When I was scrolling through old issues of Concrete for this anniversary issue, I couldn’t help but be in awe of how much Concrete has evolved. In particular, as the editor of Venue, I was naturally struck by the evolution of the arts and how past teams of UEA’s finest journalists approached reviewing, sharing and…
TV
2020’s Best of TV
‘The Goes Wrong Show’ Matthew Stothard A multilingual WWII codebreaker played by an actress who can only speak English, a deer who misses his cue and a whole set rotated by ninety degrees. If that all sounds weird and random, it’s because it is, but it is pulled off brilliantly by Mischief Theatre, the creators…
TV
A Grave Song: In Defence of Sainsbury’s Christmas Advert
The annual arrival of the Christmas advert onto our screens brings with it a sense of anticipation and a taster of the festive joy to come. What will the John Lewis advert be this year? How will the supermarkets decide to advertise their food? What we do not expect is a tsunami of backlash over…
TV
‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Review: An Unexpected Success
When I decided to binge watch ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ one Friday night, I wasn’t expecting much. Not knowing how to play chess, nor having a particular interest in it, I went in with the preconception that this show wouldn’t be for me. I’ve never been happier to be wrong, for this show is one of…
TV
‘I’m a Celebrity’ 2020 Review
‘I’m A Celebrity’ this year looked slightly different. Usually, the show takes place in Australia but instead, the celebrities are in Gwrych Castle, North Wales. The contestants this year are Sir Mo Farah, Vernon Kay, Jessica Plummer, Victoria Derbyshire, Beverley Callard, Giovanna Fletcher, AJ Pritchard, Shane Richie, Hollie Arnold, Jordan North, Ruthie Henshall, and Russel…
TV
A rewatch of… Wentworth Prison
‘Wentworth Prison’ is an Australian prison drama following the women inside, a loose remake of the TV classic ‘Prisoner: Cell Block H’. I have been re-watching the show on Amazon Prime (mainly to dodge university essays like the plague) and ashamedly I had forgotten how good it is. Despite my glowing recommendation, there are huge…
Film
Christmas Favourite: Elf
Elf is my favourite Christmas film. Elf was made in 2003, and to this day is still one of the greatest Christmas movies to be made. It is a spirited, good-natured family comedy, and it benefits greatly from Will Ferrell’s funny and charming performance as one of Santa’s biggest helpers. It’s a bit of a…
Film
30 years of Home Alone
Home Alone is one of the greatest Christmas classics! It has succeeded in establishing itself a Christmas tradition, as well as making three sequels, and the whole franchise in and of it. It’s a great comedy movie exploring the fantasy of a young boy, Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), having the entire house to himself, which I…
Film
Christmas Favourite: Nativity
Every year, on the 1st December, one film graces my screen and has done for the past 10 years. Nativity, for me, encapsulates everything I love about Christmas. Funny, charming and silly, the film champions normality by specifically casting normal children with no previous experience to play the lead roles. This adds a wonderful charm…
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