Film, TV, Theatre, Games, Music
This Month: 28 Days Later, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 6,
Master Harold and the Boys, GTA: Vice, Pearl Jam
28 Days Later allows Danny Boyle to return to British soil after his recent encounters with Hollywood (A Life Less Ordinary, The Beach). Boyle also rejoins novelist Alex Garland (The Beach) who this time provides the screenplay. Both The Beach and 28 Days Later concentrate on how a society reacts in isolation, and how this can very often result in a slow descent towards madness.
The film opens with a spectacular modern day take on Day Of The Triffids. Jim (Cillian Murphy) awakes from a coma to find all of London deserted. This has occurred because the whole country has been infected with a disease known as “The Rage.” This causes normal people to become crazed killers within moments of infection. The mass desertion of Britain allows for some incredible camera shots of Jim wandering around London completely alone. The oppressive silence that accompanies this scene builds up to a dramatic musical crescendo highlighting the intensity of the situation. The events take a darker turn when Jim finds other survivors and they join an army base in Manchester. The shot of the city burning is especially emblematic of the desolation they face. In Manchester they meet the fantastic Christopher Eccleston rejoining Boyle once again after his debut movie Shallow Grave. The shift up north enables Boyle to examine human nature when all hope seems lost.
28 Days Later is filmed using a digital camera which proves rather uneasy on the eye, as certain scenes can leave you with the same kind of motion sickness that Blair Witch produced. It is an extremely thought provoking film and it raises many important issues. This is an intelligent take on the zombie movie showing that zombies are much scarier when they can run! It is refreshing to see that with the success of Dog Soldiers Boyle can continue the high standards of British horror films at the moment. It has plenty of jumps and gory moments aplenty especially the eye incident which is particularly graphic. Naomi Harris provides a strong supporting role as the domineering Selena who has no qualms in savagely killing anyone that looks infected. Cillian provides the audience with a normal person having to come to terms with becoming a killer.
The only complaint I would have with this film is its unadulterated display of product placement which is both obvious and tiresome! Nevertheless this film is definitly one of the best out this year and even a terrible wooden performance from Hannah (Megan Burns) cannot ruin it.
*****/5
DONNIE DARKO
Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a mentally disturbed teenager who manifests his teenage angst in the form of a giant rabbit called Frank. However, this is no fluffy bunny, as his razor sharp teeth suggest, this rabbit is scary. One night Frank wakes Donnie and tells him that the world will end in 28 days.
Donnie Darko is a rebel in a society that wants everything to be right or wrong, black or white. Donnie questions everything he is told, especially highlighting the hypocrisy of religion. This ties in with the apocalyptic feel to the film, and explains the religious
connotations running throughout.
Richard Kelly (director) provides great visual sequences during Donnie’s hallucinations, and a great dark screenplay that produces many comic moments (particularly the smurfs conversation!) The stellar supporting cast including Drew Barrymore and Patrick Swayze prove the strength of the screenplay which enticed them into an unknown directors film.
However, the real star of the film is Jake Gyllenhaal who’s easy going persona is constantly at odds with the events surrounding him. This is definitely an act to remember for the future.
The end of the film will leave you discussing it for months after. You cannot simply watch it you must work it out for yourself. This is not a film for the average film goer, if you like a film with substance and head scratching moments I urge you to see it. Unfortunately its only on limited released so try to catch it as soon as possible as it will definitely reach cult status.
Natalie Kay is Film Reviewer for The Mutt's Nuts.
TV: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
It bites. It sucks. But in a good way.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer returns to the BBC for its' sixth season.
Yes, I know what you’re thinking. No show with a name like Buffy the Vampire Slayer could possibly be taken seriously. And until recently, I would have agreed with you. Let me tell you this right now. I hate sci-fi. I think Star Trek is trash, Farscape is boring and The X Files just plain confusing. But Buffy has me hooked and I’ll tell you why. It’s by far the cleverest show on TV at the moment. Stylish, funny, and full of action, it returns this month for its sixth year and shows no signs of running out of ideas. And judging by the first couple of episodes, it has gained a new, darker edge to it.
At the point the first episode of the new season starts, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) has been dead and buried for three months following her untimely demise at the hands of last season’s villain Glory. No story there, you might think. But as we all know, in a sci-fi series, no main character stays dead for long, and Buffy’s best friend Willow (Alyson Hannigan) has a plan to bring her back. And this is where it gets scary. Previously, the show has always been fairly light-hearted. But in order to complete the resurrection spell, the sweet, innocent Willow slaughters a deer that makes Bambi look ugly, and the first episode ends with Buffy’s desiccated corpse recomposing itself and our heroine awaking to find herself trapped in her own coffin, six feet under. Thus episode two begins with the slayer clawing her way out of her own grave, and not exactly in a sane frame of mind. Trust me, this is no kids show, and it isn’t going to lighten up as the season goes on. Expect full-on horror movie deaths, angst, and unhappy endings galore as the show’s characters are forced to grow up.
With all this depression around it’s fortunate that both the acting and writing remains as good as ever. Although Buffy isn’t a comedy as such, at times it has the capability to be just as funny as the likes of Friends or The Simpsons, and the snappy dialogue keeps the show as fresh as ever. Watch out especially for the hilarious scenes involving mini-villains Jonathan, Warren and Andrew, a trio of nerds bent on dominating the town of Sunnydale, played brilliantly by Danny Strong, Adam Busch and Tom Lenk. In fact, Buffy remains very much an ensemble show, although cast regulars Tony Head, James Marsters and the fast-maturing Michelle Trachtenburg put in particularly strong performances in the opening episode. Meanwhile, though Buffy isn’t resurrected until the very end of Episode One, Sarah Michelle Gellar features prominently in the episode, obviously revelling in playing Buffy’s robotic double.
“Robotic double? How cheesy is that?” I hear you say. Well, that brings to my point. If any other sci-fi show used that plot device, it would all be very done very seriously and, yes, it would be tacky. But Buffy likes to take conventions of sci-fi and turn them on their head. It’s not afraid to laugh at itself and the whole genre. And because we’re busy laughing with them, we hardly notice that each ‘monster of the week’ is a beautifully crafted metaphor for the real life problems and fears that Buffy and her friends are facing that week. So, for instance, the pack mentality of teenage boys is explored in an episode in which the school bullies are possessed by the spirits of a pack of hyenas. And in an episode last season, the writers used a demon that feeds on the insane as an embodiment of Buffy’s fears for her mother, in hospital with a brain tumour that causes her to hallucinate. Ignore the critics who laugh at the (admittedly) silly name. Buffy has hit its stride.
Buffy Season 6 airs on BBC2 on Thursday evenings at 6:45 and Friday nights at 12:35.
***
I'M ALAN PARTRIDGE
Partridge is back and he's exactly the way we remembered him! A monster who makes you cringe more than the guests on Jerry Springer. It's taken five long years for the second series to reach our screens, but it was definitely worth the wait.
I was more than a little nervous that the second series would not meet the mark, but thankfully I was able to release the hugest sigh of relief when the first episode was aired on 11 November. All the elements which made the first series great are there and some interesting developments in the plot combine to create a promising start to the series. This series introduces an ageing Alan who has a Ukranian girlfriend, called Sonja. They make love twice a day and she is fourteen years his younger. Nobody reveals where Alan met her, but one gets the feeling that the results from an internet search engine would have been the first place Alan clapped eyes on her. However, Alan is not ashamed of his new acquaintance and we witness how he continuously reminds everyone about her, 'I've got a girlfriend! Have you?'.
So, what else has Mr. Partridge been doing in his five year absence? He's made a video: Crash! Bang! Wallop! What a Video (from the makers of The Eurovision Thong Contest); he's got a book out called Bouncing Back; he's managed to get the third best slot on Radio Norwich; he's been hanging out at a country club (which has 'a strict no denim policy') and at the local BP petrol station (where the incomprehensible Geordie Michael now works) and generally making
poor Lynn's (his PA) life a misery. He hasn't been doing anything amazingly different, however Alan believes these events to be massive achievements. He has also picked up scores of new catchphrases, which we all know will be reverberating around the bar, faster than it takes Rik Waller to devour 24 burgers. Look out for exclamations even more embarrassing than your Dad's: 'Back of the net!… Cashback!…Mary Poppins!…Spice World!'
This series promises to be funnier than ever. Steve Coogan has already demonstrated that he hasn't lost the ability to make comedy out of the downfalls of the average human. Observational comedy at its best, even if it seems that Coogan is moving away from realism in favour of the surreal. Some will be annoyed to see the return of the comedy laughter, but don't let this distort your enjoyment of the well-placed gags and side-splitting demonstrations of Alan's ineptness and ignorance.
Kelly Ellis
THEATRE: MASTER HAROLD AND THE BOYS
A Master-ful Performance by the Boys
‘Master Harold’...And The Boys, by Athol Fugard. New Vic Studio, 16th October to 9th November 2002.
The Bristol Old Vic is a great place to visit for a night of culture. It is Bristol’s oldest and probably the best theatre in the city, and with a varied programme of performances there is always something for every taste. If you’ve not yet found this wonderful theatre it is easy to find on the student map of Bristol. Situated opposite Steamrock and just around the corner from Waverley and Favell House Halls, certainly within stumbling distance.
The theatre is host to two stages, the traditional Theatre Royal and downstairs, the modern, more intimate New Vic Studio. It was this close basement space that played host to the emotionally evocative “Master Harold...and The Boys”.
This is a play written by the talented white South African, Athol Fugard. a playwright renowned for his sensitive yet honest and controversial portrayals of life under Apartheid rule, this performance did his work justice. The play details events from Athol’s own childhood, specifically his interaction with black servants Sam and Willie. It is this relationship that develops throughout the performance to the point of a shocking and dramatic climax.
Fugard seems to be demonstrating the ambiguous position of the autobiographical teenager, Hally, living with these servants and friends while having to deal with his father’s accepted racist views. It transpires that Hally has a strong dislike for his father and perceives his childhood as unhappy. His happiest memories are those shared with Sam and Willie, unfolded on stage before the audience.
This is a poignant portrayal of the ups and downs experienced by young Hally as he struggles to deal with his own thoughts and beliefs about political reform, his intimacy with the black servants and the view held by his parents and society in this time of black oppression.
The play is beautifully written with a great sensitivity to the characters and their relationships. It opens with the two servants working in Hally’s mother’s shop, winding each other up and practising their ballroom dancing. These moments are both touching and humourous. When Hally enters the dynamics change, as despite being the younger character, as the white son of their employers “Master Harold” has the upper hand. He teaches Sam from his school books, and they discuss the greatest men in history, a subtle reference to leaders of the past who believed in equality. It is the light references to issues linked to Apartheid that serve as a constant reminder without lecturing the audience. The focus is relationships, demonstrating the way that children can be more open and fair in their approach than adults in such a cruel society.
The play is so well written that it would be hard not to do it justice in performance. The actors playing Sam and Willie were outstanding, provoking emotional responses, laughter, tears and empathy. It was certainly these characters that held the spectator’s sympathy and also a lasting impression for they were the last characters on stage.
Hally on the other hand delivered an average performance. Fugard has done a brave thing in placing his own character in a position that loses sympathy and I am certain that in part this was his intention and therefore prevented empathy for the actor in this role. He did, however seem to struggle with the South African accent, despite delivering it well and convincingly it did seem to take over the character rather than simply being a factor in characterisation. This did not prevent my enjoyment of the piece though, “The Boys” were the central characters in my opinion and their parts were built so well that the interaction between them and Hally worked to a complete success. There were tears throughout the audience during the closing action of the play, with one woman in the front row sobbing uncontrollably. When Hally launched an attack upon Sam a huge gasp of shock echoed throughout the theatre. This was certainly a benefit of the performance in such an intimate space; the audience sat around the stage could view each other and felt united in this shared emotion.
Upon leaving the theatre I was so overcome by the level of emotion that I remained silent attempting to take it all in. Around me I could hear the comments of others referring to it as “wonderful, emotional” and “a storming performance”. I agreed but could not quite form such opinions so soon; it was so moving. The most positive comment I heard was the suggestion that “there is hope”, there was, for Fugard moved forward from these events and became a great playwright writing for black South Africans. With regards to events referred to in the play he wrote “Don’t suppose I will ever deal with the shame...”.
While this performance has finished its run I would strongly recommend seeing it or any other of Fugard’s plays in performance.
Vikki Mathias is Theatre Reviewer for The Mutt's Nuts.
GAMES: GTA VICE
Andrew Fletcher takes a look at one of the most eagerly anticipated games of the year.
The Grand Theft Auto series emerged in 1997 amid huge controversy over its morally reprehensible content. Along with the similarly graphic (but pathetic) Carmageddon, this infamous crime simulation game helped re-heat the debate over videogame censorship in the late 90's. Furious MP's lobbied to get GTA banned, and save the British public from the games' dubious pleasures. In fact, the car-jacking, joy-riding gameplay really did get near the knuckle in places. The game gave big bonus points for driving over lines of marching Hare Krishnas and was packed with racist dialogue.
However, real critical appreciation eluded the series until GTA's vast cities were realised with modern 3D graphics. That happened last year in Grand Theft Auto 3. It was a revelation. GTA 3 quickly established itself as a benchmark of truly immersive gameplay, rather than just becoming another example of videogame nasties.
And so now comes GTA: Vice
City. Bigger, Brasher, Bolder. Did I mention 'Bigger'? Good, because Vice City is BIG with a capital BIG.
The game development team, Rockstar North, have pretty much focused on simply expanding and enhancing the things that made its predecessor so impressive - namely its size, scope and sense of freedom. Revolutionary game design? Perhaps not this time. But in the GTA universe, size matters and bigger is most definitely better.
GTA 3 had very cleverly hinted at the possibilities of future instalments by allowing us to see unreachable areas or non-interactive objects - like the football pitch, the lighthouse, helicopters, jet planes. Vice City doesn't get too far ahead of itself by trying to make everything and anything possible, but it does expand wonderfully on what we can use in the game. Within this brand new city (modelled on Miami circa 1986) players can now enter a number of buildings, equip a very diverse array of weapons (including screwdrivers and chainsaws), fly helicopters, ride motorbikes and even take over businesses. The interior locations are exploited quite well for such an ambitious new feature, motorbikes are a thrilling addition to the already impressive array of vehicles and the helicopter allows you to explore the city like never before.
Unfortunately, a side effect of Vice City's extremely non-linear gameplay is an occasional sense of uneventful meandering. Wandering the streets like a nomad is certainly liberating, but like GTA 3, it can seem strangely unsatisfying. Furthermore, whilst earning the description 'addictive' has always been a great virtue for videogames, GTA is a nasty, can't-stop-playing, life-sapping addiction that can frankly - after a 3 hour session - leave you quite cold and somehow unrewarded.
Still, there is much to admire in Vice City. All the elements that made GTA 3 such an enthralling experience are here (in abundance) and its 80's period setting gives it a wonderfully strong sense of identity and ambition. The nostalgia-inducing soundtrack, with its handpicked selection of era-defining songs (did someone say Sigue Sigue Sputnik?!), provides the perfect accompaniment to your criminal escapades and is perhaps reason alone to buy the game. (The 7 soundtrack CDs are also out now.)
In summary then - do buy this game! I may have been a little critical but that's just because, with 300,000 UK sales in its first two days on the shelves, I imagine you'll also be smart enough to snap it up as quickly as you can anyway.
MUSIC: PEARL JAM
Pearl Jam - ‘Riot Act’ - (Epic)
Pearl Jam are one the most constantly rewarding and enjoyable rock acts, and the last of the great Seattle bands to still be around after the great ‘grunge’ boom of the early 1990’s. However, during this period of prosperity for rock Nirvana, Soungarden, Alice in Chains and others were considered the real deal, while ‘the jam’ were considered the ‘great pretenders’, ‘sell-outs’, the ‘soft-rockers’, yet are the band which can be seen perhaps to stock arguably more to the ideals of punk rock than Nirvana themselves, (let’s be honest here people, Kurt may have hated the trappings and marketing of commercial radio, but it didn’t stop his band making, admittedly great, videos did it?),and ploughed onwards with a ’fans first’ deal ever since the explosion of their debut album ‘Ten’, and anthems ‘Alive’ and ‘Jeremy’.
So what's the deal with new album ‘Riot Act’, and a band once accused of cutting off their nose in the name of integrity which only commercially spited their face to all observers. As usual, an album which lets all the critics know, you can knock them down, but they will always get up again.
Accusations may be directed towards a more mellowed out and overall mature approach in recent years, (as if improving song writing and occasionally toning down the volume every now and then is a cardinal sin), tracks which the atmospheric lead-off track, ‘Can’t Keep’, the emotional ‘Thumbing My Way’, and the considered and introspective recent single, (complete with beautifully shot video, the first ‘band’ video in nearly a decade’), ‘I Am Mine’.
As with their last few albums, the punky Who-ish rockers appear, and those who enjoyed a more 60’s retro-rock style approach, (now being furrowed by The Bellrays, D4 etc), will enjoy ‘Bush-leaguer’, ‘Ghost’, and my personal favourite ‘Green Disease’.
An album born of ‘No Code’ experimentalism and the punky, righteous spirit of ‘Binaural’, another trademark is the more considered approach to new ideas, which saw on some previous albums a bit of a scattershot delivery. All the ideas appear to work and not spoil the flow of an album which actually feels like one, (one of the reasons perhaps of their staying power with fans and critics), with some of Stone Gossard’s best rhythmic work to date, with the stabbing Brad/Satchel chords of ‘You Are’, ‘Love Boat Captains’ yearning Screaming-Trees-esque sway and the strident out-and-out jam of ‘1/2 Full’.
Hopefully the inclusion of videos into Pearl Jams plans will see them enjoy some of the cross-over success of old, satisfy old fans, (well they have at least satisfied one anyway), and maybe even gain a few curious passers-by. In the age of ‘Fame Academy’, ‘Nirvana’s Greatest Hits’ and Will and Gareth, (Bleurgh!), such a band, and record is needed, and I personally hope that the ‘last record’ rumours are merely that. Overall, extremely satisfying, even if some repeated listening is necessary at some points - well done lads.
9/10
Jack Clark
J-WALK: A NIGHT ON THE ROCKS
Manchester dance duo J-Walk (Martin Brew and Martin Desai) are tipped to be one of the hottest new dance acts of the year. Their stunning debut album fully supports this. However, before you rush out to buy this as a pre-club mood booster, think again. The twosome produce a blend of hip-hop, laid-back house and samples that would actually sound out of place on the dance floor. The relaxed feel to this album makes it ideal for post-club chilling or hanging at the bar. You'd be wrong to dismiss this precious jewel as boring! The vast array of sounds interlaced throughout (from elements of jazz to electric pop and all that lies between) make the album far more than background music. The diversity of this album comes as no surprise when one considers that J-Walk's musical influences range from 'Underground Resistance to the Beach Boys, Kraftwerk to Motown'.
The album is funked up with some well-chosen vocals from the melodic, soothing sound of Sarah Hill on 'Heaven's Above!' to the plush tones of Veba on 'Scarlet Menace'. Although, Guy Garvey, of Elbow fame, allows us to hurtle in to a momentary spasm of depression with his brooding vocals on 'Cariad' - not so good. However, it's very easy to skip just one track and go on to discover the delights of the celestial 'Tearaway' and the glorious 'Soul Vibrations.' One to play for post-club gatherings, but be wary of playing while driving - it's just so, so…chilled!
Kelly Ellis
TOP 10 FILMS: NOVEMBER
1. Die Another Day (12)
Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry
007's latest mission takes him from the zone between North and South Korea to Cuba via Hong Kong as he tries to foil a megalomaniac's plan for world domination. But bizarrely a mole is undermining his efforts…
2. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (PG)
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
"Bigger, better and far scarier than last time"
3. 28 Days Later (18)
Cillian Murphy, Christopher Eccleston
From the director of Trainspotting.
4. Changing Lanes (15)
Ben Affleck, Samuel L Jackson
Road rage breaks out on a New York freeway between two men in a hurry.
5. K. 19: The Widowmaker (12)
Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson
"Fails to build up any pace or action."
6. Orange Country (15)
Colin Hanks, Shuyler Fisk
Colin Hanks plays a youngster whose life is left shattered when he is wrongly rejected from the college to which he has applied.
7. Lilo and Stitch (U)
Daveigh Chase, Chris Saunders
Animated adventure.
8. Red Dragon (15)
Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton
"Nail biting thriller"
9. xXx (12)
Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson
10. Anita and Me (12)
Chandeep Uppal, Anna Brewster
