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Month: December 2017

Manchester scientists find new test predicts skin cancer return

Recently published research, led by scientists at Manchester University’s Cancer Research Manchester Institute and The Christie has found a test that can predect whether or not skin cancer will return.

The study looked at the blood samples of stage two and three melanoma skin cancer patients. 70 per cent of melanoma skin cancers are linked to harmful mutations in two genes: BRAF and NRAS. This study showed that, within five years of surgery, only 33 per cent of patients who tested positive for faults in either of these genes survived, whereas mutation-free patients had a 65 per cent survival rate.

These results suggest that testing positive for these mutations is associated with a much higher probability of the skin cancer returning, and the patient relapsing.

“For some patients with advanced melanoma, their cancer will eventually return. We have no accurate tests to predict who these patients will be, so our findings are really encouraging,” Professor Richard Marais, lead researcher and director of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, said.

“If we can use this tumour DNA test to accurately predict if cancer is going to come back, then it could help doctors decide which patients could benefit from new immunotherapies. These treatments can then reduce the risk of the cancer spreading.”

Every year 15,400 people in the UK are diagnosed with a malignant melanoma or skin cancer. Around 2,500 of which will die as a result, despite chances of survival doubling in the past 40 years.

Professor Karen Vousden, Cancer Research UK’s chief scientist, said: “Being able to develop an early warning system that will predict if a cancer will return could make a real difference to patients. Research like this shows that for some cancers, there may be ingenious solutions — such as a blood test.

“If follow up research shows that this test can be used to inform treatment decisions and improve outlook, it could be a game-changer in our ability to deal with advanced skin cancer.”

Professor Marais added: “The next step is to run a trial where patients have regular blood tests after their initial treatment has finished, in order to test this approach.”

Live Review: Mastodon

Metal is an incredibly diverse genre with a myriad of sub-genres to fit every preference. Within these clusters, there are very talented musicians and, well, not-so musically gifted musicians, as in any genre.

You can have American sludge metal, stoner rock, and even prog metal giants. Mastodon fall into the former, thankfully. Since their formation in 2000 they’ve released 2 EPs and 7 studio albums, the latest being the polarising yet Grammy nominated record Emperor of Sand. Their latest EP, Cold Dark Place, might I add, is phenomenal, with Brent Hinds wielding a Sho-Bud 13-string pedal steel guitar, an undeniable testament to the band’s talent.

Red Fang opened the gig with the highlight of their set being iWires’, a song that I was looking forward to hearing live since it popped up in my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify earlier this year. A small mosh pit had begun and there was headbanging galore.

A raucous cheer erupted from the front of the room and made its way to the posterior exit doors as Brent Hinds, Brann Dailor, Troy Sanders and Bill Kelliher took to the stage. They instantly broke into song, blessing our ears with intricate drumming, hypnotic riffs and deep vocals. Right before the show began I’d been informed that Mastodon had a reputation for being incredibly loud, and they certainly lived up to the legend.

Most of the bands songs have a playtime that surpasses the five minute mark, making for a hypnotic, almost trance-like performance that kept heads bobbing and feet stamping.

Brann Dailor must be commended for being one of a rare breed of rockers that happen to be able to play the drums furiously while singing their hearts out; Dave Grohl is on par with Brann, it’s fair to say. Only during ‘Show Yourself’ did his voice falter, understandably so considering that the vocals for that particular track are at a higher key than their other work.

The rest of the band were on form, as well, with a commendable and stellar performance to be noted by them all.

Judging by how well received each and every song was, fans were definitely pleased by the set list, a back-and-forth journey taking us through their early work from records such as ‘Crack the Skye’ and ‘Once More ‘Round the Sun’. To my dismay, they did not perform ‘Curl of the Burl’ or ‘The Motherload’, which are some of my personal favourites from their collection.

The closer for the set was the legendary ‘Blood and Thunder’, an aggressive tale about Moby Dick that got the majority of the room bouncing back and forth. When tallying together the Spotify streams and YouTube views that the song has, the total plays surpass 16 million, so it’s fair to say that it may be their most popular track.

It was refreshing to see that the band had no encore, solidifying their “what you see is what you get” appearance that glows with a sense of maturity and experience, and an apparent sign of respect towards their predominantly middle-aged fan base. Only Dailor stayed onstage to address the floodlit room, thanking us for being there and saying how Manchester makes the band feel at home with a warm reception each time they come.

He also addressed a member of the audience by the name of Ivan, “Ivan the Terrible-at-moshing” joked Brann, because he’d been carried out of the crowd having broken his ankle in a mosh pit. “Hey Ivan, how about you look up ‘How to mosh properly’ on YouTube tomorrow?” he said, prompting a laugh from Academy’s attendees.

Mastodon are gifted musicians that delivered a hypnotic, epic show that rocked on for the best part of two hours until the 11 o’clock curfew. With an average release cycle of one record every two years, the giants will be back in Manchester soon, I’d hope, and they definitely will be headlining many rock festivals. Do yourself a favour and check them out, either online or in person, as they are more than worthy of the title: Rock Gods.

8/10

Do you think you’re a Star Wars superfan?

It’s an exciting time of year what with Christmas being only round the corner, but there’s something that has made the cold winter months even better… Star Wars is hitting our screens on Friday 15th December!

Premieres tend to bring out the biggest and baddest superfans, with people in cosplay queuing overnight to get into the cinema, and this latest instalment will be no different if reviews are to be believed: the UK media have been giving it five stars left right and centre, with one review in The Telegraph even going so far as to say that it will “leave fans beaming.”

But the wheat needs to be sorted from the chaff, and we’ve found the perfect way to test your Star Wars trivia.

To celebrate the release of Star Wars The Last Jedi, Black Dog Ballroom on New Wakefield Street are hosting a Star Wars themed quiz on 19‌th ‌December‌ where you can flex your knowledge on their terrace from seven PM.

Questions will delve into every corner of the Star Wars universe, and you can enjoy your quizzing alongside some specially created intergalactic cocktails and a screening of The Force Awakens… it’s set to be out of this world!

This is your chance to prove that you’re the supreme leader of the Star Wars fandom… just don’t be a Jar-Jar! Entry is one pound per person on the the night, and to book a table just email: [email protected].

Review: The Patron

There is one person who I’ve eaten out with more than any other, a young Mr. Hill. In 2016 we spent 6 weeks in Japan and ate out once, twice, even three times a day. But that’s when we were in the city, the rest of the time we lived in tents at the foot of mountains and shores of lakes.

It’s funny to remember the stark contrast of our indulgent city eating and Spartan camping diet. We had a gas burner and one small pot, for breakfast we only ate rice boiled with a stock cube, like a savoury porridge. We added crunch by picking the wings of beetles, then washed it all down with dew that condensed on palm leaves. Oh Mr. Hill and I saw some things… some say we will see them again one day.

As he was visiting Manchester for the day to see an exhibition, I had the infinite pleasure to dine with Mr. Hill once again.

When reading the canon of restaurant critics in Britain, Dent, O’Loughlin, Coren, Rayner, Maschler, you rarely see anything written about music. Is it not important for them, are they perhaps hard of hearing? Often times the restaurants themselves can seem ambivalent, they put on the radio or a generic playlist, and the whole dining experience suffers for it. But when a restaurant gets it right and whoever is curating the music’s taste aligns with yours, it’s a fine thing.

The newly opened Patron on Oldham Street did just that, an old Nicholas Jaar tune here, some William Onyeabor there. Who knows, maybe it was a Spotify playlist, maybe they have a group of aspirational first year DJ’s locked in a basement somewhere, honing the sounds and subsisting entirely on a diet of Facebook likes and rice. Either way, the music set a wonderful tone.

We drank a 2016 Merlot by Jean de la Roche, which goes for £19 for a bottle or £4.50 for a medium glass. It was gentle, not too strong, sufficiently delicate and very drinkable. We’d come from Common, where we’d been drinking the house ale, and it made me think, if beer is 80mph, then wine is 40mph, but in a far nicer car. This Merlot will get you were you need to go, and at a more comfortable pace.

The menu is split into big and small plates, and between 12-3pm and 5-7pm, 3 small plates will cost you £13.50. This is a really good deal; if you’re out in town and want some ballast whilst drinking, then this is a fantastic way to snack. We had the heritage carrot with red onion, fennel, dukkah, and beetroot. The carrot itself was well cooked, but all the myriad accoutrements stole the show. It was a mixture of charming purees and pickles.

For a meat option, we went for black garlic & chilli shortribs with smoked swede. The ribs were reliable, hearty bits of cow, but I was much more interested in what they were going to do with the swede. We are deep in December and all manner of root vegetables can be found on menus, celeriac, pumpkin, the squashes. But who’s doing swede, who I ask, WHO?  Swede tends to conjure images of mixed bags of frozen veg served at school lunches. However, Patron’s swede was presently surprising. It was a soft orange colour with a light texture and sweet taste.

Lastly, we had black pepper tofu with macerated watermelon and cucumber. A classic cooking adage is that you can test a chef a by their eggs, but as Asian food becomes more prevalent amongst menus across Manchester, we now judge chefs by their tofu. It is so easy to have bland and lacking tofu, with a texture that inspires gags. The tofu here was inspired, a wonderful crust on the exterior, complemented beautifully by the cool, waterfall-like refreshment of the watermelon and cucumber. It was really the stand out plate.

The Patron is the latest facet of Hatter Hostel empire. They have conquered a whole block of Stevenson square with West Corner, a brunch joint, a new upmarket hostel, and now Patron. According to the Manchester Evening News, Romin Farahini previously of Hawksmoor, is at the helm of Patron’s kitchen.

We had great service and some genuine personality came through from our waitors. The place has been open two weeks, and it doesn’t really show, as everything appears pretty seamless. Some snag with fish deliveries meant that no seafood was available, but I wasn’t particularly bothered. A venue is opening downstairs in the next few days, so here we have another NQ triple threat of music, food, and drink. But something felt a little different here, the decor was sharp and impressive but it wasn’t overdone. There was no air of pretence, more like confidence in an interior design well done.

All in all, it’s a mighty fine place to be a patron.

The Voidz announce new album for 2018

Four years ago, we existed in a comparatively calmer world. Obama was president, the thought of leaving a EU was a lucid pipe dream, and Ed Sheeran was at the top of the charts; in that final aspect, unfortunately, things haven’t really changed.

In amidst all this, unbeknownst to some, The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas put together a six-piece avant-garde punk band called The Voidz, who dropped their debut, 11 minute single Human Sadness, followed swiftly by one of the edgiest albums Casablancas has ever released, and certainly his most exciting since The Strokes’ Room On Fire.

Tyranny was that album. A mad blend of feverish, aggressive songs tackling the economic downturn, the destruction of the environment, and corporate figureheads controlling the government in a bizarre, divide and conquer feudal system. Sound at all familiar? Yes, it seems that Casablancas and co predicted, or rather tried to preempt the world’s steps in chaos, but like with the doomsday scholars of old, we, the masses, did not listen.

In truth, it doesn’t seem like many listened to Tyranny, as Cult Records was reported to be making a loss on it just a few months later. I’m not arguing that if more people had taken in the message of Tyranny we’d be in a less dire political situation worldwide, but frankly, I’ll try anything once.

So why does it matter that Julian Casablancas’ ‘other’ band are returning? “We want Is This It pt.2!”, cry the masses. No, you don’t, shut up. The Voidz are by far the most exciting thing any Strokes member has done in years. BY FAR.

Part of what makes the band so exciting is their tackling of difficult topics, using the energy of punk and metal to represent the repressed fury of the underbelly, to tackle a subject with both subtlety and extreme vividness. You need only listen to songs such as ‘Where No Eagles Fly’ or ‘Xerox’ to hear the contrast. It’s also worth mentioning they have a hilarious heavy metal-via-80s hair band aesthetic.

The Voidz represent a fascinating shift away from the safe indie and rock tropes that New York has been peddling for decades, and with their razor-sharp attention to the turmoil of the times, even when the turmoil isn’t as apparent, you can bet your bottom dollar (and at this rate, it may well be your last one) that the band’s approach will be refueled by a new conviction. God knows music needs more conviction.

The Voidz drop a new album early 2018. Check out the ‘Initiate’ teaser here.

Live review: The Chemical Brothers WHP

Saturday 9th December, Store Street

The Chemical Brothers, back in Manchester. There was something tangibly patriotic about the duo returning to their city, hungry to revive the underground dingy dance scene with the beats that saturated 90s culture.

This return fitted with that intrinsic part of The Warehouse Project’s appeal: that reinjection of Manchester’s dance scene into the veins of commercial culture. Being underneath Piccadilly station, Store Street (a car park by day) is attractively secretive, as if transported back to the era of infamous illegal raves.

With a three hour — surprisingly tech-oriented — set tipped as the non-negotiable feature of the event, Store Street became disorientatingly overcrowded as the masses swarmed to catch a glimpse of these masters of electronic music.

There was a certain transparency to the set. Though exceptionally long in duration, it did not offer many surprises. ‘Go’ was marked as a crowd-pleaser not long into the set, and please the crowd it did.

The set was interestingly distorted and didn’t give much away, and though there were hints at popular beats throughout, it was clear the Brothers were leaving their own discography at home.

Their act centred around techno elements, which were always fresh and only occasionally seemed monotonous. It appeared that just as a track was beginning to run out of steam, a groove would infiltrate the beat to kick it up a notch and reinstate the crowd’s faith. Whispers of 70s and 80s funk meandered through these moments, snatched away again before they could saturate the set.

Despite the fact that this headline slot was listed as a DJ set, it was disappointing that more of their own tracks weren’t weaved into the set to ensure originality and add a personal twist.

There was a space, there was dancing, and there was passion — and isn’t that what you need? Some variation might have elevated the set, and it was certainly not what was expected of the duo, but they remain geniuses of the modern boogie.

7/10

ArtBox: Interview with artist Faye Gosling

ArtBox will be host to a range of artists who have all donated their work in aid of one charity, Manchester Mind, and in the run up to the event, we catch up with some of those getting involved, and what the project means to them:

Why did you choose to get involved with the Artbox event and what does it mean for you to be part of it?

I got involved with Artbox because I thought it was a fun idea, I’ve never been to an event like this and [Manchester] Mind is a great charity so I had no reason to say no! To be a part of it is fantastic as not only am I donating (and probably buying) work to raise money for Mind, but also, as I haven’t ventured down from Glasgow for anything art related before, it’s a great opportunity to check out the art scene in Manchester!

It is easy for people to assume that the art world is exclusive and pricey. Do you think it’s important to use art for charitable causes such as this one?

I think if you can make work that people want to buy, why not sell it for charity! I’ve got to make work anyway if i want to get a degree, and I’ve got a job and a student loan so I don’t need to make money off it- if it’s going to sell the profits might as well go somewhere good!

Artbox is a student led event. Do you think it is significant for students to have the opportunity to get involved with such projects?

It’s great that this is a student led event because not only are we all developing our professional practice, as well as our event organising skills — or whatever it is that we can put on our CV’s afterwards — but it makes artwork accessible to other students, which is nice. And also just raising money for charity is always a lovely thing to do if you have the time!

Mono print by Faye Gosling Mono Print by Faye Gosling

 

What inspires your art? Is there anything specific you’d like your work to convey?

My practice is heavily influenced my water, the coast and generally just being outside. I’m starting to develop more site specific work, looking at translating the shape and patterns found within rivers into vocal scores to be performed on site. However, I figured this would be a difficult thing to sell at Artbox as it is basically me singing next to a river, so as well as this, I have been looking at things found on the beach for the auction — I have cast a back ray bone in bronze and pewter and have also done some mono prints to accompany them!

Where can we find your art online?

I have a not completely up-to-date online portfolio on my website

ArtBox Event Page  // PostBox Event Page

Artbox – a silent art auction hosted by Funraising – will take place on December 14th at Solomons Cafe Bar from 5:30pm, with an after-party, PostBox, at  Indigo starting at 10:00pm.

2017: the year deception stopped being profitable?

There’s a story about World of Warcraft’s development that always impresses me. In the beta, if you played for more than a few hours, the XP you gained past that point was halved. Such a mechanic is hugely beneficial to a subscription-based game, as it prevents hardcore players from ‘completing’ the game too soon and cancelling their account, or getting too far ahead of casual players to alienate them.

Beta testers hated it. Why should people get punished for using a service they’re paying for? Understanding this, developers simply reversed the mechanic: the standard rate of XP was lowered, and by not playing the game, players would amass a ‘rest’ bonus to their XP gain. The more time they spent resting, the bigger the XP bonus when they logged back in.

As the developers noted, this was simply “the same numbers seen from a different point of view” — and yet, the mechanic proved vastly more agreeable with players, simply because the feature was served to them as a reward instead of a punishment.

To be clear, I’m not criticising the mechanic. I’ve seen enough ‘Video games Ruined my Life’ documentaries on Channel 4 to know that a bit of time away from Azeroth wouldn’t hurt for a lot of WoW players. The story simply demonstrates that with a bit of maneuvering, it’s pretty easy to obscure undesirable aspects of your game from its players. Chances are, if you shroud the mechanic well enough with complex coding and jargon, the average gamer who just wants to kill bad guys simply isn’t motivated enough to understand, or even care.

At least, that was the case in 2004 when WoW first released. Today’s gamers, it seems, are not so easily placated – 2017 has truly been the year of gamers assembling en masse to rally against anti-consumer mechanics in popular titles.

Activision were recently caught red handed using a similar XP mechanic in Destiny 2 to the one in WoW. Like WoW developers, Activision wanted to drastically reduce the XP players earned after a certain amount of playtime – but decided to skip that boring part where you notify players of the reduction. Too lazy to try their hand at the clever type of obscuring methods that were used to solve the same problem 13 years earlier, Activision simply chose to lie to their players, displaying normal numbers for XP gain but secretly reducing them by up to 96% per cent depending on how long the player had been grinding.

They would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those pesky Redditors. It took a couple of months, but eventually the secret XP-slashing was unearthed by user EnergiserX, who posted a detailed account of his findings complete with testing method and calculations.

In a blog post apology, developers Bungie essentially attempted the ‘How did that get in there? I assure you it’s not mine, Officer’ routine, which worked about as well as it ever has for anyone. The XP-scaling system was removed from the game, but here’s the shocker: apparently not learning their lesson, Activision then secretly doubled XP requirements to level up in Destiny 2 in place of the scaling system. This time, it took less than 24 hours until Redditors discovered the new discrepancy, which forced another excuse from Bungie and another fix to the XP system.

This annoying habit gamers have picked up over the last decade of realising when they are being conned doesn’t just stop at concealed mechanics — unfortunately for AAA publishers, the consumer is also becoming wiser to the ones that are dangled in front of our noses.

Loot boxes have been the hottest topic of the gaming industry this year, coming to a head in spectacular fashion recently with the Star Wars: Battlefront II controversy.

For a long time, loot boxes have existed as an ugly paradox in games, simultaneously shoved in our faces and yet obfuscated behind confusing systems and menus. Since FIFA 09 brought us the first memorable instance of loot boxes in a full-priced AAA title, they have crept more and more from optional to integral, all the while maintaining the cloak-and-dagger routine to disguise their malice.

From giving out free loot boxes as levelling rewards as a ‘free hit’ to get players hooked, to using a virtual intermediate currency like ‘COD points’ as a means to obscure the real-world value of worthless digital content, the powers that be have used every trick in the book to sell their immensely profitable microtransaction model.

However, concerns about the predatory nature of loot boxes have exploded into the mainstream towards the latter half of 2017. First we saw Middle-Earth: Shadow of War receive wide criticism for being entirely built around loot boxes, currently sitting at a user score of 3.6 out of 10 on Metacritic.

Most notably, however, is the aforementioned Battlefront II, which has forced the issue of loot boxes irreversibly into the limelight. Causing an uproar amongst fans for pay-to-win mechanics and unreasonably long grinds for non-paying players, the game has proven to be a PR nightmare for EA. So tumultuous was the outrage that multiple governments looked into reviewing legislation to protect minors from the gambling mechanics; Hawaii State Representative Chris Lee branded Battlefront II a “Star Wars-themed online casino designed to lure kids into spending money.”

Clearly, game developers and publishers are experiencing diminishing returns with veiling undesirable mechanics in their titles. This begs the question: where do developers go from here? In an era of seemingly inescapable transparency, creators unwilling to go without their profitable mechanics will be forced to either innovate new methods of deception or continue to face unprecedented resistance.

Revolutionary graphene sports shoes

The British company innov-8 have used graphene in their sports shoes in an industry first .

They will be arriving on the market in 2018. Graphene has been incorporated into the rubber outsoles, and tests show this has made them stronger, more stretchy and more resistant to wear.

The company hail from the same North England Lake District fells as graphite, the mineral that graphene is produced from, and currently trades in over 68 countries around the world.

“Product innovation is the number-one priority for our brand. It’s the only way we can compete against the major sports brands,” says inov-8 CEO Ian Bailey. “The pioneering collaboration between inov-8 and the University of Manchester puts us — and Britain — at the forefront of a graphene sports footwear revolution.”

Graphene was first isolated in 2004 at the University of Manchester. It is the thinnest material on Earth and being one atom thick, it’s the world’s first two-dimensional material. The material has been used in various pioneering projects, including sports cars, medical devices, aeroplanes; and now, footwear.

Dr Aravind Vijayaraghavan, Reader of Nanomaterials at the University of Manchester, explains further: “Despite being the thinnest material in the world, graphene is also the strongest, and is 200 times stronger than steel. It’s also extraordinarily flexible, and can be bent, twisted, folded and stretched without incurring any damage.”

This can be especially useful when considering the needs of running and fitness shoes. “Off-road runners and fitness athletes live at the sporting extreme and need the stickiest outsole grip possible to optimize [sic] their performance, be that when running on wet trails or working out in sweaty gyms,” says Michael Price, innov-8’s Product and Marketing Director. “For too long, they have had to compromise this need for grip with the knowledge that such rubber wears down quickly.

“Now, utilising the groundbreaking properties of graphene, there is no compromise. The new rubber we have developed with the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester allows us to smash the limits of grip.”

Dr Vijayaraghavan adds: “When added to the rubber used in innov-8’s G-Series shoes, graphene imparts all its properties, including its strength. Our unique formulation makes these outsoles 50 per cent stronger, 50 per cent more stretchy and 50 per cent more resistant to wear than the corresponding industry standard rubber without graphene.”

“And this is just the start, as the potential of graphene really is limitless,” CEO Ian Bailey goes on to say. “We are so excited to see where this journey will take us.”

Live review: Gorillaz

It has been 7 years since genre-defying band Gorillaz last played Manchester Arena and their long-awaited return certainly lives up to expectations. The show is led and coordinated by co-founder and Blur frontman Damon Albarn but is by no means dominated by him. He is joined by a host of acts, including Little Simz, Vince Staples, and two-thirds of De La Soul, as well as a vast crew of musicians — notably a whopping 6 backing singers and two drummers.

The set opens with ‘M1 A1’, the unnerving sample from ‘Day of the Dead’ ringing through the Arena- “hello, is anyone there?” The audience is already entranced, their voices echoing in eerie unison during ‘Last Living Souls’.

Predictably, ‘Dirty Harry’ is a hit, with Albarn backed by a choir of cartoon children on the screen. Bootie Brown joins the stage to perform the rap section as the crowd reaches peak excitement.  Setlist staples ‘Feel Good Inc.’, ‘El Manana’, and ‘Demon Days’ are equally well received.

Gorillaz no longer rely on gimmicks for their live show, instead using old music videos featuring the virtual band, some in full and some spliced together, with glitches and clips of artists who could not be present. Mad light shows, pyrotechnics, or dancers just aren’t necessary. The graphics are a spectacle in themselves, as are each of the acts that join the stage.

The full original music videos are used to accompany ‘Stylo’, ‘Clint Eastwood’, and mellower ‘On Melancholy Hill’, when Albarn steps back into centre stage to show off his vocals. He says little in between songs but has never been on such good form so the audience don’t seem to mind.

Tracks from Gorillaz’s newest album Humanz are just as well received as older ones. American rapper Vince Staples takes over the Arena to front ‘Ascension’, working the crowd into a whirl. It is repetitive but by no means dull as Staples brings never-ending energy to the stage.

Similarly, ‘Sex Murder Party’, performed by Jamie Principle, Zebra Katz, and Albarn is outrageously brilliant and surreal. Principle climbs into the crowd while Katz struts and jumps about in a shiny silver boiler suit for a full seven minutes.

The biggest hit of the Humanz era, ‘Saturnz Barz’ fills the Arena with ear-splitting bass and hard-hitting beats. Despite the fact that the performance relies on pre-recorded sections from Jamaican dancehall artist Popcaan, it is a clear favourite with the crowd.

Inevitably there are some tracks missing from the setlist, notably Demon Days track ‘DARE’ featuring Shaun Ryder, yet the 28 songs that are played are faultless and the show is mesmerising. Gorillaz was created almost 20 years ago but Albarn and Co. show no signs of slowing down; the hype is sure to continue for years to come.

9/10

Why you should be a student representative

The role of student reps is one that most students avoid — just another one of those emails your course administrator has sent round. Despite the fact that the majority would never consider such a role I’m going to tell you what it exactly entails, and why you should be more keen to become one.

Student rep jobs include liaising with students in order to understand and improve the positive and negative aspects of a particular course, liaising with students about other areas of the university school which they think needs improving in terms of organisation and resources, and working with people throughout the university structure to so that certain problems do not pop up again.

All in all, I think you get the picture — it’s about liaising. You basically embody a mediator between faculty and students. This may sound intimidating, and indeed it sometimes can be a haunting job having to always be the bearer of bad news. However, the pros outweigh the cons by a mile.

Most students would probably argue they adhere from being a student rep because of time commitments of real things that matter, like essays. But, in my experience be a student rep has never hindered my work ethic. Others may simply argue it’s lame. I’m here to tell you it’s worth it. Not only do you get free pizza and £15 Amazon vouchers for turning up to non-compulsory sessions, it also is such a good booster for your CV.

Employers love to see that you are getting involved in the student hub community, even if you don’t enjoy it. You also undergo training which helps you develop skills of how to deal with confrontation between different parties, you learn the appropriate language you should use when giving someone constructive criticism and you learn how to work in teams, with both student reps and faculty, to solve issues.

These are all transferable skills which you can take into any workplace.

If you’re someone who likes planning events some of these other duties may interest you. The student reps get to plan the end of year ball for their year group, including the graduation ball, which in your final year is a great thing to be a part of.

Not only this, but you have opportunities to plan socials of your choice throughout the year. Trust me, choosing what to spend the budget on is always fun. Both of these jobs will give you examples of tangible evidence for employers of how you can market certain things to the public. Another element which is beneficial for your future.

The point I am trying to get across to you is there are many reasons to become a student representative. No one should ever be worried or intimidated by the role as the support system around you is immense. All of the faculty and other student reps will guide you through your position.

Remember, people have sat in the seat before you, you are not the first one. Not only is this really helpful and rewarding for the students in your year group, it will be hugely rewarding for you too!

Review: Beach Rats

Eliza Hittman’s sophomore feature Beach Rats is a unique exploration into the confusion, and shame that surrounds male sexuality. Harris Dickinson plays Frankie, a teenager living in South Brooklyn’s working-class coastal communities. His performance is filled with a kind of tangible anxiety, so electric that you can feel it through the screen. The peaceful exhilaration he feels in front of a webcam, anonymous and posing for older men is the tide breaking against the shore of his everyday life.

Hittman was inspired by a photo she saw on Facebook. “There was this tension between hyper-masculine and homoerotic that the picture so clearly illustrated.” It’s this tension that she examines in Beach Rats.

Frankie doesn’t know what he likes. The repetition of this sentiment throughout the film stops the audience from feeling comfortable or steady, we feel as untethered as Frankie does and this is the beauty of Hittman’s screenplay and direction. The boy experiments with older men online, posing in the privacy of his own room for them through his computer screen.

His preference for older men isn’t necessarily because he finds them more attractive, but because he wants to keep this part of his life secret from his friends. The drama in the film comes from the impending collision of these two very separate parts of his life. Beach Rats is essentially a coming-of-age story as Frankie is forced to confront aspects of his identity that he is determined to ignore or keep hidden from the rest of the world.

Space and situation play a fundamental role in this film. Hittman was inspired by the South Brooklyn beaches that he grew up living near.

Frankie wastes his days on the beaches with his friends, running from nothing and everything against the neon backdrop of Coney Island and Manhattan Beach. He exists in the liminal spaces of the beach and the internet, something that is expertly portrayed in the opening scene.

Frankie is alone in darkness illuminated by his camera which takes shot of isolated part of his body: chest, bicep, hipbone are all separate, floating in the artificial light of the flash. This disjointed effect sets up the rest of the film expertly.

Stories centring around the intricate, often misunderstood experiences of coming out have rarely been the main focus in cinema. LGBT stories are often sub-plots or background theatre, relegated to the shadows and rarely examined beyond a surface level. The stories told by directors and scriptwriters usually follow the same basic principle — pain, both emotional or physical, and in many cases both, must feature in the character’s personal journey of self-exploration.

The ending is rarely happy for characters questioning their identity and sexuality, something that’s been noticed by critics and audiences alike. Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013) was criticised for its portrayal of lesbian relationships and love — in particular, the way the male gaze framed the focus of the film.

The CW show The 100 too has garnered criticism from audiences and critics alike for its treatment of lesbian couple Clarke and Lexa.

However, perhaps this is changing. The 2015 romantic drama Carol, directed by Todd Haynes and Barry Jenkins’ beautiful and award-winning Moonlight (2016) both contrast starkly with Hollywood’s previous LGBT offerings. Both hint at something more than false hope and wishful thinking, whilst poignant and uncertain, Moonlight and Carol offer a brighter, kinder, more promising future for their main cast.

However, Beach Rats shouldn’t to be compared to these films simply because all three are centred around issues specific to LGBT people. It’s true that they shine a light on what is often a confusing moment — it can be a very long moment too — in time for questioning or searching people, but Beach Rats in unique in its approach.

A balance between the uncomfortable, even harsh reality of the protagonist’s reality, and the dreamlike escapism he finds in his webcam.

4/5

Album Review: Glassjaw – Material Control

Admittedly, I have never been a huge fan of Glassjaw. Despite being a fan of Post-Hardcore, as a whole, I never really listened to them. I only listened to Worship & Tribute when Material Control was announced.

However, this did present a unique opportunity for me to go in with no expectations which come loaded with many comeback albums. So with lower expectations but still an appreciation of the genre I went into Material Control with a blank slate and an open mindset.

So what did I think of it? From the offset ‘New White Extremity’ begins the album with an explosive start. The visceral and noisy track sets the bar quite high from the offset. Sharp guitars overlap the heavy bass and chaotic drums creating a dizzy blast of energy. ‘Shira’ and ‘Citizen’ also continue this trend as well. Both tracks, while not as chaotic, pack the same punch and rage

The mixing and production here are so dense and thick which helps to give the album a punch. The guitars and sharp and piercing, while the bass drives the tracks forward over the chaotic drums. While crafting a good tone for the album at times it feels overpowering. Vocals and drums are often lost in the madness which is a shame as these performances are excellent.

While it may be the best part of the album, it feels starts to feel like a crutch by the end. All the tracks seem to blend into one. It may be an evolution of their sound but it just ends up a bit tired by the time it all finishes.

There are elements of Noise Rock and Alternative Metal on display but they don’t feel that revolutionary. It seems more like Glassjaw pretending to be a band like Deftones instead of craving something new for themselves. Though it is some progression I just there was a bit more thrown in.

The most variation is only shown in the interludes. ‘Bastille Day’ shows off some more interesting percussion, such as the use of tribal drums, and the title track does some. But since these are just relegated to the interludes it just seems as if Glassjaw are never truly willing to experiment a bit more.

There are worse ways to spend your time than listening to Material Control and compared to recent comeback albums from similar artists it fairs quite well. But new ideas start to wear thin with not much else backing them up it starts to blur into one. That being said, if you were wanting more Glassjaw then this probably will suffice for the time being.

6/10

Trump’s revolution

In 2016, Donald Trump became the new flag bearer for Populism around the world. He has made Populism, bigger, badder and more American. When Trump walked into the White House as President on the 20th of January 2017, he brought along with him a new era of American politics. Despite having control of Congress, the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and the vast majority of State governments, the Republican party has been divided and weakened by Trump and his Presidency.

When Trump emerged onto the political landscape in 2015, everyone thought he was a joke. But that is exactly what Donald Trump wanted you to do. Trump was underestimated throughout the Presidential election and that was why he won, Hillary Clinton mocked him and called him a ‘racist’ but that was exactly what he wanted, with a populist sentiment in the air after Brexit, Trump was elected President, and the political establishment was shocked and horrified.

Trump’s Presidency has divided American in a way we never thought possible, race, class, gender, rural and urban have all become more and more polarised and pushed apart as a result of his ascendency. Hate crime is on the rise, and race has become more an issue than it was under any previous administration.

Trump’s Revolution involves this huge racial divide engulfing the USA, Trump core supporter base is mainly white working-class people who fear that they are becoming the minority and are going to lose their identity.

Trump’s talk and actions over immigration are an example of him addressing their concerns, in this matter, Trump pursuit of increasing isolationism in the international community is another example of this, Trump’s revolution is aimed at securing the place of White Americans at both home and abroad, by encouraging in a new bizarre way and form White nationalism and populism.

Trump’s Revolution has affected the Republican party and establishment. The party once dedicated to big business has become a melting pot for conservatives, nationalists, and racists alike. The Republican Party is now increasingly the party for America’s white population and have alienated many African American, Latino and Hispanic voters with Trump’s emergence.

People like Roy Moore, in Alabama who hopes to win, Jeff Session’s former Senate seat in December are the new face of the Republican party. A man, may I say who has called Islam a ‘False Religion’, recommended Muslims should be barred from serving in Congress and said ‘America exports Homosexuality around the world’.

Admittedly, some shocking statements, but without Trump, Moore’s brand of radical, populist, conservative and nationalist right-wing politics would have never had the confidence to emerge as they have. The Republican party has now become a party of this new wave of white American populist nationalism, with Islam and immigration from Mexico being the main target of its rage.

Trump’s most recent re-tweets of Britain First’s very right-wing and Islamophobic propaganda, is just a symbol of this rage. Trump is attempting to show his base that he means business and that he is still talking tough and he is attempting to draw attention away from his failures to repeal Obamacare and introduce Muslim bans, and by tweeting and holding across the USA, he is communicating with his base in a far better way than traditional way than traditional politicians have.

While it is likely in the 2018 midterms that the Republicans will keep their majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, internally the Republicans have been divided by Trump, in a way that will determine their future for the next few decades and as the Democratic party seem to be moving to the left in the same way the Republicans have moved to the right, the boundaries of American politics are changing, with both parties being polarised in opposite directions by populism.

Trump’s most recent tweets are nothing new, but he is beginning to push the boundaries of right-wing politics in the USA. By re-tweeting Britain Frist, he is pushing the new wave of alt-right nationalism and populism spreading across the Western world. He has alienated Theresa May, his only major European ally. In the USA, it is the same his rise will be as quick as his fall, while Trump is a genius populist, he might be pushing his luck and skills to the limit.

Record reappraisal: Michael Jackson – Thriller

It’s been 35 years since the best-selling album of all time was released.

Michael Joseph Jackson was only 24 years old when he released an album that even he would never top, back in 1982. Thriller has reached sales of over 66 million copies making it the first ever record to be certified as 33 times multi-platinum. Seven of the singles from this album reached the top 10 and the album won eight Grammy Awards. Each track can be seen as a key track with ‘Thriller’, ‘Beat It’, ‘P.Y.T’ and ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ just to name a few.

The nine-track album has a lot of influences from pop-culture and society at the time. The track list covers a list of issues like anti-gang-violence to international love. This record also saw Jackson’s style grow from dance to more funk and pop influences and with the help of producer Quincy Jones, who brought a lot of know-how which worked well with Jackson’s avant-garde style of recording. Jackson sang a lot of his songs from memory when recording and is noted to have never written down a single lyric for this record.

This record changed a lot in the music industry. It broke a lot of barriers that blocked Jackson over his race. Before his album release, he stated “I’ve been told over and over that black people on the cover of magazines doesn’t sell copies… Just wait. Someday those magazines are going to be begging me for an interview.”

This album allowed him to meet President at the time, working with white musicians like Paul McCartney and use a music video on MTV (which he struggled with before). This 14-minute video for title-track ‘Thriller’ was the kind of thing that kids stayed awake for, just to see the first viewing. Eventually, the video had to be shown twice an hour on MTV, just to meet public demand. The struggle that Jackson dealt with at this time is arguably what allowed other artists like Prince and Lionel Richie to get more recognition.

Jackson really had no idea what he was starting with the release of this album, and it is something that remains with us today, not only because it is nostalgic but because the music is still meaningful in today’s time.

The SPD have a choice: radical reform or terminal decline

In the halls and corridors of the Reichstag building, Germany’s second largest political force, the Social Democrats are traipsing around, discussing their future. Germany’s second largest and eldest political party is in internal chaos.

After Merkel’s coalition talks with the Free Democrats and Greens collapsed a few weeks ago, pressure has been growing on the SPD to return to government in another ‘Grand Coalition’ with Chancellor Merkel’s Christian Democrats for the third time. However, the SPD suffered its worst electoral performance since 1949 gathering just 20 per cent of the vote, and many want the party to go into opposition to recover, and to re-establish itself as an alternative to Merkel.

With growing pressure from the President and public opinion shifting towards wanting a stable government, the SPD is trapped between a rock and a hard place, with a clear a majority of its members showing they oppose returning to a ‘Grand Coalition’.

When Martin Schulz, the former President of the European Parliament, became leader of the SPD in March of 2017 there was a renewed sense of optimism that the party could win the election and finally unseat Merkel, however that quickly changed and after a few weeks the CDU where back with a comfortable lead in the polls.

After a wave of defeats in state elections in 2017, the SPD lost control of North Rhine-Westphalia, its traditional heartland — and Martin Schulz’s home state — to the CDU, the SPD was less focused on winning the election, but actually surviving it and remaining relevant in German politics.

Now the SPD look set to return to government with Merkel’s CDU and this could further divide the party and increase its unpopularity. The party, like many other Centre-left parties across Europe, and are in decline. During the election campaign, many commentators suggested that the SPD was trying to style itself as both Emmanuel Macron and Jeremy Corbyn and get the best of both worlds — they failed.

Many within the German population saw Merkel and Schulz as two very similar candidates during the election, this was further highlighted in the TV debate between Merkel and Schulz. That is why the four minor parties in Germany: Die Linke, the Greens, Alternative for Germany and the Free Democrats. They all offered radical policies to that of both the CDU and SPD who now both firmly occupy the centre ground of German party politics. Die Linke and the Greens are attracting lots of frustrated and alienated SPD voters, who are looking more radical left-wing alternative, with the party being seen as out of touch.

Schulz, in an attempt to save to salvage his position as leader of the SPD, stated after the results were announced that the SPD would return to opposition and would not seek another ‘Grand Coalition’ with the CDU/CSU alliance. However, as a result of the Free Democrats walking out of coalition talks with Merkel and the Greens, the situation has changed drastically. Many within the SPD, public and the institutions of Germany have put pressure on Schulz to change his mind, and after talks with the German President and fellow senior SPD member Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Schulz has opened the door to talks and a potential return to a ‘Grand Coalition’ and push the SPD into a corner.

For the SPD, they are now trapped between Merkel and returning to the polls which could see their vote share drop even further, and could see the Alternative for Germany party gain, which is not a good prospect for them. So for Martin Schulz, this is make or break for his party and German social democracy.

He had hoped that time in opposition would allow the party to recover and for many within the SPD ranks, an opportunity to follow Jeremy Corbyn’s lead and give the party a huge left wing makeover led by Merkel’s former Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Andrea Nahles a veteran left-winger, she now serves as the SPD’s leader in the Bundestag, a key position next to party leader Martin Schulz, nevertheless now that possibility looks impossible.

With the likelihood of a return to a ‘Grand Coalition’, the SPD is well and truly stuck in a state of terminal decline, with an unpopular leader and the unshakable image of Merkel’s lapdogs.

The future of the SPD is now unclear, but it doesn’t look good. The SPD, if they are to ever recover need to follow a Jeremy Corbyn style revival in opposition, but this isn’t going to be possible. Regardless of the outcome, the SPD will back up the Merkel’s new coalition in some form whether it would be a minority government or another ‘Grand Coalition’, they are likely to be still be seen as Merkel’s lapdogs.

In order for the SPD to survive a new election or four years as Merkel’s political ally, Martin Schulz needs to resign and let someone new take his place to try to do what he failed to do: rebrand the SPD as an effective opposition and alternative to Merkel and her CDU/CSU alliance.

In order for the SPD to survive, they need a leader like Willy Brandt, who was pro-European while also focused on making the ordinary lives of Germans better. At the moment the SPD is seen as too pro-European and not focused on domestic German politics; their leadership is seen as out of touch. The SPD now face a choice: adapt or die.

Our top ten films of 2017

It’s been a dark end to the year for Hollywood after a multitude of controversies in the industry, but it’s safe to say that the quality of cinematic releases has been terrific.

It’s now come to the time of the year when audiences inevitably start deliberating over which were the best films to hit the big screen over the past 12 months, so we asked our contributors and editors here at Mancunion Film for their verdicts, and the votes have now been collated. We now have the Top Ten Films of 2017…

10.       Call Me by Your Name

“This is not a film about how being gay is the reason two people cannot be together, like so many stories about homosexual relationships. This is a film about love, simply, eloquently, and deliciously. It will dare you to desire it, and rightly so, for you must must must see this film. Call Me By Your Name is near perfect, a love letter to rural Italy and ultimately a celebration of feeling every utmost thing, whether these feelings be of the most passionate, or heartbreaking and painful kind. Feel the bad and let in the good — ‘call me by your name and I’ll call you by mine’. My only qualm is the fact that two straight actors have once again been cast to play gay men, but perhaps, as Michael Stuhlbarg’s wise Art Historian professes, there is not a straight body in these statutes…” — Isobel Trott, Film Critic

9.         The Red Turtle

“A co-production between Studio Ghibli and European outfit Wild Bunch, Michaël Dudok de Wit’s The Red Turtle is essentially what a Miyazaki production would look like if drawn by Hergé. After an unnamed man is stranded on an exotic island following a shipwreck, he attempts to escape in a makeshift raft, but is thwarted every time by an aggressive red turtle, which destroys his vessel every time he sets sail. However, one day the man finds the creature bathing on land, and in a fit of rage he overturns the animal, marooning it on the sand. What follows is a moving tale of guilt, solace and love. Visually stunning and scored impeccably by Laurent Perez Del Mar. The Red Turtle is an encouraging reminder that, despite the dominance of 3D and CGI in the modern world of animated film, simple hand-drawn picture still has a place at the heart of cinema.” — Jamie McEvoy, Deputy Film Editor

8.         Logan

“Since the year 2000, Hugh Jackman has been Wolverine. 17 years later, the kids who grew up with the character have reached adulthood and, as such, we’ve been treated to a very adult Wolverine. Logan is a very mature film. Wolverine is old and bitter, with good reason. The X-Men are dead, and mutants are a thing of the past. He, a dementia-riddled Professor X and an albino, Caliban, are the last remnants. That is, until a young girl arrives in need of protection. Part road trip, part coming-of-age, all super-violent. Jackman took a pay-cut to make this a 15. Thank f*** he did.” — Tom Hunter, Film Contributor

7.         Moonlight

Moonlight tracks the troubled life of one black boy, Chiron, and his growth into manhood. The film is split into three distinct sections during which we witness Chiron struggling to understand, mask, and eventually accept his own sexuality. The film also taps into wider issues regarding social injustice, identity, and masculinity, while simultaneously addressing the notion that being human means being vulnerable. During a time of violence against both people of colour and the LGBT community in the US, Moonlight’s success in this years Academy Awards for ‘Best Picture’ only goes to highlight its emotional impact and cinematic achievement. A must-watch film, and one Hollywood had desperately been waiting for.” — Sam Howard, Film Contributor

6.         Loving Vincent

Loving Vincent is just something else. It’s completely different from anything I’ve ever seen before, and I don’t expect to see anything like it again anytime soon. It took six years and an enormous amount of love to make this project possible, with a live action crew, animators and painters — painters! — collaborating towards this work of pure stop motion art. Impressionists stopped short of creating the perfect illusion of motion. Cinema makes it possible, through no less than 65,000 paintings meticulously joined to create every frame. Vincent van Gogh’s extraordinary life and mysterious death are narrated backwards in a bizarre, Poirot-esque investigation on his suicide. It’s simply beautiful.” — Margherita Concina, Film Contributor

5.         Manchester by the Sea

“Directed by Kenneth Lonergan, this film is a testament to the cruel randomness of life, and truly deserves its place amongst 2017’s top ten. Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is dumbfounded by the news that his recently deceased brother has made him the guardian of his teenage nephew, Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Against the backdrop of Manchester by the Sea, the technical marvel of Lonergan’s handling of flashbacks in conjunction with stark realism works incredibly well. The soundtrack is equally as special, often taking the place of interactions between people, giving us a chance to catch our breath and contemplate the intensity of the events that occur during the film.” — Eloise Wright, Head Film Editor

4.         Get Out

Get Out is the kind of explosive cinematic event that occurs far too infrequently. Both a stunning directorial debut from an artist originally characterised by surreal and topical comedy (Jordan Peele) and a wholly original, independently released horror film that not only didn’t suck, but will stand the test of time as an instantly iconic classic. Daniel Kaluuya has been building an impressive resume, but here he truly arrives as the affable black boyfriend who must endure the racial probing, bizarre behaviour, and sinister motives of his girlfriend’s white family and friends. Essential viewing.” — Lucas Hill-Paul, Film Critic

3.         La La Land

“Charmingly simple plot line? Aggressively saturated colour palette? Infectious on-screen chemistry? La La Land has all of this and more. It’s often been dubbed ‘the musical for people who hate musicals’, and while I hate to conform to over-simplistic statements, I never got into Les Misérables… Ignore that cock-up at the Oscars, and ignore anyone who tells you it was ‘over-hyped’. Gosling and Stone are worth every ounce of hype. It’s my favourite film of all time and I’ve seen it nine times since it was released in January. Fans of Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash will have seen the ugly side of jazz. This is Whiplash’s sexy cousin. The plot is simple, but the execution is sublime. Trust me, it’ll make you smile.” — Tom Hunter, Film Contributor

2.         Blade Runner 2049

“David Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 not only lives up to the original sci-fi masterpiece from Ridley Scott’s mind but paves its own path, establishing itself as more than just a sequel. Visually, it’s up there with the severely underrated TRON: Legacy and Winding Refn’s Drive, providing the viewer with a visual spectacle that is the stuff of dreams. Clean cinematography is accompanied by a varied colour palette that contrasts the bleak, cyberpunk streets of the future’s L.A. The visual experience alone is enough to place it in the top ten films of the year but the cast, acting, story, dialogue, and set pieces are combined with such finesse that undoubtedly set Blade Runner 2049 at the top of the ranks.” — Tobias Soar, Film Contributor

1.         Dunkirk

“’There’s no such thing as an anti-war film’ is a quote attributed to the late French filmmaker François Truffaut, suggesting that war and conflict is inevitably glorified in its depiction. Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk finds a way to subvert this claim. His portrait of the fabled World War Two evacuation does not romanticise war or fetish violence. Instead it displays the bravery and resolve of over 400,000 Allied troops, many of which never made it home. The magnitude of Dunkirk is tremendous, but there is an unforgettable intimacy shared with those men. Their desperation to survive is haunting, with each death as heart-rending as the last. It is a breath-taking experience. Nolan’s crowning jewel in a catalogue of cinematic excellence.” — James Gill, Film Critic

Review: The Disaster Artist

Sharknado. Sex Lives of the Potato Men. Spiderman 3. There have been some colossal stinkers to somehow make it onto the big screen through the years. Yet there is one which eclipses them all. The Room, directed, written and produced by the eccentric enigma which is Tommy Wiseau, has gained staggering cult status since its release in 2003. There are regular screenings of the film across the world, and it has even earned a Blu-Ray release.

In 2013 a book was written by journalist Tom Bissell and Room actor Greg Sestero, named The Disaster Artist, which detailed the catastrophic production of the film, as well as the affectionate yet turbulent relationship between Sestero and Wiseau.  James Franco’s latest directorial outing is the visual realization of this tale.

The story opens in late 90s San Francisco. Sestero (Dave Franco) and Wiseau (James Franco), both struggling actors, bond through their mutual acting inadequacies, and choose to move to Los Angeles, seeking fame and fortune. However, when Hollywood rejects the pair, they choose to make their own film — The Room.

Sestero and Wiseau are drunk with starry-eyed optimism, yet as production begins, questions arise over Tommy’s sanity and know-how as a filmmaker.

For a film which is mocked and mimicked on a global basis by YouTube viewers, there was the suspicion The Disaster Artist would follow in the same vein. It could so easily have been a straight ridicule or parody of Wiseau’s feature, yet instead, it is evident that Franco and everyone involved has immense respect for The Room and its creator.

Each scene they recreate is carried out with detail and care – costumes, sets and performances are near identical to the original scenes, and this is proven prior to the end credits, where the original and re-enacted scenes are played out side by side, to hysterical effect.

It is the Franco-Rogen crew who are the pioneers behind The Disaster Artist. They are a group who, as loveable as they are, have a mixed back catalogue, and are guilty of devising hilarious concepts which might have worked better in their heads than on screen. 2013’s This Is the End was enjoyable, but stoner-Xmas comedy The Night Before (2015) fell flat on its face and Sausage Party (2016) was abysmal and appallingly tasteless.

Thankfully, their homage to Wiseau and The Room is a cut above their preceding projects.

The laughs are pretty much constant, but this cinematic adaptation of the true story is as moving as it is comical. Behind all the horrendous favourite lines (“YOU’RE TEARING ME APART LISA!” et al.) and moments of madness involving Franco’s Wiseau, there is warmth and tragedy.

Do not be mistaken – the comedy prevails above the drama, but Wiseau’s longing to create a Tennessee Williams-esque masterpiece places the character in the front-running for most sympathetic film persona of the year.

James Franco’s performance as the bizarre, almost vampiric filmmaker is undoubtedly the driving force behind the movie. There has been no questioning Franco’s acting prowess in the past, but this portrayal of Wiseau could prove to be his most iconic role yet. Parallelisms are inevitably drawn with Johnny Depp in Ed Wood (1994), yet the fervour and authenticity of Franco’s transformation into Wiseau even echoes performances such as Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman or even Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote.

Franco is joined by his brother Dave for the first time on the big screen, and undoubtedly it is the two siblings who are the most invested in the 2003 disaster-piece. This being said, The Room’s resonance throughout the Hollywood collective is glaring. Franco’s film is littered with cameos from stars such as Bryan Cranston, Zac Efron, and Sharon Stone, who are all clearly fans of the original text and wanted in on this unique project.

There is little to criticise about this comedic biography. A post-credits scene which stars Wiseau himself does feel forced, but as Franco has confirmed in interviews, it was a condition given by Wiseau in order for the film to be given the go-ahead, and in the grand scheme of things, it is a small price to pay.

Hilarious yet equally sincere, The Disaster Artist is a beautiful tribute by Franco and co. to The Room and its crew. It hits all the right notes and is essentially an endearing love letter to a truly awful film which has brought so much laughter to so many people.

4/5

Review: Grub Christmas food fair

The Christmas spirit is definitely alive at Grub this month. Grub is a food fair held every weekend at the Fairfield Social Club and this month it’s (of course) Christmas themed. Their lovely and cozy fairy-lit warehouse is now joined by an amazing Christmas tree, loads of Christmas decorations and the festive smell of mulled wine.

The people at Grub always pay a lot of attention and put great effort into getting the festival atmosphere just right and this time a little bit of Christmas cheer is sprinkled all over the place and you can definitely feel it. At the entrance I was greeted by a lovely security guard and  saw friendly and smiley faces wherever I turned.

On a Saturday there are usually around six food carts all with their unique recipes and most of them are very vegan friendly as well, although if you’re looking for all things vegan, their PlantPowered Sundays are the place to be.

It was a touch disappointing that the food was not Christmas themed, save for the gold star-shaped doughnuts at YesDoughnuts. However, you can expect some truly amazing food, fresh made to order and some lovely craft (vegan) beers and let’s not forget the mulled wine.

The food I had was from Marchador Tacos, Purely Pizza and YesDoughnuts. To go with the name, I’ve chosen a mix of tacos from Marchador Tacos. Vegan chorizo, refried beans, pulled jackfruit, all perfectly spicy and a truly fresh and filling experience. Next was the pizza at PurelyPizza and what I thought would be just a plain marinara  pizza with mushrooms turned out to be exactly that. However I don’t say plain here as a bad thing. It was familiar comfort food, very tasty and very fun  to watch  coming out of a wood-fired oven.

Photo: Maria Hurghis

For desert YesDoughnuts have outdone themselves in the vegan doughnut department. Their peanut butter and jelly doughnut was one of the fluffiest and tastiest desert I’ve ever had. It was the perfect combination of sweet and salty, perfect amount of dough to filling ratio and a nice peanut crunch to compliment the creamy filling.

Drink-wise, their Lemon drizzle IPA is spot on and the mulled wine is in my opinion far better than the one you’ll find at the Manchester Christmas Markets, and that is because the amount of sugar Grub uses in theirs isn’t meant to turn the thing into a mulled syrup.

To top it all off, at the end me and my friends all got some cheesy jokes from the Christmas crackers Grub provided and it was the perfect ending. Overall I’d say that the people at Grub know how to create some of the most memorable experiences centered around food . Join them for the next couple of weeks for the Christmas Fair and their New Year’s Eve House Party at Fairfield Social Club and get ready to have all your senses blown away.

Photo: Maria Hurghis

 

Why Disney’s potential acquisition of 20th Century Fox is a dangerous idea

In early November the New York Times reported that Disney was in talks to buy 21st Century Fox. No deal could be reached however and it seemed that was the end of that. A month later that deal, said to be worth over $60 billion, is back on the table and we may even see an announcement before Christmas.

If the acquisition takes place Disney would be able to expand their reach of the film and television industry from just simply Star Wars, Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel, ESPN, the Disney Channel and ABC. They would absorb all of Fox’s film production companies such as Fox Searchlight and Blue Sky Studios as well as Fox’s non-news and sport networks like FX, FXX, and National Geographic.

On this side of the Atlantic Fox’s 39.14 per cent share Sky plc may also be included. Sky is Europe’s largest media company as well as the largest pay-TV broadcaster. In total they have over 21 million subscribers and it would be a fantastic pre-existing platform for Disney to put their films and shows front and centre.

For fans of superhero films they would also acquire the rights to the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Deadpool, The Silver Surfer and Galactus. The only other competitors would be Warner Bros with their DC universe, although after the failure that was Justice League there may not be much life left there, and Universal, who recently announced a reboot of Hellboy, but again that will hardly dent Disney’s monopoly of the genre.

At this late stage of the Marvel universe I can’t see an organic way that the X-Men could be integrated into the pre-existing world. Up till now even the word mutant was owned by Fox so the groundwork for an eventual inclusion couldn’t be laid. On the other hand the Fantastic Four will be very easy to add to the already massive superhero list. Their origin story is independent of other superhero events and therefore, if the deal goes through, will most likely be seen after Phase Three has finished.

The deal would have wider and more severe implications for the film industry as a whole. In 2016 Disney and Fox were the first and third biggest studios with a combined 39.2 per cent of the entire market share, almost $4.5 billion total gross. It would not be unthinkable that with Disney’s vision that market share could not rise to 50 per cent on a given, block-buster heavy, year. The Federal Trade Commission could block a deal for this very reason.

The only other major studios that broke $1 billion gross in 2016 and could put up a fight are Warner Bros and Universal. There is a danger that Disney will lose the incentive to innovate. With fewer rival studios to battle with and the top spot in yearly gross assured every year from their mass of blockbuster properties, complacency will undoubtedly seep in. Diminishing returns from diminishing quality will be an issue Disney will aim to steer clear of.

Already we’ve seen Disney’s blockbuster franchises become formulaic, following the same blueprint to success that has worked time and time again, most notably in the Marvel films but also in the Pirates of the Caribbean and to an extend Star Wars too. Every Marvel instalment sees the hero or heroes come up against a devastating villain, whose motivations are difficult to understand. The villain wins the first confrontation but ultimately succumbs to our hero(es) as they pull together/believe in themselves/train harder.

The cause of this is the lack of creative control Disney likes to give it’s directors. Thor: Ragnorok saw the first sign that they were loosening the reigns as Hunt for the Wilderpeople director Taika Waititi managed to put his own stamp of the formula. A lot more loosening is required though for any long term viability in these intellectual properties.

With the independant film arm of Fox, Fox Searchlight, in the deal too, the danger would be that the same complacency would creep in and fester. Searchlight has won the Academy Award for Best Picture three times with Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave and Birdman, and has a long running partnership with Wes Anderson.

The films making the biggest impact with audiences aren’t the triple A blockbusters, they are the smaller, often independent films. Bored of the stale and repetitive nature of the big releases, moviegoers are looking elsewhere, finding smaller films that shatter their expectations. The Big Sick, Get Out and Call Me By Your Name have been three of the highest rated films of the year and are all independent releases.

Disney’s acquisition of Fox may not happen, but what is certainly happening is a slow shift in what audiences want to see. With rising costs of going to the cinema, who wants to spend an extortionate amount of money to go see the same movie they saw last time just recast and reskinned?