Sportz - Tommy Howe
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Jack Rodwell, 20, made his England debut on Tuesday in their
1-0 victory over Sweden. |
With just over a fortnight until the draw is made for next summer’s European Championships, the customary fever surrounding England’s tournament hopes is starting to build. Usually, the June/July of tournament years gone by has provided little more than an abundance of references to ‘1966’ and an optimistic, whimpering hope that England might actually pull there socks up at a major tournament.
Four years since failing to make the cut for Austria/Switzerland and two years since that disastrous mauling at the hands of Germany, England certainly have a point to prove. Yet, they qualified unbeaten and are looking a resurgent and resilient force under Fabio Capello. But what have these friendlies against Spain and Sweden actually told us about England’s hopes…are we to be feared...? Dare I say...can we win it?
Let’s start with the game against the world’s best. The holders and world champions are obviously tournament favourites with their fluid attacking prowess and star studded squad, but they came unstuck against what was a seemingly well-drilled England side. Capello had his tactics spot-on.
You can’t attack the Spanish because they will unashamedly expose and murder you. You can’t play possession football against these players because we’re just not good enough. So a balanced blend of young and old defended valiantly, intelligently and were even fortunate enough to grab a goal courtesy of a real poachers effort from the skipper Frank Lampard.
Although England’s win was somewhat fortuitous considering the chances that Spain squandered, the discipline and concentration that England showed was refreshing. Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott were magnificent at the back and Scott Parker was inspirational in midfield. Furthermore, the performances of debutant Jack Rodwell and a tireless Phil Jones will have no doubt delighted Capello.
Three days later, England are on a high and the Sweden match is one of few remaining opportunities for hopeful players to demonstrate their credentials. Kyle Walker & Jack Rodwell were both handed full debuts in a much changed England side that once again comprised of both experience and youth.
It was imperative that England didn’t succumb to defeat if the positives from the Spain game were to amount to anything substantial in the long-run. England replicated the weekends result thanks to a first half Majstorovic own-goal. Sadly, this was also England’s 2000th international goal and there’ll be no one angrier than Gareth Barry, as his effort was credited to the Swedish centre back.
Aside from that, England were energetic in attack, controlled in possession and once again sturdy in defence. Phil Jones strengthened his place in the squad with another robust midfield display and Kyle Walker staked his place for right-back with a man of the match performance. Although on occasions Sweden half-threatened, England were largely in control and looked comfortable and cultured throughout.
So, what does this mean? One thing for sure is that some good players will have to be left out of the eventual 23 man squad. This means a crucial few months lie ahead for both Capello and his players. The re-emergence of players like Jack Wilshere and Steven Gerrard will undoubtedly worsen his selection headache.
In terms of our tournament hopes, Spain are still very much the team to beat and the danger posed by Holland, Italy & Germany to name a few will be as testing as ever. But England are now playing with something that has been unfailingly lacking in the last few years… passion.
The blend of experience and youth looks to have revitalised this England side and they might have finally found the balance necessary to compete in a major tournament. Can we win it? If Spain don’t turn up it’s possible. Will we win it? I predict a heart-breaking penalty shoot out loss, following a calamitous goalkeeping gaff and/or a red card in normal time, maybe even a disallowed goal to ice the cake. Forgive my cynicism, but I’ve been watching England long enough, I know the score.
Filmz - Samantha Tan
Sam reviews the 2011 film 'The Help', based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Kathryn Stockett...
The Help - 2011
Tate Taylor's film adaptation of the sensational novel 'The Help' ambitiously tackles some deep sociological and historical issues of 1960’s America. Set in Jackson, Mississippi, it focuses on the civil unrest and racial tensions told through the oppressive relationships between Southern Black maids and their White female employers.
This film has a more lighthearted take on the civil rights movement in the 1960s, with comical moments, such as Minny (Octavia Spencer) absurdly vacuuming a large stuffed bear.
These scenes, however, are few and serve as comic relief. Viewers are constantly reminded of uneasy racial dynamics; tensions simmer in scenes portraying the subtle ostracism of Skeeter (Emma Stone) in the White community, and explode into overt violence with the murder of a prominent Black activist by the KKK.
Though capturing the issues of racial inequality well, many of the characters appear rather one dimensional. Older Black nannies (Aibileen Clark, Viola Davis) are portrayed as long-suffering with a wealth of wisdom, while most of the White southern wives are styled in Stepfordian perfection and either evil (Holly Holbrook, Bryce Dallas Howard) or weak minded (Elizabeth Leefolt, Ahna O'Reilly).
However, there are redeeming characters which prevent the film from being wholly predictable. Minny Jackson, wonderfully played by Viola Davis, has a charismatically feisty edge unshared with other Black characters in the film and wins the admiration of the audience through her gumption and ingenious ways of revenge.
Viewers are set up to expect little from Jessica Chastain's dumb blonde Celia Foote, who is ditzy and socially naïve. However, she turns out to be hugely likeable, as her complete blindness to the social norms that dictate white and black relations cause her to warmly embrace Minnie as her friend, and to eventually become an accidental heroine.
The emotional turbulence of that period is perfectly captured through the star performances of actresses Emma Stone and Viola Davis. Aibileen Clark, played by Davis, is a model of deference, a Black maid who knows her place in society and seems to quietly accept that. However, her eyes successfully express contradictory feelings of anger, pain and frustration even as she utters a polite “ma'am” at the end of every sentence.
Stone shines as Skeeter Phelan; she finds a convincing balance between playing the awkward fresh graduate battling with everyday issues and the progressive woman with big dreams, successfully avoiding the potentially condescending overtones of this role.
To conclude, The Help is an emotionally charged film that is worth watching. Though one could argue that stereotypical characters simplify the complex social relations between whites and blacks, it is nonetheless useful in fleshing out the seriousness of racial tensions in the 1960’s. It does so whilst keeping the film lighthearted.
The bittersweet, ambiguous ending of the film avoids the pitfalls of an unrealistic fairytale, and serves as a reminder that those with the best intentions don't necessarily find the best solutions to their problems.
Muzique - Ryan Smith
This week I'll be covering one of my favourite albums of 2011, a comic masterpiece of epic proportions...
Artist: The Lonely Island
Album: Turtleneck & Chain
Year: 2011
Genre: Comedy
Rating: 7.9/10
Verdict: A very funny and very clever second album from the comic trio, brilliant production values & some absolutely fantastic cameos.
After their solid first album 'Incredibad' which was released in Feburary 2010, fans of The Lonely Island (TLI) may have been surprised that a second full-length album would be on the shelves just fifteen months later.
It turns out it this surprise was nineteen tracks of comic genius, sprinkled with appearances from some of the biggest names in Pop, Rap, Hip-hop, Rock, and even Michael Bolton. Very pleasant indeed.
The comic trio consisting of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer & Jorma Taccone open up with 'We're Back!', a very aggressive statement of intent, mainly the guys rapping about their dicks. Lines include 'I got HIV from a horse, but no confusion, it wasn't from the sex it was from the blood transfusion'. If you don't find that amusing, this may not be your cup of tea.
Next up is 'Mama', here they talk about how much they love their mums, but every time they get interrupted by her, they give her dog's abuse. Amusing enough, but just filler. If that was slightly disappointing, the third track is the brilliant 'I Just Had Sex' featuring Akon. A track for the ladies, catchy, with clever lyrics and probably better than anything Akon has ever produced.
Michael Bolton makes an appearance on 'Jack Sparrow', possibly the best track on the album. TLI wittily mimic hip-hop songs about taking women home from nightclubs: 'Watch it girl cause I ain't your Mr Nice Guy, more like the meet you, take you home, and fuck you twice guy'. This is interspersed with Bolton singing about his love of The Pirates of the Carribean and it's hero Jack Sparrow, before covering Forrest Gump, Erin Brokovich & Scarface.
Beck features in fifth track 'Attracted To Us', a 112 second riot that is unsurprisingly catchy given it's produced from Mr Hansen himself.
Other highlights include 'Motherlover' featuring Justin Timberlake, a hilarious track about what to do when you forget it's mother's day. The title track 'Turtleneck & Chain', featuring Snoop Dogg is also a highlight. The penultimate track 'No Homo' is a ludicrous track explaining how when a man compliments another man on their appearance, they should end the sentence with 'no homo', to avoid any embarrassing confusion.
Appearances from John Waters, Santigold, Rihanna & Nicki Minaj with some silly skits in between make this an album of the highest quality. It's not only very funny, but an album of genuine musical merit. A committed and witty mock-up of the current Hip-Hop scene.
Televizion - Stephan Marfleet
Stephan reviews BBC's Frozen Planet...
It would appear that BBC can do no wrong. As I write, they have the nation affixed with its latest documentary craze, Frozen Planet. It is incredible that they have managed to carve a niche market out of what many would assume to be a largely educational genre. The documentary series, which focuses on the icy wildernesses of both the Arctic and the Antarctic, has been billed as a sequel of sorts to 2006’s critically acclaimed Planet Earth, widely considered to be the greatest series of nature documentaries ever produced, and thus was greeted with widespread anticipation.
As easy as it is to become intoxicated with David Attenborough’s soft and incisive tone, much of the credit for the success of the series so far must go to the vast production crew. Firstly, Vanessa Berlowitz, the series producer, who was also at the helm for the aforementioned Planet Earth as well as the similarly successful series The Blue Planet, who has managed to create a segment of television focused on informing the masses whilst never letting go of the basic value of charming storytelling. I too shared the sense of wonder felt by the film crew at almost every turn, most notably in the first episode when the killer whales surfaced mere metres from the camera. It is this instilling of awe that sets apart the documentaries made by the BBC, for there is never an attempt to talk down at the audience or take for granted what is being experienced, and there is equally no effort to dumb down any of the script, for which the script editor Mark Linfield deserves great praise.
The score aids the show in a corresponding fashion, with five-time Academy Award nominee George Fenton the composer for the series. Fenton manages to blend the playful with the factual in a delightful manner that gives real colour to the attempts to transform the footage of the wilderness not only into a film record but a captivating tale of a living planet Earth. The cinematography is also spectacular on all scales, falling short only in my mind to that overseen by Werner Herzog in 2007’s Encounters at the End of the World, although the footage of the Jakobshavn Isbræ glacier in Greenland in some of the most spectacular I have ever seen. However where Herzog’s strength is in his inquisitive nature and so called “ecstatic truths”, Attenborough and the entire crew lend a more accessible and welcoming tone to the series, for which I eagerly anticipate the final few episodes.
Gamez - Josh Motteram
This edition, Josh is reviewing the game everyone's talking about...
The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim - PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Whilst the hardcore fans of this series have spent the past 5 years eagerly awaiting its release, this is my first experience playing The Elder Scrolls saga, and Skyrim has well at truly won me over. I’m addicted and may need help.
Released on 11/11/11 and developed by Bethesda Games, you’re thrown headfirst into the fully interactive and immersive world of Skyrim, a medieval fantasy kingdom torn apart by civil war following the murder of its king. As the hero of the story, your task is to save the world from its foretold destruction. There are plenty of dragons, psychopaths and other crazy monsters that await you, meaning it’s not the most welcoming of places.
You'll be faced with a whole host of landscapes such as sprawling cities, rolling hillsides, snow-capped mountains and monster filled dungeons to name but a few. Add to this, the thousands of characters to converse with plus much, much more, and it’s hard to grasp how vast this world actually is.
From the very start, you can ignore the main quests and simply go exploring, this alone would keep you busy for months. Stick to the main story and side quests and game producers promise you’ve got at least 300 hours of exhilarating gameplay (great for anyone who’s unemployed at the moment!). Even then, the second time round playing it would never be the same, as each of your in-game choices will determine the outcome of different events and make each persons character and game a truly individual experience.
From early on for example, you can side with either the imperial forces or the rebels, radically altering the game as you play to either protect the realm or bring it crashing down.
After first choosing your character’s race and basic skills, throughout the game you level up and develop your character down different paths dependent on your play style (magic, melee or stealth). With thousands of weapons and spells to choose from, you never get bored of the combat. Each dungeon and city is beautifully designed, with its own unique feel to it. These are populated with a wealth of monsters and characters that are so rich and diverse, J.R.R Tolkein would be cursing himself for a lack of imagination.
In short, it’s brilliant. I highly recommend it for anyone who’s familiar with RPG’s, has a lot of time on their hands, or just fancies a bit of a change from FIFA or COD. The days you’ll spend glued to it make it great value for money. Only another 5 years till the next one!
'69 Love Songs' is exactly what it says on the tin. 69 love songs. The album was spawned when lead singer Stephin Merritt decided to have a go a musical theatre whilst sitting in one of Manhattan's gay piano bars.
The series of which I speak is hardly new, and is currently midway through its third series; however, I felt it a worthwhile venture to provide an account for it, as in my experience it is virtually unheard of in the 
