Obama’s most culturally relevant and outspoken supporters, The National, perhaps represents the middle ground where music can tow the line. Matt Beringer from that band, in response to a question about the hate mail they have received for supporting the Presidents re-election campaign, recently clarified their position “I don’t actually think artists or musicians necessarily have a responsibility to do that.

But in our case, the five of us… talked about it and we were like, ‘Yeah, it’s worth it.’” It is not a matter of responsibility, or civic

of life. Music is not necessarily without political or social charge in itself, but it must by its nature contain a subtler affect than simply canvassing. Indeed, it could be argued that the anarchy of punk music foreshadowed the downfall of the conservative Government in England, while Noel Gallagher in Downing Street brought brit-pop cool to a New Labour government years later. It is the subtlety of zetigesit that dictates cultural tides, harmonized by popular music. As a song once said: you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

23.10.12

arts@collegetribune.ie

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Review: Maggie Cassidy

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Sinéad Slattery gets Off The Road and has a look at Maggie Cassidy

ear the name Jack Kerouac; think of On The Road. It’s his most famous work and rightly so. The recent movie of the same name will surely pique interest in his works – if you want to read more, take Maggie Cassidy as a starting point.

Maggie Cassidy is a teenage love story that takes place in the late 1930s between Jack Duluoz (he’s meant to be Kerouac) and the Maggie of the title. Kerouac actually intended Duluoz and Sal Paradise (of On The Road) to be the same person, but publishers wouldn’t let him use the same name. So, in essence, this novel can be taken as a kind of prelude to OTR – the boy that was to become to the man.

The book is based in Kerouac’s hometown of Lowell, Mas-

sachusetts. The place has a smalltown frame of mind, with Jack spending most of his time going around with his buddies searching for kicks.

He is an intriguing and likeable character: he reads Dickinson and is also a fantastic sportsman. Jack is second generation French-Canadian – Kerouac grew up speaking a dialect of French called Joual – and there are interesting insights into his home life when he speaks French to his family.

Jack meets Maggie first at a New Year’s Eve dance – the pair don’t hit it off straight away, mostly because of Pauline. Jack is torn between the two girls: “I couldn’t have Mary and Magdalene both so I had to decide my mind.” Pauline is a popular girl, she goes to his football games; Maggie is an Irish cailín who writes him love letters.

“All in life, prime, young joy days, riches of sixteen, I sneaked off to the lazy unresponsive girl three miles across town by the tragicflowing dark sad Concord.”

Kerouac’s ‘spontaneous prose’ is a little bit hard to get into at first, but as you get drawn into the story, you realise how perfectly done it is; the long sentences in his language doesn’t make a bit of difference to your enjoyment.

This story is appealing owing to its world-wide familiarity of first love and how you’ve got to try hard to make it work, even when things are against you.

Maggie Cassidy is definitely a good book to read if you want a slightly alternative Kerouac experience that mightn’t be too far away from your own.

UCD launches a new partnership with the International Student Identity Card The UCD Commercial office has recently concluded an agreement with the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) to become an on campus distribution agent for ISIC. UCD become the very first Irish University to be responsible for the on campus sales and distribution of ISIC and join a global network of over 700 universities that have partnered with ISIC.

sonalised cards.

Speaking prior to the initial launch, Richard Brierley, Head of the Commercial Unit at UCD, expressed his belief that the students of UCD would “adopt the ISIC card as their passport to great exclusive savings in their day to day lives”.

General Manager of ISIC Ireland, Shane Derby, said “We’re very excited to be working with UCD to support and ensure that their students begin to take advantage of all the benefits ISIC brings both locally and globally”

The International Student Identity card is the only globally recognised form of full-time student identification. The card was developed initially in 1953 in an attempt to foster student travel and intercultural understanding amongst the world’s students after the end of the second world war. Today over 4.5 million cardholders avail of over 126,000 unique benefits, discounts and advantages with partners such as Microsoft, Logitech, Hostelworld, STA Travel, Ibis, Hard Rock Café, Best Western, Motel 6 and TravelSim.

UCD Students immediately save 20% (€3) off the regular purchase price for an ISIC card when purchased with their UCARD account through the SisWeb system. Students place their ISIC orders online and can then immediately visit the UCARD printing bureau where they can collect their per-

International Student Identity Card

ISIC provides unique day to day

value to the students of Ireland through some great partnerships with Vodafone (exclusive broadband pricing), Wagamama and Captain America’s (2 for 1 dining) and Zumo Juice Bars (15% off)… this is before we start talking about the StudENTS side of the card which will see you save 15% off tickets to Castlepalooza, 33% off the Hard Working Class Heroes Festival and free entry into the Palace, Club Nassau and Hush as well as over 30 more exclusive benefits in nightclubs nationwide.

Cardholders can download our free smartphone application which will let them know where their nearest discounts are no matter where they are in the world.

UCD Focused Competitions To bring even more additional value to the students of UCD we have contacted some of our high profile partners to create a fortnightly prize pool that will be awarded to ran-

dom lucky winners every two weeks from Friday the 26th of October until Friday the 21st of December.

The prize pot includes Vodafone Smart Phones and Phone Credit, a 15 person suite at The Wright Venue in Swords for you and your friends to enjoy with a bottle of complimentary champagne, Free dining for a number of lucky couples in Wagamama and Captain Americas, free double passes to the Laughter Lounge, Free grooming services with the Grafton Barber, Free passes to both Shelbourne Park and Harolds Cross Greyhound Stadiums to name but a few!

These competitions are exclusive to UCD students, to be eligible to win you need to have purchased your ISIC card online though SISWEB in the preceding fortnight.

For further information, please contact: Shane Derby General Manager ISIC Ireland 70 Upper Leeson Street Dublin 4 Ph: 01 6675377/086 7835499 Shane.derby@isiccard.ie www.isiccard.ie Richard Brierley Commercial Manager University College Dublin Belfield Dublin 4 Ph: 0876376368 Richard.brierley@ucd.ie www.ucd.ie/isic

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23.10.12

arts@collegetribune.ie

Taking back the street

n the bustle of everyday life, it may be easy to overlook, but art is everywhere in the city. Yes, it doesn’t always take your favorite form – bronze sculptures of dead people and the umpteenth mangling of “Rolling in the Deep” tend to be much more prevalent than, say, the Space Invader – but it’s there. Sometimes even in places where you don’t expect it.

The houses along the red Luas line between the stops of Smithfield and Museum are not among Dublin’s prime postcard scenes. But in between the grey and the brick and

the concrete, there is now a new spot of colour.

Behind a shiny red and white fence, there is green in the Smithfield Art Tunnel, and also black, pink, yellow, and orange. Catching the eye of passers-by and passengers on the Luas, Dublin’s first outdoor art gallery for art which is not commissioned by the DCC is the brainchild of Sophie von Maltzan, landscaper and artist.

“I’ve always been interested in the way people use space, how they shape their environment and their environment shapes them”,

Theresa Martaus finds that there’s more to street art than meets the eye

says von Maltzan - the Art Tunnel is more than just a gallery. Anyone can apply for a key to the 350 square meter area, just like the eight community members that are currently taking care of it. Funded with help from Dublin City Council, donations from local businesses and many small contributions from donors on a crowd funding website, the gallery-cum-garden on the formerly derelict site truly is a community project.

“We will take any community project for the platform”, confirms Maltzan, referring to the platform

of wooden pallets at one of the tunnel that is currently exhibiting photographs taken at the Smithfield Horse Fair. Even if you do not have a key or a complete exhibition, participation is still possible: a wooden version of the neon-coloured metal cut-outs of horses and riders occupying the other end of the gallery is attached to the outside of the fence and easy enough to write on, it is covered in greeting, poems, drawings. It is art inspiring art.

The Tunnel is taking art to a place where it belongs – out of the hushed halls of museums, the ster-

ile spaces of galleries and back into the street. Art is not and should not be something to be put on a pedestal and never be touched again. By reclaiming a space that had been written off as an eyesore for the people it affects most, the pilot project offers a much-needed example of an alternative to classic development and hopefully one that will find imitators, the way good art tends to do.

A tale of one city From culture to character, Theresa Martus gives an art enthusiast’s view to Frieburg

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f anybody asked me, after the two months I have now been in Dublin, to give them an overview of the cultural scene of the city, I’d have to point to my guide book. Not because music, art, movies or theatre are hard to find, or because I have not done or seen any of it, but because there is so much, and there’s so much more still out there I don’t know about.

What I could tell them about is another city, a smaller one, where I study when I’m not on Erasmus.

At the heart of the city, the University of Frieburg and Theater

Freiburg stand facing each other, the traffic and commotion of the city flowing between them, people popping in and out or just hanging out on the grass. The picture is probably the best illustration of just how central, entwined and pervasive the university, the people and the cultural scene of the city are in everyday life.

Tucked away in a corner of the Black Forest, closer to Basel and Strasbourg than to Stuttgart, Munich or Berlin, Freiburg has a very unique cultural vibe. The proximity to Switzerland and France, the

international students, and large numbers of tourists make for an international and open feel that is somewhat at odds with the more secluded, conservative, brooding atmosphere of the Black Forest.

In a city of 225,000, a student population of not quite 30,000 is a big influence - not only as an audience but as also as creators. Students of the showcase their talent in exhibitions and jam sessions open to the public; they produce and star in the plays of the ManiActs, the university’s English department drama group.

While there are plenty of yearround and indoor see and do, Freiburg is without a doubt at its best in summer, when it feels like the entire city has just moved out of their homes and into the streets, parks and for a few months.

Among summer’s highlights are certainly the festivals: there’s the Tent Music Festival which features both national and international bands of all genres as well as comedians and circus acts.

There’s the Sea of Love electronic music festival, where camping and swimming in the nearby lake

give the feeling of a weekend-long holiday.

There are so many smaller dance, theatre and music festivals - not to mention impromptu guitar sessions in parks and on the Augustinerplatz, a central square that on warm summer nights is a more popular spot for drinks than any bar.

A lively cultural scene and opportunities to participate are a big part of a city’s character. Dublin, I’m looking forward to getting to know you.

23.10.12

Awards Season

arts@collegetribune.ie

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Joseph Gallagher assays a selection of movies that have been predicted to do well this coming awards season

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rgo, from Ben Affleck, chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans out of revolutionary Iran by means of a fake movie. The Academy loves actors who direct - Mel Gibson swept the Oscars with Braveheart and Kevin Costner did the same a few years earlier with Dances with Wolves. Roger Ebert opinioned that “Argo will win best picture”, and it is quite likely that this could be the outcome when those golden gongs are given out. Just ask yourself the following question: what could be more pleasing to voters than a movie that not only appeals to audiences and critics alike, but also suggests that Hollywood can, in fact, save the world?

Paul Thomas Anderson, a director who has proven himself to be one of the most exiting talents to have come along in recent years, gives us The Master. There Will Be Blood was one of the best movies of last decade and its status, along with the status of Anderson’s work in general, has risen ever since. It is also exiting to see Joaquin Phoenix’s return to acting as he squares off with the likes of Phillip Seymour

Hoffman and Amy Adams. The story, based loosely on scientology, follows a naval veteran (Phoenix) who returns to a post-war world and is tantalised by a charismatic leader (Hoffman) who ushers his decent into The Cause. Although the movie is one of this year’s most critically acclaimed, it may be not be of the type of bait for which voters usually opt.

Lincoln has had awards buzz ever since it entered the pre-production stage. The movie appears to be as much a recipe for triumph as Abraham Lincoln was himself.

The writer behind it all is Tony Kushner, a Pulitzer Prize winner; the director helming it is Steven Spielberg, a three-time Academy Award winner; taking the podium as the man himself is none other than Daniel Day-Lewis, a two-time Academy Award winner; the supporting cast features Sally Field, an Academy Award winner, and of course Tommy Lee Jones, who just happens to be -you’ve guessed itan Academy Award winner. Need I say more?

Silver Linings Playbook comes from David O’ Russell and its success at the Toronto International

Film Festival can be compared to The Master’s success at the Venice Film Festival. Where The Master may lack audience-friendly appeal, Silver Linings Playbook makes up for in spades. Despite dealing with the theme of mental health, it is still a dramedy that features instantly recognisable faces: Bradley Coop-

er; Jennifer Lawrence; Robert De Niro, and Chris Tucker. Slumdog Millionaire and The King’s Speech, both of which won big at Toronto, went onto sweep their respective awards seasons, so one wonders if Silver Linings Playbook will do the same.

The above are just some of the

movies that have had screenings recently. We are still awaiting such movies as Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. Although it is too early to predict, one can certainly assume that these movies will feature prominently in this coming awards season.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Joseph Gallagher reviews Beasts of the Southen Wild, a loose adaptation of Lucy Alibar’s one-act play ‘Juicy and Delicious’ and discovers poignant 16mm tonal poem made by relative unknowns that proves to be one of the best movies of this year

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he plot follows the journey of Hushpuppy, a six-year old child on the brink of orphanhood, who is faced with having to learn to survive the harsh catastrophes which boycott her world if she is to save her ailing father and sinking home.

First-time director, Benh Zeitlin, said that he wanted to combine “the poetics of an art film with something that feels like Die Hard”, and he does so with exuberant flair. The screenplay, which was written by Zeitlin and playwright Lucy Alibar, evokes an odd realism that Zeitlin and cinematographer Ben Richardson capture with grace. The movie is lush with images and sounds that suggest ideas in a manner similar to Terrence Malick’s work, but with a grounding in grit.

The performances provide the pulse, but there is one performance that provides the soul, and that is Quvenzhané Wallis’s feat

as Hushpuppy. The story is seen through her kaleidoscope eyes and told through her imaginative narration.

The captivating performance is one that is colossal amid a movie that initially appears rather small.

At one point in the movie, Hushpuppy says to her father, “I’m the man”, and it is difficult not to be in agreement with said statement.

The combination of Zeitlin and Wallis conjures up a magic that is slightly reminiscent of what was created thirty years ago when Steven Spielberg and Henry Thomas tugged at our heart-strings with E.T. The Extra Terrestrial.

The movie has garnered much critical applause over the last few months, winning an assortment of awards that will no doubt add to its success as it ventures swiftly into the coming awards season.

I urge you to buy a ticket upon its release and reap the rewards this irresistible movie has to offer.

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arts@collegetribune.ie

23.10.12

The IFI Horrorthon

Halloween Haunts Lisa Gorry takes a look at what really happens behind the scenes...

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t’s that time of year again: where girls get their slut on and guys... well guys just have an excuse not to make an effort: ‘I’m a homeless man...’. Whether Halloween is your thing or not, it’s hard not to be caught up in the movie madness that it entails. Or rather, if you’re like me, it’s hard to escape the fear-inducing, peepantalising movie mayhem that the spooky season begs.

I’ve never been one for scary movies. At all. I’d rather watch paint dry, at least I won’t cry uncontrollably at that. However, I’ve developed a morbid fascination with the weird and wicked legends that surround certain movies. While some people might remain skeptical about the possible existence of spirits and ghosts, these productions have become renowned in Hollywood for their spooky happenings and eerily similar events. Bad things come in threes...

Darragh O’Connor gives a rundown of this year’s Horrorthon in the IFI

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adies and gentlemen, Hallowe’en is coming - and so are scores of Hallowe’en films. Every scary idea is often milked this time of year from vampires to possession, and of course the clichéd neo-slasher.

These will be gracing the silver screen in cinemas throughout the country. Instead of running this gambit, I would suggest heading over the Irish Film Institute for the annual Horrorthon which will be taking place from the 25th to the 29th of October 2012.

This offers horror fans an opportunity to experience the best selection of horror films from around the world in one place for four days of thrills, blood spills and chills. This year, in my humble opinion, is the best line up yet. The IFI have thought of everything; no matter which day you chose, you will not be disappointed. The line up is superb (there’s a ‘Surprise Film’!); you can find the whole programme online or at the IFI itself. This event is once a year and not to be missed.

Citadel Ciarán Foy’s new take on the urban horror genre has created a very positive reputation as “one of the best and most awarded Irish horror films in some time.” It follows a grieving husband’s task to protect his daughter from neighbourhood thugs. Urban horror thrills expected.

The Poltergeist Curse Poltergeist is a trilogy of horror films, starting in 1982, that was surrounded by controversial deaths from the beginning. Child actor Heather O’Rourke, who featured in all three Poltergeist films, died in 1988, just after the release of the third movie. She was just twelve years old, and died suddenly from septic shock. Dominique Dunne, who played the older sister Dana in the first movie, never got to finish out the trilogy as she was strangled by her boyfriend the year of the film’s release. She was only 22. If that wasn’t enough, actor Julian Beck died from stomach cancer in 1895 just before filming for the third movie, while in 1987, Will Sampson (Taylor the Medicine Man in Poltergeist II) died from post-op kidney failure at the ripe old age of 53.

The cause of this ‘curse’? The rumor is most commonly fueled by the fact that real cadavers were used as props in various scenes of the first two years.

Silent Hill: Revelation The sequel to the very enjoyable Silent Hill, based on the video game of the same name. The first film shattered all the negative ‘video game film’ stereotypes (see the Resident Evil series). That film is terrifying. This sequel sees Heather Mason travel to Silent Hill to discover her true identity. The cast alone is fantastic, with roles starring Malcolm McDowell and Sean Bean star. My one question is will Sean Bean die this time around? That man dies very well on screen.

The Omen Curse Another film steeped in death, the 1976 production attracted controversy when set designer John Richardson, who had designed a somewhat hairy car death in which a character was decapitated, suffered a creepily similar accident where Richardson’s assistant, Liz Moore, was killed by being sliced in half. Even more eery, the numbers all add up in this accident’s creep factor in that it happened on Friday the 13th that year, near a road sign which read ‘666 miles to Ommen’.

Not only was the original movie under spooky speculation, but the 2006 remake couldn’t escape the acclaimed curse: released on the 6th of the 6th 2006, the actor Pete Postlethwaite, who plays Father Brennan, suffered a loss when his brother died after allegedly drawing three sixes in a card game.

Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever This documentary discusses the genre of horror that was an 80’s footnote, and became a 90’s parody gold mine: the Slasher film. It contains interviews from the biggest names in Slasher films, in order to find out why films like Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and Friday the 13th are still so enduring.

V/H/S One of the more unusual films in the festival. It is essentially a ‘found film’ movie, in which a group of thugs are hired to steal a VHS tape from an abandoned house. However they must view several of them from a sack, in order to find the one they seek.

This plot device allows six different stories to be told in this film. The trailer for this leads me to believe that this could be a game changer in horror, or an epic failure. I am leaning on the positive side.

Rosemary’s Baby As if the premise of this movie wasn’t creepy enough, it just had to go and get super spooky with some mysterious coincidences. The controversial 1968 film focuses on a woman who gives birth to the devil, her husband having promised it to a sect of Satanists in return for fame and fortune. A year after the film’s release, director Polanski’s wife, Sharon Tate, was killed at the hands of the Manson Family while she was eight months pregnant with the couple’s first child.

One year later, the film’s producer was was rushed to hospital with kidney failure. Rumour has it that while being admitted, he yelled out, ‘Rosemary, for God’s sake, drop the knife!’

Manborg A solider is brought back to life in a ‘1984’ future to fight a Nazi demon horde. How can you not want to see this film?

23.10.12

NEW RELEASES

arts@collegetribune.ie

Conor Fox provides the lowdown on the latest releases to hit Irish screens

Hotel Transylvania

Paranormal Activity 4

Taken 2

Director: Genndy Tartakovsky

Director: Henry Joost

Director: Oliver Megaton

Stars: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez

Stars: Katie Featherston, Kathryn Newton, Sprague Grayden, Matt Shively

Stars: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser

Plot: Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count’s teen-aged daughter.

Plot: It has been five years since the disappearance of Katie and Hunter, and a suburban family witness strange events in their neighbourhood when a woman and a mysterious child move in.

Plot: In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.

Why watch it? You’re a basement dweller who wants to think there’s always a friend with you.

Why watch it? A pensioner beating people up? I’ll take that action.

Why not watch it? You’re Irish and you expect the activity to be a draught.

Why not watch it? You may develop a deep distrust of people who wear fezzes.

Why watch it? Honour your Irish heritage by supporting funny-man Adam Sandler as Dracula.

Why not watch it? Honour your Irish heritage and make sure funny-man Adam Sandler does nothing wrong to Dracula.

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Don’t Miss This!

The Birds The Siren’s far too scared to even think about heading to see The Birds much less attempt to describe it (those claws... those beaks... the wings!). Wikipedia it.

It’s meant to be good or something. €6-9, 8.30pm, Wednesday 24th, Light House Cinema

Tuesdays with Morrie Starring Terry Byrne and Andy Murray (not the tennis player), Tuesdays with Morrie is the stage version of Mitch Albom’s autobiographical book. What starts as a simple visit to his old college professor turns into a weekly pilgrimage and a last class in the meaning of life. €19.65, 7.30pm, until Saturday 27th, Gaiety Theatre

BLAST FROM THE PAST: BLAZING SADDLES Shane Meagher looks back on the Mel Brooks’ 1974 classic

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few years ago, the Library of Congress decided that Mel Brooks’ 1974 film Blazing Saddles is “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Indeed, it is a very entertaining film, but viewers in 1974 probably never expected such a statement to be made about this hilarious Western parody.

Why, then, is this film so highly regarded? Perhaps it is the hilarious screenplay that surprises, delights and – most importantly – amuses the audience throughout. But that is not all there is to Blazing Saddles.

The acting is impeccable; Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder deliver particularly sterling performances as the “good guys” of this Western saga. The film is superbly directed, and the soundtrack – which won an Academy Award for best original song – fits the film.

In spite of the fact that it is a comedy film, designed to keep the audience in fits of laughter throughout, Blazing Saddles also has a message to convey, like so many enduring classics of cinema. When asked in interviews whether he would ever consider making a serious film, Mel Brooks has often argued that all his films deal with serious subjects, and this is evident in Blazing Saddles, which deals overtly with the issue of racial prejudice.

Set in a backward town in the American Old West, the film deals with the arrival of a black sheriff in the town, much to the bemusement of the narrow-minded white villagers. However, they are soon won over when their town is in danger, and Sheriff Bart comes up with the “brilliant plan” that saves them. The issue of racism tends to be glossed over in most “serious” Western films, yet this parody of the genre directly confronts the issue, so it could be argued that Blazing Saddles is, in fact, far more meaningful than most Westerns.

In some ways, this film follows the conventions of the Hollywood comedy vehicle; good triumphs over evil in the end, and the heroes are rewarded for their good deeds.

However, in a lot of other ways it is very unconventional. In one particularly memorable scene, a large entourage of the characters wander onto a set where another movie is being filmed, and a fight takes place among the actors. This kind of antilogic helps to make this one of the most unique comedies ever made.

If you are looking for the sort of film that will have you in fits of laughter throughout, look no further than Blazing Saddles. This film is unquestionably a masterpiece of its genre. Highly recommended.

Dublin Flea Market Who loves a bargain? We do.

With over sixty stalls selling everything from vintage clothes to second hand bikes, retro furniture and random odds and ends the Dublin Flea Market is basically a great place to buy some crap that no one else wants. But it’s preloved and CHEAP. Grab some pizza or falafel and soak up the tunes and atmosphere. Keep your eyes peeled for a bargain or something flashy and lurid.

11am - 5pm, last Sunday of the month, Newmarket Square

Fatal Attraction: What is it with vampires?

The Siren will never admit to being a Twilight fan but there’s just something alluring about Edward’s pale white...glittery... sexy skin. Vampires are all the rage these days but is it just innocent fantasy? This expert panel ponders how ambiguous the underlying messages about love and sexuality, dominance and submission really are...

Free (pre-booking essential), 2pm, Sunday 28th, Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin

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23.10.12

fashion@collegetribune.ie

The politics of fashion Lauren Tracey looks at how fashion, and the way women in politics relate to it, can change the political scene

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n the past fifty years the ordinary woman’s every day relationship with the political landscape has changed dramatically. With iconic figures such Jackie Kennedy-Onassis and Grace Kelly setting the scene in the 50’s and 60’s as prominent women in the political sphere, they have opened a gateway for discussing and viewing women in politics in a way that hadn’t been seen before.

So one would be forgiven for wondering, how exactly did they do it?

The answer could lie in fashion.

Today the fashion choices of Hilary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Kate Middleton are documented by fashion magazines all over the world.

Jackie Kennedy achieved acclaim in the world of fashion when she became the first lady of the White House in the 1960’s, modelling a wide array of stylish clothing. Jackie preferred bright colours, pinks, ivories and reds, colours that made her stand out as she was photographed beside her husband. She greatly admired the styling’s of Audrey Hepburn, particularly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s,

and Givenchy was one of her “go to” designers for events and occasions.

Jackie and her husband were one of the youngest couples to ever live in the White House, and many young women all over American found that they could relate to Jackie and the clothes that she wore.

Her deep interest in fashion and her flair for colour and Parisian styles meant that Jackie represented herself as a woman who would not just stand idly behind her husband wearing clothing he and his team approved of; she was her own entity and an important style figure.

This idea of women in politics standing out more than they ever had before was continued by the legendary Grace Kelly, who to this day is still inspiring women and designers all over the world. The fashions of Grace Kelly have been described as timeless and elegant, and she was truly a representative figure of the royal family of Monaco. Nipped in waists, furs, circle skirts and pearls are all staples of a classic wardrobe and, like Jackie Kennedy’s styles, are still revered today by the masses. Her styles

have been replicated many times on catwalks by designers such as Prada and Channel.

These two figures opened up the flood gates in terms of fashion for women in the political sphere. Current first lady Michelle Obama’s style and grace have earned her the title “Shelly-O.” In last Tuesday’s debate she wore a timeless corset-detailed shift dress and cropped jacket by the designer Michael Kors, while her opponent in the fashion stakes, Ann Romney, wore a cap sleeve shift dress with a chunky bracelet that accentuated her blonde hair and “Barbie” like charm. Both women sported hot pink colours in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

For these two women the fashion choices they make can indicate the type of personalities they have, the causes they support, and the values they share with their husbands. It is not so hard to see why both candidates in the current American Presidential election are valuing the appearances and support of their spouses so much. During their time in politics Hilary Clinton, Sa-

rah Palin and Kate Middleton have all used fashion as an outlet to represent and express their femininity and power, as well as to promote design in their homelands.

With the world’s most powerful women embracing the political tool that is fashion, voters and fashion lovers world over can expect to see

a whole new dimension to the way women in politics influence commerce, and perhaps even the way government is perceived. Today, the idea that that fashion is intertwined with politics, and politics with fashion is more important than ever.

still be classed as elegant chic. Eric Daman has even said that Blair’s headbands will make a return this season. This trend was put on the map when GG premiered back in 2007.

Serena Van Der Woodsen (Blake Lively) has also become a star in terms of television style. Her signature look has always been sultry and elegant, she certainly shows a lot more skin than Blair, and this season’s outfits are not to be missed. She debuts in a floor length Jenny Packham lemon and white scalloped chiffon dress. This dress is very similar to the one Kate Middleton wore back in May at the Olympic Concert. Interestingly,

this isn’t the first time that fashion tips have been taken from the Duchess, as Blair has been seen donning duchess inspired looks in previous seasons, particularly during the storyline in which she married a prince. Serena wore a lilac chiffon Dior dress to her Gala event. The dress was typical Serena, but perhaps a little more grown up. Whatever is in store for the series ahead, I’m sure it won’t disappoint us!

Address in the Upper East Side

Anninka E Barry takes us through Gossip Girl style, as the final series of the sartorially brilliant show begins

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t was the moment many of us had been waiting for: the moment when Serena Van Der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf returned to our screens. Not only did the last episode in season five leave us hanging on the edge of our seats in terms of the storyline, but it also left us excited to see what was in store for season six’s wardrobe. We were not let down by Gossip Girl’s stylist Eric Daman as we watched last week’s premiere of season 6.

Eric Daman, who has worked on Gossip Girl from the beginning, has brought new inspiration to a sometimes tired approach to TV styling.

A French literature student in the Sorbonne, Daman went into mod-

elling after being scouted by Steven Meisel. Then, turning to styling, he ended up working with stylist Patricia Fields on the hit show Sex and the City, for which Fields and her team won an Emmy in 2002, as well as several Costume Designers Guild awards. His years of fashion experience can be seen in his work on the Gossip Girl set. Throughout the series, he has set trends and followed through with the Sex and the City tradition of tying the clothes and the story line tightly together.

Statement necklaces were seen in the first episode of the new season, with Serena, Blair and Georgina all wearing them. However, Eric Daman says that we can ex-

pect a steer away from statement pieces and more towards delicate layering pieces. Another big trend we have seen, also common to the wardrobes of all the GG ladies, is print. New character Sage (Sophia Black-D’Elia) was seen in a full length green print dress by Helmut Lang at Serena’s Central Park Gala.

Leighton Meister’s character Blair Waldorf has been seen sporting this trend since the beginning, whether she’s sitting in Paris in a cherry print Moschino dress or in Manhattan in a Marc Jacob bird print look, she is often wearing some sort of print fabric. Blair’s style, which had developed throughout the show but never changed dramatically, can

Xoxo Anninka

23.10.12

Style Icon: Kate Moss

Roisin Sweeney provides an insight into the life of Kate Moss, model and celebrated style icon

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ate Moss came from ordinary beginnings. The daughter of a travel agent and barmaid, she was scouted at the age of 14 in JFK airport. Following her seminal photoshoot, shot by the late Corrine Day for The Face magazine, Moss’s look became synonymous with the grunge scene. Moss has drawn criticism from many sources for her slim frame, as well as her drug scandal in 2005. She was the main proponent of the boho look in the early 2000’s, and many in UCD can thank her for starting trends for Ugg boots, skinny jeans, and ballerina flats. Kate has designed 14 collections for her hugely successful and influential collaboration with Topshop.

fashion@collegetribune.ie

Chic

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Zoolander 2: Ben Stiller denies reports of offering Lady Gaga seven million dollars to take part in the film, but Gaga or not, a sequel is magnificent news.

Edinburgh: Chanel’s next Metiers des Arts collection will be shown in a secret location in the city, as Chanel have just bought Scottish cashmere manufacturers firm Barrie last week.

Experimenting with Halloween Make-up: There is nothing more fun than coming home from college, watching a Youtube video about how to make yourself look more like a lion, and then attempting it.

Haider Ackermann

Roisin Sweeney looks at designer Haider Ackermann, a new power player on the Paris fashion scene

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t’s rare that a designer can make a fashion show a new experience for seasoned buyers, editors, and critics, but this is exactly what Haider Ackermann achieved in his Fall 2011 show. His models walked down the catwalk with a sensually slow gait, to the sound of Leonard Cohen’s ‘A Thousand Kisses Deep.’ The show was emotional, the colours exquisite, and the silhouettes and drapes phenomenal. Ackermann only came to public attention a few weeks before this show, when Karl Lagerfeld was quoted at saying that he would like Ackermann to be his successor at Chanel. Ackermann’s name was also in the hat to take over at Dior, and to replace one of his biggest inspirations, Martin Margiela, at his eponymous house.

Ackermann, who was born in Columbia and adopted into a French family, studied his craft in Belgium.

After several internships and stints at other houses, he began his own line in 2001 and showed at Paris Fashion Week. He was raised in Africa, France, and the Netherlands; however, the influence of travel is not that apparent in his designs. He tends to create his own world, filled with poetic clothing, and fragile, beautiful women.

The Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where Ackermann first studied the craft of fashion design, seems to have left its mark on his work. The school is known for producing avant garde designers such

EEK The Abercrombie Jet: The staff rule book for the private jet of Abercrombie CEO Mike Jefferies has been released; his staff must wear a uniform of boxer briefs and respond to all requests with, ‘no problem.’ Weird.

as Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, and Dries van Noten, a man who exhibits the same incredible colour sensibilities as Ackermann. This group of designers have several things in common, one of which is their use of complex cuts.

When Ackermann’s clothing was worn by Lady Gaga on the cover of American Vogue, a huge coup for the designer, the stylists had to contact Ackermann to ask how to put the garment on correctly.

He favours a long silhouette, and revels in using combinations of natural fabric such as silk, leather, and suede. Many compare his work with leather to that of Rick Owens, both men can do wonders with the material, creating enveloping jackets that drape and fold around the body without adding bulk. Acker-

mann is also known for his use of jewel tones, put together in combinations that create a relaxed sense of exoticism. The styling of Ackermann’s pieces is vital. Lapels fold across the body, instead of sitting on the jacket, belts are tucked into themselves, and the top of a dress may be made up of a silk scarf, draped so that it covers or reveals the body.

This is a designer who has come from nothing, who has built a reputation for himself based purely on talent. He claims not to have noticed the excitement building up around him after Lagerfeld proclaimed his admiration for the young Columbian, he was too busy working, creating clothing for the woman he sees so clearly in his mind’s eye.

Dior Tattoos: Dior have this week released their 24-carat gold temporary tattoos, at around 100 euro for a set… Temporary Tattoos. For €100.

Ann Romney: Mitt’s wife faced embarrassment this week after wearing a Diane Von Furstenberg dress.

Reps for the designer released a statement saying they did not loan her the dress, and weren’t sure how she got it.

By Roisin Sweeney

Above: ISIC cardholders win Raybans through the fortnightly competition!