Close your eyes and imagine a desert. Barren, vast, and desolate. Haunted by ghosts and lost travellers.
That’s what Still Corners’ 5th album, The Last Exit, encapsulates: a stunning and dreamy trip into the deepest, bleakest, desert land. Folklore and fables permeate the album, which draws on the band’s self-created narratives.
Journeys are a recurring theme for the Anglo-American duo, Tessa Murray, and Greg Hughes, perhaps reflecting the Atlantic journey their music has made. The storytelling trilogy started with The Trip (2013) and, continuing with The Message (2018), appears to find its fulfillment in this album. Emailing with the band, they elaborated that:
“In one way the journey ends, in another way it begins […] The only constant in life is change.”
Greg Hughes and Tessa Murray, Photo: Bandero11 @WikiMedia Commons
‘The Last Exit’ evocatively reflects this change within continuity, drawing on the band’s signature sound whilst reflecting on the new context this album was produced in. This album is as immersive as it gets; a foreground of escapist, melodic dream-pop that transports us to a place beyond.
“It’s a kind of magic that heals,” the band commented in response to the transformative power of music. The album may feel detached from the mundanities of reality, but it undoubtedly draws on them. The lyrics of ‘Crying’, a personal favourite of Murray’s, speak to the challenges of a breakup. Its resonance, though, is wider, also reflecting on the confusing and disorientating feeling of watching as the “world falls down”. You might say that ‘the personal is political’; or even, ‘the personal is poetic’, here.
“We have a piece of paper above our music console where I’ve handwritten “Write what you know”. It’s important to draw from personal experience.”
The enchanting soundscape of the album is what really stands out as a listener. A personal favourite is ‘It’s Voodoo’, which ups the pace of the album like a ball of tumbleweed whipped up by high wind. Voices haunt the track, a whispered “it doesn’t make any sense” concluding its obsessive refrains. Hughes’ strumming works effortlessly with Murray’s melodic voice, a testament to their creative development since 2007.
When asked how their process of recording and writing has changed over the last year, their response sounded positively idyllic. “We have our own studio in the woods in Woodstock, NY, so we retreat there to write and record,” they told me. “We have a schedule of course, this is serious business. It’s tea and writing from 9 am to noon, hike, record 2-5, then go immediately to the bar in our sitting room”.
Photo: Cover for The Last Exit
The smooth sounds may have found their inspiration in the desert, and may have been produced in the woods, but they signal an other-worldliness that defines quintessential dreampop. The band credit their influences to “Ursula K. Le Guin, Ansel Adams, Chet Baker, Bob Dylan, Eddy Arnold, David Lynch just to name a few.”
Like Bob Dylan’s poetic storytelling, the band draw on narratives in their songs. For instance, the duo told me that the idea of a ghost story for this album came from a supernatural encounter in Joshua Tree National Park. They took directions from an older woman, who had “long silver grey hair and a strange accent” and were later told by a waitress that she was known as “Miss Dumont”, who had been dead for 200 years. ‘White Sands’ references this experience, a spellbinding song haunted by desert spirits and whispers.
The Last Exit is a road trip into the beyond, surreal, and ghostly. Don’t miss the turning.
I sat down eager to do my stereotypical duty as a 21st century Austen lover and as a young woman: to watch Bridgerton. Based on Julia Quinn’s novels, Netflix’s brand new period drama was released on the 25th December of 2020, a ‘Christmas present’ after the hell that was last year.
The trailer and the bustling chatter on Twitter had me intrigued: Gossip Girl in the eighteen hundreds? What’s not to like? Well, perhaps a lot. But to this viewer the promise of drama, beautiful ball gowns, and an apparently inclusive cast, sounded encouraging.
Show creator, Chris Van Dusen in an interview with Town & Country, asserted that Bridgerton is ‘not a history lesson’, and that everything from the music, to the story, to the casting was a modernisation of the 1800s. A ball scene with Ariana Grande’s Thank You Next playing in the background is just one of the small details that Van Dusen uses to draw the audience in.
Fashion is another. Scene after scene of the most exquisite dresses and suits drop the viewer in a whirlwind of colour and sparkle. Even if they are not historically accurate, they fulfil the difficult task of engaging an Instagram-crazed generation with the period genre.
The casting is perhaps the most obvious element of the show that draws people in, or at least provokes the most comment. While I feel sad to say that in the 21st century casting a variety of ethnicities and backgrounds is seen as something new and innovative, that is in fact the case.
Bridgerton does not shy away from its diverse cast, rather stares it in the face (although quite late in the season), as Mrs Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) reminds the Duke (Regé-Jean Page) that society in the ‘ton’ was not always as open-minded as it is then. In fact, multiple ethnicities were now allowed to possess the same social status because the King (James Fleet) had married a black woman (Golda Rosheuvel), and the rest of society followed suit.
It is understandable that when one is creating their own fictional world, they would want to create one which is fair. However, for the audience watching Bridgerton, in times in which racism is actively rising rather than diminishing, this explanation might be inadequate.
Youtuber Khadija Mbowe draws attention to the race-baiting, colourism, featureism, racial stereotypes, and the lack of Asian representation. In short, while Bridgerton and many other Netflix productions are moving in the right way in terms of representation, they still haven’t achieved a truly all-inclusive cast.
Mbowe also highlights the issue of queer-baiting, which was one of the elements which surprised me the most. A show that is meant to support modern ideals in a dated society did not allow for the acceptance or celebration of queerness and sexual orientation.
Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) is an aspiring artist who diverges from ‘proper’ society and begins exploring nightlife in order to improve his art. He befriends Henry Granville (Julian Ovenden), who shows him the ins and outs of the debauched circles in the ‘ton’. Not only does there seem to be an erotic chemistry between the two, but later Benedict discovers Granville in the midst of sex with a man. Nonetheless, Bridgerton negates the opportunity for gay romance, having Benedict seek a relationship with a woman instead.
So even though Bridgerton allows different sexual orientations it does not do the same for race as it did for sexuality. In the ‘ton’, just as in the real 1800s, queerness is not openly accepted, and therefore Benedict promises to keep Granville’s secret. This month we celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and it seems as though Bridgerton missed the opportunity to include and represent queer individuals.
Let us now address what has perhaps been one of the show’s biggest selling points: the sex. In an article for Cosmopolitan, Beth Kirkbridge discusses the ups and downs of Bridgerton’s sex scenes: the ‘trivialisation of male rape’, ‘glamourising toxic relationships’ and unrealistic representations of the female orgasm, among many others. Despite social media going head over heels for period eroticism, there is still room for improvement and more realistic and respectful representations of sex.
This may have you wondering, if there is so much wrong with Bridgerton, what do fans love so much?
I believe the story, with strong female leads and men who show their sensitivity as well as their strength, is something most modern viewers can get behind. The story does surprise along the way, with (SPOILER) the lead couple getting married halfway through, and going through marital difficulties, rather than ‘living happily ever after’. The production value cannot be ignored, from the big dance numbers to the striking scenery and cinematography.
Here’s hoping that season two will be better.
3/5.
Bridgerton was released on Netflix on the 25th of December.
Gen Z is close to being known as the ‘TikTok generation’, and while some will wear that badge with pride, others shudder at the title. Nonetheless, one way or another, among the viral dances and lip syncing fails, TikTok has birthed important movements, such as awareness for body positivity. Somewhere in between lies Food TikTok – a platform that provides both mouth-watering entertainment and unique recipes.
The printed, written word is constantly being shown up by the advantageous TikTok: sixty seconds of flashy visuals often paired with the trendiest sounds, beats any old cookbook.
This is how, only a couple of days after having finally succumbed to society’s peer-pressure and downloaded TikTok, I came across the almighty ‘TikTok Pasta’.
The minute-long recipe claims to be ‘so popular that they ran out of Feta cheese in Finland’ – once again showing the tremendous social influence of the video app. Indeed, Food52 has identified the author of the recipe to be Jenni Häyrinen, a Finnish blogger, who created the recipe back in 2019.
While possibly not being the most nutritious meal out there, this simple pasta dish does make your tongue tingle in anticipation, and so it was only a matter of time until I tried it myself.
The obstacle? Feta cheese. This Greek star used to be a favourite of mine, until I became vegan six years ago. Since then I had made my peace without it, rarely following recipes that included feta in order to avoid disappointment. However, this one seemed too good to waste and with the help of Violife and an addition of sundried tomatoes, I made it happen.
Here’s the TikTok pasta, veganised:
Serves 4
Ready in 30 minutes
500g pasta (any works well but I suggest Shells, Penne or another shape that will hold sauce well)
1 Violife Greek white block
400g cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato
1-2 cloves of garlic (to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 tbsp Olive oil
½ tsp dried oregano
1 handful fresh basil leaves (to garnish)
Photo: Lauryn Berry @ The Mancunion
First thing is to get the tomatoes roasting. Preheat the oven at around 200 degrees Celsius. In a Pyrex dish, add the whole cherry tomatoes and a clove of garlic (skin on). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Place in the oven for around 15 minutes.
Once the tomatoes have been in for 5 minutes, start cooking the pasta in salted boiling water. Cook according to instructions (usually 11-13 minutes).
Once the tomatoes have had 15 minutes remove them from the oven. Squish the garlic clove with a fork until the skin peels off and then mash some more until the garlic is mixed in with the tomatoes. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and then clear some space in the middle for the feta. Place the whole feta block in the middle and place the dish back in the oven for a further 5-10 minutes. Keep checking on the feta, if it begins to melt it is ready.
Drain the pasta and set aside. Once the cheese has started to melt, remove the dish from the oven and mash the feta with a fork until it begins to crumble/melt (depending on how long you leave it it will be more or less solid). Add the pasta and mix everything together.
Taste and season accordingly.
Add some chopped basil leaves on top to garnish.
Enjoy!
Although its popularity seems to be growing, with different variations coming up on my page every day, this pasta isn’t the only TikTok food trend out there.
The four way wrapped tortilla was another easy and simple meal that went viral, with both sweet and savoury alternatives.
And for dessert? People are hunting for ‘Little Moons’ up and down the country, after this U.K. owned Japanese Mochi business went viral. Fret not, if you’re curious about trying Mochi, there are plenty of homemade recipes on TikTok too (yes, some of them are vegan!)
If you’re interested in cooking or changing your eating habits, TikTok isn’t a bad place to start. If a recipe can be condensed into sixty seconds then the likelihood is that it is something easy and memorable enough to make. Although I love cooking myself, I often find it hard to come up with new meals, especially under lockdown when it feels like all you do is work and eat.
Without a doubt, this side of TikTok is commendable. Not only does it teach people new skills but it stimulates creativity, as once a trend starts people are bound to want to alter or better it.
It’s A Sin, set in the 1980s, is about a group of young gay men who move to London in hopes of finding themselves.
In a time of great change, they are caught in a decade of denial, destruction, and hostility. With the rise of HIV and AIDS, Ritchie (played by Olly Alexander), Roscoe (Omari Douglas), and Colin (Callum Scott Howles) are subjected to dramatic loss and forced to face up to the severity of the epidemic. With only each other for support, the group relies on their effervescent, yet compassionate friend Jill (Lydia West) who is compelled to find out about this mysterious illness. The series draws upon the sexual freedom and isolation the group encounter.
The three leads are electrifying to watch – A diverse set of backgrounds, ethics, and lifestyles, spanning from a devoutly religious Nigerian family in London to a sleepy village on the Isle of Wight. The residents of the ‘Pink Palace’ are always a joy to watch.Screen icons Neil Patrick Harris and Stephen Fry also offer entertaining but largely superficial roles, as Colin’s suit-selling boss and an avaricious Tory MP, respectively. Regardless of Harris’s ropey English accent, they serve as a diligent reminder of the legendary gay performers that preceded the newcomers; something Davies was keen to address.
Jill undoubtedly remains the driving force of the show. West provides an expertly crafted performance that proves profound and multifaceted. She goes from being the joyous spark of the group to the ever-concerned mum. This leads to a gut-wrenching final confrontation with Ritchie’s mum (a phenomenal performance from Keeley Hawes), providing one of the most compelling dynamics in the show.
Borrowing the title of the well-known Pet Shop Boys single, the show is driven by a pulsating 80s soundtrack. From raving in a sweaty club to goodbyes at a hospital bed, the music guides the audience through the show’s shifting emotions. The soundtrack includes a wide range of hits from the likes of Queen to Soft Cell, providing an irresistible aesthetic of nostalgia.
The show’s camerawork and cinematography are further merits to its success. David Katznelson (Downton Abbey of all things) utilises a deep vibrant colour palette when executing the club scenes, creating contrast with the domestic setting where he favours a paler environment. The show also employs significant use of tracking shots, whether it’s watching Ritchie break the fourth wall and flirt his way around the bar or a horrifying sequence of events following a terminal diagnosis. The show’s technical aspects sustain the balance of youthful celebration with life-long trauma that runs throughout the show’s 5 episodes.
Before penning It’s A Sin, Russel T. Davies burst onto the scene with his Manchester-set Queer as Folk (1999). This crucially paved the way for more LGBTQ+ stories in the new millennium. Davies creates characters with depth and relatability, who are ultimately flawed. This is present in his earlier work and It’s A Sin, reminiscent of the New Queer Cinema movement of the 90s. By presenting these men as promiscuous and borderline arrogant, he creates human characters, and therefore ones an audience can empathise with. From the iconic revival of Doctor Who in 2005 to the extremely successful Years and Years and A Very English Scandal, Davies has had his fingerprints on the seismic shift in British telly, with no sign of slowing down.
While the show relishes in its 80s backdrop, the prevalence of AIDS is, unfortunately, stark – 75.7 million people becoming infected with HIV and 32.7 million people died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic in 1981.
We have included a link to the Manchester-based charity George House Trust helping people struggling with this disease. Please consider donating. https://ght.org.uk/
The freeing potential of restrictions is a paradox well-known in creative circles. Having fewer options can disrupt an artist’s habitual practice and drive them to explore new artistic territory.
It is also the guiding principle of ‘Obstructions’ at the Castlefield Gallery, where fifteen artists were tasked with remaking one of their existing artworks in accordance with an ‘obstruction’ set them by one of the other artists.
A timely theme
Inspired by Lars Von Trier’s film ‘The Five Obstructions’, the exhibition began as part of the Gallery’s bOlder mentoring scheme for older artists in Greater Manchester. As curator Matthew Pendergast told me, its resonance during Covid-19 was more of a fortuitous accident. As the pandemic progressed, however, it only became more relevant. The decision to pair artists under 30 with those over 50, for example, sought to ‘foster a conversation’ across generations at a time when the debate over lockdown often pitted them against one another.
It was an ambitious, high-wire undertaking, both for the Gallery and the artists involved. Fifteen pieces would sit at the upper limit of the Gallery’s physical capacity. Time was also tight: two weeks after their initial meeting, they exchanged obstructions and then had two months to turn it around. What if they disputed their obstructions? What if life beyond the studio – that perennial ‘obstruction’ – intervened?
Rules, rules, everywhere…
Thankfully, they pulled it off. It helped that the artists were directed to put as much thought and care into their obstruction as they did into their own responses, and to tailor these to their paired artist’s developmental needs. It is palpable in the artworks themselves.
Unfortunately, the Gallery has not been able to open its doors since the exhibition officially opened on December 6th. Instead, the public are invited to take a virtual 360-degree tour on the exhibition’s bespoke website. Visitors can select individual artists and their work (the original and its reinvention) as well as their obstruction and how they interpreted it.
There is much to enjoy in reading about how each artist tackled an obstruction relating to the materials, theme, content and/or duration of their work. Even the apparently simple injunction to ‘Make it Virtual’ sent Tara Collette to work on deconstruction: ‘I found myself looking into the adverb ‘virtually’…the idea of having a piece that was ‘almost complete’, but not quite.’
At the other extreme, Christopher Rainham was given detailed, step-by-step instructions for making an oil painting as well as broader imperatives such as ‘perceive rather than conceptualise’ and ‘do your best and your worst.’ And, in keeping with our homebound times, ‘handmade’ tools and ‘found objects’ feature heavily in the requirements.
Since each obstruction on an implicit understanding of the recipient’s works, and given the constraints on time and opportunity for dialogue, it seems surprising that there was so little pushback or questioning of these. Feeling ‘uncomfortable’ about her obstruction ‘to include the experiences and perspectives of people who do not have the XX chromosome combination’, Sabrina Fuller decided to ‘complicate it through a focus on difference.’ She questions the assumption that this is even an obstruction on her existing practice. This willingness to stretch the meaning of a problematised obstruction indicates how seriously the artists entered into the exhibition’s spirit.
The virtual visitor experience
Claire Hignett, Do Be Careful… Photo c/o Jules Lister
It seems apposite to reflect on the online visitor experience itself. With the (possibly major) disclaimer that I wasn’t able to see it in VR, the 360-degree tour facility reminds me of looking up familiar streets on Google Street View. Its novelty appeal is quickly replaced by an awareness of what you can’t zoom in on; the angles you can’t see. You can’t move smoothly around an artwork, seeing its surface unfold inch by inch (instead, when you look front-on at a piece and turn to the side, it remains disarmingly flat). Perhaps this is one of the things I miss most about offline visits (along with that intimacy you feel with total strangers looking at the same objects).
That said, I am glad they went to the effort, if only to remind us of what we are missing and have to look forward to. As Pendgergast explains, their aim was a “clear and simple” navigation tool rather than a “digital experience” per se. While no substitute for visiting in person, “it was in the spirit of the project to do everything we could to share the project.” (It’s evidently made waves, receiving traffic from across Europe, Richmond Australia, China, New Zealand and the USA.)
My verdict
‘Obstructions’ is an uplifting artistic experience during this period of isolation, with its focus on dialogue and community through creativity. I’m less convinced by broader claims that might be made about the creative potential of lockdown redux. Instead, I prefer to imagine the show in its pre-Covid context.
An online exhibition that makes you feel part of a conversation, rather than telling you what you missed while you were away.
The exhibition is free to view online and is available until 18th April.
Gentrification and predatory lesbians? Not much of a Twist if you ask me.
As a kid growing up in East London, Oliver Twist was one of my favourite stories; from the film musical, to a kid’s picture book I read and re-read, to performing in school productions as cockney rascals, I was obsessed. And so, I was excited at the prospect of a modern adaptation that promised comedy and grit, and boasted the stars of Michael Caine and Lena Headey.
However, what I found myself watching was instead a cartoonish and confusing heist film that neglected all the heart and politics of Dickens’ original story and turned Bill Sykes into an egregious predatory lesbian stereotype. With exaggerated and forced use of East-London accents and slang, and a lush warehouse crime den which, aesthetically, was not dissimilar to an Ikea advert. The film portrayed a Disneyfied East London that appeared free from any real effects of poverty, despite the themes of its source text.
The film ages up and reinvents Oliver as a homeless graffiti artist and parkour expert, played by Jude Law’s son, Rafferty Law. The story begins with the cherub-faced (pre-orphan) boy we expect, as he visits art galleries with his mum. But then, whiplashing the audience, in the next scene Oliver is suddenly a fully grown adult who we find sleeping rough in the very same gallery. His mother’s death, though hinted as being a suicide, is entirely skipped over as we time jump into Twist’s young adulthood.
Despite the supposed trauma and poverty of his upbringing; Twist appears in garments that your local gentrified hipster might wear. Clean-cut and healthy as though Twist himself had experienced all the privilege and pleasures that his portrayer, Rafferty, had been afforded. In this skipping of Oliver’s childhood and the Vaseline lens with which we see his poverty all the heartbreak, loneliness, and desperation Dickens infused into his novel is stripped from the story.
This leads to Oliver’s discovery of Fagin (Michael Caine) and the friendship and family he supposedly finds with the Artful Dodger (Rita Ora) to have no meaning to the audience. The betrayal of this friendship has no emotional payoff either, not that there is much family or friendship to be seen in the first place.
Rita Ora’s Dodger is particularly stiff considering the iconic role, with the usually charismatic heart of Oliver’s world, donned in outfits so fashionable and colourful you would be forgiven for mistaking her for an art student who moved to London from Surrey rather than the thieving outlaw she is supposed to be. There is no considering ‘yaself’ one of us to be had in this film, as Oliver and Dodger’s relationship is entirely neglected in favour of the weird love triangle created between Sykes, Red (Nancy), and Twist.
A love triangle that, coupled with the gender-swap casting of Lena Headey as Bill, made me feel as if I was watching a film made 20 years ago. Nancy as Red is recreated, not as a victim of patriarchy and domestic violence, but as a victim of a predatory lesbian who appears to be abusing her and forcing her into a relationship without her consent, only to be rescued by brave little straight boy Twist. Though Headey gives possibly one of the best performances of the film (alongside Michael Caine), smouldering her way through a shag cut and eyeliner, the regressive and homophobic implications of this gender swap left a truly sour aftertaste.
Michael Cane as heist-master Fagin, a role I believe he was born to play, is one of the only joys of the film. I laughed out loud at his silly stick-on moustache and when, having shot Sykes, he declared “what a fine thing capital punishment is”. And I did find some fun in pointing out every street corner of Tower Hamlets that I recognised.
Despite this, the heist was actually too confusing to follow, the script was poor, and the cinematography did nothing but show a sun soaked, gentrified version of London; opting to splice a bird’s eye view of London that could’ve been found on Google Maps in between each scene just in case the audience needed to be reminded of the setting, much like after the ad breaks on a sitcom. I would recommend that if you want to watch a film that features a child finding love, family and hope amongst a heist plot in the heart of London, you watch Paddington.
1.5/5.
Words by Isabel Billington.
Twist was released on Sky Cinema on the 29th of January.
It might be said that Dragon Rider is a cheap rip-off of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. Others may claim that it is an adaptation of the hit children’s book of the same name. However, it somehow fails to be either.
The saving grace of this film is the great Patrick Stewart, who we find absolutely revelling in the role of Nettlebrand, the right swipin’ and skypin’ big bad villain of the film. The other actors seem like they’ve never had an animated role in their entire career, with each line being delivered with the same faux-upbeat tone that has become typical of movies trying to recreate the Disney or Dreamworks formula.
Since this movie was originally released in Germany, the lip-syncing of the characters is just slightly detached enough to set the movie deep in the uncanny valley. The dragons are the only things that don’t have this problem, they just look bad. The entire movie feels like it was made by the same guys who animated the Clash of Clans adverts but somehow worse.
In terms of the plot, there isn’t one really, the dragons want to leave because humans are bad for some reason. We are then shown the only humans in the world who aren’t bad, resulting in a laughable ending quote of “not all humans are bad humans”. Admittedly, I’m not the target audience for the movie, but it makes me sad that my generation got Ice Age and the current generation gets this, a generic fantasy adventure with references to better productions. The squirrel in the ice reminded me that I could have watched a better film.
On the bright side, from a child’s perspective, this would easily keep their attention for an hour and a half while you sneak upstairs for a nap or something more intimate. The sets in which the characters live are very well designed and whimsical, specifically The Rim Of Heaven which reminded me strongly of the Spyro games, another much more immersive dragon franchise. I say the sets are nice, but they are always reminiscent of a much better movie, game or franchise and this is where the movie falls flat.
Nothing in Dragon Rider is innovative or imaginative despite the inherently interesting concept of dragons coexisting with modern humans. I would not recommend this movie to any fellow animation lovers, I would however recommend it to parents who need an hour or so to relax.
2/5.
Words by William Grant.
Dragon Rider will be released on Sky Cinema on the 12th of February.
Eliza Clark’s Boy Parts is a subversive story about the female gaze. The novel is narrated by a violent anti-heroine who stars as Clark’s “unlikeable female protagonist“.
The novel follows Irina, an arts graduate based in Newcastle. Irina’s work predominantly features explicit photos of naked men, who she scouts from the streets. However, Irina’s explicit preference is for younger men, as they are more compliant and less likely to flake.
Clark’s protagonist also holds down a bar job alongside her photography work to help keep her afloat whilst she launches her art career. The novel begins with a tense scrap between Irina and a mum of one of the teenage models at the bar.
During the conflict the mum accuses Irina of photographing her underage son. As a result, Irina explains that she photographed him because he showed her valid ID. But, Irina admits to the reader that ‘I’d scouted him on the bus and suspected he may have been in sixth form’.
Boy Parts explores deviance, taboo, and criminal behaviour. The novel occupies a genre-defying space between realism and psychological thriller. Clarke’s novel takes on the pace of a thriller as the plot develops and Irina’s violent behaviour begins to unravel.
“I think if I smile at him like this, he’ll leave. I look like I want to skin him and wear it”
Clark’s protagonist is coarse, funny, and fully aware of her pretty privilege. In an interview with i-D magazine, Eliza Clark explained that “I definitely wanted Irina to be perceived as a villain” rather than a “feminist icon”.
Irina cannot be branded as an icon. However, the construction of her as an unlikeable female character, or anti-heroine, strikes me as a feminist move. There is something innately radical in allowing women characters to be coarse and a bit bitchy.
Boy Parts shares striking similarities to Ottesa Moshfegh’s novel titled My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Irina is a shit friend to her oldest friend Flo, and she has a strained relationship with her family. Likewise, Moshfegh’s protagonist treats her longest standing friend badly, engages in substance abuse, and has an arts-based career background.
However, despite the potential for comparison with Moshfegh’s novel, Boy Parts firmly stands in its own ground. Eliza Clark’s debut novel is a talented piece of writing by a novelist who is set to be one to watch.
Blackwell’s Manchester provided this review copy. Boy Parts is available to purchase online.
The Fire of Joy is the last book by Clive James, a poet and cultural critic internationally renowned for his intellect and prodigiousness. When James wasn’t making prime time TV programs, he was translating Dante’s Divine Comedy and writing best-selling memoirs.
But it is as a poet and literary critic that James will be best remembered. The Fire of Joy exemplifies what made James so popular. He had a vast knowledge, and he dispensed it generously. The goal in his writing was to enrich the life of the reader, and to point him or her in the direction of further gratification. Cutting through the pretentious crap, he focused only on what mattered: appreciating the beauty and power of the written word.
His style is therefore perfect for this book, a collection of short poems dating from the middle ages to the present century. If (like me) you’re new to poetry, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better guide than James. As Virgil to our Dante, James provides fascinating, hilarious, and deeply personal contexts for each poem. (With reference to the final couplet of ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’, the ailing James says that he prefers to keep the blinds open as he approaches his own ‘slow dusk’.)
And because poems ought to be spoken, says James, he also gives tips on how to read aloud, and other pointers on the technical details that go into a successful poem.
The mini-essays attached to each poem then set you off on a journey of your own. Potentially, they will lead you to the poet’s other works or to a period of writing you haven’t explored before. It’s exactly what makes reading so exciting: discovering one thing helps you discover another! I’ve already started reading and learning poems by several poets listed in The Fire of Joy.
If you want a way into poetry, I can’t recommend this book highly enough. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you might even get the urge to recite lines to yourself in the mirror. But without a doubt you’ll come away with a greater appreciation for what poetry is, and, therefore, what it means to be human.
Pixar Shorts have consistently shaken our imaginations and have transformed mere minute-long tech demos into fully-fledged narratives, endeared with unique qualities of sound and style.
The second feature in our Pixar Short series, takes a look at some of the top releases over the years from the innovative animation company, displaying an acute sentiment for creation and animation at its finest.
(CRITERIA: These are only Pixar Shorts, so no room for Disney Shorts here. And I haven’t counted any Feature-related Shorts – sorry, Mike’s New Car – or any of the SparkShorts as well.)
5. Tin Toy (1988)
A toy who comes to life? Check. A group of toys afraid of a scary child? Check. An unexpected character flip creating a three-dimensional personality in a toy of all things? Double check.
While it is clear Tin Toy laid the groundwork for what was to become Pixar’s debut smash, Toy Story (1995), this short stands on its own with its crisp storytelling and its hilarious conclusion.
The strength of the animation, especially for its time, speaks volumes here. While yes, Billy the baby is truly terrifying (why does his head look like a raisin?) the expressions on the toys’ faces are brilliant. Pixar animators had always said they had struggled to make human models, due to the dodgy way light would play with skin (the reason your cheeks go red when you put a flashlight in your mouth), hence sticking with toys for the first feature seemed like the right idea. Tin Toy garnered the studio their first Academy Award, setting a precedent to come. Flashlights aside, this is a terrific short that set the ever-rising bar for quality 3D animation.
4. Presto (2008)
One of the strengths in removing dialogue from a film, is a shift of focus on the physical, something Presto does very well. From the very first frame, the short demonstrates a perfect ‘show don’t tell’ style, getting straight to the action. The short also embraces a more traditional, vaudeville performance style, blended with some seriously crisp animation.
We follow Alec the bunny, a sour magician’s malnourished assistant, on his quest to get his carrot. Through some of the sharpest animated slapstick outside of Tom and Jerry, the Magician and his bunny fight it out until one of them is victorious. We become one with the audience following the proverbial ‘carrot on the stick’, as the chaos increases ten-fold. We are dreading what is coming next, as everything is falling around us: lights, pianos, even trousers. Yet, the conclusion is one of the most satisfying in all their shorts, leaving us, like the audience, cheering in our seats.
3. Geri’s Game (1997)
Sometimes it’s the simple stories that touch you the most. Geri, reminiscent of the old men at the end of The Queen’s Gambit, is playing a chess match against… himself. But there’s no room for pity here as this man is highly competitive… against himself.
The strength of this short rests on Geri’s loveable nature. Even as he splits into two different personas as the game continues, he remains such an enthusiastic and endearing character. Accompanied by a score from the legendary accordion player Gus Viseur, every shot has tremendous energy to it. It’s impossible not to get swept up by it.
2. Bao (2018)
Summer 2018. I’m sitting down to watch Incredibles 2 when we, the audience, are greeted with the customary short that precedes every new Pixar feature. All is going as expected: a cute family story, a bit of magic-realism sprinkled in with the dumpling-son, thinking they’ll make a couple of toys out of him. Suddenly, ‘The Moment’ happens, prompting a younger member of the audience to shout out
*SPOILER ALERT*
‘You can’t eat your son like that!’.
A moment of awkward laughter, but still the emotional processing of the scene. Then comes the ending when the boy pipes up again to his mum, ‘Oh, so he only looked like her son. I get it now’.
Bao is what every short aspires to be. Touching, surprising, and, of course, memorable. Directed by Domee Shi, the first female director of a Pixar short, there is an extraordinary amount of heart and creativity here. The animation has gotten so advanced in textures and character designs, even the steam off the dumplings looks real. But it’s the sheer amount of story packed into eight minutes that will always astound me. Superb.
(I wonder what the conversation at home was like for that boy and his mum…)
1. Day & Night (2010)
Utterly whimsical and remarkably thought-provoking, Day & Night is immaculate.
We are introduced to a picture-perfect morning: green fields, blue sky, chirping birds. Only to zoom out and meet ‘Day’, the physical embodiment of daytime merely living out his morning routine. A few gags later and then we see ‘Day’ run into ‘Night’, and the story begins.
There is a constant play of opposites here, accurately captured in its seamless blending of 2D and 3D animation. The characters warp and whirl around each other as they learn to understand and appreciate one another’s differences, while sharing in the wondrous everyday joys of life.
The film encompasses a natural soundscape marking the characters’ movements and emotions, blending the real world with cartoonish wonderment. This sense of fun is amplified by the character’s glorious expressions and zany tone. And, again, scored with jazzy delight by Michael Giacchino.
Perhaps most memorable is the brief change in pace in which we hear a recording from Dr. Wayne Dyer, touching on the feeble nature of ignorance. He also references Albert Einstein with the immortal lines, “the most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious”.
Apart from being wildly entertaining, Day & Night asks us what it means to embrace the unknown. We are not defined by our differences but rather, defined by seeing how we can learn from others.
At the end of the day, we are all universally the same.
All of the Pixar Shorts are available to watch on Disney Plus.
This article series – A Tough Act to Follow (get it?) – is an exploration into the performative nature of social media. Each feature will see me interviewing an Instagram influencer, social media personality, or somebody who utilises social media to advance their career, as we explore the construction of online identities.
Patrick Ralphson
Photo: Patrick Ralphson on Instagram. Link to original.
Patrick and I have been friends for over five years, and his sister – who I had seen the morning before our interview – is one of my best friends. This made the interview more relaxed and easy-going than most interviews, though Patrick has a warm presence that could calm a bull in a bullring who had just seen red.
Patrick recently competed on Little Mix: The Search, where he formed the band Since September with three other singers. Since September went on to win the competition, so they will be touring with Little Mix – God-willing and covid-dependent – this year!
Photo: Since September (clockwise from top: Patrick Ralphson, Jacob Fowler, Matthew Nolan, Harry Holes) by Patrick Ralphson on Instagram. Link to original.
Patrick’s beginnings
Patrick was not a social media personality prior to competing on the show, but his followers grew massively after his audition was aired on television. Since then, he has gained around 30,000 followers – and counting! Patrick has always been great at social media, and he and his bandmates have utilised it to help their band garner more recognition and notice, especially since most of their fans (and most Little Mix fans) have an intense engagement with social media.
Indeed, social media is a form of free promotion. Since September are not relying solely on external promoters to get their name out there; they are working hard to do that themselves. Their online approachability and accessibility is a part of their brand.
I plan to interview a great variety of social media users: from artists and content creators, to activists and fitness influencers. Patrick’s story uniquely charts the thoroughly modern experiences of being in a band, making him the perfect fit for this social media-based series.
Patrick has been performing since he was young. His supportive sister, Sally, was kind enough to let him perform at some of her birthday parties, where he mesmerised her guests: winning the hearts, minds and interests of many friends (myself included – sorry, Sally).
He used to be in an indie band called Critical Reaction, which played at a few festivals to great reviews. So, whilst Patrick might be an overnight sensation to most people, as is often the case in creative industries, he has been making music most of his life.
After competing on another music competition in 2016 and not getting past the auditions, Patrick took a chance and auditioned for Little Mix: The Search. He candidly described an inner-debate, fearing he may be missing out on the biggest opportunity of his life.
“All opportunities are good opportunities,” he said. “Even if you do not win a music competition, you have still sung for people; it is still an experience that so many others do not get to have.”
Photo: Since September Patrick Ralphson, Matthew Nolan, Harry Holes, Jacob Fowler) and Chris Ramsey – (C) Modest TV – by Jack Barnes.
Since September have a natural rapport, which becomes immediately evident across their socials. I asked Patrick if he was worried about the prospect of going into a music competition by himself, and possibly being put with artists who he did not get on with.
Of course, bandmates not getting on does not necessarily mean that a band will not be successful – just ask The Supremes, Oasis, and the Pussycat Dolls – but nobody wants to work in a toxic work environment, especially because infighting often causes bands to break apart.
Patrick explained that prior to being put in the band, he had already met, rehearsed, and socialised with the other guys. He said that the only bandmate who he did not get to know much was Jacob, but he knew that he was just quiet (Jacob, himself, admitted to being shy on his Instagram story) and would soon come out of his shell – which “he did in a major way”. Aside from Patrick, Jacob is my favourite member of Since September – he’s a musical theatre kid who has performed on the West End and with Kerry Ellis – a feat which dahlings, we absolutely stan!
Patrick’s aspirations
Photo: Patrick Ralphson by Since September on Instagram. Link to original.
Whilst Since September’s goal is to release an album eventually, the when and where depends on many different factors. It is clear that the band is simply happy to be in the position that they are currently in.
After winning the competition, they have begun writing songs with successful songwriters, such as The Dunwells, and Roy Stride from Scouting for Girls.
Patrick said that the writing sessions are going very well, but they are taking time to work on their sound. This is made a little difficult by the fact that they have just come out of a competition where they sang other people’s songs; now they have to craft their own sound, and identity, as a band.
Whilst pop will probably be at the centre of their sound, they want to dabble in different genres, even including ballads – which I’m sure Jacob, especially, will love. All the guys bring something different to the band, and they all seem open to experimenting with different sounds – much like their mentors, Little Mix, who seem to have played around with (and absolutely slayed) every genre bar heavy metal!
Photo: Since September (Harry Coles, Patrick Ralphson, Jacob Fowler, Matthew Nolan) – (C) Modest TV – by Jack Barnes.
Patrick wants the band’s sound to be “massive”, because the first time that their songs will ever be heard will be in arenas and stadiums, “so we might as well make them big enough to fill the O2”. He hopes that even after listening to Little Mix, fans will be stuck with Since September’s songs in their heads.
I asked Patrick if this was daunting – before even going on a solo tour and playing smaller venues, they are playing at some of the country’s biggest music venues, with the biggest girl band in the world!
Patrick just grinned for a moment before saying, “I’m just buzzing – you know me, Jamaal – I’m just buzzing with life, in general”. He explained that he would be more daunted if he had not already met Little Mix, but he knows them personally and knows that they will be great to go on tour with because they are so fun and down-to-earth.
However, he cannot conceive in his mind what 20,000 people will look like, which actually keeps him from being worried about it.
“I’m gonna get up on that stage, there are gonna be lights on my face, not really gonna be able to see much… It’s basically just gonna be performing, but with a massive stage, and it’s gonna be sick, and I’ve got loads of room to run around and do backflips and stuff!”
I proceeded to ask Patrick if he hopes that Since September get to headline their own tour following them opening for Little Mix, but before I even got chance to finish this question, an excited Patrick responded, “Yes, yes, without a doubt!”.
Patrick acknowledged that the show has given them the platform to come into the music industry with an established fanbase, and the right contacts to go into the music industry the right way. “Not get done over by management and labels like other shows might do,” he said with his classic cheeky chuckle, knowing he need not say anymore.
Photo: Since September (clockwise from left: Harry Holes, Jacob Fowler, Patrick Ralphson, Matthew Nolan) on Instagram. Link to original.
But Since September does not want to be defined by the show; they want to be able to sustain themselves, as Since September, and be able to tour good size venues in the UK after playing at arenas as Little Mix’s support.
“I want to headline those arenas one day,” he said honestly. Patrick is ambitious, aspirational and a dreamer, but he is also proof that – in the words of Gabrielle – ‘dreams can come true’.
Patrick’s style
Anybody who watched Little Mix: The Search will remember the stunning outfits that Since September got to wear on some of their performances. Patrick said that he went to the stylists and told them to give them whatever they wanted: “put me in mad clothes, and I’ll wear ‘em”. However, he would happily go onstage and wear a full white Adidas tracksuit – and when he plays in Manchester, he plans to wear his University of Manchester beanie!
The guys have sustained their fashionisto status on social media – especially Harry, with his signature painted nails, and Jacob recently shared a photo in which he wore a rainbow jacket. Since September have quickly established a brand for themselves, and that brand appears to be just being themselves.
Photo: Since September (Jacob Fowler, Matthew Nolan, Patrick Ralphson, Harry Holes) – (C) BBC – Photographer: Guy Levy.
Patrick said that his favourite look on the show was when the band sang ‘Watermelon Sugar’, and he got to wear a big pair of orange trousers. I told him that with pants like that, he could be the next Harry Styles – especially with that crazy hair of his.
“I’ll take that from you, Jamaal, you know, you’re a fashionista yourself,” he said – and that is obviously the best answer that this superstar-in-the-making could give me. I might put it in my Insta bio…
I next asked Patrick about his fans. “I know some of them are a bit extra,” I said, having spoken to his brutally honest sister, Sally, just that morning. Patrick chuckled, “yes”.
He said that he still finds it “mad” when he is out and about, and people start taking photos of him – he is just going about his day and seemingly forgets that he is now famous – but he recognises that this is just a part of his life now.
Patrick absolutely adores his fans. He told me that they call themselves “Tembers”, and they are intense but incredibly supportive. He finds it amazing that people take so much time to be invested in his life and his well-being, so he wants to give a little bit of that back. Unlike a lot of celebrities and personalities, Patrick tries to respond to as many fans as possible when they contact him on social media. “There’s no band without the fans,” he said.
Patrick’s politics
For the whole time I’ve known Patrick, I’ve known how political he is – indeed, that has been one of the bedrocks of our friendship, and we both studied Politics at undergraduate – so I had to ask him how he finds it having to give up that part of himself.
He said that it is a shame because he now has a platform that he could use for activism, but he knows that, at this stage in his career, he needs to stay away from polarising politics – especially because he is in a band, so it is not just his career and reputation on the line.
I asked Patrick if he will ever go back to studying Politics and German. He admitted that he would love to, but this opportunity is far too great for him to study three more years of university (including a year abroad).
He added that university will always be there, though if he ever goes back, he will probably go to one that is “ran better than the University of Manchester”, before remembering that he was talking to me: “Don’t get started. I shouldn’t have mentioned that,” he joked.
Sadly, the clock was ticking, so I did not have time to rant about the never-ending scandals at this “prestigious” university.
“Jamaal, I miss you, man,” said Patrick, who I have not seen since summer, but I reassured him that I will see him soon – maybe, like, 2022?
God-willing, though, the Confetti Tour will go ahead as planned next year – vaccinate us in our heads, shoulders, knees and toes, if you must!
You can catch Since September on tour with Little Mix from Wed 28th April. They are playing at the recently renamed AO Arena in Manchester on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th May – the final two dates of the tour.
The pandemic curtailed Pride festivals last summer and, unfortunately, now LGBT+ History Month is upon us, Covid-19 still means our usual celebrations are impossible.
It’s February, which marks LGBT+ History Month in the UK. Once again, we’ll be celebrating in the only way we know how: together but apart.
But like Pride, LGBT+ History Month isn’t just a celebration of people and culture – its a protest against hate and marginalisation and a reminder that we’re here.
LGBT+ History Month brings us together to celebrate the lives and struggles of LGBTQ+ people in the UK and worldwide. From international icons such as Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson sparking the Stonewall Riots, to those closer to home, such as mathematician Alan Turing and suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst.
The Mancunion has rounded up some ways you can celebrate LGBT+ History Month, whether you are in Manchester or elsewhere.
Attend a virtual LGBT+ History Month event
We won’t be able to meet in person, but you can enjoy LGBTQ+ History from the comfort of your sofa, with virtual events being held around the country. Our very own People’s History Museum is hosting one of their Radical Lates at the end of the month, focusing on LGBTQ+ issues and migration.
And there are lots of other online events this month too, some of which you can find below. For a full list. Check out the ‘online events’ section atLGBT+ History Month.
Take your daily walk around some of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ history
Your daily walk doesn’t have to be around the same streets as always. Venture beyond the Oxford Road campus (but still staying local) with a walk through Manchester’s Queer History. The PHM has its own LGBT Heritage Walk taking you passed Alan Turing through Canal Street and beyond to learn more about our City’s history and activism. Grab a take-away coffee at Feel Good Club (Hilton Street) from mental health activists and wives Keira and Aimee on your way.
Have a Netflix party or host a film night with your housemates
Trust me, there’s more to LGBTQ+ film history than Brokeback Mountain. A whole load of queer movies can be streamed online on Netflix and elsewhere. Some of my top recommendations from more recent years include: Pride (2014), Call Me By Your Name (2017) and Moonlight (2016).
Tune in to some great LGBTQ+ TV
If you haven’t started Russel T Davies’ new 80s drama It’s A Sin, I don’t know where you’ve been. Starring Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander and some other more than familiar names this is a celebration of queer life in the 1980s contrasted against the dark backdrop of the AIDS epidemic. Although I wouldn’t recommend binge-watching the five-part series, with death and grief of mysterious illness being all too familiar, it’s a must-watch for young people finding love, friendship and strength in hard times. See if you can spot the Manchester locations where they filmed it. For more information and support on HIV and Aids, visit The National Aids Trust.
In terms of other great telly? You can’t go far wrong with Mae Martin’s Feel Good, Sex Education and Rupaul’s Drag Race.
Or have a digital detox with some books
We’ve all had a bit too much of Zoom, no surprise there, so why not pick up a paperback and settle down to a thrilling read.
Naturally Tan sees Queer Eye’s Tan France take us through his life growing up gay in a Muslim, South Asian family in the North. In this touching biography, Tan explores all things fashion, from his grandad’s denim factory to becoming a part of a worldwide phenomenon. A candid reminder that Britain’s LGBTQ+ community is so much more diverse than we often see, and you’ll learn some fabulous fashion tips on the way.
I would also recommend Jacob Tobia’s Sissy and the excellent Trans Britainby Mancunian writer Christine Burns.
Relax with a podcast
Although your commute may be significantly shorter these days, perhaps a number of steps to your desk, podcasts can still be enjoyed whatever you’re doing. Get those headphones on and plug in to some great conversations from LGBTQ+ icons.
A favourite of mine is Talk Art. Actor Russel Tovey and gallerist Robert Diament come together every week to give you the art exhibition experience we’re all missing out on. With exclusive interviews with leading artists, curators and sometimes roping in their friends from high places, Talk Art is a celebration of the art world which is accessible to all.
“All we wanted to do was make art accessible, non-academic, non-elitist, gossipy and fun,” Tovey said in an NYT piece. I’d recommend Ian McKellen’s episode or the Christmas Specialwith Stephen Fry for a full afternoon of escapism and insight into history’s most famous gay artists.
There’s also Rose and Rosie Parental Guidance and Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness – there should be enough there to keep you occupied.
Documentaries
Curious as to how it all started? Many people cite the Stonewall Riots of 1969 as the catalyst for the gay rights movement worldwide. Find out more about the drag queen who helped found the Gay Liberation front in The Life and Death of Marsha P Johnson on Netflix.
I would also recommend Paris is burning, the 1990 film about black drag culture in New York City in the 1980s and The Times of Harvey Milk, a stunning documentary about the successful career and assassination of San Francisco’s first openly gay elected official.
Support queer-owned businesses
You may have heard of Black Pound Day, but what about Pink Pound Day? Consider supporting some queer-owned businesses with your next birthday or Valentine’s purchase. You can even search for queer-owned businesses on Depop with the #QueerOnDepop hashtag. Etsy also has a useful search function. Check out new project Polari for a directory of queer-owned brands and freelancers.
Donate what you can
LGBT+ History Month is as much about outing the past and celebrating visibility as it is about educating out prejudice, as Schools OUT UK say. To help those in need, consider supporting some incredible LGBTQ+ charities. From mental health support for LGBTQ+ people to international activists fighting for equality everywhere, anything you can give this LGBT+ History Month will make a difference.
