Based on the 2006 Marvel Comics crossover storyline Civil War is perhaps one of most adventurous pieces of comic book fare to be brought to the big screen. Based one year after the last Avengers movie; Age of Ultron and the colossal damages that occurred within all the previous cities the United Nations is preparing to pass the Sokovia Accords; an international governing body to monitor and police the rapidly growing superhuman population. The team is divided; Tony Stark supports oversight because he feels responsible for creating Ultron and for the destruction the android brought to Sokovia, while Rogers is distrustful of any government having control over them and wishes the Avengers to remain free to act of their own accord. When the Winter Solider reappears accused of another assassination Iron Man leads the charge forcing Captain America to choose a side. This leads to Civil War; a war within.
Featuring almost every Avenger (with the exception of Thor and Hulk) in addition to new characters like Spider-Man and returning supporting characters like General Ross this film should perhaps be re-named Avengers 2.5. It seems like this year when it comes to comic book adaptions it is all about the showdown between big superheroes and sprawling cataclysmic battles. No doubt comparisons will be eagerly made between this and the previously released Superman Versus Batman with fanboys clamouring either side to say which one is best. Civil War has been released with far less fanfare than its DC counterpart, but like the good old Captain America quiet confidence is perhaps what makes it so great. I’ll settle the scrap now; in my humble opinion Civil War is a better film.
There are a number of advantages that Civil War has over its Dawn of Justice rival. First is the fact that Marvel has spent numerous movies developing each and every character in the build up to this showdown and most of the characters have had their own films (or significant pieces within) to develop. In the run up to seeing the film, my friends and I were enthusiastically discussing which Marvel films we liked the most; some liked Iron Man, some liked Captain America, some liked Thor. Although film-wise there have been a couple of misses, what is undeniable is that Marvel has been successful in creating movie comic book characters that are semi-independent of each other, films that have their own valid personality and structure. Indeed, you can almost be divided over the movies like you could be the comic books. How that translates into Civil War is that less time needs to be dedicated showing their back stories (parents murdered or motivating tragedies) and secondly we have already come to know the characters as multi-faceted beings through their own movies which makes the ultimate show down far more complex than simply choosing a side. Tony Stark; the narcissistic billionaire but an individual always touched by the plight of the weak and defenceless versus Captain America a soldier who fights for freedom but has increasingly become disillusioned by the corruption he has witnessed. In Civil War the fights are gruelling but not gratuitous, no one wants to hurt each other but they will for what they believe in and ultimately they do.
Sadly, Civil War does suffer from a long build up, yes there is action but like Dawn of Justice it spends a long time getting you to see the story from both sides and introducing you to the new characters. But what a line up it is, in addition to Robert Downey Junior’s incredible Iron Man (let’s face it; there could only ever be one Iron Man) and Chris Evan’s one and only Captain America, we have Chadwick Boseman making his debut as an impressive Black Panther, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man and the all new Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland. I have to say I was a bit worried about the new wall crawler’s debut (I think we are on its third iteration within ten years) but with all honesty I think he was one of the many highlights and what he brought to the film was a much needed comedic boost to alleviate the movie’s more serious themes of lost friendship and broken trust. With Spider-Man a part of this film the credibility was seriously boosted in a way that perhaps only Wolverine could to a Hulk film. Overall then if you are a fan of Marvel, this film will excite and meet many if not all of your expectations. But we warned the ending is not a happy one. Last but not least there are two post credit scenes so stay until the very end.
Rolling in at a mammoth three hours and seven minutes, the aptly titled The Hateful Eight is a film that in many ways will divide audiences. Those that love Quentin Tarantino’s style of film-making; the long build ups, exaggerated sword plays of dialogue and immediate violence, the no expense spared approach to making scenes look and feel authentic will no doubt rejoice here. But for those who were perhaps looking for a quick fix of action seen in examples such as Django Unchained and the Kill Bill series are likely to be disappointed or lack the endurance to see this film through to the end. It follows then that this film can be seen as a blessing and a shame in equal measure.
Shot in Ultra Panavision 70 which is apparently super widescreen, a long, and I mean long intro follows a horse and carriage through what must be a the bleakest snow storm. Yes, it is almost ten minutes before we actually get any dialogue. Only Tarantino could do that and not break a sweat. But when people do start speaking its then that you appreciate the depth and texture that he places within his characters.
John Ruth (Kurt Russell) is a bounty hunter carrying his charge Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to a town called Red Rock. He never fails to bring his quarry in alive rather than dead so that they can be hanged by the state. Before long he is joined by Major Marquis Warren (played by an incredibly on form Samuel L Jackson) who after some convincing is permitted to share the stagecoach to Red Rock. They are soon after joined by Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins); allegedly Red Rock’s new sheriff, who makes it clear that in return for riding on the stage-coach he’ll ensure that justice will be done on arrival.
The worsening storm forces them to break their journey at Minnie’s; an isolated shop that they intend to use as a stop-over point and it’s here that four more faces join the crowd, potentially all eager for a share of the bounty that is on Daisy Domergue’s head. They are Sanford Smithers (Bruce Dern), an old Confederate general, Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), a taciturn cattle-hand, Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), a flamboyant hangman, and Bob (Demián Bichir), the shop’s temporary Mexican caretaker. Minnie herself however is nowhere to be seen. This sets the scene for a set-up where no one can be trusted and anything can happen.
It’s here where the dialogue goes into overdrive and Tarantino really goes to work building and creating tension. However, it has to be said that it is a shame that it is such a slow build up; a growing crescendo which perhaps would have fared better if the characters had redeeming qualities. The reality is I found I could find little empathy with any one of the characters, they all had behaviours which I found distasteful, but perhaps that is the whole point. The second act plays out almost like an Agatha Christie novel; largely a quest to find out who is behind it all. The characters try and suss each other out. Flashbacks occur; who was where and when this or that happened and people try to talk their way out of being in the guilty frame.
What embellishes this is the fine cast. Very rarely do you find films where every actor shines. The only one I can think of right now where that occurred recently was in The Wolf of Wall Street and again it was because the director was very credible so the cast gave it their all. Here it is the same. They all implicitly trust Quentin so they hit their roles with vigour, the end result is stunning, at times riveting and in so many ways simply wonderful.
Personally, I am not a fan of long films. My friends were divided in equal measure between loving and hating this film. However, it has to be said from Tarantino this film seems intimate, like a personal project he really deliberated, stressed over, savoured and desired to share with his fans. The end result is something only he could realistically pull off at such quality and regardless of whether you love it or hate it you have to admit it’s a fine piece of work.
It’s easy to see why games producer Visceral made a decision to change up the pace with Battlefield: Hardline. After the much criticised (but nonetheless well acclaimed) Battlefield 4, most players would agree that the typical war format of First Person Shooters (FPS) has been done to extinction. As such Battlefield: Hardline represents a refreshing take in the genre; the Lethal weapon, the Michael Bay, the Die Hard or Bad Boys film. The presentation visuals being instantly recognisable to a weekend cop show and, it has to be said, for each and every moment of distinction it actually feels better for it.
Hardline follows a hard-working, honest young cop as he helps tackle a drug ring, falls afoul of police corruption then tries to set the world to rights. It’s a plot that seems determined to pack in every imaginable cop movie cliché, but wins you over thanks to entertaining dialogue, a little personality and a desire to put you in the thick of some amazing action scenes.
Some of the pillars of previous Battlefield games return: this is still primarily a first-person shooter where you’re propelled along from one objective to the next. Much too is made of the series’ signature destructible scenery, which sees solid-looking stud walls torn apart by shotgun explosions, and a rusty trailer offer little protection when you’re under assault from buggies with mounted heavy machine guns. Yet Hardline does bring something new to the table, by emphasising stealth and infiltration over all-out warfare and by focusing on non-lethal takedowns as well as headshots.
Playing this online game you learn different techniques of getting through each scenario, sometimes you need to sneak up on enemies and take them down one by one, sometimes you need to arrest them with badge and gun. using this method means you rank up faster and unlocking new weapons, customisations and gadgets you can use within the campaign, while the same goes for using your handy scanner to find crucial bits of evidence. You’ll still find sequences where you’ll be forced to fight your way through waves of attackers in a more standard Battlefield style, but these tend to be lobbed in as climactic set-pieces – and even here there are rewards for playing smart. In short, Hardline actually makes something of its whole cops and robbers premise, whether or not it can’t resist the occasional shoot-out, or blow up the entire set with spectacular set pieces.
And what set pieces await you aren’t restricted to the cops and robbers premise, crazy tank vs helicopter scenes out in the desert, car chases through industrial zones or a frantic escape through a ramshackle town and down a mountain, hiding from searchlights and patrols. A great deal of action games boast of being thrillers, but Hardline can be thrilling and quite suspenseful owing to the episodic nature of the campaigns meaning the characters actually have an story arc through the game and as a result you actually start to care about them, compare that to Battlefield or Call of Duty where you could play literally anyone from a multitude of characters who may actually die at the end of the stage.
Yes there is still the occasional classic ‘follow this person and do what they say’ kind of stuff, whilst some episodes are happy to give you an objective in addition to a wide area full of possible routes and bad guys, and leave you to make your own way through. New gadgets, together with a grappling gun and a mobile zip line, play their part, giving you ways to find a way in from the rooftops or over the wall. It doesn’t always work, with suspiciously brilliant sharpshooters, alarms and minimal checkpointing spoiling the fun, but by and large it’s a minor distraction.
I played the game on a PS4 and I was a fan of the quality of the visuals and the trademark Battlefield destructible scenery. Character models, skin and shiny surfaces look wonderful, so does the voice overs although I did spot some lip sync problems a few times. My other problem with the game was the length of time it took to download, my gosh it was hefty. The full download of all the episodes taking a good few hours to complete, this was even when it bought was on a physical disc. I felt annoyed that I actually couldn’t play the game straight out of the box.
So how does battlefield measure up on-line? Well, the cops and robbers modes play out a bit like ‘Heist’ ‘Payday’ and ‘GTAV’ rolled into one. Having said that I am going to go on record and say that they are not all as brilliant as you might expect, variants of the genres we’ve seen and played before ‘capture the flag’ is heist under another guise, where one team has to grab a bag from a vault and take it to the extraction point while the other team try to stop them.
Hardline affords four separate classes – Operator, Engineers, Enforce and Specialist – with loads of unlocks and weapon upgrades available, there’s no shortage of scope for detailed customisation. Similarly, the maps won’t yield up all their secrets overnight, with vantage points to discover, interactive elements to mess around with and some great rooftops and towers where you can put the grapple gun and zipwire to good use.
Verdict:
I really like Battlefield: Hardline; the single-player campaign just works brilliantly and it has a fantastic set up as a big, dumbass cop action thriller. As a game it easily fits into the class of ‘next gen’ in terms of the quality of graphics and sound. Multiplayer too is enjoyable and competitive. Yes hard Hardline does have faults but in my opinion they are minor faults in what otherwise is one heck of an enjoyable romp.
Here’s a challenge, describe Halo: Nightfall in multiples of two words.
Hmmm let’s see how about “Bad Ass”, “Computer Game”, “Action Movie” “Special effects” or “Xbox Classic”? How about “Mike Colter”, the actor who plays the role of “Agent Locke”?
In case you didn’t know Halo: Nightfall is set between the events of Halo 4 and the eagerly anticipated Halo 5: Guardians and is the second full-length live-action feature for the Halo franchise.
From Executive Producer Ridley Scott (Prometheus, Blade Runner) and award-winning Director Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (Battlestar Galactica, The Pillars Of The Earth), Halo: Nightfall features an all-star cast including Mike Colter (The Good Wife), Christina Chong (24: Live Another Day), Steven Waddington (Sleepy Hollow) and Luke Neal (Final Prayer).
Halo: Nightfall tells the personal story of Jameson Locke, a legendary manhunter and agent with the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), Earth’s most powerful and secretive military branch. The film provides the background to this pivotal new character in the Halo universe, who will play a key role in the next gaming instalment.
Whilst investigating terrorist “chatter” on the distant colony world of Sedra, Locke and his crew are caught in a horrific biological attack. Led by Locke, ONI agents are forced to coordinate with the local command who have a deep-rooted mistrust of ONI. As they unravel a plot that draws them to an ancient, hellish artefact, they are forced to fight for their survival and to make the ultimate choice between their loyalty and their lives.
I caught up with Mike to find out more about his experiences of playing a part in such a coveted franchise.
How was the experience filming Halo: Nightfall?
Well, it wasn’t a glamorous shoot. One word that comes to mind is rigid. It was a rigid, rigid shoot. We were filming in Iceland for most of it so the location was beautiful, but it turned out that the weather was not like what we were expecting – it rained the whole time. We were up against the elements, and I think this added to the overall essence of what we were looking for in this film, being destitute on a foreign planet without a way home. In this sense it helped, but at times walking around in heavy armor for hours was tough.
What was it like filming in Iceland?
Iceland was really phenomenal; I’d love to go back on a leisure journey or holiday. I went to the Blue Lagoon – actually, I went here about three times! It really helped my back. Soaking in that water is so wonderful and regenerative. Just sitting in there gave me so much energy and made me feel so relaxed. I definitely recommend it if you ever get a chance to visit Iceland – when you leave the airport get your driver to head straight for the Blue Lagoon, don’t even go to the hotels first. It’s a phenomenal experience with not that many tourists.
I like it here, there were times I’d be driving past waterfalls, volcanos and icecaps, its such wonderful scenery. It’s such a great place, I really like it a lot, the food is great and the people are very nice here.
What were your first thoughts when you were first presented with the role of Locke? And being part of the franchise. We’re you familiar with its huge global following?
Not really actually, just the basics, I knew that it was a popular game that people enjoyed which has a huge following; It’s a great brand that people are really dedicated to, and it always made me curious about it, to find out more. And so to be offered this part in Halo made me look deeper into what is was about. It gave me some opportunities to do things that I wanted to do, which was doing more action projects, like this, like sci-fi, to give me an opportunity to branch out and diversify and also get a chance to do a voice-over.
Did you prepare for the role by playing a lot of the Halo games and immersing yourself in that world, to help you become more familiar?
No, playing the game wouldn’t have helped me much, as my character, at that point, hasn’t been created or introduced in the video game. As far as the film, he was the only character who wasn’t a Spartan, and in the game it is primarily just Spartan super solders who can do these awesome things, that’s above everything humanly possible, and have these incredible suits on, I on the other hand, had to focus on my character’s journey and origin story, and what’s the fate of his team when he left the planet. It’s more of him only as a solder and not so much what he was going to be when he becomes a Spartan, which is where the video game picks up from. It’s more of a human story that we’re trying to tell. There are very little situations where I’m actually doing anything like the video game; it’s not very similar.
You started with getting the voice-over role in the game, which explicitly led to your role in the film, is that right?
It was actually the other way round. I signed up for the film and then that led to the video game and the motion caption character, which would then go into the video game. I was approached as an actor to audition for the role in the digital film, that was the first thing that happened, then we moved on to creating the character for the video game.
It must be quite a unique experience playing the same character in both the film and video game. Has their been much cross referencing and how have they correlated?
The first thing is that they are both so different, acting on film verses doing motion caption verses doing voice-over is all different medias, so it’s not the same as what your trying to convey. I’m used to acting, which relies on your total being in front of the camera trying to convey what the character is experiencing, but when your doing voiceover work you really have to get all that expression and emotion and everything through your voice and sometimes that can feel a little phony, because you’re trying to convey something that people can’t see and at times you feel like you’re doing too much, it was a bit weird at first but Amanda Wiseman, who directed the voice over sessions guided me through and you eventually get used to it. The motion caption was very technical thing and very subtle. You have to walk around in these funny suits with a camera right in your face, which can get a bit tedious at times. Watching it all back was surreal, the technology in these video games are incredible.
What can you tell us about your character in Halo: Nightfall?
Locke is a ‘think first, act later’ kind of guy; always making a decision based on the fact that it can affect so many people, so that is something that he doesn’t take lightly. He’s a very logical methodical man, and even though there are lives at stake, he always understands and knows that this is what he signed up for. I got in touch with my character, but I think it’s something that a lot of people would find hard to relate to – unless you’re in the military, people who put their lives on the line everyday – I’ve tried to understand that and try to feel what it would be like as a solider with nerves of steel and not be afraid.
What was it like working with the other cast members and crew?
We had a great time. They assembled a great tem – our production crew were some on the few that worked on the game, and in Iceland and some that had worked on The Game Of Thrones, so they were incredible, just used to working long hours and shooting in weird locations. They were very professional all the way through. The cast were great; a lot of the cast were actually from the UK, I got to meet a lot of people and still keep in touch with a few of them and formed some lifelong friends. We had a great time even though the elements were harsh, we still had a great time and a lot of laughs; it would be cold, raining and we’re stuck on a mountain, tired and sleepy but what can you do, it was great. We had a fun time.
You obviously enjoy energetic, action movie roles, but were you allowed to perform your own stunt & action scenes?
I’m getting quite a bit more ‘sign off’ to do more. Unless you could potentially die doing a scene or stunt then it’s usually ok. But I’ve never really been the type to throw myself in to do my own stunts, because stuntmen are trained and tend to be adrenaline junkies – they like it! One stunt guy wanted to fall from a large building, it was a huge fall. Huge! But he wanted to do it, but in the end we decided against it and used CGI. But that’s part of their job I guess, they love it. I do as much stunts as I can, when all the proper precautions are in place, because it’s not so much fun when you get hurt.
Do you think there are any pressures that come with a role in a film with the Halo brand, having such a huge fan base?
They’re trying to change a little bit of the narrative for Halo, and give it a story that would be able to connect to a reach a wider audience. One that would not have necessarily have been a fan of Halo video game series, and create a stand alone film that you could watch and connect to the characters and the story, and I guess generate an interest in the video game, regardless of who you are. I don’t think you have to just be a sc-fi fan or gamer to enjoy this.
Halo: Nightfall is released digitally on March 17 2015 and internationally on March 17th. Check out the trailer below for a taste.
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us; the time where it’s customary to celebrate the love of our lives in ways that truly matter. If there was ever something invented to capture a woman’s heart, then its jewellery and its things that sparkle. In the 21st Century, flowers and chocolate can only ever be the ‘bubble wrap’ to something with bigger, deeper meaning. For the 21st Century woman size doesn’t necessarily matter but quality does. Some of the sharp readers amongst you may have seen the title and thought the spelling of King was some kind of typo, but it is in fact the name of a new and upcoming artist K.ing with her latest jewellery Collection “Diamond K.ing”. A brand with an outspoken mandate in that it promises to treat each and every wearer as a Queen.
Model: Frances Lane Jewellery: K.ing Photography: Active 8 Images
Diamond K.ing is the gemstone of Inga Klabyte, who chose to employ everything that life threw at her to polish and reveal her inner diamond. Now under the artistic name of K.ing she makes a living by helping others to do the same. I find it astonishing to think that out of all the different types of companies one could create, the one she chose was jewellery making. However upon meeting her it is easy to see why; just like a diamond, the brand K.ing embodies and accentuates all her key strengths. For example, the number of hours that Inga puts into each design, the immaculate attention to detail which goes into each and every piece and the importance that she places on having each piece unique to the wearer.
The value of not taking things for granted is reflected in the “Diamond K.ing” logo. What appears to be a playing card of the ‘King of Diamonds’. Possession of this card can mean the difference between winning and losing and is essential in a hand of ‘Royal Flush’. In the same way K.ing jewellery is designed to be truly exclusive to the wearer and that absolute possession of the wearer is essential.
Model: Meriely Araujo Jewellery: K.ing Photography: Active 8 Images
I find myself pondering on why since time began jewellery has held such an elevated position with the sole purpose of making someone feel special. Why, Inga sparkles even talking about it, she truly believes that every woman is a Queen of someone’s heart and should be treated as such. Listening to her I find myself drawn off into a different world that as a man I had never truly appreciated: “Jewellery is the Queen of every woman’s wardrobe, it’s the jewel of Queen’s crown. There is no Queen with no jewels, simple as that. The truth is women love a good fairy tale crowned with dream come true relationships promising a sparkling future. If you manage to wake up the Sleeping Beauty inside her, you are and will always be her Prince Charming. So is she “Her Grace of Lace” like Queen Victoria or irresistible Scheherazade of “One Thousand and One Arabian Nights”? Is she romantic “Queen by Nature” or your personal Muse of “Eternal Inspiration”? Is she “The Conqueror of Your Heart” like Cleopatra or simply “The Fairest of Them All”?
“When I was a child, I saw people treating my mum as someone ordinary, when to me she was Special, a one off, someone who could never be replaced. From that moment K.ing was almost born to say: “You are the Queen of my Heart”.
Hence K.ing started out by making her mum feel special by creating unique pieces hand-made especially for her. Her mum must have been deeply touched as she took K.ing straight to Arts college entrance exams. This was followed by a Degree in Visual Arts and a Masters in Arts and Cultural studies as well as work placements all over the world. While specialists may have thought she was ‘Ace’ Inga knew she was actually a ‘K.ing’ by proving that everyone can be special and should be treated as such. There’s something in that message for everyone out there who questions their own uniqueness.
Today, Diamond K.ing is limited edition, unique wear. It is bespoke in that it is created directly for the wearer with your choice of metals, certified diamond cut Swarovski Element Crystals in all colours. There is also a ready-hand-made collection ready for you to take home or order to be posted to you straight away. The whole Collection is also there for you to rent for specific events so that you too can be feel like a celebrity on night out or even in your own home.
I have to admit I am smitten by the collection, seeing Swarovski Crystals Elements which have a unique sparkle and brilliance magnified by a choice of gold and silver. Looking at the various sets there is almost an endless variation of colours, shapes and sizes that range from earrings, to bracelets and necklaces to headpieces that can only be found at Diamond K.ing.
At a moment like this being a typical man, one’s thoughts turn to cost. I ask the question; expecting to hear rhetoric along the lines of ‘if you have to ask then you can’t afford it’. Instead, her response is much less faint inducing. For individual unique wear her prices are incredible, the smallest pieces start at just £20 and can go up to ten or hundred times more depending on the project in mind.
Why diamond-cut and not diamonds? “Genuine Crystal Jewellery has got more advantages to me as an artist and a woman than the offcuts of diamonds found on the high street. If a man brought me a diamond big enough to being able truly appreciate it though I would feel obliged to call the authorities, the price people paid for diamonds, and not only monetary, is far too high, I am a Queen with a heart and I chose not to work with diamonds who are associated with pain not love. That’s why I love what authentic diamond cut Swarovski Crystal Elements stands for.”
So what was the reaction to Diamond K.ing’s wares? Well, Jewellery was invented to conquer woman’s heart and that is exactly what K.ing does. The reaction of her other customers was evident; each woman’s eyes lighting up, instinctively reacting to the sparkle and wanting to touch and try on the items.
Inga smiles at her customers with real genuine sincerity “I’ve never seen a woman who is not a “jewellery person”, even if some said so at first. She breaths in, her chest and chin rises and her eyes start sparkling more than any man-made jewel; especially when time is taken to match the jewels to her inner character, her dreams and her aspirations for the future.”
When you put it like that I have to agree, even if just for one day where all the other distractions and mandatories of life are put aside, Valentine’s should be like the fairy tale your loved ones deserve. If there is a dream worth chasing then it should be the one where we all live ‘Happy Ever After’ the closer we can get to making that fantasy a reality the brighter the future can only be for us all.
So, have you got a Queen of your Heart?
Are you looking for the ways to keep the sparkle in her eyes?
There are three things that this movie absolutely gets right. Firstly you have the subject matter. This is a film about Dr Martin Luther King; powerful, complicated, legendary. A leader almost completely untouched by modern day film-making, yet a leader who deserves respect. Why? Because he chose non-violent resistance in the face of utter brutality; if there ever was a time for a film about his legacy, it is now. The marches from Selma to Montgomery that took place in Alabama in 1965 over the right to vote must rank as one of the most iconic moments in history. Make no mistake, sometimes it is difficult to watch this film; visceral but not gratuitous, anger inducing at times but not ever condoning. In many ways as a historical story it’s beyond criticism, especially when so much reflects the world we live in today.
Selma marks the first big-budget film from black independent director Ava DuVernay; she pulls no punches by filming in the very places where these historic events took place. She keeps things brisk, crafting each scene like an elegant dish to be served; she doesn’t waste any time on screen. Everything from a telephone ringing to an intimate conversation has purpose. For a motion picture epic such as this it comes in at little over two hours yet you never get the feeling that anything of value has been lost in transition.
Which leads us to the second thing this movie gets right; the approach. Rather than going for the customary ‘from the cradle to the grave’ biopic approach, Selma wisely concentrates on the events in Alabama, occurring just over a few weeks in February and March. 10 years after King’s first major civil-rights action. By the time the film starts he has already risen in power, delivered the ‘I have a dream’ speech and received the Nobel Peace Prize. This gives the film real focus as the series of atrocities which caused Dr King to be present in Selma can be covered in real depth. When King scores a victory, no matter how small, it is a victory for everyone. By the time the film finishes you may be on such a high that you fail to realise that just three years later Dr King will be assassinated at the age of 39. Such is the emphasis on the moment to moment reality, and the inner conviction of him and his many followers.
Thirdly you have the casting. Many of these actors could hold down a movie in their own right and they seem to be in roles that they relish. Tim Roth as racist governor George Wallace, Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon Johnson, Oprah Winfrey (may she never ever quit acting) in her portrayal of the indomitable Annie Lee Cooper and David Oyelowo, a British actor who just seems to go from strength to strength and steps into Dr King’s shoes with ease, easily outdoing Idris’ portrayal of Mandela in just sheer power and presence alone. The supporting cast are strong, too, with Carmen Ejogo lending warmth and courage to the key role of Coretta Scott King the continual strain on their marriage is a central theme, Stan Houston is assured as the embittered, trigger-happy sheriff Jim Clark, and Dylan Baker fleetingly creepy as J Edgar Hoover, whose FBI wire taps and intercepts provide some genuinely testing scenes. The actors really lend themselves to making this film a success. A huge thanks too should go to Brad Pitts Company Plan B in backing this film. It’s no wonder that its snubbing in the Oscar nominations (up for Best Picture but not for director or acting) has caused almost complete outrage.
I noted that some reviewers have criticised the film for being too grandiose in nature. I feel these comments are completely unfair; grandiose compared to what? Titanic, Gladiator, Les Miserables, even Man of Steel had a sense of identity, something to live up to and all of these are works of fiction. Selma has an identity because it is embedded in history. It’s understandable and only right that the actors desired to do the film justice.
Selma is one of those films that need to be seen, it’s compelling viewing because it’s a quality film that was deserved to be made for a generation that needs to see it. In a time where true values are easily forgotten Martin Luther King’s dream endures. If his truth were ever to be realised then the future can only be brighter for us all.
Yes indeed, the PlayStation 4 celebrates its first year’s birthday this week. But one year on has it managed to live up to the hype or has it even earned the title of a ‘next generation’ console? I, along with many other gamers are not truly convinced. I am going to attempt to give a rundown of this much anticipated games machine with my overview of the past year.
The Good:
The Sales – Few can argue with the PS4’s sales. We might as well say that it was a two horsed race; the Nintendo Wii U was never going to stand a chance to begin with so the only other ‘real’ challenger was going to be Microsoft’s Xbox One console, which despite having what some would say were better release day titles thanks to some momentous delays from the Sony camp and the fact the PS4 machine was released some 8 weeks later than the Xbox One, the sales of the Playstation 4 still kicked ass month after month in terms of the numbers of the machine which were ‘reportedly’ flying off the shelves. Now before the Xbox fan boys start blowing up my phone, I’d like to say of course we all know statistics canand are often fiddled but one year on and one thing is evident, the accountants of Sony are very happy as sales of the PS4 continue to trump the opposition from all corners.
The Graphics – Now I’m going to say the graphics of the PS4 aren’t as earth shattering as the original expo’s made out, (see the ‘Bad’ section below) and there appears to be less of a ‘step up’ in terms of graphics between the last and this generation, but one thing is for sure, PS4 runs faster and smoother for practically every game than its counterparts and that includes all but the most powered up PCs.
PS Plus – One of the finest things about the PS4 which many owners have reported is that it encourages them to take advantage of the PSN and PS Plus network. With the PS3 this deemed largely ‘non-essential’ but with the PS4 it is a no-brainer. Why? Well, being a PS Plus member provides numerous benefits particularly if you own more than one Sony Machine for example the PS3, PS Vita or both. If you are a member every month you can download ‘for free’ 3 titles for each machine on your ID. Far from being the crap games no one wants to play some of the games have been pretty huge. For example, over the past year titles offered have included Crysis 3, Bio-Hazard Inifinte and even Uncharted 3. With the early release of the machines you had a free one month’s subscription so you could try it out and I have to admit, I even thought about purchasing the PS Vita as I would have had a complete games collection by now. The PS Plus PS4 freebie games have not been that great if I am honest, but if the servers had not gone down last month PS Plus members would have had a cut down version of Drive-Club. No, I’m not kidding you.
Nice Hardware Touches – If you look at the PS4, there are some really nice innovative touches which show that the architects truly thought about what they were doing. If you put the PS3 and PS4 controllers side by side for example you can’t help but notice so much has just been chopped off the latest iteration, yet it still feels natural in your hand. The touchpad strikes you as a bit of a weird concept at first but in use increases immersion in the games as does the miniature speaker in the centre of the controller; as you play the game shots ring out, radio crackles or ghostly voices echo in the palm of your hand. Different but very nice indeed.
Share Play, Remote Play and Playstation TV – This is yet to truly surface but if Sony pull these off (and internet speeds continue to rise) what we will have will be incredible. I tried out the Share Play option a few weeks ago. You need a PSN account to do it but it means you can ‘share your game’ with people who don’t even have the title. By pressing a button you can ‘hand over’ your joypad and your friend can take over, thus helping you get through a tricky part of the game. Coupled with Voice chat this can be incredibly fun and with the time levelled at two hours before you have to start the whole process of ‘linking’ again, this could be the key to making games more social. This sounds great and it is, in practice though, my friend’s internet speed wasn’t as good as mine so although I could share with him, he could not share with me which was a shame. Remote Play too borrows a similar principle and allows the player to switch to another TV as long as their PS4 is on and they have has purchased the PlayStation TV box (around £80). Again in theory this is really exciting although it owes a great deal to internet speeds to whether there is noticeable or unplayable lag between the time you press the button and the time the character does their action. Racing games are when this really creates problems. The chances of most players having a fully LANed up house with high speeds in all rooms are probably quite small. A normal/high video quality option has been added, but come on who really wants to play a game in low resolution, those of you with ‘buffer faces’ may just switch the console off and wait until the guests have left.
The Bad
The Leap into this Generation – Now, I realise this is going to make me sound rather old but I remember the ‘birth’ of the last generation and that of the one before. I remember big releases such as Wipeout and Ridge Racer, games that really wowed the crowd in terms of graphics and sound revolutions. When the Wii was released and the Wii U they both had a modicum of ‘lets bring something new to the table’ type attitude. Now this is going to sound harsh, but this generation has been, well, rubbish in comparison. What do we have? A variation on the PlayStation Eye, is that all? What happened to the 3D games? What happened to Project Morpheus? The big release by Sony promised a big change to the way games were played – well that is yet to happen
The Quality of the Games – Despite the promise of what next generation hardware should ‘bring’ with it in terms of games, what we have had over the course of a year has largely been re-hashes of old titles brought up to date with new skins, better visuals and little else. Take some of the games releases of late such as Watch Dogs, Need for Speed Rivals and Wolfenstein and run them on the PS3 and PS4 and you will not see giant leaps of difference in terms of actual graphical quality. It has taken until Destiny and The Shadow of Mordor; games released nearly a year in to take advantage of even the basics of this generation’s hardware and both too were released on the PS3 – Shadow of Mordor in a few weeks’ time. There is just not a feeling of quality.
The Downright Ugly
Console Parity – One of the things to have surfaced of late within the gaming industry is console parity. It is purposefully underutilizing the available technology and power in a superior console so that a game looks and plays the same on inferior competing consoles.
When was the first time I became aware of this? When Watch Dogs was being hyped the night of the PS4 release and then it later emerged that it was running on a suped up PC, a version which never actually made it to the market. Why would developers do this? Well, to maintain a balance between versions; a balance by the way, that has never been actually requested by gamers or console makers.
It’s ugly because it really is an insult to gamers who invested cash on their console or PC, buying the machine hoping it would give you the best quality of games out there. In terms of the PS4 everyone knows it is a more powerful machine than the Xbox; developers have even bragged about it, yet the common practice seems to be to use the powers of the limited competing console, namely the Xbox One and base that as the ‘standard’. Now, some are saying that there have been ‘financial incentives’ for the developers to dumb down the PS4 and PC versions of games, others are saying that the developers are lazy, others have gone further by saying that if developers don’t do this then Microsoft have threatened to remove a games licence all together. For me this is just ugly, it’s monopolising the market as it means we are not truly in a next generation of gaming unless either Sony or Microsoft develops a title ‘in house’ where they can effectively ‘take the brakes off’. Overall it is very, very worrying and it makes you wonder what else do we not know about.
Regarded by many to be an all-time cult iconic movie, Super Mario Bros receives its high definition Blu-ray and DVD release on Monday 3rd November thanks to Second Sight.
Originally released in 1993 Super Mario Bros was later nominated for two Saturn Awards (one for Best Costume, the other for Best Make-up). But there are other reasons why this movie has received cult status and why, no matter your age you should purchase this film. Firstly, Super Mario Bros remains the only live action adaptation of a Nintendo video game; a company which celebrated its 125th anniversary this year. Super Mario Bros the game is their iconic title; the very fact that it made it to the big screen demonstrates just how loved these character are. Secondly, it remains one of the last movies where you can see legendary actors such as the late Bob Hoskins alongside John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper all in one film.
If you haven’t seen the film, the story revolves around Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi and how they discover a parallel world populated by the intelligent descendants of dinosaurs. It seems they weren’t destroyed by a meteor millions of years ago, but hurled in to a new dimension and now under leadership of the evil King Koopa have plans to take over the world. These two unlikely yet plucky heroes must battle ‘Goomba’ guards, free the beautiful Princess Daisy and save mankind in what has to be said was an all-out adventure of its time.
Just like the dinosaurs it also has to be said that Super Mario Bros represents a time that land soon forgot. Before the advances of green screen and endless CGI effects (of which this film still has loads) the emphasis was on characterisation, story telling, costly sets and building unique fan bases. Computer Games especially those which involve plumbers, dinosaurs and pipes do not fit into motion picture territory easily. I take my hat off to the script writers who had to juggle the complex nature of the game and weave it into something convincing and understandable for its audience. It’s no wonder that the film differentiates so much from the game and why many of the actors would talk about the endless challenges involved as well as just how much time they had to dedicate to making this film.
The end result though is something that shows its merit and is worth watching both for the nostalgia value but also because it is great fun, there are moments of excitement, there are loveable characters, and frequent nods to the game and the company that inspired it.
Being brought up to date means both discs are filled with loads of bonus features including:
‘This Ain’t No Video Game’ – Brand new 60 minute documentary featuring new interviews with: Co-directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, Producer Roland Joffe, Actors John Leguizamo and Richard Edson, Writer Parker Bennett, Production Designer David Snyder, Art Director Walter Martishius, FX Artists Paul Elliot, Vincent Guastini and Rob Burman, Visual FX Designer Chris Woods, Editor Mark Goldblatt and Creature Designer Patrick Tatopoulos. Archive interviews with Bob Hoskins and Producer Jake Eberts
Making Of
Original Electronic Press Kit
Behind-the-scenes/Storyboard Galleries
And of course English subtitles for hard of hearing
Super Mario Bros receives its high definition Blu-ray and DVD release on Monday 3rd November from most retail stockists, pre-order your copy now and check out the trailer below.
Based on the 2006 Marvel Comics crossover storyline Civil War is perhaps one of most adventurous pieces of comic book fare to be brought to the big screen. Based one year after the last Avengers movie; Age of Ultron and the colossal damages that occurred within all the previous cities the United Nations is preparing to pass the Sokovia Accords; an international governing body to monitor and police the rapidly growing superhuman population. The team is divided; Tony Stark supports oversight because he feels responsible for creating Ultron and for the destruction the android brought to Sokovia, while Rogers is distrustful of any government having control over them and wishes the Avengers to remain free to act of their own accord. When the Winter Solider reappears accused of another assassination Iron Man leads the charge forcing Captain America to choose a side. This leads to Civil War; a war within.
