Rosalie Hurr, Author at Things&Ink

November 13, 2015November 19, 2015

Film Reviews: 5 Best War Films

Our guest blogger is hobbyist film and TV series reviewer and writer Harry Casey-Woodward. On th-ink.co.uk Harry will be writing a series of posts in which he will be sharing his opinions on things he has watched.

Last Sunday was Remembrance Day and World War One is now over a hundred years old. Yet we’re still obsessed with war. War films, that is. Not only does war keep marching across our screens in a variety of guises but we love revisiting the classics and rightly so. War is one of my favourite film genres. You’re guaranteed extraordinary action and emotion when you thrust characters into extreme situations. So here’s a countdown of what I believe are the five best war movies and no, Saving Private Ryan did not make the list.

5. All Quiet on the Western Front, 1930

The power of this film is evident due to the fact that it was censored while troops were mobilising for WW2. Based on Erich Maria Remarque’s novel (which I still have to read), this is a classic story of an idealistic young boy going off to war and getting traumatised and, bar Kubrick’s Paths of Glory, this may be the finest WW1 movie. Not only is it extraordinary for being an American movie about German soldiers but it is beautifully shot and it foreshadows a lot of the anti-war sentiments of modern war films.

4. Cross of Iron, 1977

Film director Sam Peckinpah is a favourite of mine and is notorious for breaking the late 60s/early 70s film violence barrier in such intense classics as the Wild Bunch and Straw Dogs. His one war film is equally violent but like his best films, under the action there is surprising depth. Also casting American actors as German soldiers, the story focuses on a German squad on the Russian front during WW2 and an ideological battle playing out between a disillusioned but caring sergeant (James Coburn) and an ambitious but cowardly captain. This epic wins for depicting relentless action together with the emotional turmoil of war.

3. Come and See (Idi i Smotri), 1985

A Russian film with the familiar storyline of a boy going off to war only to discover how horrible it is. This is, however, still one of the most unique war films you will ever see. It is an artistic, beautifully shot emotional bruiser on how much it sucked to be a Russian peasant during WW2. It is notable for depicting more of the common people’s suffering during war rather than just the soldiers and for getting such extraordinary emotional performances from its young main actors. Be warned, this film will leave you shaken.

2. Full Metal Jacket, 1987

As well as being revered for making The Shining and Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick has directed a handful of the greatest war films. There’s the heartbreaking drama of Paths of Glory and the satiric comedy of Dr Strangelove. But nowhere is his vision of war more savage or bitter than in his penultimate movie Full Metal Jacket. Dealing with the Vietnam war, his depiction of young soldiers is one of the most realistic and biting I’ve ever seen. His characters get kicks out of prostitutes and insulting each other with crude slangs, yet even Kubrick can get humanity out of them when they’re pushed to their limits during the Tet Offensive in Hue City. This war film is unique for spending half its length in the training camp, where young American boys are shaved and broken down psychologically to be rebuilt as killing machines by the unbelievably foul-mouthed Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (a monstrous performance by ex-marine R. Lee Ermey). This movie also boasts a cracking soundtrack, including Trashmen’s Surfin’ Bird (way before Peter Griffin tormented everyone with it in Family Guy).

1. Apocalypse Now, 1979

Another film about the Vietnam war with a great soundtrack. But while Full Metal Jacket is your punk war movie, Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse is your prog-rock war movie: a steaming three hour drug-fuelled, hallucinatory, nightmarish odyssey into humanity’s heart of darkness. But this is what makes it such a good movie, that and the fact that it’s shot like a work of art. As well as boasting a gallery of magnificent actors like Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando and Dennis Hopper (even Harrison Ford and Laurence Fishburne in small roles) and killer lines that have cemented themselves into popular culture like ‘I love the smell of napalm in the morning’ and ‘the horror… the horror’ (taken straight from the novella Heart of Darkness the film was based on, giving a dread history to the line), this epic succeeded in depicting all the faces of war within its rambling episodic plot of an American captain voyaging upriver into Cambodia to assassinate rogue colonel Kurtz. There’s action (helicopter attack set to Ride of the Valkyries), black humour, tragedy and of course the horror. This film also succeeds in rising above simply depicting the absurd nightmare of war and tries to answer the ancient philosophical question of what to do about evil. It’s incredible that such an ambitious, philosophical nightmare got made and came out looking perfect, especially regarding the horrendous problems that plagued production that led to their own documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse. I feel Coppola should be more revered for this than his Godfather movies.

November 12, 2015

Interview with Tattoo Artist: Mattia Rivolta

Mattia Rivolta is an Italian born tattoo artist who works out of UEO Tattoo in Switzerland. We chatted to Mattia about the process behind his tattoos and what inspires him…

How did you become a tattooist, what did you do before? I have spent my whole life cultivating a passion for art, especially painting and sculpture. I first began tattooing in 2004, when I was 24-years-old. I have always been attracted to oriental culture, but when I was learning to tattoo I did all kinds of styles.After a while I began to do more Japanese art as this has always been my first love. I opened a shop in Como in my grandfather’s old cobbler shop, to honour him in a way. If you know a lot of people you can compare your level, assimilate the best elements and suggests how everyone, including yourself can improve. Tattooing is a life school, you learn how the people are, it is a kind of ‘work in progress for ever’, it not only tests your commitment but also develops your soul.

How would you describe your style? My style is unique to me, I call it ‘Japan revisited in a modern key’ or UEO. My work is easily identifiable and I wanted to personalise the bodies of my clients, like a signature. I use oriental Japan as a guide, but it is not purely traditional, I don’t like to copy. I like to find the best way of expressing historical figures and turn their energy, stories and beliefs into art.

What inspires you? I take many of my subjects from books and looking for something usually inspires me. I love mixing real elements of Japanese, new school and traditional with different perceptions. I try not to use the internet as it is too commercial. I am inspired by the feeling I get when I see the result of my drawing and planning tattooed onto my client. I think that the place in which you live is radically important to the way you work. When I was in Japan, it was great, I was excited and everything I experienced added to my soul and excitement.

Can you explain the process behind your tattoos? The process of transferring thoughts into ideas start with concentration; at the beginning the background starts to move, after that I try to focus the subject in my mind. Everything in my head is dynamic, I think that the movement is my work is my calling card, especially in Italy, as many artists tend to do fixed or flat shapes. On the contrary Japanese work is all about fluidity and balance. The process of tattooing is very intimate both physically and psychologically. I fit the pieces on the client’s body to enhance them, respecting their personality and energy. In the years there are many changes to the body and you have to attentively study the customer’s body.

What do you like to draw or tattoo? I really enjoy drawing my designs onto people’s bodies rather than using a stencil. I think they fit so much better and the movement of the lines add a flow to the images. I try to find more unusual subjects and broaden the Japanese horizon in my work and I tend to mix styles.

Do you have any advice for those starting out in the tattoo industry? The more hours you give to study, the more an artist grows. The key word is DEDICATION , and also a little talent can explode. I am continuously studying and pushing myself, my life is an ongoing commitment to my work. I live and breath art, I live in an artistic dimension and I love it!

What does the future hold, do you have any conventions planned? My biggest wish is to travel a lot in more and to work at more conventions. I really want to work on more full body pieces, as I love working on a large scale, I find it really satisfying. Although I am always striving to be better and I am critical of my own work. I aim for continuous growth and progression, to do the best tattoos I can do.

November 11, 2015

Illustrations by Ree

We spotted Ree’s cute tattooed babes on Instagram and had to talk to her about her pastel palette and love of tattoos. Ree has created a tattooed out of this world girl just for Things&Ink…

Tell us a little about yourself? Everyone calls me Ree, I am a 25 years old freelance illustrator and I’m from Venezuela, but my current location is Miami, Florida. My location changes a lot! I’m a lucky girl. I’ve lived in Madrid, Spain for a couple of years too. I will be moving soon to Dominican Republic for work, and then who knows!

How would you describe your style? My style is always changing, but right now I feel more comfortable with it than ever. I’m bad at describing these sort of things but I would say it is a mixture between cute, girly, surreal with a pinch of girl power.

What inspires you? Most days I get inspiration from what I am feeling at the moment or what I am thinking. Sometimes I watch a TV show and get really into it and won’t necessarily draw fan-art but something that inspired me from it.

What do you like to draw? Girls and powerful girls, sometimes in a surreal way. I would love to draw boys and plants better and post them more often too, but I have to practice a lot first!

Do you have a background in art? Yes, I’ve been drawing since I was little. I studied Art History in Spain but decided to pursue the career I really wanted and now I am studying animation at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh (online division). It’s alright but I think the real way to become a good artist is practicing everyday!

Can you tell us about your tattoos? I have four tattoos, and I love them. My first tattoo is the biggest one that I have and it is on my thigh, it means a lot to me. All of them do, but I don’t mind getting something that hasn’t a deep meaning necessarily. I want to get a lot more just because I love tattoos, but I need to save up! I’m loving the blackwork style tattoos especially.

Can people buy your illustrations? Yes, I don’t have a proper online store open yet (I am working on it) but you can contact me personally through a private message on Instagram or send me a quick email at ree.rv31@gmail.com

November 9, 2015

Pearls of Wisdom: Tattoo Conventions

Our guest blogger is Natalie McCreesh aka Pearl, a fashion lecturer, freelance writer and creator of Fashion Pearls of Wisdom. In this post she’ll be talking about getting tattooed at tattoo conventions…

I went to my first tattoo conventions this summer, the first Liverpool Tattoo Convention, the second Leeds International Tattoo Expo. They were two fairly different experiences, Liverpool being a huge gathering spread out over a warren of rooms filled with artists and merchandise stalls whilst Leeds was a smaller, more intimate affair. I enjoyed both equally.

Before my first convention I wasn’t sure what to expect, admittedly getting tattooed with an audience wasn’t on my list of fun activities but it was an occasion to get tattooed by my artist without having to travel as far. So I booked in to have my knee cap tattooed by Max Rathbone who had tattooed the rooster on my shin the year before. Yep my knee cap, in public – one of the most painful places or so I’d been told. I wasn’t getting tattooed until later in the afternoon so I had chance to say hello to friends and watch my boyfriend James get tattooed by Andy Walker. This is where we differ as a couple, I like to book my tattoos in advance whereas he prefers to be spontaneous on the day and go for walk-ups (choosing from the artists flash or pre-dawn designs on the day). He also got a little filler from Ad of Folklore Tattoo– a super fun bunch. My turn came and Max scribbled on my knee with coloured pens, he assured me these freehand scribbles would be a peony so I trusted his word and let him crack on. Max had tattooed me before and I was familiar with his style so I could sit back and relax knowing I would end up with an amazing tattoo. To my surprise getting your knee tattooed wasn’t half as bad as I’d expected, phew! Although the swelling after scuppered any plans for a night out, it was back to the digs with a pizza and a bag of frozen peas, our arms laden with prints and other trinkets.

My second convention experience was just as good, after the vastness of Liverpool the intimate nature of Leeds Expo was a real contrast. Whilst there was less to do there was more time to chat. I had booked in with Holly Ashby whose work if been a fan of for a while, having bought some of her stunning prints for our home and as gifts so I was excited to meet her. Even though I’d not met Holly we had chatted before hand and decided on a design, having already been tattooed at a convention I wasn’t freaked out like I had been for the first convention. That said at Leeds there was a lot more people walking past and taking photos, at first I found this a bit weird but Holly was absolutely lovely and it ended up being really fun talking to other people approaching her booth. We got to chat to people from all over the globe including other people there to get tattooed by Holly – it was like joining a special club. Inner thigh was a bit of an awkward spot as I ended up sat on a bench with paper towels tucked in my knickers, but it was worth the slight embarrassment as I adore the placement of my gorgeous pooch tattoo. In one hilarious moment a couple came running up to us brandishing a napkin, after some confusion it turned out they wanted a lipstick kiss print too use as a tattoo template. I am still left to this day wondering if some has my kiss tattooed!

Natalie getting tattooed by Holly Ashby taken by Graham Pile

November 8, 2015

Music Review: Strange Wilds

Our guest blogger is hobbyist reviewer and writer Harry Casey-Woodward:

Strange Wilds, Subjective Concepts , 2015, Sub Pop Records

A grungy punk trio from Olympia, Washington State signed to Sub Pop records. No we have not gone back in time to 1989. I am reviewing a debut album released this year in July by a band named Strange Wilds, who sound like they’ve teleported straight from the late 80s/early 90s Seattle grunge scene to assault our ears. Their state and record label has been home to Nirvana and other indie rock legends, whose anguished noisy spirit they tap into with joyous enthusiasm.

Now surely a band coming out and replicating a sound popular over a decade ago is a sign to be worried about the progression of music. Then again, there aren’t many places left for music to progress to. There are still lots of good bands coming out, but there’s no big unifying rock movement pushing the genre forward. There are lots of scattered bands who mostly try to sound like great bands from the past who already broke down some musical barriers. A few bands who have cropped up in NME , like Wolf Alice for example, sound and dress like a 90s grunge band. As nice as it is to see people still inspired by this great time in music, the fuzzy-angst-in-converse-and-scruffy-sweaters formula has been done a lot and some current bands (like, in my opinion, Wolf Alice) sound like bland reproductions.

Strange Wilds are the first grunge throwback I’ve heard that I enjoyed. This is because they choose not to channel the brooding stadium-ready gloom popularised by mainstream grunge acts like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, which countless post-grunge fakers have wallowed in (Nickelback being the chief culprit). The album Subjective Conceptions harks back to the glory days of grunge’s punk/hardcore roots, sounding like a lost Mudhoney or Black Flag record. Each song snarls and drips with twisted scorn while thundering along with gnarly riffs not out of place on Nirvana’s first album or a Melvins record.

While there’s nothing strikingly original here, it is nice to listen to a band who like making noise for the hell of it and having a good time. Most current indie bands are either light and fluffy, or take themselves too seriously. Take Metz for example, Strange Wilds’ fellow contemporaries of noise also signed to Sub Pop, who have released their second album this year. The bleak and terrifying din from Metz is impressive, but noise is all you get with some barely distinct lyrics hollered over the top.

Listening to Subjective Concepts however, I found myself (shock horror) singing along, something I haven’t done with any recent bands for a while, especially since most bands insist on distorting the vocals beyond recognition. Strange Wilds singer Steven’s vocals are left free and clear to bitterly mutter the verses and howl the choruses in true grunge fashion. The twisted lyrics aren’t bad either, if a bit infantile (‘the streets are littered with our filth’ etc) but the whole band yells them with such gleeful abandon they’re infectious. The band have mastered the art of the catchy grungy chorus, with some spikes of smart sarcasm throughout.

Nowhere is this more effective than on the album’s most powerful track: the opener and single ‘Pronoia’. This is the one song that comes close to being a sincere anthem despairing of the human condition, roaring along with full throttle punk energy. The video is cool as well, showing off the band’s imagination. Standard shots of the blond, long-haired singer thrashing around on his guitar (remind you of anyone?) are interspersed with queasy shots of food and other unidentifiable squishy objects being smashed.

If you still buy CDs, the album’s artwork is cool too. I love record covers that don’t match the content. On the Subjective Concepts cover, we have a young woman dancing on the edge of a building over some urban landscape at sunrise. That and the delicate album title suggest you’re in for some soft ambient music about the self-destructive desire for freedom from social constraints or something. I hope someone picks this up and is pleasantly surprised by the loud, squalling bitterness within. This is a band I’ve been waiting for since headbanging to Nirvana as a teen. This is a short but unforgettable blast of glorious rage that borrows heavily from the past but still sounds fresh, fun and rocks like a boss.