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Day: 10 October 2012

BAFTA 2012 short films

Written by Nihal Tharoor-Menon on . Posted in Film.

Even in this first ever year of Manchester’s film festival a strong precedent has been set on the standard that the GMFF has to offer. A lucky relationship was forged when BAFTA contacted the organisers after seeing some of their activity on Twitter. They were in fact so impressed by the potential this new film festival had that they allowed a BAFTA short film screening tour to be hosted during the weekend’s events.

With this came 8 utterly unique and expressive short films, each completely independent from one another, from some of the most intriguing directors and animators in the world. Spanning over two hours the sheer range of subject-matter, style and substance that these films embodied made for a diverse viewing.

As to be expected there were several films that carried political undertones in both an explicit and a more subtle sense. Only Sound Remains is set in the wake of violent post-election protests in Iran, as a family tries to hide the news of death of their youngest member from their grandmother. With the whole film transpiring in the tranquility of the grandmother’s house, it’s a quiet, poignant look at loss in its immediate form. Abuelas instead looks at the long-term scars that loss can bring, in the context of the brutal Argentinean dictatorship during the 1970s that ‘disappeared’ thousands and forever destroyed families.

Not all had a specific political context; Two and Two is set in a classroom where a headmaster decrees that now 2 + 2 = 5. Most are willing to accept this lie but there are a few brave children who stand and challenge this ruling, with brutal repercussions. The short has a strong message, though rather simple, which resonates louder amongst the bewildered innocence of the classroom.  

From a more creative standpoint, animation films held their ground amongst the heavier subject matter. A Morning Stroll is a hilarious visual anecdote where a man walking down a street in New York City comes past a chicken having a leisurely and contented walk. The man rather bemused turns to watch this chicken make his way up the stairs of an entrance to a house, confidently peck on the door, and walk in through. We follow this same scene from 1959 to 2009 to 2059, and though the world changes around him this chicken never ceases his morning stroll. The animation is employed cleverly to follow the narrative, evolving with each era, and what A Morning Stroll lacks in substance it makes up for in its wit and absurdity.

Absurdity certainly played a role in other shorts, particularly Bobby Yeah which, it can be confidently said, is one of the most disturbing clay-animations ever made. It essentially follows a mutant creature who, when caught stealing from other strange organisms, gets attacked. Its plot is pretty much indecipherable, but really what BAFTA is crediting here is the unbelievably creative, intricate and graphic clay motion. Think of Wallace and Gromit in the midst of a horrifying LSD trip. It is highly entertaining, but I do have serious concerns for the mental state of creator Robert Morgan.

What stood as the biggest crowd pleaser was arguably the short Mwansa the Great. Set in a village in Zambia, it follows young Mwansa embarking on an imaginary adventure to prove his greatness to his friends and help his sister. It is a familiar concept, with the director jostling between the children’s fantasy and their more modest reality, but it is the acting that makes it such a heartwarming tale. Mwansa and his sister Shula are mischievous, confident and lively in their presence, and their wide-eyed journeying takes us eagerly into a beautiful world where imagination can empower everyday life.

All these films were entertaining and offered the audience some food for thought. BAFTA 2012 Short Films proved a highly successful screening which hopefully has launched a long lasting and fruitful relationship between BAFTA and the GMFF.

Live: Radiohead

Written by Joe Goggins on . Posted in Music.

6th October 2012

Manchester Arena

9/10

If you think about live music from the coldest, most emotionless viewpoint possible – that is, the financial one – there are only a handful of rock bands who fit into the highest echelon of commercial viability, who can travel to almost any dark corner of the world – from Manchester to Manila, from Bristol to Buenos Aires – and sell out a massive show. Some of them have drifted from being legitimately creative to churning out embarrassing dad-rock, like Muse or the Chili Peppers. The likes of Foo Fighters, U2 and Coldplay, meanwhile, were never very interesting to begin with. And sitting alongside them, jarringly incongruously, are Radiohead; tonight’s show at the Arena, which sold out to 21,000 capacity in minutes, is relatively intimate by their standards. They are the only band in the world whose enormous commercial stature has been vindicated by the enduring brilliance of their recorded output.

“Hi, I’m Lady Gaga.” mutters Thom Yorke early on, with a grin that’s equal parts endearing and unsettling. This passing reference to the pop superstar, though, is about as close as tonight’s show comes to typical arena fare – the band don’t air an album single until fifty minutes into the set, Amnesiac‘s ‘Pyramid Song’. There‘s plenty of tracks in the band’s back catalogue that would present the opportunity for a mass singalong – ‘Just’, ‘Karma Police’ and ‘Creep’ all spring to mind – but none of them make the cut tonight. The set is dominated, instead, by the electronic side of Radiohead – the side they’ve been cultivating ever since the radical departure that was Kid A – and the seamless translation of these songs to such a massive setting is a genuinely remarkable feat. ‘Myxomatosis’ and ‘The Gloaming’, challenging and erratic on record, sound enormous; more composed, understated cuts from In Rainbows, such as ‘Nude’ and ‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi’, perhaps more impressive still; in front of tens of thousands, there’s no mitigation of the sense of hypnotic intimacy present on the studio versions.

The biggest triumph, though, is the transformation of material from last year’s The King of Limbs. A reflection of Yorke’s appreciation of the more modern electronic likes of Four Tet and tonight’s openers, Caribou, that album contained a number of tracks that felt, judged against the incredibly high watermark that the band have set themselves, a little underwhelming, but their live counterparts are revelatory; the yearning ‘Bloom’, the recorded version of which was flat and repetitive, sounds so much more forceful, and a stripped-back rendition of ‘Give Up the Ghost’ challenges the more-revered ‘How to Disappear Completely’ for the title of the evening’s most hauntingly beautiful moment.

There’s still room for Johnny Greenwood and Ed O’Brien to ply their original, guitar-based trade though; ‘Airbag’s crunching riffery arrives early in the set, and The Bends‘ blistering opener, ‘Planet Telex’, is given a rare live outing. There’s time, too, for the occasional misstep; ‘Staircase’ was likely included for its novelty rather than through any perception of it matching the rest of the setlist’s high standards, and it’s high time the band gave up on the tepid ‘These Are My Twisted Words’. Irrespective, tonight remained an exercise in the reappropriation of what constitutes an ‘arena show’. Tremendous musicianship, visionary songwriting and a light show that struck the difficult balance between subtlety and flamboyance are enough to render huge choruses and extravagant stage sets obsolete; accusations of self-indulgence and grumbles over ticket prices seem a little gauche when entertainment of this level is on offer. Radiohead are a national treasure. Cherish them.

Portrait of an author: Nikolai Gogol

Written by Phoebe Chambre on . Posted in Books.

Life: Nikolai (or Nikolay depending on how you like your Russian) Vasilyevich Gogol was born in 1809 in Poltava, part of the Russian Empire. Although Gogol is routinely lauded as one of the top “four of five masters of Russian prose fiction”, Poltava was actually in the Ukraine, and Gogol was not Russian by descent. Whether Gogol was a Russian writer or not is of some dispute, but the category under which the author takes his place amongst the greats is seemingly now immutable. Gogol lived in St Petersburg, and abroad, mainly in Rome, for much of his life.

Death: He died in 1852, “a little before eight” on a Thursday morning, and a little before the age of 43 – a relatively ‘ripe’ age, according to Nabokov, considering the contracted life spans of contemporaries, and Russian writers in general.

Myth and misrepresentation surrounds Gogol’s death, making it, fittingly, seem as surreal, and fittingly grotesque, as one of his stories. Shortly before his death the author burned much of the manuscript of the second part of Dead Souls, apparently at the behest of the devil. He also may have died of self-starvation, or possibly of (or at least exacerbated by) despair. It also could have been typhus. When his body was dug up in 1931, as Moscow authorities were demolishing a monastery, it was discovered face down, leading to the next conjecture that Gogol had been buried alive.

Employment: Perhaps one of my favourite piece of Gogol trivia is his patchy-at-best employment history. In 1828 the writer was employed by an obscure government ministry (name unknown), after which he attempted, and failed to obtain a position at Kiev University as a professor of history, for which he was unqualified. In 1834 he finally made it as the Professor for Medieval History at the University of St Petersburg (again, no qualifications). After not teaching his students, he apparently set silently in the final exam with a black handkerchief wrapped around his head, ‘simulating’ a toothache, whilst a colleague questioned the students. Perhaps, on settling as writing as his true vocation, Gogol had merely run out of options and job offers as a societal insider. He exiled himself instead to outsider-ship and commentary.

Works: Gogol experimented with many forms including poetry, play, short story, the novel and non-fiction. His best-known works are prose fiction, Dead Souls, The Nose, The Government Inspector, The Portrait. His writing has been placed under the umbrellas of various -isms: Realism, Romanticism, Surrealism, grotesque(ism), demonstrating more than anything how the stories defy categorization. Stories in which a man finds a nose in his bread, and then meets that nose on the street (The Nose), and men resemble their furniture (Sobakevich in Dead Souls). Gogol wrote subtle, probing satires – in some cases, so subtle that it is hard to tell what is being satirised; in others it is clear he is unpicking the fabric of corruption in daily political life in Russia.

More than anything, Gogol’s writing is defined by its pervasive and precise detail: “mounds of details heaped upon details”. Whilst living in Europe, Gogol wrote to his mother asking her for a detailed description of special Ukranian costumes and customs – which were to be used for his stories set in the Ukranian countryside. This level of attention and precision to so small a detail demonstrates the nature of Gogol the writer in general; nothing was insignificant enough not to require a deep and careful conveyance to the reader. But of course, the combined effect, as refracted through Gogol’s strange mind, a specific and slightly twisted whole.

Miscellaneous:
– Gogol was a very talented mimic, so much so that he almost became an actor.
– In Ukranian Gogol’s name should be pronounced Mykola Hohol.
– The post-punk gypsy band, Gogol Bordello, of ‘Start Wearing Purple’ fame, are, of course named after Gogol.

Bikram Yoga

Written by Theresa Ita on . Posted in Lifestyle.

It has been hailed to be the best way to de-stress whilst improving your fitness levels, but what exactly is Bikram Yoga and why is it so popular?

Bikram Yoga is a form of yoga, comprising of 26 posture sequences and two breathing exercises. It is performed under intense heat: 105 degrees lasting for ninety minutes. The challenging nature of Bikram is designed to stimulate the organs, glands and nerves, as a result flushing oxygenated blood through 100 percent of the body. At first Bikram Yoga may seem intense, but as your body becomes used to the temperature you will no longer moan (as I did in my first session) but rather enjoy the relaxing environment.

What I loved most was the calming and humble nature of Bikram Yoga, the fact that there is no competition and all levels are accepted. You are able to achieve your own goals and work at your own pace. The supportive and friendly nature of class means that you are not left feeling bereft of water and confidence, but eager to come back for another class (once you get over the heat, that is).

The popularity of Bikram Yoga lies in the fact that you can simply challenge yourself and your body to increase your fitness levels which positively affects your lifestyle. After regular classes, you automatically begin to notice that you can sleep better, your concentration levels improve (those essays no longer seem like missions) and in the long term, you get rid of aches and pains.

Enrolling for the ten consecutive days at the Bikram Yoga classes in Manchester for only£20 is a great way to experience Bikram Yoga. My advice to you is to give yourself a challenge and attend a full session for ninety minutes.

What I do know is that perseverance is needed in any form of fitness and exercise that anyone embarks on. The positive effects of Bikram Yoga do not occur overnight, so I recommend that you try it more than once.

Go on, challenge yourself!

For more information, check out http://www.bikramyogamanchester.co.uk

5 Nights, 5 Outfits

Written by Elizabeth Harper on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Photo: Tilly Miller

 

The well-trained POUTer will be aware that cleavage, bodycon, sky-high heels, and all the St. Moritz you can possibly buy from Bodycare are a definite must when heading over to Deansgate Locks on a Monday night. Let’s face it, it’s a night to look your absolute best. Or at least make a lot of effort trying to. To fully complete the ‘poutfit’ you’ll need to have a drunken footballer hanging off your arm by the end of the night.

Tilly Miller

Photo: Grainne Morrison

Renowned for their thought provoking, and sometimes controversial, Facebook events, Tuesday’s Gold Teeth is a favourite with hip-hop fans. Held in the Deaf Institute, meaning it’s also a big hit with all you hipsters. The night sells out every week, so they’re obviously doing something right.

Gráinne Morrison

Photo: Miles Zilesnick

On Wednesdays we don’t just wear pink. It’s AU Social time so boys grab something crisp with a collar, beige chinos, plus anything with an Abercrombie tag and you’re set to go. Girls go with the “less is more” approach and a nice shade of orange to help you glow.

Miles Zilesnick

Photo: Elizabeth Harper

Murkage on a Thursday means denim shorts or shirt with grubby converse and sunglasses inside. The coolest kids will wear a beanie too whilst getting low to the dub and ‘bleak grime’ (their description not ours). The small and sweaty space at South means heels and any sort of glamorous attire are a no no.

Elizabeth Harper

Photo: Faye Howard

It’s Friday night and the feeling’s right, for none other than the sticky-floored, fancy dress-crazed BOP. That’s right people, brace yourself for an overdose of green monsters, ’90s pop and the obligatory hot dog to end the night. With a different theme every week, this night hums of Luvyababes’ finest attire (See ‘Geek’ theme inset. Available in stores). Top tip: Add a cheeky prop such as a whip or a sombrero to get heads turning.

Faye Howard

Mockingbird, Withington – Interview with Berrin Golding

Written by Tilly Miller on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Why did you decide to open ‘Mockingbird’?

My husband had just finished his masters and I felt like it was my time to pursue my dream and this was my dream all along.

Have you opened any shops before or is this your first clothing store?

No but I had been doing fashion markets like the Christmas market and student markets in the Manchester Academy for a long time, as my mother, myself and my sister all make handmade jewellery, crochet hats and headbands (some of which are here in the store). For about six years I was also selling vintage clothing at the student market in Manchester Academy. Then I felt like I really wanted to settle somewhere properly and realised Manchester was home for me and that I should create a base for myself locally. So then this shop came up for sale (which used to be a stationary shop) and as soon as I came in to see it I fell in love with the building. I never even thought of not going for it.

When did the shop open?

I think it was Saturday the 6th of September. I was so involved with building and creating the store that I never fully understood the process of turning a building site into a shop, so when Saturday came and people walked in only then did I realise how beautiful the shop had become.

Do you choose the clothing style to cater to the student population or did you have another target audience in mind?

To be honest I just go out and choose what I think is nice and going to sell well. I try to have unique pieces as well, and not have too many of one thing, so I will have a maximum of six pieces of one particular item. But if it is really popular and somebody asks for it I will get another six if I can. I also choose all the vintage pieces, and a lot of them are what I have collected over the many years I’ve been selling vintage.

Where do you tend to get your vintage pieces from?

All over the place really, people also bring their own vintage into the shop to sell. Just the other day a woman came in and she had her own clothes from the 1960s and I found some treasures there alone.

Have you had a good initial response to the store?

I have had a brilliant response, which I wasn’t expecting! People have walked in surprised and say they forget that they are in Withington because it is so different! I have really had a great response and I am so grateful to the local people. Just the other day a man came in and said that I had a very nice shop even though he wasn’t even buying anything!

What kind of style would you say that Mockingbird represents?

Its quite hard to answer this question because my starting point was vintage so I can sense that there are classic and vintage elements to many of my items. I don’t like pieces which you buy that are strictly to fit in with fashion seasons as they then can go out of fashion and never get worn again. I like timeless pieces that you can have in your wardrobe for years and years. Some of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe are the ones that have stayed in there for years. It also means that I can then pass them onto my daughter.

What is the typical price range of clothing and Jewellery within the store?

The lowest item I have is 9 pounds and then with the vintage it can go up to 150 pounds. But there is a huge price range, and in the brand new clothing I have the highest at the moment is around 60 pounds. I will always stock items which are more affordable as I have many people to cater for. With the jewellery it ranges from 6 pounds up to 30 pounds for the vintage pearls.

Do you have any best-selling items at the moment?

The best selling items at the moment are warm jumpers, I think a lot of the students have been coming to the shop for them, maybe they are missing home or their boyfriends or something!

What is your favourite piece in the store at the moment and why?

This handmade vintage dress because I have no idea when it was made, but it doesn’t have any zips on which makes me think it must be a really old piece. Every single stich on it is handmade and it has a history to it. I would love to know who was sitting there stitching and what she was thinking when she made it. It’s a one off piece and I just love it!

Photo: Tilly Miller

If you had to sum up Mockingbird in three words what would you say?

My dream shop.

Marina & The Diamonds – Live review

Written by Patrick Hinton on . Posted in Music.

The opening notes of ‘Lonely Hearts Club’ are barely audible beneath the barrage of screams that greets Marina Diamonds’ arrival to Academy 1. She struts onto the stage looking resplendent in a 70s style pink dress and long, white veil: costume of the Electra Heart persona Marina has created for her duly titled second album.

Unfortunately, by portraying someone she’s not, sections of the Electra Heart material just don’t feel right coming from Marina. The frankly cringe worthy refrain of ‘Homewrecker’ in which Marina, or Electra rather, promises to “break a million hearts just for fun” is particularly culpable to this issue. It’s a testament to her stage capabilities that her captivating performance and perfect vocal delivery make the song tolerable.

Whilst this aspect of the Electra Heart character is clearly meant to be a satirical attack on this sort of morality, it just feels unnecessary. The volatile mix of actual and conceptualised personalities creates an inconsistent feel to the gig. Marina is far more at home with songs revealing her vulnerability. ‘Lies’ draws a huge crowd response as the beautiful, brooding chorus swells into an anthem that resonates throughout all the wronged in love audience members present.

She can still bring the fun too; the exaggerated faux-rap of ‘Oh No!’ proves a set highlight whilst ‘The State of Dreaming’ boast a euphoric, fist-pumping chorus. Indeed between songs Marina is decidedly playful, revealing a desire for a Miss Selfish Bitch pageant, “I’d win every time” she says dryly. This endearing side reminds us of the Marina we know and love, as do triumphant performances of debut album singles ‘Hollywood’ and ‘I Am Not A Robot’ that induce rapturous sing-alongs.

The sold out crowd and utilisation of props and costume changes show the crossover to big-pop-star territory has been made with Electra Heart. But don’t forget your roots Marina!

Blind Date: Lucy and Patrik

Written by Keir Stone-Brown on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Lucy, 2nd Year, Art History

First impressions?
Sweet, attractive, Scandinavian and clean.

What did you have to eat?
Chicken and pesto sandwich and Gin at Trof.

What did you guys talk about?
Our topics of conversation included Uni life in Manchester, couchsurfing and what English people have for breakfast.

If they were an alcoholic beverage which one would they be and why?
Dark Swedish ale – quite intense but not too gassy.

Were there any awkward silences?
We managed to survive about 2 hours with very little silence, we are pretty different so had a lot to ask about.

Rating?
7/10

Finally, hug, kiss or something more?
Hug outside New Zealand Wines.

 

 

Patrik, 2nd Year, Spanish and Business Managment

First impressions?
Happy British girl, thought from the start it was going to be good.

What did you have to eat?
I had the Spanish stew with pork and some fresh white bread

What did you guys talk about?
We started off the evening with a history of arts lesson, then it took off in all different directions.

If they were an alcoholic beverage which one would they be and why?
Old fashioned, very wise girl with some interesting sweetness and well, possibly exotic too because of her abroad trip.

Were there any awkward silences?
Nah, it was impressively good

Rating?
8/10

Finally, hug, kiss or something more?
Hug and a kiss on the cheek

Lucy and Patrik ate at Trof, fallowfield. Thanks to the guys down there for getting involved. To check out their menu and what’s going on down there, head to http://www.troffallowfield.co.uk/

To sign up for blind date please e-mail your name, year of study and course to [email protected] with ‘blind date’ as the subject

Experience… Rome

Written by Olivia Burt on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Rome is the home of Italy’s, if not the world’s, architectural and artistic heirlooms coupled with too much gelato, pizza and steamy men on Vespa’s. It is an ideal location for a long weekend away.

Thanks to lastminute.com and cheap Easyjet flights arriving in Rome won’t break the bank. However I would recommend staying in a hostel as close to the centre of Rome as possible. This way you’ll cut your transport costs throughout your stay as most sights are within walking distance and your experience will be more enjoyable having stayed in the heart of this vibrant, unique city.

Friday

After arriving at your hostel, head over to the Colosseum for an evening tour. Although undeniably impressive in the day, this iconic building is truly magnificent at night, particularly as you’ll be able to appreciate its beauty without the thousands of tour groups that crowd it during the day. When walking round, scenes of ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Troy’ will without a doubt spring to mind as the gory history of the Colosseum resonates throughout its walls. For me, what’s most striking about this historic landmark is despite 2000 years of earthquakes, wars, fires and plundering it stands before us relatively intact today.

Saturday

Wake up early so as not to miss the Campo del Fiori Markets. This typically Italian food market is only open during the morning and has been running since the mid-1800’s. It’s the perfect place to mingle with Italian locals stocking their kitchens as well as buying a delicious breakfast or picnic lunch. Then head over to the Pantheon and try and avoid the heavy midday queues. The Pantheon is another of Rome’s hugely iconic historical monuments, the beautiful ceiling of this building is a must see. When in Rome one must shop and eat too much Italian food, so I would recommend wandering through Rome’s countless boutiques, pausing for a cappuccino in the famous Piazza Navona and enjoying something typically Roman- a delicious pizza or bowl of pasta. After your meal, head over to the Trevi Fountain- Rome’s largest and most well known fountain, perhaps due to Anita Ekberg’s swim in La Dolce Vita. A trip to Rome is not complete without the ritual custom of throwing a coin into the fountain. It is said by Romans, that if you throw a second coin, you’ll fall in love with an Italian. As evening falls, stroll over to the to Spanish Steps and the Piazza di Spagna and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and numerous street performers, gelato shops and caricaturists as well as a romantic view of Rome from the top of the steps.

Sunday

A visit to the Vatican is definitely an unforgettable experience, as it is a city in itself.  The home of the Pope also has one of the greatest museums in the world however you must be prepared for long queues and huge crowds – stamina and patience is required! My top-three-must-see parts of the Vatican City are the stunning Sistine chapel, St Peter’s Basilica and people watching in St Peter’s Square.

This action packed weekend will leave you longing for more from Italy’s most famous city.

Healthy eating on a budget

Written by Beth Currall on . Posted in Lifestyle.

We’ve all heard the University weight gain horror stories: the super-skinny girl from Sixth Form who came back at Christmas four stone heavier than when she left in September, with thighs like tree trunks. Home-cooked dinners are replaced with ready meals, fruit with ‘3 for £1’ sweets and let’s be honest, the only ‘potatoes’ that most students go near come in a Walkers packet. Who can blame us when it seems that nutritious diets are too expensive to be accessible on a student budget? However, there are ways to avoid the dreaded Uni weight gain. Here’s how you do it…

First thing’s first: look for bargains. Yes, crisps, sweets and other convenience foods are always on offer, but this is also true when it comes to buying groceries. In most supermarkets, fruit that is out of season (i.e. strawberries) have multibuy offers so you can get more for your money. It may also be worth looking for fresh fruit and veg that are nearing their ‘Use By’ dates. Just remember to eat them sooner rather than later. If you go to supermarkets later in the evening, you will often find plenty of reduced items. In addition, market stalls sell groceries at affordable prices.

Another good idea is to team up with your flat mates. It makes sense to club together to buy items, especially essentials such as bread and milk. That way, you’re all cutting your costs and preventing food waste. Arrange a flat meeting and make a list of all of the foods that everybody likes. Be careful not to end up paying for someone to eat gourmet steak three times a week when you’re a vegetarian though!

Frozen foods are not necessarily unhealthy foods. Frozen vegetables, for example, do not lose their nutrition – this is a complete myth! Frozen meat and veg are student friendly  products; you can preserve them for much longer. It’s processed foods that you need to be careful of, however, as they usually contain lots of saturated fats and salt. Shoving that pizza in the microwave may seem like the easy, tasty solution to your hangover hunger pangs, but think of the long term implications.

If your problem is that you are not exactly Gordon Ramsey in the kitchen, have no fear. There are so many nutritious meals you can make with very little culinary experience or knowledge – take it from somebody who knows! Think baked potatoes, stir fry and vegetable fajitas. If in doubt, there is bound to be at least one accomplished chef in your flat or house that can give you a helping hand. Learning to look after yourself is all part of the University experience, so don’t throw in the towel too easily.

Happy healthy eating students!

Review: ‘Girl Shaped Love Drug’

Written by Faye Broadbent on . Posted in Film.

The room is silent. There is a sense of anticipation as sharp dressed film-goers wait with their complimentary drinks. It is already apparent that this is no ordinary cinema experience.  This is, in fact, the world premiere of festival director Simon Powell’s Girl Shaped Love Drug at the Greater Manchester Film Festival.

Shot amongst the streets of Manchester, this gritty fairytale tells of a romantic, yet simplistic love story set within our very own city. Powell effectively captures the spontaneous one-day adventure and developing narrative of ‘him’ (Sacha Dhawan) and ‘her’ (Rachel Austin) as their personalities unfold. Although the vital ingredients of ‘boy meets girl’ are present in this film, this is not a case of your typical romance. Finally! The characters that grace a romance hold some sense of realism! Whether this is due to the cinematography or sharp screenplay, we have certainly witnessed this couple that walk awkwardly together in amongst the city streets.

Girl Shaped Love Drug flits between being what seems at times a very light-hearted, realistic documentary to providing us with moments of very powerful theatre. Be certain to be entranced with an intense scene from Dean Andrews (Ashes to Ashes). Powell cleverly juxtaposes aspects of a traditional love story with a bitter sense of realism, which is enhanced through the use of beautiful aesthetics. However, this can often create in certain scenes a deliberate, uneasy effect.

Shooting on location across various areas of Manchester city centre, the film creates a deep resemblance to other contemporary British realism films, including those of its ‘daddy’ Shane Meadow’s Dead Man’s Shoes (2004) and This Is England (2006). The film often creates what seems a ‘fly on the wall’ approach, embodying aesthetics of a documentary style, especially through the use of a hand-held camera. Powell’s romance is beautifully shot and the aesthetics are certainly reminiscent to elements of the French New Wave, through its black and white cinematography, improvisational acting and on-location filming.

We often hear of New York, Venice and Paris as the cities of love, but its a breath of fresh air to see something a little different to the conventional romance. With Girl Shaped Love Drug, Powell has created something a little more realistic and closer to home, stating that he wanted “to work with old Manchester to reflect an old story which is love”. At the crux of it Girl Shaped Love Drug is a love story with a twist and there is no pretence about this. This is a film as much about Manchester as it is about boy meets girl.

The Lecture after the Night Before

Written by Grainne Morrison on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

We’ve all been there: you head out for a few quiet cocktails at Font and somehow end up returning home at 6am somewhat worse-for-wear. This is fine until your alarm buzzes and you remember that all important 9am seminar you absolutely cannot miss.  Getting ready in a rush is always a challenge, but when you’re lingering in that strange place between still being drunk and very hungover, whilst also in last night’s clothes, style often takes a backseat.

I have a friend who put foundation on her toothbrush in a rush to get ready for a lecture- not a great look (or taste). With the right attitude, however, one can give the appearance of a well-rested, healthy student whilst actually dying on the inside. I’m not saying we can all look like Olivia Palermo after two hours of sleep and 20 units of alcohol, but a hangover is not an excuse to look like a homeless Ian Beale. If you haven’t yet realised-the dishevelled look is popular in Manchester; girls spend an hour trying to perfect the ‘I just rolled out of bed’ look – you don’t even have to try! There is always time to wash your face, brush your teeth (with toothpaste!) and knot your hair.

Keep makeup minimal: concealer for the tired eyes, blusher to brighten the vodka-ruined complexion and mascara if you’re putting in an effort. Now for the clothes: there are a few essential items to have for those mornings when your brain is just not functioning. Black wet look leggings with an oversized white shirt is always my go-to outfit but for those of you who are braver than myself, add a statement necklace to give it more of an edge. If you’re feeling especially courageous you could take heed from Stella McCartney and brighten up your complexion with a bold and bright orange or green jumper. The most pertinent rule to remember is to avoid busy prints; you’ll find it hard enough to focus on the words you’re writing down, never mind realising halfway through your class that you’ve worn a floral top with neon tie-dye leggings.

Photo: ASOS.com

If you can master this, you can definitely get a first in your degree. And try not to judge those fellow course mates wearing badly chosen ensembles after an ill-fated night out, not everyone reads The Mancunion…

For the love of film

Written by Sophie James on . Posted in Film.

For film lovers in Manchester, last weekend was a long time coming.

Of course, here in this city we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to film, with massive cinemas such as the Printworks and the cinematic gem that is the Cornerhouse. But there’s always been something missing – a creative outlet, a chance to celebrate and inspire Manchester’s buzzing film community. Last week, local film director Simon Powell – amazed that Manchester with all its cinematic facilities was still without a major film festival – stepped into the breach and founded the GMFF: the first Greater Manchester Film Festival.

The festival, supported by famous faces like Christopher Eccleston, had two objectives: to bring together the worlds of short film and feature film, and to inspire anyone and everyone to get out there and have a go – to brave the world of film and get filming, directing or acting.

I went to day two of the festival, which kicked off with a master class and “director’s Q&A” with Eran Creevy. At the moment busy with production of his latest feature Welcome to the Punch, starring James McAvoy and executive-produced by Ridley Scott, Creevy took us back to his beginnings in the industry. By starting out as a lowly runner, Creevy got to see up close the working methods of the likes of Woody Allen. Soon moving (with great success) into music videos, it wasn’t until 2009 that he finally released his first feature film Shifty – a semi-autobiographical tale of an Essex-based drug dealer.

The film, starring Riz Ahmed, Daniel Mays, Francesca Annis and Jason Flemyng, was very much a breakthrough movie for Creevy, receiving a BAFTA nomination and five BIFAS. It’s hard to believe that a film so successful was filmed in just eighteen days and on a budget of £100,000, but it was. On Saturday in Screen 2 of Manchester Printworks’ Odeon, Creevy brought the whole process to life. The film itself, screened after the Q&A, was electric – intimately depicting a single eventful day in Shifty’s life – but the power of the event was to juxtapose the film’s story with Creevy’s. His drive, discipline and passion shone out both in person and through his chosen medium, leaving the audience in no doubt that the key to a great film is not so much cash, as time, discipline and sheer hard work.

To bookend the day with a complete contrast, GMFF’s evening entertainment was the world premiere of festival-founder Simon Powell’s first feature film: Girl Shaped Love Drug.  This event was equally inspiring, marking Powell’s journey from fitness instructor to film director (with a sure-fire winner of film to boot!) and founder of Manchester’s first feature film festival.

All in all, the day cutely pitched together two directors with completely different backgrounds and budgets, who were both using GMFF to spread the same message: get out there, get everyone involved and get filming!

Manchester prepare for inaugural ice hockey Varsity

Written by Alex Underwood on . Posted in Sport.

“It will be an intense game; it might even kick off a bit!” says University of Manchester ice hockey captain Matthew Rohani, ahead of next week’s ice hockey Varsity match. “It is the one time this year the players will really be able to go at it.”

Speaking to Mancunion Sport ahead of the game, he seems to be in good spirits. “We lost a few players over the summer but the replacements are of an equal standard,” he says. “We are hoping to reach a similar level to last year.”

The match against Manchester Metropolitan is the first-ever ice hockey Varsity, and will take place at Altrincham Ice Rink on Tuesday 23rd October.

The game should be high on quality, with several new faces mixing it with semi-professionals on both sides. These include MMU goaltender Declan Ryan of the Telford Tigers, and Max Drakeley, defenceman for University of Manchester and Trafford Metros.

Both teams have a wealth of talent to call on for the match, and Rohani will be looking for a strong start from his new recruits.

The event will include pre-match entertainment, cheerleaders, and, perhaps most importantly, a bar. The £5 ticket also includes free admission to the after-party at Walkabout (provided that you keep hold of it after the game).

Information regarding tickets can be found on the Manchester Ice Hockey Facebook group. The venue can be reached by tram, either from Piccadilly or St Peter’s Square, or by taking the number 41 bus. Car parking facilities are also available outside the ground.

The match provides an opportunity for the two universities to knock chunks out of each other before they reunite as part of the Manchester Metros, a team comprised of all the Manchester universities, who compete in Division One North of the British University Ice Hockey Association.

The Metros won the Division last season and Rohani is confident that the feat can be repeated. He also believes that they can compete for the main prize at the Nationals next year, although he says it is now “a harder and much more elusive prize to get hold of.”

But all focus for now will be on this month’s Varsity game, and the chance for both teams to get one over on their noisy neighbours and assert their superiority once and for all.

Hockney to Hogarth: A rake’s progress

Written by Flora Anderson on . Posted in Arts.

The Hogarth exhibition is more about Hockney’s early work than a direct comparison between the two artists, and in that sense, its a fascinating insight into Hockney and his world. The context to Hockney’s paintings is set by the first room, housing influential paintings by his revolutionary contemporaries from his 1959 class at The Royal College of Art. These friends helped bring Hockney’s own life, political thoughts, and sexuality into his work which is a clear motivator behind his Rake’s Progress.

But his main influence was his trip to New York, which he wrote about saying ‘I was taken by the sheer energy of the place…It was amazingly sexy, and unbelievably easy’. Contrasted to Hogarth’s fiercely heterosexual London, with the protagonist Tom Rakewell falling foul of the women in the syphillis-filled brothels, Hockney’s New York is much more of an exploration of his own adventures in the city’s gay bars. Subtler and far more abstract, the tensions of his experience living in a city that was introducing its own homophobic crackdown creates an interesting backdrop. The artistic style is modern and light, but with carefully chosen images that make up the oblique sequence. Hogarth’s Rake has a seemingly moralistic tone – a warning perhaps – against the pitfalls of an 18th Century young inheritor and the downward slope he could easily fall down.

However, in Hockney’s prints he places himself directly in almost every frame, showing the real effect New York had on him as a person and an artist. He visits Washington, 24 hour bars, meekly but passionately watches two male joggers, and experiences the life of an American prisoner albeit through the art of cinema. Instead of a slow, literal decline into Bedlam as in Hogarth’s Progress, Hockney’s male is hardly definable in his final frame from the four other boy’s walking mindlessly towards a screen, personal music devices in their back pocket and all wearing baggy jeans and caps- not a far cry from a typical day down the Oxford Road. In essence Hockney’s series is far more personal and indicates a real progress in his art as well as his development as a man. The Hogarth engravings are much more side-lined, shown more as a context to Hockney, but really are beautiful. The detailing and activity in each one shows great personality and, perhaps the exhibition was slightly lacking in further information on Hogarth’s life and work.

If you want a quick look into early Hockney and a truly interesting interpretation of Hogarth’s famous sequence, this is a really neat (and of course free!) exhibition. If you’re popping back from uni on your way home, the Whitworth is a really rewarding visit.

Eve’s signature bake

Written by Eve Commander on . Posted in Food & Drink.

This recipe is taken from Mary Berry’s Ultimate Cake Bake Book (aka: The Berry Bible) – so you could say this was more like the technical challenge. However, a couple of (dare I say it) improvements to the original, makes this my family’s signature bake. Beloved of sugar junkies and reluctant sweet eaters alike you’ll be asked to make this forever after! Ingredients are costly- it’s not called Millionaire’s shortbread for nowt- but every indulgent chocolatey, caramel bite is worth it. And it’s a million times cheaper and better than shop-bought!
Millionaire’s shortbread
For the shortbread:
75g caster sugar
75g soft butter
250g plain flour
For the caramel:
100g butter
100g light brown sugar
1 397g tin of condensed milk
2 tablespoons of syrup

For the topping:
200g milk chocolate

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C, 350F, Gas 4. Line a 33 x 23 cm Swiss Roll tin with baking paper.

To make the shortbread, mix the flour and sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Press it very firmly into the tin, or it will crumble, and bake for 20 minutes until a golden light brown. Don’t let it get too brown. Cool in the tin.

Mix the condensed milk, butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan and heat very gently until the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Still on a low heat, let it bubble gently. Stir and do not take your eyes off it or it will catch and burn! After five minutes it should be thicker and a golden caramel colour. Pour it over the cooled shortbread.

Once the caramel has cooled, top with the chocolate. Melt the chocolate slowly over a pan of hot water and then pour over the caramel. Leave to set and cut into small squares as it is very rich!   

Student Style

Written by Olivia Burt on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Name: Camilla Ambler

Occupation: Second year Social Anthropology Student at the University of Manchester

Spotted: Victoria Park Campus

Wearing: Wet-look leggings (Topshop), Barbour-style jacket, vintage oversized jumper (Vintage store in Edinburgh) and high-tops (Nike).

Why we love this look: Oversized is back again for this season and Camilla effortlessly pairs her oversized jumper with a practical, yet bang-on-trend waterproof parka jacket.

Deja Vu: Fans angry at EA for releasing identical game

Written by Sam Dumitriu on . Posted in Games.

When I was looking for someone to review FIFA 13, someone suggested I copy and paste a review of FIFA 12 and change the dates. This is unfair, FIFA 13 has been an improvement on FIFA 12 offering better graphics and improved gameplay.  At least, that would be the case if you bought it for any console other than the Wii.

EA have released a near-identical version of FIFA 12 as FIFA 13 on the Wii, apart from updating the game with the summer’s transfers, new kits and changing the soundtrack, EA have released the exact same game two years running.

There are no new modes, no graphical improvements, no AI improvements; it would be almost impossible to justify a purchase of FIFA 13 on the Wii to someone who already has FIFA 12.

One user commented “FIFA is one of the best selling titles on the Wii. Why wouldn’t they bother to at least give some token improvements?”.

While another said “Practices like these beg the question, “Are EA’s resources stretched so thin in some areas that they have to cut corners like this?”

With the Wii U coming out in a matter of weeks, it’s clear that developers have given up on the Wii. Electronic Arts Chief Operations Officer (COO) Peter Moore told tech magazine Wired “Year on year, Wii has just dropped, and clearly we don’t make games for it anymore”. Even so, this will offer little consolation to the gamers who were duped into buying this, under the assumption they were getting a new game.

Interestingly enough, it should be possible for a game like FIFA to update kits, transfers, and music through downloadable content, making the annual release obsolete. Sadly, this is unlikely to catch on though, because as long EA holds the licenses and people are willing to pay they’ll milk the franchise for everything they can get.

The copy/paste approach wasn’t isolated to the Wii, with FIFA fans on the PS Vita taking to social-media to complain about FIFA 13 being identical to FIFA Football released in February. Users have posted negative reviews on Amazon and Metacritic.

FIFA 13 is great game on the PS3 and 360, and it’d be shame for it to be overshadowed, but if EA continue to pull stunts like this, they deserve to be called out.

Review: ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’

Written by Robbie Davidson on . Posted in Film.

Dir: Stephen Chbosky

Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller

Released: 3rd October

 

Charlie (Logan Lerman), the so-called ‘Wallflower’ in Stephen Chbosky’s adaption of his own best-selling novel, joins the ranks of the burgeoning group of thoughtful teen movie characters grappling with the struggles of growing up and finding meaning in the modern world. Indeed the obligatory reference to The Catcher in the Rye makes it clear that Charlie and his new friends are united in the fight against uniformity.

Charlie’s best friends, Sam (Emma Watson, embracing a role a million miles away from Hogwarts and Harry) and Patrick (the fantastic Ezra Miller), are burdened by different social stigmas: Sam’s promiscuous youth prompts her to reflect on why she and the people she love pick people who treat us like they’re nothing. The film is littered with these ponderous reflections which you sense would sound better in a bad song than coming from the mouths of supposedly intelligent and sophisticated young adults. At times you feel the group’s ‘indie’ credentials are hammered home too heavily, if slightly lazily: a case in point being the three friends’ frequent references to their love of The Smiths which is then undermined by their inability to recognise David Bowie’s Heroes for most of the film.

Yet despite the characters’ straddling on the good side of self-importance, The Perks of Being a Wallflower has moments of real poignancy, especially as the revelations of Charlie’s past become clear, and more importantly, genuine humuor thanks largely to Miller’s extroverted performance. Patrick’s struggles with his secret romance with the school jock is one of the most touching, if undeveloped, threads of the film’s narrative. Charlie’s relationship with his supportive English teacher (Paul Rudd) also struck a chord with me. The film benefits from a nice visual flair thanks to Chbosky’s confident direction.

Watching Watson play a character other than Hermione Granger was an unusual experience, especially with an accent she struggles with at times. Yet it’s a promising start for her post-Potter career and she fulfills the ‘manic pixie dream girl’ elements of her role admirably. She makes up what is a generally strong main cast, with the stand-out being Ezra Miller. The supporting cast is similarly good with the fellow ‘wallflowers’ providing the necessary comic relief to what is, at times, quite a serious film.

The cliches of the teen movie genre are all present (gay best friend, acid trips and canteen fights) but are dealt with more sensitively than you might expect in a film which always feels like it could slip into pretentious self-indulgence, but manages to stay grounded thanks to its likeable leads and heartfelt sentiment.

 

‘Holy Motors’

Written by Andrew Home on . Posted in Film.

In a disused department store, filled with the decaying bodies of disassembled mannequins, Monsieur Oscar (Denis Lavant) and former love, Eva (Kylie Minogue) talk of lives that could have been. This is Leos Carax’s Holy Motors, a joyfully disorientating film about living multiple lives in the space of one day.

Oscar is a man of seemingly infinite means who makes it his business to live the lives of others. In the space of 9 different “appointments” throughout his day we see him take on guises as varied and as bizarre as a motion capture artist, an assassin and a father to an angst-ridden teenage girl. Between jobs, Oscar spends his time secluded in a giant white limousine with only his doting assistant, Céline (Édith Scob) for company. Much like in Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis (2012) the life of the man trapped in the limousine is one of intense loneliness. Oscar spends all of his time pretending to be other people so when it becomes time to be himself, he is lost.

To say that this film tells a story would be misleading – there’s very little actual plot to speak of. The film joyfully drifts from scene to scene with little regard for narrative structure. Instead it’s a film that showcases the wonderful emotional powers that cinema holds. Before we are introduced to Oscar, Leos Carax himself is shown pushing down the wall to an apartment which leads to an audience in front of a cinema screen. This, along with many clips of what look like Murbridge-style, early cinematic experiments and the previously mentioned motion capture scene, gives the feeling that this film is spanning the whole of film history. The whole effect is one that makes you immensely proud to be a lover of cinema.