The Shining : A Film Review

Horror is one of the most interesting genres in horror.

It can be stupid, bombastic, sickening, insane, gore-ridden and many other things. Both Eraserhead and A Nightmare On Elm Street come under the same banner, but both films are dramatically dissimilar. Same can be said for Evil Dead, Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist and Alien.

But my favourite horror film, and favourite film in general, is the twisted masterpiece that is The Shining.

I'm going to assume you all know the story, but I'll give you quick overview of the plot:

"Jack Torrance, a writer and recovering alcoholic, takes a job as an off-season caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel. His young son possesses psychic abilities and is able to see things from the past and future, such as the ghosts who inhabit the hotel. Soon after settling in, the family is trapped in the hotel by a snowstorm, and Jack gradually becomes influenced by a supernatural presence, descends into madness, and ultimately attempts to murder his wife and son."

The story is just magnificent. A rather simple concept that in wrapped in layers upon layers and backstories. This is in full-effect in the most isolated of scenes.

But it doesn't stop there - Kubrick's genius when it comes to avant-garde imagery is all over The Shining. Even concepts that might come as hokey or cheesy (the blood in the elevator, the bear costume) are truly terrifying. His nit-picking eyes are at full use in this film, and it benefits from it in extraordinary fashion.

From the masterful acting work on the small cast (which only adds to the paranoid nature of the film) to the perfect scenery and scares, The Shining works on all levels. This is a film that I would recommend to people who horror films, but also films of the most experimental variety (Eraserhead and The Seventh Seal immediately come to mind). A must-see masterpiece.

Damnation Festival 2014 Review // Leeds Student Union, 01/11/2014

In the heart of one of the UK's most artistically iconic cities, every year Damnation Festival takes place. It has a shout at being my favourite festival (I've attended a fair few), simply because Damnation has an atmosphere unlike any other. It attracts the "metal hipsters" (people as ready to see Bjork as they are Carcass, I suppose you could put me in that camp) but it also attracts the "die-hards".
Last Saturday I attended Damnation Festival for the 2nd and managed to catch a grand total of 5 bands, today I'll be reviewing each and every one of them.

The first band I caught was Obsidian Kingdom, a Spanish prog-post metal band who I've been affiliated with for a number of years now. While their music is relatively "chill" on record, the true intensity of it comes through in a live setting. Leaning more towards Gojira than they do Ulver (the stark opposite of what you'd heard on their latest album Mantiis), the experience is as crushing as it is beautiful. An excellent performance.

After a few hours of getting some work done, I was able to catch Monarch's set.
By far, my band of the evening. For a band I knew very little about (which I think may add to the magic of it), they put on an outstanding performance. Musically, it's almost as if Sunn O))) collaborating with Bjork during her stroppy/insane teenager phase. The vocals ranged from melodic singing to all-out screeching, yet the changes feel so seamless you almost don't notice the tension building. Catch this band if you get the chance, as I am aware I witnessed a relatively-exclusive gig. If they are playing a gig near you, don't think twice about buying a ticket.

Up next it was Saint Vitus, performing their classic album Born Too Late in it's entirety. I understand that my expectations may have been too high, but they ended up being rather underwhelming. The droning guitars provided little atmosphere and their static stage presence led to a few attendees looking at their shoes. I won't say more than this, but for me they weren't entirely enjoyable.

I left Saint Vitus a bit early to catch the mighty Cannibal Corpse. The 2-thousand capacity venue was rammed (a die-hard every one of them), finding a decent place to stand was a challenge that I eventually overcame. I went down into the pit, as that was the only place I could actually see and it entirely added to the atmosphere of the performance. Opening with the first 3 tracks off The Bleeding was utterly genius, but my favourite song of the set came in the form of a new number - Kill Or Become (off the brand new record, A Skeletal Domain). Every second was energising, and it ended up being one of the most enjoyable gigs I've ever attended. Brilliant.

Finally... the band the evening had been leading up to - Bolt. Thrower.
Bolt Thrower are one of the most underrated bands in the history of death metal, and to see them getting the credit they deserve on the main stage at Damnation Festival, headlining in front of 3 thousand people (another thousand trying to get in) was just magnificent. The tracks off Realm Of Chaos had the greatest affect on the crowd, but cuts from War Master and The IVth Crusade didn't go amiss. The sound was excellent, the band were on perfect form and crowd was lapping it up. A fantastic return from a marvellous-if-underrated band. Praise Bolt Thrower.