Darkest Hour (2017)
Darkest Hour, unlike many other biopics, focuses specifically on the initial weeks of Winston Churchill’s first term of office as Prime Minister, in May 1940. It paints a picture of an unwanted leader who inherits the role due to political expediency, rather than through universal support. Considered by the King as a dangerous adventurer and overshadowed by previous policy failures such as the Gallipoli landings and the Indian famine, Churchill is without allies and under pressure to appease the Germans. Director Joe Wright, sets the pieces on the chess board succinctly and within a few minutes audiences are brought up to speed with the prevailing historical situation. It is against this setting that that Darkest Hour then explores Churchills uphill struggle to rally a nation that appears to have no appetite for war and fend off political assassination. With the imminent defeat of the British Army in France and the prospect of a humiliating surrender at Dunkirk, should he seek a negotiated settlement with Germany, via Italian diplomatic sources?
World of Warcraft: Looking for Group (2014)
Despite having played a broad spectrum of games in my time, I've never really had much dealings with the Blizzard. Beyond owning Overwatch, a game I’ve long stopped playing and trying a free trial of both World of Warcraft and Hearthstone, I have little personal experience of their games. However, I am fully aware of their product range and their reputation within the gaming industry. Overwatch has taught me how well-conceived and polished their games can be. Blizzard may not be incredibly innovative, but they learn from others and produce titles with all the elements that work well. Sadly, I have no real affinity to their flagship MMORPG, as my point of entry with that genre was LOTRO. My interest in World of Warcraft mainly stems from a business perspective and the place it holds in gaming history. Overall my curiosity about the game, its community and culture is mainly academic. So, I finally got around to watching the documentary World of Warcraft: Looking for Group that showcased at Blizzcon in 2014 and was subsequently released on You Tube thereafter.
Keeping Busy in Star Trek Online
Unlike other MMOs, there are always plenty of events scheduled in the Star Trek Online. The game includes a handy calendar which provides information on what is planned for the months ahead. It’s a clever way to keep the players engaged and occupied and as a result, STO is the game that I tire with the least and dabble with most. Where other games will often end the year with a nebulous Producer’s letter which offers a road map hinting at what lies ahead over the next twelve months, STO just gets on with things. Q’s Winter Wonderland event is drawing to a close next Thursday, but already we have two new events that have launched today. The Arena of Sompek makes a welcome return with its five-man survival battle against endless waves of mobs. Then we have a Featured Episode Replay, offering an opportunity to repeat specific missions and receive rewards that have been previously retired, such Breen and Romulan Bridge Officers and Epic Ground devices such as The Shard of Possibilities and the Ophidian Cane.
Geostorm (2017)
Geostorm is a textbook example of the ongoing infantilization of mainstream, commercial film making. It’s a multimillion-dollar FX driven movie, whose plot is staggeringly trite, and screenplay is utterly puerile. This bloated mess also sees several quality character actors (Andy Garcia and Ed Harris) slumming it and phoning in their performances. Furthermore, Geostorm is bookended by one of the crassest narrations I’ve heard in a mainstream film. Delivered by a child actor, it espouses the worst sort of naïve geo-politics of the “why can’t we all just get along?” variety. Until watching this film, I had previously considered the 2014 disaster movie, Into the Storm, to be the most contrived, ill-conceived and intellectually insulting example of contemporary Hollywood film making. However, Geostorm takes stupidity to an entirely new level. It is morbidly fascinating to watch as it lumbers along its two-hour running time, but sadly morbid fascination is not the same as entertaining.
LOTRO: Alternative Ways to Reach Level Cap
I managed to gain a level and a half in LOTRO today, bringing my primary alt to 108. It was a somewhat protracted task as many of the quests that I was undertaking were between level 102 and 105. Despite several attempts and a concerted effort to persevere, I have concluded that I don’t care for the Mordor expansion for LOTRO. Levelling up in that region is a chore, due to the difficulty and density of the mobs. So, I have decided to work my way towards the current level cap elsewhere in the game and then return to the region to clear the Epic Story. I may, or may not work through the regional quest hubs, depending on my attitude towards the game at that point. I will make do with any gear that drops via the Epic Story and will not concern myself with the current endgame content and rewards. By the time I’ve worked through my plan, they’ll be a new update on the horizon with new gear anyway.
Raid on Entebbe (1977)
Raid on Entebbe was one of several movies (Victory at Entebbe, Operation Thunderbolt) to be made about the rescue of the hostages from Air France Flight 139, by Israeli Commandos in 1976. The film was initially made for US television, but was considered to be of sufficient quality to be released theatrically for the international market. Competently and efficiently directed by Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back, Eyes of Laura Mars), with a solid cast of quality character actors, it offers a broadly accurate summation of the events from the initial hijacking to the raid at Entebbe airport, Uganda. It does not attempt to explore the complexities of the geo-political situation of the Middle East at the time, although it does give a brief overview of Israeli diplomacy and internal government. Raid on Entebbe is a solid linear action movie based upon what were, at the time of the production, topical events.
Jedi Junkies (2010)
Certain groups just lend themselves to ridicule from the media and in popular culture in general, irrespective of whether they deserve it or not. Star Wars fans are a prime example of this. Their love of the lore, predilection for cosplay and hunger for collectables at first glance makes them an easy target. Film maker Mark Edlitz, takes a decidedly different approach in his documentary Jedi Junkies. Instead of finger-pointing and making cheap jokes, Jedi Junkies puts a very human face on a group of enthusiasts, showing their passion to be in essence, no different to that of sports fans or other more mainstream hobbies and pastimes.
Regulating the Gaming Industry
2017 was the year that microtransactions, loot boxes and other egregious business models common to gaming finally came to the attention of the mainstream. The debacle that surrounded the launch of Star Wars: Battlefront II finally dragged this matter into the limelight and subsequently put in on the radar of various global, legislative and regulatory bodies. The genie is now well and truly out of the bottle and it’s now a question of waiting to see what happens next. I suspect that the EU may likely be one of the first regions to tackle the issue and that it may well be the mobile game industry that is first to fall upon its sword. If there’s a change in government in the UK, then there is scope for matter to be tackled here. There is already a strong lobby against current gambling legislation and it doesn’t take much of an imagination to envisage a tabloid led campaign against the iniquities of smartphone game addiction and it’s pay-to-win culture. Then there’s the issue of virtual items resold for real money via auction websites and the question of whether loot boxes are or are not gambling. Apples recent statement about games publicly declaring the odds of winning in advance, shows that the world is indeed slowly turning against this business model.
Ambiguous Language
I have both a love and fascination for the English language. I enjoy both its formality and informality, its diversity, as well as its inherent evolutionary nature. To my mind having a wide vocabulary is an invaluable social and intellectual skill as well as being essential to self-expression. How can you mean what you say if you cannot say what you mean? So, when confronted by contemporary phrases such as “milkshake duck”, rather than balk at them, I strive to understand them. Language is not immutably, set by the parameters and standards of when you learnt it. If you endeavour to grasp the subtleties of popular culture along with slang from different socio-economic groups, communication becomes so much easier. The English Language is beautifully malleable and offers different modes for different situations. I therefore choose a specific manner of speech depending on who I’m talking to.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Disney’s live action remake of Beauty and the Beast was the highest grossing movie of the 2017. This clever and sumptuous re-imagining of the 1991 animated feature film grossed $1,263,521,126 at the box office worldwide. The studio wisely decided to retain the iconic songs composed by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, as it was clear that they were an integral part of the original films popularity and critical success. Director Bill Condon cleverly oversees the transition from animation to live action with a film that is tonally right, witty, and genuinely emotional. The story and characters are defined in such a fashion as to have appeal to multiple age groups. His even-handed approach to the material and inherent understanding of the genre, means that Beauty and the Beast is extremely accessible. Although being very dependent on modern computer generated visual effects and numerous sequences played out against green screen environments, this is still very much a story driven tale.
Gaming Amnesia
Due to the time of year, I’ve been looking through the various games that I own and considering whether I should revisit any. To cut a long story short, I’ve decided to give The Elder Scrolls Online another go. So, I duly downloaded and installed the client only to find myself utterly confounded by it. In a nutshell, I have completely forgotten how to play the game. This problem is further compounded by two other factors. Firstly, the controls and layout are more akin to that of Skyrim than of a typical MMO. Secondly, this is a game that relies on mods to significantly enhance its user interface. The plain vanilla client is somewhat lacking. Therefore, a new or returning player has to do a considerable amount of “homework” to before they can effectively enjoy the game. However, this is not a problem unique to this MMO. Putting aside the issue of mods, I have a case of what I shall term “gaming amnesia”, a malady that becomes increasingly common the more games you play.
Delivery Culture
Yesterday being a bank holiday, we decided to slum it and go to McDonalds. We toyed with the idea of ordering via my phone and having a home delivery, but this would incur an additional £5 charge. So, we decided to drive to our local High Street and get a takeaway. Now for those who haven’t been to McDonalds for a while, there are now separate order and collection points in the “restaurant”. If you especially despise human interaction you can use one of the touch screens to order and pay. I guess the older system where food was pre-prepared in anticipation of purchase proved too wasteful. Who can say? Whatever the reason, serving the needs of the customer was probably the last consideration. But I digress. I duly made my order then tried to stand in a place where I didn’t obstruct other customers and waited for my order to be prepared. There’s a large information screen above the collection counter so you can track your order number which is printed on your till receipt.
Knowing When to Stop
I bought several games in the run up to Christmas. The November release window, coupled with Black Friday and other seasonal sales meant that half of the games I purchased in 2017 were done so in the last quarter of the year. I also pre-ordered two premium titles over the last twelve months, which is something that I don’t often do. I pushed the boat out on both occasions and paid for the top tier version of each game. Ironically, although some of these titles were good and entertaining, many have failed to hold my interest and I found myself returning to the tried and tested MMO Star Trek Online for entertainment. As New Year is usually a time for sober reflection, I have concluded that I have fallen victim to that common gamer malady; namely “the grass is always greener” syndrome. Furthermore, I think I may have succumb to seeking a retail high.
Goodbye 2017
Frankly, I won’t be sorry to see the back of 2017. Personally, it was a very difficult year for my family. I won’t bore you with details but to say that it has been trying is an understatement. Then of course there have been wider issues to consider. Politically, socially and economically the UK is currently very divided. Fear and anger seem to drive and dominate all debate and public discourse. Furthermore, there doesn’t seem to be a cure to these issues on the immediate horizon. So, I don’t think 2018 is going to be a radical improvement with regard to these matters. However, despite there being much beyond our control, we can always look to ourselves to improve things for those we love and our own immediate situation.
A Year in Podcasting
2017 didn’t quite go to plan with regard to my personal podcast output. Brian and I decided to stop producing the Burton & Scrooge Podcast and return to creating material under the Contains Moderate Peril brand. This was a good idea in so far as consolidation, but it was ill timed as both of us were somewhat fatigued with podcasting per se. Ultimately Brian decided to take a break and pursue some projects of his own. I decided to push on with podcasting in my usual idiom and I was pleased with the three new shows that were produced. Sean, Brax, Jaedia and Wolfy were extremely obliging and great guests, but ultimately my schedule just couldn’t sustain a regular show. Hence, I re-released some “classic” shows to fill the gaps in the run up to Christmas. As a result of all these changes and the delays, the overall numbers for the show have been disappointing. Although statistics are not the only reason why I podcast, they are important as I was hoping to grow the audience this year. That has patently not happened although it is nice to know there’s a loyal core group of listeners. Therefore, I now have to think long and hard about my podcasting plans for 2018.
A Year in Blogging
My blogging goal for 2017 was to write a post every day. Due to family illness, I’ve missed approximately 10 days during the course of the year, however considering the circumstances I feel I have done well to maintain such a schedule. Compared to 2016 which saw the website decline and even go offline for a while, 2017 has been far more productive. Traffic has increased, and I feel that Contains Moderate Peril is finding an audience once again, as it did during it’s heyday in 2014. Broadening the scope of subjects that I write about has proven a sound decision and one I would recommend to other bloggers. It certainly allows for greater freedom of expression and technically, if nothing is off the table, then there’s always something to write about. Subsequently, I can see from my website statistics that the readership is becoming increasingly diverse and global in nature. As a writer, I therefore feel that it has been a successful year and I am satisfied with what has been achieved. My writing process has improved, and I can order my thoughts and structure a blog post far quicker than I use to.
A Year in Movies
I have always enjoyed the experience of going to the cinema and I still consider it a great night out. Watching an engaging film with good company and then discussing it afterwards over drinks or a meal is one of life’s great pleasures. Sadly, over the course of 2017 I’ve only gone to see a movie at my local multiplex three times. This has nothing to do with audience behaviour or the standard of my local cinema. Both are surprisingly good. This is all down to the films that dominated cinemas at present. Although I have no major axe to grind with the fantasy genre, I do not wish an exclusive cinematic diet of such material. I have seen sufficient Super Hero movies for the present and have become tired with high concept, blockbuster, CGI driven actionfests. It concerns me that viewers who predominantly watch such movies are missing out on a wealth or broader material that could expand their tastes and horizons. I could also argue that mainstream cinema is becoming increasingly infantilised but perhaps that is best left for another blog post.
A Year in Gaming
As 2017 draws to a close, it is time once again time to reflect upon the subject of gaming as it has remained a primary form of entertainment for me over the last twelve months. I have enjoyed most of the new titles that I’ve bought this year but not all of them. There’s been some that have failed to please and others that have proven to be flawed. Then there has been my ongoing relationship with the MMO genre as I still have a handful of these games installed on my PC. Let it suffice to say that only one of these titles has managed to maintain my interest. I suspect that the MMO genre per se is in for a year of change in 2018. As for the wider aspects of gaming, I wouldn’t say it has been an especially edifying year for the game industry or the associated fan culture. The “goodwill” based band-aid that has remained in place for the last few years was finally torn off in 2017, exposing a festering self-inflicted wound.
The Fetishisation of Christmas
Over the course of my life, Christmas has changed from a major religious holiday to a secular, commercialised undertaking. Although I am far from keen on the rampant consumerism that is now an integral part of the season, at its core Christmas is still about goodwill to others and a sense of coming together. So, if you’re expecting this to be a “Bah Humbug” post, then I’m sorry to disappoint you. However, I would like to focus on one aspect of Christmas culture that has grown exponentially over the years. It’s a phenomenon that seems to happen to most customs and rituals that persist in our consumer-focused society. Namely the fetishization of Christmas. By that I mean the way in which Christmas is packaged, marketed and shoe-horned into every possible commercial opportunity. We’ve reached a point culturally, where if we are exposed to a set of standardised faux seasonal stimuli, we are expected to have a specific Pavlovian response. For example, if I create a yuletide tableau featuring “snow”, “roaring fires” and “angelic children singing carols” one is contractually obliged to respond with what is colloquially referred to as “Christmas feels”.
A Year in Social Media
Although Twitter has changed a great deal since 2010, when I first joined, I still find it very enjoyable experience. It is my primary social media platform compared to Facebook and Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had to mute several people (including some whom I like) and a ton of keywords over the last twelve months, so my timeline doesn’t become a portal into the seventh circle of hell. Contrary to the usual arguments that get trotted out, I don’t live in an echo chamber. I follow a diverse and eclectic group of people with a broad range of view and opinions. I simply filter out those who hold a binary view on all major issues and have with a predilection for being bellicose, bombastic and crass. If your default reaction to everything is get angry first and ask questions later, I think I can live without your opinions. Be that as it may, 2017 has been an especially rewarding year with my Twitter friends and I have greatly appreciated their company.