Elysium (2013)
Dystopian futures, oppressive regimes and the inequalities between the haves and have nots, have been the mainstay of science fiction for decades. The political dimensions of such narratives are usually glossed over and seldom garner any attention from critics as they are simply plot devices, designed to set up a more specific story. Yet for some reason Neill Blomkamp's Elysium, seems to have been labelled "sci-fi socialism" upon its release by certain institutions. In today's unsophisticated language is meant to have negative connotations. Such comments should be dismissed as they frequently come from quarters that have a poor understanding of what exactly socialism is and little interest in genuine film reviews.
Classic Movie Themes: Zeppelin
Zeppelin is an often overlooked, World War I action movie made in 1971. Michael York plays a British Officer of Bavarian decent, who goes under cover for British Intelligence to thwart a German plot involving a new prototype dirigible. It's a very straightforward ripping yarn, that benefits greatly from Alan Hume’s superb cinematography. The visual effects credits are a veritable "who's, who" of British artist from the time, featuring the likes of Cliff Richardson, Cliff Culley and Wally Veevers. One of the stand out elements of this movie is the fine score by Roy Budd. Budd was a completely self-taught musician who was hailed as a child prodigy. Over the course of his career Budd wrote a diverse selection of film scores and was adept at many different styles.
Diary of a Podcaster Part 9
As I surmised, in its current state Squarespace has proven an inadequate host for my current podcast. After exchanging several emails with Apple support, I was informed that “the server for your episodes does not support HTTP HEAD requests. To enable streaming playback of episodes, ensure the hosting server allows HTTP HEAD requests and has byte-range requests enabled”. To cut a long story short, there is no scope for me to alter any of these things at present within the Squarespace dashboard. Nor did I want the work involved in using a third-party feed managing service such as FeedBurner. So, I decided to open up an account with a commercial hosting service. After some research, I determined that PodBean could cater for all my needs and at a competitive price. Submitting the new RSS feed was easy and Apple approved the podcast within 36 hours. As of today, the Contains Moderate Peril podcast is back on iTunes.
The Darkest Hour (2011)
The Darkest Hour should have been more appropriately titled The Stupidest Hour, or Darwinian Natural Selection in Action. It really is a microcosm of all that is wrong with mainstream Hollywood at present and it saddens me that this film was made by director Chris Gorak. His previous movie Right at You Door was the exact opposite of The Darkest Hour, being intelligent, well scripted and focused. Prior to directing Gorak has had a successful career as an art director, working for such luminaries as David Fincher, the Coen brothers, and Terry Gilliam. His flair for the visual is present in The Darkest Hour but it would appear that the production design and visual effects were given priority over a good script. I shall endeavour to summarise the plot and provide a brief overview of the films respective merits, although there are precious little.
Tradesmen
I don’t care for the popular interpretation of the “Renaissance Man”. IE someone who attempts all jobs around the house. I’m a firm believer in deferring to professionals. If I need electrical work carried out, then I’ll happily hire an electrician. The same goes for plumbers, builders and decorators. I even employ a handyman for those niggling trivial jobs. There are several reasons why I take such an approach. First and foremost, I am fully aware of my limitations and what I can and cannot do. It’s a philosophy espoused by Harry Callahan, so who am I to contradict? If I want a job done, I want it done properly and not bodged. Secondly, if you formally employ someone to undertake a job that has been fully costed via bona fide quotation, then you have legal recourse should things go south. Thirdly, I do not care for manual labour. That is not to say I think it’s beneath me. Quite the opposite. I admire anyone who earns their crust through their physical toil. Nope, I just don’t like such work. I prefer using my mind not my back. Finally, I value my leisure time and do not want to see such a precious resource squandered. So, considering all these points, whenever certain jobs or chores arise, I pay others to do them.
Gaming and Voice Chat
I was reading through the patch notes for the latest test build for LOTRO (Bullroarer Update 21.2 - Beta 1 Take 2) and was interested to find down at the bottom of the list, a reference to some changes that are coming to in-game voice chat. Namely, party member voice volume can be adjusted individually. Party volume control visibility can be toggled by clicking on the party voice chat icon for party members. Default Group Volume preference are to be added to the Voice section of Audio options. The volume slider can be used to set the default voice volume level of new group members. Its 75% volume by default. Well, huzzah with highly polished brass knobs on. I’m pleased that this is being done but isn’t it somewhat late? We could have done with these improvements a decade ago.
Imagining the Worst
I was technically not old enough to see Outland when it was released in the UK in 1981. The film was rated AA, a now defunct certificate, which required the viewer to be 14 years or older and I was 13. I have strong memories of feeling quite tense going into the cinema. My expectations were based purely on what I had read in the press and from seeing the trailer just once, a few weeks prior. That is how it was before the internet age. You had less advance knowledge of a movie. Furthermore, at this point in time I had not become so inured to cinematic violence, as my viewing habits back then were very much dictated by my parents and the fact that there were only two televisions in our home. Although we had a VCR, we hadn’t yet got bitten by the renting bug. So, I went into the movie theatre expecting to be shocked by Outland based on the movies marketing which promised a head explosion. However, it turned out to be a thoroughly entertaining space western. Yet I vividly remember my sense of relief that its hadn’t been as shocking as I had imagined it would.
Star Trek Online: Beyond the Nexus
One of the major selling points of Star Trek Online is that it features voice acting from artists who appeared in the various TV shows and feature films. From Star Trek: The Original Series, Leonard Nimoy and Walter Koenig reprised their iconic roles, bringing Spock and Chekov to the game. Michael Dorn and Denise Crosby beamed in from The Next Generation, adding the voices of Worf, Tasha Yar and Empress Sela to several featured episodes. Chase Masterson and Aron Eisenberg came to us from Deep Space Nine to reprise their roles as Leeta and Nog. From Voyager, we have the talents of Tim Russ, Robert Picardo, Jeri Ryan, Ethan Phillips, Garrett Wang, Robert Duncan McNeill, Kim Rhodes, and Lisa LoCicero. Kipleigh Brown and Matt Winston from Enterprise recently joined the roster. The legacy of James Doohan was represented by his son Chris, reprising his father’s role as Scotty. And Zachary Quinto and Joseph Gatt from the Kelvin Timeline Star Trek film franchise have joined the ranks of esteemed Trek alumni in the game.
Baby Driver (2017)
There’s rhythm in every scene of Baby Driver. And Michael Mann may want to consider early retirement because Edgar Wright lights his movies better. These are just some of the thoughts that crossed my mind during the films 113-minute running time. It becomes very apparent when watching Baby Driver that it’s not just a standard heist movie with car stunts and hard-boiled dialogue. This film is definitely something special and totally deserving of all the praise that has been heaped upon it. But then again, it’s not every day you get a story that bears all the hallmarks of a Hollywood musical, slickly and intelligently transplanted into a hybrid of the road and caper genres.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like You Tube?
You Tube like any other online platform has a wealth of rules, term and conditions and other policies. Sadly, what we have seen over recent years is an organisation that has precious little inclination to use them. The facilities that are currently in place are often abused and there are no consequences for misusing the “disputes” procedure. Furthermore, there are still multiple You Tube channels that peddle hate and You Tube personalities that endure without any real sanction for their transgressions. It seems that popular You Tubers are not held to any standard but their own. There is no formal regulation from an external body for this or any other comparable platform. The rules that govern conventional media don’t apply here. It’s a classic example of the law falling behind the technology and change.
Diary of a Podcaster Part 8
Whenever I encounter a word or term that I’m not familiar with, I will usually Google it. That’s the way I’m wired. I prefer to “know” rather than “not know”. However, it is not the concept of continuous self-improvement that I wish to discuss in this post but something else. Namely sociolinguistics. Earlier today I saw someone mention vocal fry on Twitter. I had no idea what that was so I checked on Wikipedia, watched some You Tube videos and finally read some newspaper articles. An hour later I was aware of not only vocal fry, but run-ons, uptalk, glottal Ts and the fact that the way we speak has a major impact upon our lives, just like education and class. According to sociolinguistics, the manner in which you speak has a major impact on the way you are perceived by others. Sadly, like so many other social markers, it can be used in a discriminatory fashion.
The Limehouse Golem (2016)
In Victorian London, a serial killer dubbed The Limehouse Golem by the press, leaves a trail of victims in his wake. The seemingly random murders span across the social with the only clue being a series of cryptic messages written in the blood of his victims. With few leads and increasing public pressure, Scotland Yard assigns the case to Inspector Kildare (Bill Nighy), a seasoned detective who has a sneaking suspicion that he's being set up to fail. Kildare career has stalled due to rumours that “he’s not the marrying type. Investigations eventually yield a list of four potential suspects. The music hall actor Dan Leno, the author George Gissing and revolutionary Socialist Karl Marx. However, Kildare finds that the forth, John Cree, is already dead; poisoned by his wife Elizabeth (Olivia Cooke) who awaits trial for murder. Is the key to the Golem’s identity to be found through further investigation of his murders, or by solving the truth of the Cree case?
Games That Pass You By
Like many gamers I try to keep abreast of new releases and titles that are in development. Because of my personal likes and dislikes, I filter out a lot of material I don't personally care for. For example, I'm not really au fait with the sports genre or real-time strategy games. I read several news websites and follow a few "gaming commentators" on Twitter and that usually keeps me informed about the things I feel I need to know. However, it is not a full proof system and every now and then I become aware of a title that has completely passed me by. In some respects, this can be quite beneficial as it means I have bypassed several months of hype, marketing and general bullshit and can now potentially jump into a new game without any major prejudice or baggage.
The Pact (2012)
The Pact is an enjoyable, yet simultaneously frustrating small budget independent horror movie. The UK poster is a prime example of this, as it clearly indicates that the film is of the horror genre but contains imagery that is not seen in the movie at all. The very title itself doesn't really have any bearing on the story. However, there are still aspects of the film that are noteworthy and overall The Pact shows more promise than a lot of the competition. The story is a traditional favourite of the horror genre. Annie (Caity Lotz) returns to her mother home to attend her funeral. On arrival, she finds that her sister has gone missing and that all is not as it seems at the family home. Family secrets and supernatural goings on slowly emerge.
Mafia 3
As I’m between MMOs at present, I decided to purchase a single player game to keep me occupied, until Middle-earth: Shadow of War is released. I settled on Mafia 3 as I had played the previous instalment of the franchise and enjoyed it. As this title came out last October it can now be picked up at a substantial discount if you’re prepared to shop around. There is no game of the year edition at present but I did manage to buy the digital deluxe version for £22, which is a good price. This includes a season pass so I have all the currently released DLC. There is sufficient content available to keep me busy for a month or so. So far, I’ve clocked up 40 hours in-game according to Steam.
Children of Men (2006)
I missed Children of Men on its original release in 2006 and only caught up with recently. If memory serves, the reason the film wasn’t on my radar when it came out was due to the misleading advertising campaign which attempted to pigeon hole and market the film as a sort of post-apocalyptic thriller. Although Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men explores a violent and dystopian future, it’s cerebral film, grounded in a tangible depiction of a future England and certainly bears little relation to the Mad Max subgenre that the publicity campaign alluded to. A similar mistake was made with the marketing of The Road in 2009 which was sold by Miramax as a post-apocalyptic action film, when it patently isn’t.
Lucy (2014)
Lucy (Scarlett Johansson), a student studying in Taiwan, find herself an unwilling drug mule for crime boss Mr. Jang (Choi Min-sik). When she accidentally ingests the synthetic CPH4 which has been surgically implanted in her abdomen, she rapidly develops advance physical and mental abilities as the drug unlocks the unused parts of her brain. However, this process also puts her life in peril and she soon realises that she requires further doses of the CPH4 to stay alive. Striving to reconcile herself to her situation Lucy reaches out to Professor Samuel Norman (Morgan Freeman), a neuroscientist and expert in the hidden capabilities of the mind. Meanwhile, Mr.Jang does not take kindly to interference in his drug trafficking and sets out to hunt down Lucy.
Classic Game Themes: EVE Online
EVE Online is in many ways the most complex, absorbing and time consuming MMO that I've never played. I didn't survive beyond a twenty-one-day trial and found that the exacting minutiae of the game far too demanding. However, although the mechanics were not to my taste, my limited experience left a strong impression upon me and I still have a healthy respect and a strong sense of fascination for this niche market product. I'm not alone in this. Many gamers do not play EVE Online but are fascinated by both its intricacies and community.
Do We Need a Face of Gaming?
In recent years there have been several gaming related stories that have become big enough to gain the attention of the mainstream media. Sadly, when corporate news encounters anything that falls outside of their immediate understanding or frame of reference, they need to package it into terms they and their audience can comprehend. This means simplifying the subject in to binary terms and convenient sound bites. They also like to have a “public face” that can be the go to expert. Someone who can be clearly identified with the issue and then championed or reviled by the public, according to which side they choose to support. That beggars the question do we need a " face for gaming"? If we do then who should it be? It's quite a thought provoking conundrum and raises a lot of issues about the nature of representation. Especially in light of the fact that contemporary media likes to have specific subjects neatly packaged with easy to grasp, core ideas and a photo-friendly public face.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition (2016)
I have not seen the theatrical version of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, although I’ve been informed that it was a somewhat confused and flawed edit of the film. The Ultimate Edition clocks in at three hours and three minutes; thirty-two minutes longer than the version shown in cinemas. That is over half an hour of more exposition and character development. More than enough to have a significant impact upon the movie, its themes and narrative. Judging purely by the version that I saw, along with the fact that I have no major familiarity or investment with either of these characters, beyond their cinematic depictions, I was entertained by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I thought it maintained the cerebral approach to DC Expanded Universe that we previously saw with Man of Steel. Furthermore, despite its sprawling nature and an overabundance of CGI driven action scenes, the film explores some very contemporary issues about societal paranoia and upsetting the political status quo.