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Day: 5 February 2013

Entertaining on a budget: French dinner party

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Food & Drink.

While most students were recovering from the previous Saturday night, we set out on an uncharacteristically sunny Sunday morning for Sainsbury’s, Fallowfield. Inspired by our mutual love of all things French and the desire to line our stomachs after a weekend of drinking, we had ambitiously invited about 20 friends over for a French-themed dinner party. French cuisine is renowned for its liberal use of cream, eggs, cheese and meat, so we were preparing ourselves to live on nothing but Basics bread for the next few weeks. However, we were pleasantly surprised – it is possible to entertain on a student budget.

We began with a smoked salmon and asparagus quiche, which sounds very fancy – but with various cheats is both cheap and incredibly tasty. For the pastry, combine 75g unsalted butter with 175g plain flour until crumbly. Then add a little water to bring everything together. Chill the pastry for 30 minutes and line a 20cm tart tin with it.

Smoked salmon trimmings and tinned asparagus sound nowhere near as appealing as their proper counterparts but, once cooked, give the same flavour. For the filling, combine 425g can asparagus spears with 120g smoked salmon trimmings, 4 eggs, 100ml milk and 200ml single cream, then bake at 180°C for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

To make sure that our guests did not go hungry, we whipped up a Dijon Potato Salad. Boil 1kg baby potatoes, allow them to cool and cut them into bit-sized chunks. Combine 2tbsp olive oil; 2tbsp cider vinegar; 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard  pour over the potatoes.

The French are renowned for their pastries, and we felt it was time to bring out our pièce-de-resistance. Despite being notoriously difficult to make, this cheat version of profiteroles proved straightforward.

Most importantly, don’t panic! This is all about timing so make sure you have everything weighed out and at hand. Heat 250ml water in a saucepan. Slowly add 100g butter in even-sized chunks and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and quickly add 125g flour and a teaspoon of sugar. Beat, and once the mixture is coming away from the sides of the bowl, allow to cool. Beat in 4 eggs, spoon the mixture out, in blobs, onto a baking tray and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. Once cooked, they need to be left to cool and dry out. Although terribly messy to eat, they were a massive success and a brilliant end to the evening.

For the chocolate sauce, heat 4 bars of Basics chocolate slowly over a bain marie, and serve with a tub of Basics vanilla ice cream.

And what was the damage of this lavish affair? Well, having supplemented these dishes with 2 more quiches, a savoury tarte tatin and a green salad as well as copious amounts of Basics Brie, we managed to spend no more than £30. In other words, we made an elaborate two-course meal for £1.50 per head. Bon appétit!

Coeliac in Manchester

Written by Jonny Breakwell on . Posted in News.

Eating out as a coeliac can be onerous. However, as the disease is becoming more commonly recognised, the task of finding a restaurant that caters to coeliacs is becoming easier and easier. Many restaurants now provide gluten-free menus, and as a result, staff are becoming more aware of the food types containing gluten. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, allow me to explain. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease which affects the villi in the small intestine, interfering with the absorption of nutrients from food. This results in an intolerance to gluten, which can be found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. It can often be diagnosed later in life, due to its cumulative nature.

20 years ago, the disease was barely recognised, however, in recent times many restaurants have become considerably more ‘coeliac friendly.’ For example, Dominoes and Pizza Hut – as of a few months ago – offer gluten-free pizza bases, without charge. Zizzi’s and Carluccio’s menus now include an option for gluten-free pasta – however, Pizza Express is still behind these Italian giants in both respects.

It won’t come as a surprise to you to hear that I very much enjoy finding new eateries which cater to coeliac needs. Recently, I discovered a quaint café in Manchester’s Northern Quarter which does just that. Having received a recommendation from a friend, I went to check out their gluten-free options. Home Sweet Home, situated on Edge Street, is a tiny and beautiful cafe which is worth a visit for anyone, not just coeliacs.

The menu had limited gluten-free options besides chilli, but any of their sandwiches (which come with some incredible fillings) can be made with gluten-free bread. The Signature Toastie caught my eye – it came with burger meat, gherkins, tomatoes and a double helping of mozzarella and cheddar. The bread was delicious; it’s often the case in cafés that the gluten-free bread is dry or crumbly but this was wholesome and brilliant, and the fillings were brilliantly flavoursome. My only criticism was that there wasn’t a white bread option, but the granary was delicious all the same.

This website locates some other gluten-free restaurants, and the link for Home Sweet Home is here.

Four at Cornerhouse

Written by Sarah Jones on . Posted in Arts.

As the name suggests, ‘Four’ showcases the work of four emerging artists in a variety of mediums, from oil painting to installation. Housed in Oxford Street’s conveniently located ‘Cornerhouse’ and running until February 24th, this exhibition forms part of the gallery’s brand new January showcase, treating viewers to some truly interesting and enticing examples of contemporary art, with a focus on the appreciation of emerging artists and curators.

Arguably a welcome change from exhibitions commonly seen in the likes of The Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery, ‘Four’ certainly doesn’t disappoint when viewing experience is considered, and there isn’t an eighteenth century oil painting in sight. Entering into a small, dimly-lit room, visitors are greeted by the central, ominous presence of Nicola Ellis’ ‘Peragro’, an intriguing sculpture which seems to resemble some sort of oddly-formed creature, instantly conveying the exhibition’s theme of nature, with a degree of surrealism and intrigue.

Interspersed throughout the room are triptychs by both Tristram Aver and Kate Sully. Sully’s three-dimensional pieces, resembling colourful petri dishes are said to ‘explore ideas of artificial cultivation’, whilst Aver’s chaotic pieces, comprising oil, acrylic and spray paints focus on contemporary societal issues, from hunting to the influence of the police. As well as this, Liz West’s installation ‘The predicament of in here and out there’  uses  mirrors, lighting and video encased in a wardrobe to encourage visitors to take initiative and explore the piece, resulting in a degree of interaction which is so often lacking from popular exhibitions.

Not to be sniffed at, the four artists in this exhibition, all based in northern England, have showcased their work in exhibitions in an array of locations from Bolton to Berlin, and although each has their own distinct style, ‘Four’ has a brilliant sense of coherence. This can solely be attributed to the work of the exhibition’s curators; three students ranging from secondary school to University age. The jury’s out on whether you think this exhibition is a work of genius or a non-starter, but if you’re looking for contemporary, vibrant and thought-provoking work, ‘Four’ is a must-see.

Preview: ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’

Written by Jack Crutcher on . Posted in Film.

A Good Day to Die Hard (release: February 14th) will follow on from previous films in the franchise by taking America’s most famous rogue-cop John McClane and placing him in a violent and unforgiving criminal underworld. A familiar plot involving weapons of mass destruction, evil Russians and this time a dynamic father/ son relationship will be the underlying premise of Die Hard 5 and promises an action-filled couple of hours for film lovers searching for a much needed mid-winter adrenaline rush.

Though Die Hard 5 is unlikely to break new ground or redefine what it means to be a good thriller, it will be a safe bet for film lovers who enjoy fast-paced action and a light yet witty narrative (witty in the cheesy Hollywood sense anyway!)

This latest rendition sees McClane travel to Moscow in Russia where his estranged son Jack finds himself in the Russian slammer. McClane begins the movie blissfully unaware of the kind of trouble his son is in – but as the trailer makes perfectly clear, before long angry Russian criminals and exploding cars help spur McClane into the kind of action we have come to expect from him over the past 2 and a half decades. Though little has been given away regarding the intricacies of the plot, we know McClane’s son is not as helpless as he  initially believes – it turns out Jack is New Jersey’s answer to 007; so when both McClane and Jack realise they have been pawns in a much wider plot, with plenty of ‘gadgets’ and a car-trunk load of guns they set out to stop the Russian terrorists together.

Though the premise of the film seems water-tight it also seems as though Die Hard 5 will be about as generic as it can get without being Die Hard 4 with different bad guys. The head Russian terrorist Komorov is expectedly evil, self serving and hates America whist his assistant Irina is a genuinely nice girl caught up with the wrong people – add this to the fact we have Russian terrorists and it all feels like a throwback to any action movie from the 1980’s.

Die Hard 5 will be worth a watch and may surprise its critics on release. But from what we know so far, its predictability and its tried and tested formula could be both its Achilles heel or its greatest strength depending on what you look for in a film.

‘Everyday’

Written by Ally Mitchell on . Posted in Film.

The film Everyday has been described as an ‘almost unbearably moving film’ and according to The Evening Standard, ‘it deserves the big screen’. I therefore think it sounds like an understated accomplishment, only screening at The Cornerhouse for a week and definitely an opportunity of which to take full advantage. Many may recognise the film as a recent TV drama starring Shirley Henderson and John Simm – a married couple with four children (all siblings in reality) and their life over five years while the father, Ian (Simm), serves a jail sentence.

Directed by Michael Winterbottom, the film is reminiscent of Ken Loach’s gritty realism with the incorporation of real prisoners and wardens in the prison scenes and the bleak-winter Norfolk landscape as a backdrop. Even more realistically, Winterbottom has chosen to actually film over the story’s five years. Consequently, the children will genuinely age instead of a selection of very different looking, much older children suddenly appearing as time passes. These children also apparently impact this film more than the acclaimed actors, giving the film a poignant emotion and focus on the family’s survival over the period. No particular event is depicted and time change is not defined. This subtlety is key to Winterbottom’s directorial style as his films are snap-shots of life, creating immense emotional impact.

Winterbottom makes beautiful films. The prospect of an ‘unbearably moving film’ is incredibly enticing. Everyday is therefore full to the brim with promise and is definitely worth a trip to The Cornerhouse.

Everyday is out at The Cornerhouse on Sunday 17th February.

The films are alive with the Sound of Music

Written by Sophie James on . Posted in Film.

Typically, award season hype focuses on the Big Four: best actor, actress, director and film. But, whilst they grab the headlines, there’s another category that’s just as vital a part of the filmmaking process – the soundtrack!

Directors throughout history, from Alfred Hitchcock to Danny Boyle, have proclaimed music as fundamental to their creative vision. Some of the most famous partnerships in film history have been those between director and composer. Duos such as Hitchcock and Herrmann or Williams and Spielberg have created films that are iconic both visually and aurally. Who could forget the melancholy violin melody from Schindler’s List or that blood-curdling, high-pitched string motif that instantly makes us all think of knives, blood and shower curtains?!

But it’s not just the directors who view music as vital in telling a film’s story. A soundtrack is also important for what it says about the composer’s musical reaction to a film and the characters within it. Leonard Bernstein composed his one and only film score to On The Waterfront. Although previously reluctant to break into the film-composition sphere, Bernstein could not resist. Having been so moved by Marlon Brando’s incredible performance, he accepted the challenge straight away.

So, ‘Best Original Score’ is a category not to be sniffed at! And 2013 has produced a bumper crop of nominations, displaying a stellar line up of composers hoping to win big on the night, and no doubt presenting the Academy with some tough decisions. If you don’t know any of them, you definitely should. First up we have Michael Danna for The Life of Pi. With previous film creds including Little Miss Sunshine and (500) Days of Summer, it’s surprising that this is Danna’s first Academy Award nomination. His score for Life of Pi is as stunning as the visual effects it accompanies and truly enhances the impact of Ang Lee’s cinematic vision.

Then we have four of the biggest current names in film composition, starting with Thomas Newman, who has managed to secure Skyfall with one of its few and valuable Academy Award Nominations – no mean feat when its director, Sam Mendes, didn’t even get a mention for best Director. No mean feat, but not surprising either – after all, Newman is the mastermind behind such film scores as American Beauty, The Green Mile and the film that is in just about everyone’s top five, The Shawshank Redemption. This is Newman’s eleventh academy award nomination and perhaps it’ll be his first win. I think I know who the Brits will be backing…

The next composer has bagged Argo another of its GAZILLION nominations. It’s perhaps easiest to list the films that Alexandre Desplat HASN’T composed scores for, especially within the past year, with recent films including Moonrise Kingdom, Rust and Bone and Zero Dark Thirty. How does the Academy manage to single just one film score out of all of that?! Desplat has had much BAFTA success and is certainly no stranger to the Academy, with Argo being his fifth nomination.

Third nominee Dario Marianelli could well be in with a chance too. Up there with Desplat as one of my all time favourite composers, Anna Karenina is further fruit of his  incredible partnership with director Joe Wright. Marianelli’s  seductively sinister soundtrack to Joe Wright’s Atonement ripped it up at the award ceremonies back in 2007 and it’s no mystery why – the chemistry between these two always produces breathtaking pieces of cinema.

Last but not least we have the KING of the composers: John Williams, with his score to that film Lincoln. With five academy awards under his belt as well as 48 nominations, Williams comes second in the “most nominated person ever” list, missing first place to some guy called Walt Disney. Name a memorable soundtrack and Williams probably composed it. Jaws? Yep. Star Wars? You betcha. Harry Potter? Check. Superman? Do you even need to ask?! As Lincoln is another collaboration between Williams and Steven Spielberg, I think most of us will have our money on Williams to win on February 24th.

So whether you stay up to watch the awards or trawl through the list of winners the next day – do yourself a big favour and look out for who won Best Music. And next time you’re in the cinema, open your mind and let the music in. I guarantee it’ll transform your cinematic experience.

Awards season brings fresh controversies

Written by Dylan Wiggan on . Posted in Film.

Controversy. It’s an increasingly overused word that’s lately become synonymous with adulterous footballers or scandalous reality shows. But this awards season ‘controversy’ has been a recurring theme.

Firstly there’s Zero Dark Thirty. Directed by The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow, this thriller chronicles the struggles of determined CIA agent Maya (played by Jessica Chastain) in her 10 year hunt to find Osama Bin Laden. It’s only just been released on these shores but a political storm has been a-brewing since it opened in across the Atlantic in mid-December. The main point of complaint was the films depiction of torture. Some argued that the film showed water-boarding as a contributing factor in the locating and killing of the al Qaeda founder in his compound in Pakistan. Mainstream media, typically liberal leaning, sought to condemn this seemingly pro-torture cinema. Bigelow, a life-long pacifist, responded to this criticism by correctly arguing that simply showing these actions does not equate to condoning them. Whilst astute observers have questioned whether the information gleaned from the torture actually was a step towards Bin Laden.

Then there’s Django Unchained. Quentin Tarantino’s spaghetti western follows eponymous slave Django (Jamie Fox) and his quest to rescue his wife from the clutches of nefarious slave owner Candie (Leonardo Dicaprio) with the help of bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz). Controversy and Tarantino films go hand in hand, but his latest opus seems to be getting the most headlines of his career- and not for the right reasons. Aside from the usual gripes on his use of graphic violence, many have gotten angry at the films depiction of slavery and question the liberal use of the ‘N’ word throughout the film. Prominent black filmmaker Spike Lee, an open Tarantino critic, called the film ‘disrespectful’ making the fair point that ‘American slavery was not a Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It was a holocaust.’ However, he also admitted to not having seen the film, so is clearly unable to judge the film accurately. Regardless Tarantino’s outburst on Chanel Four News clearly shows he has been feeling the pressure of this film.

And let’s not forget The Impossible. Juan Antonio Bayona directs Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor as a family caught in the mayhem of the 2004 Tsunami in Asian. Complaints of the films stem from the fact that the film chooses to focus on a white middle class English family, essentially ignoring the 100,000s of poor Asian people lost in the disaster.

But what do these swirling pots of controversy all mean? Is it pure coincidence that all these awards contenders have hit the wrong headlines all at once, or is something else going on?

The old saying goes ‘all press is good press’, suggesting any talk of these films will be good for box office and awards no matter in what light they are being spoken. And producers like Harvey Weinstein have turned awards campaigns into an art form to such a degree that it wouldn’t be too cynical to suggest this hysteria was, if not completely manufactured, fuelled by the studios.

However, pure artifice or not, the most important thing perhaps is that these films are doing what great films ought to- get people talking. And that’s one of the best bits about watching a film, arguing about it with your mates on the way home or in a pub afterwards. As long as a film itself isn’t completely overshadowed by its own buzz, getting interesting movies on the news and more people discussion ‘meaning’ is surely a good thing.

So the real winner from this burst of controversial faire is us- the film fans.  Not only is it getting non-movie obsessors wading joining our filmic discussions, but it’s also boosting the box office of non-mainstream cinema. Hopefully this will lead to more ‘risk-taking’ or ‘edgy’ films instead of the usual lazy Hollywood output. Hurray for controversy!

Review: The Sunset Sleeps

Written by Anthony Steel on . Posted in Film.

The Sunset Sleeps is the short film debut of University of Manchester graduate Alex Browning. He sent The Mancunion an advance copy of the film for review ahead of its submittal to various film festivals later in the year.

The story depicts the loss of childhood in an idyllic setting that appears to be the West Country. We are presented with breath-taking sceneries that lull you into a tranquil world of comfort and ease. Sleeps tells the story of three friends, two of which are enamoured with each other. They are all young adults yet roam the fields like children- playing hide and seek and appearing innocent in nature. This exaggerated feeling of the youth faces us with the reality of growing up. In the beautiful opening shot the camera flies over fields of golden wheat, accompanied by the sound of wind, nature and relaxingly ambient music. In the midst of these delicious aesthetics, we are presented with cuts to the couple sitting under the trees and reading together. All the while, a voiceover summarises the dying fate of the sun. The peaceful visuals incongruously coupled with the factually based narrative bring out the film’s message: the transition into adulthood is a troubled yet exciting point in our lives.

The first-time director shows promising skills in film-making with his establishing shots of the fields as well as the stylised moments of visual metaphors and cinematography. However, things go slightly awry during the scene between the three friends. Here, the shots are just a tad awkward. The framing, particularly over “third-wheel” Blake, creates uncomfortable angles. In addition, the point-of-view shots of John were slightly off-putting. Whether intentional or not, they alienated you from his character. It also created an uneasy balance as to who was meant to be the main focus, especially alongside the critically dominant gaze of his girlfriend. The editing here also lacks the clarity and precision that is presented elsewhere in the film.

Nonetheless, the film effectively eases us back into its dreamlike montage of the lovers spending their last few days of romance together before “the sun goes down”. When the game of hide-and-seek begins, the film rolls back into a more professional quality with amazing crane shots and fluid transitions. One particularly great moment was close-up shot of the lovers’ held hands; although somewhat conventional it still proved effective as classic romantic imagery. Even more pleasing was the way in which the wheat gently brushed against them. All the while, Blake commences the countdown, signifying the impending end to the lovers’ relationship. Here’s where the editing works really well. Ranging from unusually pleasing blurs to hazy dissolves; it soothingly portrayed the lovers last moments together yet, thankfully, doesn’t edge into what could’ve been cheesy and melodramatic storytelling. Close-ups, dissolves, the music and the endlessly stunning vistas feed the eyes throughout and immerse us into the films complicated yet beautiful world.

Despite the minor blip in the middle, Alex Browning provides capability in filmmaking and direction. There are clear signs here of cinematic skill and understanding as well as a talent in visualising the beauty that surrounds us and incorporating it into well accustomed themes. Browning is currently working on another project How It All Ends which I based on the standard of filming he has shown so far, is sure to be worth a watch. The Sunset Sleeps will be a worthy contender at upcoming festivals for independently made shorts such as this. It is sweet, simple and a positive onset for the freelance director’s work.

Elevator Action

Written by Jonathan Lee on . Posted in Games.

In 1983 there was a game called Elevator action where people could play as a super spy. I first played this lovely little and simple game on my very first game boy. This game now gives me a sense of nostalgia that not many others can. This is a gem, and if you have never played it, check it out now.

You are a spy infiltrating an enemy spy base via a grappling hook. Your goal is simple. Find the document in one of the many doors available and get to the ground floor. To do that you will have to fight your way through constant waves of enemy agents, dodge their bullets, and use the labyrinth of elevators and escalators to get there.

I will never forget the time I found my way into the first room. This was for me the early nineties, getting to run around a building and shooting my way through it with the brand new shot gun from a room I snuck into was exhilarating. Nor will I forget the time I got squashed by the elevator because I stood too close to it. The game is simple, not terribly hard, but not easy either. There are two levels that bullets can come at you from, chest height and knee height, the thing to do is to kneel or jump respectively to dodge them, however, waves of agents can fire a hail of bullets at you rendering dodging pointless.

The mechanics were simple, but the ease of playing as a super spy who was good at his job was certainly new and exciting. This game doesn’t win any big awards like Mario does, but it has its place in video games history.

Reasons to be cheerful in 2013

Written by Sam Dumitriu on . Posted in Games.

The first half of 2013 is packed to the brim with AAA releases, The Mancunion have picked the 5 we’re most excited about.

Tomb Raider (360/PS3/PC) Crystal Dynamics:

Crystal Dynamics’ reboot of the popular Tomb Raider centres around the theme, Lara Croft as a survivor. The game is based around Lara’s transition from explorer to duel-pistol wielding tomb raider. Lara is shipwrecked on an isolated tropical island; she has to hunt for food, water and shelter to survive.

But picking berries is the least of her worries, as she also has to deal with the dangerous animals and violent mercenaries. After the success of Uncharted it appears Crystal Dynamics are placing a greater emphasis on combat, trailers show Lara dispatching mercenaries brutally with her bow and arrow.

The most noticeable change is that the game has shifted towards realism, Lara’s most famous assets are noticeably closer to realms of physical possibility and the game’s environments are much darker than the vivid horizons of past games.

Trailer:


GTA V (360/PS3) Rockstar North:

Five years after the last instalment in the series, the action picks up in the city of Los Santos in the fictional state of San Andreas. The map is set to be bigger than the maps of GTA IV, Red Dead Redemption and San Andreas combined.

GTA V’s story is a series first as you follow not one but three protagonists as the game’s focus is the pursuit of the almighty dollar in present day Southern California.

You play as Michael, a big time criminal in witness protection trying to adjust to life after crime; Trevor, the polar opposite still working and living in a trailer park, and Franklin, an ex gangster who now makes his money in by collecting debts. How these three stories will intertwine is still anyone’s guess, but it’s likely to invoke memories of GTA IV’s meeting of Niko, Johnny and Luis.

Trailer:

 

Gears of War: Judgement (360) Epic Games:

The fourth entry in the Gears of War series will take place before the events of the first game, and will for the first time leave Delta Team behind and follows series favourites Baird and Cole. Kilo Team are on trial for treason and each level centres on Kilo Team’s testimony.

You can alter your testimony by taking on extra challenges like only using certain weapons in order to get a higher end of level rating, providing much needed replay value to a story that otherwise might get ignored in favour of multiplayer.

Multiplayer will be important as ever, with Epic launching a new mode called Overrun. A class based mode where the Locust aim to infiltrate the COGs defences and destroy their E-Hole cover. The opportunity to play as a Corpser should be enough to make this a must buy even for those jaded after the last three battles with the Locust.

Trailer:

God of War: Ascension (PS3) SCE Santa Monica:

Fitting with the year’s theme of prequels, Ascension takes place before the events of the first game. Kratos battles the three Furies in an attempt to sever all ties with Ares, who callously tricked him into murdering his wife and child.

The most surprising addition is a multiplayer mode that has players swears allegiance to one of four gods and fight to gain new abilities through levelling up. Different gods give different powers and customisation and specialisation will be vital to online play.

With online multiplayer looking to be incredible fast paced and fun, and after three years without any Kratos action on the PS3, Ascension is shaping up to be a must buy for all PS3 owners.

Trailer:

Bioshock: Infinite (360/PS3/PC) Irrational Games:

Whereas Bioshock dealt with Libertarianism, and Bioshock 2 dealt with the Communism, Bioshock Infinite has set its sight on the ideology that started World War Two, Nationalism.

Set on a city in the sky, two warring factions, the Founders obsessed with American exceptionalism and the Vox Populi, a rebel grouping representing the common people. You play as Booker a down on his luck ex-Pinkerton agent who’s drafted in to pay off his gambling debts tasked with finding Elizabeth, a young woman held captive who may be pivotal to the war.

The game has controversially added 1999 mode, which aims to be make sure your choices matter by giving you less ammo and health and forcing you to specialise early on. It’s a brave move, but it shouldn’t upset too many people provided the standard single player is still good.

Trailer: