Issue №7 | 18 February 2019 | ‘Reel good’
Issue No. 7 | 18 February 2019 | ‘Reel good’
With the Oscars just around the corner, right on the heels of last week’s BAFTAs, we’re getting all filmy.
We spent some of our earliest dates (if you could call a hungover ramble to the nearest cinema wearing pyjama bottoms a date) watching all kinds of kooky films at the legendary Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds, and ever since, cinema has remained one of our favourite pastimes and hotly debated topics.
So it is with great pleasure that we present to you an issue packed full of all things cinéma.
Alex and Freya
Do
The Quirkiest Cinemas across the UK…
It’s become something of a tradition for us to hunt down the weirdest and wackiest cinemas in whatever town or village we find ourselves in.
We’re slowly ticking the UK’s independent picture houses off our list, and have collected some of our favourites so far. If we’ve missed any big boys, give us a holla because our list is running low. SOS. Freya
Hear
A soundtrack…
Paris was a city with a flourishing house music scene in the 90s, a fact brilliantly exhibited in the score of the excellent French film 120 BPM. Tracks range from 3am face-chewers to reflective, synth-washed instrumentals, which complement the more serious moments in the movie.
Even if you haven’t seen this beautiful film tracing the inner workings of an AIDS activist group, the soundtrack alone is worth your time for its evocation of an era of revolution, revelry and revolt. Alex
Standout tracks: Sean & Nathan la nuit, Smalltown Boy (Arnaud Rebotini Remix), AZD DDI DDC, Sean & Nathan
A podcast…
This is just the most ingenious concept for a podcast. Three film buffs get together to watch, discuss and assess every Academy Award Best Picture winner from history in no particular order.
They discuss the social landscape of the time of the film’s win, the other movies it was up against and ultimately whether they think it should have won. It’s the perfect introduction to the cult films we all should have watched but probably haven’t because Netflix is an overwhelming place. Excuse me, I’m off to put on Schindler’s List. Freya
Read
A book…
You’ve probably all heard of the Tom Hiddleston film adaptation. You may not be so familiar with the book it was based on.
JG Ballard – a total genius, incidentally – tells the story of a tower block based on a literal power structure, with the occupants at the bottom impoverished and suffering, with those at the top living a life of luxury.
It descends into total chaos, with primal instincts taking over when the class structures break down. Think Lord of the Flies with more chandeliers. It’s compulsive, gripping stuff and we both devoured this book. Freya and Alex
An article…
2019 Oscars Facts: 91st Academy Awards By The Numbers by John S Kiernan for WalletHub
There’s no denying the glitz and glamour of the Oscars ceremony. But have you ever wondered how much it costs to run the event, or how much a goodie bag sets back the organisers?
Based on news reports and data from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this eye-opening article from WalletHub reveals all the numbers behind the film industry’s biggest night of the year. Alex
Think
Are we getting more conservative in our approaches to sex on film?
After decades of more liberal approaches to film ratings and classifications, recently the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has been tightening things back up again. Sexual violence on film is the focus of this change in guidelines, and films with rape scenes will be upped from a 12 to 15 rating.
Did we try to become too liberal too quickly? This backtrack suggests perhaps we did. The #MeToo movement and widespread reevaluation of sexual dynamics has meant that the public is starting to take the way sex is portrayed onscreen more seriously.
After all, the BBFC hasn’t announced any changes to swearing and non-sexual violence in this wave of changes – the public was exclusively focused on sexual violence. We’ve gone too far one way, and people are starting to sit up and pay attention to redressing what we see in terms of sexual dynamics onscreen. Freya
Odds and Ends
For historical hotties and sexual bawdiness of yesteryear, look no further. Whores of Yore is Freya’s new favourite corner of the internet.
If you love cats and like The Lord of the Rings, this will almost certainly tickle you.
Where can you find Arabic jazz, k-pop and experimental rock in one place? Our SoundsGood playlist of course.
We update this playlist every Monday with lit new tracks we discover from all corners of the globe, so you don’t have to rely on Spotify algorithms to deliver the goods. Which they won’t do. But we will.
#Capitalism
Continuing his addiction to audio gadgets, Alex bought this bluetooth receiver for his hi-fi system so he can change the music from his bed. Easy.
Freya loves a logo tee as much as the next person, and these Girls on Tops t-shirts are a genius idea to celebrate female voices in film. She wants them all.
