Help (Channel 4) By Pui Kuan Cheah There were so many films I considered mentioning here, but I have to give this to Help, the timely TV movie released on Channel 4. Following Sarah, who starts working at a care home in Liverpool in early 2020, Help intimately presents the heartbreaking realities of the crises care homes around the UK faced during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. … Continue reading 2021 in Film and TV: A Retrospective
by George Gourlay Renowned Irish author Sally Rooney has just released her highly anticipated third novel, entitled Beautiful World Where Are You, to much acclaim. It climbed to number one on the Sunday Times Bestsellers upon release, and a review by Brandon Taylor for The New York Times described it as RooneyÔÇÖs ÔÇ£best novel yetÔÇØ. Waterstones has said that the novel was their biggest hardback … Continue reading Sally Rooney Boycotts Israeli Publisher in Solidarity with Palestinian Rights Group
Words by Kristie O’Connor For over a century, those who were looking for the latest fashion, runway or lifestyle tips ran to Vogue Magazine. Founded in 1892 in New York City, Vogue USA was the first issue to launch, and is made popular today by celebrities and the designer couture that grace the magazineÔÇÖs pages. For our generation, there is an incredibly famous name associated … Continue reading Is Vogue Falling Out Of Vogue?
By Abi Edwards Gunther is renowned as being one of the most entertaining characters in the well-loved NBC sitcom, Friends. He appeared in 148 episodes across the series during its run between 1994 and 2004, and was often seen in the background pouring coffee when Chandler, Monica, Rachel, Ross, Joey and Phoebe sat on the iconic orange couch in the middle of Central Perk. Sadly, … Continue reading Remembering James Michael Tyler: A Look Back at GuntherÔÇÖs Best Moments in Friends
written by Iqmal Handan / art by @artsyfifi it was the morning of a rainy day that made me take off every cloth covering my skin, i stripped myself nude, gently disconnecting the fabric touching my delicate complexion,unveiling the very scars and uneven skin tone that i have always been insecure of since i was alittle kid. i allowed these pair of eyes to look … Continue reading body and soul; the art of acceptance.
By Libbi Kettle On a train from Manchester to Kings Cross, 1990, an ordinary muggle with an impeccable imagination starts to plan a franchise that will shake up millions. She doesnÔÇÖt know that yet, but her idea is going to become this widely beloved fictional world beyond the pages of a book. It will spur the creation of magical movies, theatrical theme parks, suspenseful spinoffs, … Continue reading Potter Turns 20: The Legacy of the Wizarding World
by Leah Hocking ‘The Girls’ by Emma Cline Based on the infamous Manson family cult and murders, this book tells the story of Californian teenager Evie Boyd in the summer of 1969. Estranged from her divorced parents, lonely, bored, and desperate for female companionship, Evie becomes caught up in a cult based at a nearby ranch, complete with callous, charismatic leader stand-in Russell, his adoring … Continue reading Books That Feel Like Summer
Words By Manon Jones ÔÇô Winter Markets As December and the festive season arrives, like everyone else, I cannot wait to visit all the Christmas markets, winter wonderland and every other festive event around Cardiff this year. For a trip to winter wonderland or a Christmas market, IÔÇÖll be making sure that IÔÇÖm wrapping up extra warm and layering as much as possible to keep … Continue reading A Winter Look Book ÔÇô What Some Of Our Contributors Are Wearing This Season.
By Billy Edwards After a rather muted Christmas last year, Cardiff is putting out all the stops for a sensationally-festive season across the city. Despite the cold, whether youÔÇÖll be leaving for home with presents packed in your case or spending the holidays here, youÔÇÖll find plenty of events to go to, activities to try, and foods to eat over December. This year CardiffÔÇÖs Winter … Continue reading Christmas in Cardiff
My housemate recently asked me what my last meal would be. I said a roast, but more specifically, Christmas dinner. It is honestly my favourite thing. However, a roast can be excellent, but it can also be awful ÔÇô there is a fine line between masterpieces and failures. This is my perfect Christmas dinner; with all the trimmings and extras you might not think to … Continue reading My Perfect Christmas Dinner
Words by Suraya Kazzuz What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name, Louis Vuitton? Perhaps a brown leather handbag or suitcase, or maybe the ever-recognisable LV logo. Louis Vuitton is a two-hundred-year-old fashion house: an institution synonymous with tradition. To be the person that takes on the task to revolutionise such a long-standing brand must have the ability to … Continue reading The Legacy of Virgil Abloh
I had no idea I was experiencing bisexual confusion at the time, with the blood rushing to where I had not yet experienced before or remembered feeling. Fireworks exploding in my brain and from my age, probably pants with the day of the week printed onto its cotton. It is not an aesthetic sexual awakening which could be illustrated or included in a coming-of-age Indie … Continue reading Sexual Awakenings
By Niamh Newman Although not usually a huge ice cream fan, the oxymoronic concept of a festive ice cream intrigues me. So, whilst doing my weekly shop in Lidl, I knew exactly what I had to do when I spotted their festive Mince Pie and Gingerbread flavours as part of their Deluxe Christmas range. Priced at a hefty ┬ú1.99 per tub, cheaper than the beloved Ben and … Continue reading Festive Ice Creams ÔÇô The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Midnight Library by Eve Davies An epitome of the proverb ÔÇÿthe grass isnÔÇÖt always greenerÔÇÖ, The Midnight Library is the thought-provoking story of Nora Seed who, fed up with feeling like a failure, decides to take her own life. Instead of death, Nora finds herself in limbo, in a library where each volume represents a version of her life that could have been. She … Continue reading Books To Buy Your Loved Ones
Words by Dominic Bramley-Carr In the fast-paced social media-orientated society that we live in, the way in which we consume fashion has become fickler and more prone to change than ever before. This is perhaps unsurprising, given that much of our fashion inspiration comes from apps like TikTok and Instagram. These platforms are simply designed around the sharing of large amounts of short, easily digestible … Continue reading Will Micro-Trends Ruin The Fashion Industry?
Words and Interview by Rubie Barker ItÔÇÖs 6 pm in a slightly dingy and drizzly Cardiff for me as I log on to a zoom call with Pale WavesÔÇÖ Heather Baron-Gracie, who is in a far brighter and warmer LA. ÔÇ£The weather is great!ÔÇØ she tells me, ÔÇ£different to Northern England, so that is a massive appeal to me.ÔÇØ Having announced back in July on … Continue reading An Interview with Pale Waves
By Bryony Wright Dystopian fiction is becoming more and more relevant. WeÔÇÖre living in an age of ÔÇÿdoom and gloomÔÇÖ: turn on the TV, and youÔÇÖll see apocalyptic scenes caused by global warming. Walk down the street, and Orwellian public surveillance systems watch your every move. ItÔÇÖs no wonder, then, that writers increasingly choose to take to dystopian fiction to voice their concerns about the … Continue reading What If: A Closer Look at Dystopian Speculative Fiction
This is Us By Rume Otuguor ÔÇÿMen donÔÇÖt cryÔÇÖ is an adage as old as patriarchy itself. Yet This is Us takes this trope and turns it on its head. Kevin and Randall Pearson bring male fragility to the fore in this evocative family drama. Randall ticks every box of the male mandate; he is a successful businessman who provides for his brood. Kevin is … Continue reading On Masculinity
It is no surprise, considering the extremely specific and accurately tailored nature of Wes Anderson’s films, that the stylistic decisions he makes are so widely discussed. From The Grand Budapest Hotel to Fantastic Mr Fox, the fashion choices in Wes AndersonÔÇÖs films act as a powerful tool through which audiences are pulled into the unique spaces that his characters occupy. He has even gotten involved … Continue reading Fashion in Film Series: Wes Anderson
By Jasmine Jones. After a six-year hiatus from music and the public eye, Adele is finally back with her new, highly anticipated album 30, and it certainly delivered. Arguably AdeleÔÇÖs most powerful album to date, 30 is an ambitious and ferocious creation centred around ÔÇ£divorce, babe, divorceÔÇØ and the roller-coaster of emotions that came with ending her 8-year relationship to Simon Konecki. That being said, … Continue reading The Return of Adele: 30 Review.
