GAG_Mag

09/11/2016

BRITAIN has woken up relieved to find its idiotic act of self-harm earlier this year is now an piffling historical footnote.

25/10/2016

alright...

18/10/2016

The new GAG_MAG is here! If you feel like having a break from exams, come get one at the Open Kamer this Thursday or next week! We're celebrating with beer and nachos :-)

05/10/2016

Thinking about the upcoming exams and wondering if it's worth the effort...

28/09/2016

26/09/2016

British people, or students of English. In case you want to know what is going on across the pond.

25/09/2016

Very important...

20/09/2016

The first Gag Mag meeting is over. We are excited for the next edition! Are you?

23/02/2016

University students just aren't partying like they used to.

18/01/2016

MEDIA MONDAYS
Part 7: The Shannara Chronicles (Series)
By Marnix de Gier

Are you looking for a new fantasy to watch? Well, it might come from a rather unlikely source. MTV has begun broadcasting its adaptation of Terry Brooks’ classic fantasy epic The Shannara Chronicles. Created by the people behind Smallville, and produced by Jon Favreau (of Iron Man fame), the series holds a lot of promise.

The main actors (Austin Butler, Poppy Drayton and Ivana Bauero) are not exactly established names. But the supporting cast offers some interesting people: who better to play the Eventine, king of the Elves, than John Rhys-Davies (aka Gimli)? Another personal favorite is James Remar (Dexter, The Legend of Korra) as leader of the Rovers. But a much more important role is set aside for Manu Bennett (Arrow, Spartacus) as Allanon. Imagine Gandalf as a chiseled warrior druid who sword-fights demons. Not to mention his voice…

There are, of course some restraints. Don’t go here if you just want more Game of Thrones. In fact, Brooks doesn’t even like the comparison. This is a much more family-oriented show. The Shannara Chronicles is based on the 1977 book Elfstones of Shannara, and is one of the first lengthy fantasy novels. It is modelled closely on Lord of the Rings, and involves the all-too-familiar tropes of the boy of mysterious parentage, a world in danger and a perilous quest involving untested protagonists. It’s also filmed in New Zealand.

Despite budget constraints, the GCI looks very good, and of course the landscape is breathtaking. But New Zealand comes with another bonus: crews that have been working the genre since Xena:Warrior Princess. This being MTV, of course, the stylistic choices are somewhat more modern than most fantasies, which partly plays into the distant-future setting of the story, but is also an excuse for sexier outfits than The Hobbit ever had. In fact, for a show that features female characters trying to prove themselves in a man’s world, this show is rather keen on skimpy dresses. The future-setting is also emphasised by the show’s American accents, but is problematised by its complete lack of racial diversity so far.

It might not be the massive-budget, continent–spanning epic you’ve been waiting for since Return of the King, but The Shannara Chronicles is an ably-executed and somewhat cheeky feel-good fantasy that, if nothing else, is a fun way to kill a few hours.

11/01/2016

Legendary musician David Bowie has passed away after an 18-month battle with cancer. His latest album and video were an orchestrated 'parting gift' for his fans just before his death.

The producer of Blackstar confirms David Bowie had planned his poignant final message, and videos and lyrics show how he approached his death

11/01/2016

MEDIA MONDAYS
Part 6: Steve Jobs (2015, Film)
By Tim Renes

Being a movie about a man of which every word seemed to have been spoken, “Steve Jobs” is Aaron Sorkin’s way of romanticising a part of Apple Inc.’s founding CEO for one final time.

And boy, does he nail it.

After the disastrous biopic “jOBS” (starring Ashton Kutcher instead of Sorkin’s choice, Michael Fassbender), this latest take on the relationship between Jobs and his daughter Lisa is a tale ofacceptance, familial bonds, and the cost of egomaniacal humours on the former.

Sorkin’s storytelling paints a rhyme of technology and humanities, with Sorkin’s Jobs firmly standing at the crossroads. He has the vision to look decades into the future (where computers take on more human characteristics like speech, more organic design, and intuitive interfaces) that will ask for an increased synergy between technology and humanity, that he cannot see his daughter suffering from a broken family right under his nose; he cannot combine the familial aspect of the human condition with the need for technical efficiency of his cause as an IT marketer. The story is heartwarming, and rife with engaging dialogue.

The cinematography is amazing, full stop. It shows that the film premiered in The Netherlands at a film festival: framing, composition, overlays, and strong portraits and sweeping pans make for a visual spectacle akin to caramel for the cornea. It is truly a sight to behold and words only muddy the waters at this point.

Such praise is not without compromise, however: though the story is engaging, it is uneventful. The pacing is slow and there is little to no backstory given, so a well-working attention span is key. That said, I still highly recommend it. In the longstanding tradition of the Greek tragedy and the Achilles’ heel, “Steve Jobs” is the heartfelt story of a perfectionist who is poorly made.