Students on De Montfort University’s Arts and Entertainment Journalism module pick the films, plays, music, TV shows and books that shaped them.
My favourite film
My favourite film to watch and my favourite film to watch with others are unfortunately different; the film that I think is the most enjoyable would probably go to The Banshees of Inisherin at the moment. It’s an enjoyable albeit slow dark comedy that I probably wouldn’t have watched unless I was stuck on a plane but it thoroughly held my attention and I enjoyed it even more on a rewatch! The characters are phenomenal and it truly explores what happens when someone just removes you from your life.
My favourite film to subject others too is unfortunately Freddy got Fingered. Do not watch this film expecting it to be good, don’t think that the jokes are funny and don’t even try to make sense of it. All this movie is is Tom Green looking directly at the studio and saying “what did you expect when you told me to make a movie.” It’s awful, it’s cruel and it’s literally what you get when you give someone who loves to ironically burn money a bunch of money to burn, I love it so much.
The first time I went to the theatre
The first time I can remember going to the theatre was as a kid to watch The Lion King on Broadway. The costumes were cool but I don’t think an 11-year-old gamer is built to appreciate the theatre
The TV show I’m currently binging
Unfortunately the current show I’m going through is One Piece. Any show that is over a thousand episodes long and has a fan re-edit to remove the huge amount of filler and garbage can’t be called great but if you can figure out how to watch it and want unabashed, positive and thrilling pirate fun that’s as goofy as it possibly can be at any moment, then I’d recommend it!
The first song I adored
The first song I really listened to and appreciated was Soft Rock Star from Metric’s album Grow Up and Blow Away. It was on a late-night car journey back from my grandma’s and all I had was one album to listen to in my headphones. It’s sentimental, it’s soft and it’s a great example of Emily Haines’ vocal talent.
My go-to karaoke tune
People of my singing ability are prone to dodge karaoke but if someone manages to drag me or if I confuse myself enough to think it will be a good idea I guess I would choose something by Rush, maybe Fly by Night. It’s one of the few songs I know the words to and may as well pick a band with a singer who also can’t sing.
The lyric I love
I’m holding the chopper like Time Crisis,
Jacked up on K2 I might just join ISIS,
Abu Bakr al Bagdadi,
I’m rich I got three Bugattis.
From NBA Stupid A$s’ Black Flanders, or its country remix.
The first gig I saw
The first gig I ever went to was My Chemical Romance’s Danger Days tour when it stopped in Birmingham. It was loud, people were passing out from the heat, and I was about 12. Still love that album though.
The book I couldn’t put down
One of my prime skills is the ability to put down anything, no matter how good, but the first Game of Thrones book spawned the media colossus it is for a reason.
Overrated
Pretty much all Marvel. I just don’t understand how people can sit for three hours to watch an advert for 15 other films. It’s not like they are all bad, but the good are few and far between.
It’s not great when you want to watch the third Guardians of the Galaxy film you have to process several major deaths and important details that you can only decode from about 15 different films, each of which is only there to make you watch another one.
Underrated
Your Name is just a fantastic film. It’s animated beautifully and the score is astounding. Don’t look anything up, just watch it!
Trailer Park Boys. To this day I don’t think there has ever been any media fully captures, explores and loves a population of people as much as the first season does. Yes, it’s about weed dealers doing the world’s stupidest petty crime, but to make characters as absurd as Ricky so lovable and pitiable is a skill that writers can only dream of.
My guilty pleasure
Plus it has some of the best writing of LGBTQ characters in poverty that I’ve seen. Most shows can show positive role models but to show just a representation of shameful people trying their best with nothing fighting circumstances they themselves created is brilliant! And it doesn’t stop being funny the entire season! (Later seasons may be viewed sceptically).