Hullfire #2.5: E-readers: The Debate

Originally published: December 2011

Hullfire URL: print only

This is an article debating the pros and cons on e-books and e-readers that I co-wrote with another great Hullfire writer, Lorna Goode, commissioned by the Arts editor. It was published a while ago, and there are two reasons that I am only just publishing it here now:

1) I come across as a bitter, nostalgic Luddite. Although I am ever so slightly more against e-books than I am for them, it would have been nice to be able to write both sides of the argument rather than just one, the negative side. Or at least the article could have been written in a way in which we both engaged with each other a bit more and came to a conclusion, but as I don't have a time machine (and quite right, too! So dangerous ...) this is how it happened. That being said, I still wholeheartedly agree with everything I say here, although I am aware of many of the benefits of e-books. 

2) I don't have the positive side of the argument, so it is rather unbalanced. It was never published online, but I do have it in print somewhere. I may try to track it down and transcribe it at a later date.

In spite of these reasons, I've decided that I may as well have all of my Hullfire writing on the blog to achieve a sense of completeness (as ironic as that sounds, given reason #2). So, belatedly, here is my last remaining article for your perusal.

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Cost

Although some e-books are cheaper than physical ones (especially when it comes to hardbacks), many – bafflingly – are more expensive.  Add that to the cost of the e-reader itself and suddenly libraries, eBay and second-hand book stores are looking very attractive.

Piracy

Despite it being highly illegal, the piracy of films, music and other digital media has practically become commonplace, and now thanks to e-readers books are also becoming a target of theft.  But unlike films and music, anyone can walk into a library and pick up a book for absolutely free.  To illegally download one would just feel morally corrupt, like stealing from a charity shop.

Reading is a sensory experience

When you read a book, it isn’t just about the words on the page.  It is also about the gorgeous cover art, the smell of the pages, the satisfaction of cracking the spine on a new purchase.  Books are tangible, providing a physical experience, all of which is lost through the process of digitisation.

Loss of the personal touch

There is a certain pleasure and nostalgia in loving a particular book so much that it shows, from dog-eared pages to your name scribbled inside the front cover.  It might even be that a book was passed down to you by mum or dad, who loved it when they were a child, or leant to you by a friend insisting that ‘you just have to read this.’  When you’re finished, you affectionately place it back on the shelf where it becomes not just a form of entertainment, but an ornament and a treasure.  E-books are certainly convenient, but they will never really capture the full reading experience.

Hullfire #5: Top 5 Films for Graduates

This article was originally intended to be published in the May edition of Hullfire. For reasons I won't go into, the paper was never printed, and according to the Hullfire Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/TheHullfire) they are going to try to publish the edition online, but a print version is very unlikely. Well, it's been a month and there is still no sign of my article being published on the website, and I would like it to see the light of day fairly soon, especially seeing as it is topical to this time of year, i.e. graduation, so I am cutting out the middle man and doing it myself. So there!

This is also the part where I shamelessly plug myself. You may notice on the above mentioned Facebook page that it lists the winners of this year's HUU Media Awards, and yours truly won Best Arts Writer! I was also nominated for Dedicated Contributor. Unfortunately I didn't make it to the event, but I would have loved to go; as it was 3 days before I had 2 major coursework deadlines it really didn't seem wise. My award, a picture of which I could post if there was a demand for it (which I doubt, because I am fairly confident I have no readers!), is brilliantly homemade. Not quite an Oscar, but it'll do.

Anyway, here is the article. Enjoy!

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As the end of the academic year looms ever closer, many of you will be heading into a new and terrifying stage of your lives: graduation. If we are to believe the media, being a graduate is a fate worse than death, although it is more akin to being in a state of perpetual limbo. No longer a student, and not yet a proper grown-up with a proper grown-up job, with no idea what to do next, an existential crisis may be on the cards. Here are 5 films to show that you are not alone, and hopefully comfort and/or guide any student with, or soon to have, the graduate blues (as well as just being a list of very good films). Please be aware that this article contains mild spoilers for some of the films mentioned.

Into the Wild (2007)

Sean Penn’s Into the Wild is, for the most part, a graduate’s dream. Why be conventional and get a job after university, when you could do as the protagonist does and take off into the wilderness? Based on a true story, Christopher McCandless has the world as his oyster, but donates his savings to charity, destroys his I.D. and takes off to Alaska without telling anyone. Free among the elements and not tied down to anything, his journey is at first bliss, but soon turns sour as he realises the unforgiving harshness of nature. As much a cautionary tale as it is inspiring, the message to take away from this worst-case scenario is that it’s fine to turn to nature to find yourself, as long as you remember to leave a note.

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

Though actually about a couple’s divorce and the battle for custody of their son, one of this Best Picture-winning film’s most memorable scenes is a source of inspiration for job-hunting graduates.  In a pivotal scene, Dustin Hoffman’s character has hit rock bottom: he has lost his high profile advertising job, and in order to retain custody of his son he must find a new one by the following day. In bold desperation, he interrupts an office Christmas party to pitch himself to a company, insisting, ‘This is a one day only offer ... If you really want me, you make a decision right now.’ And lo and behold, it works. It’s a risky move that without Hoffman’s earnestness and good-natured charm could well get you thrown out of an interview before you can say ‘C.V.’, but the pay-off, and Hoffman’s jubilation that leads to kissing a complete stranger, is so worthwhile that maybe, just maybe, it’s worth a shot.

Lost in Translation (2003)

This film is existential and meditative to the point that some may (inaccurately) label it as boring. Indeed, the premise is deceptively simple: Scarlett Johansson’s young graduate and newlywed meets Bill Murray’s well-worn actor in Toyko, but past this point the film is very hard to describe. All that can be said is that the brief overlapping of these two people’s lives profoundly affects them, resulting in a beautiful relationship and dealing with themes including marriage, aging, disillusionment, and loneliness.  With its bittersweet ending, Lost in Translation may not be particularly comforting, but it is exquisitely made, often very funny, and presents a highly poignant view of life that will resonate with anyone unsure of their place in the world.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

It may be from the point-of-view of a group of sentient toys, and the plot is driven by Andy starting university rather than graduating from it, but that does not stop Toy Story 3 from being any less powerful. If you grew up loving the first two Toy Story films, there is no doubt that watching the third anywhere between starting and leaving university is a particularly personal, nostalgic, and emotional experience. We do not only align ourselves with Andy, who leaves his childhood behind when he says goodbye to Woody, Buzz and pals, but also the toys themselves, who must deal with having to move on from the comfort and security of their former life. With its hopeful ending it reminds us that these things are not the end, but actually the beginning of a new life, as positive a message there can be for any new graduate.

The Graduate (1967)

No list of films about graduation would be complete without this enduring classic; it may seem a clichéd choice, but it is a cliché for a reason as the film is just as resonant today as it was in 1967. The opening credits alone perfectly capture the uncertainty and pressure that new graduates face: Dustin Hoffman’s Benjamin Braddock, having just arrived back from college at his home town’s airport, stands stock still and lets himself be carried slowly along by the conveyor, unable to deal with the overwhelmingly lost feeling while others swiftly overtake him. His wide-eyed expression is one of utter terror, as if being unwillingly sent into battle, and entirely relatable as he stares ahead into the unknown abyss that is his future. Punctuated by the melancholy tones of Simon and Garfunkel’s soundtrack, there is not a more effective cinematic encapsulation of the post-graduation depression. Given the common link of Dustin Hoffman, however, it helps to think of this as a prequel to Kramer vs. Kramer, and that everything will turn out fine in the end.

Hullfire #4: 'Community': An Appreciation

Originally published: February 2012

Hullfire URL: print only

Now that the exam period is over and the last pieces of coursework are handed in, it is perhaps time to have a short period of rest and relaxation to ease us into the second semester.  Over the past few weeks it is likely that many of you have experienced the night-before panic when you realise that you haven’t learned anything and think, ‘Why on earth did I bother coming to university, anyway?’  Therefore, now that all the hard work is over why not reward yourself by trying out Community, an underrated yet brilliant American sitcom?

The basic premise of Community is that a group of misfits at various stages in life try to get through Greendale Community College, quite possibly the worst college ever.  The protagonist, Jeff, is an arrogant lawyer who faked his degree and has very little motivation other than to try to sleep with the first attractive woman he sees on his first day.  In his efforts to do so he inadvertently forms a study group of diverse characters who will become as close to him as family.  Admittedly, when put like this it does sound incredibly mediocre and not unlike any other generic sitcom, but give it the first few episodes to find its feet and Community starts to reveal its true and utterly unique identity. 

While Jeff is the lead, the most important character is a teenager with Asperger’s syndrome named Abed.  He processes the world around him through his pop culture knowledge and even seems aware that he is living in a television show.   As a result, every episode of Community breaks down the typical tropes of the sitcom genre and completely reinvents the form every week, all the while packing in more meta-humour and pop culture jokes than Family Guy, The Simpsons and South Park put together.  Because of Abed we are also given some of the show’s best episodes, including one which explores parallel universes and a Christmas episode which is in stop-motion animation and takes place entirely inside his own head.  While these are highlights, Community is just as imaginative and clever when it is completely grounded in reality, and has just as much heart as it does smug ingenuity.

Other characters include an unstable Spanish teacher who happens to be Asian, played with brilliant insanity by The Hangover’s Ken Jeong, a racist, sexist and generally awful pensioner in the form of the legendary Chevy Chase, and a monkey named after another character’s breasts, not to mention tens of amazing minor characters who could all have their own sitcoms.  There are also appearances by a number of special guest stars including Jack Black, John Goodman and Owen Wilson.

The closest comparison to Community is the short-lived British sitcom Spaced, so needless to say those who will enjoy it the most are film geeks and pop culture nerds.  It may therefore be an acquired taste, especially as it can be very surreal and self-aware.  This has turned out to be all too true, as despite hoards of loyal fans the show has been struggling in America since it began in 2009, and it is uncertain whether it will have a future.  It has had even less luck here in the UK, where the first series played on Viva with no sign of whether it will return.  Nevertheless, as one of the smartest and funniest shows currently around it is desperately worth your support and attention.  If it sounds like your cup of tea do whatever you can to get hold of the DVD, and maybe, just maybe, we can save Community.

Update: Since I first wrote this it has been confirmed that Community will air in the UK on Sony Entertainment Television starting April 10th at 10:30pm, and prospects for a fourth season are looking better than before. Fingers crossed!

Update #2: A fourth season was confirmed, to my jubilation. Until the news came out that Dan Harmon, the creator and life and soul of Community, had been fired. This is awful, horrible news which may inspire a blog post in the near future.

Discuss: will you still watch Community without Harmon? Do you think it still has the potential to be great without him? Or would you rather Community stopped on a high note rather than continued, possibly as a soulless and generic version of it's former glory? Or am I just a bitter cynic who needs to get out more and stop fretting about television? You decide.

Hullfire #3: Silence is Golden

Originally Published: February 2012

Hullfire URL: print only

It’s official: Oscar season has arrived. 

Critics’ awards and speculation about which film will be crowned king have been occurring for weeks, but the first of the major awards ceremonies, the Golden Globes, kicked off the run up to the big night on January 15^th, with the BAFTA nominations announced two days later.

The Golden Globes and BAFTAs are usually a good indicator of which films will have success at the Oscars, and this year is not likely to disappoint.  The film with the biggest chances so far is an unlikely candidate, The Artist, with 3 Golden Globe wins and 12 BAFTA nominations (the Oscar nominations themselves have not been announced at time of writing).  In a year where most of the highest grossing films have had 3D, special effects and no lack of loud noises, The Artist is very old-fashioned: a black-and-white silent film set in the early 1930s, when sound films, or ‘talkies’, were just beginning to become the norm.  The plot follows a charismatic actor of silent films struggling to cope with the change, while an up-and-coming young actress takes his place as the biggest star in Hollywood.

The Artist is truly a charming and wonderful film, made up of equal parts heart-warming romance and love letter to film history.  I challenge anyone to leave the cinema without a huge smile on their face.  It is no wonder then that everyone in the film industry is tripping over themselves to throw awards at its feet.   However, despite all of the film’s merits, some critics have expressed worry for the future of cinema if The Artist is named Best Picture at the Oscar ceremony on February 26^th.

The film business, like most industries, thrives on innovation.  Without the introduction of sound, colour and digital effects, films could not be the spectacle that they are today, and we would not have landmark films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Avatar which advance the medium.  The Artist may be a spectacle for modern audiences, as many people will have never seen a silent film, but this does not change that in its affection and nostalgia for the past it is effectively anti-innovation.  An interesting comparison to The Artist is another likely Oscar contender, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, which was released in 3D (and many would argue that it is the best use of 3D to date).  Hugo is as much a love letter to early cinema as The Artist, but with its masterful use of 3D it simultaneously celebrates cinema’s roots and advances contemporary filmmaking techniques for the better.

On the other hand, when one is faced with some of the less subtle films that come out of these innovations, the special effects heavy, loud and crashing, poke-your-eye-out 3D releases, it is very tempting to revert back to a simpler way of filmmaking.  It could even be seen that The Artist is actually extremely innovative – who could have guessed that a traditional silent film could be released in the 21^st century and have such success?  It is possibly the bravest move in Hollywood for years, and will hopefully inspire filmmakers to experiment with different forms of storytelling.

Unfortunately, The Artist will likely be an anomaly, and before long we will once again be surrounded by the likes of the new superhero flick or generic romantic-comedy.  But if The Artist does win Best Picture of 2011 and happens to start a resurgence in silent filmmaking, it will be one century backwards, two steps forward – and maybe that’s a good thing.