Double Dose of World War Z

 

       Another double dose here for you, this time the apocalyptic zombie movie World War Z, starring Brad Pitt.

        Once again, the written review is available to read now at Pillowmagazine.com, which you can check out HERE. It’s fairly short and spoiler-free so check it out.

 

        For a lengthier and more in-depth look at the film (naturally, comes with a spoiler warning), have a listen to Episode 02 of The Padcast, which you can find below.

        If you want to download the mp3 instead, you can do so HERE.

        Not sure what film is coming next but please show your support by doing the following: LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBING!

25th June 2013

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Double Dose of Man of Steel

 

       Two things I’ve completed recently, both of which I have yet to share on here, are to do with the recent Superman reboot Man of Steel.

        Firstly, I’ve written a Man of Steel review for Pillowmagazine, which you can check out HERE. It’s fairly short and spoiler-free so check it out, even if you haven’t seen the film yet.

        I hope to continue writing film reviews and news bites for them so watch this space for more updates.

        Secondly, Patrick Honeyman and myself have recorded the first ever The Padcast, which is now up on YouTube for you to listen to. This is also a review of sorts but it goes much more in-depth into the details of the film, so naturally there are also spoilers (be warned if you haven’t seen it yet).

        It’s also pretty lengthy (clocking in at over 40mins) so is more recommended for those who really want to take a closer look at the film and/or like to have a discussion on in the background whilst they work/drive etc. You can click the embedded version below to listen (.mp3 download link also available HERE).

        Hopefully we will keep doing these too, so check back soon for more updates. In the meantime, LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBING will let us know if it is popular or not so go an do that! Like, right now!

21st June 2013

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Cult For The Sake Of Cult - Deadly Premonition - The Director's Cut

        Some games I just can’t get into.

        I got half way through Borderlands 2 before I realized I was just repeating the same things over and over again and that I was wasting my time. I fared even worse with Skyrim - made it all the way to the first village but ended up being shanked to death by the townsfolk just because I had killed one of their chickens…

        I just didn't feel like it deserved my time.

        And this is coming from someone who plays A LOT of videogames, finishes many of them and owns more games than he can possibly ever have time to play. So yeah, I play games a lot – often to completion - but some games I just cant get into.

        Case in point: Resident Evil: Revelations, the HD re-release for PS3 of the Nintendo 3DS title. Played it for a bit – decided it wasn't for me. Fair enough. That’s more to do with personal preference; it’s not a particularly bad game (I still love Resi 4 and 5), I just didn't feel I have time for it.

        And then there’s Deadly Premonition.

 

        Originally an Xbox 360 exclusive, this survival horror game was later re-released for PS3 as a ‘Director’s Cut’ with enhanced graphics and controls amongst other extras. Since the game had a cult following and a reputation for an excellent offbeat horror story (heavily influenced by David Lynch’s Twin Peaks), I thought I would check it out.

        …And no. Not for me. Despite the graphical overhaul this game still looks ugly as sin. Awkward character models, blocky textures, shoddy effects. Even some PS2 games look better than this!

        But that's all forgivable if it plays well… except it doesn't particularly. The character suffers from dated tank controls, the ‘improved’ combat is still abysmal and the gameplay consists of a lot of running/driving around looking for clues and killing the occasional zombie. There are long in-game cutscenes, insta-fail QTEs, a useless map and awkward menu system.

        Is this whole thing a joke? It’s not the worst game ever by a long shot but it begs the question – why would anyone want to spend time playing this when there are so many other games out there that are more worthy of your time? Was this really worthy of a 'Director’s Cut' re-release?

        Well… the fans cry, The brilliant thing about the game is the story! It’s worth playing through it just for that.

        Okay, I accept that a good story, writing and voice-acting can help elevate a technically inferior product into a effective game. The earlier Silent Hill games certainly are a good example. But this? Really? Just watch this segment of ‘gameplay’, situated a bit early on in the game shortly before I packed it in. Sure, it’s offbeat and quirky but different doesn't necessarily equal good. In my mind, gameplay is king and if a game is not fun to play, even Shakespearean levels of prose can't save it.

        Just having a good story in games is unfortunately not enough. Books, films and TV series already have that one sewn up. Now I’m not saying a game can't tell a good story – it just does so in a different way, integrated throughout the gameplay experience and not simply just through cutscenes and voiceovers.

        But… the fans continue, you didn't play enough of the game to make an adequate judgement… the story gets really good later on! That may very well be the case, but if it feels like a total slog just to get to that story then I really don't have time for it. Especially true in this age of YouTube where you can just watch all the cutscenes if you really wanted to, without having to bother to play the game at all. Or you could just go and watch Twin Peaks.

        Disappointed? Yes.

        Slightly jaded? Perhaps.

        But as we stand on the cusp of the new generation of gaming with the recent reveals of the PS4 and Xbox One, we should be expecting more for our precious gaming time.

        Sometimes I feel people go on about ‘cult’ games just because they are labelled weird and ‘cult’ and not because they are actually good games that are legitimately fun to play. And besides, as much as people were harping on about the excellent story in Deadly PremonitionI was yet to witness any of it within the few hours I spent playing it.

        Perhaps I have grossly misjudged it and overlooked a classic. I just don't have the time or the patience to find out.

11th June 2013

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Seven Psychopaths - "I like it... It's got layers..."

       Simply put, Seven Psychopaths is about a dog-kidnapping scheme going wrong. Yes, that’s the plot, but not really what the film is about. It’s actually about 'story' or more specifically the act of storytelling.

        In this film, stories are layered upon one another, intersecting, running parallel to each other, as allegories of each other, spoken stories around a campfire, written stories, discussions of screenplay conventions, monologues, dissections of proverbs, fantasy sequences… this list goes on.

        The essence of Seven Psychopaths, and in turn what makes it so watchable, is that of storytelling. Everyone loves to hear a good story. In its most basic form, that’s why people watch movies, bury themselves into books, sit for hours in front of a TV or have a long natter when exchanging gossip with a friend over a drink. Everyone loves a good story, especially ones that are told well.

        And this film is full of them. Some make you laugh, cry or cringe, some finish in a beautiful and poetic manner, others with an almost shocking punch line, some even just fizzle out and remain seemingly unresolved.

        It may seem like this film is being made out to be an anthology or portmanteau film but it’s not. Yes, the dog-napping story is really just a bare bones overarching plot device to hang all these stories on, but the real genius of the film lies when the stories start to come together, collide and combine.

       Not only do we experience this for ourselves whilst watching the film, but so do the characters within it. What happens when you acquisition a story you've heard to retell it to others for your own gain? What if you unwittingly happen to tell that story back to the original protagonist? What if you take someone’s story and change it into something entirely different and unexpected, one that mirror’s your own situation? Or are aware of screenwriting conventions and openly discuss them whilst simultaneously falling foul to them anyway?

       Some of the stories eerily mirror each other - could the two black lovers somehow be the same character or not? Or story elements that break out into the real world: is Colin Farrell's character autobiographical? As Walken's character admits when listening to one of the films many stories, "I like it... It's got layers...", we are similarly challenged to pick apart the details whilst admiring it's intricacy and thematic richness.

        I don't really want to go into specific details as I run the risk of spoiling the film’s numerous surprises, but fans of layered storytelling, meta fiction and violent black comedy will love this film. Whilst lacking the heart of director Martin McDonagh’s seminal debut In Bruge, the snappy dialogue, awesome performances from Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken and a few genuine ‘wtf?!’ moments make this an almost instant classic. The trailer really doesn't do this film justice – just go watch it.

        One of the best films of this year.

6th June 2013

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Track of The Week - LSK - Test Me

        This week’s tune is by Leeds based singer/songwriter and record producer LSK with his track Test Me. Have a listen below:

        Ah summer! You have finally emerged!

        To celebrate, here is a track you can enjoy whilst sitting outside and soaking up the rays. With a catchy mix of vocals, reggae rap and B-boy breaks you can get up and rock to, this one grabbed my attention from the very first time I heard it.

        LSK (real name Leigh Stephen Kenny) has worked with other artists such as Nightmares on Wax and Faithless, and you definitely need to check out the 2003 album Outlaw from which this track is taken.

        Need more convincing? Check out Rapp Starr from the same album.

        So open the doors and windows and crank up the volume. Here’s to many more days of long overdue summery goodness. Enjoy!

3rd June 2013

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