Culture & Literature – Page 33 of 37

28Jan

By Thomas McDonaldNo Comments

The Joys of a young Artist

With the hard economic climate, it is unsurprising that funding for the Arts has been dwindling. Personally, as a young film-maker, I have watched with worry as funding for great companies such as the BFI deplete. The BFI have also taken away their internship programme, with it being found that interns were being given the workload of paid workers, without the pay, which many saw as exploitation. Moves like this bring worry for young people hoping to make it, as they see potential avenues start to disappear. It becomes even more infuriating when the lack of help being offered by government institutions is viewed first hand. A few months ago I, as part of a production by the Film Festival Society, got in contact with Brighton council about getting a permit to film there. I stated that we...

28Jan

By Thomas McDonaldNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Has Peter Jackson done a “George Lucas”?

In 1998 George Lucas was adored. The news of the prequels created unfettered joy and excitement, a chance to be brought back to the wonderment of their childhood. Now Lucas is not much more than the butt of jokes, seen in the “George Lucas Edition” of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer. Exactly the same, just now filled with endless CGI characters everywhere. The joke is from a quote where Lucas said how CGI allowed him to make every frame of the prequels “dense”. In his pursuit of density all Lucas succeeded in was filling each frame with needless CGI, ruining the tone and making the film feel soulless and fake. Lucas’ error was believing CGI was brilliance in itself, not simply a means to an end. He wasn’t using it for a reason, just using it because he could. He also looked to ...

28Jan

By Rosie Cranie-HiggsNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

I’m A Celebrity: An Experience Regretted

On the 7th December, a most undesirable event befell me. I had the misfortune of seeing, for the first time, the abomination that is I’m A Celebrity. It so happened to be the final, which, helpfully or unhelpfully, provided a recap of the whole series - meaning I was presented not only with the most recent trials, such as the consumption of unappetising parts of both camel and ostrich, but with a horrific past instance of a contestant drinking deer’s blood. I had heard a great deal about this show prior to seeing it, of course. It is extremely difficult to avoid, what with the painful media focus on bikini bodies and jungle flirtations, and the fact that it seems to dominate headlines throughout the few weeks of its run. What I had not realised, however, was the sheer depravity of it. D...

28Jan

By Elisabeth CarltonNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Music

Music to Look Out For 2015

2015 is looking to become a year of music revival, with new talent entering the music scene and some classic bands emerging from retirement to remind the public what they have been missing out on. New names such as James Bay, winner of the Brits Critics award, Atlanta native Raury, and Nottingham born Indiana are set to take their genres by storm. With his lustrous locks and stripped back performances, Bay is a front runner for folk inspired music, his sound rivalling fellow Irish folk band, Kodaline, who are planned to drop their second album soon. Raury is making news and changing hip-hop with the cool vibes of a rebellious teenager, collaborating with SBTRKT and The Neighbourhood, Raury is bound to be a force to be reckoned with in both hip-hop and beyond. Indiana has moved from Notti...

28Jan

By Harry BrownNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

The Top 5 Greatest and Most Disappointing Films of 2014

The film industry had its fair share of tragedies and scandals in 2014. The losses of talents such as Robin Williams, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Harold Ramis in devastatingly quick succession, while the recent Sony Pictures hacking and the following cancellation of The Interview’s release has set a troubling precedent. On the brighter side though, the sheer number of quality releases was staggering. With that said, my top five films of the year! 5. Locke (Steven Knight) One incredibly hard film to recommend, Locke is simply 85 minutes of Tom Hardy talking to people on his phone in a car. It might sound boring but it quickly becomes clear how engrossing this character’s struggle is, combined with Hardy’s best acting to date. 4. The Raid 2 (Gareth Evans) The most precise and dynamic ...

28Jan

By Takudzwa Coco MajariNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

The Theory and Art of How to Get Away With Murder

As a dedicated consumer of television series it is always an exciting prospect when a new, well-acted and edgy show is introduced. In this case it is even more exciting when it is produced by the powerhouse that is "Shondaland". Producer and writer Shonda Rhimes is the brains behind some of what I consider to be the best shows to ever hit TV, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal - and most recently the new series "How to Get Away with Murder". Known for her innovative ways her shows feature powerful, strong and kickass women, she does not shy away from showing women as multifaceted beings with desires and goals that go far beyond successful careers and marriage. HTGAWM has been for me by far the most engaging show from this producer as it has three of my favourite things in TV: a diverse cast, strong,...

28Jan

By Abi TurnerNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Swan Lake

Swan Lake- Theatre Royal Windsor Elegance, precision, tenderness, ecstasy, beauty, terror… Just a few words that come to mind when someone mentions Swan Lake, but how close to tradition can one stay before the conventional is challenged? Sawn Lake tells the story of Prince Siegfried’s love for the Swann Queen Odette; they battle against the evil sorcerer, Rothbart, and face a fearful encounter with the manipulative Odile. A tragic tale of true love that binds two people together in the face of evil requires perfectionism and emotional engagement, which is ballet in a nutshell. The acclaimed Vienna Festival Ballet Company brought the traditional ballet to Windsor in November however, the anticipated charm of this Christmas classic was altered. The dancers unarguably were incredibly t...

28Jan

By No Comments

Culture & Literature

“Help Conserve This Lovely Theatre”

At the start of the (much anticipated) break, my family and I upheld our long standing tradition of going to a Pantomime. As with many other families in Britain, this is tradition for us- it simply wouldn’t be Christmas without “He’s behind you!” This year however we made a change in our venue. Normally, we would go to Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre, as it has a large 1,200 seat auditorium and attracts names such as Stephen Mulhern and Gareth Gates-but this year we decided to explore the local pantomime scene and therefore booked seats at the Theatre Royal, a small yet relatively well-known theatre in Margate. Having been to this theatre many times before for various events, we immediately went on a “name hunt”, as theatre-goers can sponsor a seat and have their name or a message engraved...

28Jan

By Emma JefferyNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV, Theatre & Performance

Funny Girls

In recent years there has been a visible surge in the popularity of female comedians, seemingly in correlation with a rise in the awareness of feminism. Their presence on prime-time comedy shows is increasingly noticeable, and rightly so; there is some serious talent which needs to be televised. Dated attitudes such as "she's funny… for a woman" are thankfully fading, as is the distinction between male and female comics. More and more, comedians are appreciated for their wit and creativity, regardless of gender. Despite the excellent progression of women in the comedy business, they are still greatly outnumbered in their field. Upon reflection, I have assembled a list of those who I consider to most greatly embody female success in the industry. So without further ado; here are three of m...

28Jan

By Jordan ThorneNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Cheap Theatre- a How-to!

Theatre in London is becoming more accessible for students on a budget and cheap tickets can even be purchased on the day of performances. The TKTS booth in Leicester Square sells tickets for many popular West End shows on the day with special deals and half price discounts. Another option is to go to the theatre’s box office when it opens to queue for day seats which are reserved tickets at a considerable discount, often selling at £10 to £20 a ticket. If you want to book tickets in advance before trekking to London, rehearsals and previews of West End shows before their main run are more likely to sell tickets at a discounted rate or even for free! £15 Mondays at Trafalgar Transformed proved such a success for Jamie Lloyd’s productions in 2013 that the scheme has been reintroduced for h...