Students on De Montfort University’s Music, Film and Entertainment Journalism module pick the films, plays, music, TV shows and books that shaped them
My favourite film
The Fall (2006). I discovered this film when I was probably 10, I remember being completely transfixed at the TV for two hours. I don’t think I even blinked.
It’s a film about storytelling, set in the 1920s: a bedridden patient in a Los Angeles hospital captivates a young girl with a story filled with myths, villains and reality.
It has insane cinematography, I have yet to see another film use colour the way this one has, I cannot recommend it enough. Nobody should go without seeing it.
The last movie I saw
I rewatched The Lost Boys (1987). I consistently tell people that this film is a masterpiece, I watched it once when I was like 15 and took my opinion as gospel.
I rewatched it last week, and now I am revoking my right to give opinions on a film I’ve watched once. It is mediocre at best but, maybe that’s down to the 1980s filmmaking possibilities.
The TV show I’m currently binging
The Pitt. It’s about this ER in Pittsburgh, it’s basically documentation of a 12-hour day shift, 12 episodes in a season, each episode is an hour of the shift.
It has none of the normal drama that normally comes with fictional medical shows, this show is purely about the chaos that a 12-hour shift entails.
It’s great, it completely entrapped you for an hour then when it’s over, you have a newfound appreciation for your life and thankful that you are not currently sat in A&E.
The book I couldn’t put down
There are two that come to mind. Just Kids by Patti Smith. I just loved the lifestyle she led, carefree, creative and in New York. To be honest any book about an artist living in New York has my attention.
The second one is A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I was a little sceptical at first, the book is a brick. I brought it at an airport when I was going away for the week, I wanted a nice and easy holiday read but for some unknown reason I picked up this book. It was a pain in the arse to carry around but god was it worth it: 832 pages of pure brilliance. The last 100 pages were a bit of a struggle to read through my tears, but we got there.
My first gig
Madness, 2011. I went with my dad, to the Motorpoint area in Nottingham. I don’t remember much besides the smell of beer, the ringing in my ears for about an hour afterwards and the sight of the 60-year-old saxophone player who would just start yelling, at anybody, whenever he felt like it.
But I’ve seen them five times since so it couldn’t have been that bad. And yes, the saxophone player is still a loose cannon.
My first album
Ram (1971) by Paul McCartney. Strange one for a kid to come across and I don’t remember how exactly I did but it is still my go-to.
I remember I begging my mum for the record when I was about 12. We were in the Cotswolds for the weekend, and this vintage store had a first edition, £250.
I don’t know where my confidence came from, but I had it in my mind that this record was coming home with me.
Safe to say, I left empty handed.
My desert island disc
- Mexico – James Taylor
- 4:44 – JAY-Z
- Too Many People – Paul McCartney
- Everything I Own – Bread
- Welcome to the Working Week – Elvis Costello
- Cult of Personality – Living Colour
- Summer Boy – Lady Gaga
- Footsteps in the Dark – Isley Brothers
- Fire – Black Pumas
Overrated
Social media, modern pop music, alcohol and checked luggage
Underrated
The Fall (2006), unsweetened espresso and the band Black Pumas
