Kathryn Lewis endured some pain to review this testosterone filled film, but did she gain anything from the experience? Sitting down to watch Pain & Gain I must admit it wasn’t my first choice of film to watch on a Saturday evening but unfortunately I owed the boyfriend a favour.┬á I wasn’t expecting anything more than a few cheap “lad” jokes and some seriously ‘roided … Continue reading Review: Pain & Gain
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was tipped to be a blockbuster hit. Mark Williams was on hand to see if it was on target The sequel to the surprise 2012 hit begins with the return of Katniss Everdeen suffering from post-traumatic stress, and the strange dystopian world on the edge of rebellion. The malicious President Snow seeks to put an end to the growing tensions, … Continue reading Review: Catching Fire
Most movies could start by saying that the protagonist is a normal person like you or me. Carrie, however, is not a normal girl: she is awkward and unhappy, and her peers are not afraid to rub those facts in. She also has incredibly potent psychic powers. Acclaimed author Stephen KingÔÇÖs first published work, the original adaption of Carrie in 1976 was a welcome addition … Continue reading Review: Carrie
Reviewed by Matthew Lee Schneider Splashing legs sweep with forceful grace, weaving droplets of rain into curtains which drape across the audience. ┬áA relentlessly rotating rainbow of umbrella navels frolic up and down, left to right, round and round. ┬áTwirling, swirling, tapping, clapping, falling (in love), dancing, jumping, singing, yelling; this is SinginÔÇÖ in the Rain. ┬áArriving at the Millennium Centre by way of the … Continue reading Review: Singin’ In The Rain, WMC
On the 30th November, Cardiff University Operatic Society performed their ÔÇÿOpera Through The AgesÔÇÖ Gala Concert, which took the audience through the entire history of opera in solos, ensembles and choruses. The diverse programme showed what an exciting line-up was laid out ahead. The evening began with a very confident start, with the blend of Lucy Hannam, Katharine Blackwell, Donald Montgomery, Conall Keaveney and Benjamin … Continue reading Review: Operatic Society Gala Concert
The Moon Club feels like the queue for a Ryanair flight. ItÔÇÖs rammed, bursting at the seams with a mass of sweaty, excitable people. ThereÔÇÖs a lovely buzz; Rapper Skunkadelic and his DJ are warming up the Moon nicely as it waits for the self-proclaimed Black Shakespeare, Akala. This is, perhaps, the perfect setting. Psychedelic graffiti covers the walls, the stage is close enough to … Continue reading Live Review: Akala – The Moon Club – 5.12.13
If youÔÇÖre new to music in the mother tongue of Welsh then Gwenno is a great artist to begin and arguably end with, but letÔÇÖs not get ahead of ourselves. ÔÇÿChwyldroÔÇÖ, the first of three singles from the upcoming LP (Welsh for Revolution) is a beautifully relaxing infusion of synth and bass, topped by the angelic vocal acrobatics of CardiffÔÇÖs very own music producer, DJ, … Continue reading Single Review: Gwenno – ‘Chwyldro’
Adam Bown grabs his cowl and cape to see what the Dark Knight’s latest adventure has in store for gamers When an IP earns a sequel, and in some cases its own franchise, it usually takes one of two paths. Either it beats the same dead horse over and over until it becomes atomised, like your Assassin’s Greeds and Cash Grab of Duties, or it … Continue reading Review: Batman: Arkham Origins
Aled Rheon – The Hayes┬á Aled Rheon represents what S┼Án Fest is all about. Performing his carefully written songs in both Welsh and English, the musician broadly appeals to all while standing up for his heritage. Peaceful and soothing melodies filled The Hayes during his performance on the circular stage. Reminiscent of Dallas GreenÔÇÖs side-project, City and Colour; the artist demonstrated how minimal production can, … Continue reading S┼Án Festival – Sunday
Rhodri Brooks Rhodri BrooksÔÇÖ electric guitar remained muted and mellow as the inevitable rain hit The Hayes at the start of his set. However, the unassuming singer soon turned things around. The minute that ÔÇÿYour Head Was Full Of TroubleÔÇÖ and its finger-picking melodies floated to the crowd gathered beneath the trees, a smile flitted across the performerÔÇÖs face. Toe-tapping and head nodding, the audience … Continue reading S┼Án Festival – Saturday
Chl├Âe Howl ÔÇô The Angel Hotel At just 18 years of age, Chl├Âe Howl writes the sort of brutally honest, cynical lyrics about what it is to be young that youÔÇÖd expect from someone whoÔÇÖs lived through it already. Her talent as a synth pop artist was clear from the outset, with opener Rumour from her EP of the same name: high energy and a … Continue reading S┼Án Festival: Thursday
Traveller’s Tales have already tackled big film franchises such as Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter, but the Lego series has struggled to replicate the same ingenuity since the realise of 2005’s Lego Star Wars. Marvel offers a huge universe of characters and decades’ worth of intricately woven story lines in which Lego Marvel Super Heroes can draw from in order to … Continue reading Review: Lego Marvel Superheroes
Amy Pay reviews Face 11, the latest bar and eatery to open in the heart of Cathays ┬áUp until a few months ago, the corner between Hirwain Street and Cathays Terrace was occupied by Mango, a tapas and licensed shisha bar. MangoÔÇÖs windows were plastered with posters detailing their offers and stickers from awards they won some years ago. Although it apparently ticked the culinary … Continue reading Review: Face 11, Cathays Terrace
This month saw the publication of Autobiography, the long-awaited memoir of Morrissey ÔÇô bequiffed singer, lyricist and iconoclast famed for fronting the 1980ÔÇÖs alt-rock band The Smiths. Owen Spalding tells us his views on the Penguin Classic Usually reserved for such literary luminaries as Plato, Hardy and Nabokov, Autobiography was published, at MorrisseyÔÇÖs request, by PenguinÔÇÖs venerable Classics imprint. The news that the memoir would … Continue reading This Charming Man
Reviewed by Sam Lloyd In accordance with its supreme popularity rise over the last 10 years or so, stand-up comedy has arguably become bland. Everyone can probably recite a thoroughly planned-out routine from their favourite comedian that theyÔÇÖve seen on TV. This is exactly what stand-up has become to many comics and comedy fans: a recital. Its newfound exposure has perhaps meant that gags and … Continue reading Review: Tom Stade, The Glee Club
Reviewed by Matthew Lee Schneider Comedy. ┬áIt manifests through seemingly infinite methods and mediums, all striving towards one goal: to be funny. ┬áWhen oneÔÇÖs divine judge manifests in the form of fifteen minutes of memorized material alone in front of a dimly lit sea of strangers, one will find arguably the most daunting form of comedy, stand-up. In the world of stand-up, the common theme … Continue reading Review: The Invisible Dot New Wave Tour 2013, Chapter
Charlie Andrews is granted Level 7 access to review Marvel’s new TV show ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’ With MarvelÔÇÖs Avengers Assemble! standing as the third highest grossing film of all time and every frequent release being another smash hit, the company has undoubtedly mastered the art of box office success. But now they have turned their attention to the small screen with a desire to rival … Continue reading Review: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
Film and Television Editor Oliver Richards leaves the office to explore out of space for his review of Gravity Gravity is a beautiful film, make no mistake. Director Alfonso Cuar├│n (Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men) and his cinematographer Emmanual Lebezki (Tree of Life) lovingly craft a vision of such, ahem, gravity that it is hard to resist. Co-written with his brother Jonas Cuar├│nÔÇÖs script … Continue reading Review: Gravity
Imran Bukhari takes a gamble and reviews Runner Runner For a film about online gambling, Runner Runner ironically takes not a single risk. The movie follows a safe, tried and tested formula dealing with the theme of innocence being corrupted. Think The DevilÔÇÖs Advocate but in Costa Rica. Justin Timberlake stars in the lead role as Richie Furst, a genius Princeton student whose tuition money … Continue reading Review: Runner Runner
Reviewed by Vaiva Seskeviciute Ballet Cymru challenged itself by producing an adaptation of ShakespeareÔÇÖs most famous masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet, at Wales Millennium Centre this November. The Weston Studio was fully seated and excitement was felt in the air. Classical strings music opened the show as the characters were introduced. Even though Romeo and his relatives owned the stage for the first few minutes, throughout … Continue reading Review: Romeo and Juliet (Ballet Cymru), WMC
