Todd Phillips’ Joker is a conflation of ‘Travis Bickle and Rupert Pupnick’: What David Fincher’s comments on Joker reveal about the film industry today

Roxanna Zoughi on 21 November 2020

Director of 1999 cult classic Fight Club unapologetically shared his views on Todd Phillips’ 21st-century adaptation of one of the most recognised villains in fiction in his 2019 film, Joker.

As part of promotion for his newest film Mank, Fincher reflects on the massive success Joker enjoyed at the box office followed by a generally warm critical reception, in an interview with The Telegraph. Had it not been for Nolan’s massive success in adapting Ledger’s compelling performance to The Dark Knight, Fincher finds it hard to believe that the 2019 film Joker would have been received as well as it was. “Nobody would have thought they had a shot at a giant hit with Joker had The Dark Knight not been as massive as it was”. He goes on “I don’t think anyone would have looked at that material and thought, ‘Yeah, let’s take [Taxi Driver’s] Travis Bickle and [The King of Comedy’s] Rupert Pupkin and conflate them, then trap him in a betrayal of the mentally ill, and trot it out for a billion dollars.’”

Fincher highlights the film’s undeniable allusions to 1970s and 1980s classics Taxi Driver, which follows the disorientated quest for redemption of unbalanced New York taxi driver, and The King of Comedy, a black comedy film centered around the delusions of aspiring stand-up comedian whose eccentric mannerisms and even attire, are noticeably emulated in Joker. Both films were directed by Martin Scorsese and star Robert De Niro as lead role, who has also appeared alongside Joaquin Phoenix in Joker. With the emulation and re-emulation of previously successful and popular tropes in film, it is perhaps not unreasonable to consider that some directors may be tempted to recycle aspects of older films which, at some level, secure a degree of success, or at the least, attention for their ‘new’ projects.

The King of Comedy / Medium

Whilst Phillip’s direction of colour and camerawork alongside Phoenix’s stunning performance hold up as a remarkable piece of art, the adaption of the comic book villain was not a challenging or revolutionary one; it’s success was at least partly owed to the legacy of Ledger’s performance in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008), which had already developed and established the Joker as one of the most alluring villains in fiction. However, that is not to suggest that Phillips did not offer an alternative, enlightening perspective to his adaptation of the character; revealing a developed backstory is what developed the Joker in a way other films had not. But at the same time, constructing a history for the Joker defeats the significance of the obscure meaning behind his actions, which is what made his character both elusive and compelling in previous performances.

Fincher highlights the lack of challenging new material in the film industry today, whose studios “don’t want to make anything that can’t make them a billion dollars”. The reproduction of a character whose success had already been established, no doubt assured film studios of its success; Joker profited over $1 billion at the box office.  

However, before criticising filmmakers for the lack of challenging and new material, we should be considerate of their restriction of free movement in actualising their ideas. Whilst some “challenging content” does manage to make it to the big screen Fincher says, directors still face many obstacles to achieving this, which is something he has experienced first-hand; after a 30-year long struggle, Fincher was only recently able to bring his father’s script for Mank to the big screen. So, can we legitimately chastise directors for failing to present viewers with challenging material, when they are compelled to produce films centered around subjects which have already proven to be commercially lucrative? Nonetheless, conceptualizing an idea and adapting an idea for commercial production are evidently two very different things in the film industry.

Fincher’s newest film, Mank, has already received outstanding reviews from critics and will be available for viewing on Netflix from December 4, 2020.

Photo: nofilmschool.com

Students may receive university offers after results day under new plans

Josh Elgin on 20 November 2020

The Education secretary has revealed plans to change the university admissions system, so that applicants are offered places based on their actual exam results rather than predicted grades. 

Gavin Williamson said the overhaul is being considered to “remove the unfairness” of inaccurate predicted grades which he says damages the opportunities of high achievers from disadvantaged backgrounds.   

Under the current system, applicants apply to universities before January using grades predicted by their teachers and accept any offers they have received in June. In August, results are released and applicants who failed to meet the terms of their offer enter clearing to find another course. 

The proposals, however, would give students longer to make their university choices and offers would only be made once the university has received an applicant’s grades in August. Universities would have a one-week window before “offer day”, and students a one-week window afterwards to respond, followed by a clearing process for applicants without a place. 

UCAS data for 2019 shows 79% of 18-year-olds in the UK accepted to university with at least 3 A levels had their grades over-predicted, whereas 8% were under-predicted. 

High achieving students from low-income households are most likely to have their grades under-predicted, with research from UCL’s Institute of Education showing almost a quarter of that group had their results underpredicted between 2013 and 2015. 

In a statement, the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: 

“We should celebrate the fact that we are seeing record numbers of disadvantaged students going to university, but the current admissions system is letting down the brightest pupils from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. By using predicted grades it is limiting the aspirations of students before they know what they can achieve. 

We need to radically change a system which breeds low aspiration and unfairness. That is why we are exploring how best to transform the admission process to one which can propel young people into the most promising opportunities for them within higher education.”

The government is also looking into banning the use of unconditional offers, which the Department for Education described as a “damaging practice” that encourages applicants to accept a place at a university which might not be in their best interest.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “The current system is based on inaccurately predicted results and leads to those from less affluent backgrounds losing out. Allowing students to apply after they receive their results will help level the playing field and put a stop to the chaotic clearing scramble.”

The Sutton Trust commissioned a poll last month which found that two-thirds of this year’s university entrants are in favour of removing predicted grades from university admissions. Applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds said they would have been more likely to have applied to more selective universities if they had known their final results. 

Josh Bate, an International Relations student, said he thought the change would make the application process fairer. “It’s a good thing because universities won’t be able to discriminate against students based on social factors […] admission to university will only be based on how well you have done”

Photo credit: Charles Robertson/Alamy

Make this Christmas greener: ways to be kinder to the planet over the festive season.

Alicia Ward on 20 November 2020

Did you know that Christmas is considered ‘the world’s greatest annual environmental disaster’? According to Business Leader, we use 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging for gifts, with 794,000kg of CO2 being emitted during the production of wrapping paper alone, not to mention the impact of wasted wrapping paper. 

It’s fair to say that Attenborough wouldn’t approve of the continuation of our current festive habits. However, it’s not yet too late for change. Having an environmentally friendly Christmas is so easy with a spoonful of swaps and a pinch of creativity.

Gifts

Conventional Christmas gifts are wrapped in layers of plastic and often discarded after Christmas, with a whopping 40% of children’s toys being thrown away by March every year! It’s so important to make sure that the gifts you’re giving this year also give back to the environment. How about baking festive treats for someone? These can be stored in a glass jar with decorative twine and a homemade paper label – gift packaging that can be reused for years to come. Or buy experiences for those people who are usually so hard to buy for. These could include restaurant vouchers, concert tickets or even a session at a trampolining centre for the kids (that the adults can also join in with). Eco-friendly gifts like a metal water bottle or a keep-cup are great for their long-term impact on the environment. 

For any other green gift ideas check out some amazing UK sites like The Ethical Superstore, The Green Tulip and Plastic Freedom, which stock everything from organic clothing to gorgeous wooden and metal decorations.

Decorations

Speaking of decorations, keep an eye out for items to display around the house during the festive season when you’re on your next winter walk. Evergreen branches, flowers, holly leaves and berries and even dried oranges and cinnamon sticks will make your home feel and smell festive! Decorate the Christmas tree with pinecones on ribbons, punch a hole in polaroid pictures of you and your friends to hang on a branch, or make homemade decorations as a house, or with younger siblings at home. 

This year, my housemates and I have set ourselves a challenge to decorate the Christmas tree with unconventional decorations that we can find around the house. As well as having a laugh together it also makes the decorations personal, rather than the usual red and gold plastic baubles that everyone and their Gran has. 

Gift wrap

Make sure you have the best looking presents this year with the new and greener way to wrap gifts that has become so popular in the last few years. Using brown paper, old newspaper or even cutting up and using the paper shopping bag that you bought the presents in can make your wrapping look rustic and chic, as well as being great for the planet. Get some inspiration on Pinterest and switch up your wrapping with strips of waste-paper, fabric ribbons and decorative flowers and branches. Learn a new skill with the style of Japanese wrapping, Furoshiki: the art of wrapping gifts in a bundle of fabric. 

Cards

Send a virtual video message to your loved ones this year to save on wasted card and paper, or go for another green alternative with seed paper cards. Seed paper can be planted in soil and watered to grow beautiful wildflowers. Not On The High Street are currently selling their eco-friendly seed paper cards in the style of woodland creatures. Each card comes with a little paper hedgehog, squirrel or other animal for the receiver to plant, and it’s only 95p to deliver them anywhere within the UK!

Christmas Dinner

Enjoy an ethical and sustainable Christmas dinner this December with some delicious vegan food. M&S’ vegan Christmas range is unbeatable this year with ‘No-Chorizo pigs in duvets’, their Plant Kitchen butternut, almond and pecan nut roast, and their vegan chocolate torte or sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Other Christmas classics are also very easily made vegan, such as Christmas pudding, roast veg, Yorkshire puddings and gravy. Check out vegan chef Gaz Oakley’s “Vegan Christmas” cookbook and the Vegan Food & Living Magazine Christmas edition – subscribe for a year and receive a £30 voucher for the Vegan Kind Supermarket!

Christmas Tree

If you want the smell of pine needles in the house this Christmas and don’t fancy buying a fake tree (which would have to be used for at least 20 years before it is classed as a greener option) please dispose of your tree wisely once the festive season is over. Residents from LS6 postcodes and 9 other postcodes can book to have their tree collected from the door between 7th and 11th January 2021. Simply visit events.st-gemma.co.uk and choose ‘Christmas Tree Collection’. Alternatively, there are eight different recycling centres in Leeds that accept Christmas trees, including Kirkstall and Meanwood Recycling Centres.

There are also services outside of Leeds that rent out and then replant the trees! Do some research to see if your family could use this service, or for anyone from the Leicester, Coventry and Nottingham areas you can use www.loveachristmastree.co.uk. 

Don’t want the hassle of messy pine leaves but don’t want to support a business selling trees of plastic? Purchase a fake tree that you can reuse for many years to come on Gumtree or from a local charity shop. Or if you and your house see no point in getting a tree for the 3 weeks before you all go home for Christmas, decorate your house plant that has been sitting there bare for 11 months of the year!

Have a greener Christmas this year by being kinder to the planet and your conscience. Whether it’s taking up a new hobby in Furoshiki, having a browse on The Ethical Superstore, or sending cards that can be planted to make wildflowers, make sure you enjoy Christmas this year and send joy to the world!

How Griselda are effortlessly dominating 2020

Hemma Daddral on 19 November 2020

Instantly recognisable for their bravado and famed ad-libs, the Buffalo trio navigate stardom through heavy, luxurious beats and some of their best lyricism to date. Hemma Daddral tracks their 2020 releases.

Pray for Paris. 

Opening with a sample drawn from the auction of Leonardo DaVinci’s Salvatore Mundi, Westside Gunn lets his audience know the atmosphere of the album from the outset. Decadence rings throughout the sound that Gunn harnesses, his presence undeniable as he boasts his Gatsby-esque lifestyle.

This is Gunn at his most confident, lyrics such as “Clothes from Fifth Ave, broke it, I got rich fast” layered on top of opulent Conductor Williams’ beat on ‘Euro Step’ establish Westside Gunn’s self-assurance in his flair. The impressive guestlist of respectable artists such as Tyler, the Creator, Wale, Freddie Gibbs and his Griselda counterparts fit perfectly into the 13-track album, giving each guest the spotlight whilst maintaining his own flair throughout. 

Burden of Proof.

Produced entirely by the famed and respected Hit-Boy, Benny the Butcher’s solo project proves his rightful spot alongside Conway and Gunn in Griselda. Reflecting on his beginnings as a drug dealer juxtaposed with the lavish fruition of fame creates an immersive insight for the listener into the world of the Buffalo collective.

On ‘Where Would I Go’, Benny boasts “It’s on my wrist and as well as my hip, it’s cold metal” – a single line that exemplifies the lifestyle that we briefly become privy to when listening to Burden of Proof. Once again, Benny is joined by his Griselda counterparts on ‘War Paint’ and other familiar faces Rick Ross and Freddie Gibbs contribute throughout, respectively.

With the help of Hit-Boy, Burden of Proof sees Benny at his most experimental lyrically, creating a sonically immersive body of work.

From King to a God. 

Known for his slurred yet sharp voice as a result of his Bell’s Palsy, Conway the Machine delivers hard-hitting, gritty tales from the streets of Buffalo on his latest album. Conway’s bravado steals the show on the LP, occupying an undeniable presence with the backdrop of star-studded production: notably the Alchemist and Mobb Deep’s Havoc. Conway shared with Pitchfork that he “wanted to showcase versatility and show people that [he’s] not a one trick pony”. From King to a God sees an undeniable shift in Conway’s style, moving away from 90’s, New York influenced sound and seeking validation from a larger audience.

Despite this, Conway bags a heavy Method Man verse on ‘Lemon’, as Meth is ever confident: “Gave you permission to speak? To learn, you listen. Learn to listen to a different MC, you’ll learn the difference”. Though Conway wishes to evolve from his classic, gritty style, he still emulates the influence of those who built him thus far. ‘Spurs 3’ is a shining moment on the album as he, Cousin Benny the Butcher and brother Westside Gunn transport back to the early days of Griselda, giving fans a sense of nostalgia. 

These three standout projects exemplify the consistency of quality that the trio are able to achieve. With 8 years of experience as a collective, Griselda’s musical contribution to 2020 has been nothing less than an uphill climb, proving their legacy in the genre. 

Molchat Doma’s Monument: A gothic snyth-pop dance party

Benjamin Forrest on 19 November 2020

Belarus trio Molchat Doma’s 2018 album ‘Этажи’ was deeply ahead of its time, signified by the fact that it has only recent started gaining traction in the UK (yes thanks, in part, to Tik Tok – but let’s not go there). Nevertheless, the album solidified the band as one of the greatest current post-punk outfits on the planet and, as I see it, ‘Monument’ only goes to further that claim. 

Whilst I adore the band’s previous work, I would have liked to see more evolution in sound between their last album and ‘Monument’, it follows very similar themes and sounds – which is positive given how great their signagture sound is, however I feel as though, if they continue down this path for multiple future albums, the sound is in danger of becoming somewhat stale. For now, though, Molchat Doma still sound incredible, and refreshingly different in comparison to the vast majority of other popular ‘post-punk’ acts at the moment (a lot of whom are beginning to sound identical to each other, leading me to worry that post-punk will become the next ‘indie rock’, but that is a story for another day). 

The album kicks off with Cold War style nightclub banger ‘Utonut’ and doesn’t really lift off after that point, continuing the 80’s style synth, reminiscent of New Order, early Depeche Mode, or Telex, on tracks such as ‘Discoteque’ and ‘Ne Smeshno’. The standout track, for me, would have to be ‘Otveta Net’. The dark, booming voice of vocalist Egor Shkutko compliments the retro drum beat and Roman Komogortsev’s whining guitar tones beautifully to create what, I think, will come to be one of Molchat Doma’s defining tracks when all is said and done. 

Written entirely in quarantine, Monument embraces the darkness and despair, but doesn’t wallow in the sadness like so many others. Instead, the album is a kind of gothic snyth-pop dance party, which fits the mood of lockdown pretty well honestly. It is perhaps one of the few albums that would work equally well at a house party, or a 2:00am bout of deep melancholy. As Shukuto claims in the lyrics to ‘Discoteque’: “I will continue to dance”, that lyric, in my eyes, is a fitting signifier for the entire album: continuing to dance through the darkness and misery of life in 2020. Truthfully, this album could not have come out at a better time, deep into the second period of lockdown everybody is feeling helpless and tired, we all need the moody tones of three Belarusian men to help us forget about our troubles and cry-dance alone in our bedrooms to industrial, cold wave, post-punk synths.

Aaron Philip: Uniting the Industry

Carmen Ghazi on 19 November 2020

Earlier this year, Moschino announced the face of their Fall/Winter 2020 campaign as Aaron Philip. 

For Philip, a black transgender and disabled model, this is her first high fashion modelling campaign. For the disabled, black and LGBTQ+ communities, this is a momentous campaign signalling a change in the fashion and beauty industry.

But this is not Aaron’s only major industry-breaking first. In 2018, she became the first black, disabled and transgender model to sign with a major modelling agency, Elite Management. 

Having landed her first magazine cover in June 2019 for Paper magazine, in which she was interviewed by none other than Naomi Campbell, she has quickly become a name to remember in the modelling world. That year, Philip also featured in Miley Cyrus’ music video for ‘Mother’s Daughter’.

Even before her modelling career, Philip was outspoken about her experiences growing up in the Bronx as a teenager diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy; she published an autobiography ‘This Kid Can Fly: It’s About Ability (Not Disability)’ at just 14 years old. 

Aaron has continued to actively champion disabled and trans representation and rights among her large social media following. In a NowThis Entertainment interview, she said ‘I want to get signed to a modelling agency…because there’s such little representation for disabled bodies, people with disabilities, and black, trans women and femmes, and non-binary people in general. And somehow, I’m at the intersection of all of that and not once have I seen myself properly represented.’

Philip is spearheading the fight for increased representation for often marginalised communities and forcing the fashion industry to confront its prejudices about what is considered “beautiful”. In the black and white images for the campaign, Aaron stares strikingly at the viewer, forcing them to directly address their own prejudices – all whilst channelling a ‘sexy, alien Marie Antoinette’.

Her partnership with Moschino is a significant milestone in a journey for redefining mainstream fashion, both within the everyday, as well as in high fashion houses. Aaron gives those who are often underrepresented in many areas of society- not just fashion- a voice through which they can be heard. She holds the door open for millions of others who are marginalised, paving the way for more opportunities. In a world marred by division and prejudice, Aaron Philip brings unity, hope and couture.

Reclaiming Being Single Will Help All in Second Lockdown

Séamus O'Hanlon on 17 November 2020

The announcement of a further lockdown has caused fierce political debate, gloomy economic forecasts, and it perhaps signals the final straw for the chances of us singletons getting into relationships this year. It is logical to be angry and disappointed against these new restrictions. 

Looking around at the forced closures of local businesses is very hard to accept. The pain of the limits placed yet again on our personal lives is real and immense. It is normal to be upset about this and it is never selfish or wrong to have strong feelings about current events. Compliance with the second lockdown, however, is important to its success. Therefore, being single is the variable that needs to be central to the country’s coping strategy.  

It is illogical to not comply with the month-long lockdown with this being the latest and maybe last drive to get the R-rate down. Cases have gone up and preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed in peak winter makes sense and is sadly necessary. Going to meet dates is not going to help small businesses or restart the economy. It is another chance of transmission. By its definition a date is non-essential, and it is the opposite of minimising contact. If you want venues and establishments to reopen quickly, then these new laws need to be taken seriously. The system of quarantine only works if a high level of compliance is achieved which means personally abstaining from illegal, romantic, or sexual, meetups. 

Leeds was about to enter Tier 3, joining which would have been a total of more than eight million people living in a high-risk area. Those of us in the north must follow the law and single adults are a crucial group whose actions are highly influential to the number of cases. There have been numerous divides in this pandemic, but one which greatly affects well-being and is tied to age is singledom. Having our freedom constrained is terrible, but we need to be clear to everyone that there is nothing wrong or inherently negative about being single. 

Cuffing season: early nights, cold weather, and cutesy images of couples embraced in fleeces. I joined Tinder this semester and saw quite a few references about needing to get with someone soon and fast. There is always great pressure on young people to be dating or searching for a relationship, and this can be harmful. Failure to obtain a love life is often another self-imposed measure to dictate self-worth. Another metric to judge yourself. Don’t be harsh on yourself, it is very easy to compare yourself to others, very natural to lose perspective of how important being in a relationship is. The thought of still being single due to the pandemic is unfair, unjustifiable even, but the current situation needs to be seen as just unlucky. 

Every individual using dating apps needs to assess if spending time on them is self-care or not. I found Tinder a waste of time and eventually detrimental to my mental health. Repeating facts about yourself to strangers each night and swiping after a long day, wasn’t proper switching off time and didn’t help with my stress. Delete it, pause it or continue with dating apps as long as they remain enjoyable and fun. Take this as a month as a break. 

Use this month to develop longer conversations. If they don’t want to wait for you or pressure you to date in the first few messages then they are not worth your time. Tinder is introducing a video call function to its platform, increasing internet safety with fewer swapped details. If you have chemistry you’ll know, brilliant, and if it’s clear that there’s no spark, knowing before meeting in person is a blessing. Every date or chat can be perceived as part of your experience, not forced by the external crisis going on.  

Take your time with online dating. Find the positives of being single which are plentiful and profound. Reclaiming being single is about protecting well-being in the worst of situations. Love waits. Self-worth, happiness, and joy are found from within and help powerfully protect the at-risk.  

Séamus O’Hanlon

Image source: Psycatgames