Issuu scene 239

Spotlight- Chase and Status Music- Nostalgia or No-stalgia?

Tech- The Decline of Handheld Gaming

The Nostalgia Edition

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A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS

THIS ISSUE

Happy New Year! We hope your holidays have been filled with family, friends, and cheer, maybe a little work on the side if it’s crossed your mind. Now that exams are over, it’s a perfect time to think back to a time before exams were even a thing, a time when filling your Pokedex was the most stressful part of your day. Your lecturers were Yoda and Dumbledore, and your most strenuous reading was limited to ‘Jabberwocky’. If none of this rings a bell, flick through our issue and take a vicarious trip down memory lane.

And if you’re interested in electronic music or US sitcoms, we have interviews with both Chase and Status and 30 Rock’s Dot Com, Kevin Brown. It’ll be a fantastic start to another pop culture-filled year.

MUSIC

Fiddle Me This (p3) INTERVIEW: Billy Lockett (p5)

FILM

2014: The Year of the Superhero (p6) American Hustle, All Is Lost & Oldboy (p7)

FEATURES

The Disney Renaissance: Fantasy or Reality (p8)

Scenic Crosswords

TV

Thomas & (Male) Friends (p10) Love / Hate: The OC (p11)

BOOKS

It’s a Punderful Life (p12) Top 5 Epistolary novels (p13)

TECH

Does Nintendo need to grow-up? (p14) The decline of handheld gaming (p14)

STAGE

Throwback Theatre (p15) Neverland’s Trapdoor (p15)

SPOTLIGHT Chase & Status (p 16)

Across 1.

Actor plays a website suffix (5,5) 5.

He was always better than a regular hero (9) 7.

A minor god tripped in a videogame (9) 8.

Villain was mortified because he didn’t have a nose (9) 10.

Playing music on the street or a monarch of transportation (7)

Down 2.

3.

4.

6.

7.

9.

11.

Peter Pan’s favourite holiday destination deals in absolutes (9) Famous chocolate maker is askew (5) Disney film isn’t very warm (6) Home to Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon (8) This engine shares a first name with inventor of lightbulb (6) Some people are young women, but this film isn’t (6) Chase’s friend is posting on Facebook (5)

SCENE TEAM Scene Editors Karl Tomusk Angus Quinn

Music Editors

Film Editors

TV Editors

Books Editors

Tech Editor

Stage Editors

Milo Boyd Meri Aho

Alex Radford Tim Douglas

Rachel Seymour Katie Thomas

Rebekah Boyle Samuel Bowell

Barto Joly de Lotbiniere

Isla Van Tricht Nadine Garbett

Deputy TV

Deputy Books

Deputy Tech

Deputy Stage

Deputy Music Maddy Crammond Antonio Pinheiro

Deputy Film

Hannah Chambre Fred Asquith

Helena Horton Aggie Chambre

George Norman Bethan Forrest

Martin Waugh Phillip Watson

Charlie Benson Yuxing Xu

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MUSIC FILM FEATURE TV BOOKS TECH STAGE SPOTLIGHT

Music FIDDLE ME THIS

BY ADRIAN HORAN A busk, a busk, my pound coin for a busk!

Second to the fact there are three ‘Subways’ in a one mile radius, a vibrant busking scene is one of my favourite personality traits of the city of York. I much prefer walking down the cobbled streets and seeing a middle-aged man simultaneously playing a violin with a dancing devil than I do stumbling up the stairs to Willow. Cello, who wouldn’t? Well, most.

Coming from a Catholic performing arts school, playing a musical instrument was as highly encouraged as putting Biblical quotes into an assembly PowerPoint. It

Nostalgia?

More Like No-stalgia

BY MILO BOYD I went to Willow last term. I didn’t want to, but I have friends with bad tastes and off kilter social consciences. For the first hour following our arrival it was a surprising lot of fun. Still comparatively early in the night, the dance floor was empty. We spread our arms, whirled around and furiously stomped our feet as Duran Duran graced the sound system. A gloriously shameful grin stretched across our collective faces as Madonna blared out: we got down on ours knees and we prayed.

An amount of alcohol and some loosetongued conversation later and the atmosphere had completely changed. In place of the self-indulgent glee that came with dusting off our ‘90s eardrums swayed in a sea of people; faces raised to the ceiling as they

was a service to the school, in a place where your typical ‘band geek’ didn’t exist. We had the orchestras, the concerts, and the musical banter (sadly, that is a thing. Even more sadly, it was mostly that infamous American Pie reference); but we were missing something – spontaneity.

Busking was a rare breed of entertainment from what I remember. This one time, at sixth form, I took my violin to the people.

Vinnie (we’ve all done it), my friends and I spontaneously busked in the common room to raise some shrapnel for a good cause.

There was a quick pianissimo of the buzz as people awkwardly shuffled past us to get to the canteen and held a certain taboo about clapping between performances. In all honesty, doing it in my underwear would have been more comfortable!

Instead, I wish we were encouraged to be a bit more spontaneous than I remember; heck, even chuck a dancing devil into my lessons to give it some flare. Coming to The University of York, there are staples

of that freedom I’d always wanted as a musician (did somebody say jazz nights at V bar?) and I can understand why our music scene is so respectable. Though fiddle me this -why is it that some of these musical legends I’ve seen on campus I’ve also seen busking outside Debenhams near that guy playing Mad World?

What drives them all the way out there?

More cash, less quacks? Personally, I wanted to keep up the violin alongside my studies but, like Sweet Brown, I didn’t have time for it, nor the bus fare in cash for my town travels. It’s a bit of a pipe dream, but to see ‘busking spots’ across Heslington West and East areas would be a great way to provide some spontaneous on-campus entertainment, earn some cash and rid ourselves of ‘Mad World’ on a loop in our heads.

From watching Sherlock series one to present in the space of a few weeks, it hit me more than ever that even high-functioning sociopaths can pick up an instrument and strum away in the hope of achieving

amateur status. Having some friendly faces around campus rather than shunning them into town or V-bar might give that spontaneous flare I as a musician have hoped for… if I can pick up the violin again and make a devil dance on my own campus, then I’ll be very busking happy.

came together in a powerfully contemporary rendition of ‘Wrecking Ball’. I started, the sheer force of the event taking place in front of me and the poignancy of my realisation causing me to trip backwards.

Trapped in a slow-motion cinematic tumble, my mind worked in overdrive as, for the first time, I fully understood what was happening. The birth of nostalgia. I hit the floor. Everything went black.

In an essay entitled ‘Nostalgia: an exploratory Study of Themes and Emotions in the Nostalgic Experience’, pleasingly written in my birth year, psychologists Susan Holak and William Havlena offer a simple understanding of nostalgia. For the most part rooted in our fertile formative years,

the pair argue that the feelings we generally perceive as a mixture of homesickness and retrospective self-inspection, are tied to personal events. The first time you rode a bike, went to school or hosted a successful football party: distinct events particular to you, not everyone else.

Taking this definition, it seems odd that the pop-filled shiftiest that is Willow’s playlist is so regularly described as nostalgic.

I personally never listened to Robbie Williams in any kind of significant way in my youth, and do not know many people who did. Beyond brief aural glimpses of ‘Road to Mandalay’ and ‘Let Me Entertain You’, his presence is conspicuous for its absence in my formative years. And yet come last December I found myself almost sincerely singing ‘Angels’ in a huddled circle: the look exchanged between our tear soaked eyes seeming to say “we were born in the 1990s, and this is our song.”

Nostalgia is, after all, completely personal. What music I associate with my childhood might have nothing to do with what everyone else in Willow listened to when they were five or six years old. Maybe someone did listen to ‘Angel’ when it first came out, but I clearly didn’t. But when we’re all crowded on that dark dancefloor, everyone suddenly has the same fake childhood memory.

So this is false nostalgia. There doesn’t

really seem to be anything wrong with it, much likes there’s nothing really wrong with going to an American Diner in Swansea or pretending 1950s Britain had a real sense of community and wasn’t actually shit. Why shouldn’t we all meet up on a Thursday night, sing half the words of TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’, and get a bit sad about not being properly young anymore?

Because it’s weird. And completely emotionally regressive. Everytime the idea that you used to like The Backstreet Boys pops into your head on a massive bender, an actual, personal memory and a piece of your integrity falls out. Stop it. If you don’t, come 2024 we’ll be singing Miley Cyrus with the generation below us, fooling ourselves into thinking that we did actually used to really like this and weren’t just drunk or a giddy child.

And then we’ll pretend to love whatever that generation’s One Direction will be. We’ll huddle around in a dark room, reminiscing over songs from the 2010s that we currently hate as we sway along to new music that we also hate. We’ll watch everyone around us make the same mistakes we made. Nostalgia will eventually just be code for terrible music that we all know the lyrics to but would otherwise never touch. It’ll have nothing to do with our real pasts. We’ll double-think our way into believing it had an impact where it never really did.

Superfood

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MUSIC FILM FEATURE TV BOOKS TECH STAGE SPOTLIGHT

Reviews We the Kings SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW

BY MICHAEL COOPER

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omewhere Somehow is the fourth studio album from the Floridian pop punk band We the Kings. Despite making quite an impact in certain circles with their self-titled 2007 album, they have since failed to take the momentum of a Billboard top 70 hit and transform it into substantial popularity. Despite such little success being a hallmark of theirs for several years now, latest offering Somewhere Somehow has managed to take lack of momentum to a new level. Perhaps if I had been listening to an album by an unheard of American boy band I would not have been surprised; but as I was listening to the once innovative rockers We the Kings, I could not quite believe my ears.

Somewhere Somehow is potentially the worst record I have ever had the misfortune of listening to. I would attempt to highlight songs but I honestly could not bring myself to listen to it more than once, and every track just merged into one endless length of tedium. This is not the quirky tongue in cheek guitar-cum-pop punk We the Kings

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usic Remedy is back on the 17th Jan with its biggest night yet. Previously bringing the likes of The Golden Boy, Wayward, Catching Flies and TÂCHES to York, MR provides nothing but good vibes and great tunes with something for everyone to enjoy! On the 17th January, MR will be welcoming the well renowned house DJ duo ‘BODHI’ to York. Bodhi’s deep grooves and groin-tingling chords have taken the house scene by storm, and with their love of Motown, funk, blues and RnB they definitely will be bringing something special on the night!

Across the two rooms the night will offer a mix of house, techno, disco and funk; this time dedicating Mansion Underground’s Room 2 to disco and funk tunes all

fans will be used to – this record is full of electronic drums, clichéd lyrics (used without a flicker of irony) and ultimately lazily produced music. I really liked We the Kings and happy to see them in Nottingham back in 2009 – they were an amazing, visually and aurally exciting band to witness. The shitwreck I hear now is almost completely unrecognisable. The weird thing is that their transition to Metro Station rip off appears like a conscious one. Nothing this shit just happens. True shit of this magnitude requires intent. Their descent is a tragic one, the upbeat party boys fading from a jovial band of long haired drop-outs that brought us the ridiculous YouTube backstage band diary ‘the Kings carriage’ to something resembling a shiny Kid Rock. They seem to have become polished, commercialised and moulded to appeal to the lowest common denominator. If I imagine them now I think of a group of lads dressed by stylists, sitting on stools in a row and getting up to perform a rehearsed dance routine.

There is literally absolutely nothing to say about the music. What music? The auto tuned, drum machined, clichéd drivel that is this album. Is that music? Perhaps, but not music to anyone who has any modicum of perception of what quality is would ever willingly classify it as such. I think there is a song at the end which has some piano in it. I think. I can’t really remember. I was too busy trying to stop myself from chewing a hole in my desk to prevent this sub-standard music from destroying all my higher functions. The thing that really hurts is this band used to be good, they used to be creative and they could actually play – we need more bands like that. Not a glaring void where my dreams used to lie.

This record is instantly forgettable – I had to listen to their first album straight afterwards to convince myself that they actually were good – once, a long time ago. The best thing about this album is when it ends – do not listen to this, do not buy it, walk away .– then hopefully they will get the message and go back to making good music.

night headed up by Milli Vanilli/Breakz and MR residents.

Also, Don’t forget that MR is a party for a good cause with 20% of the profits from January 17th event going to St. Catherine’s Hospice. If you are interested in a preview of the music that the night entail, check out MR’s YouTube and Soundcloud pages for regular uploads of their favourite music.

Exams and deadlines are over, so there really is no better place to let your hair down and boogey than at one of the best student-led nights in York. Tickets will be sold at Vanbrugh stalls Monday-Friday of Week 2, or go to their Facebook Page for more details: www.facebook.com/MusicRemedyYork.

eil Young’s latest offering Live at the Cellar Door offers an intimate glimpse into a fledgling young artist at the peak of his talents. Coming on the heels of past archive releases from this period such as Live at Massey Hall 1971 and containing only one unreleased track, a solo piano rendition of ‘Cinnamon Girl’, you would wonder what it could possibly offer casual audiences. But there is definitely enough here to appeal to those who aren’t ardent fans.

With stints recording with Buffalo Springfield and Crazy Horse behind him, Young was in something of a transitional period. He had yet to establish himself as a creative force, but had huge success working with others and was a star in his own right. Following the mixed reviews of After the Gold Rush Rolling Stone deriding Young for his “adolescent ranting.” Live at the Cellar Door represents a turning point between the flower powered optimism of the 60s and the heady self-indulgence of the 70s. For an artist who would go on to pen

songs like ‘The Needle and The Damage Done’, his joyous introduction of the final song as “a song about dope” to the knowing laughter of the crowd sounds strangely eerie. His guitarist Danny Whitten was to pass away of a tragic heroin overdose not soon after.

Recorded in the tiny Cellar Door folk and blues club in Washington DC the pared down arrangements and tiny venue gives the songs a real sense of authenticity. The renditions of classic like ‘Old Man’ and ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ manage to equal the quality of the first recordings, even stripped of all the original instrumentation.

The crowd banter before the final song is as much of an album highlight as any of the music. “You’d be laughing too if this did what you did for a living” he jokes as he plays around on the piano, an instrument he had only recently taught himself, and one not worthy of his humorous self derision. It’s wonderful to see music of this standard, that is so emotionally resonant, being played by someone who rather refreshingly doesn’t take himself too seriously.

Even for an ardent Young fan like myself, the stream of constant melancholy and his characteristic nasal vocals may be found to be grating. Without additional musicians, and only simple acoustic accompaniment, the album can seem, at times, monotone and those who aren’t used to this sort of music may find it initially hard to appreciate.

You could be forgiven for understanding the album as a minor footnote in Neil Young’s vast discography. In reality, it is anything but. It is a little gem. It offers a unique insight into a great artist during a defining time in his career. It is consistently rewarding throughout and contains brilliant arrangements of many of his classic songs. I wouldn’t just recommend this to someone with an interest in Neil Young, or folk music - but to anyone with any interest in music at all.

The people behind the YO1 festival are back with another great line up with their Night Vision event in Tokyo. With threerooms of music in one of York’s biggest and best nightclubs, it’s definitely not one to miss.

Their headline act is B. Traits, whose fast mixing covers all styles of bass music, from Drum & Bass to UK Garage. She’s most well known for her hit ‘Fever’ which charted in Summer last year and became a summer anthem. Also playing on the main stage is MJ Cole, a garage producer whose smooth remixes of chart topping hits fill dancefloors all over the world, and Dismantle, who’s regarded as one of the most hotly tipped producers and DJs emerging from the UK bass scene.

York house and techno collective Sub:terranea will be in Room 2 all night.

Established in January 2013, they’ve built up a reputation for putting on nights with quality and cutting edge and techno from around Europe.

Room 3 plays host to Drop (formerly Insomnia) which is a York based student night that has played a key part in the house music resurgence that has taken York by storm in the last 12 months. They’ll be playing the very best from the UK house scene upstairs in Tokyo all night.

Tickets are only £10, and can be bought online, at Earworm Records, Bison Coffee House, through their reps or on the door.

If you’re interested, more details can be found on Facebook.

NEIL YOUNG LIVE AT THE CELLAR DOOR

BY WILL MCCURDY

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MUSIC FILM FEATURE TV BOOKS TECH STAGE SPOTLIGHT

INTERVIEW

BILLY LOCKETT

BY KATRINA NORTHERN

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n a Tuesday night at the York Barbican I sit in an audience awaiting KT Tunstall’s “special guest” with that familiar apprehensive curiosity often adopted towards opening acts. A lone figure with shaggy black hair quietly shuffles across the stage and pauses: “Hi, I’m Billy Lockett.”

And the atmosphere transforms. With a cheeky smile yet a sincere attitude he introduces each song, explaining the web of stories which feed his writing and composition. Everyone is invited to share in the meaning and sentiment of the music while he expertly executes complex riffs and rhythmic progressions on guitar and piano.

And he keeps us all smiling. After his set he prompts a mad dash to the merchandise stand to sign copies of his homemade EP. A huge percentage of the auditorium empties, phones are whipped out to purchase tickets for his UK solo tour in the New Year, and an excited buzz is in the air. We have witnessed the birth of something special indeed.

It is a few months later from that moment when I interview Billy, since then he has released his second EP, ‘Your Love Hurts’, which stormed the iTunes singer-songwriter charts, peaking at number 3, and has increased his following by the thousands through his live set. All through his own hard work and without a record label. Billy is justifiably proud. “‘Your Love Hurts’ had a lot of success and I was honestly blown away by it, although I was always confident in the song – it means a lot to me. It’s all about the problems between me and my dad that many people face with their parents. I

personally feel like it is the best thing I have done so far”. The title track is a beautifully layered piano-guitar ballad with the memorable refrain: “your love, love, love, love it hurts… but it’s still love”. In its circularity it possesses a universal resonance, and a reminder that family relationships are not perfect all of the time.

Originally from Northampton, Billy is skilled both on the guitar and on the piano.

He lives with his Dad but spends most of his time “hiding in the cellar making music”.

That music is a fusion of “hard-hitting indie/folk/pop songs” but he finds his inspiration in everyday occurrences and struggles whether cancer, broken relationships or domestic violence (“all happy things!” he jokes). Being on tour has just fed the songwriting fervour and upon getting home he was “gagging to start writing again”. The inspiration also comes from listening to other musicians. Among his influences are Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman, Neil Young, KT Tunstall, Paolo Nutini, Cat Stevens and Tom Waits.

It is KT Tunstall who, this year, has perhaps changed the course of Billy’s career.

After an exchange of tweets she invited him to come on tour with her – “It felt incredible!

KT’s been a huge inspiration to me most of my life so it was amazing to have her just say that she liked me songs… but to go on tour with her was pretty much a dream come true. We didn’t really get to jam as we were always so busy but just watching and studying her on stage taught me a lot.” Both certainly have a charm and gentle charisma which makes it easy for audiences to love

them. “I want my fans to know ME,” Billy explains, “in my shows I try to bring across my personality as much as I can so that the audience feels they are a part of something more than simply playing my CD… as a true supporter of me and my life… music is just part of it.” Despite the hectic schedule he betrays little sign of weariness: “I’ve been touring for years so being on the road is very normal for me now, I probably feel most alive when I’m touring. I love not having much of a home and waking up in a different city every day. If I could do it all year every year I honestly would”.

The title track of his previous EP, ‘Pathways’, is about the struggle to make it in the music industry as an artist (“another office, another boss / another dream they’re selling off / you’re seduced by shiny shoes / you’ll be a star, you’ll go far, just forget about who you are”) but is also a loving tribute to the fans who have stuck with him and propelled him into the charts regardless.

He admits that, “even now I think that I won’t make it. Music is a worrying business because you can never be sure of when you’ve actually made it. I don’t think I’m there yet by any means. I just have to try and see, as long as I’m growing it’s okay. You just have to keep building and building… I have no backup plan at all – I literally HAVE to succeed!” he laughs, “I guess that’s a good thing though… it gives you more drive.” So is he eager for a record label to swoop in?

“I would love to have a label… but the right one hasn’t got in touch. If I can keep hitting the top fifty or higher with self-releases then at the moment I don’t feel I need a label. All I

need is Facebook and Twitter so all my fans know about it and are able to support me. I like the feeling of having complete control in everything I do”.

In the meantime he cites his immediate goals as completely selling out his March tour, so far half the shows are sellouts, and having the chance to play on the Jools Holland Show and on a Radio 1 Live Lounge. Holland’s show has become a great platform for artists just breaking into the industry, launching the career of KT Tunstall herself. Concerning platforms of another kind Billy was once invited to be on The Voice but turned it down. “I don’t know about The Voice. We’re all different and you can’t compare a sheep to a cow.” Instead he has worked at his dream from the moment he realised he wanted to be a music at the age of nine. He does not have a musical background as such but his father is an artist.

I ask him if there are any fun facts or quirks he wants to share: “I love dipping cheddar cheese in my tea…”

And with that supreme piece of trivia we conclude. Hearing Billy perform his songs is a unique experience. His lyrics are simple and heartfelt but it is his endearing manner, humour and skillful storytelling that really draws you in. His tender soulful voice is accompanied by catchy and novel riffs on guitar and piano that only affirms his talents. He has shown immense strength and initiative thus far with remarkable chart feats for an unsigned artist.

2014 is sure to be another pivotal year in the blossoming career of Mr Billy Lockett.

“I don’t know about The Voice. We’re all different and you can’t compare a sheep to a cow.”

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MUSIC FILM FEATURE TV BOOKS TECH STAGE SPOTLIGHT

FIL The L.A. Riot Spectacular

Stuart Little The Little Vampire

Like Mike

Jonathan Lipniki career-o-graph

Bad Asses

Stuart Little 2

Jerry Maguire

2002

2004

2006

2012

2010

The Ultimate Children’s Film Cast Alex Radford pulls together some of the most nostalgic characters in movie history...

Morgan Freeman in himself has one of the most iconic and instantly recognisable voices in cinema. His versatility lends him to literally any role in a film.

All the good children’s films invariably involve ghosts, and the Ghostbusters would offer perfect comic relief from the terrifying ghouls and creepers.

Indiana Jones: Equal parts unrelenting determination and badass, everyone’s favourite arcaeologist could swing into action astride his whip.

Mulan is easily the best Disney Princess: skilled warrior, killer fashion sense and she has a pet dragon! Four points for Mushu Mulan, you go Mulan!

Mary Poppins: A a deeply charming yet subtly creepy mentor. She can also sing, and it wouldn’t be a children’s film without a number or two.

2014: The Year of the Superhero

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Timothy Douglas and Angus Quinn looks at the year of heroes ahead of us at the cinema...

n every possible way, we film nerds just can’t get enough of superhero movies.

Though heavily Marvel and DC-orientated, nothing seems to get our blood pumping more than a mask-wearing and blade-wielding crimefighter. So, it’s a hella good thing 2014 is going to be loaded with them.

Marvel flicks like Guardians of the Galaxy and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 are sure to grab the attention of every spotty-faced teenager like myself. Spiderman is probably headed to be the international favourite, what with the huge success of the first and the long-awaited return of Emma Stone to our screens (a wonder woman in her own right).

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 seems to have a spark of rejuvenation to it.

Unlike the previous uninspired trilogy it seems to sparkle and tingle with electric pacing and the dynamic pairing of Stone and Spider-Man himself Andrew Garfield.

Moreover, with the ominous threat of Electro on the horizon, a classic supervillain lifted straight from the comic books,

it seems as if this film can only build upon the success and strength of the first.

Guardians of the Galaxy, probably less known among casual Marvel fans, also seems appealing to the masses of people who enjoy a more sci-fi tone to their superhero fetishes.

With a cast of the likes of Vin Diesel and Glenn Close, fingers crossed it remains in league with its predecessors.

Other Marvel look-outs include the godly Captain America sequel that will enter cinemas shortly. With the great Russo brothers directing, known for their typically American romcoms such as You, Me and Dupree, it will be difficult to leave cinemas not impressed. I can’t finish commenting on marvel without even beginning to mention the new X Men: Days of the Fu-

ture Past. With what is perhaps the most ambitious cast known to man, teaming with fresh-faced Hollywood stars and several acting legends, this film simply can’t disappoint. It just can’t.

Man of Steel was easily the most anticipated superhero movie of 2013 and its upcoming sequel Batman vs. Superman has DC fans in a frenzy all around the world. Not only will the film boast DC’s two most celebrated and iconic characters but it will also include Wonder Woman on the same screen.

The unification of the three biggest DC characters has also lead to speculation on the creation of a wider DC cinematic universe to rival Marvel’s flagging behemoth.

The combination of the three super heroes, though previously seen in on screen television cartoons has never been realised and on screen and has fuelled growing speculation over the possibility of a future Justice League film.

Though the sequel isn’t due until 2015 expect heaps of anticipation-stoking shorts and trailers to be released throughout the year to build up media interest in the franchise.

The great neo-noir flick that changed the face of film, Sin City, will be making a heroic return in late august. Curiously titled Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, though wonderful as ever, the importance of Rodriguez’s great crime action thriller is sure to be reiterated in this hugely anticipated sequel. We can only hope that the spirit of Grindhouse has quite literally been grinded into a powder and remade to create another monumental

success.

Others include Robocop and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Though a remake of the 1987 film-Robocop promises a futuristic flick with fantastic visuals and top class acting to boot. As for Ninja Turtles, I am almost sure that everybody who understands the true greatness of the animated reptile warriors will be able to see past the inevitable sub-standard acting and irrelevance of actors such as Megan Fox and Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act has no power here folks).

If 2013 was the year of Marvel, perhaps its grip on the market is finally lessening this year. Thor 2 received critical condemnation, and the blank personality of many of the franchise’s heroes other than Iron Man has caused critics to question whether the sun is finally setting on the Marvel dominance of the market and left the door wide open for DC. Diversification in the Marvel brand, too could be a double edged swords. At some point sequel saturation will hit home and at that point Marvel will be in deep trouble.

Fortunately, commercially at least there is still life in the all conquering franchise, and Marvel have time to recover the initiative if they refocus their efforts on elevating scripts beyond the mediocre quality of Thor: The Dark World.

All in all, 2014 promises great things for those of us who hopefully cast our heads skyward in the hope of sighting some of the greatest superheroes in history gracing our screens and striving to improve upon those that have gone before.

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MUSIC FILM FEATURE TV BOOKS TECH STAGE SPOTLIGHT

REVIEWS American Hustle A

merican Hustle was effortless cinema at its best. The script bounced along through a swirling tempest of everincreasing anarchy, outrageous 70s fashion choices and competing personalities, weaving together a central thriller narrative, neatly and perfectly interspersed with astutely crafted comedy. David O’Russell has succeeded in not only crafting a fabulous film but also bringing together five leads who almost seamlessly link together to deliver an electrifying ensemble performance and one of the most assured line-ups of recent years.

Christian Bale is completely unrecognisable as conman Irving Rosenfeld, complete with huge beer belly and catastrophic comb-over. He’s everything bad about the 70s: terrible dress sense, ridiculous hair style and excess in all the wrong reasons. He also is, for all his panicking through the film and concern about how things are spiralling out of control, the centre and reference point for the rest of the cast. Everyone is there because of him, but Bale exercises master-

ful restraint and instead of straying into melodrama keeps American Hustle the right side of thriller territory.

That being said this is the wrong film if you’re looking for extended action sequences. As pseudo-villain of the piece, Jeremy Renner’s Carmine Polito is actually just a politician trying to do the best for his constituents without using the best means and Bradley Cooper’s Richie DiMaso, despite being a super smooth and hip 70s stud doesn’t

All Is Lost

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n this not-so-terrifying thriller, Robert Redford plays a sailor who struggles for survival after being shipwrecked. The film ultimately relies on highly-charged acting and a suspenseful plot to guide the interest of the audience, rejecting music as a crucial element. It was therefore important for Redford, being the only actor in the film, to maintain a convincing performance throughout – to which he did.

Apart from a few ambiguous moments where it was difficult to identify Redford’s true sentiments, he remained compelling from start to finish. The monologue at the beginning, which represented the only words we’d ever hear the character speak, not including a fair share of “yelps!” and “gahs!”, was instantly powerful, ending in the words “All is lost” which apart from reiterating the title kept us on tenterhooks.

Sounds of the sea were deceptively calming from the go, contrary to the atmosphere the actor created.

My guess is that J.C. Chandor, the director, wanted to address to the audience the unpredictability of the ocean, a place where truly anything could happen.

Unfortunately for ‘our man’, the name of Redford’s character in the film, the sea manages to take over.

Tension is created constantly by the ominous creaking of the boat and the growing force of the waves, interestingly without the use of an orchestral number of several ‘jawslike’ piano keys to enhance the situation - clearly, this is not off-thepeg, cliché-ridden natural disaster flick. The concept itself is similar to the likes of Zemeckis’ Castaway,

walk around brandishing his pistol and threatening to knock people out to get the result he wants. Tension and implied menace drive the plot: the anticipation of the con getting discovered and the conspirators getting found out.

Unfortunately for the boys though, they’re almost entirely outshined by their female co-stars. Surprisingly though Jennifer Lawrence’s Hollywood Blitzkrieg is derailed in the film. That’s largely due to a superb tour de force from Amy Adams as intriguing and captivating Sydney Prosser.

Easily the most intriguing personality on show in the film, Adams cycles through the entire emotional spectrum and manages to steal the thunder from Lawrence’s deranged Rosalyn and the three male leads. In the context of the plot, Sydney’s there to pose as an English Lady to lure investors into a corruption scheme on the pretext of having, “London connections.” Adams and the script make her so much more influential and enable Sydney to become the leading light of the cast. She’s an empathetic ‘other woman’ but she doesn’t let it give her a secondary role. She’s at the forefront and is a partner, and even at some stages the instigator of hers and Irving’s plan. Adams con-

veys easily the performance of her career, delivering conviction and emotion and the performance of the entire film.

That’s not to discredit Lawrence, who is superb in a scene where she sings along to Wing’s ‘Live and Let Die’, while cleaning the house and having ratted Irving out to the Mafia. She also has possibly the most fabulously ridiculous 70s haircut of the entire film which should be a huge mark in favour of her getting a Best Supporting Actress nod.

It’s difficult though, even for a Lawrence super-fan like me to try and find fault with Adams as the lead actress of the piece. She has more than double the screen time, but she matches up to it and isn’t lazy whenever she’s on screen.

American Hustle is what cinema should be. You’re immersed in an entirely believable world, the cast zing with attitude and intent and most importantly you come away having enjoyed yourself and been entertained for two hours, as opposed to twiddling your thumbs and going to the toilet every ten minutes. Most crucially though, it shows Hollywood is finally learning to push its leading actresses to the forefront instead of prioritising their male counterparts.

Oldboy though as Tom Hanks devolves into a beard-wearing island dweller, Redford manages to maintain most of his dignity.

Also important is the use of camera angles. A combination of canted and bird’s eye angles added rather charmingly to the cornucopia of artistic elements in the movie. Memorable moment: as Redford watches his boat sink before his eyes, barefaced and void of all hope in his cooped-up dinghy – marvellous.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a proper review without comment on the negatives. It’d be wrong to say there are plenty, however, as this film remains highly regarded tin my books (despite it only being J.C. Chandor’s second full-length feature film). That said, the latter half of the movie is a bit marmite in that you either love it (I did) or you find it dull and incredibly tiresome. Chandor doesn’t do us many favours when he dumbs down the interest of the protagonist halfway through; one would need a considerable amount of tolerance to remain awake at Redford tying some rope and fixing a radio on to an inflatable boat.

Ultimately, the film ends with the sailor attempting to drown himself out of all lost hope until seeing the hand of a stranger and reaching up to grasp it. Robert Redford’s stellar performance of a man quietly suffering at sea is heightened throughout, indicating at how this is no off-the-rack survival film. So is this worthy of an Oscar? Perhaps not, but perhaps some other less prestigious award I think.

Timothy Douglas

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riticising Hollywood for remaking classics has long become a cliché among hardcore film fans.

Remakes can at times be beneficial for everyone involved, bringing a classic movie to a new audience, and giving us a fresh new take on the original.

Movies such as Martin Scorsese’s The Departed and John Carpenter’s The Thing achieved all this and more. This however is not one of those movies.

Not even close. This is remake is terrible.

The Korean original Oldboy with its dark, oddball atmosphere, legitimately confusing plot, and masterful direction and visuals, was an instant cult classic. It opened the eyes of millions everywhere to the joys of Korean cinema, one of the world’s most creatively prosperous cinematic landscapes. It’s no wonder that people wanted to remake it. Most of the original plot line has stayed intact. Josh Brolin, of No Country for Old Men Fame, plays an alcoholic business man, who is captured and held in solitary confinement in a hotel room style prison for twenty years, without warning or reason. He spends the years watching TV, shadowboxing and being fed the leftovers of Chinese takeaways as he gradually goes insane.

He is released without reason and warning, and naturally wants to know what’s going on – as you would. It’s just a pity they didn’t do a better job with what made the original great.

Oldboy has indeed been stripped of what made it special in the first place.

The uniquely eccentric and disturbing film has become a mere genre piece, not that much different from any other offthe-peg thriller. Spike Lee is very much an auteur in his own right, having been in the business well over 28 years and having penned classics such as Do the

Right Thing and Malcom X - both great movies that masterfully portrayed the nature of black America. This film, regrettably, shows nothing of his unique creative vision. Lee seems to be on autopilot the whole time.

Violence, one of the defining elements of the original film, and part of what made it so endlessly powerful and engrossing, has radically changed in nature in this movie. The action scenes, though well directed, have lost any sense of real dread, and at times the fight scenes seem like accepts from a future Spike Lee musical. The infamous scene where the lead actor eats a live octopus has been replaced by the lead actor instead staring at a live octopus, but doing so very intensely.

Even the music, seems like it could have been in a thousand other movies, and rarely rises above generic thriller troupes.

Perhaps, I’m being too harsh on the film. On its own terms it may well be a perfectly serviceable thriller. The acting, directing, screenwriting are all fine; the cinematography of Sean Bobbitt, who worked with Steve McQueen on Hunger and Shame for example, was excellent. However it has none of the weird and wonderful ingenuity that made the original so compelling, and considering the hatred that it is inevitably going to garner from foreign film fans, my criticism might seem a bit unnecessary.

Oldboy is many things: startling, well-paced, and visually sumptuous, but it is one thing above all else - pointless. In a film so concerned with finding out motivations and how and why events were put into motion, it’s a wonder nobody thought why they were making this film.

Will Mccurdy

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The Disney Renaissan

ANGUS QUINN probes whether the Disney golde

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he Disney Renaissance of is often commented on as a golden era of animation. Disney could do no wrong, awards rolled in and Mickey Mouse was reaping financial rewards at the box office. The period is talked about as one of inspiration and imagination. Disney turned around its flagging fortunes and released an unstoppable animation Blitzkrieg that between 1989-99 saw cartoons become credible and actually rival live-action for dominance in award season. It gave birth to some of the most iconic characters and songs in Disney’s back catalogue: Simba, Ariel, Belle, Hercules and Tarzan to name only a few of the characters.

Scratch the surface though, and the supposed golden era starts to slowly but surely chip away, until you finally get to the bare bones of Disney’s success in the period. The myth of the Disney Renaissance rests upon the enormous growth of the Disney Princess franchise, the towering success achieved by the Lion King and the fact that everyone forgets Disney made The Rescuers Down Under, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Pocahontas.

The Disney Princesses are an ever expanding roster that date all the way back to the 1930s and Snow White. The

ranks have expanded, seeing their greatest boost during the ‘Renaissance’ with the additions of Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan and Pocahontas. The Princesses of the Renaissance elevated the Princess brand from the classic three princesses and enabled more successful marketing and also the creation of the impression of some kind of commercial success at the box office behind the princesses themselves. Curiously though, the next official Princess film only arrived in 2009, a full decade after the end of the Renaissance and that’s a direct result of the fact that the Princess films in the period were not the commercial successes they were cracked up to be.

Beauty and the Beast was the only outright commercial leviathan at the box office.

Garnering an Academy Award nomination for best picture and giving birth to among the most famous Disney princess, Belle, Beauty and the Beast was an undeniably huge success story for Disney. It however completely overshadows and dwarfs the successes of the

other Princess, even those who were solo protagonists in their films like Mulan or Pocahontas. The films also aren’t uniformly complicated or enticing in regard to their script, soundtrack or realisation on screen. In Pocahontas for example nothing happens throughout the film. She just about falls in love with an English sailor, has a song with a tree and then her English man sails off into the sunset. So much for happily ever after. Jasmine is also a disappointing princess in Aladdin. Unlike Belle or Mulan she falls into the mould of Ariel as a Princess-in-distress. She doesn’t do anything to visibly fight against Jafar and has to wait for Aladdin to rescue her.

She might have upstaged Aladdin if she’d actually tried to be proactive but there’s something frustrating about Princesses having to be so dull and traditional. These films were made in the 90s, not the 30s, 40s and 50s like Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella. In truth the Disney Princess franchise masks the fact that in the Renaissance the princesses were rarely anything other than useless damsels in distress but moreover tries to suggest that they were all hugely successful properties when in fact only Belle, in Beauty and the Beast can truly claim to have been in any way successful and Mulan is in reality the only Princess whose much more than a girl waiting around for the male hero to rescue the situation.

Beauty and the Beast succeeds because it brings together Belle as a multi-dimensional protagonist, one of the greatest soundtracks in Disney history and it feels original rather than derivative. It stands out from the other Princess films because of its scale and can stand alone without having to fit into the wider franchise. Mulan can perhaps claim

to have the same strength of identity, but the other films are ultimately all the heirs to the earliest 3 Princess films and consequently are hardly that revolutionary or inspiring.

The Lion King has also had a pronounced impact on the perception of Disney in the 90s.

The hugely successful animated tale, based in large part on Shakespeare’s Hamlet and underscored by one of the most memorable soundtracks in history courtesy of Sir Elton John. The film has become truly iconic and having grossed almost a billion dollars worldwide is undoubtedly one of Disney’s greatest films which naturally lends credence to the notion that Disney in the 90s was invincible and never had a misstep. A true beast The Lion King may have been, but nothing, not even Beauty and the Beast came close to

YORK VISION IS HA “I CAN TELL YOU’RE A REAL PAIN IN THE ARSE ON CAMPUS” James Brown, founder of Loaded magazine

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nce: Reality or Fantasy?

en era was the stuff of fairytales or actual reality

matching its success in the period and if anything, things went downhill after it came out.

It took Disney until 1997’s Hercules to truly find its feet again in film, which the strongest proponents of the Renaissance consistently overlook in discussing the films. Mulan and Tarzan are seen as a last hurrah, but that ignores the underwhelming performance of both Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The only significant failure of the Renaissance was The Rescuers Down Under, which isn’t exactly surprising since it eschews the Princess model of most of the films of the period, lacks a major hero to throw the story around like Hercules and unlike The Lion King didn’t boast a superstar cast and stellar soundtrack to lift it out of anthropomorphic

mediocrity. Though it may be the only bonafide flop, The Little Mermaid was another commercial dissapointment and both Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame proved critical dissapointments, failing to match the rapturous acclaim heaped on The Lion King. These stories though are entirely glossed over within the ongoi n g myth of the Renaissance and are ignored beneath the mythic success that in truth can only justifiably be applied to The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and at a push Aladdin.

That’s not to say that the films were not successful taken on their own. Rather, it is difficult to see the Renaissance as a uniform period of incredible successes for Disney when only three films broke the huge milestone of half a billion dollars at the box office and at least 4 of the films considered a part of the Renaissance were critical or commercial disappointments. In terms of success in awards and at the box office, Disney also peaked before the end of the Renaissance with Beauty and the Beast receiving 6 Academy Award Nominations in 1991 and The Lion King in 1994 taking the biggest gross of the period. Thus the success of the period was inconsistent.

The real truth of the Renaissance is that Disney made a very good remake of Hamlet with talking lions and a single excellent film based upon a Princess. The rest of it is entirely derivative and indeed offers little actual inspiration when taken togetehr as a collective body of work. The Little Mermaid for example is often taken to be the equal of Beauty and the Beast but it doesn’t come close on any

level. The only significant area in which it perhaps bests Beauty and the Beast, is that Ursula serves as possibly the most successful Disney villain besides Scar, Jafar or Maleficent. She combines comedy but also fills an antagonist role that was sorely lacking in Beauty and the Beast.

She offers a real menace to the film that saves it from becoming an entirely poor relation to the heights achieved by Beauty and the Beast.

Both Tarzan and Hercules, lacking in a traditional princess figure falter.

There’s something wide o f f the mark about t h e m .

There’s nothing particularly wrong with either film but equally there the main characters are very difficult to empathise with and that perhaps relates to the fact that in creating the films Disney wasn’t really sure who they were marketing them at. The storytelling is all over the place and unlike the Princess films they lack any strong musical identity.

It’s difficult to immediatly recall the names of the songs from the films and in a collection of supposedly musical animated films that’s

a severe problem. Neither film can claim to match the successes of its predecessors and that perhaps explains why their characters aren’t enshrined in the same way as those of Mulan or The Little Mermaid.

Public interest may have flared over the mega-films of the Renaissance, but the less obvious hits like The Hunchback of Notre Dame only garnered middling interest from audiences and there were some notable misssteps with the clear problems of Hercules at the box office, perhaps owing to the lack of a definable ‘Princess’ character. Moreover, considering the Renaissance’s inclusion of modest hits then the fact that it excludes The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) and Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) both of which received positive critical reception seems to point toward the crux of the problem with the Renaissance: it was created to be a marketing tool

by Disney.

It makes the period seem nostalgic and something to aspire to. There’s a desire to own all the films from the period and all the merchandise associated with them. It gives a neat marketing and branding tool. But that branding comes at the expense of Disney’s legacy. With recent successes Tangled and Frozen one can only hope Disney will be more prudent and avoid tarnishing them in the name of wider commericla profit, as is the case with the truly great films of the 90s. Instead of maximising the success of truly inspiring parts of Disney’s wider cinematography, the Renaissance seeks to drain them of their redeemign qualities and try and throw them over the less successful properties. A true shame, considering the quality of some of the flims on offer here.

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TELEVISION CARTOON NOSTALGIA

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RACHEL SEYMOUR reminisces about her animated childhood...

here’s something undeniably comforting about watching cartoons as an adult. Whether you’re re-watching your favourite programme from when you were younger or have found a new animated show to enjoy, the level of escapism you get from watching cartoons is unparallelled in any other TV genre.

This is arguably because of the simple fact that real life does not look like a cartoon. Whilst live action shows and films are limited to the capabilities of CGI, cartoons allow you to drop a tonne weight on a character’s head, only for them to bounce back up with a slight headache.

Violence and destruction are most often seen as comedic in cartoons, particularly in classic shows such as Looney Tunes, where the entire premise of the show is for one character to catch or kill another. If Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote were put into a live action TV show,

the result would be horrific, yet in animated form, it is hilarious.

Not all animated TV shows follow such a basic plot as Looney Tunes, though. More recent cartoons have multi-layered plots, vast worlds and character development that puts live action shows to shame. Adventure Time follows the adventures of a boy called Finn and his shapeshifting dog Jake in the Land of Ooo, where princesses and magic are rife. It may sound like your typical nonsense TV show aimed at amusing children for a few hours, but if you look closer, it is easy to see deeper.

The show’s creator, Pendelton Ward, has publicly said he sees Ooo as a postapocalyptic version of Earth (some-

thing that instantly gives the show a whole new dimension).

Episodes that show the development of the antagonist The Ice King from a scientist called Simon into an evil wizard help to bring depth and nuance into what could otherwise easily be seen as a children’s TV show on acid.

On top of the sense of escapism you get from watching animated TV programmes, there is also the simple fact that if you purposefully limit the genres of television that you watch, you risk missing out on something great. For most people, the word ‘Avatar’ conjures up images of giant blue cats and James Cameron, or perhaps even the horror that was M. Night S hya m a l a n’s The Last Airbender.

Yet for

those who are in the know, Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the best known and most loved animated TV shows of all time. The plot revolves around Aang, a young boy who must save the world from the clutches of the evil Fire Lord, Ozai.

Tackling issues like genocide, abandonment, and the burden of responsibility in a way many other shows could learn from, it is clear from watching Avatar that animation in a TV show does not have to equal immaturity or an inability to deal with big, complex issues.

It’s a shame that many people see those who choose to watch animated shows as immature, weird or even creepy, as it seems that the medium of animation is perfect for creating shows that can tackle important issues whilst still giving a sense of escapism. And, after all, isn’t that exactly what all television shows are striving to do anyway?

TOP 5

‘90s cartoons

Number 5: Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999-2009)

Number 4: Dexter’s Laboratory (1996-2003)

THOMAS & (MALE) FRIENDS

KATIE THOMAS looks at the lack of female representation in the show...

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t’s been a surprise to see Thomas the Tank Engine slammed in the media recently by Labour minister Mary Creagh. The loveable children’s television series, Thomas & Friends that first aired in the 80s has received criticism for its lack of female characters.

Creagh described Thomas & Friends as responsible for setting a poor example to children and pointed out that the few female characters featured in the show are portrayed as annoyances, constantly disrupting the functioning of the railway. She stated the show should include more female engines to encourage girls to become train drivers. Such a specific attack on the show is harsh of Creagh; she is imposing retrospective political correctness on a quaint children’s story from the 1940s.

But what are the facts?

There is a clear shortage of female train drivers in Britain and with 95.8% of workers male, it’s natural to consider the reasons behind the statistics and for us to question whether job opportunities within the sector

are equally advertised between genders. Do women want to drive trains given the chance?

Is Creagh, as Labour’s shadow transport secretary, really addressing the matter at hand by singling out Thomas the Tank Engine as a contributor to negative stereotypes in the workplace today?

Thomas & Friends is by no stretch the only male dominated children’s show; a 2007 study demonstrated that two thirds of lead characters in UK children’s television were male. Cartoons are largely responsible for presenting images

of gender that are somewhat stereotypical and traditional, examples of girlhood usually involving little ponies and supportive sidekicks. Recent CBeebies remake of Topsy and Tim caused a media stir, the show, supposedly updated for the 21st century, was slated for reinforcing outdated gender stereotypes (Topsy inside decorating princess cupcakes, Tim playing outside with his quad bikes).

The balance of male to female characters within Thomas & Friends may be somewhat outdated. However, the show is fun and has been enjoyed by generations of children for what it is - toy trains puffing through the jaunts of locomotive life. It has received praise from parents for its educational value and positive role models. The show is based on the storybooks of Wilbert Awdry, who was born in 1911. It is important to note that

Awdry was writing in a very different time period, inspired to write the Thomas books by adventures of his own childhood spent overlooking a railway tunnel.

Although there is truth behind Creagh’s claims, she is judging Awdry’s stories from the 20th century in relation to current social norms and gender standards. Thomas & Friends has been running for decades and it easy to see how in modern viewing, certain principles and standards of the show become old fashioned.

How much harm is Thomas the Tank Engine really doing to children’s perceptions of gender? It’s unlikely that Creagh will tackle the issue of the shortage of female train drivers through publicly criticising a children’s television show.

Hit Entertainment, which owns the rights to Thomas & Friends, recognised that there is a historical imbalance and in order to update it have announced female engines are in development. In this case it appears political correctness has got in the way of a simple children’s story.

Number 3: Pinky and the Brain (1995-1998)

Number 2: Rugrats (1991-2004)

Number 1: Pokemon (1997-Present)

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TWEET US: @YORKVISIONTV

THE HOUSE OF MOUSE MENACE

CALLUM SHANNON discusses the Disney takeover of the Star Ward franchise...

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hen Disney acquired the Star Wars franchise in 2012, many fans of the world’s most popular Sci-Fi mythos feared the worst, believing that the media corporation would turn their beloved epic saga into a laughing stock, complete with lightsaber wielding Micky Mouse.

So far, Disney haven’t done much to re-

assure fans that they’ll keep the magic of Star Wars safe. We all screamed “I told you so!!” when Disney announced that they would be creating a Star Wars themed version of their flagship children’s MMO Club Penguin (penguins, like Jar Jar Binks, do not belong in the Star Wars universe!), leaving fans worried about the upcoming movies, rightly so in my opinion.

However, and I say this with more than a hint of caution, Disney may just be on track to put the Star Wars fandom’s minds at ease with their new CGI animated series set to premier later this year, Star Wars Rebels.

Set in the 20 years between Episodes III and IV, an era thus far never explored on screen, Rebels will focus on the Galactic Empire’s crackdown on the few Jedi that survived Order 66 and the Rebel Alliance’s formation.

Very little about the series has been released yet but from what we’ve seen so far, both diehard fans and casual lovers of events that occurred a long time ago in a

galaxy far, far away have something to be excited about. The new darker storyline, more similar to the fight for survival atmosphere of the original trilogy coupled with a return of favourite characters should be enough to get fans to at least give the pilot episode a go and maybe think about forgiving Disney a bit if they don’t hate it. Fans of the previous animated show, The Clone Wars, have reason to be happy too after producer Dave Filoni announced that Asoka Tano (Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice) would feature in the series.

Personally I applaud Disney from moving away from the saturated Clone Wars era and back towards the pre-Galactic Civil War era, which with the notable exception of the Force Unleashed video game has been relatively unexplored. Rather than re-writing Star Wars history, I hope they can cre-

ate it in a relatively unexplored period in the Saga’s timeline.

I have every confidence that the hour long premier (set for later this year on the Disney Channel) will be well received: The Clone Wars premiered to a record number of viewers for its network, despite the movie it succeeded being slated by critics. It went on to get a regular three million viewers per episode, very impressive for a cartoon series. With Rebels being aired on the more watched Disney Channel and Disney XD, it has the scope to exceed this.

This show has the potential to make or break the new age of Disney Star Wars: if done badly it could alienate fans forever.

If done well, however, it could finally put worried Warsy minds at rest in anticipation of the upcoming sequel trilogy.

As a self-proclaimed Warsy myself, I await the upcoming series with an air of cautious optimism.

LOVE/HATE

RACHEL SEYMOUR and KATIE THOMAS dispute the merits of The O.C...

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ou can’t beat escapist television like The OC, a refreshing and addictive addition to the teen soap opera genre. What initially started as a guilty pleasure soon became genuine and the more I watched, I found myself becoming increasingly engaged in the plot.

An array of characters make up The OC, some of whom are brilliant. Others appear somewhat irrelevant, mainly Ryan and Marissa’s string of love interests and the Cohen’s extended family members, all of whom are irritating and stick around for much longer than necessary. However, you can’t help but root for The OC’s protagonists. For me the Cohen family and Julie Cooper are strong enough to maintain the momentum of the show as well as its popularity a decade on. Special mention to Rachel Bilson too, arguably the break-out star of the series.

You can always rely on an hour of The OC to be eventful. The show has abandoned the drawn out pacing of most soapy dramas; its episodes are fast paced and cover a lot of ground, always ending with a cliff-hanger.

The show also deserves credit for producing emotionally compelling musical moments. Creator Josh Schwartz has a knack for employing the right song at the right time and throughout the show, scenes are transformed due to strong music choices. Imogen Heap’s ‘Hide and Seek’ has created some unforgettable OC moments and Phantom Planet’s ‘California’ works perfectly as a catchy theme tune for the show.

Set in the favourable setting of sunny California, The OC should be taken for what it is, which is undeniably entertaining, trashy and fun.

Katie Thomas

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f you find enjoyment from television with unoriginal storylines, bad acting and a spoiled rich kids setting, you can rely on The OC to deliver all three.

The American teen drama series revolves around a group of friends growing up in Newport who are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is regarded as acceptable and responsible behaviour in a way that is not only predictable, but also very annoying.

With the exceptions of Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, it is difficult to warm to any of the cast, but one of the most irritating characters has to be Marissa Cooper, played by Mischa Barton. Marissa is the typical girl next-door character, queen of making poor decisions and bad choices, the consequences imposed on everyone around her. The character has a knack for making your blood boil. Although pretty enough, Mischa has a permanently stiff demeanour whilst delivering emotional dialogue and throughout The OC is something of a blank slate. Not only is she generally non-expressive as a performer, Marissa’s on-off relationship with Ryan Atwood (Benjamin Mckenzie), the love story christened by fans as ‘Ryissa’, that spans through the first three series of the show, lacks any form of chemistry and comes across as staged and unconvincing.

Like the majority of teen dramas, The OC will give you regular love triangles, a who’s-the-father baby scare, a lesbian ‘phase’ and alcoholism. The show comes hand in hand with clichéd plot lines, as well as minor situations and characters escalating before you know it to bulldoze full throttle through multiple episodes.

Rachel Seymour

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BOOKS WHAT’S ON MY KINDLE...

ZENA JARJIS Third year English and Related Literature student recommends her favourite books right now

BOSSYPANTS (Tina Fey) (Sphere) Tina Fey’s autobiography is the funniest book I’ve ever read. She writes about her childhood, her time as a member of famous improv group The Second City and what it was like being the first female head writer at Saturday Night Live.

Highlights of the book include her responses to critics, including “To say I’m an overrated troll, when you have never even seen me guard a bridge, is patently unfair.”

THE OCEAN FULL OF BOWLING BALLS (J.D. Salinger) (N/A)

NEW RELEASES: BEFORE THEY HIT THE SHELVES REBEKAH BOYLE @Rebekah_Katie When Mr Dog Bites tells the story of Dylan Mint, a sixteen year old Scottish boy. He goes to school, plays for the football team, hangs out with his best friend Amir, and fancies the pants off of his classmate Michelle Malloy.

Sounds pretty normal, right? Wrong. Dylan Mint also has Tourette’s. And he’s just found out he’s dying.

Surprisingly, there isn’t quite as much explicit language as I’d expect Conaghan to include when depicting a protagonist with Tourette’s, but it works. By holding back on the bad language, Dylan’s sudden outbursts are made all the more delicious. And yes, there are some very naughty words.

But Conaghan also treats his character with great sensitivity, tapping perfectly into the mindset of an angst-ridden teenager who is constantly trying to play it cool. Whilst amusing, Dylan’s letters to his father, who is away at war, are also very touching.

This is a very funny book. Conaghan weaves an enchanting tale that hooked me from the very beginning. Expect laughs every couple of pages. But whilst we’re smirking at the jokes, Conaghan also manages to slip a much more serious issue into the pic-

This hasn’t technically been published yet but it’s still available online. The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls was originally supposedly published in the 1940s but Salinger pulled out at the last minute. The story includes a letter sent from Catcher in the Rye protagonist Holden Caulfield to his younger brother, who is dead in the original novel.

ture – Dylan’s disgust at the racist attitudes of others towards his best friend Amir. This brings a certain rawness that lies beneath the surface of the comedy., and highlights the problems that still exist in our society today.

There is something shocking, and also very haunting, about seeing those words in print.

It seems that Conaghan is making a very serious point about the power of language with When Mr Dog Bites; it has the power to relieve, as it does for Dylan and Amir’s ticks, but equally language can hurt.

In spite of his mishaps and the rather horrid curse words that tumble out of his mouth every time he gets stressed, Dylan is a very relatable protagonist, and there is something incredibly endearing about his character. Perhaps it’s the fact that we know his time on planet earth is very limited, and we only have a small amount of time left to truly savour and appreciate him.

Dylan has already been compared to The Catcher in the Rye’s Holden Caulfield, but I saw something more reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange in Dylan’s tendency to slip into cockney rhyming slang, treating it as part of his own special language. Dylan

seems to have that same teenage sense of self-confidence, naïve innocence to the wider world around him, and desire to express his individuality that is so similar to Alex and his droogs.

In short, I really enjoyed reading this book. The story is told in a very personal, relaxed way and quickly lures us into Dylan’s mindset. It’s fresh. It’s modern. And somehow, it doesn’t feel the slightest bit pretentious. Conaghan is down with the kids, and he knows it.

Perhaps I’ll write my own ‘Cool Things To Do Before I Cack It’ list.

When Mr Dog Bites by Brian Conaghan (Bloomsbury) will be released on 16th January 2014.

IT’S A PUNDERFUL LIFE

THE NEVERENDING STORY Michael Ende (Puffin) The book is a lot better than the film, which Michael Ende reportedly hated. It was the first proper book I read as a child and I still absolutely love it now. It’s so underrated, which is a shame because it’s my favourite children’s fantasy novel.

Editor’s CHOICE

Image credit: Gemma Correll

You might have heard of Gemma Correll. She’s a pun-loving, pugloving writer and illustrator, and an internet sensation in her own right.

For one thing, she likes Wayne’s World. What’s not to love?

Her designs have already appeared on greeting cards, gifts and clothing, and following the success of her books A Pug’s Guide to Etiquette and A Pug’s Guide to Dating, she’s showing no signs of slowing down.

In February this year, she will release her next book, titled It’s a Punderful Life. And it doesn’t disappoint. The book is a collection of amusing cartoon illustrations packed with enough puns to brighten even the most disgruntled office worker’s Monday morning.

Trust us.

It almost puts you in mind of the days of The Book of Bunny Suicides or Selfish Pigs with the simplstic combination of cartoons and comedy. The images range from funny food and drink (so wonderfully demonstrated here by ‘A Cordial Invitation’), to cats cosying up on household items. And yes, there are pugs.

Understandably, a lot of eyes may be rolled at the concept of a book of puns. Not everyone is a fan. But there is something absolutely irresistable about Gemma’s fantastic work that is making us fall in head over heels in love with puns all over again. We challenge you to read it without cracking a smile.

Keep an eye out for ‘Nom de Plum’, already a firm favourite with the Vision Books Team.

It’s a Punderful Life

by Gemma Correll is published by Dog ‘n’ Bone and is available from www.rylandpeters. com Rebekah Boyle

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BOOKS A matter of rye: holden caulfield (And the iconoclastic protagonist who wasn’t on your school syllabus...)

SAMUEL BOWELL

@whoreofcorinth

F

ew texts epitomise adolescent reading habits as well as J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. A novel shrouded in mystique, itwidely regarded as one of the great prototypes of the coming-of-age novel, but you quite probably already knew that, having been prescribed it at one time or another by a former English teacher.

Since its publication, Salinger’s tale of disillusionment and temporary alienation has scandalised sensitive readers with its bold anti-authoritarian message whilst the protagonist of the novel, Holden Caulfield, has acquired a reputation as tantalisingly notorious as that of the book itself. Teenage everyman, boyish paragon of innocence and all-round carefully filleted soul, Caulfield is a compelling creation. But, considering the book’s reputation the quasi-profound whining of this pubescent misanthrope represents

a startlingly myopic coming-of-age experience: Caulfield is sheltered from all but the most trivially egocentric of angsts.

The American academic Louis Menard once suggested that the frequent appearance of The Catcher in the Rye on English syllabuses is due to the optimistic conclusion of Salinger’s narrative. It conveys the message that “alienation is just a phase”. As the primary theme of a coming-of-age narrative, this is superficial. Fashions have lasted longer than Holden Caulfield’s melancholy.

If Caulden is the teenage everyman, then Henry Chinaski, is the the teenage underdog.

The literary invention and thinly veiled alter ago of Charles Bukowski, a contemporary of Salinger, Henry Chinaski (part Gregor Samsa, part George Carlin), like Caulfield, has a youth overshadowed by feelings of alienation. But Chinaski is a young man born of immigrant parents who dream of assimilating to the middle-class ideals of the American way of life during the Depression. Chinaski himself dreams of acts of heroism and grandiose romanticism. In reality his parents are content with a cycle of drudgery and he is

socially withdrawn and disfigured by acne.

For Henry Chinaski alienation is not merely a phase, it is a full-time occupation and, when he eventually becomes a writer, a salaried one.

Yet despite the reality of his unenviable life, the distinction between Chinaski and Caulfield is that Chinaski is in no way selfpitying. What might otherwise be a trashy, even lurid chronicle of adolescence is transformed into an empathetic narrative by forceful, sincere prose made poignant by the roman á clef elements of the book. That Ham on Rye isn’t widely assigned coming-of-age literature is probably in part a consequence of the poverty of critical attention that Bukowski’s novels have received and in part a hesitation to associate with the dirty old man of 20th century American letters.

Unfortunately, Bukowski’s cult status ensures the preservation of a “’burp, cough, fart, #@%*’ Hey, Bukowski just said something, let’s write it down” mentality by a following of adoring self-professed barflies, but Ham on Rye is nevertheless one of the rough diamonds of modern American literature.

SCene recommends: top 5 epistolary novels T

he epistolary novel; a complicated word for a simple and often more enthralling than expected form of fiction. It’s the type we bookworms love to curl up with when it’s cold outside. You access the story via a series of documents, be they (less conventionally) emails, radio sessions or (more traditionally) the old-fashioned letter. This device heightens the impression of realism to give the reader an illusion of real people and real life – perfect for the committed escapists among us! Here are our top 5 recommendations...

THE COLOR PURPLE

by ALICE WALKER

A beautiful, heartbreaking and sometimes violent novel which brilliantly evokes America’s Deep South back in the 1930’s (censorship panels have been known to have a problem with this story). Celie writes in the vernacular in her letters to God and her sister, the only means by which she is able to express herself and her despair.

EVELINA

by FRANCES BURNEY

This wonderful eighteenth century novel captures the journey of a naive eighteenthcentury girl as she makes the transition from the innocence of home to the sophistication and dangers of the pleasures of Georgian London, and charts her correspondence with the adopted father of her idyllic youth... check out Samuel Richardson for works from the same era.

FROM E TO YOU

by CHRIS D’LACEY and LINDA NEWBERY

This one comes with a major twist. It’s told in entirety in the format of emails between a girl and a boy, Annabelle and Guy. Interestingly, it was written spontaneously as a result of emails batting to and forth between the coauthors. Best of all, Chris D’Lacey studied at our very own University of York.!

ELIZABETH 1st COLLECTED WORKS

#NewYearReads Did Santa leave you a book in your Christmas stocking? What are you looking forward to reading this January?

Jack Gevertz @imjackyeah Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time #NewYearReads

Tri_Northern @trinort04 the fault in our stars by john green #newyearreads going to go on to Game of Thrones and Murakami #NewYearReads

edited by LEAH MARCUS

Okay, not strictly fiction, but Bess’s letters make for fascinating reading as you are drawn in to discover the mythical political workings of the Virgin Queen’s actual correspondence. It offers an incredible insight into her psyche and lets you actually experience history as it happened.

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

by STEPHEN CHBOSKY

Set in the nineties, a teen goes by the name of Charlie and addresses his letters to an anonymous stranger. It tells the story of his introverted adolescence and how he navigates his freshman years in a high school in Pittsburgh.

‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’, like ‘The Color Purple’ has also been challenged a fair few times on the American Library Association’s list, suggesting the epistolary form to be a subversive, intriguing form at

least and at best a vehicle for protest and expression.

Maddi Howell

Callum Shannon @callum_ shannon

Ken Follet Edge of Eternity

Tweet us @yorkvisionbooks

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Technology

Top tech tweet of the week:

International CES @intlCES

5 Jan

Global tablet sales will reach 430 mil in 2014; smartphones reach 1.2 billion; prices come down across both categories #CES2014

Does Nintendo Need To Grow Up? A popular accusation leveled at Nintendo is that they rarely bring out any ‘new’ games. This may just be a remark to aggravate fanboys or a genuine comment on the state of the company’s popularity outside of its loyal admirers.

Many recent first-party releases fit this argument, this year’s The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD for the Wii U was simply a graphical enhancement of an older game, as was the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the 3DS in 2011. The Super Mario franchise, in both its 2D and 3D incarnations remains a constant fallback for Nintendo to boost console sales, for example, the recent Super Mario 3D Land for 3DS and Super Mario 3D World for Wii U. Admittedly some of these titles have been truly groundbreaking, such as Ocarina of Time when it was first released in 1998, and others have come to be seen as pinnacles of their genre such as Super Mario Galaxy. The dominant games for Nintendo consoles today are from series that are decades old, containing the same characters and plotlines.

This could be a sign of a company whose outlook is still stuck in the childhoods of the past.

It can be argued that an unwillingness to change this formula is not evident in Nintendo alone, with the now annual releases of instalments of Activision’s Call of Duty and Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchises.

It has become an industry standard to exploit popular series as cash cows leaving less room for new IPs (Intellectual Property). However there have been some exceptions, for example Naughty Dog, who restricted their massively successful Uncharted series to a trilogy. They then releasing a new IP in the form of The Last of Us, receiving an equal amount of critical ac-

claim. Contrastingly, after 2007’s Halo 3 was thought to be the last in a trilogy, Microsoft announced the beginning of the new Reclaimer trilogy in 2011. Original developer Bungie, however, has a new First-Person Shooter, Destiny, slated for release in September and is anticipated to be a dramatic shift to a MMO set-up rather than a restrictive ‘corridor’ style FPS. Owners of the two most recent Nintendo home consoles, the Wii and Wii U only have access to a meagre selection of cross platform third party games due to their technical limitations. Yet these limitations, were part of a business strategy to attract nongamers into buying their consoles due to a relative level of affordability and usability. This strategy made the company rich, with sales of the Wii eclipsing the Xbox 360 and PS3. Yet this success has not continued with the Wii U. The console has garnered sales of less than 4 million units since its release in November 2012, very poor compared to the figure of 20 million managed by the Wii in the same amount of time. This also adds to the conclusion by some people in the industry that Nintendo is echoing the decline of its once rival, Sega. After the sales failure of its Dreamcast console in 2001, Sega had to restructure itself as a thirdparty developer and never to make a console again.

One could argue, however, there are key differences between Sega then and Nintendo today. Sega couldn’t compete with Sony’s PlayStation 2. Nintendo, with a strong fan loyalty to its first party content and its ability to find a gap in the market with the Wii, has been able to continue producing consoles. The problem is for how long?

Barto Joly de Lotbiniere

Most Anticipated Games of 2014

SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH Trey Parker and Matt Stone joins forces with RPG giants Obsidian - 3 April 2014.

TITANFALL An explosive mix of parkour, FPS and mechs - 3 November 2014.

MARIO KART 8 The King of all kart-racers returns, for the first time in HD - Q2 2014.

The Decline of Handheld Gaming The release of Sony’s new handheld console and successor to the PSP, the PlayStation Vita in 2012 set the new benchmark in portable gaming. Boasting a stunning OLED touchscreen, dual analog control and two cameras at a reasonable price, many thought the device would do well.

Instead, current sales figures are lagging behind even Nintendo’s troubled Wii U console (see above).

Admittedly, sales for Nintendo’s most recent handheld iteration, the 3DS, are performing much better with 35 million units sold compared to the Vita’s 4 million. This is probably due to Nintendo’s unrivalled first-party support, evident in the boost given to sales with the release of the latest installment of the Pokémon franchise, X and Y. The company has had to back down from its centerpiece 3D technology to a more affordable 2D system, which has also proved successful. One might consider this situation to be the same since the early

nineties with the release of the original Game Boy. Children are playing handheld games using traditional portable gaming devices, mostly made by Nintendo. Yet the seemingly staggering 250 million lifetime sales figures for all the Pokémon games appears paltry compared to the nearly 2 billion downloads enjoyed by Rovio’s Angry Birds series.

What these numbers show is that the childhood experience of dusting out game cartridges, straining

your eyes while staring at a tiny screen all day and swapping pocket monsters is now a thing of the past.

Now the must-have device for most kids is a smartphone, where most games retail for around a pound.

The quality of these games may be in many cases poorer than on traditional portable platforms. Yet they are accessible, and therefore mobile games remain the majority of market share in portable gaming. A larger amount of parents are allowing their children to play games on their phones or tablets, saving themselves from spending more cash on other devices that in their eyes only play games. What is the solution to Sony and Nintendo’s quickly disappearing consumer base, especially in Europe and North America? Simply develop for the App Store and Google Play Store; Nintendo are deluding themselves by staunchly refusing to port its games to mobile devices.

Barto Joly de Lotbiniere

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Throwback Theatre “Like/retweet/reblog/share this if you’re a 90s kid!”

Such is the oft-repeated mantra springing up all over social media these days. The repetition has gone on to the point of being horribly irritating – we can’t get away from it even if we tried – but somehow they still do get those likes/shares etc. And why? Because that decade was, of course, the home of our childhood.

Nostalgia and fond memories of easier times gone by have always been a popular source of enjoyment for people of all ages, and so of course, our generation is no different.

Simply put, we just always derive some sort of a warm and fuzzy glow from seeing or experiencing something that we associate with being young and carefree. So much so that people on the Internet do feel that urge to spread pictures reminding each other of how wonderful childhood was. And it is in a way similar to this that the world of the stage can capitalise wonderfully on people’s needs to fulfil the yearnings of their inner child.

Children’s stories are certainly no stranger to the

stage, with titles such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda taking the West End by storm, as well as The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe entertaining audiences further afield on Broadway.

York’s own Theatre Royal has productions such as Peter and the Wolf being performed at a regular basis and largely for audiences who want to see these productions for themselves, and not necessarily for the enjoyment of any young relatives. The sheer amount of adult tickets sold for this type of performance is in itself a testament to their remaining popularity, even (or perhaps particularly) as people grow older.

The never-declining popularity of Pantomime as a genre is yet another example of nostalgic audiences flocking to a performance; not only are pantomimes’ stories almost entirely consisting of retellings of popular children’s stories and fairy tales, but the genre itself is a familiar enough factor to reel people in. There’s nothing quite like sitting in a theatre seat next to an elderly couple who are falling about in stitches at the she-

nanigans onstage, recalling memories of how exciting it used to be to shout up at the characters onstage and have them respond.

That delight of breaking the fourth wall for the first time as a child is something that does seem purely magical at the time, and makes for glowing memories.

The feelings that draw us towards these types of performances do, however, often serve as something of a smokescreen in terms of the actual quality of a performance. If you feel all glowy and happy at reliving an aspect of your youth, does that actually make it a good performance? Well, probably not. In fact, some people would probably say that the idea of taking pantomime or children’s tales as a serious theatrical form is ridiculous.

But that’s not what matters. If you manage to get an adult excited just by recognising the name of an upcoming production from a long distant memory, I’d say you’ve succeeded with your choice of performance already. If buying a ticket to such a show is buying a ticket for a two-hour trip down sunny memory lane, you’d be mental not to go for it.

Nadine Garbett

For your termly dose of nostalgia, PantSoc’s production of Cinderella from Thursday to Saturday this week is sure to bring memories rushing back with a great new spin on the well-loved tale.

Neverland’s Trapdoor Childhood nostalgia and its association with the theatre stretches beyond this “90’s kid” craze and life in 2014. It is more than theatre company exploitation of our desire to relive and be reminded of more youthful times, more than our association between reenactments of fairytale classics and our childhood. Nostalgia for the past is often designed and written into the plots of our favourite works used in theatre.

Roald Dahl’s children’s stories and their romanticism of childhood continue to be popular choices for theatre companies. So much so, that in the wake of the success of both Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on the West End, What’sOnStage conducted an online poll to ascertain which of these childhood favourites audiences would like to see “get a musical makeover next”. Childhood nostalgia in such productions is two-fold: the audience delight in the journey back down memory lane prompted by these familiar titles; on another level, however, Dahl himself was addressing childhood nostalgia in the narratives.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory depicts the eccentric Willy Wonka, living in an unreal, colourful, fantastical world – seeking and trusting in children, rather than adults, as potential guardians of his factory. Whilst on the surface his life is full of fun and magic, there is something sad and sinister about Wonka’s distance from reality, his affinity with and perhaps desire to be a child again. Matilda, too, celebrates the power, strength and magic to be found in just one

little girl, within a world of predominantly cruel and untrustworthy adults.

The Dickens classic, Oliver Twist, is also an immensely popular choice in theatre, garnering great success both on and off the West End. The title character is the hero and moral compass of the novel. He stands glorified and juxtaposed against the corruption and criminality he is surrounded by – a more tragic Matilda, perhaps. Each author’s work conveys to audiences across the nation ideals of childhood innocence and purity, and through Willy Wonka’s character, the strain to hold onto the joyful and carefree days of the past.

Here in York, the Grand Opera House recently commissioned a run of Peter Pan, A Musical Adventure. J M Barrie’s original play, Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, debuted in London theatre as early as 1904. Peter Pan is portrayed as a fearless adventurer, but is terrified of growing up and becoming a man. He evades the responsibilities and troubles of adult life, inhabiting an idealistic childhood dream world. Despite recent comic re-workings of the famous story for pantomime, lead actor in York’s 2013 production, Jed Berry, told The Press: “It’s a darker story than most people realise with a very sad ending for Peter Pan, who’s not able to deal with growing up.”

Whilst there is great joy in nostalgia associated with theatre adaptations of our favourite childhood tales, there is a darker side to many of their messages. Willy Wonka, Matilda, Oliver and Peter Pan all share in their characterisation a distancing from, and lack of identification with, much of the adult world around them. The creators of each character now beloved in our theatres romanticised the innocence and charm of childhood and children.

This winter, Sam Mendes’ production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reported recordbreaking ticket sales on the West End. Perhaps this is merely the mark of a successful cast and production: but it is indicative of an era of continued and renewed participation in a wistful wanderlust for a rose-tinted past.

Charlie Benson

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S P OT L I G H T: C H A S E & S TAT U S

The bright lights of the UK electronic scene chat to Milo Boyd...

“W

e get in the studio and are very open minded when making music – if it sounds good, go for it; don’t be defined by a genre but instead focus on what is good about a track.”

This beautiful, soundbitadble pearl of wisdom, despite perhaps being a little prompted by some insistent journalistic pigeonholing, could well be Chase & Status’ mantra.

Composed of Manchester student friends Saul Milton and Will Kennard, Chase & Status have just finished touring the British Isles with a form of dance music as conceptually fluid as it is forceful. With fistfuls of awards, platinum certificates and production credits for Snoop Dogg and Rihanna, it seems to be going over okay.

This success was by no means always a done deal. Forming in the mid nineties and equipped with little more than a love of drum & bass and a front living room, the circumstances of their artistic birth could belong to innumerable humanity students with too few contact hours. Yet Milton and Kennard are two of a very select bunch who have managed to convert this feverish enthusiasm into feverish music and drum & bass crossover success unprecedented beyond Pendulum. Whether this came from an unrivalled technical understanding of their art, the combination of an untouchable sense of humour and rage or a ear pressed firmly to the ground, it happened with ‘More Than Alot’. And then again with ‘No More Idols’. The challenge now is to keep it going.

In a genre fired by ardent purists, the kind of purists who won them the BBC 1Xtra Drum & Bass single award for ‘In Love’, this is no mean feat. Although now well into its third decade and boasting Mercury Award winning artist Roni Size and late night Radio One regulars and mainstream flirters like Andy C, drum & bass is a musical movement that inspires fierce loyalty from a still partly obscured underground. The ability to satiate the die hard electronic maniacs whilst producing a commercially viable brand is one lost on bass plunderers like Skrillex, who’s fall from critical grace was even swifter than his ascent. Milton is forthright about the challenge: if you build it, and you believe it, they will come. Their Glastonbury slot last summer pays testament to this notion.

“We get in the studio and are very open minded when making music – if it sounds good, go for it; don’t be defined by a genre but instead focus on what is good about a track.”

“We feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to play some real career defining slots, like the headline slot on the Other Stage at Glastonbury this summer. It is something childhood dreams are made of ! It feels good to be able to play at festivals which are very rock orientated – as you mention, we played the main stage at Download Festival last year, and the main stage at Reading Festival this year, and it’s great to see crowds reacting well to the show, and going crazy, despite us being worried that they wouldn’t get the music. At the end of the day, people go to festivals to hear great music, have a good time, and also to discover new music – I think people are much more open minded towards music now compared to even a few years ago, and people aren’t so concerned with genres.”

Whether it is this acceptance that saw Chase & Status avoid the unbalanced crowd spread of Glastonbury’s 2000 Basement Jaxx/Bowie clash or simply the irresistible balls out nature of their music, Milton argues such acceptance it is not just a British phenomenon. Despite little Billboard luck, last year saw the duo successfully grace American shores for a second time.

“We’ve played some really big US festivals such as Electric Daisy Carnival and Ultra Music Festival, both DJ’ing and with our live show, and we’ve always had a really great reception and had a really good time. The US dance music scene undoubtedly has it’s differences from the UK scene

but that’s the case for any genre really. I do think it’s good that dance music is becoming much more accepted over in the US though.”

This good time is not just one felt from the position of centre stage, lasers and adored brain-children crashing over their shoulders, but throughout the crowd. Last year Timeout enthused over the eclectic breadth of a Hiro Ballroom set, noting with glee how the roof was blown and kept off by a mix of grime, reggae and jungle. Despite the general convergence of Anglo/American electronic tastes, the successful exportation of genres of music last heard in a Croydon dockyard cannot be overlooked. Although this must be primarily attributed to musical brilliance, Chase & Status’ ability to collaborate and produce with artists already substantiated in the American market goes a long way in explaining their pan-Atlantic palatability. The move away from the eminently British feel of No More Idols, a record featuring Plan B and Dizzie Rascal, with ‘Brand New Machine’, was a conscious one.

“At the end of the day, people go to festivals to hear great music, have a good time, and also to discover new music – I think people are much more open minded towards music now compared to even a few years ago, and people aren’t so concerned with genres.”

“I think it’s probably more just that we’d spent a lot of time travelling, to the US, Australia, Europe – all over really.

We wanted that to come across with this album, whereas No More Idols we focussed on it feeling very British, we wanted

to broaden it out a bit with Brand New Machine.

This breadth is not only seen on a roster including American giants Pusha T and Major Laser, but in the innumerable musical styles conquered under their names. From the opening jilted-stepped darkness of ‘Gun Metal Grey’ to the house infused ‘Deeper Devotion’, ‘Brand New Machine’ is a flex of Milton and Kennard’s substantial musical muscles. It pays testament to the pair that this not only avoids sounding self-indulgent to British ears, but translates into Hindi. “It was amazing actually. We were treated very well and the Indian crowds were really up for it and seemed to have a great time.”

“It’s pretty special….and addictive.

It makes you want to do it more.”

As fun as it is to crush yourself into a Chase & Status mosh pit and internally lose your shit with a pair of big head phones, their back catalogue and a walk to the shops, the enthusiasm that radiates from the pair suggests the best position is the one on stage. Although this is a dream beyond most of us, Milton is candid about how it feels to stand in the heart of your creation and waves of adoration.

“It’s pretty special….and addictive. It makes you want to do it more. Headlining the Other Stage at Glastonbury was definitely a stand out moment, as was playing to a sold out crowd at London’s O2 earlier this month. London is our hometown so we had all of our friends and family there to watch. It was a pretty amazing moment.”

With the decks locked away and MC Rage put into storage for the season, fans will either have to wait to share in this magic or head over to the duo’s record label MTAan emerging franchise boasting the likes of Moko, Louis M^ttrs, Knytro, Josh Butler, Kove and Moodygood. If this is still not enough, dust off your record player, turn up the bass and jump around like a twat to ‘End Credits’. Just don’t blush. Music this joyous deserves our clenched fisted, shame free adoration.