Skip to main content

Day: 2 December 2010

Event Review: Peaches Christ’s Midnight Mass

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Peaches does Rocky

  Picture the scene: It’s 10.30pm on a Saturday night and I am surrounded by glitter, false eyelashes and the distinct smell of hairspray; as a marvelously glamorous sequin-clad drag queen takes to the stage, welcomed by the rejoicing roar of an eclectic crowd of bourgeoisie zombies and blood-splattered doctors. One might be excused for assuming that what I am describing is a nightmarish Halloween night on Canal Street, that, however, is not the case. This evening saw instead, the UK debut of San Francisco’s underground drag sensation Peaches Christ and her notorious Midnight Mass, a one-off event exclusive to the AND festival that takes the ‘film screening’ format and furiously turns it on its head; treating cinema audiences to a camp, immersive pre-show before screening a cult, (and some might argue trashy), movie. The film in question tonight was the international premiere of All About Evil, a new indie horror flick, marking the feature-length directorial debut from Peaches’ alter-ego Joshua Grannell which pays homage to the much-idolised B-movies of yesteryear.
  All About Evil is a wicked black comedy about a timid librarian (Natasha Lyonne, of American Pie fame) who inherits her father’s beloved but failing old movie theatre. In order to save the family business she discovers her inner serial killer when she starts turning out a series of grisly shorts, only for her blossoming career to reach an abrupt halt when the secrets to her overly realistic actors’ performances are revealed. The film is witty, smart, and hilariously funny, filled with genuine shocks aplenty, and the obligatory dosage of punctured jugulars that would be expected from Peaches’ brand of hammer horror.
  Miss Christ’s provocative 4-D floorshow worked superbly to create a carnival-esque atmosphere, combining cabaret with lap dancing librarians and ‘gore couture’ fancy dress competitions, transforming the Cornerhouse into a Mecca for all things fabulous and gruesome.

Verdict: A thoroughly fantastic evening, I can only hope that this is the first of many UK visits to be made by the superb Peaches Christ. My only fear now is that, after this macabre display, normal cinema will never be as exciting.

Emma Martindale

I Heart: Withnail & I

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

'Sit down for Christ's sake, what's the matter with you? Eat some sugar.'

  Withnail has such an incredible life; ‘Look at him’, you think, ‘He’s having such a good time’. There really is no better advert out there for chain-smoking alcoholism than Withnail. An inadvisable drinking game states that the players must match Withnail drink for drink. It’s impossible. In the course of the film he drinks nine glasses of red wine, six glasses of sherry, one pint of cider, one pint of beer, two shots of gin, thirteen whiskeys and a shot of lighter fluid.
  Withnail and the elusive ‘I’ are failed actors in the ‘60s who spend a holiday in Withnail’s flamboyantly gay, Oxford-educated Uncle Monty’s country house. After experiencing incessant rain and unfriendly neighbours (one of whom threatens Withnail with a dead fish) they begin to regret the decision. What happens then is a series of drunken and debauched episodes laden with some truly great quotes. Stumbling into a cafe completely smashed, Withnail states: “We want the finest wines available to humanity. We want them here, and we want them now”. After Monty shows up in the middle of the night having been stuck in a gale for “aeons”, he begins to take a fancying to ‘I’ who remarks that he ‘probably keeps his thoughts in an old poetry book spattered with the butter drips from crumpets’.
  It’s a wonderfully black comedy that doesn’t deal with the darker side of the ‘60s, but rather deals with the darker side of the good side of the ‘60s. Drugs, cigarettes and booze are massively glamorised, but the film reminds you that they were being done in the context of grey skies, industry and squalor; not rainbows and festivals of love.   I dare you to watch it and not at least feel the urge to roll up and have a little drink, maybe just a few ales.

Steve Jones, Film Editor

Original Vs Remake: Psycho

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

The iconic shower scene

 

  You would be hard pressed to find a worse reason to remake a film than Gus Van Sant did in his revival of the classic horror flick Psycho. Remakes generally find their way into cinemas on the back of huge film studios believing that there is potential in bringing the originals to a new generation. Inept scriptwriters and shoddy directors generate millions at the box office with the slightest effort, as seen with recent shambolic revivals such as Clash of the Titans.
  Van Sant’s reasoning? Not to take the easy route and repackage something that would undoubtedly become a hit, but to take his love for Psycho and create a colourful re-imagining. Upon discovering his otherwise strong track record (Milk, Good Will Hunting) you would believe that the franchise was in safe hands, but his 1998 interpretation of Psycho is simply weaker in every way. The changes he did make leave you dumbfounded and wishing you were just watching the 1960 original.
  The modern cast give very different performances to those seen in the original. Anne Heche’s portrayal of Marion Crane is weak, with the sympathy you originally felt for her, nowhere to be found. Heche creates a very unlikeable character, so much so that her demise in the infamous “shower scene” is a moment of relief. Bizarrely, cast opposite her is Vince Vaughn, who portrays Norman Bates, the psychotic proprietor of the Bates Motel. Vaughn’s performance is to be admired, but his efforts confuse insanity with hilarity. In the final thrilling scene, as Bates is revealed to be “Mother”, the combination of a tattered blonde wig and a manic glint in Vaughn’s eye destroy any reputation that this remake could once hold.
  The actual edits to the film are unnecessary and distracting, with the majority of them unfortunately stemming from crucial moments of the film. The “shower scene” is littered with these: the moments before the murderer strikes are needlessly extended. Additional shots of the victim and the knife are added, which utterly butcher the minimal approach of the original masterpiece. Surreal dream images that bear no relation to the murder scenes they are spliced with leave the viewer questioning why the original masterpiece was ever tampered with.
  Psycho’s success as a groundbreaking horror piece, and also the reason for the failure of the remake, is dependent on context. Hitchcock worked to shroud the film in mystery, revealing little of the plot and forcing audiences to arrive for the film on time. These audiences were genuinely shocked by what they saw: a “red herring” plot and shocking murders that created a novel cinema experience. Today, the modern update of Psycho is lost in a sea of supernatural horrors and “slasher“ flicks, but we can take refuge in the fact that Hitchcock’s original work will continue to show the new kids on the block how it’s truly done.

James Sargent

I Hate: Transformers 2

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Megan Fox on a motorcycle; every man's dream?

 

  Michael Bay spent so long working on the optical madness that is Transformers 2 that he forgot to develop his storyline or characters. The end result is CGI on steroids and very little else. It’s always a bad sign when you feel genuinely embarrassed for the actors in the film for having their names permanently besmirched by such an atrocity. The cast and crew behind this film would probably be happy if there was a nuclear holocaust, something to wipe out civilization, as this would finally erase their shame.
  There are so many abysmal parts to this film that it’s hard to know where to start. How about those ridiculous ‘comedy relief’ Autobots? How do writers get away with creating such shit characters? Give them a few cheeky lines so they sound like one of those adorable ethnic minorities; that will show the world how diverse and inclusive this blockbuster is.
  We must also remember that the first film didn’t exactly leave room for a sequel. We though we were safe – the cube was destroyed, forever. That’s ETERNITY. Until, of course, a shard of it is found and used to resurrect the equally permanently-destroyed Decepticon: Megatron. I mean, originality is seriously overrated in the film industry these days.
  Then there’s the family friendly hilarity (that’s heavy with sarcasm in case you didn’t realise) of Sam’s mum as she accidently gets high off a brownie and runs around a University Campus. Such an accurate portrayal of drugs makes Human Traffic look like Blue Peter.
Some may say that this film is worth watching for the stellar cast, but as great as that opening scene of her leaning over the bike is, it’s hard to find a more blatantly misogynistic use of female eye-candy than Megan Fox. Those lads out there who want to gawp, I have one word: Google.
  All in all this film makes me despair at the world any time somebody even tries to mentions it.

Patrick Cowling

Top 5: Poorly delivered lines

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Four Weddings and a Funeral

 

1) Lord of the Rings – ‘I’m no man’
So says Elf-girl Eowyn as she thrusts her blade in the Witch King’s face. I tend to think that the Witch King, when he said that ‘no man could kill him’, meant Man: the race and not Man: a male. Either he didn’t recognise female prowess or he didn’t foresee being stabbed in the head when he made this claim.

2) Revenge of the Sith – ‘Hold me, like you did at the lake on Naboo’
In all fairness, there’s not a great deal Natalie Portman could’ve done with this line. It’s so bad. George Lucas should stick to robots rather than romance.

3) Die Another Day – ‘I’m checkin’ out’
The vague drumbeat in the background makes it sound like James Bond is rapping this line. So is it really that poorly delivered? No. I mean, it’s Pierce Brosnan.

4) Aliens – ‘They mostly come at night. Mostly.’
It’s great on paper, but the young girl who actually says the line in the film kills it stone dead. She doesn’t pause at the full stop, so it reads like ‘They mostly come at nightmostly.’ Hilariously botched.

5) Four Weddings and a Funeral – ‘Is it still raining? I hadn’t noticed.’
Forget the Iraq war, this is the real reason Americans are hated in this country. Andie MacDowell’s absolute slaying of the movie right at the very end has inspired bitterness on rom-com loving forums all over the internet. Hateful.

Steve Jones, Film Editor

Review: The Town

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Jon Hamm, awesome as usual

 

Three Stars

  Many of you out there will believe, as I do, that awarding a piece of work three stars is highly frustrating. This magic number is inoffensive, uninspiring and tells the reader nothing of the subject matter. However, The Town may just be the exception; it conjures up enough brilliant moments and frustrating plot devices to be truly worthy of an average review.
  The Town follows a team of four “professional” bank robbers hailing from a one-square-mile area of Boston, known as Charlestown. This neighbourhood is apparently responsible for over 300 bank robberies a year, and so we begin by witnessing a typical bank heist. At the helm, both in character and direction is Ben Affleck, fresh from his critically praised directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone. Affleck egotistically placed himself in the film as the lead, with a character ‘not cut from the same cloth as his fellow thieves’, who displays inexplicable amounts of charm, but luckily still makes an enemy; an FBI Agent played by Jon Hamm. Taking time out from Mad Men, Hamm swaps his famous portrayal of a suave professional who writes his own rules, to play, well, pretty much the same character, but with a gun.
  Hamm and Affleck give admirable performances, despite a wavering, distracting accent from Affleck, and the fact that Hamm simply isn’t given enough script or screen time to truly make use of his scheming, underhanded character. However the great turn in the film belongs to Jeremy Renner. As Affleck’s brother in arms his actions are unpredictable and his motives unclear, bringing real fear and urgency to any scene he fills, especially in the film’s climax. Even if Renner isn’t orchestrating the action, Affleck’s direction ensures that key scenes are given justice, the action injected with real pace and grit thanks to tight editing and ever changing complications. His judgment also shines when considering setting; the savage nature of these Irish-Americans struggling in a neighbourhood rife with conflict is well documented.
  Where the film struggles is in its handling of the other story arcs that surround Affleck’s character, dealing with his broken parents and the dangerous romance he shares with the manager of a bank he stole from. Although this romance is necessary to the plot, its progression is clumsy and at odds with the scenes it intersects; often the pace of the film grinds to a halt just to allow the two characters to discuss unimportant matters. The involvement of parental issues is wholly inconsequential as the great expectations that are built up by these scenes are shattered, when Affleck rarely raises an eyebrow to the shocking denouement regarding his parents. The time spent needlessly developing a family should have been spent developing the other two robbers as characters, who should hold as much importance as Renner but only share a handful of lines through the entire film.

Verdict: Aside from a few poor plot choices, Affleck has directed another solid outing in The Town, with his credit being owed to his well crafted action scenes and a defining performance by Jeremy Renner.

James Sargent

I Hate: Peter Jackson’s King Kong

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Battle of the Beasts

 

  The original 1930s King Kong is an hour and a half, and even that feels like it’s dragging in some places. It’s a very thin concept; a giant monkey on an island. You certainly wouldn’t have thought that it needs to be three hours. Apparently Peter ‘I’m not going to edit any of my films’ Jackson thought otherwise.
  The film lumbers along for an hour before the angry ape appears, and even then the novelty wears off after about six minutes. Then you’re left watching a swirling vortex of CGI, with very little in the way of acting, dialogue or indeed, excitement. Somehow the dinosaurs aren’t half as convincing as those in Jurassic Park, and when you’re watching a herd of Apatosaurus tumble over each other in a scene of absolutely unimaginable chaos, it’s pretty apparent that Jackson, much like an aggressive gorilla, is just flinging huge lumps of shit at you and shouting in the hope that you will be impressed.
  It doesn’t help that the choice for the lead was Jack Black, a man who thinks he can act and make music but, in fact, can do neither. He adds to the utter tedium that is the incessant screaming of the Fay Wray character, and the scenes of supposed love between her and Kong, which are bizarre, void of emotion and stop the movie stone dead.
  You could pick holes in it all day, but the overwhelming problem is that it is so, so long and so, so boring. No one cares about every inch of the island, about Jack Black’s escapades in the city, about a ridiculously lengthy ice-skating scene or about every hair on Kong’s back. Peter Jackson: learn to edit your work.

Steve Jones, Film Editor

Preview: Never Let Me Go

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Kathy, Ruth and Tommy get a makeover for the film

 

  Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel of the same name reads like a film, so it seems completely logical to copy and paste the story onto the big screen. Time Magazine might have gone a bit off the rails calling it ‘the best book of the decade’, but it’s definitely film worthy.
  It’s about three children who attend a boarding school called Hailsham and are having a great time until they learn a terrible truth about the school. At the moment I’m hoping it will turn out better than the trailer suggests. The mini-twist, (that is the terrible truth), happens about a third of the way through the narrative and immediately becomes apparent as the central idea of the story. Problem is, they don’t want to give this away in the trailer, so it’s a bit of a jumbled mess; after around 2 ½ minutes of watching, you suddenly realise that you have no idea what the film is about. On the surface it looks like Harry Potter without the goblins.
  Now, I’m not one to complain when a film takes certain liberties with a book. Changes are necessary and unavoidable when converting an art form into a totally different medium. However, I do recall reading the descriptions of the three characters, and part of the point is that all three are utterly ordinary in their appearance. Tommy is even supposed to be overweight. But look at them there! Tommy is suddenly a blond Adonis and Kathy and Ruth are played by two of Hollywood’s hottest actors. It undermines the story. But it does make a grim concept prettier.
  I realise my own hypocrisy in calling the trailer a jumbled mess when, having not given away the mini-twist, this can’t make any more sense. Truth is, I’m still looking forward to it, and anyone who knows the story will probably agree with me. Don’t take a depressed housemate along though. It’s dark stuff.

Steve Jones, Film Editor

Top 5: Weepies

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Noah and Allie

 

1) City of Angels – Nicolas Cage plays an angel who falls in love with Meg Ryan. It actually sounds a bit comical. Trust me, it isn’t. The bicycle scene, combined with Sara McLachlan’s ‘In the Arms an Angel’ is the most depressing thing that you’ll ever see. Or hear.

2) Beauty and the Beast – A tale as old as time, a song as old a rhyme – it gets me every time.

3) The Time Traveller’s Wife – With just enough sci-fi jargon to interest even the surliest of males, (chrono-displacement anyone?), this adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger’s hit novel is tear-inducing brilliance at it’s best.

4) A Walk to Remember – The schools badass falls for sweet little good-girl Jamie. If that wasn’t enough of a story for you, she’s also kind-of dying. Nick Sparks just loves his emotional deaths.

5) The Notebook – Nicholas Sparks continues on his mission to reduce every woman into a sobbing, Ben and Jerry’s – eating mess on the sofa, with the heartbreaking story of Noah and Allie. Not so popular with the guys but I’m sure the promise of Rachael McAdams in her bathing suit could be used to persuade most red-blooded males to give it a go.

Beth Cook, Film Editor

Review: Winter’s Bone

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Reeve hunts for her father

3 Stars

  Winter’s Bone is unquestionably a great achievement. A strong narrative woven around a compilation of genres, great acting, and a clear selection of influences suggest a great deal of research and a genuine attempt to represent the hardship of life in ultra-rural America. The only problem is that it’s, well, a tad dull. It definitely struck me as one of those films that has been designed to be appreciated rather than enjoyed.
  The film focuses on Reeve, a 17 year old girl who cares for her sick mother and two younger siblings, and whose father has gone missing. A visit from the local sheriff leaves the family in a rather difficult position – unless her dad shows up to court, they will lose the house. Naturally, Reeve takes it upon herself to find him. So begins her quest to, discover what happened to her father, and in the process, question a whole host of spooky neighbours in what turns out to be an extremely dangerous task.
  It reminded me of Brick in that she spends most of the film finding things out. Just going door to door, piecing stuff together. The gruff, mumbling neighbours she demands information from have an untrustworthy air about them, but despite feeling like a borderline horror, it’s more of a slow-moving dramatic detective movie. There isn’t really anything like it.
  Critics have raved about this. It has a rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. Technically it is that good, but its absolute insistence on sticking to its own thread and idea, and lack of sacrifices for cinematic reasons make it pretty unwatchable for a lot of the time. I suppose it’s admirable, in a way.

Verdict: A work, rather than a movie. The last twenty minutes is definitely exciting stuff, and it redeems the movie. But it’s heavy going a lot of the time and plods along at an extremely slow pace. Probably not for the ‘casual’ film goer, if there is such a thing.

Steve Jones, Film Editor

DVD Review: Streetdance 3D

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Diversity take center-stage

 

3 Stars

  The street dance phenomenon hits the U.K. with the DVD release of Britain’s first 3D film, (yes it’s really taken us this long), StreetDance 3D.
Essentially just Step Up’s slightly chavvy younger sister, this film opens on an inner-city London dance crew, lead by ballsy northerner Carly, (Nichola Burley), fighting to find a place to rehearse for the upcoming National street dance finals.
  After a spot of shopping centre busking and a few comical police chases, Helena, (Charlotte Rampling), takes pity on our surly bunch of misfits and offers them practise space in her Ballet school. The catch? They have to include five of the school’s premiere dancers in their routine. Naturally, dance-offs, sexual tension and snarky comments ensue.
  Cheesier than cheddar, the old ballet-meets-hip hop story is given a new edge on the sparkling London backdrop. Granted, it’s not quite as glamorous as the Step-Up franchise, but a subtle British influence, (from Union Jack t-shirts to the music featured), adds a certain charm. Cameos by Britain’s Got Talent stars George Sampson, Diversity and Flawless, (appearing as rival gang ‘The Surge’), are sure to entertain fans of the show; and 3D is used sparingly, adding just enough pop to the choreography to be worth the extra £2.50 in the cinema. A feature that is, unfortunately, lost on the DVD edition.

Verdict: While it’s not the worst flick around, this film is no Dirty Dancing either. Aimed primarily at the ‘tween’ market, the predictable storyline is more than made up for with raw energy, light-hearted fun and decent dance sequences.

Beth Cook, Film Editor

Happy Birthday: Bill Murray (21/09/2010)

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Bill looking good at 60

 

  Bill Murray is 60. How are you going to celebrate? On Tuesday night I advise all you first years to stay in with your flatmates and watch Lost in Translation– that’s what I’m going to do. Don’t, whatever you do, drink half a bottle of Sainsbury’s Basics vodka and end up at some club dressed as Steve Zissou, that’s a bad idea. It would be frankly inappropriate, too, to try and recreate ‘The Murricane’, the cocktail named in Bill Murray’s honour, containing bourbon, basil, elderflower, watermelon and pepper. That would be a stupid and quite frankly, expensive way to start the evening.
  I mean yes, you may have just had a huge loan wired straight into your bank account, but you have to save that money. Just because Sainsbury’s do their own brand of bourbon whiskey doesn’t mean that you have to buy it. Don’t even think about creating your own Murray-based cocktail either, something crass like ‘The Ghostbuster’. I mean, does it really sound like a good idea to mix Vodka and Sambuca, and then put it in a water pistol and go find a flat party?
  Also, it would be unseemly to take advantage of the many drinking games Mr. Murray’s birthday could generate. Groundhog Day, for example, was a fine piece of cinema – it doesn’t mean that you have to shout it every time someone repeats themselves (nor does it mean that they have to then take a shot).
It is said that Bill Murray likes to sneak up behind strangers in New York, whisper, “Guess who?” and, when they turn around, tell them: “I’m Bill Murray. No one will ever believe you.” This would not be funny in a club, in Sainsbury’s or on campus, nor is it a good way to meet strangers.
  So, I’ll ask you again. How are you going to celebrate?

 

Bill Knowles

Student Savings

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Who says nights out can't involve the cinema?

 

  Ah, the cinema; the student’s official alternative to getting completely smashed all the time. For those of you waking up on the floor fully-clothed with chips and cheese all round your mouth, (only to be told that in a few hours you will be repeating the experience), you might just consider attempting to persuade your mates with these great cinemas and offers instead. Just make sure you don’t see Requiem for a Dream. It’s not hangover material.

  Before you do anything, whack ‘student beans’ into Google. That’ll give you two for one offers at the Cineworld in Didsbury, which is super easy to reach if you’re in Fallowfield. Just get the 174, ask for ‘Parrs Wood’ and it’ll stop right outside the cinema. After 5pm it also sells alcohol, you know, if you reckon Avatar will be even more spectacular when you’re a little tipsy.
  There’s an Odeon in the Trafford Centre, but that’s a little out of the way, so it’s best to stick to the one in the Printworks in the centre of Manchester. It’s the only one about with an IMAX screen, and also shows ‘classic’ films every Monday. It tends to be a little pricier than other places but with a town-center location, you pay for what you get. If you’re into arty or foreign films, Cornerhouse is the place to go. Walk town-ward down Oxford Road for about 10 minutes and it’s right there on the corner; showing underrated flicks you’ve never heard of, but will grow to love. It also does some nice food if you’ve been saving your money by eating various combinations of beans and noodles for a while. Remember though, if you’re in the third screen, don’t sit at the end of a row – you won’t be able to see anything. It’s weird, but more cultural than your average night at Font.
  The AMC is a bit harder to find, being located in Deansgate, but is easily the cheapest of the ‘big-budget’ cinemas, offering a student ticket for just £4.50. It also tends to show films for longer, so if lectures, (or clubbing), has caused you to miss a must-see, then this is your best bet.
As far as offers go, all of the cinemas, except Cornerhouse, participate in ‘Orange Wednesdays’ – Just text ‘film’ to 241 and those of you ‘lucky’ enough to be on Orange will receive a voucher via. text – ah the wonders of technology. Just remember to arrive at least half an hour early if you’re planning an evening trip as it tends to get very busy.
  Where V.I.P. clubs and cards are concerned, Odeon offer a ‘Premier Club’. With three types of membership and prices ranging from £1.99 – £9.99, it can get a little complicated, but loosely speaking, you earn ten points for every £1 that you spend in-store (or in this case, in-cinema). That might not sound too bad hey? But with point prices starting at 300, you’d have to spend roughly £30 to get enough points for a small, soft drink; doesn’t sound too good now does it?
Although not a terrible idea if you tend to frequent the Odeon, it’s not the cheapest option for students. For real value for money, movie lovers can see as many as they like for free when they own a Cineworld Unlimited card. Well, sort of anyway; for just £13.50 a month you can go and watch as many films as you like. True you can only use this card at Cineworld cinemas and you will usually have to pay an extra £1.50 for 3D screenings, but if you see three films a month, then you’ve already saved enough for a pint or two in your local.
  If you don’t feel that these offers are for you then make sure that you take your student card. It may not provide you with a buffet of free films, but you can usually knock roughly £2 off the ticket price. You’ll have even more fun laughing and spewing popcorn, safe in the knowledge that you’ve saved precious pennies for a future trip.

Beth Cook and Steve Jones, Films Editors

I Heart: Push

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

'So you don't serve burgers here?'

  An unlikely group of misfits with special powers unite to fight a common foe. Yes it sounds like the plot to every ensemble superhero film in the world, as well as a good few T.V. shows (cough *Heroes* cough) but this film is utterly awesome.
  An unfair rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a couple of overly-harsh critiques, means that this movie is one that rarely appears on the student radar. However, it is, in my opinion, arguably one of the most entertaining and interesting ‘superhero’ films in a long time.
Director Paul McGuigan not only provided our characters (and therefore viewers) with a rich back-story, but he created a world enticing and exciting enough to compel Wildstorm to publish a mini comic book series to act as a prequel to the film. It has it all; Triad mobsters, murder, intrigue, an evil government agency in form of the nefarious ‘Division’, and even a few lovey-dovey scenes, (not to mention a cast to die for).
  Chris Evans’ raw animal magnetism plays in his favour as he shines as our cocky, yet heroic protagonist; while Dakota Fanning makes the transition from precious child actor to gritty teen star. Djimon Hounsou is fantastic as our sinister bad guy, and Camilla Belle is just, well, beautiful.
  This contemporary Asian twist on the traditional Superhero story is a must-watch for any student looking for a pain-free, fun-filled afternoon. Grab some popcorn, relax and enjoy.

Beth Cook, Film Editor

I Heart: Grosse Pointe Blank

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

'Always keep a gun handy'

 

  Since John Cusack made his name as the face of the 1980s teen rom-com, it is fitting that Grosse Point Blank is, at its heart, a high school movie. Martin Blank, (Cusack), is a hit man facing something of a midlife crisis; he has recurring dreams of his prom night sweetheart; he no longer derives satisfaction from his job; and he’s being pressured to join a union (yes, apparently professional killers have those), led by union chief Dan Aykroyd. When his final “job” is booked for the same weekend as his high school reunion, he decides to kill two birds with one stone, (pun intended), and re-evaluate his life. Needless to say chaos ensues, including, (but not limited to), death by fountain pen, convenience store shoot outs, long lost romantic reunions and god-awful poetry.
  What makes this film the perfect dark comedy is its ability to truly blend the two genres together. The script is infinitely quotable, (even more so than Withnail and I or Anchorman – and I stand by that), and manages to weave bouts of brutal violence with genuinely likeable, funny characters. All this and an impossibly hip ‘80s indie soundtrack to boot. So for all you fans out there, say it with me now; “I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How’ve you been?”.

Mark Pettit

I Hate: Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Mia Wasikowska as Alice

 

 The classic, quintessentially British story continues 13 years on, as Alice, 19, returns to find that her once magical Wonderland, (now war-torn Underworld), has fallen under the tyrannical rule of the Red Queen. Aided by a few fan favourites, Alice sets out on a quest; to find the Vorpal Sword, liberate her friends, and lead the White Queen’s army to victory against the Red Queen, her legion of cards and the fearsome Jabberwocky on the Frapjous Day. An avid Alice fan, I was deeply disappointed with Burton’s rendition. Though plentiful at first, references to Carroll’s original text are treated with reckless abandon. A fast-paced start sees the story flit from idea to idea, in a seemingly desperate bid to cram as much Wonderland as possible into Burton’s ‘Underworld’; never dwelling on one idea long enough to fully establish it and with no regard for the context in which it is shown. These sporadic glimpses will, no doubt, delight devoted fans, while serving as a confusing distraction to those unfamiliar with the text.
  Mia Wasikowska’s Alice is petulant, dim-witted and at times, more than slightly irritating; while Depp’s portrayal of the deliciously deranged Mercury-addled hatter, appears at first glance to be nothing more than a combination of Captain Jack Sparrow and Willy Wonka.
  In typical Burton style, stripy socks, unnervingly twisted flash-backs, and Helena Bonham Carter are in abundance; (no one could mistake this for any other director), and Tim makes the almost unforgivable mistake of detailing the ending at the start of the film.

This film is ‘almost Alice’, and most certainly not ‘absolutely Alice’.

 

Beth Cook, Film Editor

Fees debate splits the coalition

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

Last week the Browne report, commissioned by the government, suggested that the cap of £3,290 on tuition fees should be lifted, and a free market of tuition fees should be introduced. Vince Cable, the business secretary, said he agreed with the “general thrust” of the suggestions to improve the financial health of Universities. However, opposition to increased tuition fees was central pledge in the Liberal Democrat’s election campaign, opening up the possibility of a backbench rebellion. As well as prizing open some clear divides, this issue is acting as an interesting insight into the inner workings of an unlikely coalition.

The Coalition Government is currently carrying out wide ranging spending cuts to tackle the budget deficit but there have been suggestions that Liberal Democrats MPs and supporters oppose the severity of the cuts. Recently, the Energy Security, Chris Huhne, said in a newspaper interview that the cuts could be altered “if economic conditions changed”, suggesting he opposed the nature of reduced spending. As a result he was rushed into a TV interview insisting that he “very much” backed the government’s programme.

Higher Education Funding is likely to cause even deeper divides in the government. The Liberal Democrats rely on a large student vote, which they cannot afford to alienate. Vince Cable said that he was still considering a cap of £7,000, but it was not clear weather this would be a ‘soft’ cap, where institutions can exceed the limit but are penalized by the treasury, or a full cap, but insisted that a free market for fees would be “unfair”. This issue could easily cause a large political standoff unlike any in recent British political history.

Coalition politics is a very alien concept to the British political system. Our system delivers all or nothing; if your party forms the government you can expect all the policies you supported to become law, however, if your party becomes the opposition then you have a grim five year experience where nothing you want passes. This is a very poor democratic process, the government needs to be pegged back, and compromises must be enforced over the course of any government’s life.

Britain is now in the unique position of having a relatively weak Coalition government with a strong democratic mandate. The Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians are representing a far larger proportion of the electorate than any government in recent memory. The last Labour government won 35.2% of the vote in 2005, compared to the combined 59.1% secured by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats this year.

The question for students is whether coalition government can forge a more moderate proposal for Higher Education Funding than the policy proposals of the Browne Review. There is still some way to go before a final decision is made. A coalition reform of Higher Education funding will be more favourable for students that any ideas proffered purely by the Conservative Party.

The Browne Review: Where Next for the Student Movement?

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

The recent publication of the Browne Review will not only have lasting consequences for higher education funding and the wider university landscape, but will have massive repercussions for the student movement.

The review itself was headed up Lord Browne, the former Chief Executive at BP whose cost saving cuts and subsequent health and safety corner-cutting there had him accused by some pundits as “the man most responsible for the BP oil spill”. It should come as no surprise to us that his review, which was instigated by the Labour Party, would follow his trend of maximising savings by slashing expenditure. The question remains, will his proposals be as devastating to the student movement as the oil spill was to the Gulf of Mexico?

Within a context of a 25% reduction in education funding, the clear winners in the proposals will be the elite universities who will be able to claw back their funding from the pockets of students paying increased fees. Other winners include part-time students who will finally be allowed to access some reliable form of education funding. The losers in the proposals are the less prestigious universities who can’t afford to put off students with a hike in fees and arts and humanities departments who are likely to be decimated by the proposals. Needless to say, students lose out on these proposals by paying more, but working class and some minority students will be worst affected by grants and scholarships not keeping pace with the increase in fees and living costs and being able to rely on the parental handouts.

Whether Lord Browne’s proposals get the nod through Parliament largely depends on the whim of whoever is holding the party whip; but it is clear that the student movement needs to look beyond traditional party politics for it solution. The Liberal Democrats, once the darling of liberal students, are set to betray the movement by voting for an increase in tuition fees on top of their support for a 25% education budget cut. Whilst the Libdems might make a show of a small back-bench rebellion on the issue; it is proof, as if proof were needed, that the Libdems were never the “progressive” party they claimed to be.

With the Labour Party’s ranks swelling with Libdem defectors it seems likely that students will increasingly turn to Labour in search of a saviour. But, as the inventors of the Browne Review, can they really be trusted? It seems that a slash and burn approach to education funding would also be on their agenda if they had managed to make it into power again, and whilst they can (and no doubt will) criticise the ConDems from the relative safety of the opposition benches, they do not represent a viable, progressive alternative for us.

So, where next? With the National Union of Students flagship graduate tax seeming more and more like re-branded tuition fees, the rank and file of the student movement will have to look elsewhere for support in the fight for fair and genuinely free education. How we respond to the current attacks on our education will be key, and its clear from looking at our movements’ history we never got anything without fighting for it.

Is the Big Society just a Big Con?

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

In times of political uncertainty great politicians have been able to ease the concerns of their subjects by indulging in a little bit of harmless populist nationalism. For Conservatives the chance to use a little Winston Churchill-style rhetoric is always too tantalising to pass up, yet as we saw in David Cameron’s speech at the Tory Party Conference, the use of populist nationalism can backfire.

When introducing his concept of a Big Society to a bored and sceptical looking party faithful, the Conservative Party leader called for political power to be taken away from government and put into the hands of the British people. “Your Country Needs You!” was Cameron’s mantra; and moments after he’d uttered these words, across the country hundreds of nerdy amateur political commentators, like myself, were busy on Photoshop trying to convincingly transfer David Cameron’s face onto the famous Lord Kitchener poster.

These stirring words were meant to inspire the Conservative Party into some kind of spirit of national togetherness yet, as many have pointed out, his use of the World War One propaganda catchphrase seems somewhat unfortunate. After all, a man who has become so associated with policies that are widely seen as being unnecessary and destructive should probably not look to evoke the slogan of a government which spent it’s time in power embarking on a policy of unnecessary destruction; no matter how stirring he thinks their slogan may be.

So first of all, what is the Big Society? Well that is a difficult question. Despite his rhetoric about ‘small government’ and ‘people power’, David Cameron hasn’t spent very much time detailing what his Big Society idea actually involves and this lack of detail has left the idea open to heavy criticism from the left. The new Labour Party leader Ed Miliband has savaged the idea saying, “People in the voluntary sector know that, for all the talk of a big society, what is actually on the way is cuts and the abandonment of community projects across Britain.” This view echoes those of many who believe that the Big Society is just a cover for the draconian spending cuts about to come. But is the Big Society really just a Big Con?

At its most basic level, the Big Society promises to give communities more powers, to transfer power from central government to local groups and to foster new relationships between public services and their users. In practice this should mean enabling parents to take a more active role in the running of schools and allowing cooperatives to take over failing public services (i.e. local post offices, library’s etc). What’s more it promises to do all this while also saving money. How very grand.

Indeed the concept, in principle, should be lauded by everyone on the political spectrum, after all who would really stand up and say that they were against strengthening families and encouraging greater community involvement? Meanwhile, those on the left who deride Cameron’s idea of letting community run co-operatives take over failing public services would be well served to remember, as Dianne Abbot has pointed out, “mutual societies and co-operatives (were) the bedrocks of working class self organisation in the nineteenth century”. Yet perhaps the greatest criticism one can have of the Big Society is that its principles seem so palatable to so many.

If Tony Blair’s time in office taught the British electorate anything it taught us that policies that seem to promise the best of everything generally deliver nothing at all. Blair’s ‘Third Way’ principle which promised to combine strong, free-market driven, economic growth with social justice and a strong welfare state, ended up giving us an economic crisis, the largest prison population in western Europe and a partly privatised welfare system.

Ultimately only time will tell whether the Big Society will prove to be the big con that so many people think it will be. For now the best question to ask David Cameron and those in charge of formulating the government’s spending cuts programme is whether, ultimately you can strengthen communities and families through cuts to jobs and benefits.