Talking Trailers: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Blue is the Warmest Colour and The Family

Emily Leahy rounds up the latest releases. This week: fangirling Jennifer Lawrence, gold-winning lesbians and Scarface in rural France.

1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

21 Nov

The second film adaptation of the bestselling novel series has been hotly anticipated. The trailer blasts out with all the exotic locations, special effects and emotional toil that will only achieve its full aesthetic potential on screen, preferably of the more expensive 3D variety. So, essentially, you are immediately drawn to the big budget. But that’s not what I’m looking forward to, (although the dress that turns into a mocking-jay looks pretty impressive), because Jennifer Lawrence is guaranteed to give a good performance. As she faces the far more challenging political game of the outside world Lawrence will enact the complicated bad-assness that is Katniss, and we’ll love it.

2. Blue is the Warmest Colour

22 Nov

The trailer is very minimalistic, reflecting the intense and poignant tone of this unconventional love story. Depicting the relationship between two women, one a lesbian, the other an inexperienced girl, the film has already won the hearts and votes of the critics. It’s the first film where both actresses and the director have won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the trailer flashes short quotes of praise, suggesting the film is more than a cliché of French ‘amore’. On further reading, the trailer perhaps focuses more on the innocence of their relationship, whilst the film apparently contains a fair amount of explicit lesbian sex. So, maybe not one to watch on a whim.

Read our verdict on Blue is the Warmest Colour at the London Film Festival here.

3. The Family

22 Nov

De Niro is creating a bridge between his two go-to characters: a Scorsese gritty vigilante and an aging father of questionable morality and wit. In this Scorsese-produced film, he’s a mob-father. Despite a stellar cast of Academy Award winners (Michelle Pfeiffer and Tommy Lee Jones also star), the film looks like a plot of stereotypes on steroids. The family is made up of sociopaths, cheats and arsonists. They have to relocate to rural France, where they are tracked down by a merry bunch of gun-touting mafia men. Seriously, they might as well be armed with splurge guns and break into a rousing number of ‘Fat Sam’s Grand Slam’. It might prove to be the film of the year. But then again it might not.

Emily Leahy

What will  you be going to see this week? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or by commenting below.

European Outdoor Film Tour: Preview

Outdoor films may be an aspect of cinema you’ve thus far neglected, James Smurthwaite gives a quick preview of a way to dip your toes in.

Base jumping clowns, Eel fights and surfing in the Arctic circle, whilst this may not sound like normal fare for a film festival, it is what the European Outdoor Film Tour (EOFT) will be bringing to Bristol on Monday.

The tour aims to display the best in adventure film making from around the world (locations for shooting are as far reaching as New Zealand and Kyrgyzstan)  condensed into a two hour screening.

The tour started in October in Germany and is currently visiting British cities.

The films that made the final cut can be found here and feature sports including: rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing and freeride kayaking. There will also be a supporting program of presentations, competitions and events.

The event will be at St George’s in Bristol and tickets can be bought through the EOFT website here.

Doors open at 7:30.

Keep your eyes peeled for James’  full review of the event next week.

 

Preview: Twin Peaks UK Festival

Twin Peaks UK Festival returns to Riverside Studios this year for more surreal frolics. Online Editor Jess O’Kane has much to look forward to:

Image credit: Collider

What do logs, coffee, dwarves and cherry pie have in common?

It can only be, of course, David Lynch’s seminal Twin Peaks, which debuted in 1990, and still remains as fresh as ever. With its unique brand of humour, heart, surrealism and drama, in a mere two series Twin Peaks catapulted from the backwater of alt-TV to captivate the imagination of mainstream viewers.

Today, it’s celebrated as one of the greatest TV events of all time, and its fanbase are still as passionate as ever about it – a marvel, perhaps, considering that not even the creators of the show thought it would get past the pilot.

Testament to that longevity, the 30^th of November 2013 marks the fourth annual Twin Peaks UK Festival, which welcomes fans – or “Peakies” – to give them their proper title, from all over the world to share in their love of everything Twin Peaks.

Madchen Amick as kind-hearted waitress Shelly.
Image credit: CW

The fourth festival will see appearances from special guests Madchen Amick (CSI NY, Californication, Gossip Girl), Charlotte Stewart (Eraserhead, Little House on the Prairie) and Ian Buchanan (General Hospital, Panic Room, Days of Our Lives), who played Shelly Johnson, Betty Briggs and Dick Tremayne, respectively.

The festival will also host a charity auction selling props from the show, including Dick Tremayne’s cigarette holders, plus a very special screening of a 35mm print of Lynch classic Lost Highway, Lynch-flavoured cabaret, Twin Peaks art and, of course – David Lynch coffee and donuts in the custom-made Red Room diner.

As if that wasn’t reason enough to go, all money raised from the festival goes to Macmillan Nurses for Cancer Care.

Festival Founder and Producer Lindsey Bowden said of the event:

“It’s very important to recognise what an impact this remarkable piece of television had and still has on its fans today. Thanks to recent reruns there is now a whole new generation getting to know Twin Peaks and other David Lynch works, and it’s great that once a year fans from all over Europe get together to celebrate their favourite show. “

Exeposé Screen will be sending two of our most hardcore Peakies along to bring you an insight into the wonderful world of Lynch fandom. Expect badly executed costumes, vlogs, reviews and much more!

TWIN PEAKS UK FESTIVAL 2013

Doors: VIPs 9.30am, Regular tickets 10am.

Date: Saturday 30 November 2013

Venue: Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London, W6 9RL

Ticket prices: £65 Regular / £85 VIP (sold out)

For tickets to the 2013 Festival, click here. For more info, visit the festival homepage.

Kink – Preview

After its successful debut, Exeter’s brand new Kink student event will return this Wednesday with its continued mission to house some of the UK’s hottest live bands and DJs at the Cavern.

Two weeks ago Exepose Music witnessed exciting sets from Mausi and Dive In and then enjoyed a late night party in one of Exeter’s most intimate venues. It was a great evening that showcased fantastic new talent and a fresh selection of club tracks, which had everybody dancing. Kink aims to provide Exeter with an alternative club night for students and we hope that its second outing will cement its initial promise.

Hot off the heels of successful national tours with Peace and Swim Deep, this week Wolf Alice will be bringing their brand of evocative indie-pop to Exeter. Wolf Alice is a four-piece rock band from North London and they have just released a new EP Blush, filled with dreamy melodies and raw urgency.

Championed by BBC Radio 1 and the NME, Wolf Alice have cut their teeth as a support act and on festival stages this year and now is the perfect opportunity for them to emerge onto the live scene as a headline act. The grunge tinge of early single Fluffy should sound right at home underground in the Cavern, but hopefully the band will also treat fans to some unreleased material.

Liam Garrett

Preview: BFI London Film Festival 2013

From the 12th-14th of October, Exeposé Screen will be at the 57th BFI London Film Festival, bringing you news and reviews from one of the largest and most diverse film events in the world.

But before we set off, here’s our preview of the festival highlights.

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Blue is the Warmest Colour

From French Director Abdellatif Kechiche (L’Esquive, Couscous), Blue is the Warmest Colour is a tale of messy love and uninhibited passion – and a refreshingly demystified portrayal of a lesbian relationship. Charting several years in the life of Adèle Exarchopoulos, the film follows her development from a young student to a woman embroiled in an intense relationship with the blue-haired Emma (Léa Seydoux). The film won the Palme D’Or at Cannes, and is sure to have people talking.

 

We Are the Best!

Swedish favourite Lukas Moodysson returns to heartfelt form with this sensitive bildungsroman, centering on three young girls determined to start a punk band in early-80s Stockholm. Moodysson rose to fame with the similarly bittersweet Show Me Love and Together, which first showcased his generous eye and ability to coax strong performances out of inexperienced actors. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, the three young leads of We Are the Best! have been widely lauded, and the film is almost certain be a showstopper.

 

The Double

Britcom royalty Richard Ayoade directs his second feature The Double, starring Jesse Eisenberg as a downtrodden office employee who’s colleagues see straight through him, most especially the girl of his dreams – Hannah (Mia Wasikowska). But when his exact double starts working in the same office, things go from bad to worse. He watches as an ambitious and confident version of himself wins over Hannah’s affection and the respect of his co-workers. Executed in Ayoade’s typically tragicomic style, The Double promises to bring the director to a global audience.

 

Inside Llewyn Davis

The hotly anticipated new release from the Coen Brothers sees Drive co-stars Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac reunited in this tale of one downtrodden musician trying to earn a crust in Greenwich Village. Llewyn (Isaac) makes for a classically charming yet pitiful Coen protagonist, maneuvering professional stagnation and personal woes. Mulligan stars as his songstress fling Jean, who’s unexpected pregnancy ruptures his dreamy existence. Featuring guest roles from Justin Timberlake and John Goodman, this is one not to miss.

 

As I Lay Dying

James Franco’s latest directorial outing sees the notoriously academic actor adapting a suitably dark, twisting American classic. Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying provides multiple perspectives on a family of Southern farmers making a journey to bury their dead mother, and is written in a typically dense, multi-faceted style. Impressively, Franco manages to transfer those subtleties to screen, calling upon a stellar cast and a sensitive script.

Festival Preview: Beat-herder

Glastonbury Image credit: bobaliciouslondon

I admit it: I’m gutted to have missed Glastonbury. I can’t check Facebook without being bombarded by cleverly captioned Holga snaps and smug Glasto-goers debating whether Mick looks more like a sparkly tortoise or Mrs Doubtfire… But as this year’s offerings become a distant memory, there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon for those of us who were only there in slipper-clad spirit with a little help from our tellyboxes.

Returning to the remote Ribble Valley for its seventh year, Beat-herder boasts another bountiful three days of beats and barminess with a refreshingly independent ethos this weekend (5^th-7^th July). Born from the simple objective of bringing good people together for a good time, Beatherder has come along since its early days of selling tickets to villagers on the side of the road, but still keeps at its heart it’s mission to provide a great time without charging extortionate prices. Sadly the same cannot be said for Glastonbury. As the number of festival-goers increase so too does to cost of a ticket. The hundreds of pounds we’re now expected to pay are a far cry from a modest £1 entry at the first ever Glastonbury festival in 1970. Why part with £6 for a pint to aid the reign of terror of the corporate companies that sponsor festivals like Glastonbury when you can celebrate a true home grown festival that favours local produce and reasonable prices while still hosting an impressive, eclectic line up?

Both headliner Nile Rodgers and up-and-coming singer/songwriter George Ezra are fresh from Glastonbury. Other lineup favourites are Random Hand, promising some proper northern ska-punk, Jimmy “The-older-they-come” Cliff, Clean Bandit and Mr Scruff. But what Beat-herder really does best is showcase artists you’ve heard of but haven’t really listened to, like trippy neo-psych quartet Temples, and Jaguar Skills, who took us by storm at SSB 2012.

Of course, all this musical mayhem takes place in an idyllic setting scattered with intimate venues waiting to be discovered. Among many returning this year is Toiltrees, hosting a massive sound system deep in the woodland, and the North West’s original reggae tent, the Bushrocker Hi Fi, operating a strictly vinyl only policy. New additions include The Fortress, a 60 foot long steel rave stronghold, and the intimate French themed stage Maison D’Etre.

So, whether you’ve got Glasto withdrawal symptoms and are desperate to get back in your wellies, or you’re still yet to tread the field this year, Beat-herder is definitely the place to go. With its enchanting atmosphere and brilliant mix of dub/reggae/dance/folk artists, you’re guaranteed a great time that wont break the bank.

Grab a pair of tickets here.

Magda Cassidy, Music Editor

 

Toyboy & Robin: Exit Preview

Flyer for Exit, credits to Exit.

This Friday sees a special one-off event at Cellar Door that you won’t want to miss. Exit, Exeter’s bi-weekly alternative night is pulling out the big ones to round off the term. Though usually on a Tuesday, a big Friday night slot was needed for headliners Toyboy & Robin. Exeposé Music has always had a penchant for big local events, and this is no different, with Toyboy & Robin being described by Beatport as being ‘incredibly unique’. Their catchy house beats, combined with an insatiable exploratory tone, pushing into the depths of pop and R&B as well as pioneering bass. You can listen to their latest track, ‘Jaded’ below.

Jaded – Toyboy & Robin

Tickets available from here  for £6 or alternatively on the door for £7.

Doors open up at 10pm and the night itself closes up at 2am. If you miss out don’t worry, we’ll be doing a live review here on Exeposé Online!

Callum Burroughs, Online Music Editor

Post-Apocalyptic Folk Rock Musical comes to Exeter

If you are reading this then congratulations, you have survived this far and have therefore earned your place among us. Shotgun Theatre are urging all survivors of the apocalypse to quickly reserve your place so you may join other survivors in the crater.

Image Credits: Shotgun Theatre

The people left on earth present to you, a Post-Apocalyptic Folk Rock Musical. If you would like to be evacuated from this desolate world and join the chosen few in the crater, then be at Kay house 7:30pm between 28th-30th of May.

Since the ‘event’ we have been here, a chosen few, and now it is time to start again. Our new society is based on the teachings and writings of the great Joe Oliver Eason who taught us about community, collectivity and FOLK MUSIC. Since the ‘event’ Father Sam has watched over us, guided us, and now we invite you to come and experience the world we have created.

We make sure that there is no impurity here, so if there is a chance that you have been contaminated you will be denied entry…by force if necessary. We will do anything in our power to preserve what we have all worked for.

Prepare yourselves for Utopia, prepare yourselves for something new, prepare yourselves for the greatest Folk Music ever written since the Earth began again. Prepare yourselves for 1000 SUNS: AN AMERICAN AFTERLIFE.

Image Credits: Shotgun Theatre

The crater is located West of Birks Grange, 20 clicks towards an old building which used to be known as Kay House. If you find yourself lucky enough to have access to a device with a feature known as “Electronic mail”, a long shot we know, then please “Electronically mail” us in advance stating the date you are coming, and how many people are in your party.

Spaces are few and we don’t want to have to turn anyone away into the cold dark night…the infected prowl the areas around the crater.

Everything you have ever known is over, the time for change is upon us. Come and join Father Sam in the new community, the new America.WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD.

Shotgun theatre’s “Post Apocalyptic Musical” costs £5 for members, and £7 for non members. Book your place now at 1000sunsreservations@gmail.com.

 

Preview: Battle of the Bands Final 2013

It’s that time of year again when the best of Campus Bands come together to fight it out in the final of Battle of the Bands. This year has seen the finest of Exeter’s music scene battle it out in Timepiece but now the talent has been whittled down to four finalists: Sanskara, To The Woods, Exit Wounds and Drugstore Beetles. We asked them to write a little bit about themselves so you can get to know who will be fighting to become crowned Exeter Campus Bands’ 2013 winners.

 

Photo credit to Emily Cobb

Sanskara

Formed in 2011 by members of various previous bands in the Exeter scene over the years, Sanskara started out of a desire to discover a sound that encompassed the wide-ranging influences and styles of each member, all of whom hail from different, diverse corners of the world from Hong Kong to Swansea! This culminated in a mixture of atmospheric post-rock, prog and post-hardcore juxtaposed with intricate melodies and fast-paced, technical and heavy rhythms making them solid contenders on the Exeter music scene with gigs, including an appearance at Cavern on the 26th March being lined up. The band’s showmanship and vast gigging experience culminated in an appearance in last year’s final and this year they’re back, looking to go one better and finish on top.

For fans of: Explosions in the Sky, Muse, Incubus and Funeral For A Friend.

www.facebook.com/sanskaramusic

 

To The Woods

Photo credit to John Bailey

To the Woods are a five piece acoustic indie soft rock band. We cannot wait for the Battle of the Bands final as we feel that we stand out from the other groups in the final because we are of a very different genre. We have BIG things planned for the final and are going to bring everything we’ve got to be in with a chance of winning. We are going back to the practice rooms to rework things and generally make songs more epic. But perhaps most importantly, we are planning to just have fun on that stage…you definitely don’t want to miss it.

www.facebook.com/tothewoodsmusic

Exit Wounds 

Photo credit to Emily Cobb

Formed by members of Lunar and fellow finalists Sanskara , among other bands, and out of a mutual love of heavy music and ruined venues, Exit Wounds are Exeter’s newest hardcore punk onslaught. Since the band’s first practice in November 2012, the band has only played two shows, both in this competition. Nonetheless, the audience response has been unprecedented. Never before has an Exeter University band generated such destruction. Expect raw aggression, huge mosh pits, grooving riffs and brutal beatdowns. You’ll find yourself entirely out of your comfort zone in absolutely the best way possible.

For fans of: Gallows, Every Time I Die, Trash Talk, The Chariot.

www.facebook.com/exitwoundsmusic

 

Drugstore Beetles

A lysergic atom bomb awaiting detonation in the face of boring pop chart complacency, DrugsToRe BeETles are the self-declared,

Photo credit to Emily Cobb

avant-garde, arty-rock indie supergroup hipster outfit combining experimental noise rock with everything else they’ve ever heard and liked. Defying boundaries, labels and even the distinctions between ‘karaoke’ and ‘live-performance’ thanks to hundreds of pounds worth of elaborate musical equipment including a sampler and of course a keytar. A hyperbolic dichotomy of self-deprecating arrogance surly with an innumerable back catalogue of exotic influences alluding to ‘in yer face’ bands such as XTC, Wire, Psychic TV, The Adicts and of course Justin Bieber. Dazzling neo-symphonic synths, spindly electro-etherealism punctuated by a mismatch of souped-up energetic house beats courtesy of electronic drums, and an orgy of syrupy sound effects through innovative sampling methods, and not to mention a Spanish harmonica player named Alejandro…This are music like you are ever heard it before…

www.facebook.com/Drugstore-Beetles

 

 

 

The final takes place at Timepiece on Monday 25th March at 8pm.

 

Daisy Meager, Music Editor

 

EUSO set to ignite the Great Hall with 'Ashes and Flames'

Exeter University Symphony Orchestra are having a concert on Tuesday 19th March that is set to be a performance not to be missed.

Poster by Emma Pidsley and Manisha Patel

We have an electrifying repertoire this term, with the passionate Prelude to Wagner’s ‘Tristan and Isolde’, the brooding rhythms of Penderecki’s contemporary Viola Concerto, and the fireworks of Shostakovich’s famous Symphony No.5.

Joining the orchestra we also have professional soloist Diana Matthews.

So come along to our performance at 7.30pm on Tuesday in the Great Hall, whether it is to support your fellow students, try something different or simply enjoy some great music!

Tickets are £6 standard price, £4 for students or £3 with a music card. They are available on the door or you can reserve and find out more about the orchestra by emailing eusoconnected@gmail.com.

by Emma Pidsley

Giverny said “So perhaps the Friday afternoon? Or Monday anytime before 3”