Skip to main content

Day: 6 November 2012

‘LAD’ culture: the truth

Written by Dana Fowles on . Posted in Lifestyle.

According to Urban Dictionary, a ‘wolf pack’ is “A brotherhood of attractive male friends who are bonded together by concentrated awesomeness.” Now, while I have to admit that the first part of this definition is usually true, the latter is certainly not.

Typical wolf pack behaviour involves being what is commonly referred to as a ‘top LAD.’ Apparently, a ‘top LAD’ specialises in the arts of heavy drinking and womanising, and also in ‘creating and distributing exquisite banter.’ Trademark top LAD attire consists of chinos and any t-shirt with a label on it (Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch being particular favourites).

The natural habitat of the top LAD is the rugby pitch, although they can also often be found getting kicked out of various pubs and clubs after downing dirty pints and ‘getting rowdy.’ How very attractive. The top LAD’s only ambition in life is to ‘bang’ as many girls as possible and to then rate them out of ten. Admirable, I am sure you will agree. Their mothers must be so proud.

The truth of the matter is, however, that the top LAD is what can only be referred to as a massive pussy. Their fragile ego rests on whether or not they ‘pull’ and if their hunt for a mate is unsuccessful, they practically cry about it. Yet they are only capable of communicating with females when they have Dutch courage. They believe that to care about anything or anyone is a weakness and run a mile if they begin to develop ‘feelings’ for you. God forbid that the LAD should actually like a girl and not just want to ‘destroy’ her.

So, my plea to LADs everywhere is to start acting like gentlemen as opposed to cavemen. Invite a girl out for dinner instead of back to yours ‘for a shag,’ talk about something interesting (not about how ladish you and your fellow wolves are). Whatever you do, do not ‘kick off’ and get floored by a bouncer – it’s just plain embarrassing. If you follow these tips, then you may actually increase those all important numbers and who knows, you might even get a girlfriend.

Coming soon to a computer near you

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Music.

World domination is a scary thought. What if the Nazi’s had succeeded? What would our world be like? Would I have to wear lederhosen? Would I have a strong proclivity towards bratwurst? All troubling thoughts, but thankfully Hitler’s attempts failed. However, it turns out all he needed for world domination was a pair of specs and the ability to impersonate a jockey. PSY’s ‘Gangnam style’ stormed the planet, going to no.1 in 33 countries, and is already the most viewed video on YouTube, spawning endless parodies – using the internet like a giant Petri dish for zany, high-octane music videos.

‘Gangnam style’ features on PSY’s sixth studio album, ingeniously entitled PSY 6. The thought of a Korean artist having such an impact on not only the music world, but society in general, is something that was totally inconceivable until recent times. Gigging across the country in beat up transit vans is a thing of the past; management and promotion through social networking sites is now the key to success it seems. PSY’s brand of K-pop essentially takes Western music, (most notably LMFAO) and then sticks a huge rocket up its jacksie propelling it to dangerous levels of chaotic energy.

Listening to other infectious pop sensations like ‘call me maybe’ and ‘party rock anthem’ they all make use of heavy pulsating beats, garnished with staccato synth stabs which carry the melody. Although ‘Gangnam style’ is very reminiscent in these respects, its defining feature is of course the trademark dance which all ages seem to have taken to. This Vic Reeves-esque bit of slapstick is ultimately what sells the song, and is indicative of the whole video which mocks the high-flying types who populate the Gangnam district in Seoul. Despite being effectively a joke, Park Jae-sang’s ostentatious suits and specs have made him one of the coolest and most recognisable artists around – probably piping Roy Orbison as the most famous sunglasses wearing singer.

For us Brits it is incredibly rare to hear such a popular song that’s not in English, Ritchie Valens 1958 no.1 “La bamba” being one of the few examples I can think of. Take the line “hey, sexy lady” out of the equation and I have no idea what’s going on. But then again, I don’t need to because there’s a bow-tie wearing Korean bloke parading around with a team of synchronised dancers – and for me that says more than enough.

I can see why some have taken dislike to this viral sensation; it took off instantly, seemingly undermining any serious efforts by musicians in favour of sheer stupidity. It’s quite overwhelming when you think of the power social media possesses, just a few fashionable re-tweets is enough to turn a complete unknown into the talk of coffee shops all around the UK. But we don’t always want to cry ourselves to sleep listening to Adele do we?  In times of austerity sometimes all you want to do is run around like a complete lunatic – and now it seems we have the perfect excuse. Just like the ‘Thriller’ video blew people’s minds, it appears we may have the same thing on our hands again. But could this harmless piece of YouTube royalty outshine MJ? …now there’s a scary thought.

Review: ‘The Sapphires’

Written by alexandra.matthews on . Posted in Film.

It’s 1968 and there’s a revolution in the streets. Over the water, the war in Vietnam is raging, but in the back and beyond of aboriginal Australia, four girls are discovering that their shared talent for singing could change their lives forever. The driving force behind them, and the man with all the big ideas, is Dave (Chris O’Dowd–Bridesmaids, The IT Crowd) and as their manager, this family affair becomes a fully formed girl band ready take Vietnam by storm and sing for the US troops.

First discovered singing Country and Western, Dave takes them from timid young girls unaware of their potential and introduces them to soul, rousing them with his passionate words of strength and courage, teaching them: “every note that passes through your lips should have the tone of a woman who is grasping and fighting and desperate to retrieve what’s been taken from her”.

Based on a true story, this show stopper is more than a light hearted morale booster. Moments such as Dave’s request regarding the girls singing: “before you do it again, can you make it sound blacker?” suggest the serious racial undertones explored in this temperamental era. The ‘whitest’ girl in the band: Kay, (Shari Sebbens – in her debut role), for example, has clearly had a different upbringing to the rest of the girls – which is later explained, and thus one of the more poignant sub-plots of this tale is her re-integration into black aboriginal culture. In conjunction with this, Gail (Deborah Mailman – part of the original stage show production, The Secret Life of Us) the most domineering of the girls, learns to accept that Kay’s different upbringing does not necessarily define her as a person and so she begins to accept her own place in the world. The other two girls in the band are Cynthia (Miranda Tapsell) and Julie (Jessica Mauboy). For Julie, the film follows her coming of age, running away from home to join them, but ending up becoming the lead singer and a woman along the way.

Described by Deborah Mailman herself, as “fun, fabulous and powerful” this film previously penned as “part drama, part comedy, with a classic soundtrack”, is contagiously uplifting. With The Sapphires being billed as Australia’s answer to ‘The Supremes’ who can resist making comparisons between this and the box office smash Dreamgirls.

With an exceptional ten minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival and international rave reviews, this foot-tapping, feel good film about friendship, love and war is one not to be missed.

‘The Master’

Written by Samuel Parr on . Posted in Film.

Come the end of this autumn, one film should remain in our minds that will scream out to be revisited during the long winter evenings – Paul Thomas Anderson’s, The Master. Having been exclusively screened at London’s West End Odeon in 70mm projection before its national release (16th November), the anticipation is mounting with a Cornerhouse experience sure to quench every film-lovers thirst.

Anderson (There will be Blood, Boogie Nights) rallies together an all-star cast, collaborating with the likes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Moneyball, The Big Lebowski) – for the third occasion, Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line, Gladiator) and Amy Adams (The Fighter, Leap Year).

The Master tells a compelling story that will stimulate your every sense and will have you covered in goose bumps. Captured masterfully by Anderson, the narrative hones in on troubled Naval veteran Freddie Quell (Phoenix) as he struggles to reach any level of normality upon his arrival back home from service in WW2. Drifting through life and suffering a series of post-traumatic-stress driven breakdowns, Quell crosses paths with charismatic intellect Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman), forming a bond that ignites the film into life.

Having already swooped to win three awards at the Venice and Hollywood Film Awards, this unique vision is sure to attract further praise and adulation in the coming months. Anderson excels after five years out of the limelight and provides the platform that allows Phoenix and Hoffman to deliver, what may well be considered, their best performances to date. A masterpiece is born.

The Revenge of Tarantino

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

In the last decade Quentin Tarantino has had an undeniable fetish with the concept of the revenge fantasy. Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2 (2003-4) are, in essence, revenge films, where Uma Thurman tracks down every person responsible for the massacre at her wedding party and enacts incredibly brutal and entertaining justice.

Tarantino’s lesser-known Death Proof ‘s (2007) explodes with the tagline ‘buckle up for a crash course in revenge’ as we follow an ex-stuntman who, murdering young women in staged car accidents, finally becomes hunted by those he is stalking.

Inglourious Basterds (2009) creates an historical fantasy world where we can see Hitler and the Nazis comically degraded and suffer brutally at the hands of American soldiers and Jewish civilians, the very epitome of a revenge fantasy.

It certainly makes sense for Tarantino to have maintained this winning formula of recent years. His films rarely lack in striking and colourful violence, and the sweet sense of justice that is always achieved by the end of these films emotionally satisfies, allowing us to exalt in their brutal killings.

Now this winter brings us Tarantino’s seventh feature film Django Unchained, which looks to follow strongly in suit of this theme, particularly with the historical vengeance of Inglourious Basterds. Set in an America before the emancipation of slavery, it follows Django, a slave turned bounty hunter attempting to rescue his wife from the yoke of a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.

Slavery is the greatest injustice in America’s history and it feels perfectly fitting, conscious or not, that Tarantino has built up his revenge fantasies to this. With the fiery Jamie Foxx taking the role of Django the slave, and an exciting supporting cast of both Tarantino regulars (Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz) and newcomers (Leonardo Di Caprio, Kerry Washington), it does look like all the right buttons are being pressed – the trailer shows us Foxx energetically whipping what could only be a slave master.

It would be nice though, after this release, to see Tarantino put the revenge fantasies to one side and return to the colourful LA backstreet setting where the unique complexities of Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994) and Jackie Brown (1997) thrived.

Yes these films reveled in graphic violence, and even the sweet revenge fantasy (think back room pawn shop scene, where Mr. Wallace is about to go ‘medieval’ on their asses), but this stood as secondary to a hilarious script, interesting characters, and innovative structure and form.

Of course you can argue these last ten years of Tarantino has provided us with highly entertaining films, so why change a good thing? But I think few would dispute that Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs is why, twenty years on, ‘a Quentin Tarantino film’ still has the ability to pack out theatres worldwide.

Preview: ‘End of Watch’

Written by Ally Mitchell on . Posted in Film.

To define End Of Watch as a stereotypical cop blockbuster with a famous actor in the lead role would be doing the film an injustice. I admit, Jake Gyllenhaal’s name (and face) instantly grabbed my attention. His previous critically acclaimed roles have marked him as an incredibly successful film actor, bringing to the media’s attention the indie thriller Donnie Darko and the challengingly controversial Brokeback Mountain. Co-starring Michael Peña and America Ferrera, the End Of Watch cast is full of recognisable faces (Anna Kendrick also stars as Jake Gyllenhaal’s girlfriend – lucky thing!) yet the diverse mix of unknown actors interweaved throughout allows us to appreciate the film as a believable story instead of a distracting who’s-who-and-how-do-I-know-them. Shot by handheld camera work, the audience is sure to be blasted by an immediate sense of intimacy, involving us in the relaxed and comical banter of Gyllenhaal and Peña’s police partnership and consequently the danger they become involved in.

Taylor (Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Peña) are typical cop-buddies, patrolling the streets as a darkly comic duo on the south central Los Angeles police force. They have a seemingly easy job, enjoying the recognition and perks with little hard work, yet are very likeable characters. The relaxed atmosphere does not last however, as the two policemen are soon threatened and targeted by a dangerous Mexican gang. Subsequently high-octane shoot outs, swinging camera action and night vision create a severe contrast to the blissful personal lives they lead in the meantime.

Rotten Tomatoes have awarded End Of Watch 86%. Clearly this cop saga is successful at differentiating itself from the usual buddy cop genre, or the good cop/bad cop motif. In many opinions the use of handheld cameras is somewhat clichéd especially after Cloverfield, but don’t let this put you off. It can be the perfect technique to create  the sudden visceral changes in tempo that End of Watch claims to be full of, highlighting the vast contrasts between ordinary car patrols, smooth arrests and tense night-time searches. End Of Watch is an intriguing mix of the stereotypical genre. I am certainly fascinated to see whether the  gamble is as successful as the reviews say.

End of Watch will be released on 23rd November 2012.

Top 5: Miscast roles

Written by Dan King on . Posted in Film.

5. George Clooney- Batman and Robin

Seeing as this is one of the worst movies ever made it may seem harsh to lay the blame with Clooney. It is his worst performance, looking so lacklustre it’s evident he doesn’t want to be in it. However nothing could have saved this abomination.

4. Sofia Coppola- Godfather III

Director Francis Ford Coppola cast his own daughter as the daughter of crime boss Michael Corleone. This proved to be a mistake as her awkward and immature performance contributed to making it the weakest film in the trilogy.

3. Katie Holmes- Batman Begins

A rare misstep by Christopher Nolan, Holmes plays assistant district attorney Rachael Dawes and is clearly out of her depth considering her background in teen soap operas. Unsurprisingly she didn’t reprise the role in The Dark Knight.

2. Kevin Costner- Robin Hood Prince of Thieves

American actor Costner landed the role of the mythical English outlaw but decided not to attempt an English accent. Zero marks for authenticity!

1. Orlando Bloom- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

It’s simple, watch the films and look at his face. His method of acting is to look wistfully into the distance like he’s recalling a particularly good episode of Baywatch. Awful.

60 seconds with…Anthony Scott Logan

Written by Zara Zubeidi on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Have you always wanted to start your own business?

I’m very passionate about what I do and I like the freedom to be creative. Since I was young I have always been business-minded and constantly involved in small projects. Running a business is a lot of work but the rewards of achieving something and reaping the benefits of hard work makes it all worth it. I would certainly say I love what I do.

What made you launch La Vida Magazine?

Manchester is a silent hub of talent and creativity that not many have recognized. I saw this niche and decided that it was time to give Manchester a voice as a fashion and lifestyle capital in the UK, which can compete alongside its London rival.

What has been the highlight of your role as creative director so far?

The highlights have been plentiful, but I would say the best part has been the pleasure of working alongside some really talented people. I have been fortunate enough to meet an array of interesting people and it is always refreshing to meet other creative minds who are as passionate about what they do as I am.

What are your plans for the future?

Without revealing too much, our plans are to keep growing over the next few years to launch and expand nationally, maintaining our growth as a respectable recognised fashion/lifestyle magazine.

What does Manchester mean to you?

I grew up in Lincolnshire and moved over to Manchester two and a half years ago. I absolutely love this city. It has so much to offer with an abundance of diversity. I think being Northern is something to be proud of. Manchester is constantly growing as a city and there are so many interesting events constantly occurring. Through La Vida Magazine I want to ensure such talent is showcased and that everyone is aware of the variety Manchester has to offer.