THIS PAST MONTH: MARCH 2016

Ally Pally Springfest

Looking back at what I did in March reminds me of what a great month it was. I hope you enjoy my highlights…

I handed in my first assignment of semester 2. Saying I submitted my first assignment of semester in March feels very strange. I honestly feel like I’ve constantly had work to do since returning to university after Christmas.

‘What have you been doing then?’  You may ask. Well, let’s talk about my favourite topic – placements! I’m finally making progress (hooray). For the sandwich year of my degree I need a minimum of 24 weeks of work placement to pass the year. According to my calculations I only have four weeks left to find to secure my placement year credit. It is such a weight off of my shoulders. Placement hunting is so much harder than I ever could have thought. To the point where I have to stop myself thinking about it in the evening or I’ll be awake all night worrying. But opportunities come from unexpected places. The hard work has paid off and it’s finally falling in to place.

My Dad, Sister and I walking in the Peak District

At the beginning of March I went to the Peak District with my family. We stayed in a converted barn near Bakewell. It was a really lovely weekend; eating lots of tasty food, enjoying time away from my usual city surroundings and generally seeing my family after not seeing them for months.   

Tilly in the converted barn

Another highlight from last month was Springfest at Alexandra Palace, a huge German beer festival on Good Friday. 2016 has been the year that I have discovered a love for Bierkellers and steins. Seriously, the Bierkeller in Sheffield is so much fun. The beer festival was such a fun day/night, lots of beer consumed and shapes thrown over an eight hour period made for some sore heads the next day. 

The view from Alexandra Palace

Travelling home to Newcastle for Easter break and travelling back from my friend Lucy’s house after the festival meant that I spent quite a lot of time alone on long train journeys. Is it weird that I actually really like travelling alone on the train? Yes, the form of public can be stressful at times and I’m no stranger to dragging heavy luggage along platforms but the actual journey is a chance to just sit and relax by yourself. I usually read on train journeys but in March I dipped my toe in to the mysterious world of podcasts. I have become absolutely hooked on ‘Serial’. One of the most popular podcast series, it’s a real crime tale where the narrator explains everything that happened and what her investigations have uncovered. Fans of Netflix’s ‘Making a Murderer’ should definitely give it a try. I was sceptical about how I’d like the format of a podcast but Sarah Koenig’s narration is so engaging I was quickly engrossed in the complex story.

Speaking of Making a Murderer, I have finally watched the series. I was late to the party but my Mam and I watched it over Easter and it is so worth the hype! I’m not sure if I really need to recommend it since everyone seemed to watch it before me but if you still haven’t watched it, you should give it a try. Another Netflix pick that I got addicted to in March is 'Jane the Virgin'. Man this show is so addictive, it somehow manages to be hilarious, serious and romantic all in one. I love it!

How’s your April going?

RECENT WATCH: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - DAWN OF JUSTICE

Image Source: imdb.com

During the aftermath of Superman’s destruction of metropolis the world debates what kind of hero they need. Batman takes on the Man of Steel amidst fears that he cannot be trusted.

The DC cinematic universe continues with another dark and serious superhero film that deals with vengeance, power and even politics.  Zack Snyder does not stray from the gritty tone that he set out in the much contested Man of Steel. Picking up where the plot left off, we see the fallout. This key plot point within the superhero feud was presented in early trailers and works well in establishing a point of view and source of anger for Batman.

Powering through all the negativity surrounding his casting, Ben Affleck pulls off a pretty impressive Batman. A character so established in cinema, specifically in the last decade, it’s refreshing to see a new take. Henry Cavill also gets a chance to really flex his muscles as Superman in this new instalment (literally and metaphorically). While she is a secondary character in this Justice League set up, Wonder Woman appears very promising, brilliantly shedding any 70’s cheesiness or female superhero prejudices. We get a sneak peak in to her powers and back story which made me excited for the story of Diana Prince to hit screens next year.

Image Source: imdb.com

I enjoyed Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. While sometimes slipping in to some kind of Mark Zuckerberg meets Heath Ledger’s ‘Joker’, he made an interesting villain. He brought a balanced mix of unhinged and intelligent that worked with some of the best and most quotable lines from the film. Dawn of Justice is beautifully shot with stunning visuals, complimented with a sprinkling of Zack Snyder’s signature colouring and slow-mo. Anyone familiar with the opening credits of Snyder’s Watchmen (2009) will know that Zack Snyder demonstrates some of his best film making in the opening credits. I absolutely loved the opening credits of Dawn of Justice. The credits explore the Batman origin story in a way that embraces that the audience are generally familiar with this story.

As a whole, the film was enjoyable; it had all of the important parts that I hoped for in a film that pits Batman against Superman. Fight scenes are well choreographed and have scale that is bold without becoming overly cartoonish and boring. Characters are developed and well portrayed and in the end several plot lines merge together. However this film is far from flawless and as much as I anticipated this film I have to admit to myself that it wasn’t as great as I wanted it to be.

Image Source: imdb.com

People love to hate on Man of Steel because of its dark (you could say joyless) tone. While I didn’t rush to watch Man of Steel a second time I refused to jump on the bandwagon of complaint. I won’t sit here and moan about how these films should be light and fun. I think Zack Snyder should be applauded for going through with his vision of the DC universe and making films that stand out within a flooded genre. However, I can’t help thinking that within the two and half hour run time the film would have benefited from a moment of hope, almost to allow the audience a chance to catch their breath amongst so much darkness. The film spends a lot of time exploring whether power can be innocent and whether someone from another world really is a hero. Getting so wrapped up in theological debate sometimes got in the way of the real plot and to me was the main thing that sucked the fun out of the first half of the film. The film didn’t learn from the mistake of Man of Steel; there is so much destruction. Considering the first half of the film revolves around the aftermath of Superman v Zod and the anger the public feels over the ruined city it seems odd that this plot would be as destructive.

The film is also incredibly overcrowded. After all the film attempts to set up at least four principle characters and a whole franchise, overcrowding was to be expected. But with so much going on the actual plot felt lacking. Again, visionary director, Zack Snyder gets a little lost in style over substance.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is definitely worth seeing. Don’t be put off by the dark tone but take cues from the extended title and expect an ambitious film that is ultimately setting up a Justice League franchise. Ben Affleck works brilliantly as a reinvention of the Dark Knight and a look in to upcoming releases is exciting.