Head2Pillow launched its short stay accommodation website for the London area in Autumn 2010, enabling homeowners with a spare room to rent it out and make tax-free money and for visitors to the capital to find an affordable room for a short stay.
The site has been developed over a considerable length of time, with the focus being on ease of use for both homeowners and guests.
For Guests looking for a room, the site has an innovative Quick Search facility, enabling users to look for a room by *either
*town
*postcode
*venue, which now also includes the main Olympic venues.
In addition, the Advanced Search allows users to carry out a more detailed search based on a selection of criteria, including cost, distance and availability dates.
Many online accommodation sites only allow users to find out limited information online and the actual booking process is dealt with by email. Head2Pillow enables users to search for a room in real time, book and pay securely via Barclaycard all online. In addition, there is no sign up fee for Guests, no minimum stay required and no booking fees.
Homeowners with a spare room can advertise their room straight away with no sign up fee, knowing that they have complete control over the room price and availability and can rent it out as often or as little as they like. In addition, they can select to receive an SMS alert every time a booking is made for their room.
With the Government’s cuts really hitting households across the country now, there has never been a better time for homeowners to make some much needed extra cash or for Guests to book an affordable room with Head2Pillow.
In an highly competitive industry Leoni Kibbey is flying high indeed. She has a successful career as an actress, casting director and now, producer. Leoni just finished her short film Bird Brain.
Leoni Kibbey, age 35 from St Albans is a Casting Director and actress who is now producing her own movies. She has plans to make feature films but must first prove her talent with short movies. The first short she produced ‘Chasing’ was screened at the East End Film Festival and 2Days Laughter short film festival. Leoni’s work as Casting Director is flourishing… she is currently working on five feature films including Shakespeare’s Daughter a $25million feature for which she has interest from Renee Zellweger.
Bird Brain will be a steppingstone to producing her own feature films. Leoni knows it is all about the ability to pull together the best team around you and she has a fantastic crew attached and is now raising the funds to produce her movie to the best standard possible. The Director is Giles Greenwood whose last two short films were qualified for the Academy Awards and who is about to shoot his first feature – a thriller in Sri Lanka. Ilan Eshkeri is the composer on the film – he worked on the films Kick-Ass, Centurion, Layer-Cake & Stardust and the post production is being done by Ridley Scott’s Post Production House. A team which bring high hopes for the film winning awards at prestigious festivals!!
Leoni says: “I have always been in awe of the process of filmmaking. Over the last few years I’ve learned so much about the process with my casting & acting work and I feel ready and able to tell my own unique stories..our feathered friends have always held a special place in my life – I was lucky enough to be brought up around some beautiful wildlife in the lake district which is why, when I saw the first draft of the script Bird Brain written by co-writer Colin Moody, I saw a gem that could be developed into something quite special. It is no easy task to produce a film while bringing up two young daughters and continuing my casting work but this is one challenge I am very excited about. In the film world there are a lot of delays and I figured the best way to get ahead in this tough industry is to do it yourself!”
So what is the film about?
Bird Brain is a 20minute short film about a famous birdlife TV presenter and his wife. It is a thriller/film noir. It will be shot on the RED Camera to achieve a beautiful look. The script has received great praise. You can see the full synopsis and more info the film website. www.birdbrainmovie.com .
Would you like to invest?
Everyone can be involved. There are levels of investment from £6 to £10,000 and no matter how much you donate you will be a part of the film and get something in return.
Producer Leoni Kibbey is offering a part in the film or to be a crew member on the film for anyone who comes on board at associate or exec producer level as well as the opportunity to be involved in deciding which birds we feature in the movie. Other ways you can help are to share this article and campaign with anyone who you think may be able to help.
For more information and to find out how to donate email birdbrainmovie@gmail.com
Women will need to be financially prepared to pay their half as they break from first date tradition
New research from online bank first direct has found sharply differing financial attitudes to first dates between the sexes. While women have a progressive attitude to dating expecting to split the bill on a first date, men still like to play the hunter gatherer role and pick up the bill. With women breaking from tradition and expecting to pay at least some of the bill, they especially will have to be financially prepared for the cost of dating like never before.
Independent Women
The survey of 1,924 UK adults found that 58% of women expect to split the bill on a first date, double the proportion of men (29%). Additionally, 14% of women think it should be whoever suggested the date. Just a quarter of women said that they thought men should pay for a first date, while 3% said they should foot the bill, suggesting that women feel they shouldn’t be beholden to men, but that men should also pay their way.
Hunter Gatherer
Men on the other hand believe that chivalry isn’t dead, with 55% expecting to pay the full bill on a first date, and men spending an average of £65 on a first date compared to women who spend £50. Shouldering not just the financial burden but also the organisational responsibility, more than nine in ten males (94%) would organise the first date, compared with just 65% of women.
The average amount that people expect to pay on a first date is £56 and highlighting the financial considerations behind dating, 38% percent of people would use discount vouchers on a first date, a figure slightly higher for men (41%) than women (36%).
Richard Brown, Senior Savings Product Manager at first direct commented:
“As we approach the wedding season, the couple on everyone’s lips is Kate Middleton and Prince William. It would be fascinating to know if they split the bill or if William paid and pulled out a discount voucher on their first date. If he did, he is far from alone – dating can be an expensive business and if you do not have the disposable income of a future royal, it is important to make sure you have enough money saved to find The One.”
Gorgeous singer Jessie J turned up at the Teenage Cancer Trust wearing some gorgeous jewelery. See below for where you can get your hands on the pieces.
About a week ago I was invited to BAFTA by Channel 4 to see their new comedy. After some caffeine we were shown the second episode, and it was incredibly funny, well written and completely not politically correct. Frost are a fan of such witty writing and boundary pushing. Give it a watch and see if you are too. I reckon you’ll enjoy it, but you might feel that you shouldn’t….
Campus is a brand new comedy set in the hotbed of academic mediocrity that is Kirke University. At its helm is the stubby, mercurial Vice Chancellor Jonty de Wolfe, who wants nothing more than to drench Kirke in the juices of his own greatness.
As a scary cloud of financial doom hovers over the gently crumbling 60s concrete, Jonty attempts to pimp up Kirke in any way he can, whether it’s faked alumni, kidnapped prodigies or a range of “Eau de Kirke” perfumery – but his lofty plans soar as gracefully as a porky tortoise… And while the strangely unsettling puppet master plunges deeper into the pickle jar, the rest of Kirke’s assorted staff get sidetracked by the more urgent dilemma of who to sleep with next.
The philandering English Professor Matt Beer is forced to up his game in all departments, as he makes no impression on shy Maths lecturer Imogen Moffat, who herself is consumed with creative agony over expectations of a follow-up to her hit Mathsbuster. He is left to contemplate his rapidly greying pubes while his younger, bouncier, athletic student sidekick Flatpack – who combines a six-pack body with the intellect of a piece of Ikea furniture – makes more headway with the lovely Maths boffin. The gawky Mechanical Engineer Lydia ‘big shit’ Tennant, the three Graces of Admin (Big Grace, Pretty Grace and ‘Was Once A Man’ Grace), Jason the reticent Accountant and Nicole the feisty Accommodations Officer add more sexual confusion to the mix.
CAMPUS is a comedy about the life of a university under fire. Jonty and his team face extinction if they cannot harness their individual and collective brain power, some of which has not been exercised for many years, in an effort to reinvigorate their tired and vulnerable institution…but of course it’s mainly a love story with lots of sex. What did you expect?
CAMPUS is produced and directed by Victoria Pile (Green Wing) with Associate Producer Robert Harley and the Executive Producer is Caroline Leddy.
Starring:
Andy Nyman (Ghost Stories) plays Jonty de Wolfe
Joseph Millson (Casino Royale, Love Never Dies) plays Matthew Beer
Lisa Jackson (Bright Young Things, Time and The Conways) plays Imogen Moffat
Jonathan Bailey (Young Leonardo) plays ‘Flatpack’
Sara Pascoe (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret) plays Nicole Huggins
Will Adamsdale (Jackson’s Way, The Boat That Rocked) plays Jason Armitage
Dolly Wells (Star Stories) plays Lydia Tennant
Katherine Ryan (Last Comic Standing) plays Georgina Bryan
CAST OF CHARACTERS
JONTY DE WOLFE
Kirke University’s idiosyncratic and strangely unsettling Vice Chancellor.
Kirke – once a concrete academic field of dreams, now a landfill of educational mediocrity – is the child Jonty never had. Now, to make his life even harder, clouds of financial doom and political grief are gathering ominously over the campus.
MATTHEW BEER
The sexually active and academically dormant English professor whose research speciality appears to be The Easy Life. Matt deftly side-steps student queries by insisting they ‘google it’.
IMOGEN MOFFAT
Awkward but prodigiously talented Maths lecturer, who brought huge kudos to Kirke with the success of her best-selling book, The Joy of Zero. Much to Jonty’s frustration, however, the celebrated Imogen is struggling badly with its sequel.
FLATPACK
Post-graduate student, nominally Matt’s teaching assistant, but more significantly an athlete with serious international potential. Cute and bouncy and allegedly studying English Literature, Flatpack has in fact only read six books since the age of ten; three about sports science (twice each). For Jonty, however, he brings star quality and is therefore indispensible.
JASON ARMITAGE & NICOLE HUGGINS
Chief Accountant and Accommodations Officer respectively. A meeting of chalk with cheese, although this doesn’t mean they can’t be special friends. However, as Jason’s finding it hard to dump his current girlfriend, a tangled web of deceit seems to be the best route to avoiding any awkwardness.
LYDIA TENNANT
Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering who usually prefers power tools to humans – although she could find a small space for some sort of sexually-active male. Her job seems safe as she has a hugely lucrative sponsorship deal with a pharmaceutical company specialising in vivisection. And despite resembling a laboratory rat herself, there is a key difference: Lydia is a born survivor.
GEORGINA BRYAN
Canadian troubleshooter – or troublemaker as far as Jonty’s concerned – head of the ruthless consultancy team tasked with ‘restructuring’ Kirke. Cold-hearted and cleavage-flaunting, George is scarily ambitious.
EPISODE SYNOPSES
Ep 1: PUBLICATION! PUBLICATION! PUBLICATION!
According to Vice Chancellor Jonty De Wolfe, Kirke University’s bank balance and academic reputation both need a bit of a boost. Reactions to this news from members of staff range from nonchalance to panic, but Jonty, titillated by his mousy Maths Lecturer’s success insists all the staff take a leaf out of her (best selling) book – Publication! Publication! Publication!
Ep 2: THE CULLING FIELDS
Jonty is forced to make huge spending cuts and the Kirke University rumour mill goes into paranoid overdrive. No one’s job is safe, it seems. Apart from those whose jobs are safe, of course. Hard work, diligence and not telling whopping great fibs on your CV should see you right. So not looking great for Lazy Prof Matt or Accomms. Officer Nicole.
Ep 3: DARK CANADIAN FOG
The arrival of a restructuring guru, in the shapely shape of George Bryan, sends a chill wind up many a Kirke trouser leg. A fully paid-up member of the ‘slash and burn’ school of downsizing, George appears without heart or soul. In an act of crippling desperation, Jonty enlists Matt’s help to ‘melt’ the Ice Maiden.
Ep 4: COME TOGETHER
Philandering English Professor, Matt Beer, is on a mission to woo icy business consultant George into knee-trembling, resolve-weakening, book-cooking submission. Flatpack embarks on a little wooing of his own, and even Accountant Jason is feeling a certain ‘stirring’ around gay best friend Nicole.
Ep 5: POST COITAL
As George puts the finishing touches to her Final Report, Matt is plunged into total crisis over his recent shenanigans and the thought that he might actually have genuine feelings for another member of the human race. Imogen suffers her own inner turmoil about an ill-advised coupling and only Flat seems perkily sure of what he wants.
Ep 6: AN ENDING AND A BEGINNING AND AN ENDING
The Day of Reckoning. Stomachs and hearts are in knots as George prepares to deliver the bad news. ‘The News” however, turns out to be not quite what they anticipated, leaving everyone with a new set of ever more complicated problems to unpick.
BIOGRAPHIES
ANDY NYMAN (Jonty de Wolfe)
Actor and magician Andy Nyman directed and co-wrote all of Derren Brown’s stage shows – all of which enjoyed hugely successful West End runs and national tours – including the Olivier award-winning sell-out production, Something Wicked This Way Comes. Their fourth show, Enigma, was also Olivier-nominated.
He also co-writes and is Consultant Producer on Derren Brown’s series and specials for Channel 4, including Russian Roulette Live, Messiah, The Gathering and The Heist. His work on these shows won him a Silver Rose at the 2003 Montreux Television Festival. He was also Consultant Producer on Channel 4’s Magick and Dirty Tricks. More recently he starred in Crooked House and Charlie Brooker’s E4 BAFTA-nominated horror satire, Dead Set.
His numerous feature film credits include Dead Babies, Shut Up and Shoot Me, Severance, Wild Romance, Death at a Funeral and the forthcoming thriller, The Glass Man.
This week Andy’s sell-out stage show Ghost Stories, which he co-wrote and co-directed, and in which he also stars, transfers from the Lyric to the West End (Duke of York’s).
JOSEPH MILLSON (Matt Beer)
Joseph Millson’s numerous theatre credits include appearances for the RSC in Peter Hall’s As You Like It (for which he was nominated for the Ian Charleson Award for best classical actor under 30), The Spanish Golden Age season and Much Ado About Nothing, as well as appearing alongside Steven Berkoff in his production of Richard II. He first came to TV prominence in Peak Practice followed by EastEnders, Macbeth, The Romantics and Channel 4’s Ghost Squad. More recently he guested in Talk to Me, Survivors and Ashes to Ashes before returning to the stage with Tom Stoppard’s Every Good Boy Deserves Favour at the National Theatre. Last year’s TV appearances included BBC Four’s acclaimed drama Enid and Mike Bullen’s comedy drama, Reunited.
SARA PASCOE (Nicole Huggins)
Writer, stand-up and comedy actress Sara Pascoe debuted her solo stand-up show in Edinburgh last year to wide acclaim and was voted one of Time Out’s Rising Stars of Comedy. Her many TV credits include Being Human, The Thick of It and, for Channel 4, Girl Friday, Free Agents and The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret.
DOLLY WELLS (Lydia Tennant)
Dolly Wells’ numerous previous Channel 4 comedy appearances include Peep Show, Star Stories, The IT Crowd and Free Agents. In addition her TV credits range from The Gathering Storm and Bertie and Elizabeth to, more recently, The Mighty Boosh and Whites. Feature films include I Capture the Castle, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Magicians and Film Four’s Morvern Callar.
WILLIAM ADAMSDALE (Jason Armitage)
Will Adamsdale won the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival Perrier Award for Comedy for his one-man show, Jackson’s Way, in 2004. Numerous theatre credits include Faster, The Winslow Boy, Arcadia, Notes from Underground, Bent, BloodyPoetry and No Man’s Land. On television, appearances include two series of Manchild, Sword of Honour, Bomber and Warriors.
KATHERINE RYAN (George)
Writer, performer and actress Katherine Ryan was the 2008 Winner of the Nivea Funny Women Awards and is one of the most recent additions to UK stand-up. She recently appeared in Channel 4’s Routes, which was both Writer’s Guild and BAFTA-nominated.
LISA JACKSON (Imogen Moffat)
Lisa Jackson’s numerous theatre appearances include As You Like It, The 39 Steps,All My Sons and Time and the Conways at the National Theatre. On television she has appeared in Daniel Deronda, Waking the Dead and Dirk Gently, and film credits include Stephen Fry’s Bright Young Things.
JONATHAN BAILEY (Flatpack)
Jonathan Bailey’s previous TV credits include Channel 4’s Alice through the Looking Glass, Bramwell, Bright Hair, Golden Hour, Off the Hook and Lewis. Feature films include Five Children and It and St. Trinians.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Monicker Pictures
Is a newly formed production company set up by Victoria Pile and Robert Harley. Disguised as a curiosity shop on Brick Lane, this is their first production. Other projects are in development.
VICTORIA PILE – Writer, Producer, Director
Victoria started out writing comedy for television and radio, before going on to develop her passion for producing and directing. She spent her early career at the BBC, before honing her skills at a variety of leading independent companies.
She devised and produced the double Emmy award-winning sketch show Smack the Pony for Channel 4, as well as the surreal two-hander Los Dos Bros (winner of the Silver Rose at Montreux). Taking elements from the style of these two shows, Victoria then devised, produced and co-wrote the hugely popular BAFTA-winning comedy Green Wing. More recently she has spent some time in the US, writing and producing a sitcom pilot for ABC/Paramount and developing another with NBC. Back in the UK, as well as directing a number of commercials, Victoria is the co-founder of Monicker Pictures, the Brick Lane based company behind Campus. She is currently developing a comedy drama for Channel 4, a screenplay, and sitcom scripts for the BBC.
When Tamara Drewe (Gemma Arterton) returns to the village she grow up in to sort out her inheritance after her mother dies she leaves a wake of gossip, broken hearts and trouble in her wake. Gemma Arterton is delightful in this role, a true British movie star and one of our top exports to Hollywood. A rare thing. The film makes you long for a weekend, if not longer, in the countryside. Tamara Drewe was originally a graphic strip in The Guardian by Posy Simmonds, it then became a book before being turned into this luscious film by Stephen Frears.
It’s a brilliant ensemble cast, with Tamsin Greig and Dominic Cooper bringing in performances of note. Although some of the characters come across as unsympathetic, they have depth that is usually lacking in some big budget movies. The 50 something writer who runs a writers retreat with his put upon wife, the bored teenagers, the handyman making his way in the world (played by Luke Evans, who’s brilliant) none of them are ready for Tamara coming back as a femme fatale with a new nose and a successful career. It’s a lovely movie, definitely worth a watch.
Released on March 28thon DVD and Blue Ray from Momentum Pictures
God bless that in 2011 it still boils down to not what you know, but who you know. I mean my friend is like a gaming addict man. If games were in powdered form he would be stuck in some grotty pub toilet somewhere and he would never come out. Most people would wait for the Nintendo 3DS to reach our shores in its timely but yet extended wait, but not him, he imports the bloody thing. Shame it only arrives a few days beforehand.
God bless the small print…
But who am I to complain, especially when I am sitting here now with perhaps one of the most eagerly anticipated blue clams in gaming tech history with perhaps the most enviable task in history of breaking it down to all of you. Thank God it’s Friday.
In case you didn’t know, or was hiding out near Jupiter for the last decade or so, Japanese based company Nintendo is responsible for all those iconic household names like Super Mario, SNES, Gameboy and erm…Duck Hunt. In the ‘chicken versus egg’ of gaming history none could argue that Nintendo was the chicken, even if it wasn’t the most powerful system out there it did make it the most accessible, smashing the SEGA Master system into a million pieces and more.
The last serious console effort – The Wii, again reinvented ideas of console entertainment, beckoning gamers back into the home like Labour would welcome voters back into the polling station. In a world where solitude online play was fast becoming the norm, the Wii made it a social activity.
I still refuse to see the Nintendo DS as a serious console effort – hand consoles just lack the graphical power or raw intensity of experience that you can get with a console. I just can’t think of a journey long enough where I could become absorbed in a game. However, Nintendo is almost like ‘Apple’ in the way they consistently refine ‘objects of desire’ and I have to admire them for refining the erm…refinements…until now where we have something pretty substantial it looks like they are about to change the gaming world yet again.
3D is pretty substantial for any home console but can a handheld have 3D and better yet, one that is achieved without the need for 3D glasses? I was eager to find out what it looked like, what it played like; I had that energetic feeling in my tummy, the one that you get as a kid when you know tomorrow is Christmas.
At first glance it looks exactly like its predecessors, although slightly bulkier and defiantly more robust. Open the lid and you immediately notice it still has the same dual-screen, touch sensitive set up. The most striking addition is the new circle pad, which feels very ergonomic. Slightly less obvious are the three buttons below the touch screen: Start, Select and the new Home button are now flush to the surface in a very Samsung-esque fashion. Pressing the Home button returns you to the 3DS main menu, pausing your game while you’re there and bringing up options for you to use. I have to say this is very reminiscent of the PS3 or Xbox 360 menu which is not altogether a bad thing.
On the right side are the usual Y, X, B and A buttons for gaming, and around the sides there is an SD card slot for saving photos, music and…well…you know…regular stuff, the usual stylus port for the system’s pointer, two small shoulder buttons and a headphones socket. Worth mentioning are the speakers, maybe it has been a while since I used a regular DS but the speakers on this machine seem to have been improved, with greater clarity on the low and upper end of the sound spectrum.
On the right side of the upper screen there’s a slider control, allowing users to adjust the 3D intensity – basically shifting the two virtual cameras in the game further apart or closer together. It is possible to play games in normal 2D if you fancy. Interestingly enough I saw various leaflets regarding stereoscopic sickness, and what Nintendo recommends players should do if start to suffer blurred vision and / or headaches, there are also warnings that children under six should not play 3D titles. Hmmm….
I won’t go into the actual technology in this review as I think that has already been well covered by various other articles, but I will say is that in order to receive the full 3D depth effect you need to hold the device directly in front of your face, perhaps what some would say at a comfortable reading height. Moving it around; perhaps like you might do with a mobile phone game just ruins the effect and makes it go all flat and blurry. Think of it a bit like one of those ‘magic eye pictures’. Once you find your optimum position it is kind of striking how immediate and dramatic the 3D effect is.
As for the 3D effect itself, you quickly realise what the 3DS is, and is not capable of doing. If you think it will be like one of those 3D movie or console type effects where things blast ‘at you’ and whiz ‘past you’ from the screen think again; the screen is just too small to provide that kind of immersion; in fact knowing this has made Nintendo almost remove it from the equation. Instead it plays to its strengths. Imagine peering down a rabbit hole or looking down a well and it will give you a much more of an accurate idea of what the 3D experience is like, in the sense that the viewing pleasure is one of depth and expansion. It’s worth noting too that while the 3D is without doubt exceptionally cool, it adds absolutely nothing to the game play itself, for example you won’t be using it to peek around corners or using it to better judge your shot. In most cases when we talk about the 3D imagery what we are really talking about is no more than cosmetic changes.
The 3DS has not one, not two, but three cameras scattered about its casing so that it can capture stereoscopic pictures. For those of you getting excited right now, one word – don’t – Together all three cameras offer a combined resolution just short of one megapixel. That said, taking 3D photos with it are a lot of fun. I wouldn’t say the 3D photos make your jaw drop – but it is interesting to see. It’s only shortcomings being that you can only share the images by gathering everyone around your handheld or giving them to another 3DS owner on an SD card. This spoils the social element of taking snaps in 3D, after all you are the only one who can see them, at least immediately, and at present there is no online platform to upload them to. Then again, some would say that is exactly what your smart phone and camera are there for.
Prior to getting my hands on the 3DS I had heard all manner of complaints about the battery life; this made me even more determined to test this out for myself. Sadly I was disappointed. Whilst certainly not as bad as I feared, with full 3D the battery lasted just short of three hours which is no where good enough. If you turn the WiFi off – let’s face it on most public transportation you are not likely to be using it – you save power and can add about another half-hour to that total. Equally the same goes for playing old DS titles or removing the 3D depth completely; basically the more power you save, the longer you have – but surely doesn’t that just defeat the idea.
In terms of games, Nintendo have done themselves proud with no less than 13 titles released on the same day, including:
Pilotwings Resort
Nintendogs + Cats: (Golden Retriever, French Bulldog and Toy Poodle editions)
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
The Sims 3
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
Ridge Racer 3D
Super Monkey Ball 3D
Samurai Warriors: Chronicles
Asphalt 3D
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3D
Rayman 3D
I can’t speak for other gamers but I am glad that Nintendo seem to be maturing a little with the 3DS, I was worried that the majority of titles would be soft, cuddly and fluffy like their Wii counterparts. Not so, besides Lego, Sims and Nintendogs (personally I would like to see a Snoopdogs) most of the games lie in mature action or puzzle territory which can only be a good thing.
I suppose the real question with the 3DS is the price and whether it is actually worth it. 3D and me have had a bit of a troubled history, in my opinion it is a term that is overused and under-attempted in the same way that VR was used back in the 90’s with everyone talking about a Virtual Reality that in no way shape or form came close to the real Virtual Reality, instead in the end it became no more than a label to define something that was different and not to mention costly. We are seeing it now with 3D; cumbersome LCD’s, 3D glasses which are more expensive than your console just to play games with this whole 3D element in them. Sure, Avatar, Tron Legacy, and other films have brought it back into fashion, but 3D has now become a sexy word. Having 3D in the palm of your hand is therefore seen as desirable from the off, the suggested retail price of £229.99, which is more than a Wii but ‘just that little bit less’ that an outright console will no doubt get gamers thinking it is a good buy and in their hype to play as many 3D games as possible will dash out, ignore the cost of the games; some which cost the equivalent of their full console counterparts and foolishly buy up whole shops. All for a hand console which will probably drop in price soon anyway.
I can hear the sounds of gamers cooing already at reading this saying to themselves…
’it’s the technology’ ‘you get what you pay for’ ‘how dare you say that, have you ever made a 3D game….’
Well…erm no I haven’t but I have done my homework and know that if you ‘must have one’ you’ll find much cheaper prices if you shop around.
Most of the big supermarkets are selling it at £200, with special offers chucked in – Tesco, for example, is slinging in one 3DS game for £10 up to today and HMV and Game also have a range of trade-in deals, offering a reduced price 3DS in return for your old DS, PSP or console. Some of these deals are slightly more dubious than others, so look closely and always check the small print.
My verdict – the 3DS is here. Boy it looks good, sounds good and delivers the…erm goods. Not quite the 3D some might expect but it is tasty and it does work well. Equally it brings the term ‘special’ to the palm of your hand. The 3D isn’t for everyone, if you haven’t seen the 3D in action it I recommend you go down to a game store and try it before purchase because it is a lot to spend. Having said that though there is no doubt that this will fly off the shelves purely because it brings something different to gaming.
It is good to see Nintendo back in action, the very technology that they have developed here beckons a new future of gaming again. And boy, it is a reason to be happy. If it wasn’t for bad memories of their last 3D effort – the Future Boy I would sleep in pixilated wet dreams…for now though I will keep one eye open…
As we came to a close of 2010 and the awards season have been gone and dusted, I’ve decided to make a list of films that I’m looking forward to this year. I expected this list to be quite long, but there’s not a lot I’m looking forward or consider to be really excited to quite frankly. So I’m going to reveal my top 3 most anticipated films of 2011;
Sucker Punch: I’ll admit, I’m not a fan of Zack Snyder but I don’t hate him as well. His Dawn of the Dead remake back in 2004 was pretty decent, considering the shamelessly Michael Bay produced horror remakes we’ve been getting every year or so. Then he adapted Frank Miller’s 300, visually faithful to its source material but lacked on being a memorable movie altogether. Watchmen was the high-point of his career, especially since adapting Alan Moore’s 400+ page comic book had been in development as long you could remember! While some bits hit the mark (visual style, costumes, performances from Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jackie Earl Haley), some completely missed (both Malin Akerman and Carla Gugino gave bland performances and some of the choice of music). Of course, his trademark is his heavy use of slow-motion. If you’d take a drinking game whenever the slow-motion was used, you’d either be in the hospital or the morgue!
Now Zack Snyder has decided to come up with something original, rather than being a remake or based on a comic book. It is inevitable to label it as ‘Alice in Wonderland meets Inception’ (or as Snyder describes it, Alice in Wonderland with guns) but Snyder at least has shown he’s not loosing his creative edge. The film looks fantastic, even more so than his previous films. Although slightly bizarre that the film is set in the 1950s psychiatric ward and they come up with anime-alike robot mechs, giant samurais with a mini-gun, futuristic city and transport that hasn’t existed yet! Maybe I’m thinking about it too much than needed, but this does stand-out from most other blockbusters this year. (Released on March 25, 2011 in USA and April 1, 2011 in UK)
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: Probably the most controversial choice on this list, as the Swedish original was praised by critics and audiences (even went to win a BAFTA for Best Film not in the English Language and 2 nominations including Best Actress – Noomi Rapace). The reason I put this relatively high on this list is because of David Fincher. I am a huge fan of David Fincher, and I personally think The Social Network is the best film made in the past decade. This sort of material is right in Fincher’s alley; a dark mystery thriller, the sort he’s done with Zodiac and Se7en.
The film stars Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist, an interesting choice to play the troubled journalist and is accompanied by Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. Mara worked with Fincher in The Social Network, as Mark Zuckerberg’s fictional ex-girlfriend. It is a bizarre choice but it really have to admire a beautiful actress as Mara to transform a character that looks both gothic and punk. If you have not yet seen the published photos of Mara’s transformation, I strongly you have a look before you make an judgements (http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2011/02/rooney_mara_girl_with_the_dragon_tattoo_lisbeth_salander_ss#slide=3). She looks other-worldly and makes me fascinated how she’d portray the character that’d be different what we’ve already seen. Steven Zaillian is adapting the novel, which he has done very good movies in the past with Schindler’s List, Gangs of New York and American Gangster. So I am very optimistic on this English adaptation. (Released on December 21, 2011)
The Tree Of Life: This film being a complete mystery intensifies my anticipation levels through the roof! It’s slightly odd that a non-blockbuster such as this movie would be my number 1!? The synopsis on IMDb is only given very briefly; The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence.
Probably a few reasons being that it is written and directed by Terrence Malick, who is known to shoot an unimaginable amount of footage and has made films such as Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line and The New World. Another reason is it features my favourite actors; Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. There’s not much to say about the film, except if you know Malick’s work then there’s everything to be excited about it. I strongly suggest to check out the trailer, the only preview of the film thus far! (Released on May 27, 2011)
If you’re excited about these films as I am or looking forward to any other films that didn’t make this (very short) list, send comments below!
