Marvel Studios has changed the superhero game in the past decade, introducing the “cinematic universe” approach which has been steadily copied by the likes of DC, Star Wars and Universal. However, Marvel remains without a doubt the most successful architects of the “cinematic universe” – its umbrella of the “MCU” is over 20 films in […]
Ant-Man and the Wasp – Review
2015’s Ant-Man was one of Marvel’s lighter fares, following hot on the heels of the smash hit sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron. Ant-Man was a considerably more fun film, without the usual links to other marvel films – although there were still references to the greater Marvel universe. The sequel plays in very much the […]
Album Review: Leon Bridges – Good Thing
Leon Bridges debut in 2015 was like a nostalgic breath of fresh air, strongly reminiscent of 60s soul men like Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke, a man who Bridges clearly resembles. The vocals were a melodic triumph on songs such as title track “Coming Home” as well a “Smooth Sailin’” and “River”. Bridges can currently […]
Album Review: George Ezra – Staying at Tamara’s
In 2014 many were bowled over by George Ezra’s single “Budapest”, with his deep powerful vocals and upbeat tempo, it became a summer anthem. The album which followed was also a massive success reaching number one in the UK and boasting other popular tracks such as “Blame it on Me” and “Cassy O”. Ezra’s album […]
Live Review: Kasabian – Live at the Bristol O2
Kasabian has been one of the UK’s biggest arena acts for the last decade and a half having headlined Reading and Isle of Wight festivals on multiple occasions as well as a memorable headline set at Glastonbury in 2014. Thus it came as a bit of a shock that they’d chosen to play at the […]
Sequel mania – the oversaturation of film follow-ups
Sequels are everywhere nowadays; if you glance at the highest grossing films in recent years, the vast bulk are following on from some predecessor or another. Look no further than this summer for proof – we have already had Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2, and on the horizon the new Mission Impossible and Incredibles […]
Film’s most iconic double-acts
Sometimes, a film is made by its leading roles. Over the years, there have been a number of pairings that have stood out as the defining the quality of their films. With news that two of America’s finest current actors, in Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, are both set to re-team with famed director Quentin […]
Starter Pack: Modern Psychedelia
Having grown up in a very musical family, 60s-70s rock music has always been a big part of my life, especially the late 60s Woodstock/Vietnam era psychedelic sounds such as Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and Cream as well as Sgt Pepper-era Beatles. Since starting uni I have been progressively into more modern variants of Psychedelic […]
Album Review: Blossoms – Cool Like You
In the last five years since their formation, Blossoms are emerging from a period where perhaps guitar-based bands that truly make an impact are on the decline. They offer a breath of fresh air with their infectious brand of indie disco/glam. Their first record showed a great depth for a debut with the single “Charlemagne” […]
Scoring the scene: When popular music and film soundtracks collide
One of the most interesting developments by way of film score composers in recent years, has been the scores performed by Radiohead guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood, who has composed for films such as the 2007 feature There Will Be Blood, as well as Phantom Thread and 2012’s The Master, the first two films both […]