Crimson Peak
Film & TV

The Horror of Love: On the Ghosts of Crimson Peak

Crimson Peak has what my old Film teacher would call a ÔÇÿcircular narrativeÔÇÖ, in which we follow an aspiring writer, Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), trying to navigate the new, revolutionised world around her. ItÔÇÖs only until Baronet Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) stain the gold-saturated world with their deep blacks, dark Hammer horror reds and ominous green/blue tones does Edith … Continue reading The Horror of Love: On the Ghosts of Crimson Peak

Sadia Pineda Hameed
LISS
Music

Preview: LISS – Bristol, Crofters Right – 03/11/15

So, LISS; probably haven’t heard of them before right? ┬áWell if things pan out the way they should everyone and their mum will know exactly who this Danish four piece are within the next 12 months. ┬áOh and they’re all still in their teens! Quench are heading down to one of their first ever UK shows tomorrow and if you want to hop on board … Continue reading Preview: LISS – Bristol, Crofters Right – 03/11/15

jackglasscock
Skindred
Music

Live: Skindred – Tramshed – 31/10/15

Hothouse Flowers had the honour of opening CardiffÔÇÖs new Tramshed earlier in the week, but Skindred have just as enviable a date to play at the venue: Halloween. Ticket holders in costumes ranging from Captain Jack Sparrow to Wayne & Garth pack the venue the day after the release of SkindredÔÇÖs sixth album ÔÇÿVolumeÔÇÖ. Kicking off ÔÇÿNight of the Living DredÔÇÖ are support bands The … Continue reading Live: Skindred – Tramshed – 31/10/15

jackglasscock
Film & TV

Scream Queens and Final Girls: the Portrayal of Women in Postmodern Horror Films

Halloween is upon us, and thus begins the battle to watch as many of the seemingly infinite number of horror films as possible. While you may associate horror films with the likes of ghosts, gore and creepy children, a key feature of the horror genre is, in my opinion, women. You may ask: ÔÇÿwhy!? What do women have to do with anything?ÔÇÖ The answer is, … Continue reading Scream Queens and Final Girls: the Portrayal of Women in Postmodern Horror Films

eleanorparkyn
Culture

Cardiff’s Cultural Venues

When you think of Cardiff as a city you may typically associate it with patriotic red dragons, long-standing castles, fine architecture or, more infamously the renound chippy lane after a night out at Wednesday RetroÔÇÖs (AKA Caroline Street). However, it cannot be denied that WalesÔÇÖ capital is a Cultural hub┬áhere are some of the best cultural venues in Cardiff. Cardiff National Museum and Art Gallery┬áby┬áSadia … Continue reading Cardiff’s Cultural Venues

Beau Beakhouse
Spectre
Film & TV

Review: Spectre

After mass promotion and media build-up the latest James Bond film, Spectre┬áfinally opens onto Day of the Dead, Mexico City, with a long continuous moving shot through the carnival celebrations as Bond follows a man through the crowds. Daniel CraigÔÇÖs fourth bond film, after Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall and director Sam Mendes second, Spectre is linked back to all three of its … Continue reading Review: Spectre

Sadia Pineda Hameed
Film & TV

Interview: Inside Out

┬áFollowing the release of PixarÔÇÖs ÔÇÿInside OutÔÇÖ, Eleanor Parkyn interviewed former Cardiff University student Paul Oakley who has been working as a Lighting Technical Director at Pixar for the last 5 years. How did you end up working for Pixar? I did my fine art degree and then I went travelling for a long time and met someone who worked in film and they suggested … Continue reading Interview: Inside Out

eleanorparkyn
Film & TV

Review: The Last Witch Hunter

The opening scene of The Last Witch Hunter made me think. It made me think ÔÇÿGod, those Lord of the Rings films really were pretty good.ÔÇÖ Some of the opening images, sweeping shots of magnificent vistas, arenÔÇÖt just reminiscent of the Tolkein-based trilogy they are almost ripping it off. And the same goes for the way in which the intrepid band of heroes-on-a-quest are filmed … Continue reading Review: The Last Witch Hunter

eleanorparkyn
Killing Joke
Music

Live: Killing Joke – Y Plas – 25/10/15

ItÔÇÖs the first day of the clocks going back and the first day of Killing JokeÔÇÖs UK tour. The early darkness is appropriate for a band like them, whose gothic sensibilities provided inspiration to many of musicÔÇÖs darker artists, be that Metallica or LCD Soundsystem. Two days after the release of new Killing Joke album ÔÇÿPylonÔÇÖ, Cardiff Student UnionÔÇÖs, Y Plas, fills up with an … Continue reading Live: Killing Joke – Y Plas – 25/10/15

jackglasscock
Video Games

Review: Super Mario Maker

You will like this if you enjoyed: WarioWare DIY, Little Big Planet, any 2D Mario game Initially, Mario Maker doesnÔÇÖt look like much to write home about. The last two Mario platformers released on WiiU were basically ÔÇ£more of the sameÔÇØ, and, were it not for the ÔÇ£MakerÔÇØ part in the title, you might have expected this latest title to continue down that route. Thankfully, … Continue reading Review: Super Mario Maker

Tom Morris
The Lone Ranger
Film & TV

Film in Technicolour: Problematic portrayals of race in the 21st century

Amidst the whitewashing of past and current cinema, seeing a person of colour on our screens is refreshing. Yet, from makeup to putting on accents, the film industry still goes to great lengths to avoid employing actors of colour in the 21st century; because why bother casting a black actress when you can settle for Angelina Jolie with a perm? It’s not hard to spot … Continue reading Film in Technicolour: Problematic portrayals of race in the 21st century

Sadia Pineda Hameed
The Rules of Spoilers
Film & TV

The Rules of Spoilers

Spoilers suck, plain and simple. No matter how much you try to forget that he dies, or pretend that itÔÇÖs an elaborate hoax, thereÔÇÖs just no escaping that knowledge and the sour, sinking feeling of watching the episode youÔÇÖve been waiting all week for, knowing itÔÇÖs all building towards a moment outlined an hour earlier in some Instagram comment. TheyÔÇÖre called spoilers for a reason. … Continue reading The Rules of Spoilers

Sadia Pineda Hameed
The Beat Generation
Culture

Literary Revolutions

Literature and art are often at the centre of revolution. They can spark change within a single person or within whole societies. Mads Banfield explains some of the most prevalent literary movements and asks whether innovation and revolution can take place now.   Throughout the last centuries there have been a range of different literary movements, which have revolutionised how language is presented and engaged … Continue reading Literary Revolutions

Beau Beakhouse
Enter Shikari - 'The Mindsweep: Hospitalised'
Music

Album: Enter Shikari – ‘The Mindsweep: Hospitalised’

Enter ShikariÔÇÖs January opus ÔÇÿThe MindsweepÔÇÖ brought the rock and electronic worlds into the New Year in fine style. Never ones to keep their fans hungry, nine months later Enter Shikari have decided itÔÇÖs time for another project. This time the same songs as ÔÇÿThe MindsweepÔÇÖ, only reinvented with emphasis on the electronic side. Hospital Records, the label that brought us the Hospitality club nights … Continue reading Album: Enter Shikari – ‘The Mindsweep: Hospitalised’

jackglasscock
Metric - 'Pagans In Vegas'
Music

Album: Metric – ‘Pagans In Vegas’

It has been three years since the release of Canadian electro-rock band, MetricÔÇÖs last album, the well-received ÔÇÿSyntheticaÔÇÖ, but the band, now in their 17th year, are back with their sixth album ÔÇÿPagans in VegasÔÇÖ. The album sees the band take a step away from their rockier roots and moves towards a slower vibe, moving from the electro fused rock sounds that defined their early … Continue reading Album: Metric – ‘Pagans In Vegas’

jackglasscock
Film & TV

Netflix and Thrill: The Rise of Horror TV

Just a few years ago the thought of watching horror films and television shows was non-existent for me. An episode of Midsummer Murders was about the level of thrill and fear I could handle without enduring sleepless nights with the light left on. Now, with the rise of the TV horror genre, I, like many others, have watched through my fingers as the gruesome scenes … Continue reading Netflix and Thrill: The Rise of Horror TV

eleanorparkyn
Film & TV

I’ll Be Back- Time Travel in the Movies

Time travel has been a prominent theme within films and TV shows for decades, and why not? It allows us to explore the possibilities of things that could have drastically changed history and the course of the future. What if someone could travel back in time and give 17th century London the cure for the Black Plague? Will the world be under water in the … Continue reading I’ll Be Back- Time Travel in the Movies

eleanorparkyn
The Program
Film & TV

Review: The Program

Is there anything more tragic than a racing-movie that never gets up to speed? Well… yes. Obviously yes. There are many things more tragic than that. Testicular cancer is more tragic than that. Becoming so overwhelmed by one desire that you abandon long-held friendships and loyalties can be more tragic than that. Even the story of a talented athlete who feels compelled to cheat in … Continue reading Review: The Program

Sadia Pineda Hameed