Track of The Week - Anna Ternheim - Off The Road

        This week’s track comes from Swedish singer-songwriter Anna Ternheim with the hauntingly beautiful Off The Road. Have a listen to this live version, which also features Ane Brun.

        Click the video below:

        I first heard this song whilst playing Silent Hill: Downpour - the latest in the long running survival horror series. In the game, just before reaching the mysterious town of Silent Hill itself, I had just disembarked from a ride on a cable car and was making my way through the dilapidated station when I came across a radio. These radios are scattered through various points in the game and you always have the option of switching these on to catch some chatter from the DJ or to listen to some licensed music.

        I knew that the town lay up ahead and so I decided to pause for a moment to collect myself. I switched on the radio and this song started to play. I literally just stood there (in the game) listening to the song, mesmerized, being soaked in the melancholy atmosphere. It fitted the current mood of the game so perfectly, evoking themes of sorrow and loss, the travels into the unknown that lay ahead and the shattered ideal of small town Americana.

        Listening to this song again, it conjures up an image of a long train ride in the rain – which is exactly what this person on YouTube made a video of. Another song by Anna Ternheim that is also used in the game is Words of Love, which you can listen to HERE.

        You can find out more about this talented lady by visiting her official page HERE or her YouTube channel HERE for more videos.

18 Mar 2013

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Great Documentaries Triple Bill

        We all love a good documentary don't we? Here are three I watched earlier this year that I haven’t really got around to writing about. Check them out!

        First up we have Girl Model, a film that looks at the seedy business of exploited young Russian girls being scouted to work as models in Japan. Having their heads full of dreams of a glamorous life abroad, hundreds of young girls audition – not knowing what really lies in store for them. Of the few that are picked, many never find work, some returning home thousands of dollars in debt to their agencies; some even end up in prostitution or worse.

        As upsetting as the subject matter may be, for me the most interesting part of the documentary was the examination of guilt and denial of American model scout Ashley, who continues to perpetuate this awful business despite knowing the truth of it and having experienced how hard it is from her own past (being a former teen model herself). She casually addresses the camera about the overall process but it’s in the little moments that you start to see the cracks (such as seeing her potter about alone in her expensive yet bare house or staring at secretly snapped photographs), looking like she is going to break down at any moment.

        Another shocking documentary is the bonkers yet utterly true story of The Imposter, concerning the story of a missing young boy from Texas who turns up years later in another country. …Except it’s not really him but French con artist Frederic Bourdin who not only manages to get away with his pretence – but ends up being accepted by the whole family and going back to America to live with them. And that's not even half the story...

        Narrated by the Bourdin himself (at times with almost gleeful relish) and interspersed with dramatic reenactments, this film is fascinating on so many levels – as the filmmakers gradually peel back the layers of information revealing more intrigue and shocking truths as the film goes on. Not only is the actual story itself so compelling, but the way in which it is told is simply masterful. A must watch.

        Finally for fans of videogames, Indie Game: The Movie - which follows the making of three independent games (Braid, Fez and Super Meat Boy) and the lives of the developers behind them. Forget about your multi-million dollar games companies – this film follows literally four people and the financial risks, toil and sacrifices they make in order to bring their vision to life. Concerned less with the technical aspect of game development and more on the people involved, the film's focus is intimate and relatable.

        Sure, the self-importance of Jonathan Blow and obsessive nature of Phil Fish will grate on some, but the real heart of the movie lies with Ed and Tommy of Team Meat, which really gets you rooting for their success. It’s heartfelt, affecting and uplifting stuff – and will resonate with anyone who has been through the process of creating something. Even if you have no interest in videogames whatsoever, the humanity of the documentary will surely strike a chord with you. Recommended.

        So all in all, three interesting documentaries. If I had to put them in order of recommendation I would say: The Imposter as a definite must see, Indie Game as a recommended watch and then Girl Model only for the curious.

       Until next time!

11 Mar 2013

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The Woman In Black Theatre Show - A Minimalist Masterpiece

        The other evening I had the unique pleasure of watching the theatre production of The Woman in Black at The Alhambra in Bradford.

        The original production has been going on in Covent Garden for the last 23 years (the second longest-running play in the history of the West End) but now, following the successful release of the 2012 film version, the show has gone on tour for the first time - and I urge you to go and watch it if you have the chance.

        Here’s a quick rundown of each of the main incarnation of The Woman in Black:

        The original novella by Susan Hill was published in 1983 and tells a good (if rather straightforward) story about a young lawyer named Arthur Kipps who experiences the ghostly hauntings of the titular apparition when visiting Eel Marsh House, situated near the remote town of Crythin Gifford.

        A television adaptation of the same story was made in 1989 (viewable in full HERE) which, apart from changing the names and some minor story details, remained largely faithful to the source material.

        And we all know of the 2012 big budget versionstarring Daniel ‘I wish they would stop always referring to me Harry Potter’ Radcliffe, from the newly revived Hammer films. This version was a neat and suitably grim re-telling of the story, although it did deviate from the original story at certain points.

        Also back in 1989 however, the theatre show was developed – and this stands out from the other adaptations due to some major changes in the delivery of the story. You see, the theatre version only feature two actors. And a minimal set.

        This is where the cleverness of the whole thing comes in. In this version, Arthur Kipps is an old man who enlists the help of a young actor in order to help retell his story as a form of therapy. So the young man plays ‘young Kipps’ and the old man plays everyone else. A play within a play.

        And yet you are never confused as to whether they are performing their original roles or their secondary ones – such is the clever use of simple costume changes, accents and mannerisms. The story is brought to life on the relatively bare set through utilising the power of imagination, effective lighting and sound design (many of these referenced explicitly between the two characters within the performance), not to mention the great writing and talented performances that is required of the two actors to pull it all off convincingly.

        Even if the story itself doesn't compel you, the exploration of the notions of theatre, performance, imagination, layers of reality and audience complicity are all so interestingly interwoven, it’s hard not to be utterly captivated. It is simply amazing how it manages to bring the story to life - a simple example: never have I witnessed so much audience sympathy for an imaginary dog.

        As well as being remarkably clever, the show is also scary - an effective chiller, both in terms of its creepy atmosphere and sudden jumps. I won’t write any spoilers here, but the performance I went to had its fair share of college kids (as it is currently on the curriculum) whose screams of terror increased in frequency and volume as the show went on.

        The Woman In Black theatre show is definitely recommended and you should catch one of the remaining tour dates while you can. It’s a minimalist masterpiece – not bad for something that was originally conceived simply because they had to adhere to a micro budget for the actors, set and costumes.

        Sometimes less is very much more.

        You can see the remaining tour dates and more info on the production at the official Woman In Black website HERE.

9 Mar 2013

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