Tuesday, June 23Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Film & TV

26Nov By Thomas McDonaldNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Its Shaken, and a Little Stirred.

When Skyfall came out two years ago, many hailed it as the best ever Bond film, an argument supported by its massive box office takings and two Oscars. It was announced that the two films left on Craig's Bond contract after Skyfall would form a 'two-parter', helmed by Sam Mendes to be released in 2014 and 2015. However, after the initial excitement, production got pushed back. Mendes decided he wanted a break from film to return to the stage, and the idea of a back-to-back release was scrapped. Bond 24 is now expected to be released October 23rd 2015, with John Logan currently working on the script, and Sam Mendes now back on the project as director. On the surface it sounds good; consistency from the last film. Surely the same writer, director and star can put together another great fi...
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26Nov By Thomas McDonaldNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Mr. Turner

Mike Leigh has been an omnipresent figure in the British film industry over the last 30 years, telling stories about real people, living real lives. There are no far off universes, no space travel, no mechanised monsters here. To have had such continuous success with the ability to touch the audiences with their day-to-day emotions, making them sympathise and say “yes, that is what my life is like” while also holding a mirror up to society, is a true triumph. It is no surprise therefore that, even at the age of 71, there is no slowing Leigh down as he delivers another brilliant picture about real people. But this time, this character actually IS real, in the form of one of our countries best ever artists, Turner. But to say Leigh delivers us the story of Turners life, isn’t particularly...
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2Nov By Harry CrawfordNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Wild at the BFI London Film Festival

Gather round film-lovers, for it’s that time of year again - yes, the BFI London Film Festival is back! It saddens me to say that I did not get the chance to see this year’s prime starlets, (Mr Turner, Foxcatcher and The Imitation Game spring to mind) but all is not lost. 'Wild' has crept below many people’s radars, even my own. I can blame the marketing campaign as much as I like but I should have known better. This is director Jean-Marc Vallée’s second film of 2014, and the first, 'Dallas Buyers Club', was outstanding, landing two Oscars. Is 'Wild' another Academy contender? Based on Cheryl Strayed’s similarly titled memoir, 'Wild' focuses on her hike along the Pacific Crest Trail in the mid-nineties. Years of reckless behaviour as a drug and sex addict, kickstarted by the untimely de...
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2Nov By Michelangelo FanoNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Gone to the Movies – Gone Girl

Having sold over 2 million copies, it is fair to say the adaptation of the book 'Gone Girl' was going to come with a fair bit of anticipation. Similar to Fincher's previous film, 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo', there was plenty of pressure coming from fans of a much beloved book to get this story right. As stylish and brilliantly made as 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' was, it lacked the grit that the story, and the original Swedish adaptation, had that made it so good. There was a sense that Fincher didn’t feel truly passionate about the project, resulting in a stunningly made, if somewhat hollow film. In many ways, 'Gone Girl' is similar, with it failing to scale the heights of Fincher's early masterpieces 'Fight Club', 'Se7en' or 'Zodiac'. However, it seems Fincher has had more fun...
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1Nov By Michelangelo FanoNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

We’re all falling for Wingman

Ever found yourself way out of your depth, falling so fast you barely even felt the ground as it slipped from underneath you? Ever wished that the person you fell for would, somehow, also be the one to catch you? Ever felt the pinch of Cupid’s arrow as it hits you on your – ahem – derrière and known, almost instantaneously, that you were in trouble… Us too. When Cupid lands on a university campus, he has only one thing on his mind – earning back his wings. He soon finds out that his one, single, tiny mistake isn’t so small after all and he has a whole lot more to learn about falling in love than he could have possibly imagined. Wingman is the SURHUL Film Festival society’s latest project. In collaboration with RhubarbTv, the project is a six week long web-series set to be aired ea...
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29Oct By Michelangelo FanoNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

BFI – Debate in Film.

‘Debate; Riveting films that amplify, scrutinise, argue and surprise.’ Open your eyes. Are you an individual, or a collective? Are you an opinion, or ideology? Do you care? Perhaps not. So often we are party to a single vision, and see only a single side of a coin. As an academic, university student body, we are all striving to open our minds beyond our own ideas and attempting to get an understanding of all the facts presented to us. After all these efforts, we are still likely to return comfortably to our old seats in our cultural surroundings. For all its entertainment value, film is often marginalised to the glamour, high production values, special effects and emphatic scripts of Hollywood. Fed by Americanisms, impartiality is difficult, and it is tempting to all lean in one directi...
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29Oct By Michelangelo FanoNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Basically BFI

It’s October time yet again, and in the English film industry that means one thing: Hollywood is once again coming to London in the guise of the BFI London Film Festival. While not quite holding the same reputation as other festivals such as Cannes, Venice or Sundance, it has still become a core date in the film calendar, and gives the chance for two, or three weeks to see some of Hollywood's biggest stars here in London. This year’s festival opens with a homegrown number - 'The Imitation Game' - starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the famous Alan Turing, meaning anyone around Leicester Square on the 8th has the chance to spot Sherlock Holmes himself, Kiera Knightly, and Royal Holloway alumnus Mark Strong all in the flesh. However, it’s the festivals closing film which will really see Holl...
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29Oct By Michelangelo FanoNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV, Music

Hans Zimmer Revealed

There have been a handful of film composers whose scores have entered the public consciousness, becoming more than just scores but rather an entrenched part of modern culture. Hans Zimmer is one such composer, and on the 10th and 11th of October, he hosted performances of his work in London. He walked on stage to instant applause, picking up a banjo to pluck away the score to the recent Sherlock films, clearly using the opportunity to live out his dreams of being a rock star. He then introduced the score to Crimson Tide, mentioning how Tony Scott was the man who brought him to Hollywood for the first time. It seemed like a way for him to thank and honour the now tragically deceased Scott, a touching and subtle moment which made the lengthy playing of the superb, bombastic score that much ...
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18Aug By Laura DenhamNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV, Theatre & Performance

Summer Arts in London

These were some of our top tips for things to do and see around London over the summer! Did you attend one of these, or know someone who did? We'd love to hear how they went, so please contribute an article to either Vincent or Lukas, the Arts Editors, and tell us about your experience! We'd love to know if our tip-offs were useful! The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable     With award winning production company Punchdrunk, the NT brings you the epitome of immersive theatre experiences. Lose yourself, literally, in four floors of a transformed London postal warehouse in this production that shows you the underside of 1960s Los Angeles. Running until 6th July, this production gives you the complete freedom to explore some of theatres most exciting work. Running until July 6th From £25. Stude...
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24Feb By Laura DenhamNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Film Reviews: ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ and ‘American Hustle’

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug I do not like fantasy films… There, I said it. Then why am I reviewing this film, you ask? Regardless of my tastes, I know a good film when I see one. The original trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, was stunning, and deserved its colossal Oscar haul. The plot, for me, was the key: Peter Jackson took a fantasy story, and made it entertaining for everyone; not only was there quality in the script, but also in the acting and the direction of photography. What most people were wondering was whether Jackson could repeat those same feats. The first instalment in the Hobbit trilogy, An Unexpected Journey, was a good start, introducing us effectively to this prequel world and its characters. The Desolation of Smaug, however, had to up the ante. We find the characte...
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