It reads me

Kick-Ass (volume one graphic novel)

2010-04-07T21:47:00.000+01:00

Here at It reads me...
Quite simply, we just can't get enough Kick-Ass. Short of buying our own green and yellow wetsuits, Wrangler boots, and thick yellow industrial gloves, plus batons, we decided to indulge our mitts with a copy of the graphic novel version of Kick-Ass. Bringing together all the comics, (originally published by Marvel's imprint Icon), that the film Kick-Ass (currently on cinematic release in the UK) was adapted from, the graphic is a chunky piece of value-for-money.

What's the story?
A punk-ass teen wonders about why no one has never taken up the role of a super hero before to fight the world's ills. Before he realises what he's doing, he's ordered the wetsuit and gone out and gotten himself into far more trouble than he ever realised possible.

Please note that the film's story does deviate at numerous points and details from the original comics.

How does the graphic and the film compare?
The film's creators took the comics and changed the story in parts, and details of characters, in ways that actually allow the concept to be more believable and sophisticated. Essentially, even though Mark Millar is an excellent writer, when you read the graphic and then watch the film, or the other way round, you will notice that Matt Vaughn has taken Kick-Ass that extra bit further.

Though there are parts from the comics that I wished they'd put in the film, such as Dave's dad's search for love, or sex. Also, people say the film is violent, well actually the original comics are a heck of a lot more violent: electrical testicular torture, and a Hit-Girl who uses swords far more often. Definitely a read for those past the age of fifteen.

John Romita Jr.'s artwork is fricken' awesome, with distinct character designs. As with pretty much all comic book movies that are adapted from a specific work, it is worth reading what the film is based on. Even though Vaughn made changes to the comics' story, Millar's original still makes a fine read, with some more intriguing nuisances with particular characters and their back story.

Availability
The graphic novel is out now at all good UK booksellers (online and offline). With an RRP of £9.99 for the regular version. If you want to collect the original comics, then check out your local comic book store.

Related links
Wiki entry on the comics
Our Kick-Ass film review

The Doctor will see you now...

2010-04-05T10:39:00.000+01:00

New series of Doctor Who has begun!
If you haven't already caught it (and are a UK resident) go check it out on BBC iplayer now. Otherwise, read on as I detail the delights of the new Doctor and his companion (so yes, there may be spoilers)...

Starting out...
Other than the brief yet dramatic transformation scene that occurred during the end of Tennant's final episode of the two-parter The End of Time, which was aired on New Year's Day this year, Saturday's new episode was Matt Smith's proper first outing as the eleventh doctor. And what an outing it was.

What happened with The Eleventh Hour?
I don't want to go into too much spoiler filled detail, however I really enjoyed what new lead writer, Steven Moffat, did to introduce us to the new characters and a new mystery or two that will obviously plague the Doctor during the rest of the series. It's Bad Wolf all over again, but potentially even worse news for the universe.

Watching Saturday's episode reassured me that having Moffat take over from Davies was a good idea. The man that bought us such terrors as The Empty Child in the first series of the reboot of Doctor Who, has cleverly introduced yet another Runaway Bride as the companion of the Doctor, and this is a woman who has an even more interesting background than previous companions. Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan, is a lady to watch.

Matt Smith as the new Doctor
David Tennant had built up a rather large fan base during the previous series, but Smith, though maybe not the cup of tea of die-hard Tennant fans, has made the role this own. The youngest actor to play the Doctor yet, Smith bought an energy to the role that younger viewers were certainly able to identify with. I do believe that I genuinely enjoyed watching him in the role, but I won't say outright that he is amazing until I have seen a few more episodes.

Only criticism...
At times, it was difficult to believe what the Doctor was getting up to whilst trying to save the world. Moffat's uses of technology were perhaps, at times, stretching the realms of disbelief just a little too much. Hopefully this won't be something that happens with every episode.

The next episode of Doctor Who - The Best Below can be caught on BBC1 Saturday 10th April at 6:15pm.

Related links
Official BBC Doctor Who website
Wiki entry on Doctor Who

Kick-Ass is kick ass

2010-04-01T00:32:00.001+01:00

(And candy is dandy)
Just an hour back from the cinema and I can't believe the awesomeness that has been unleashed upon British cinema screens before our friends over the pond are able to get their mitts on it. Based on Mark Millar's comics of the same name (illustrated by John Romita Jr.), comes Kick-Ass directed by British director Matthew Vaughn.

Starring
We've got hot British actor Aaron Johnson (previously played as John Lennon in last year's Nowhere Boy) as the title hero and comic book geek Kick-Ass, and upcoming young star (and comedy film favourite) Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Role Models and Superbad) as a "rich boy" and "hero" Red Mist. Then there's a spunky performance from young actress Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl (previously starred as Kiki George in Dirty Sexy Money), and Nicholas Cage manages to gain forgiveness for involvement in both National Treasure films by becoming Big Daddy.

Story
So Johnson's character Dave Lizewski, a typical American teenager, one day contemplates becoming a super hero. Now these thoughts kind of stick heavily with him until one day he finally caves in and becomes the phenomenon known as Kick-Ass: New York's "first" super hero. Of course things are not all dandy and just a simple case of dealing with the odd mugger, as Dave/Kick Ass quickly learns, muggers are not all that's out in the world as there's a lot of organised crime in the Big Apple too. As Kick-Ass struggles to realise who his true allies are, and Dave falls in love with a girl from school, New York does not know just quite what is about to kick its ass.

What did you like?
There's a lot in this film to like. Due to the nature of its source material, there are tonnes of comic book and comic book film references, and Matthew Vaughn and co-writer Jane Goldman quickly show just how to make fans of the genre squeal and laugh, with both often happening at the same time.

The film is well-edited, well-acted and stylised in just the right way, producing a humour filled and action packed text that is just bursting at the seams with cinematic goodness. Admittedly I have yet to read the original comics/graphics that the film is adapted from, so I can't tell you how they compare, but this is definitely the best film of the first quarter of this year (at least if you like plenty of action and super heroes).

Who should watch this?
Quite frankly, anyone aged 15 and over who isn't, as Matthew Vaughn put it on a recent appearance on BBC 1's The One Show, a Daily Mail reader because, quite frankly, Dail Mail readers are just too sad to be capable of handling this awesomeness (and as Vaughn actually said, "this film wasn't made for them."). Seriously, with the levels of violence in the film, any parents who let their under-age kid watch this film is irresponsible, it has a 15 BBFC handed out certificate for a reason.

By the way...
This film has one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a film for a while, and is definitely worth picking up. There's a healthy dose of Prodigy and some sweet old tunes that will make you smile when you watch the scenes where they're used.

Kick-Ass is out in UK cinemas now.

Related links
Official website
IMDB entry
Wiki entry on the Mark Millar created comic book series

John Hicklenton passes away (1967-2010)

2010-03-26T22:54:00.001Z

This week
The comic book world mourns the passing of British comic book artist John Hicklenton (aka John Deadstock) one of the many inkers and pencillers to work on 2000 AD's Judge Dredd over the years. Having been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2000, John decided to end his life on 19th March (last Friday) at the Swiss based Dignitas clinic.

Comics
John's work spanned from the late 1980s until the time of his death, and was not just on the Judge Dredd comics. John's agent, Adrian Weston, in an interview with the BBC said that John was a, "clear sighted and visionary person." He was well known for his horrific and grotesque art style. And according to reports, completed his final book 100 Months the day before he travelled to the Dignitas clinic.

Outside of comics
John led a strong campaign to raise awareness of MS including starring in a documentary called Here's Johnny in 2008. The documentary took seven years to make and was screened on More4 in 2009.

Related links
BBC article on Hicklenton's death
Wiki entry on the artist
More4 overview of Here's Johnny
2000 AD's website
Forum thread on 2000 AD forums announcing John's passing

The Hangover (2009)

2010-03-23T22:19:00.005Z

What a night!
So, four men go to Vegas... You might have seen this poster plastered around last year, because it was well publicized. Despite being a relatively recent film, you may be seeing this going cheaper than you'd expect. Starring quite a cast of newcomers, and Heather Graham, there seems to be very little marketability for the film without only evoking the genre of the film. However, saying that, it doesn't seem too shabby.

Dude, where's my movie?
The theme is fairly similar to Dude Where's My Car (2000), in terms of story layout. So much so in fact that I shall create a new sub-genre of the Road Movie, which is already a sub-genre of the "stoner films", which is a sub-genre of adventure/"buddy movie" type, and this new kind of film will be the "hey, where's my thing". Okay, not a catchy title, you make one up!

Anyway, as I was saying, put another dude in and turn your car into another dude, and you have the basic premise. The characters find themselves in the "hilarious" position of trying to track down what they did the previous night, and as with this new sub-genre (ahem), we don't get to witness it until the characters discover it.

Meet the dudes!
The characters themselves are all unique. We have the chilled out cool guy, that basically wants to get wasted and relive his glory days, the uptight hen-pecked husband (to be) who finds his wild side is more crazy than anyone else, the not-quite-there guy who is basically a big kid and the soon-to-be groom and reason for the characters who wouldn't otherwise stick together to make it through the entire film together. What could possibly go wrong?...

Well as you guessed it, one of these people will be the car (metaphorically) that they need to find. Why? Well, that's because they cannot remember through the amount of alcohol and other substances that they take (another generic convention of this type of film, wink, wink) where the groom is. Oh, there is another thing with this type of film about the ending, but I won't spoil it for you.

Spoilers? No thanks! But can you tell me more about the plot please?!
I sure can my little friend (or big, depending on who's reading this). The plot is often incredible. No, I don't mean awesome, I mean not-credible, as in I don't believe it. This breaks the illusion that what I'm watching is possible (verisimilitude for the media savvy), and while it's fine to say "Well light speed isn't possible, you can't like Star Trek then", you must understand that this shattering of illusion is only applicable to each film universe's logic. In the universe that we live in (and presumably the universe of The Hangover), there are things that throw the film off balance somewhat, such as...

...Well, I won't spoil it for you. Suffice to say that I was entertained but not really "into" it if you know what I mean. I was essentially amused by the antics, but not believing in them, knowing that there was never any risk to the characters, because it's a comedy film, and because I was aware constantly that I was only watching a film (yes, you can get so wrapped up in films that you forget that they are just films - just ask anyone who's hidden behind the sofa or a pillow while watching a horror film).

Don't get me wrong, it's part of the genre for incredible (and un-credible) things to happen, such as learning Japanese while stoned and still remembering it in the morning, and speaking it fluently after just one lesson (Dude Where's My Car?). And somewhat bizarrely, that wasn't the most, well, bizarre thing to happen in Dude either!

Overall, I think I was more laughing at the bizarre scenarios they had got themselves into, rather than empathizing with characters, and thus didn't care if the characters got what they wanted.

Should I buy or rent or skip out on it?
It's worth a rent, just to say that you have seen it, and it's my policy that everything should be watched at least once. Well, maybe not some things, but theatrical films, yes. Overall though, the people that are likely to like this film the most are people who enjoyed Dude Where's My Car? as well as other stoner films. Not a bad film, just not a particularly good one either.

Johnny Storm to play Captain America!

2010-03-23T00:25:00.001Z

Kind of...
Variety has just reported that actor Chris Evans, is going to star as Captain America in The First Avenger: Captain America, which Marvel is hoping to release during the summer of next year. He'll also play Cap in several other Avenger themed movies. Obviously Evans doesn't have much in the way of plans to reprise his role as Johnny Storm/Human Torch of the Fantastic Four... (I assume.)

Also
Further examination of the Variety article points to Hugo Weaving taking up the role as Captain America's arch-nemesis the Red Skull. An Australian playing a German, this should be interesting.

Marvel news...
I like Marvel, but I'm not just a fan of their comics, I like other publishers' works too. Just, they have a lot of news going for them at the moment.

Anyway
Am I the only one who can foresee some level of confusion when the film comes out? Oh, I am, well okay. "Flame on!... sorry I mean..."

Related links
Variety article on the matter
IMDB profile on Chris Evans
Marvel's website

Legal fights not over with Marvel

2010-03-22T14:36:00.000Z

Oh copyright, let me compare thee...
Okay, so Disney didn't seem too phased when purchasing Marvel last year that they could be facing some legal fights over the copyright pertaining to characters that Jack Kirby worked on for Marvel during 1958-1963. Kirby's heirs are now definitely fighting for his piece of royalty pie.

Disney
The big guys don't seem troubled by any of this at the moment. If you want to read the full story, and get confused over America's version of copyright laws, check out The New York Times link below.

Related links
The New York Times article on the lawsuits
Wiki entry on Jack Kirby
Marvel's Official site

And the winner pitifully is...

2010-03-20T10:49:00.000Z

Maybe, I'm a little bitter...
So Batman arkham Asylum was not the people's choice for the GAME Award last night at the BAFTA Video Game Awards, no it was Modern Warfare 2 that came out top dog. If this is the kind of game that the British public thinks is the best out of all of the games released last year, well maybe they just don't deserve to be sold decent games any more....

However
The people behind the actual BAFTAs, the ones who decided on the other categories that were not voted for by the public, pretty much snubbed Modern Warfare 2. Obviously the "industry" knows a foolish public opinion when it sees it. The big winner of last night was Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which scooped Best Action Game, Best Original Score, Best Story and Best Use of Audio.

And you know what? Batman Arkham Asylum didn't do too bad either, achieving Best Game (yeah, I know) and Best Gameplay. So, I'm happy. Also, Left 4 Dead 2 claimed Best Multiplayer Game of the year, again another title people may have thought Modern Warfare 2 would get.

Infact
Both Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin's Creed 2 were ignored by the academy voters. They didn't pick up a single award. And maybe I am a little smug about this.

On one final note
Mr Shigeru Miyamoto received an Academy Fellowship. And I have to say that he's definitely earned that one. In case you don't know who he is, let's just say he is one of the top people at Nintendo and responsible for such gaming classics as Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda.

Related links
List of all the winners and losers at the 2010 awards
Official Modern Warfare 2 site
Official Uncharted website
Official Batman Arkham Asylum site
Official Left 4 Dead 2 site

BAFTA Video Game Awards 2010 (tonight)

2010-03-19T10:10:00.000Z

If...........
You're one of the few people who took the time to vote in the GAME BAFTA Award 2009, then tonight you'll learn whether the public is truly a bunch of uninspired idiots that either voted Assassin's Creed 2 to the top or Modern Warfare 2. Ideally that won't be the result (I pray).

Why the bashing?
MOD 2 had an even less comprehensible storyline than the first game, and didn't exactly improve much on what its predecessor got up to. Same goes for Assassin's Creed 2.

Now if there is a game in the list that should win...
Well, obviously Batman Arkham Asylum is the superior game on the list. And with the 3D Game of the Year version soon to be released, obviously the most awesome game of last year. It has everything going for it: fabulous story, fantastic voice acting, intriguing game play, ingenious gadgets, and luxurious graphics.

Either way
You can catch the ceremony live online at 8:45pm tonight. Just check out the links below to see where.

Related links
Official BAFTA Awards site gaming section, with live video stream available of ceremony on 19-03-2010 8:45pm
Previously the home of where to vote for the GAME game, tonight it will have a stream available at the same time as the BAFTA site

Different memory units to be supported in spring update

2010-03-19T00:24:00.000Z

Heads up Xbox 360 owners
Joystiq have reported in the last 24 hours (I am not figuring what time in GMT the American report came through), that they have confirmed that an update for the 360 in the spring will lead to the system being able to use non-Microsoft produced storage devices for saved games, DLC and profiles. But wait...

You'll still need a 360 hard drive
Well, you will do if you feel that the 16 GB and 512 MB aren't going to be enough for your gaming needs, and in a lot of cases that paltry size certainly will be unsatisfactory. Essentially the update, according to Joystiq, will mean that any external hard drive you use will be formatted by your 360, and cause the 360 to only use up to 16 GB and 512 MB of the external drive's memory. That's less than the 20 GB hard drive that used to come with the Premium system.

However...
This does mean that you'll no longer need to buy those annoying 512 MB 360 memory units. Instead you could carry your gamertag and save files around on a 1 GB (has to be that size, minimum) USB device.

Microsoft have yet to officially announce all this mind.

Related links
Joystiq article on the matter

For those interested in such things...

2010-03-18T09:29:00.001Z

There was an interesting article on the Times Online website
Yesterday something happened... for some this was just another reflection on the declining quality of our reality, for others another piece to add to their over zealous tribute to fandom...

That's right
Atom released the first Twilight graphic novel. Under Meyer's supervision, and drawn by South Korean artist Young Kim, yesterday saw the release of Twilight Volume One: The Graphic Novel.

So please, if your reality begins to blur due to fandom or loathing, don't come too close. Your condition may be catching.

Related links
Times Online story on the graphic's release
Stephenie Meyer's website
Review of Twilight original novel
Review of New Moon original novel
Review of Eclipse original novel
Review of Breaking Dawn original novel

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

2010-03-17T17:53:00.000Z

Oooohing and arrrrring...
Let's face it, Tim Burton's latest offering has been getting some rather mixed reviews since its release earlier this month. In the UK, we've had to contend with Disney's little spat with Odeon Cinemas over the length of time Disney would wait until releasing the film on DVD and Blu-Ray. And if you're a resident of Cornwall, then there's been the local media pouring over a National Trust property in North Cornwall, Antony House, where the beginning and ending of the movie was filmed.

What about the film?
I have not read the first novel since I was about ten, so my knowledge of the story is a little hazy, and strangely mis-mashed with Disney's previous version of the novels in its 1951 cell animated venture and what Square-Enix did with it all in the Kingdom Hearts games. This sadly means that I cannot tell you how the film works as an adaptation, though this is perhaps for the best for Tim Burton's mark is all over this incarnation.

Despite the marketing of the film as yet another collaboration between Burton, Depp and Carter, the script was written by recurring Disney scriptwriter Linda Woolverton (previous work includes The Lion King, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and Beauty and the Beast). So we know that we are in true Disney territory with this film. Beyond the Disneyfication there is a large amount of British actors behind the voices of many of the characters.

Story
Without spoiling too much:set in the mid-1800s, Alice, nineteen years of age, is none too happy with how her life is going. From a well-to-do family, Alice in no way looks forward to what adulthood and being a Victorian lady will bring her. As if her wishes for an alternative are granted, Alice (classically) tumbles down a rabbit hole and ends up in Wonderland, where she soon finds that even the fantastical is not as cut and dry as her boring old life.

Burton's mark...
In all too familiar a move Burton has waved his hand over the imagery of Carroll's/Dodgson's original novel and the Disney incarnation that came before this film, and plastered all over this translation his bland vision of the Gothic. As if the crazy yet grubby outfits were not enough, Burton overly uses the transition between night and day to add atmosphere to the film. The problem with the constant switching between night and day? It messes up the audience's appreciation of the passage of time within the film.

Don't start saying that Burton did it so as to further reflect the intriguing logic of the original novels as it only happens when it would better serve the mood and feeling of a scene. In the dark very bad things happen, and in the light there is a chance of hope. This switching happens so much that it can actually detract from appreciation of the film.

Don't forget that it's in 3D
That's right, it's another film that Disney have produced in "3D". Sure, if you don't have photosensitivity issues that may be affected by the use of such technology it's fine, but the use of 3D didn't seem to add much to the film. It certainly didn't help convey anything, and didn't add a sense of excitement and suspense that a horror film such as The Final Destination managed to use 3D technology for.

Issues with the ending
I don't want to say specifically what happens, but that the ending is not believable. Seriously, there's no way that would have happened and it breaks away far too much with the film's verisimilitude that was established earlier. There are also further issues with the film's handling of destiny and personal choice, and you don't witness Alice's character changing and developing enough for her actions to seem like her own; it's as if she's forced straight through the hero's journey without any thought as to how she develops as a person and matures.

This all seems rather harsh
I'm not exactly a fan of Burton, I don't just go and see his films because he's directed them, but I genuinely tried to give the film a chance. In the end though, there was too much that just grated against my nerves to make it truly enjoyable. In a way, Burton's directorial vision has trampled over the film too much, and Depp's portrayal of the Mad Hatter seemed greatly like a return to his role as Captain Jack Sparrow from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean films. Though I will say that Carter makes a pretty damn good Red Queen.

Is it worth watching?
It's all right to pass the time with, but this is a mediocre film at best. If you want to see it in 3D then it's best to catch it at the cinema anyway. This is perhaps only for Burton and/or Depp fans. Overall I would suggest reading the novels instead.

Related links
Official UK website
IMDB entry
Wiki entry on the novel that inspired it
Details on Antony House

Tackling Final Fantasy XIII

2010-03-12T12:32:00.000Z

Pardon?
The lack of stuff this week has been in part due to Paul and mine's journey through Final Fantasy XIII. It's a big game and deserves to be properly played through before we give our verdict on it.

Stuff will appear
We will be posting stuff, and have been, but if a day or so goes by and there's nothing new it's because we're lost on Cocoon.

In the mean time, check out these related links:

Related links
Official website
Wiki entry

Role Models (2008)

2010-03-12T10:45:00.003Z

Looking for a bargain DVD?
For my first review here, I suggesting that you try this comedy starring a group of people familiar with modern American Comedies: Sean William Scott (from American Pie, Road Trip and soon to be in the new Cop Out), Paul Rudd (from Friends, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and 40 Year Old Virgin) and a few others, (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Superbad, Elizabeth Banks Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Scrubs and Jane Lynch, 40 Year Old Virgin and Glee). You might have several moments of pointing at the television saying "Ah! It's that dude!"

So what is it actually about?
So two guys walk into a... Well, school. You see from the start, the two main characters are teaching kids not to do drugs, whilst selling dubious energy drinks. They have a bad day (not giving too much of the plot away) and face either jail time or being placed into a special programme. This special programme sees them becoming the role models that the title implies.

Is it actually any good?
Short answer: yes. Long answer: Indeed it is. The characters themselves, although flawed in equal and opposite ways, are fairly likable, the situations are often humorous and the moral of the story is well established. It's kind of like a buddy movie - with kids.

Going with the genre comes a certain level of expectations, including some slightly unrealistic and usual ones, such as a general sense of catharsis and character mirroring.

Character Mirroring? You've just made that up!
Yes I have, but allow me to explain. In real life, the ups and downs that make peoples lives are usually independent and not in synchronisation. In this film, they are very much in synchronisation - when one is character is down, so is the other. When they both screw up, they both, independently come to their own epiphanies and try to fix things, despite often not being in contact with each other for a while.

So why would it appeal to me?
If you're looking for a heart-warming comedy, something cheap to buy or rent on a Friday night, then this could be for you. It has likable characters, and a general feel good factor, without the need to stereotype or vilify a specific group of people. Overall, it's a comedy that won't go too far wrong, and although there a few cringe-worthy moments, overall you won't be bored or even worse, hating the characters and not caring about them.

Related links
Official Role Models American website, but does have a trailer
IMDB entry

Cop Out is out! (US so far, UK soon)

2010-03-10T10:02:00.001Z

What's he been up to?
If, like me, you're a bit of a Kevin Smith fan and yet still fail to listen to SModcast on a regular basis, then like me you may not have realised that the man's latest directorial piece is screening in the US already. That's right. Kevin Smith is the director of the new comedy Cop Out.

Whaaa?
Written by Robb and Mark Cullen, starring Bruce Willis (not the first time he's appeared in a Kevin Smith film) and Tracy Morgan, it is currently out in the US where the usual mix reviews from critics are taking place. Of course, like any Kevin Smith fan knows, the critics just don't like Smith and haven't done so since Mallrats, (them liking Dogma was just a blip).

What's it about?
The film revolves around two cops tracking down a rare baseball card, whilst dealing with a damsel in distress and gangsters.

Release date for UK
It should be out in the UK Friday 16th April, according to Screenrush. However, if you happen to live in Cornwall, then goodness knows when the film will be screened, because in my past experience the cinemas down here never seemed keen enough to show films that have been made by Kevin Smith (Zack and Miri is a prime example of this).

Anyway, check out the Related links for an interview with Kevin Smith over at LA Times, where he talks about Cop Out and the now infamous air travel incident.

Related links
Kevin Smith interview with 24 Frames at LA Times
Official Cop Out website
IMDB Cop Out entry
Screenrush entry on Cop Out
Kevin Smith's own View Askew Productions

Valve goodness on your Mac?

2010-03-09T10:09:00.001Z

Word is...
Valve are bringing Half Life 2 games, Left 4 Dead series, Team Fortress 2, Portal (and its upcoming sequel), plus a host of other games and Steam to Apple's Mac computers next month. Finally the Freeman will be swinging his crowbar from on high across the highly aesthetic screens of Apple's larger hardware.

Benefits for Mac users
Turns out that if someone has previously bought a Windows copy of a game via Steam, then they will be able to re-download the game for their Mac free of charge. And servers for Windows and Mac users will be fully-integrated.

A whole new level of fanboyism awaits...
I thought it was bad enough listening to, and reading about, console owners attacking each other over their hardware choices. Now I foresee a future where taunts will revolve around Windows and Mac users insulting each other to new levels, and it was already bad enough now.

Finally
This is definitely good news for Mac users, and while I cannot support their choice of operating system, I do believe in decent gaming access for all. Now would someone please explain to me how a Mac user is meant to cope without having easy access to a mouse's right click, (shift on the keyboard and click mouse = naff), whilst running around on Team Fortress 2, hmmmm?

Related links
Valve's announcement
Left 4 Dead review
Portal review
Half-Life 2 review
Half Life 2: Episode 1 review
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 review

What's Random House up to?

2010-03-08T15:15:00.001Z

The publishing giants...
Random House, in the US at least, has set its sights on going into the video games biz. Well, actually they already own the Prima strategy guides imprint, so it's not like the company as a whole is new to games.

Wall Street Journal
Let the story out originally, last week, with some quick words from the people responsible for this addition to the Random House portfolio. So far RH has teamed up with Stardock Corp, a US game development company. In the future RH are hoping to put together a horror thriller title and a fantasy title.

What this means
Well, a huge advantage of having one of the largest publishing houses in the world working on games is that they have access to huge amount of already published material from which games could be based on. Not only that, but the number of authors that specialise in the genres that video games tend to draw on are many as well. This potentially means that RH could be leading the way with heavily story driven games, with well plotted stories and believable characters.

Story is not everything though
There are plenty of mainstream video gaming titles released each year that could always do with a story/plot clean up, so masters of story creation getting involved in the industry is a good thing. However, RH will have to remember that there will always be some stories that are far suited to one medium than another.

Related links
Wall Street Journal Article
Random House, US website

Little Big Planet PSP

2010-03-08T10:00:00.001Z

The return of Sack Boy

Yes, Sack Boy is back, (even more portable and smaller than before). A year since the release of the PS3 platformer, SCE Cambridge and Media Molecule have brought forth Sack Boy’s latest adventures, this time on the PSP, with more insanely designed levels and create-and-share-your-own customisation. So join me, as we delve into what is meant to be the world’s collective imagination.

Stephen Fry

The English language version of the game sees the return of Stephen Fry as the narrator. Fry guides you through the game, along with a couple of helpful characters on the levels, helping you to learn all that you could possibly want to know about the world of Little Big Planet. At times you will be very thankful for this guidance, especially the characters that talk to you on the levels, as often they will give you clues that are essential for figuring out how to progress through a level.

Story

Little Big Planet on the PSP does not have the same basic story as its big brother on the PS3. Instead of the world created from the imaginations of the Creator Curators in peril, the PSP game sees the Creator Curators eager to get to a carnival that is being held in their honour. Once Sack Boy has proven himself in the Story levels, he is finally invited to the carnival where he has a float along with all the other Creator Curators. Not that Little Big Planet games are really about the story, no, do not expect anything close to a Shakespearean tragedy here.

Game play

As with the first game, the PSP game sees a great deal of emphasis on players becoming Creator Curators themselves and spending time not just customising Sack Boy, but masterminding and building their own levels based off of the main game’s content. Level creation may seem like a fun idea when you first hear about it, however when you start up the level creator you are greeted with a mode that is not at as simple to use as you would have hoped. Even Mr Fry cannot make things easier for you. It can take longer than a play through of the Story levels to create a single level that is suitable for playing.

There is not much refuge to be found in the Story levels either. Though the PSP game has vastly improved on issues from the controls and game play of the PS3 game, this being the different paths that you can move Sack Boy onto during levels, the controls still leave a lot to be desired. Often you’ll find yourself cursing the game, as your best efforts to grab and jump between parts of level environments do not work due to the controls still being quite unresponsive. Also, just plain old jumping never seems to want to work in the way you want it to, high jumps are often elusive beasts during the course of the game. Annoyingly the game would even glitch at times, leaving your Sack person stuck on the side of a ledge unable to jump or move left or right, with a reset back to a progress point the only option left to you.

Game length

Controls aside, Little Big Planet on the PSP, is an incredibly short platformer. It takes less than a day to complete the Story levels, and there is no multiplayer. This indicates that SCE Cambridge and Media Molecule were hoping that the create-and-share element of the game would keep people going. In fact, after struggling through the Story levels, the end carnival seems greatly lack lustre due to how much effort is needed to get to the end.

Stereotyping

Perhaps the main thing that I find difficult to understand about this game is not the whole create-and-share aspect, but the stereotyping done of different nationalities in the Story levels. People from the Alps into lederhosen and clocks, people from the Middle East whose interests are only magic carpets and magic lamps, dragons and fireworks in China… it’s as if it was cooked up from a less raunchy version of Jim Davidson’s imagination.

Finally

Little Big Planet for the PSP, though maintaining many aspects of the first game, seems rushed and heavily relies on the create-and-share part of the game but this makes the replayability weak. The only people who will get a great deal from this game are those who can handle the obsessive amount of hours needed to devise and create levels in the level creator. Those looking for an enjoyable platform should look to the original or elsewhere entirely.

Positives
Colourful and interesting graphics
Partly improved controls
Stephen Fry
Helpful in-level characters
Create your own levels…

Negatives
… Create your own levels
The jump control
Ledge glitching
Stereotyping
Short Story

Over all score: 70%

Related links

Official Little Big Planet website

Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter DS

2010-03-07T12:09:00.000Z

Cute but sinister
5th Cell returns to the world of the first Drawn to Life with this sequel. The original game was well received when it was released in 2007. Whilst not straying far, if at all, from the game play of the first Drawn to Life, Next Chapter sees the addition of new villages to explore, a new plot and the true identity of a minor character in the first game, and this one, is finally revealed.

Story
Next Chapter revolves around a quest to restore the world to rights when colour disappears from the Raposa village of the first game, many characters disappear into thin air, and as the inhabitants go on to discover colour has left the entire world as well. Soon the Creator (you) is called upon to send a hero (you) in which to help the Raposa with this most alarming of situations. Before long, however, the Raposa begin to realise that the threat to their existence is not just as simple as colour disappearing from the world.

Game play
As with the first game, you are given the opportunity to design a character from scratch, or use a complete guide so that you don’t design your own character or use the guide to help you design your own. Designing aspects of the game is one of the more important aspects to gameplay and happens throughout the game, with parts of the environment given over to you for their design to be finalised. Unlike in the Wii version that goes by the same name, but is not the same game, the DS version of Next Chapter will have some instances where you have no guide on which to base or use instead of your own imagination when drawing.

Due to the DS and its stylus being nowhere near as unwieldy as using the Wii-mote in the Wii game, designing the hero and other items in the environment is not an endurance exercise. It is a great deal easier to spend time drawing your own creations, but it may take a great deal of effort to be sure things look as good as you want them to, because you are editing images on nearly a pixel by pixel basis. Yet the DS version is certainly superior when it comes to designing the hero, as it is simpler to use than the Wii game. Also, if there is any designs of yours that you are particularly proud of you are able to trade them with others using multi-card play.

Next Chapter is easier to play than similar and recent platformers. The levels have been designed in such ways that it is extremely difficult to become lost, and routes for progression and how to get there are logical. There are times, however that the more experienced platform player will find the levels far too easy to complete. During the course of the game the hero gains access to two morphing abilities that make the navigation of later levels in the game interesting and puzzling in a way that is enjoyable.

Finally
The DS version of Next Chapter is almost a completely different experience to the Wii version of the game. The aesthetics of the game design and the story are far more developed and sophisticated than what Planet Moon Studios did with their Wii based sequel. Next Chapter on the DS retains the charming style of the original game, but also adds on a level of story that is far more mature than can be found in the offerings of most Mario games and Little Big Planet. Though at first glance the story to Next Chapter on the DS can seem simple, the ending is far from it and has a level of depth not normally seen in a game marketed towards children. It is a credit to 5th Cell that though the game is short, it does not feel like this when played, and feels just about the right length, even if you don’t go back to different villages and try to complete them 100%.

Positives
Story with depth
Charming design
Is not too long
Follows on logically from the first game
Accessible game play…

Negatives
… Accessible game play
Dealing with pixels whilst designing

Over all score: 80%

Related links
Official website

Ponyo

2010-03-06T09:02:00.001Z

Hopefully, at a cinema near you this weekend
Doing my usual Orange Wednesday thing this week, involved seeing this delightful little gem. Now for just one moment, ignore that Disney have had a hand in distributing this in the West, okay and getting it dubbed too, and realise that this is a Studio Ghibli film. You know, that awesome Japanese animation studio that has brought the world such delights as Spirited Away and The Cat Returns.

What's it about?
Set in a small coastal town in Japan, a little boy named Sōsuke finds a goldfish one day whilst out playing near his home. Sōsuke decides to take care of the goldfish, whom he names Ponyo. However, Ponyo is not quite what she seems, and soon the very balance of nature itself is thrown out of whack and five year old Sōsuke has to make some very tough decisions.

Who's going to watch this?
Well, any Studio Ghibli fan is probably going to, if they haven't already. As to joe public, if you want to watch a film that has a storyline that's like the Little Mermaid only way better, because it's the fantastical bought into our mundane world, the you and your kids will probably like it.

Look out...
Okay, I'll admit for those not used to watching Studio Ghibli films that the story can get a little confusing at times, but stay put and hopefully during the course of this film you'll laugh and cry or maybe do both at the same time. If the story is too much for you, then just admire the spectacularly high quality animation.

Where's it showing?
Well, people who live in my home county can catch it at the Truro Plaza at 12:45pm Saturday 6th March and Sunday 7th March, and it's on over at the Phoenix Cinema in Falmouth daily at 5pm, and 12:30pm and 2:45pm on Saturday and Sunday.

As to all of you outside of Cornwall, I suspect it will be on at your nearest multiplex or indy cinema.

Related links
Official Disney website, with trailer
Wiki Entry

House Season 5

2009-10-19T13:46:00.004+01:00

Who doesn't like watching a season all the way through in several days?

So House season five became available on DVD a few weeks ago in the UK. For those of us who have no access to Sky1 this was a fabulous event. Inevitably, I bought the season and watched it all through during the course of several days and made great progress on a scarf I'm knitting as a present for someone close to me.

So, was it worth the wait?

This season was really interesting to watch. Compared to previous seasons I had no real clue as to where it was all going to go, and the last few episodes are well worth watching. I'm not sure if I want to know what goes through the heads of their script writers... So yes, it was worth waiting for the series to come out on DVD.

Why did you like it?

I enjoyed this season because not only are you treated to lovely doses of the 'what-disease-or-condition-is-screwing-with-our-patient-this-week' syndrome, but the overall stories for the characters in general developed really well over the course of the season. Sure you can watch it as one off episodes, but the story arcs for the season are fabulous.

Availability

So the DVDs for the previous four seasons and the fifth are out now. Sky1 has started screening the sixth season already (the lucky buggers).

Related links

Official House site run by Fox

Official House site run by Sky1

IMDB entry on House

Wiki entry on House

Left4Dead

2009-09-29T23:33:00.001+01:00

Because it's been too long without a mention of the 'z-word'

Surprisingly I've never reviewed Left 4 Dead for the XBox 360 before. I've had the game since launch, so why haven't I talked about it? I like zombie games and movies, and if you're reading this then there's a chance that you do too.

Why review now?

It's only been recently that I have been able to experience the game fully, mostly because I finally obtained a Gold Membership for XBox Live, meaning that I can play the game (and many others) online with and/or against actual humans for the first time ever. Also, the latest DLC (download content) for the game was made available today.

The game is available for PC on disc or via Steam, on disc for the 360, and there is a Game of the Year Edition available for the 360 and PC, which comes reloaded with Survival Mode, and is best described as a first person shooter (FPS) survival horror game.

Time for a Crash Course

Today an extra campaign was added to Left 4 Dead, entitled 'Crash Course'. As to the basic premise for the whole game: you play as one of four characters trapped in one of several scenarios, trying to escape a rather angry and angsty zombie horde. Or in the case of Versus Mode: you play as either the particularly potent zombies or the survivors.

When you start the game up an intro movie will play, which introduces the player to the various ways in which to handle the situations and enemies that will be meted out to you by the A.I. director. Yes that's right, the A.I. director, aka, a malicious thing that will make things more difficult for you, the better you do, and each time you run through a campaign, will make it different than before in terms of enemy spawning, and the locations of ammo, weapons and health items.

Characters

The characters are Zoey, Louis, Bill and Francis. Neither of them have any strengths or weaknesses, but have different reasons for not being zombie chow at the beginning of the game. I prefer playing as Zoey, but that's because I always try to play as a female character in a computer game.

What's it like to play?

There are several different ways to play the game that go beyond difficulty settings, however you will need to be able to play the game online to have access to everything. On the basic level is Campaign Mode, where (after the DLC) you can choose to play through one of five different scenarios.

Each scenario requires a different strategy, but one strategy is always important: stick together. This is the most important thing to do when playing through this game as one of the survivors, because the director A.I. will quite happily send a Hunter, Smoker or Boomer to make the lone character's life hell. The other modes are Survival Mode (play in one of the scenarios and see how long you last, online only), and Versus Mode (online only).

In terms of weapons you have a pistol or pistols with unlimited ammo as your primary weapon, followed by either sub-machine gun, assault rifle, hunting rifle, shotgun or automated-shotgun with limited ammo as your secondary weapon. You can carry only one incendiary device at a time, health pack and pain pills.

Anything else?

Well, Valve were lovely enough to enable a System Link mode for the 360, so not only can you play with people online, you can LAN it as well. This is great for parties. Also, when you're online with the game it has a guest mode enabled so that someone can join you online without their Live account, incase they don't have one or don't have Gold, but you can play with two Gold Live accounts on the same system at the same time and go online if you want too.

If your other half enjoys killing zombies then this game is also and excellent game for couples. My fiancé and I have a wail of a time playing this together.

Negatives

There's an occasionally annoying glitch with the Hunters where they continue to spout blood after you've killed them. And if you're a completionist trying to get all the achievements that you can, it is a nightmare to complete the various scenarios on the Expert difficulty (though that's probably why it's called Expert).

'Crash Course' the latest DLC for the game is not as the other chapters or nearly as involving. If you've played the other scenarios to death, then it might be worth purchasing this bit of DLC.

The only other issue is that the sequel, Left 4 Dead 2 is out in November and I would be worried about just how many people will remain online playing the first game once the new one is released.

Finally

This has been one of my most favourite games of the last year. It is extremely re-playable and if you're old enough to legally own this game, then you should, because it's available now from all major computer game retailers.

Even though Valve has come under criticism for releasing a completely new sequel for a game that is almost a year old, I'll be reviewing the sequel when it comes out in November this year.

Related links

Official Left 4 Dead web site

Valve's web site

Wiki entry on Left 4 Dead

First episode of FlashForward

2009-09-28T22:04:00.001+01:00

So this is what Five has been spending money on, instead of buying HOUSE season 5...

In true fashion of trying to stop people in the UK from watching the series illegally online, Five have managed to get their schedule sorted to start airing this new series just days after the US have viewed the first episode. So far, so good.

But what's this, I see...

Oh no, not the world experiencing a single event simultaneously... No, they surely had not done that in The 4400 already, no of course not... No they don't have US government officials investigating the world's population from the get go...

Y'know, it's almost as if it were The 4400, but without the super powers, and they still need to save the world.

Actually...

The series is meant to be "loosely" based off an SF novel Flashforward published in 1999. However, I saw far too many similarities with The 4400 in the first episode. And I liked that series, and it was cancelled prematurely, so perhaps I'm hating this new series just a little too much due to this bias.

Basically, what happened was

If you have watched Five at all during the last two weeks, it was not difficult to understand what the show's basic concept was:

What would happen if the world's population of 7 billion people simultaneously experienced seeing their future in six months time? And, just how did this happen?

Of course this must be investigated by the likes of the FBI post-haste.

Here's a question

If the world's population essentially blacked out whilst gaining these visions of their futures, why the hell did the scriptwriters not think to talk about the thousands who either died or just survived plane crashes after their plane pilots blacked out?

Will you continue watching it?

Well, I'll watch the second episode when it airs on Five next Monday at 9PM. I'm not ready to give up on this just yet.

Related links

Five's FlashForward website

Wiki entry on FlashForward

Wiki entry on the novel Flashforward

Wiki entry on The 4400

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe

2009-09-28T18:35:00.001+01:00

Button bashing on the 360

One of my comfort games of the last few months has been a game in the Mortal Kombat franchise. I gain joy when button bashing on a control pad delivers such exquisite moves on Easy difficulty.

When was it released?

It was released at the end of 2008 for the XBox 360 and PS3.

Background

MK vs DC features characters from Midway's popular Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise battling with and against characters from Detective Comics' various comic book series. Interestingly the fitcional universes begin to collide in the game's story, and all hell breaks loose.

Don't expect canon treatment of the characters in the game, but at least they remember to explain that the reason why MK's Raiden can kick DC's Superman's ass: Superman has no resistance to magic. The game doesn't fit in with either franchise time line, except for maybe DC Universe's 'ultimate Elseworlds' (whatever that is (hey, I've only read a few of the Batman and Superman graphics)).

But is it fun to play?

If you're not obsessively knowledgeable of either universe, then it is fun, you can take it as a Western fighting game that has a reasonable bit of story thrown in. Story is good.

I enjoyed the fact that someone like me, who is hopeless at pulling off combos in fighting games, stood a chance at completing arcade and story mode. Online play works fine, but if you're just playing this game casually than a lack of ability in pulling-off combos becomes a disadvantage.

What was missing?

It would have been nice if some of the MK staples had made an appearence, such as collectible in-game items and artwork.

Worth buying?

Yes and no. If you and friends are not serious about the game's background, then it's great to have at a party and watch MK's Sonya punch DC's Joker in the face, and other such fun character combinations. If you're looking for something that fits in with the chronology of either: look else where.

Related links

Official game web site

Wiki entry on the game

Cranking up the blog again

2009-09-28T11:07:00.004+01:00

Getting back on the review horse
After finally finishing other commitments from the last four months or so, I'm getting back into review mode.

What you have to look forward to
In the coming weeks I'll be adding reviews for:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novel series
The Ugly Truth (film)
Inglorious Basterds (film, Tarantino)
Diary of the Dead (film)
Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe (computer game)

And many others.

I have a whole summer's worth of media texts to add

Terminator Salvation

2009-06-30T19:39:00.009+01:00

I suppose they needed a change of lead actor...
Some one has already commented to me that it seems ridiculous that the actor playing John Connor keeps changing. I pointed out that they could not use the same actor from the second film, because Edward Furlong hasn't exactly matured into a action film kind of actor, Thomas Dekker of Sarah Connor Chronicles (now cancelled) fame isn't all grown up yet (too much baby face), the third film's... well did anyone believe he could ever really be John Connor? He just wasn't rough looking enough.

Of course all of this personal opinion and, quite honestly, I just think the studio wanted to get a bigger name behind the role.

Let's face it, Bale sells.

Anyway, back to the film
I saw this at my local cinema a few weeks ago. At first I was really excited to see it, the trailers had been pretty eye catching.

What's the film about?
Well unlike the previous films it's set in the future, 2018, after Skynet succeeded in bringing humanity to its knees. John Connor is not as important in the resistance as the end of the third film had us believe.

Anyway, and here be a spoiler...
The resistance is about to the put into action a major assault against Skynet, but a dead man could bring it all toppling down.

Would I recommend it?
The film has issues conveying who is the main protagonist. Most of the time it feels as if there are two, which doesn't really work (hence why most films have one protagonist). John Connor is not even the most likeable out of the two.

The effects are stunning, as expected, but perhaps the continued onslaught of action sequences, rather than the suspense of the first two films, did not serve it well. Again, the effects were awesome.

In all, if you've watched the other three films you might as well go and see this if it's still on at your local cinema. If you haven't watched the others... just watch the first two films. Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day are still the best films in the franchise.

Related links
Official website
Wiki entry on the film
IMDB entry

I needed a dose of decent SF

2009-06-29T10:54:00.005+01:00

Not very often, but...
I will get a cravings for a specific genre. Until after I read this collection of stories, it was science fiction.

PEACE AND WAR, The Omnibus Edition, by Joe Haldeman
Has been my bedtime read of choice for the last few weeks. This collection of stories that are novel length, each, stick to these three themes: war, freedom, peace. The stories have existed in various forms for over thirty years, but in this edition they're all brought together in versions that the author believes are definitive.

William Mandella: The Forever War, and Forever Free
The first two stories in the collection centre around William Mandella, a man thrust into the Forever War from its beginning, and who is there at its end, over a thousand years later. Mandella is forced to fight in a war where Earth does not even know the enemy its fighting when it begins its assault.

The second book takes place after the war, as Mandella tries to find his place in a universe he no longer has a stake in. This is a future that Mandella cannot endure.

Julian Class: Forever Peace
The final story is set in a different universe, on Earth. An Earth where not everyone is equal.

Julian Class fights for the Alliance in the Ngumi War, because he is 100 percent American. Julian is a mechanic, he does not go on the battle field, his Soilderboy does, controlled from thousands of miles away using a brain jack. However, Julian is also a physicist and when his girlfriend asks for his help in trying to figure out whether the end of the universe is about to begin, killing innocents on the battlefield seems the least of Julian's worries.

Not light hearted reading
The war scenes that are described in these stories are brutal and nightmarish. Joe Haldeman admits to drawing on his experiences when he served in the Vietnam War, and it shows.

Recommend it?
If you're looking for some serious science fiction to read this summer, hunt down this collection published by Gollancz Science Fiction, 2006, ISBN: 0-575-07919-3, RRP: £8.99.

Related links
Wiki entry on Joe Haldeman

When dramatic pacing goes wrong, horribly wrong

2009-06-27T13:22:00.007+01:00

Seen it already?
Of course I have. Yes, I am talking about none other than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. This review is the start of several that will drift your way over the summer as we handle the wave of summer blockbuster films, (thank Jaws).

My senses have been abused
When I saw this film on Wednesday, several things went wrong for me. My eyes felt like they had been opened up with a sword and my ear holes felt like they had been raped. Seriously people, this film is not kind to your body (or mind).

Dramatic pacing?
Normally when you write a film, you make sure that the audience has a chance to recover from dramatic/action moments. The audience has no chance of doing this at all whilst watching this film. It's all action, action, action, and more action, with some short awkward bits of human interaction in-between.

No real plot, character, or story development really happens... and what the hell is with that voice over by Optimus Prime at the beginning, explaining all that has happened since the last film? It's tacky as f***k! Seriously lazy story telling.

No real story or plot
The film lacks development of what you normally find in a film that isn't from the realms of experimental film. The lack of this is so extreme that I began to wonder whether the Earth should be destroyed at the end of the film, just to save the fictional world from another version of the director Michael Bay.

Did I mention that it's quite a lengthy film as well? Oh and I did like the first film of the franchise.

Related links
Official movie site
IMDB entry
Wiki entry on the film
Explanation of Experimental Film at Wikipedia
I'm not the only one who believes this film is bad
Mark Kermode didn't have much luck with the film either

Robot Chicken explains 'Baysplosions!"

Finally finished...

2009-06-23T16:23:00.004+01:00

It took me forever, but I have finished reading BREAKING DAWN
Yes, the long read is over! Long may my sanity rest in peace.

What was it like?
If, like me, you had put in the effort to read the other three Twilight series novels, then you felt kind of obliged to get through the last one as well.

To read Breaking Dawn was actually a tortuous experience. There are over 200 pages that could be culled from this novel without ruining it. So much unnecessary description. I found that due to the way Meyer wrote this final instalment, the stakes just did not seem high enough-

SPOILER ALERT!!!

SPOILER:
- the ending was obviously going to come out all right from an early stage in the novel. Also, Bella's abilities were far too overpowering, the precedent for them had not been set up enough.

END SPOILER!!!

Overall
I did not enjoy the final novel in the series as much as I had the previous ones. Even once Bella had had her physical desires satisfied, it seemed almost pointless Meyer going to the effort of describing them.

Read this final novel in the series if you've read the rest, but it's not much fun.

Related links
Official Breaking Dawn page
Wiki entry

Hank is back

2009-05-11T14:24:00.005+01:00

Across the pond
Unlike American viewers, the UK has only just got access to the second season of Californication. Last week Fiver began showing the second season.

Everyone needs a bit of Duchonvy
I'm a bit of a fan of the actor, so once again having a weekly dose of him suits me just fine.

If you're easily offended don't watch this series. It'll save people like me from hearing your ranting and raving.

Anyway the series is about a writer, Hank Moody, who moves to California from New York, and finds that his writer's block and personal relations can only get worse as time moves on.

Why watch it?
Well if you enjoy watching series with characters whose lives are far more complicated than your own, you'll want to give this a go. My main endorsement is that this show is its extremely adult nature, I'm not just talking sex, I mean sex, booze and drugs and uneasy relations.

The series tends to be well written and has some class acting. I always like how it's plotted out.

Catch it
Watch it on Fiver, on Thursday at 10pm, and repeated Sunday at 10pm.

Related links
Official Showtime site for series
Fiver site for series
Wiki entry

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

2009-05-04T19:04:00.004+01:00

Well, I liked it
I saw the film last Wednesday afternoon. Been a busy girl, so this is my first chance to say here how much I loved it.

I don't care
I don't care if this film in no real way adheres to the comics, at least it fits into the version of the universe created by the previous films. It's not the most deep film ever created, but as far as an action-come-comic based flick, it's a whole lot of fun. I just wish it had been longer so they didn't have to rush from scene to scene so much.

Those who downloaded
Yes, those who downloaded a post production version of the film that didn't have all the effects in, and blue screen dealt with, were a bunch of sad gits. Pirating films is stupid.

Err, what's the film about?
Right. The film is essentially what the title says it is: the origin story of the X-Men character Wolverine, aka, Logan. It takes you from his childhood all the way up to a time not too far away from the beginning of the first X-Men film.

Forget about canon
If you want to watch a comic book inspired film that follows the comic book universe the character comes from, please, get lost. I'm fed-up with 'fans' who have no idea how the Hollywood Machine works. Adaptations are rarely straightforward, unless you've got Kenneth Brannagh involved. Enjoyable films are only ever concerned with story, and that's all.

So if you don't care about this film not being canon to the Marvel Universe, go and watch it. If you're some pedantic comic book fan, please just shut your gob.

Oh yeah
There's a nice bit of nudity in the film.

Related links
Official website
Wiki entry on film
IMDB page

Fallout 3, pt. 1

2009-04-28T20:31:00.002+01:00

I've been playing this since it was released last year
So why haven't I seriously posted about it here? The game is immense. It's only recently that I've managed to scratch below the surface of what has to be one of the best games to be released last year.

Pt. 1?
Can't say how many parts there will be, but I don't want to bore you guys and gals too much by squishing it all into one entry.

FALLOUT 3
This is the third game in the main part of the series, and the first one to be released in quite some time. What we have here is a pretty, free roaming, RPG that is science fiction in nature, and in some ways, speculative fiction as well.

You can choose the gender and ethnicity of your character and customise their appearance. Their story is whatever you want it to be, except that you come from a Vault (a protective bunker environment), two hundred years after a nuclear holocaust gripped the world. It's set in the US.

So, yes, the game has a post-apocalyptic setting. I can't tell you too much about the story, because it would spoil it, but this game has some pretty decent narrative structures at work.

To come...
I bother to talk about game play for once, and think just how much I like this game more than others.

Related links
Official Fallout 3 website
Wiki entry for Fallout 3

Day of the Dead (the remake)

2009-04-23T21:24:00.006+01:00

Yes, a remake
I have just watched the 2008 remake of the classic George Romero film of the same name from the mid '80s. As per usual, I saw the DVD going cheap, which is why I bought it.

Story
This film is an entirely different film to the original. In this version a small Colorado town is beset by a mysterious flu like illness, and as this is a zombie horror film, the illness is not the flu. No, it's a zombie creating machine.

We follow survivors as they try to survive the nightmare that has been unleashed. The usual stuff.

Zombie lore
The film completely breaks with the zombie law established by Romero in his films. We are presented with zombies that have super human speed and strength, but incredibly mushable bodies. For me this combination makes no sense, because in theory anything that would move like that with such a delicate body could not stay in one piece by moving the way the zombies do in this film.

I know the remake of Dawn of the Dead didn't quite follow the lore, but it was better directed than this film.

Worth buying?
If, somehow, you have never seen any of the original films, Romero's newer ones, or the remake of Dawn of the Dead, then you'll enjoy this piece of zombie filled nonsense. However, those who are fond of the genre would perhaps do well to give this a wide berth.

Related links
Wiki entry on the film
IMDB entry on the film

Sunshine

2009-04-20T17:16:00.004+01:00

Bored, and in London? Buy some cheap DVDs!
Yes, I've got a bored during the evenings here, so I had to go down to HMV and purchase a few DVDs that were on offer, and this, Danny Boyle's Sunshine, was one of them. Don't ask me why I bought it, the reason does not really go beyond "it was cheap".

Story
It's 2057 and the sun is dying. Yes, dying, and doing so very prematurely. The crew of Icarus 2 have been sent forth from Earth with the last of all of Earth's fissionable materials in order to jump start the reactions that a healthy star normally makes, and thus restore the Earth and solar system to normality.

As one should expect with a space set sci-fi film such as this, everything goes horribly wrong and it looks like the crew may not survive long enough to complete their mission and save all of humanity.

What was SUNSHINE like?
I don't know how many of you, my dear readers, have any level of science qualification, but let me assure you, most of the science in this film was pretty impossible or just downright wrong. Don't want to take my word on this? read this New Scientist review.

Everything is rather lovely to look at, but there's some holes. Some really big holes.

Holes?
Yes, holes in the film world's logic. For instance, despite their ship having one of the most advanced computers ever created by man, they didn't have any maintenance robots. There's a particular scene when the first crew member dies that had me thinking "why didn't they have any robots?" They do have a hugely, fantastically amazing computer, but no robots.

Also the reasoning for the crew to go and check out Icarus 1 was no where near as difficult to come to. Any attempt to make contact with the initial voyage, which failed, would add too many possibilities that could have messed up the whole mission.

And don't talk to me about gravity. The film had real serious issues relating to how it treated gravity.

Recommend it?
If you can look past the science issues, then sure, go and get a copy of the DVD and watch it. I warn you though, it's not just the science that's dodgy, it's also what wrecks the mission in the first place.

Links
Official website
New Scientist review
Wiki entry on the film

Catch up technology!

2009-04-16T15:37:00.005+01:00

Don't you realise, how far behind we are?
I believe the people of Britain do not realise just how far behind we are in terms of consumable technology in comparison to a country such as Japan. Just one read through of this article convinced me of this.

My message
I want my manga and short fiction of my mobile, now!

Weighing in on the Amazon controversy

2009-04-15T11:19:00.003+01:00

If you didn't know yet...
Amazon.com has recently recieved a bollocking over the way books that feature or are on homosexuality are listed in searches, and with some specific book searches not coming up with the title at all, after their listings seemed to start changing two months ago.

For a more detailed analysis on the tech side of things, I suggest you read this.

Titles are back
After this weekend just passed, titles were returned to a prominence in search results.

Where's the problem then?
As suggested in the linked article, human interference may have led to the algorithm that Amazon uses to organise search results, becoming biased against books that deal with homosexual themes. Books that were not erotic in genre were automatically classified as adult material, seemingly because they dealt with homosexuality, and were removed from search results on their site due to a move to make sure that books rated as having adult material did not come up in searches.

The problem is that homosexuality seemed to be judged as adult, and kind of wrong, in this reclassification. The article linked above makes a point that a book that advised parents on how to stop their child from being gay was for a time at the top of searches on homosexuality. So in essence, Amazon appeared to be making a judgement call that homosexuality was bad and dirty.

You're straight, where's the problem?
I may be straight, but that doesn't mean I think discrimination against gays and lesbians is right, and I see nothing wrong with homosexuality. I can imagine now, certain religious groups in the US jumping for joy over what has been happening over the last two months on Amazon.

Books that dealt with heterosexual relations and were to some degree adult in nature, were not affected by the reclassification that caused the outrage. These are the kinds of double standards I cannot deal with.

Has the problem been rectified?
Not sure.

Related links
"Why Amazon Didn't Just Have a Glitch", on TechCrunch
Article on SocialVibe site about the controversy
Article at The Register on issue

Eclipse

2009-04-14T14:35:00.006+01:00

Finished reading the third novel
Last night, I finished reading the third book in Stephenie Meyer's popular teen novel series Twilight. The third book is called Eclipse.

Erotic abstinence ahoy!
A lot of time was spent in the book dealing with Bella's, the protagonist's, increasingly physical attractions to the vampire Edward and the werewolf Jacob. And apart from a lot of kissing, and pretty much no heavy petting, as usual, nothing happened.

This book really seemed to carry the message of 'no sex before marriage'. Not something I plan on enforcing on my kids when I finally get round to pushing a couple out.

Now the books seem mostly about sexual tension. Where Rowling wouldn't really mention the sex lives of her characters, in Meyer's books you just get this whole feeling of teenagers on the brink of breaking into orgies, but always thinking of the greater good and never doing so.

Err, story?
It continues on from the consequences of the previous novel New Moon and you are faced with an increasingly irate Bella, who is peeved off to the extreme, because her vampire love, Edward, will not make her into a vampire until they are married.

Oh, and a vampire wants revenge against Edward for him killing her mate, and so this vampire tries to get to Bella. The book gets a bit grisly and gruesome towards the end.

Flying body parts for the win.

Read it?
If, like me, you have become hooked on the series, due to its trashy romantic nature, then you'll keep reading regardless. The thing about the Twilight series is that the writing is not necessarily the best in teen fiction today, but the books are like junk food: bad for you and highly addictive.

Read them at your own peril.

I've started on the fourth book already: Breaking Dawn.

Related links
Eclipse official page on Stephenie Meyer's website
Wiki entry on the novel

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

2009-04-08T23:47:00.007+01:00

Family comedy
I've spent another Wednesday afternoon watching a comedy at my local cinema. Complete contrast to The Boat That Rocked, which I watched last week. After all it was a family orientated comedy, not some Brit comedy with lots of sex.

You would think...
That I would be unimpressed by this blatantly pandering, American comedy. But you know what, this film made me laugh, cringe and smile far more times than The Boat That Rocked.

What makes it good
After the film, my fiancé and I were wondering what the pitch section for this film would have been like:

Kevin James: "Yeah, it's like a cross between Mallrats and Die Hard."

Adam Sandler: "Awesome."

(Sandler was one of the producers.)

Though, seeing as how both of those films are 18 rated in the UK, and I'm sure they have suitably high ratings in the US, then it's kind of interesting how they made a family friendly film out of this. My guy and I like both of those films, so it was weird, but cool, seeing someone combine them together like this.

Recommend it?
I think it'll be worth a watch once it comes out on DVD, if you don't have kids, and if you're looking for something to take kids to this Easter, then I'd recommend it. The kids that were there when I watched it seemed to laugh quite a bit at the on screen antics, and some of the humour was aimed at adults as well.

Related links
Official web site
IMDB entry
Wiki entry on film

Dreading the release of

2009-04-07T13:43:00.007+01:00

Yes, ANGELS & DEMONS
This is not because of religious issues, more, on the writing side of the film. See, when I watched The Da Vinci Code just over a year ago, I was amazed by how awful they had let the film become.

But this is not meant to be a review. The topic has come up, because I saw a trailer for it last week.

Films this summer
As we near the 'blockbuster season' I always start thinking about the films that I may or may not want to watch at my local cinema. This happens to fall into the category of one I don't plan to watch.

Now the new Star Trek reboot and the Transformers movie, yeah I'll probably go see them.

Will I ever watch it?
I will see it, some day. I suspect a scene similar to how I watched the first movie, to make me see it. I'll be over a friend's house. They'll say their mum got the film on DVD, and asks if everyone wants to watch it.

We'll go into my friend's bedroom, with crispy snacks, fizzy drinks, sweets, and laptops in tow. Two of us will watch the film, whilst the lucky buggers who have their laptops with them will have played the sensible game. We'll get through the whole film, then myself and the friend who's house this is in, will look at each other, and our expressions will read, "WTF?!"

Mind you...
It would be nice to be pleasantly surprised. I used to be a bit of a Tom Hanks fan.

I'm just a bit worried about a film that centres around another 'secret' organisation. Yes, and the particular one featuring in this film, I last saw used in the plot of a Tomb Raider movie. It doesn't fill me with confidence for this film's future.

Related links
IMDB page on Angels & Demons
Dan Brown's page on his novel that the film is adapted from
Wiki entry on the film

Interesting, and a little scary

2009-04-03T13:00:00.005+01:00

"How Comic Books became part of the literary establishment"
Well, I'm not sure how to feel about this article, here on the Telegraph web site.

It all feels like it's leaning towards the message that comic books haven't been a valid form until recently, with people drawing and writing comics/graphic novels of a rather more 'serious nature'.

High literature
I have issues with 'literary literature', because well, it tends not to be entertaining to read. In fact Tim Martin's article completely misses out on why comic books and collections of comic books turned into graphic novels, and manga in Japan, have been a success for so long: they tell stories, and they tell them well.

A good media text, is a text that tells a story well, and doesn't try to force a message directly in front of you and down your throat, (if there's a message, it does it subtly).

So, your problem with this article is?
It seems to be validating a form of media based off the backs of something that does not represent the majority of the body of work that is annually produced.

I know these are big words, but when something does not sit well with me that is what happens.

Also, Martin fails to mention that it just seems like a bunch of always profit hungry publishers jumping on a bandwagon. But who can blame them? it does look like they need the money.

Related links
Tim Martin article on comic books
Wiki entry on graphic novel Persepolis, which image is taken from

The Boat That Rocked

2009-04-01T17:45:00.004+01:00

Richard Curtis, what have you done?
Somehow, he's made a film that I actually like. Not sure how, but he has.

How was it?
Bloody awesome.

Story
It follows teen, Carl, as he lives through the heyday and demise of pirate radio in the UK during the late 1960s. Carl ends up becoming a member of the crew on Radio Rock, in the middle of the North Sea.

Lots of sex, hijinks, and sticking it to 'The Man' ensues.

If you like
If you happen to be rather fond of music from that period, then you'll certainly enjoy the film, but it's not like there's a load of rare tracks from back then that are played. How do I know this? Well, I regularly tune in to 'Sounds of the Sixties' on BBC Radio 2, so that would be why.

I would say that this film is different to the usual dribble Curtis writes and directs. It's not a romantic comedy, but it is definitely a comedy.

There are some really loveable characters, and others that are complete and utter rotters. Someone for everyone, I suppose.

(I also have a soft spot for a load of the actors who star in it.)

Go and see it
Probably worth at least going in on an Orange Wednesday's deal. Y'know you want to.

Related links
Official website for The Boat That Rocked
Wiki entry for The Boat That Rocked

A free game with a sense of humour

2009-03-30T13:07:00.006+01:00

Who's that guy?
He is of no importance...

But you're reading this, right, so you've got an internet connection, and, I hope, a sense of humour.

What's going on?
Are we not all always looking for manners in which to waste our time whilst upon the Internet. Well, here's one.

That chap pictured above is a character from The Kingdom of Loathing. A free online game of immense loveliness. It's pretty insane, but perhaps saner than reality anyway.

Here's my character:
She's a Spaghetti Sage at the moment. She makes magic happen using her awesome ways with pasta. Her favourite drink is whiskey (at the moment).

What kind of game is this?
A crazy one, but a good one. It's turn based, and you have so many turns you can make each day. You can increase your number of turns by either consuming food, or by drinking alcohol.

At least have a look at the web site: The Kingdom of Loathing.

Story
Stuff has happened and you, adventurer, needs to step in and sort it out.

I don't want to tell you too much. I'd rather you went and found out for yourself. But you'll notice a slight parody of D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) type storylines, kinda going on.

How do you play it?
Over the Internet, in your Internet browser program.

If you do sign up, just don't abuse it, OK? They want to remain free to users. They also have some very interesting looking merchandise.

At least check their page. And remember, the game is a beta version at the moment.

Related link
The Kingdom of Loathing website

"Liars, and Predators, and Sickos! Oh, My!"

2009-03-25T14:44:00.004Z

Please click on above image to view larger version
Thanks to the people over at Dueling Analogs we now have a webcomic strip to add to the banter on the Animal Crossing debate.

See original page from their site here.

The whole thing has caused me to have some interesting reactions...
I bought Animal Crossing: Let's Go To the City (in the UK, elsewhere, Animal Crossing: City Folk) for the Nintendo Wii as a result of last week's news, and have begun to become an addict to Animal Crossing: Wild World, for the Nintendo DS, again.

I think I can cope for now, but it could get worrying if I start getting up at 3am to try and catch fish and shark species that only turn up at that time of day. That is addiction. No game is worth being up at 3am.

Related links
Official Animal Crossing website
Dueling Analogs the website
My previous blog entry on the "issue"

New Moon

2009-03-23T22:15:00.005Z

More from the TWILIGHT series
So I finished reading the second book, on Friday I think it was.

Compared to the first one
It was perhaps more long winded than it needed to be, but it had a good representation of a broken heart going on. I think the ending was not as dramatic as it needed to be, it didn't exactly compel you to go on to read the third book Eclipse.

I heard the term 'erotic abstinence' used to describe the series. Stepehnie Meyer is also a Mormon, so the lack of even groping outside the marital bed is explained a lot by her religious standpoint. To be honest... I'm beginning to think that the whole series would have been better written by a non-devout, British woman, (or at least someone who isn't afraid to express what teens get up to, but wouldn't glorify it, and deal with the consequences as well).

Then again the tameness of the series in this respect perhaps reflects the greater prudishness of the American public these days.

Anyway... ECLIPSE?
Third book in the series. Reading it now.

Anything you liked?
The introduction of more monstrous creatures from folklore was pretty good. It's pretty funny how Bella, the main character, ends up falling in with two bad crowds (as it were). Vampires and werewolves in the same world, yeah.

Related links
Official Twilight series website
New Moon Wiki entry

Adults shouldn't play Animal Crossing

2009-03-18T12:30:00.004Z

Mayor Tortimer accused of being a pervert!

Excuse me?
I was made aware of this article at GoNintendo by my boyfriend.

Watch the horror
Click on this link to read the article put up by GoNintendo and the video with the original news feature.

Today the American station responsible for the article apologised, link. Though I'm sure they could have edited out the inaccurate comments before broadcast.

According to the cop interviewed in the original broadcast, Tortimer, the mayor of Animal Crossing, a non-playable character, was in fact a pervert. I do hope his superiors bother to give him an IQ test after all this.

After all, just how can a human sized tortoise be a pervert? One that isn't even controlled by humans?

Sure the game allows you to speak and interact with other players, but you have to exchange Friend Codes before that can happen. If parents are worried, they should make sure their children don't give that code out to strangers.

And why can adults not play this?
I don't know what the advertising campaign for Animal Crossing: City Folk, for the Nintendo Wii, in the US has been, but over here in the UK Nintendo have been aiming the game at women and men aged 16 years and above. So forget the kids.

Are you a fan?
I suffered addiction issues with the previous game Animal Crossing: Wild World for the Nintendo DS. Due to fears of bringing on addiction again, I have yet to purchase this incarnation.

Related links
First GoNintendo article
Second GoNintendo article
Official Animal Crossing: City Folk website

An unfortunate title

2009-03-17T15:57:00.004Z

Pardon?
So I was mooching around on Apple Trailers, when I came across this:
Am I the only one with a dirty mind here?
If Disney have never made a film with a title that sounds like a porno before, they have now.

I know that g-force is also a measure of gravitational pull (or something like that), but yeah with this logo it looks too much like a porno. And I don't care if the film is about guinea pigs, it just shouldn't have this title.

Sounds like
I'm pretty sure of what part of the female anatomy this sounds like, and it sounds like a porno about that part and it's set in space, and the logo would mean high production values as well. In fact as a porno title, it probably exists.

I just hope they change the name for the UK release...

Related links
Apple trailers page for film
Official Disney site

The Departed

2009-03-17T15:11:00.004Z

Don't think I've watched such a good reworking of a film before
I always get a bit edgy when I hear that Hollywood is remaking an Asian film, but this worked fine. The Departed is based on the concept that was used in the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs.

Story?
Organised crime gang places mole in police. Police place mole in organised crime gang. And things get very, very complicated and dangerous from there on.

Good film
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed watching this. Previously I had watched Infernal Affairs, which I found difficult to watch, not because of the language issues, but because of how the story had been organised. The Departed was a lot easier to understand.

There are interesting levels of suspense and intrigue, which is just what a good crime thriller needs. It's also very brutal in places, but there is loads of really good character development.

This film also has a great deal of 'star power', starring are Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen... the list goes on. It was directed by Martin Scorsese.

If you haven't seen it
The film was released in 2006, and so is easily available on DVD. I watched it when it was premièred on Channel 4 on Sunday. I definitely feel that it's worth watching at least once. The Departed is a long film, so make sure you've got your favourite film watching snacks and drinks available, or at least a pause button and a toilet.

Related links
Official website
IMDB entry for The Departed
Wiki entry for The Departed, plus links to Infernal Affairs

Resident Evil 5

2009-03-16T16:05:00.004Z

Well, some of my story ideas were right
Without spoiling too much, I did see this situation coming. Not that I'm proud that I guessed the story outline before I started playing the game. Though there were some surprises for me in terms of motivation for the main antagonist.

In essence: Counter bio-terrorism agent Chris Redfield is sent to a province in Africa to look into reports of potential bio-terrorist attacks in this unstable region. Chris is teamed with Sheva Alomar to help though the tasks ahead. Soon it's pretty obvious that the shit has hit the fan.

How did it play?
As of yet I have only played this with another person. The two player co-op mode, offline, is lovely, but I have no idea as to how good the computer player is. I'll probably find out sometime in the next few weeks, though it is definitely awesome to play with another human being right beside you.

In comparison to RE4?
It's a different game to Resident Evil 4, due to having two playable characters through out the entire game, and it has tonnes more extras. I believe it may be a longer game as well, however there's no overall completion time given whenever you complete an entire play through.

Are you addicted to it yet?
I have, in the past, suffered major addiction issues with Resident Evil 4, (I just couldn't get enough of Leon), but as of yet I haven't felt hugely compelled to go back to it during every waking moment. I am typing this after all.

The game does have tonnes of replay value though. You can't just play it through once, due to all the extras.

Related links
Official web site for Resident Evil 5

Forget the first game for the moment...

2009-03-13T13:14:00.009Z

Beside me on the sofa ('couch' for my US readers)
Is my newly bought 360 copy of Resident Evil 5, in a nice collector's box. I haven't started playing it yet.

But I still need to finish playing RESIDENT EVIL
True, but there's no way I can stop myself or my boyfriend from playing this game together tonight. Yes I am actually holding out on playing this.

What about the racism issues?
I'm not a black African, so I can't make any real judgement on this game, its setting and the minor antagonists portrayed in regards to this issue. However, in terms of Resident Evil's story arcs, the game had to end up in Africa at some point. Parts in the earlier games, and Wesker's Report, hinted that the original virus used components from Ebola samples that had been taken from hosts in Africa. In a way, then, it's the big evil coming home to roost.

Plot speculation - spoilers warning
From what I know of the story in the franchise I think it's quite possible that Albert Wesker, who originally helped Umbrella at some level in the development of the various viruses that have featured in the games, who has for some time appeared to be trying to dominate the world from the shadows, has cross infected the Las Plagas parasite from Resident Evil 4 with one of the original, or an altered version, of the viruses featured in the original games and Resident Evil Degeneration. Wesker has taken this BOW (biological weapon) to Africa to give it a test drive as to how effective a tool it could be.

So you're going to play it before you replay the other games?
Yes. I want to play on the two player mode, quite a bit.

Related links
Official Resident Evil web site
Wesker's Report II
Wiki entry on viruses in the Resident Evil series
Wiki entry on Resident Evil game series
Wiki entry looking at the racism debate over Resident Evil 5

In which are heroine gets bitten on the neck, again and again...

2009-03-09T20:30:00.004Z

When survival horror is f*****g scary
I have started playing through Resident Evil, the remake version that was released for the Nintendo Game Cube. And seriously, I have never been so scared whilst playing a computer game.

Things I've noticed
Your weapons are pathetic against the undead horde in this game. There's tonnes of puzzles. The undead are pretty fast for rotting corpses, and all you can really do is just try and dodge them.

I have an inkling of the things that are awaiting me once I get further into the game. Things are just going to get worse.

I'm going to try and finish it
I will try to finish this game, but don't expect to see a review on it in the next week. Plus Resident Evil 5 is out on Friday, and I've been saving my GAME card points to spend on it, all £22.50 worth of points. So I kind of know what I'll be playing Friday night.

Related links
Current incarnation of the Resident Evil website, with attention paid to 5
Wiki entry on Resident Evil, the first game
Blog explaining what I'm up to

Resident Evil 0

2009-03-08T20:02:00.003Z

Yes, survival horror computer games...
I'm amazed that I got the two main characters, Billy and Rebecca, through this game. Zombies and mutated freaks, plus lots of confusing puzzles, can make for a deadly combination for any computer game avatar.

What's the game about?
You play as Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen. Rebecca is a member of S.T.A.R.S., acting as a medic, S.T.A.R.S. is a tactical unit with police and military aspects in its operations. Billy Coen was a Lieutenant in the US Marines, but no longer is by the start of the game.

The two main characters are thrust together as a series of bizarre and horrifying events threaten their lives. They flee from one location to another, trying to escape a biological nightmare that has been cooked up under the folds of Umbrella (a great big global corporation with interests in bio tech).

It's not the original first game in the series
The aim for this game was to provide more back story to the Resident Evil franchise. In this game you learn more about the origins of the T virus, and its creators, and just how the events in the original game, Resident Evil, were able to take place.

What system do you play it on?
Resident Evil 0 is a game by Capcom made for the Nintendo Game Cube, but can be played on a Nintendo Wii as well, with either a Game Cube controller or a Classic Controller.

Why play the game?
Apart from the adrenaline that gets pumping as you dodge zombies, mutated apes, leeches, dogs, frogs, spiders, etc., and all the puzzles that are satisfying (if not maddening) to solve... The story is a good reason to play: it adds to the other games in the series, and has a nice bit of mystery and character development as well. The story in this game also makes it easier to understand why Resident Evil 5 is set in Africa.

I certainly enjoyed playing this.

Related links
Official Resident Evil website
Wiki entry for Resident Evil 0
My 'Rezzing it up' blog post

Watchmen (the movie)

2009-03-07T23:33:00.004Z

It's here, and I've seen it
I have just come home from watching Watchmen at my local cinema. I am still dazzled by its awesomeness, even though the reel I've watched is now two miles away and no longer turning for the day.

It's just sooooo awesome
Everyone and everything in this film, everyone who worked behind the scenes on this film, are incredible.

Working as an adaptation
I have read the graphic novel, and I know there are some parts from it that were not in the film, but I'm not having a fit over that. The film is perfect as it is.

One thing I've learnt as I've gradually been tutored in scriptwriting, is that adaptations are tricky things. For instance, a novel can describe things that cannot really be done artfully in a film, such as the interior workings of a character's mind.

Or there are just things in the original, which are just there because the author/writer can get away with it in the original medium. These artefacts, quite often, will not add to a film, once the story has been properly refined for this visual medium. The pirate sub-story in the original comics/graphic novel of Watchmen is an example of this, as well as the squid.

Or the original source material is just far too long and overly complicated in places, if not all of it. Lord of the Rings anyone?

So the film works?
Damn right it does. I thought The Dark Knight last year was brilliant, and it still is, but Watchmen has upped the game in comic book adaptations even more. The bar has been raised, along with people's expectations.

Future comic book films beware.

Go see it
Now if you haven't seen the film, go and see it. The film has been rated 18 by the BBFC in the UK. It deserves this rating. This film is not suitable for those younger than 18 years. I'm glad that things have not been censored and cut, so that Snyder's (the director's) vision of the graphic novel is intact.

Forget about the fact that Alan Moore doesn't really support it. He doesn't support any adaptations of his work anymore (ok, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen wasn't that good, but it's not the worst film in existence, and not the worst adaptation either).

Related links
Official Watchmen film website
Wiki entry on Watchmen film
My review of Watchmen graphic novel

The Ex (or Fast Track)

2009-03-06T13:32:00.003Z

I'm a victim of cheap DVDs
OK, maybe not a victim. I chose to buy it, yes, there was a conscious decision involved somewhere down the line.

The film?
Right. This is a comedy that came out a few years ago. It follows a couple as they come to terms with their roles in life after they have a baby, well at least I'm sure that would have been the pitch on a proposal form somewhere down the line.

Is it funny?
Yes and no. It's not the most impressive American comedy to ever be produced, and most of the humour seems to come at the expense of one particular character, rather than an assortment of the cast.

The Ex is also incredibly short: 78 minutes.

Not recommended
You can go and watch it if you want, but I'd rather watch Garden State if I want to see Zach Braff in a film. Seriously.

Related links
Official site for The Ex
Fast Track entry on IMDB
Wiki entry for The Ex

A surprisingly good read

2009-03-05T10:52:00.004Z

TWILIGHT, and hitting the right notes
I finished reading Twilight, the first novel in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, last night. It certainly has made me want to read the next novel in the series New Moon.

When I say it hits the right notes, I mean it. Likeable characters, with plenty of flaws, sexual tension, mystery and romance. Stuff that makes a teen novel good.

So, you're going to read the rest of the series?
Yes, I'm pressing on with reading New Moon. The Twilight series may not be high literature, but it's entertaining stuff to read. I can quite honestly see how it's become so popular with teenage girls, and thinking of books that deal in the realms of the supernatural, Meyer's books seem to deal with teenage emotions and worries better than the Harry Potter series ever did.

What about the film?
I will watch the film some day, but I have this awful feeling that it's probably not a very good adaptation. Again, I won't outright criticise or praise it unless I've watched it.

Related links
Stephenie Meyer's website
Wiki entry on Twilight series

The anticipation is killing me?

2009-03-04T10:35:00.002Z

Tickets are booked
That's right, my tickets have been booked for the late screening this Saturday at my local cinema. Managed to get my favourite seats in the largest screen. And no, I didn't have to bribe anyone to do this.

But my guy and I were the first ones to book seats for that screening. We would have gone on Friday, however we do the weekly shop on Friday evenings, and even though the choice between Watchmen and food was a difficult one to make, food won that round. Food only just won, though.

Not long now
Thank goodness I've got loads of good books and games to keep me distracted until Saturday. Oh, and Dexter is on tomorrow night, so watching my favourite sociopath should help me sleep better, I'm sure.

Though I do have a driving lesson Saturday afternoon. Maybe if I try really hard, I can imagine the car as the thing Night Owl in Watchmen drives/hovers/flies around in.

Related links
Official Watchmen film website
Wiki entry on the film
Previous blog entry on Watchmen graphic novel, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Death Note (live action film)

2009-03-03T11:26:00.005Z

This doesn't happen very often
Somehow, I managed to watch a film on Film4 on Saturday, and it was this. I don't tend to have much luck watching stuff on Film4, because, well, my digital TV reception is really bad.

What is it?
This was a live action Japanese film based on a popular manga of the same name. It follows a law student, Light Yagami, as he discovers the Death Note, a book with the power to kill anyone whose name is written in it. Light uses the book, it seems at first, to kill those who have murdered others, but soon not everyone is grateful for what he is doing...

Parts I liked
I liked the CGI animation that they did for the death god Ryuk was really good. Some have said that it looked out of place, or wasn't well done, but I think he looked really good, for a god of death.

Having not read the manga or seen the anime TV series, I don't know what the characters were originally enviosned as. However, I think that L, the main character that sets out to chase down Light (whom the media and police dub Kira), is pretty funky. L appears to be addicted to junk food.

Going to watch the next one
I'm hoping that I'll be able to at least record the next one, which is being shown on Film4 this coming Saturday. There was an interesting story strand developing at the end of the first one.

Related links
Wiki entry on Death Note the film
Official American Death Note release website

Vampires and zombies

2009-02-27T10:44:00.007Z

No, I'm not playing some new computer game that involves the two, but I'm certainly getting my fair share of the two with my current reading and gaming activities. Seriously.

TWILIGHT, so far
Has been interesting to read. I'm near the end of the first book, and have been enjoying it. More to come on that next week.
RESIDENT EVIL 0, so far
This game hasn't been giving me nightmares yet, but I get pretty freaked out whilst playing it. Again, I'll be finished on that sometime next week.

Something is getting in the way
I had a mole removed from my left arm earlier this week. I wasn't aware of how difficult it would make doing things, having it removed. I'm having difficulty typing this. Reading and playing games has also been on the rather painful side, (let alone taking notes in uni).

Related links
Stephenie Meyer's official website on Twilight
Wiki entry on Twilight series
Official Resident Evil website
Wiki entry on the Resident Evil franchise

Rezzing it up

2009-02-23T16:34:00.005Z

RESIDENT EVIL
To mark the launch of Resident Evil 5 in the next few weeks, I shall be diligently working on reviews of the past games.

So look out for reviews of one of the best game series to ever come out of Japan (named Biohazard over there). Survival horror at its best.

I'm trying to review all of the main games in chronological order, so the roster is:
Resident Evil 0
Resident Evil 1
Resident Evil 3
Resident Evil: Code Veronica X
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles

And once it's out:

Resident Evil 5

And maybe even Resident Evil: Degeneration a CG movie tie-in to the game series that details some events between 4 and 5.

Remember, the live action Resident Evil films, starring the lovely Mila Jovovich, are only loosely based on the games, and are not actually canon.

For the time being, check out the related links.

Related links
Official Resident Evil website
Wiki entry on the Resident Evil franchise

The Orange Box pt. 3: Portal

2009-02-23T16:02:00.004Z

What the heck is that?
That, my friends, is an ill-fated 'Companion Cube'. It's an object you come across in the action-adventure-puzzle game Portal.

PORTAL
Was first released as a part of The Orange Box, by Valve, in 2007. It takes place in Aperture Science Laboratories, which we learn a small amount about in Half-Life 2: Episode 2.

This game created some of the most wide spread and strangest Internet phenomena of the last few years. If anyone has ever said to you 'The cake is a lie', they are directly quoting from this game. And you know what... the cake is a lie.

What happens?
The game has a very limited story, but you appear to play as a young woman who wakes up in the laboratories, and a robotic voice orders you to complete numerous tasks using 'portals'. Portals in this game are openings through the space and dimensions of reality that allow for the rapid travel of an individual between two points.

If that makes any sense, let me know.

However, during the course of the game, you find out that not all is at it seems, after being first convinced that you're just helping out with some experiments, it soon becomes clear that that is not all your testers want of you. Your life is put into jeopardy quite a bit.

What do you like about it?
It has some really ingenious puzzles, especially after you get the 'portal gun', which is a gun that enables your character to create their own portals.

There's also some real sinister aspects that creep into the game, and into you, as you realise just how bad off the character is. The robotic voice that directs you is eerie, and when you finally meet its source, you need to be prepared to fend for your life.

Recommend?
If, for some reason you haven't played this game yet, go play it. It's not like the other games in The Orange Box as it's not about surviving with the use of guns, for here you only have your wits and the portal gun to defend you. The puzzles are fun, if sometimes frustrating, and it's a game that makes you 'think', in a nice way.

And if you have already played it, go and play it again, just do some of the challenging modes this time. Or at least to listen to the song that plays during the end credits.

Concluding notes
That's my final review for The Orange Box. If you want to read the other reviews see:

Half-Life 2 review
Half-Life 2: Episode 1 review
Getting stuck in Half-Life 2: Episode 2
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 review

I won't be reviewing Team Fortress 2, as I don't have an XBox Live Gold account, which is needed for the online play of this game, and this game is all pretty much all online play.

Related links
Official The Orange Box website
Official Valve website
Wiki entry on Portal

I'm not going to criticise this anymore...

2009-02-19T18:01:00.004Z

... until I've read it
Yes, I am going to get hold of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series and read the damn novels before I try to criticise it any further.

How do you...
Yeah, yeah, OK so I've been doing a typical critic thing on a podcast I contribute to, and I've been criticising the movie and the novels without having properly experienced them in any way or form. Seeing how the movie isn't on at the cinema any more, I'll get hold of the novels first.

But you're not a teenager!
True, but it wasn't that long ago that I still was, and I do have experience in reading novels aimed at teenagers, and vampire fiction, so I'm used to it in general. Shouldn't be too hard to get through, well I hope it won't be.

Exactly why are you doing this?
It has become an aim on this podcast (see links below for site), for us to not talk about things that no one has seen, played or read. So I will take the fall, and I will read these novels. I'm taking one for the team.

Podcast?
Well, I say podcast, but it's not going to be for much sooner. We're working on turning it into a vodcast (having video instead of just sound), we have the equipment and editing facilites and the technical know how, and we've finally come up with a format as well.

Related links
Stephenie Meyer's official website on Twilight
Wiki entry on Twilight series
Caster's Kitchen podcasts on Cornish Sci-Fi Supplement

Someone get me a copy

2009-02-17T17:11:00.003Z

Pardon?
Philip K. Dick's last wife, Tessa Dick, has written and self-published a version of a novel that Dick was working on before his death. The novel is entitled The Owl in Daylight.

Full story from Guardian here.

Philip K. Dick fan then?
I do like his writing quite a bit. Out of the several science fiction writers I've had a gander at over the years, I find his fiction some of the best examples of the 'speculative fiction' side of science fiction. Sure, the scary political and war scenarios that exist in his short stories and novels may not noticeably exist, but there are definitely some similarities between his fictional worlds and our own. Think paranoia, wars no one really knows why they're fighting, and misuse of technology.

Plus his ponderings on the human condition that are present in his novels and short stories are pretty good as well.

So you want a copy of the book?
Well, yeah. However, I think it's going to be hard to get hold of a copy due to the thing being self-published. Oh well.

Related links
Guardian article
Official Philip K. Dick website
Wiki entry on Philip K Dick

Watchmen Countdown

2009-02-16T10:13:00.005Z

The countdown has begun. Seriously this movie better be a decent adaptation of the graphic novel. I'll cry if it isn't.

He's Just Not That Into You

2009-02-13T11:28:00.004Z

I went to see a 'romantic'/'chick flick' film
Yeah... I don't feel proud about it. Though they have been promoting this film for not falling into numerous clichés chick flicks tend to tumble down into.

Did I actually like it?
Well, I found it a bit hard to get into, because I'm not used to dealing with films that have their story/stories arranged into a load of miniplots. OK, so I watched Burn After Reading last year, but the miniplots in that film had greater links between them.

Uh, what are 'miniplots'?
A film with miniplots, is a film that doesn't have a single main character, and a single main story to be told. Films structured out of miniplots tend to have one theme that all the stories within it follow, and most of the characters presented are of equal importance.

So, what's it about?
A load of people who just aren't that good at relationships with the opposite sex.

Would I recommend it?
It's sort of a date film, but not for couples who haven't been going out for very long... mostly due to the amount of break-ups that place in the film. If you want to have a romantic Valentine's Day with someone special, don't go and see this film, unless you want to see something that breaks with convention.

Oh, and supposedly it's an adaptation from a popular novel.

Related links
Offcial website
IMDB entry on He's Just Not That Into You

Batwoman is coming back!

2009-02-13T10:30:00.006Z

Yes, she's coming back!
Batwoman is returning to Gotham in order to step into Batman's shoes, after his 'demise' last November.

Where'd you hear about this?
BBC item that was linked in a publishing newsletter that I receive. Read BBC article here.

Why are you excited?
Well, supposedly the character is a but more diverse than the usual comic book fodder so I'm taking an interest.

Related links
BBC Entertainment article
Official DC Universe website

People are finally speaking out?

2009-02-11T10:48:00.006Z

Please say the end is nigh for boring books that teach kids how to read
Slowly a low rumbling noise over the issue is rolling out across the land. Take a look here for the dissent that is finally being heard.

I have something against books such as these
When I was in primary school, I learnt to read a bit from these sorts of books, but quickly found them to be boring and uninteresting. Only my grandparents and I had the foresight to let me read more mainstream novels for children, and so I ended up with a pretty advanced reading age when I left primary school.

However, I repeatedly had to fight for the right to read books that I wanted to read when I was in primary school. They relented a little when they saw that I was reading things such as Dinotopia, The Secret Garden and The Fox Busters.

So what do I say?
I would only use structured books to teach some of the basics of books and then just go on to more commercial books for children. The set learning books are truly boring and they do stop children from enjoying reading, and I should know, I was one of those children.

Related links
Times Online article 'Look out, Kipper! These books are deadly!'
The Oxford books in question
Wiki entry on Dinotopia
Wiki entry on The Secret Garden
Wiki entry on the author of The Fox Busters

Half-Life 2: Episode 2

2009-02-10T21:41:00.003Z

Y'know...
I don't always need catharsis, but dang, I do now.

I'm missing it already
So after one of the most gut wrenching cliff hangers I have ever witnessed a game ending on, I now find myself wanting to be playing the as-of-yet non-existent Half-Life 2: Episode 3.

Over the last month I have found myself become increasingly fond of Half-Life's main protagonist: Gordon Freeman. After all, everyone wants to play as the man who pretty much ends the human world, right?

Were there puzzles?
Well, this sequel seemed to be shorter than the previous games, and lacked puzzles of the same magnitude, but it was nice to play it just to see how the story developed.

So you got the rocket launcher?
Yes. A friend gave me a hint at how to get the thing. Launching Freeman into the air via the use of a grenade and a metal flap worked wonders.

Any more of the ORANGE BOX left?
I've got Portal to play next, but I'm not playing Team Fortress 2 as I lack a Gold Live account for my XBox 360.

Main criticism?
The way the game ended. You just shouldn't do that to a player! It's cruel and unusual. Obviously it left it right open for another sequel, but considering how long Valve (the developers) like to take when developing things... I'd be stupid to hold my breath.

Final words...
The game is worth at least one play through, but I would say that the original Half-Life 2 is the only one out of the recent (well, if you can call just over 4 years ago 'recent') games in the series that have any re-playability. The Orange Box is still an essential gaming purchase if you own a XBox 360 or a PC.

Related links
Official Orange Box website
Wikipedia entry for Half-Life 2
Valve's website

Chobits

2009-02-09T10:16:00.005Z

You mentioned this last week?
Yes, I did. I've now read the whole manga, and was surprised by the last two volumes.

Surprised?
It's not everyday that you read a series that ties-in with one you had previously dismissed. Turns out the storyline of Chobits is in fact linked with another manga by Clamp, called Angelic Layer, which previously I had only read the first volume of and seen the first two episodes of the anime.

Back to the CHOBITS
There may be tonnes of pandering to a male audience in this manga, but the story is incredibly sweet and enduring. Hideki, a 19 year old cram school student and part time restaurant worker, finds what he believes is a persocom in the trash not far from where he lives. In Chobits persocoms are often human shaped robots that can compile everyday mundane computer tasks and far more advanced ones that lead to some people in the world of Chobits having them as companions.

Hideki is surprised by his luck, and takes the persocom home. Soon he learns that the persocom is not a normal persocom, and after naming her Chi, decides to find out more about her with the help of his friends.

Why should we read this?
It may not be the best manga in the world, but it's one of the nicest out there. The artwork is superb, and watching Hideki change into an adult over the course of the story is sweet. If you like reading a romance with a bit of science ficiton thrown in, it's also a good read.

Related links
Wikipedia entry for Chobits
Official Tokyo Pop Chobits site, need to be a registered user to navigate around
Wikipedia entry for Clamp

Being stuck in the snow...

2009-02-04T13:35:00.015Z

Where I live it rarely snows in the winter. When it does, it brings the entire county to its knees.

So, quite predictably I have spent the last two days stuck in a friend's house, after being marooned there on Monday afternoon. Other than coursework, what did I get up to?

Thankfully, myself and my other-half had the pleasure of staying with a couple equally into games, SF, fantasy, anime, manga, graphic novels, films and snowball fights. Thank goodness I had my laptop with me.
TWIN TOWN
A Welsh film I had never heard of until I got stuck in my friend's house. Brought out in 1997, it has a very young Rhys Ifans in one of the main roles. There's a lot of sex, drugs and swearing for a film set in Swansea, but this is a pretty decent film. It follows two brothers (not actually twins), who constantly re-offend whilst on probation, and end-up rubbing one of the local runners of organised crime up the wrong way. Cue all hell being unleashed.
SPORE
Yep, I ended up on Spore on my laptop PC. Admittedly I haven't purchased the latest, and first, expansion pack for it, but I had another good play through on it. The only problem is that I keep whimping out on playing the Space Stage, which is the final stage of the game.
ELDER SCROLLS III: MORROWIND (with expansion packs, on PC)
A Western RPG (role playing game) by Bethesda. It's set on an island, where you can pretty much roam wherever you want. Lots of magic and swords. I started a new game on it, but I didn't get very far as the game is huge. Some claim there's over 500 hours of play time on it with the expansion packs.
CHOBITS
This is a Japanese manga that was first published between 2001 to 2002. It was created by the gals at Clamp. Set in the near future it follows cram school student Hideki as he stubles across what he first thinks is an everyday android, left out in the trash, but soon turns out to be much more than that. This manga was Clamp's first one for guys (they normally write for girls), so there is a lot of 'fanservice', but it is a good read.

A full review will follow in the future.

Ehhh, what's manga?
Manga is a term derived from Japanese to classify comic-books created and originally published in Japan. They tend to be printed in black and white, and are drawin in a style that tends to be noticably different from Western comic-books and graphic novels. Quite often when they're published after being translated the layout remains the same, i.e. the panels are arranged from right to left and must be read as such.

When manga is published in Western territories it's usually released in volumes, unlike in Japan where most mangas are originally published in weekly and monthly publications containing a selection of different mangas, but these publications are targeted at different markets. Young and old, male and female: there's a huge market for manga in Japan.

Right, so what's 'fanservice'?
This is a term used to describe certain characteristics in both manga, anime (a manga that has been turned into an animated show or movie), and some Japanese computer games aimed at teenage boys, young men, and perhaps even older men. The characteristics mostly revolve around a noticeable focus on female characters' panties, busts and other noticeable sexual aspects around the female characters.

So, you weren't bored?
Certainly not.

Related links
IMDB entry for Twin Town
Official Spore web site
Elder Scrolls official web site
Wikipedia entry for Chobits

No Heroics

2009-01-30T14:21:00.008Z

What's this?
A British sitcom that has been airing since 2008, originally on ITV2, but now also on ITV1. Follows a bunch of superheroes operating in the UK.

And these probably aren't superheroes that you'd want to be rescued by either.

How have I been finding it?
I've been watching it for a couple of weeks now and there's a great deal of adult humour in the show, but they handle it quite well. I'm a bit of a fan of comic books and stuff with superheroes in general, and it's nice to be watching something that deals with the area in such a tongue-in-cheek manner.

The dysfunctional heroes and villains are hilarious, and the interpretation of how a public would respond to having such people around is extremely comic.

Should we watch it?
Well, the show is made by Tiger Aspect, who bought the world such things as Teachers and Badly Dubbed Porn. There is comedy in their blood.

Related links
Official No Heroics page on ITV's website
Tiger Aspect Productions
Freelance illustrator who designed the above poster

Taking my time with Episode 2

2009-01-29T14:45:00.008Z

What, eh?
Yes, taking my time. I'm getting there, but I desperately want a rocket launcher that I've found in a near unreachable place, and I can't bring myself to look at a gamefaq.

Gamefaq?
For the uninitiated these are online guides/walkthroughs that explain how to complete an entire game, from maps, to items, to how to work out puzzles, to tactics for defeating bosses and normal enemies. FAQ stands for: frequently asked questions.

What you'll find is there are user wiki (as in Wikipedia style) pages on games generated by fans, or walkthrough entries on GameFAQs. If I can't find a decent guide on GameFAQs, I'll resort to looking for wikis via a search engine, and after that... well... the web in general.

Will I preservere?
I'm going to complete this game, but I know from the past two games in Half-Life 2 that I need that rocket launcher. The puzzle will not stump me forever.

Related links
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 official page
GameFAQs website

Being Human on BBC3

2009-01-26T22:46:00.010Z

Going beyond the pilot
So after a slight change of cast from the pilot that was screened in February last year, a full six part series was commissioned by the BBC. Tonight the first episode was aired.

What an interesting group: a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost, all living together. Oh, and the vampire can handle daylight. All three trying not to be a stereotype.

Promising
Unlike so many British shows these days, the acting on this was of a really nice quality. Things don't feel forced and false such as on another BBC show, in the same vein, Torchwood. It's not completely there, but it's an improvement.

It has the slight impending apocalypse theme that a lot of shows with supernatural based storylines tend to go for. I'll forgive them for this staple.

How many episodes to this season?
Six.

Am I going to continue watching it?
Yeah. Reminds me of another good supernatural series that the BBC once had (Strange). So far Being Human has an almost equal level of creepiness that this previous show had, a creepiness factor that I like.

There's also some nice metaphors and allegories running about the place too.

Check it out on iPlayer, if you've missed the first episode.

Related links
Being Human portal on BBC website
Strange pages on BBC website

Skins, series 3, episode 1

2009-01-25T23:44:00.005Z

SKINS, is back
So, I've just finished watching the first episode, repeated on E4. I'm still waiting for more of what we saw in the last two series.

How was it?
There was a farcical nature to this first episode. Yes it did make for some pretty comedic moments, but I kind of hope each episode is not like it. The characters are just about believable, from the main group of teenagers, through to the adults and teachers.

What do you think is going to happen to them?
In this first episode most of the teens were pretty confident about themselves, about what they wanted and how to go about getting it. I think we're going to see some big falls for the characters, else there will be no drama, no conflict, and most importedly: no growing up (character development).

Fave character so far?
Freddie, he's an accomplished skateboarder. His opening scene must have been one of the most difficult to film.

Should we watch it?
People who haven't seen the past two series, don't necessarily need to have seen them to watch the new one. If you haven't seen them, you'll just miss out on recognising previously established characters, but that doesn't seem to be a huge issue so far. If you like watching teenagers get up to all sorts of shenanigans, and being reminded of what sixth-form/further education was like, then you'll probably enjoy this.

Why do I watch SKINS?
'Cause it reminds me of the further education college I went to: friends, drugs, sex, drink and death.

Related links
Official E4 site
IMDB entry on Skins

The Orange Box pt. 2: Half-Life 2: Episode 1

2009-01-21T15:13:00.004Z

Just a short moment of your time
Somehow, I helped Freeman and Alyx get out of City 17 alive.

This sequel picks up from where Half-Life 2 ended, with the Citadel in meltdown and soon to become one huge crater. After an intriguing beginning, Alyx and Freeman realise just how much work they have to do.

Unlike the previous game, this one does not have as many puzzles or weapons. It was nice to play, just to see where the main characters ended up, but this game is shorter and leaves you on a cliffhanger.

All I'll say for now is that I had fun playing it, and that I really need to play Episode 2.

Related link
Episode 1

Game Walls (rant warning)

2009-01-19T19:17:00.009Z

I've been playing games for a while
I've been playing computer games on a regular basis for quite a while now. Well, since the age of 13; I am aware that most kids these days have been playing them before they could speak, but basically my parents did not want me going near them until my mental abilities had developed a fair bit first.

What is a game wall?
Anyway. One thing that has irked me about computer games, especially ones developed in the West, is that they have game walls. Now you may be unfamiliar with this term (perhaps unfamiliar with computer games, but I can do nothing about that), but put simply a game wall is an invisible wall that a player may come across whilst playing a computer game, and it cannot be transcended, traversed etc... You're avatar may be happily walking around in a game environment, the next moment it can no longer progress forwards, and if you're lucky there's a message somewhere on the screen saying that you are unable to go that way and must turn round.

Now when you're playing a game such as Bethesda's Oblivion this is annoying. Sure the map on the map screen may have boundaries, but the map is not constantly showing. So if your avatar/character is happily walking along collecting alchemy ingredients and then you find you can go no further it jolts you out of the game. That is a pain, but what is more annoying is seeing perfectly fine, easily traversed landscape continuing in the direction you're not allowed to proceed in.

Oblivion is not all that bad
To an extent Oblivion had a just about an acceptable piece of logic within the game: the boundaries were where different countries met. So it's not the worst offender. I just don't like being reminded I'm playing a game as I wonder about a non-existent world with my non-existent level 26 sorcerer collecting non-existent flower parts for potions.

Fallout 3 is the same
The same has happened with Fallout 3, another of Bethesda's games. Now, I'm not trying to call out Bethesda on this, but they're the only two examples I can remember at the moment, and it is these two games that I've been playing regularly for the last few months.

Seriously, game walls are annoying
I just don't like these invisible walls. Now if it was an obstacle I had no hope of getting around, under or over, then fine. This is often not the case. Invisible walls just seem lazy.

I dislike game walls, because they take me out of the fantasy that I'm taking part in when I play a free roaming computer game. I understand that they're necessary, but that doesn't mean I have to like them.

Related links
Bethesda's official blog
Bethesda's main website

Dexter

2009-01-16T10:53:00.005Z

Second season
When the second season started airing on ITV1 this month, oh how I was thankful. I don't tend to watch series that revolve around investigators of crime, or the psychopaths and sociopaths that commit them, but this show is the exception.

How'd I get into it?
Perhaps my main reason for getting into it was due to being a bit of a fan of Michael C. Hall. Despite being under the age of 18 when it originally aired in the UK on Channel 4, I was (and still am) a big fan of Six Feet Under. So when I found out that he was in a new show, well I felt compelled to at least try and watch it. Also I had enjoyed Julie Benz's performances in Taken, and Buffy and Angel.

What is it then?
The series is based on the novels Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter and Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay. I have to say that I am slightly tempted to read them.

Why do I like the show?
Maybe it's the suspense, or the characterisation, or just how subversive the character of Dexter is, but I really like this show. Admittedly, it did take me a while in the first season to get into it and start enjoying the whole thing, but I stuck with it and now I find it pretty enjoyable to watch.

It's all about Dexter
The character of Dexter Morgan is deeply disturbed, and if the image above is not enough of a hint, well, he's also bit of a sociopath too. He also just happens to work for his local P.D., (where his adoptive sister works), attached to their forensics department. His situation, and after work hours activities are certainly intriguing. Dexter lives by a code that was created for him by his adoptive father, a police officer, when it was realised by his father that he had sociopathic tendencies. The code is along the lines of: only kill those who kill. So Dexter is a sort of dark avenger, killing off the serial killers living around Miami.

One reason to watch ITV1 and ITV4
Dexter is the only thing I'm currently watching on an ITV channel on a regular basis. Mind you, just because it was shown in the UK on FX first does not mean that I am unable to wait long enough for a series to be shown on a free channel or to arrive on DVD. I will wait, and happily go slowly mad in the process too.

Try to watch the first series, if you haven't yet
The first season is currently available on DVD. I advise at least renting it.

Related link
Showtime's official website for Dexter

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-01-15T14:07:00.011Z

When word got out (to me)
When I first learnt that Dev Patel was starring in it, just five minutes before the BBFC certification came on the screen at the cinema, I had to stop myself from thinking of all the embarrassing moments the character he played in Skins had had. I had a similar problem with Hugo Weaving and Lord of the Rings, due to first seeing him in The Matrix; Agent Smith was not going to appear in the middle of Rivendale.

On with the film
But yes, Slumdog Millionaire. It's an adaptation of a novel written by Vikas Swarup called Q and A. The structure of the film revolves around Jamal (Dev Patel) reviewing how he answered questions on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?, whilst he is interrogated in a police station in Mumbai, due to being accused of cheating, but it's the day before the final part of the show is filmed.

Jamal and Salim = deprived
There's the issue that Jamal is a 'slumdog', like his brother Salim, someone born in the slums, and who according to most should not amount to anything, and not know very much about the wider world he lives in. He's also a Muslim, so supposedly he shouldn't know anything about Hinduism either. However, due to a series of unfortunate events that stem from his childhood to his present situation, he knows in an almost fated way what all the correct answers on the show are when he manages to appear on it.

Sub-plot
There's also a sub-plot of an enduring love he has for a girl from his childhood, and how he continues to find and pursue her, even though obstacles are always in his way. His love for Latika only grows as he ages.

Comparisons
During the film, I had to stop myself form thinking about City of God. Mostly because the crime element in Slumdog is there, but not at the same level of importance in the Brazillian film.

Did I enjoy it?
I want to say that I really enjoyed the film, but the ending felt out of place with me. I understand how people like a nice bit of catharsis, but to me it seemed that the story could have ended very differently. It's certainly worth watching, and it's a good reminder of the crap filled lives so many millions in India still have to put up with everyday. It has some stunning cinematography and shoot locations too.

Does it deserve the hype?
Just not to sure if it deserved its four Golden Globes for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score. Well, perhaps for Best Original Score, but then it probably only got that because it would have sounded exotic compared to the other nominations.

Related link
Official UK site for Slumdog Millionaire

I have a confession to make...

2009-01-14T11:10:00.007Z

OK I could put this on dailyconfession.com (actually I can't because the site is defunct... don't go there at the moment, especially if you don't want bad things to happen to your computer), but then I'd rather put it here.

You see, I have a confession to make about some of my viewing habits.

I am really fond of action movies in general, but in particular I am a big fan of movies starring one actor. He's a dynamo at martial arts, speaks fluent Japanese, and he also plays the blues...

His name is Steven Seagal.

Now I did not realise that I was a fan until earlier last year. I'd been catching bits and pieces of his films strewn across Five, Five US and Virgin 1. Always, I had flipped over to the channel too late to watch the whole film, but after finding that I liked what I did see, I decided to search the Radio Times every week until I found one of his films airing and then made a point to watch it.

I watched Under Siege. It was awesome.

I can't say that I find Seagal attractive, the guy is older than my Father, so that's not why I love to watch his films. What I love about his films is that you know that when someone breaks the law in front of him, or acts like an asshole around him, that they are going to have their ass kicked quite promptly, and thoroughly. In some cases this results in the death of antagonists, but Seagal's characters only ever seem to kill people who have already killed people.

The same could be said of the likes of Chuck Norris, however, I have issues with Norris's personal beliefs. Some may also say that Seagal is a bad actor, and that he always plays the same roles. Thing is, Seagal was trained in martial arts way before he ever began to act, and he appears to relish playing the roles that he puts himself into.

So there's my confession. I am a fan of Steven Seagal. Before Christmas last year I purchased a boxset of his films, and I'm currently working my way through watching them. Hurrah for action films.

Related link
Segal's official site