Month: January 2016
Much Ado About New Year’s Resolutions
January is almost over, and with this first month of the year the inclination to keep up our new years resolutions may also start to fade (if we didn’t already break them at five minutes past midnight that is). Sunny Singh discusses the unobtainable hallucination that seems to be our new years resolutions, and why they are so hard to hold. Netflix hates me. It lampoons any desire I have to be productive. To be creative. To be dynamic. It will not let me get out of bed. I lay here now weighted by the warmth of the duvet with a…
Why Rhodes must not fall
By Miles Howell There has been debate over whether or not to remove the statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College, Oxford University. Rhodes was a nineteenth century politician, businessman and imperialist with a complex legacy. As well as serving as the Prime Minister of Cape Colony, he founded the De Beers diamond mining company and the British African territory of Rhodesia. He contributed towards Oxford University by setting up a scholarship scheme for international students in his name, beneficiaries of which include such people as the former President of the United States Bill Clinton. Last year, a ‘Rhodes…
Travel diary: Venice
Have you ever fancied visiting Venice? Jenny Edwards tells us all about her trip to the ancient Italian city. Unlike any city you’ll have ever visited, Venice is a magical place at any time of the year. Even when you are knee deep in the freezing winter water caused by the acqua alta floods, or overwhelmed by the large number of fellow tourists, it still remains one of the most picturesque locations in the world. Here are the highlights from my trip to this beautiful city. Doge’s Palace A beautiful piece of Italian Gothic architecture, and one of the main…
#Oscarssowhite: The issue of Diversity within the Academy Awards
Antony Mason discusses the lack of diversity and controversy surrounding the 88th Academy Awards. With the new year comes the glitz and glamour of the award season. And once again, Leonardo DiCaprio is heavily tipped to win the award that has eluded him four times so far. Yet it is not DiCaprio’s potential for success that has been the topic of conversation for this year’s Academy Awards, but the lack of diversity in the nominations. All of the 20 nominations in acting categories have gone to white actors, leading to calls by prominent black figures in the industry, such…
Review: The Hateful Eight
It’s evident that this fantasy western ‘whodunit’ film was created for the big screen, and it would be a huge shame for anyone to not experience it in that way, as our reviewer Jenny Edwards reiterates this… If ‘Django Unchained’ and ‘Reservoir Dogs’ were to ever have a baby, that baby would be in the form of Quentin Tarantino’s new masterpiece: ‘The Hateful Eight’. Like some of his other films, (e.g. ‘Django’ and ‘Inglorious Bastards’), Tarantino skilfully turns history into an alternate fantasy, as he sculpts a post civil war society. Through this, we get a great insight on Tarantino’s version of the Old…