Friday, March 29Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Author: Kianna Best

Mummy, Daddy, I’m a star!
Features, Film & TV, News

Mummy, Daddy, I’m a star!

It’s undeniable that in any industry, who you know is the ultimate foot in the door. The film industry takes the cake. With opportunities passed through word of mouth, and swanky soirée conversations becoming the new elevator pitch, is it really about working harder or smarter? Looking to break into the film industry is proving to be harder than ever. For those who can’t attend prestigious performance art schools or don’t end up on the list for fancy film parties, dreams are shattered and talent is squandered. Whilst networking is a  helpful tool to put yourself out there, beyond how you’re viewed on paper, it can be dangerous territory, especially as exclusivity gets added to the mix.  When I was younger and an absolute musical theater fanatic, I went to the Sylvia Young ...
The Remake Rotation : Why Hollywood Hopped on the Remake, Reboot and Reimagination Roundabout
Film & TV

The Remake Rotation : Why Hollywood Hopped on the Remake, Reboot and Reimagination Roundabout

Getty Images/Neal Preston Does anyone ever crave that feeling of seeing a movie for the first time? Crave the moment when you first plonk down into the seat that will hold you captive for the next two hours, snacks in hand and drink secured next to you? Ever want to feel that undeniable anticipation of watching the plot unravel, twist, heighten right before your eyes? Well, with the current way that Hollywood is moving, those iconic first time experiences are becoming less exciting and more so like a groundhog day rotation. Somewhere between sweet nostalgia and a painful game of deja-vu, Hollywood’s recent remake culture offers each generation their own experiences with the same film. But where does it end? Wonka’s a recent example; My cousin’s version of Willy Wonka will be a brood...
Say his name: how Candyman’s sharp social commentary exposes the horrors of reality 
Features, Film & TV

Say his name: how Candyman’s sharp social commentary exposes the horrors of reality 

Nowhere near as sweet as he sounds, the urban legend of Candyman is rooted in the bitter realities of racism at the hands of white supremacy, birthing a monster and personifying the terrors of oppression. Arguably ahead of its time, the origins of the frightful hook handed menace stem from the realities of a history not so long ago, placing the slasher film and systemic racism alongside each other to induce the greatest levels of fear.  The son of slaves and a product of the sinister consequences of the Jim Crow era, Bernard Rose’s Candyman (1992) places on the big screen the constantly perpetuated message that the Black man must be feared. Told from the perspective of graduate student Helen Lyle, the motivations of the Cabrini-Green bogeyman are touched upon but fall back to the ...