Monthly Archives: April 2012

Seb Morgan’s Fitness Column: What’s your excuse?

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WHAT’S YOU’RE EXCUSE?

I’m too weak, too slow, too big. I ate too much for breakfast, I got a headache, its raining, my dog is sick I can’t right now. I’m not inspired, it makes me sweat, it makes me smell bad, I’m allergic to stuff, I’m fat, I’m thin, its too hot, I’m not right I got shin splints, I’m distracted, I’m exerting myself too much, I’d love too really but I can’t, I just can’t my favorite show is on, I’ve got a case of the Monday, the Tuesdays, the Wednesdays; I don’t want to do this, I want to do something else after new years, next week I might make a mistake.

I’ve got homework, I feel bloated, I got gas, I got a hot date, my coach hates me, my mam won’t let me, I bruise easily, its too dark, its too cold, its too hot, this is dangerous, sorry I don’t have a bike, I don’t have trainers, I didn’t get enough sleep, its not in my DNA,Ii don’t want to look all tired out, I need a better coach, I don’t like getting tackled, I’m not the athletic type, I don’t want to get sweaty, I have better things to do, I don’t want to slow you down, do I have to do this?, as soon as I get a promotion, as soon as I get some money I have no money I might sit this one out…what you’re excuse….pick one, I bet you have heard it before or maybe even said it yourself.

Go on, be honest. be savagely honest with yourself. no one else needs to know. what is you’re excuse and is it real? Really think about it. Is it something that acutely holds you back?, that really stops you going out and doing something, some form of health and fitness activity. has it taken you’re leg or even legs? an arm even? is you’re day so full that you don’t have time to make a cuppa and sit down? Do you have so little money you cant go to the park for a run, jog, WALK.

Let me ask you….really? Is that really the truth….or an excuse.

Last year we saw a great feat of human courage in the rugby world cup and recently the six nations, soon we will all be watching the triumph that is the Olympics and even more so the Para-Olympics and let me ask you when you watch that event and its amazing human beings. Do you think they made an excuse when it was cold, raining, hot, not enough time to do school work, normal work, we’re tired at waking at dumb o’clock, the training was too hard, they failed, they lost that race, they got bitten, they had personal issues, had lost an arm, leg, both legs…….do you think they made an excuse.

And don’t give me the…oh yeah, but they had support, they’ve trained for year etc…as I tell people I train or fellow Brazilian jujitsu players….everyone has to start somewhere.

At this current moment I’m watching Frank Skinner on sport-aid swim for the very first time and seeing a smile appearing on his face as he realizes he overcome one hurdle of the biggest fear of his life is incredible….I’m also smiling at his personal achievement.

He did so again….why cant you?, whats you’re excuse.

My personal excuses are, I’m smaller than everyone else, I’m not as strong, I’m getting older, there’re too far head of me in the game, there’re just so much better and these are the excuses i use to push me that little bit harder….but that’s me, you have to find you’re own.

Now i do understand that if you think you need a little push or guidance but a little to intimidated to go to the gym and see all these muscle men (who in all honestly are probably training wrong…HA) it can be scary and then you’re let of on you’re own and then PT’s coming up saying “can i help you, yeah i’ll show you for 5 mins, you want more it will cost”.

So if you find yourself in this position I’m going to advice the original and leading park fitness group, British Military Fitness. they train in over 100 park across Britain with over 400 instructors who are either ex or current serving servicemen and ladies but don’t be fooled by the Military bit…….its a very fun, engaging session lasting only an hour where you are guided, instructed and supported by you’re instructor and the other members of you’re group and whats more than a gym…the members communicate, talk, share, support and even get together after the sessions or weekends.

Its a great environment and is basically a personal training session with someone who is not just out to get you’re money to pay there gym-rent, they are there to really help you.
Yes,I am being bias as I am an instructor but what i have seen really has taken my by surprise and for anyone who feels a bit nervy of taken that first step, we are there all the way with you…plus you’re first session is free.

To find out more and a park near you search ‘British Military Fitness’ or ‘BritMilFit’ into a search engine.

If you have a goal, we’ll get you there. Remember; I’m with you all the way.

Seb is a free-lance personal trainer, you can follow him on twitter at @sebmorganpt

Into The Abyss: A Tale Of Death, A Tale Of Life by Daniel McCarthy

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With an output rate that would make Woody Allen envious and a string of classics ranging across four decades, the prolific German filmmaker Werner Herzog has built up a devoted international following and critically gilded canon of work that most directors can only aspire to. This includes a recent spate of documentaries that look with awe at the power of nature such as last year’s brilliant Cave Of Forgotten Dreams. Herzog is fascinated however with the sometimes cataclysmic clash of nature and man, both fictional and factual, from the likes of Aguirre Wrath Of God and to Grizzly Man. Now Herzog has taken a more definitive step towards the flawed nature of man with his latest work Into The Abyss, a calm yet unflinching examination of the death penalty in America shown through the prism of one particular crime. Many of Herzog’s films can claim to look into an abyss, whether it is literal or metaphorical. Whichever way you view this latest work, it is arguably one of his strongest pieces yet.
In October of 2001 Michael Perry and Jason Burkett, two teenagers with troubled backgrounds living in Texas, broke into the house of a fifty year old nurse Sandra Stotler with the intention of stealing her sports car.

The crime ended with her death, as well as that of her son and his friend who were ambushed upon their return to the house, led into a wooded area and killed in order to gain possession of the remote control device needed to open the gates of the housing community where they lived. It is a crime noticeable for both its callousness and stupidity. Perry and Burkett where arrested days later after a shootout with police and proceeded to blame each other for the events that took place. Burkett was sentenced to life imprisonment whilst Perry was sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out in the summer of 2010. Herzog interviews the two men at their respective prisons (Perry was only eight days from execution during his interview) as well as members of the victims’ families and some of those directly involved with the process of state executions.

From the outset Herzog makes his views clear to the two men and to the viewer; ‘I don’t have to like you, but I don’t think human beings should be executed.’ His view is a humanist one, not political despite its release coming just ahead of the Republican presidential nomination in America. Despite not shunning away from the horror of the crimes committed, judgement is not heaped upon the convicted men. The conversations with them are quietly unnerving; despite having claimed his innocence Perry views his impending death with serene calm whilst Burkett discusses the troubled relationship with his father who is also imprisoned in an adjunct prison ward for a separate crime. Their pasts and backgrounds are referenced but are not used as an excuse. Instead a complex tableau is woven on both sides with family members of the victims revealing how they have been affected by the tragedy and whether or not they feel the execution will heal their pain whilst Burkett’s father holds himself responsible for his son’s wayward lifestyle. Compared to the pacing of Herzog’s fictional work and some of the documentaries, there is a unique stillness to the imagery and the tone that is tremendously sombre and effecting. The camera roves effortlessly and holds on the smallest of details; the scattered, rural landscape that prisoners pass through on their way to the ‘Death House’, the faces of interviewees left hanging at the end of questioning and not given the mercy of a quit cutaway. Rather than adhere to standard rules of documentary film-making, Herzog is drawn to what he refers to an ‘ecstatic truth’. The point is made not through a deluge of facts and figures but instead a hidden narrative construct takes us on a journey through the incredible true story and in doing so deepens the emotional response.

There’s plenty of emotion on display here. The tale is tragic on both sides and the interviews are to the point, precise and devastating. Herzog’s trademark accented narration is toned right down and he never appears directly onscreen. There is a stillness in both the one to one and interviews and the establishing shots between them as though the camera itself is respectfully treading away from anything exploitive. Crime scene footage is seen but never lingered over. Out of the remnants of the tragedy, it is the small fleeting moments of humanity that move the deepest. An anecdote about squirrels on a golf course manages to evoke tears from a prison chaplain whilst a former captain of the ‘execution team’ recalls the exact moment when he realized he could no longer carry on with his job. The film is separated into individual chapters covering the crime, the aftermath and the debate surrounding capital punishment. The last chapter is optimistically titled ‘The Urgency Of Life’, and we focus on the acceptance of the various parties involved as they discuss how the execution has and has not restored equilibrium to the situation. Rather than end on a bleak epilogue Herzog pulls off an odd, vaguely amusing and hopeful vignette. One of the final shots is a phone screen capture of an ultrasound scan revealing a child. To say anymore may rob its power, but it’s a beautiful little grace note that only this director could pull off.

I had the good fortune to see Into The Abyss at a preview screening followed by a live stream Q and A session with Herzog himself. It was a fascinating experience to hear the man give insight into his method and viewpoint on his work and how he tackled the more stressful aspects of the production. The film is being released as a companion series, On Death Row screens on Channel 4. Though at time of writing I have only seen half of the episodes, it has all the merits of the main work itself; sombre, thoughtful and astonishingly balanced in approach to its subject. With these projects Herzog is staring death in the face. And death stares straight back.

Es Muss Sein – Es Muss Sein EP | Music Review

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Es Muss Sein. Remember the name. It means “it must be in German” and is the nom de guerre of Poppy Wilson, a beautifully soulful little singer-song writer from ever-so-cool Kent.

This, her debut EP, deals in contrasting shades – light and dark, loud and quiet and a sadness that isn’t without hope. In fact it’s the hope she wants you to remember. Nobody does though do they? The music is built around her soulful voice and often minimalist approach to guitar playing. It’s beautiful. It’s genius. Think early Cat Power or the long lost child of Elliott Smith. Go and listen. In years to come you’ll be able to tell your friends that you heard her first.

 

Ess Muss Sein EP is released on 1st May 2012

Free Interior Guide Book to Transform your Home

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It is very rare to get anything free in life, but Frost has come across a free interior guide booklet.

1-2-3 Transform Your Home a FREE step-by-step interior guide showing how to bring the joy of spring/summer indoors in 2012

The Flower Council of Holland (FCH) has created a beautiful FREE online booklet demonstrating how to bring the joy of spring indoors with flowering bulbs in pots and cut bulb flowers.

Available exclusively from www.funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk, design and gardening enthusiasts can use the booklet to gather ideas on how to create attractive indoor displays with spring bulb flowers using a variety of vintage and contemporary containers and vases. As easy as 1-2-3, bulb flower displays around the home are guaranteed to bring happiness and brighten up any dark corner.

The 1-2-3 Transform Your Home booklet is a step-by-step guide focusing on five of the nation’s favourite flower bulbs: Tulip, Hyacinth, Iris, Narcissi and Calla Lily and explains how they can be used to transform different rooms in the home with diverse styles and scents.

Jacqueline Doornekamp from the Flower Council of Holland, says:

“Flower bulbs in pots and cut flower bulbs in vases are a simple yet stylish solution to refreshing tired interiors. This free step-by-step guide shows the easy and affordable way to lift your mood and transform your home.”

Jean Gabin: Working Class Hero to Godfather at BFI Southbank in May

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Jean Gabin (1904–1976) is one of the most renowned stars of French cinema. Throughout May BFI Southbank celebrates a career that spanned over four decades and which featured performances in both silent cinema and the talkies. Beginning with Jean Gabin: Anatomy of a Myth, on Wed 2 May, an introduction from season curator Ginette Vincendeau, Professor in Film Studies at King’s College London, the centrepiece of this season is the nationwide release and extended run of a newly restored classic of ‘poetic realism’ Le Quai des brumes (France 1939) from 4 May.

Between 1930 and 1976, magnetic French star Jean Gabin built an unparalleled screen image that encompassed the tragic working-class hero with a rugged charisma to underworld Godfather figures. He remains one of the great icons of cinema, and this season explores the appeal of his mythical vision of the ‘ordinary’ Frenchman.

Born Jean Alexis Moncorgé in 1904 to a family of performers, Gabin started out as a comic singer at the Moulin Rouge. His performances started getting noticed, and better stage roles came along that led to parts in two silent films in 1928. Two years later, he easily made the transition to the talkies, and soon switched to dramatic parts in cinema. From 1935 to 1939, he was the most popular French matinee idol of the pre-war period and gave performances in an extraordinary run of masterpieces Pépé le Moko (Dir, Julien Duvivier, 1937), La Bête humaine (Dir, Jean Renoir, 1938) and Le Jour se lève (Dir, Marcel Carné, 1939).

It was Renoir’s anti-war masterpiece La Grande Illusion (1937) (on extended run at BFI Southbank throughout April) that cemented Gabin’s international superstar status, and the film received universal critical acclaim. A certified classic of world cinema, the film has recently been re-released to celebrate its 75th anniversary.

Gabin’s fame was reinforced by a series of hits, including Marcel Carné’s marvellously moody crime thriller Le Quai des brumes (1939) playing one of his most memorably iconic roles as an army deserter on the run.

The war propelled Gabin to a brief stint in Hollywood, where he made Moontide (Dir, Archie Mayo, 1942) under contract with Fox. It was a fascinating attempt at ‘Americanising’ his image but Gabin felt uncomfortable speaking English. At Universal, he and Duvivier were reunited for The Impostor (1944). While working for RKO Pictures, Gabin’s difficult personality did serious damage to his Hollywood career. Scheduled to star in an RKO film The Temptress, he demanded Marlene Dietrich to be cast as his co-star (they were ensconced in a torrid, real-life affair throughout the early-to-mid 1940s). The studio refused. Gabin remained stubborn in his demand, yet he was fired and the project was shelved. RKO issued the warning that he would never work in Hollywood again; Gabin shrugged off the threat and proceeded to rejoin the French troops in North Africa.

However by the early 1950s it looked as if Gabin’s era had passed. But then Jacques Becker’s Touchez pas au grisbi (1954) and Renoir’s French Cancan (1955) catapulted him back to the top of the box-office. Suddenly Gabin was again a global star. Over the next twenty years until his death in 1976, Gabin made many more films, most of them very successful, commercially and critically. The season includes his later films such as Maigret tend un piège (Dir, Jean Delannoy, 1958), the first and best of three films in which he tackles Georges Simenon’s illustrious Commissaire Maigret; the nail-biting thriller Melodie en sous-sol (Dir, Henri Verneuil, 1963) co-starring Alain Delon who would always credit Gabin as a great influence; and the most poignant of his later films, Le Chat (Dir, Pierre Granier-Deferre, 1971) with tour-de-force performances by Gabin and the great Simone Signoret as an ageing and feuding husband and wife.

Gabin’s career lasted over 40 years and he became a mythical figure of French cinema. His rugged looks, rough voice and Parisian accent still anchored his characters in the same social milieu, and this is why he kept his popular following. Ultimately Gabin’s charisma endowed the ordinary man with dignity and prestige.

NEW Kid Icarus: Uprising Weapons Infographic Now Available!

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In case you didn’t know – Kid Icarus: Uprising was launched exclusively on Nintendo 3DS on 23rd March to rave reviews; gamers simply cannot get enough of the flying / hack and slash / puzzler of a game that takes full advantage of the 3DS hardware. You simply will not believe your eyes.

Now the infographic has been released revealing for the first time the vast array of weapons available in the game.

Each weapon type has individual characteristics including attack range and trajectory and how it affects your speed of movement; each weapon also has attributes that influence your battlefield skills.  Weapons can be bought, sold and gained through the multiplayer mode and fused together to create even more devastating weapons with unique characteristics. From the Samurai Blade’s powerful slashing attacks to the EZ Cannon’s charged shots, from the Babel Club’s enormous sandstorms to the Meteor Bow’s long range comets drawing power from the night sky – there are a wealth of choices to make when battling Medusa’s dark hordes.

To check out the Infographic check out: http://www.nintendo.co.uk/kidicarusuprising/infographic/

For those of you not yet caught up in the incredible game that is Kid Icarus check out the trailer created by Mr Sakurai and the Sola Studio and don’t forget to give us your feedback – its priceless!

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5M8WdnltnY&w=420&h=315]

Highs and Lows of The Ridge Racer Franchise

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Incredible to believe that Ridge Racer has been around since 1993. whilst the latest instalment leaves much to be desired, join us as we take a look back at the highs and lows of perhaps one of the most incredible race franchises of all time.

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Ridge Racer Arcade Game and Ports

In 1993 a racing video game was released into the world by Namco. That game was Ridge Racer. It was initially released on the Namco System 22 arcade system board, and was later ported to the PlayStation console. It was released in competition to the rift of racing games released at the time by Sega such as Daytona and VR Racing and became an instant hit owing to the photo realistic nature of the graphics and arcadey style driving engine which was easy to pick up and hard to put down.

The first home version of Ridge Racer was released in Japan in 1994 as a launch title for the original Sony PlayStation console. Some players may say that it was an ‘arcade perfect port’ which was a term that was banded around at the time but I still would say otherwise. One thing is for sure is that the game played a major role in establishing Playstation console and in giving it an early edge over its nearest competitor, the Sega Saturn. Nice touches included the option to change the in game music by removing the game disc and inserting your own favourite CD – a move that has never been repeated since.

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Ridge Racer Revolution

Firmly following the mantra of ‘if it isn’t broke don’t fix it’ Ridge Racer Revolution’ simply offered more of the same. I personally did not like it as it had dodgy collision detection, but I know loads of players who loved it as it had a two-player link-up mode which when played allowed the players access to the two courses from the original Ridge Racer game known as ‘Special 1’ and ‘Special 2’.

Normally only 4 cars are selectable, but all 12 are selectable if a player is able to defeat 100% of the enemies on the Galaga ’88 game before the title screen. In addition if this was done in less than 44 shots, not only were all the cars selectable, but the car bodies were smaller and the wheels bigger, looking much like buggies. Other changes included a commentator with a higher-pitched voice and different handling of the cars. However, while you can still race the three bonus cars, you cannot win them in the buggy mode. One way to easily access the buggy mode from the beginning is to hold L1, R1 select, down and triangle all simultaneously from when the game loads until the space invaders game – a special laser then emitted from the ship to kill all of the enemies on the space invaders game. Don’t say I don’t give away secrets.

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Rage Racer

Whilst arcade gamers got Rave Racer, Playstation owners got Rage Racer. They sound similar but believe me they are anything but. Visually the game took a different approach compared to the previous PlayStation titles. It looked more realistic and had a darker colour scheme.  For the first time in the Ridge Racer series, Rage Racer introduced a brand new advanced single player career system which used credits which were received from winning races which then could be used to buy and upgrade cars. I rate this as a low because although I loved the way it brought something new to the genre and I have fond memories of taking a Beetle look-alike round the track at break-neck speed the graphics were really rough around the edges and the music was horrendous.

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R4: Ridge Racer Type 4

This was the fourth game in the Ridge Racer series on the PlayStation.

With Namco now properly turning the attention to the home market this title was solely made for the home console.  There were eight tracks and a whopping 321 vehicles, Having realized their mistakes in the previous title back came gouraud shading on the polygons, giving the game a visual depth that was really lovely to the eye. The intro and presentation of the game was incredible. It was also the first Ridge Racer game on the Sony system to feature a two-player split screen mode, and featured two different driving models.

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Ridge Racer 64

This was the next in the racing instalment developed by Namco and Nintendo Software Technology for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. It featured tracks from Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer Revolution and its very own set of desert tracks exclusive to the Nintendo 64. On the Car Select screen you could join the Dig Racing Team, Pac Racing Club, Racing Team Solvalou and R.C. Micro Mouse Mappy all from Ridge Racer Type 4. It marked ahigh point of the series and you could also change the colours of the car instead of the normal colours. The music was equally great and moving away from solely producing titles for Sony’s home machines Nintendo 64 owners finally had a racing game they could be proud of.

 

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Ridge Racer V 

(RRV), was the fifth game in the Ridge Racer series on the PlayStation. It was in one word Incredible. One of the launch games for the PlayStation 2. It featured 14 tracks and 18 vehicles, with 5 modes of play. Taking full advantage of the new spec hardware available in the next generation console the colours were bright, the in game graphics and speed was insatiable and the music was banging. I remember going over one ridge in the game and having the lens flare coarse into my eyes furthermore the night time tracks too were amazing; dimly lit streets that forced you to really peer ahead on the road to see the next hairpin bend. One other thing that is worthy of note was the ‘endurance race’ 99 laps of hardcore racing that tested even the most veteran of racing games. When you completed it all you got was a well done screen though, although you still had bragging rights to your friends for doing so.

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R: Racing Evolution

This title marked a low point in the franchise. Released in Japanin November 27, 2003, in North America on December 9, 2003 and in Europeon April 2, 2004, R is a racing-sim. Much like considered a cross over like Rage Racing and Gran Turismo. Opting to feature 33 licensed cars and in-depth customization options the game also featured a system referred to as the pressure meter, a fighting game-esque gauge that filled up as the player gets closer to a rival car; the higher the meter, the greater the likelihood that the AI will make a critical mistake.

The game offered a story mode where the player followed the racing career of Rena Hayami as she struggles to deal with the busy life of a professional race car driver and the politics of the sport. The mode featured some 14 chapters that were supposed to bring something new to the franchise, however none of these factors could protect the game from critical feedback. ‘Boring as hell’ said one reviewer; ‘If I wanted to play a racing sim I would have bought Gran Turismo’ said another.

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Ridge Racer 6

This was the sixth instalment in the Ridge Racer series. Released exclusively on Xbox 360 in 2006, it was marked as an achievement for Xbox owners who previously never had a Ridge Racer title. The game featured a Full Motion Video opening, which showed the series mascot the gorgeous Reiko Nagase in full action. Defending their decision to produce a game for another even rival console Namco announced that it expected to sell over 500,000 copies of Ridge Racer 6 for the Xbox 360, although in reality that never happened; far fewer copies were actually sold; although that does not stop it from being a good game in its own right. Ridge Racer 7 for the PlayStation 3 is something of a “remix “of Ridge Racer 6, but with major differences such as new vehicles that were not seen in Ridge Racer 6 such as Sinseong, a Korean brand company, for the first time.


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Ridge Racer 7

This was the seventh console instalment in the Ridge Racer series of racing games, released exclusively on the PlayStation 3. The game has around 40 cars, many of which return from Ridge Racer 6 and the PSP incarnations of the game. There are also 22 courses, available in forward, reverse and mirror mode. The game runs at 1080p resolution and at 60 frames per second. It also features Dolby Digital 5.1 surround
The game marked a long awaited return to the Sony console and was a real hit in terms of what the console could do. Namco really pulled out the stops and later – to help Sony place further emphasis on 3D gaming, produced a Patch called “Ridge Racer 7 3D License Version” which enabled owners of Ridge Racer 7 to play the game in 3D for free and it offers free online game play via the PlayStation Network too.
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Ridge Racer Unbounded

I’m not going to say why here all you need to know is it is a real low point in the series. You can find my review in Frostmagazine’s very pages to find out

Frost Loves | New Girl & Zooey Deschanel

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The last episode of New Girl that I watched had the truest relationship between women I have seen on TV for as long as I remember. I laughed in recognition of how a women really insults another women, in a subtle way that men think is a complement. How sometimes we just don’t get along because we think we have nothing in common, but really, we are more like each other than we will ever know. Dessert person or not.

Some of the press has been quite unfair to Jess, Zooey Deschanel’s character, for being ditzy and different. And I am not quite sure why. It is an actress in a lead role with her own TV show. She is not playing someone’s girlfriend or mother. She may be a kooky and different, but I have friends like Jess. She’s an endearing character who, granted, can be a bit annoying sometimes. But she cares about people, she is loyal to her friends, she is a good person. So to all of the people who think she is a bad role model I say; screw ’em.

Channel 4 revealed that New Girl has topped the 4oD chart for a second month, with an increase in VoD views to an impressive 3.3m.

Channel 4’s archive and catch up content attracted 45 million views throughout February, across all platforms on which 4oD is available, bringing total YTD views to 93 million.

The main 4oD platform, 4oD on Channel 4.com, drew 4.3 million average monthly unique users.