Hey guys, you may or may not remember me. My name is James, and the military has consumed most of my time for the last year, so I was on hiatus while people dropped out. Regardless, it seemed fitting for this piece to be done by an American, better yet an American Soldier. Sorry it’s late, my barracks room doesn’t have wifi, so I’m on my phone.
Now, many of you may be wondering what the deal is with the barbecuing, the excessive drinking, the blowing shit up, doing what Americans do. But yesterday was a special occasion. We all know the story over on the right side of the Atlantic, but I’ll educate my friends across the pond about the 4th of July.
Nobody calls it Independence Day, that’s a Will Smith movie. We just call it the 4th of July. It’s the day that, in 1776, a bunch of rich dudes in white wigs decided to make it Facebook official and declare independence from Great Britain. So 56 guys put their names on a piece of paper written by Thomas Jefferson called, you guessed it, the Declaration of Independence of the United States from Great Britain. A little long winded for my tastes, but hey.
Now, why the beer consumption and sticking processed red meat over a fire? Well, that’s what we do in the summertime (sunny weather permitting). Why the fireworks? Many people cite the finale of our national anthem, “o’er the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave? O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” The simple reality, as unpatriotic as this sounds, is two-fold: 1) we love blowing shit up. It’s common knowledge, I mean who doesn’t? 2) the only thing we love more is the ability to make a quick buck off stuff Americans love doing anyway. Whether it’s selling your beat up Toyota on Craigslist, selling ammo at gun shows, selling your buddy the rest of your Brazzers subscription, or selling fireworks; if you can get away with charging money for an American tradition, you will. You should see the racket on Thanksgiving Turkeys.
All that being said, let’s look at five ways we’ve made geekery better.
MOVIES– photography, and subsequently video technology, was all developed here in the US, from the short film to the full feature. Take this gem here.
TV– Though the technology behind radio waves is rather European, the application of using them to transmit video signals is entirely American. So when you’re watching this scene, you know who to thank. Speaking of Batman…
http://youtu.be/jNfvFkj1H10
COMICS– While literature is as old as civilization, nobody thought to use pictures primarily until a couple kids made this bad boy right here.
CARTOONS– Once we figured out how to make short movies, we started doing cute little cartoons to go along with it. Take this gem, the first ever full length animated film.
*HONORABLE MENTIONS* Due to the American occupation of Japan following the Second World War, the local populace was introduced to comics and cartoons. These guys thought “That’s cool and all, but what of we made it our own?” This, anime and manga. Superman created Goku, Steamboat Willy created Cowboy Bebop. You’re welcome.
VIDEO GAMES– while Nintendo may dominate the game, the originals were made entirely in the US. By those, of course, they all go back to PONG.
There’s five, maybe six reasons geeks in particular should be grateful for the contributions that America has made to the world. Besides, well, FREEDOM.
Call of Duty: Ghosts didn’t exactly receive a hugely favourable critical response when it released last November and the newest in a far too long line of Personalisation Packs is unlikely to help the ailing series’ reputation.
From this week, players who have decided to stick with the game against the odds can purchase a $2 blunt force addon that allows them to “deliver chronic lethality” by decorating their in-game weapon and playercard with a not at all puerile cannabis leaf motif. CoD hasn’t exactly been associated with the classiest members of the online gaming community for quite some time and Ghosts attempted to appealed to it’s core market further by including a ‘humiliation’ online field order that essentially resulted in rewards for teabagging.
Oh, so you like bragging about how much weed you’ve smoked and wasting your money on pointless shit? Well then you’re in for a treat.
There have been reports among the MOBA community recently that highlight some developer’s somewhat possibly short sighted support for toxic communities but this is the first DLC I have seen in a while that not looks to directly appeal to the lowest common denominator in gaming but also carries a price tag along with it. If Activision want to convince gamers that this year’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare can appeal to a larger player base than just racist and homophobic infantile tit fanatics with weed and Eminem on the brain, then this sort of shit will not help.
I usually tend to ignore most things to do with CoD these days but I can’t help but feel slightly incensed by this. As the biggest franchise in the industry, each iteration of CoD wrongly receives a lot attention that should go towards other games, especially from the mainstream press. Sometimes I’m happy that Activision seem to keep a considerably lower profile than most of their competitors because, of all the major publishers, they seem to be the most intent on dragging the video games medium back to the stone age.
As mentioned in my earlier EIFF round-up, one of my hot picks at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival was winner of the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Script and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury: Stations of the Cross. It’s a frank but insightful look at the impact religious fundamentalism can have on a family, and charts the journey of a young girl, Maria, as she heads towards her first communion and explores just what it means to be closer to god.
**Some spoilers below **
At first glance, it sounds painfully religious and I did have my doubts about it. Anything with a religious flavour to it always tends to make me feel a bit uncomfortable, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of the film. It’s particularly tangible and raw in its execution, serious and poignant, yet also interspersed with just enough humour to make it an enjoyable view as opposed to merely a watchable one.
Shot in 14 segments, the film implements a lot of single take sequences and the formulaic, but well divided scenes really help to convey the progression of Maria’s journey from impressionable teen to devout religious fanatic. It’s an odd sort of thing really, to be looking at something so markedly influenced by religion, yet also find it detached. It could be considered a social commentary in many respects, but one of the things I found particularly insightful about the film was the way in which Maria’s family’s devotion to their strict off-branch order of Catholicism, was just how normal the rest of their lives were. Religion was a large part of it, but not the entirety and considering some of the subject matter later on – I thought this was particularly humanising, especially in respect to Maria’s decision to sacrifice herself to God.
Having watched Stations of the Cross the sum total of three times, I kept finding something new on each watch, as it’s such a multifaceted story with a lot of inferences and intricacies that you can look into along the way. I thought I’d hate it, but it actually became one of my favourite films of the festival – so naturally when I was also given the opportunity to put a few questions to director Dietrich Brüggemann, I jumped at the chance!
What drew you to the idea of making a film with such a strong religious focus?
It just happened. There’s lots of reasons, but those reasons are really only justifications, later additions to something that you basically feel needs being done. When we grew up, we had some contact with that catholic extremists the film deals with, so we basically knew what it was all about. But we didn’t start by saying: Alright, let’s tackle religion, how could we do it, what elements might we put together? The idea of using the 14 stations and that kind of story just came, first thing, and that was the actual reason for doing the film.
Did you face any particular challenges when filming? Notably with things like directing the younger actors during such single sequence shots?
That’s of course a challenge, but those long shots are also a huge liberation. On a normal film set, you have a small bubble of people focused on the actual making of the scene, mostly the director, DoP, sound guys, and of course the actors, while there’s a huge buzz of other people around you, handling gear and things and stuff. And those two realms tend to not go well with each other. You always have to defend that little calm focus zone. And in addition, you’re always in a hurry. All this is quite different when you do just one long setup per shooting day. That intimate zone extends, it covers the whole set, it draws everone in, and everyone on the crew is emotionally and in a way even spiritually engaged in getting the scene right. Maybe it’s a bit like everybody singing in a choir. And that’s a huge help, especially for the young actors, but also for the more experienced ones.
What kind of research did you need to do in order to explore the dynamic of religion and the devout belief of something so fundamental? Was there any consciousness there of conveying devout Catholicism in a sensitive way, considering the extent to which Maria opts to follow it?
Not much research. We knew the large part from our own childhood. The society of St. Pius X. run a huge website where you can find all kinds of stuff. The sermon that bishop delivers at confirmation draws heavily from a sermon by the actual archbichop Lefebvre, that I found there and just altered the words a bit. And we really tried to be fair and thoughtful about religion. When you think about what religion is ultimately about, matter of fact, set aside all the theological voodoo, what I see is people gathering in a church, singing hymns, playing the organ, going about their rituals, and maybe most important, forming a community where they share their everyday lives, get in touch and support each other. I feel that’s an incredibly valuable thing, and I would never raise my voice against it.
I particularly liked the way such serious subject matter is interspersed with elements of comedy, from maths problems being used as flirting, through to the satanic influence of jazz. Did you think this was important to help show the normality in which Maria’s family lives, despite their devout religious bias?
I guess there’s two kinds of comedy. One is the actual comedy as in theatre and comedy films, where every character has some kind of comical view on the world, mostly emphasising one aspect and blowing that hugely out of proportion. We laugh as we see ourselves like in a fun house mirror, so to speak, and we might even gain some insights through that exaggerated versions of ourselves. The other kind is the quieter one, that draws from just depicting the absurdities of everyday life. This film is of course no comedy, but does encourage some angles that might be funny. Many films right now, especially on the festival circuit, go to considerable lengths to rule out any viewpoint that might appear funny. I didn’t. It’s a complex thing, and “complex” means there’s more than one way of seeing things. One is the tragic perspective, another is the funny, both are true. Actually I have a strong feeling of truth in films that occurs in these special moments, where you have pain and tragedy and comedy in one place.
What’s next for you? Are there any more projects we can look forward to in the future?
That will be an actual comedy, one of the exaggerated kind. It deals with neo-nazis in Germany. “Four Lions” is of course an obvious reference, only we’re trying to gain a wider scope, making a film not only about a bunch of skinheads, but rather about a whole society that is too stupid, in all its parts to come to terms with a bunch of stupid neo-nazis. When I started writing I felt “nobody is gonna finance this in Germany”, but now it might actually be happening. Ask me in a couple of months and I’ll know if it worked.
Stations of the Cross was at Edinburgh Film Festival 2014 and will be released in the UK later on in the year.
I’ve often wondered for years, just how well Scotland takes to the 1995 film Braveheart. It’s always been one of those films I could never quite tell if it was well received or if people were simply being polite. It’s historically inaccurate and a Scottish hero is being portrayed by the most un-Scottish person going – yet it still holds a captivating charm that does stay true to the spirit of Scotland.
It’s not a film I would’ve expected to be at EIFF this year, but 20 years on since production first started on the 1995 blockbuster, and 700 years since the Battle of Bannockburn itself, it’s easy to see why it returned to grace the screen of The Dominion theatre once more – along with a fair handful of the cast who opted to walk the tartan carpet and prove once and for all that the spirit of Independence is still very much alive.
In true Geeky-fashion, I was permitted to cover the carpet this time around, and after a small measure of fangirling got to pit a few questions to some very familiar faces, before being seated for a Q&A and getting to rewatch the memorable film in all of it’s 182 minute glory. So what did these fearless lads of Scotland have to say to us? Read on to find out some of the highlights below!
First up we had Stephen Billington, who portrayed Phillip in the film.
It’s been twenty years since filming began on Braveheart, do you even remember your first day on Braveheart?
I do, I was in a 4×4 going to a muddy field, just outside Dublin. We were bouncing over ruts and we stopped in this field. This other 4×4 came across the bumps and Mel Gibson leapt out, dressed like these fellas with blue paint on his face. He’s going ‘hey Stephen, thanks for joining us.’ So that was my first day.
Do you think Braveheart’s had a positive impact on Scottish culture?
I don’t think that’s really for me to say. Do you think it’s had a positive effect? I think it’s certainly given a kind of fire and passion to the historical context of Scotland. And I don’t think that can be a bad thing. I mean we all know, the film in itself isn’t historically accurate, but it’s about that kind of passion, isn’t it?
Did you think that when you worked on Braveheart, twenty years down the line that it would still have such an impact?
I don’t think anyone could have imagined that. I mean the fact that it won 5 Oscars and has become such a classic of its type. It’s almost like a traditional Hollywood movie; a big epic with masses of extras and big epic landscapes etc. They just don’t make films like that anymore.
Did you have any favourite scenes?
Yeah, probably my death scene really, because it was so iconic. Like, everyone I know that’s seen the film, even though I’m not in it very much, they remember that scene because it’s quite a shock. And I remember at the premiere, ’cause, I played an evil English person, everyone cheered when I died – which you know, for a young actor was a bit upsetting to be honest, but you know – I understood. In the long run.
Are you still scared of open windows now?
Yep. Yeah, I have a deep fear of defenestration.
Next up we had the screen legend that is Brian Cox.
Obviously it’s a very violent film, do you think that violence is justified in the historical context of such a film?
Have you watched Game of Thrones? It’s pretty violent. Braveheart’s not quite as violent as that. I think y’know, violence is one of those facts of life. We have to treat it with respect, with care. But the violence in Braveheart is really to do with the time, but unfortunately violence is with us whether we like it or not. So when you tackle something like a country’s struggle, then violence is going to come into it.
Do you think it’s had a positive effect on Scottish popular culture?
Oh I think it’s had a very positive effect on Scottish popular culture. I think it’s an iconic film, you know it’s a film that a lot of people love. And they love it for the reason that it celebrates our uniqueness and what we are and what we’ve come through. I mean everybody sees it as an anti-English film, but it’s not an anti-English film, it’s an anti-Imperial film, it’s an anti-people telling you to do as you’re told film. And that’s what’s good about the film, that’s what’s interesting about the film. To represent so many films that touch upon the situations of countries struggling on their own worth and Braveheart hits that right on the head.
And finally, the ever lovely Peter Mullan had his say too!
The film is obviously very iconic, would you say it’s reinvigorated a sense of pride in a new generation?
No. No I wouldn’t go as far as to say that. I will say that in a cinematic, cultural sense it co-exists with Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, the films by Ken Loach & Danny Boyle. I think if you like three of the most important film makers in Scotland, in the early 90’s they were all non-Scots. There was Ken Loach, Danny Boyle and there was Mel Gibson. And that’s not to say they’re all singing from the same song sheet, but they all produce movies one way or another that put the Scots experience from the silly (which is Braveheart) to the kind of pop (which is Trainspotting) to the kind of serious which would be Ken Loach. In cinemas, all of them, and completely inadvertently I think they gave us far more confidence in cinema than they’d ever given us before. I think the reason why so many more Scots acts have come through in the past twenty years or so was down in part to them and to those film makers, and also to actors like Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, the confidence they gave to other actors is off the charts
Good sci-fi is hard to find, but it seems that CBS, in collaboration Amblin Studios is determined to prove the nay-sayers wrong and bring us a new promising series: Extant. Staring Halle Berry (Monster Ball, X-Men), Goran Visnjic (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, ER) and Pierce Gagnon (Looper) as the core characters, the show will premiere on CBS come July 9th.
The very brief synopsis that can be found on the CBS webpage for Extant leaves quite a lot of room for imagination, but it sure served to pique my interest:
In a thrilling drama, Berry will play an astronaut who returns home from a year-long solo mission in space and tries to reconnect with her husband and son in their everyday life. Her experiences in space and home lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.
Keep an eye out for that very important word: solo. Since her character seemingly returns from space sporting a pregnancy, we can only assume whatever comes next is going to push is into quite an interesting ride. Given that Halle Berry isn’t known for accepting television roles with ease, we can only assume that Steven Spielberg’s involvement might have played apart in her decision, but I doubt that if Extant’s script would’ve been lacking, she would’ve said yes, so fingers crossed for another sci-fi series that will make history. It’s been a while since I’ve seen one that could actually hold a candle to some of the classics.
Before you skip right to the list, stick with me for a minute. It’ll make your outrage even sweeter.
They’re going to remake the Six Million Man. I’m not entirely sure how you can remake a movie of something that was never a movie, but they’re going to anyway. Had the pre-production marketing plugged it as being a “rebuild” then there would have been some humour there.
The graphics…the glorious graphics…okay, maybe I’m being too harsh…
You could, at a push, class the 1987 made for TV film “The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman” as the movie that’s being remade, but the remake plot is essentially the pilot of the TV show and allegedly the start of a film action saga. Yes, we’re now so entrenched in remakes that we call the first movie in a line a “saga” before its sequels are even written…
Did Hollywood feel that after the dire performance of the Bourne Legacy there was an action movie franchise void, but as the Bourne Legacy is getting its own sequel in 2016 that can’t be it. Perhaps they felt that Sci Fi was being ignored as a genre. But with War Games, Starship Troopers and Escape from New York’s reboots coming within the next few years and the Predator reboot on the horizon, that can’t be it either. It’s even possible that they felt a new action hero was needed, but as Commando, Highlander and Mad Max: Fury Road are all in the works, it’s all kinda hard to swallow that as well.
In fact, it’s all getting kinda hard to swallow. I mean, is Hollywood holding the screenwriters who submit an estimated 50,000 speculative scripts a year in some kind of writers concentration camp we should be campaigning against? Should be carrying plackards with bright coloured lettering on them saying “Welease the Writers”?
Oh yes, they are…even with Tom Hardy it’s hard to see how it’s not going to take itself too seriously.
If you’ve skimmed already to the bottom of this article, then you’ll have seen the list of 65 remakes or reboots on their way in the next few years, and that’s not including sequels. Just remakes and reboots. Some of them, not even dusty in their Blu Ray cases yet.
Why is Hollywood so determined to just pump out remakes and reboots? Have they seriously forgotten how to be creative? They certainly keep brandishing lawsuits against every Tom, Dick and Harry with a router claiming that Piracy is hurting the creative industries, although we’re at a loss as to when they’re actually going to be creative again.
If I went to work and gave the same report to my boss every day (okay, it seems sometimes like I am) then I’d expect to get fired. You’ve got to keep on producing new work to keep yourself in a job, surely Hollywood has the same issue with its recycled movie SuperHero Reboot 4492?
Well, not really. The problem is, we keep going to see them.
Hollywood is a business, so they’re only going to make what sells, and what sells is reboots and remakes. But to read any comments section about a remake or reboot, you’d think that someone would have picked up on the fact that people are tired of them. So what’s going on?
The problem is two fold. One, the average cinema goer is 14-22, so the chances are that they don’t know War Games is a remake (and even if they did they’d be forgiven for thinking Matthew “I don’t age” Broderick made it last week on a smartphone camera) so from their perspective, it’s something new. This is further compounded by the fact that teenagers tend to go to the cinema alone financially speaking, they might go in groups, but they’re only paying for themselves. So what might be £10 of ticket and £5 of food and drink for them, is £20 of ticket and £10 of food for Mum and Dad who remember the original which was far superior and didn’t need remaking because it was awesome the first time around…classics always are.
80’s games…questionable replay value
Now while that doesn’t sound like a big difference, it’s enough of a difference to make the cinema seem like an expensive experience and the money is better spent on buying 3 DvDs\Blu Rays that you can keep. So once you start paying your own bills, you’re less inclined to go to the cinema.
The net result is, the people who are voting with their feet so to speak, are the ones who think these are new movies. Ergo, Hollywood makes more remakes and reboots because they sell well.
The second factor, Hollywood is increasingly risk averse. When you’re going to throw $150 to $300 million at something, you want to know you’re going to see that money again, it’s an investment.
So with your shiny new audience and your tried and tested movies, you’ve got a winning formula. Make more remakes.
The issue is, it’s a cycle that can’t be broken. The success of remakes and reboots is such that new movies are shunned in favour of the tried and tested. You can shake your fist and argue that Edge of Tomorrow and Oblivion are new movies, and decent sci-fi ones too so it’s all good for geeks. But are we condemned to a lifetime of Tom Cruise plugging what is arguably the backbone of Scientology at us? (Although with Russell Crow’s recent portrayal of Noah we can only hope that religions are going to kick off with some kind of CGI extravaganza mash up – Point to note, even Noah was a remake, a reboot and adapted from a book…so they’re already a point down)
Go on Tom, you tell those critics…
So until the movies that are currently being rebooted and remade can’t be rebooted or remade for the current audience because they saw them way back in 2014 when they were “new”, long before they had their own kids…hold on…
Flight of the Navigator is being remade, now I saw that as a kid. My Dad took me to the cinema to see it and it was awesome, I’m going to take my kid to see it and he’ll probably think it’s awesome…so in 20 years time is he going to take his kid to see it?
Is the only way to stop reboots mass global sterilisation?
Or is it even more sinister than that, maybe the machines don’t know how to write new movies so they just keep writing the same ones over and over…perhaps we are closer to the last truly original movie than we thought?
Keep a look out for someone offering you a red pill, and if you want to see any new movies, take it.
So Michael Bay’s latest slice of braindead cg infused explosions with something vaguely resembling a plot and characters maybe might be here, it might have also defied the rules of nature and the universe and made a ridiculous amount of money too (ensuring Bay never changes his approach to film ever, you did this to yourselves people) but Harris Loureiro has created something far better than Bay has achieved with his twelvety billion dollar budget, okay it’s not much but you get my point.
The Malaysian animator has created a distinctly old school gem using stop motion and a set of Make Toys Giant Transformers. The short, which would’ve been longer if not for a hard drive crash which corrupted some of the data, features Optimus Prime fighting the Constructicons and not only features visual and sound FX but is also soundtracked with Touch by Stan Bush, as heard in the animated Transformers Movie.
Am I the only one thinking someone needs to give this guy a budget?
Today Warner Bros. have released the first picture of Henry Cavill’s Superman for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. This follows on from the release of this, the first picture Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, just three days ago.
Wait…isn’t that just Superman in civilian clothing? Clark Kent wears glasses.
This time we get the Man of Steel in his full on super suit, and there is not much to say. He pretty much looks like he did in Man of Steel, only more…stern. The image as a whole, has a more gritty feel than the tone of Man of Steel. The night setting and rain, suggests this film is going to be a darker, more serious film, which is a given if Batman is in it. Speaking of Batman, that city scape certainly doesn’t look like Metropolis…could it be Gotham?
Whilst it is nice to have this, let’s face it, what we’re really waiting for the first full image of Batfleck and Wonder Woman.
Directed by Zack Snyder Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is due for release May 6, 2016 and (so far) stars Ben Affleck (Batman) Henry Cavill (Superman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Laurence Fishburne (Perry White), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Jeremy Irons (Alfred), Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor), Ray Fisher (Cyborg) with Callan Mulvey, Holly Hunter and Tao Okamoto.
Movies make my world go around. From the mainstream to the macabre, foreign to freaky, I like to think there’s a facet of cinema that everyone can enjoy. My personal preference of course, is well known now to be independent and foreign predominantly, but I’m never going to say no to the opportunity to witness a few gems of movie magic when given the chance. Which is why I had to jump at the chance, when the lovely folk over at Edinburgh Film Festival granted me press access for this year’s festival.
Taking place for, astonishingly, the 68th time – this year’s festival ran from 18th to the 29th June and brought with it the usual collection of jaw droppingly fabulous films you’d likely expect. Accompanied by an industry strand, not only were films on offer, but also panels to advise film makers about everything from funding to directing to (if the networking drinks are to be believed) drinking your fellow attendees under the table! Add to this the open air cinema screenings that entertained several thousand people the weekend before the festival kicked off, and it’s easy to see why EIFF is regarded as one of the most friendly festivals out there. It’s so inclusive and wide reaching, there’s definitely a niche for everyone.
Life After Beth brings Zombie films up a notch.
But what about the films, I hear you ask! Surely it’s not a proper round-up of the entire festival without a couple of my top picks, but I have to say, hands down, my favourite film of this year’s festival was ‘Life After Beth’; a quirky zombie rom-com staring Dane Dehaan (Zach) and Aubrey Plaza (Beth). The film essentially focuses around the rocky road of their relationship following Beth’s death and evident resurrection as a zombie. Zach just wants things to work out and remain supportive through the ever growing appetite and irrationality of his girlfriend. It’s not what you’d necessarily expect, but it’s witty and it’s clever. What really defined it for me though, was how the acting was so spot on it involved you as much as it entertained – and I have to confess to really enjoying it for that reason.
Stations of the Cross at this year’s EIFF.
In contrast to this lighthearted, but undeniably dark comedy, I also found myself particularly enamoured by Dietrich Brüggemann’s offering with ‘Stations of the Cross.’. Told in a series of 14, tableau’s and utilising primarily single shots, the film follows the journey of Maria – a young girl raised in what can only be described as religious fundamentalism. It explores the lengths at which she’s willing to go to in order to be closer to god, and the earnestness with which her parents enforce this, by being so hardwired into their own religious beliefs. It’s quite heavy going, I won’t lie, but the acting and visuality of it is beautiful in it’s own right. I especially like the interspersed bits of humour amidst such a strong subject matter, as they help to enforce a normality to the lives of those affected by religion, without it being too suffocating.
We’ll Never Have Paris.
Next up on my list of highlights has to be another comedy, this time by The Big Bang Theory’s Simon Helberg: ‘We’ll Never Have Paris.’ It’s a film based loosely on true events and follows the valiant attempt of a wayward boyfriend to win back his girlfriend after cocking up their relationship completely. It’s exactly what you would expect of a rom-com, but I wouldn’t have said it was bad. Some of it is cliched, and yes some of it is predictable, but it’s an enjoyable experience from start to finish, even if it might’ve felt more at home being viewed from the sofa on a Saturday night, than screened on EIFF’s closing night gala. Despite what the critics have said, I actually really enjoyed it and I don’t think the jokes fell flat in the slightest. They were quick, they were funny, and they were real. I’ve watched a lot worse and credit where credit’s due, I think Helberg did a brilliant job of directing.
On the Set of Director / Andy Goodards ” Set Fire to the Stars” starring Elijah Wood and Celyn Jones: The movie tells the story of the relationship between aspiring poet John Malcom Brinnin (Elijah) and his hero Dylan Thomas (Jones), Photo credit: Stuart Conway
By contrast again, I also have to give a shout out to the fabulous Set Fire To The Stars too, which is a film charting a few weeks in the life of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas’ and his manager as they journey across America on tour in the 1950’s. Shot in black and white it’s beautifully stylised and easy to watch, with performances by Elijah Wood & Celyn Jones (who I have to say, while interviewing them last week, are the most adorable chaps you could ever wish for.) really adding a depth and realism to an already inspiring tale. As someone that adored The Edge of Love a few years back, I was cautious about how to approach this film, but I have to say the contrasts are astounding – and I think it’s a testament to the progression Dylan Thomas made over the years, as both films look at different aspects and periods within his life. There’s a lot of seriousness in Set Fire To The Stars, but it’s also interspersed with just the right element of humour and quirkiness to make it feel real and tangible – which I think is a true testament to everyone involved in it’s creation.
We Are Monster
My final pick for the EIFF this year however, has got to be We Are Monster. I didn’t actually like the film at first, but when I was rewatching it following an interview with director Antony Petrou, and star Leeshon Alexander, I have to admit it’s grown on me considerably. The film is based on true events and documents the things that transpired in the run up to the racially motivated murder of Zahid Mubarek in Feltham Young Offender’s Institute back in 2000. It’s a harrowing watch, not least because murderer Robert Stewart is portrayed in two veins of consciousness. In an attempt to try and flesh out his motivations, he’s shown as having an alter ego, and the schizophrenic degree of interaction between two sides of his psyche is both powerful and frightening to watch. Add to this the deliberate choice of warm colours, and you definitely meet with Petrou’s desire to make the audience feel slightly comfortable in their discomfort, which is both an unsettling and unique angle to be trying to convey. The film also touches on the failings of the prison service, which raises a valid political statement too, and to me We Are Monster is a very useful and relatable cornerstone to get people talking about what is still an evident issue.
Aside from the regular programme though, I also have to give an honourable mention to the Braveheart anniversary screening which took place at the festival. Kitting out the Dominion theatre with tartan carpet, stars of the movie came out to pay their respects to their 20 year old creation, alongside the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn. The film may not be historically accurate in the slightest, but at least it’s entertaining, and the cast that did walk the tartan carpet and participate in the ensuing Q&A were so enthusiastic and positive about the movie, even two decades later, it screams an element of pride that I have to say is quintessentially Scottish.
So all in all, I have to say EIFF has once again impressed me and I honestly can’t wait for next year to roll around so I can do it all again. The films, the places, the atmosphere, the city. Everything about Edinburgh Film Festival screams welcome, and for that reason alone, I have to say it’s actually been my favourite festival of the year so far.
The Hobbit, in my previous article here, is a game that for me is, head and shoulders above the other Games Workshop titles when it comes to roleplaying and interaction with characters. So last month I purchased the new rulebook for the Hobbit, Desolation of Smaug, which covers the new film and the characters within it. So let me show you the new rules and lets see what Games Workshop has to offer.
64 Page Rulebook
First and foremost the book has the same layout a the older modules for Lord of the Rings games, which is a little disappointing. Considering that the size of the book is the same, the slight price increase was surprising, especially as there is less fluff content as well. However the book does offer some extra rules that I haven’t seen in the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings books before.
There are several new scenarios for you to play as one offs, which adds to the scenarios within the rulebook. The Desolation of Smaug also adds an awesome scenario generator that lets you play the film out, or change how the film panned out, which is a first for the series of games. It means that, unlike The Lord of the Rings series, there are scenarios that give the Evil player something to look forward too and aim for. Before the Evil side wouldn’t be-able to win or change the outcome, now they can.
Legolas Greenleaf – Desolation of Smaug
Also included in the book are Good and Evil army lists, with new characters and units, not included before. Firstly are the characters from the film such as Thranduil, Tauriel, Legolas and Beorn with his Bear. Yazneg is also included in this book, but he is the exclusively named evil character from this book. You have access to new models in the form of the Dwarves in barrels, which is heavily featured, but again their potential use is really restricted to this book alone. There are three unique good armies which are the Elvish Mirkwood Rangers, the Laketown warriors and the Warriors of the Dale. Again the evil armies are limited to two options the Gundabad Orc Warriors and the Mirkwood Spiders, but considering the film itself, thats not surprising. There are also three Games Workshop staff armies to look at and inspire you.
Barrels out of Bond
Overall its a good inclusion to The Lord of the Ring/Hobbit series and it adds a new dynamic with the scenario campaign generator meaning you can play the film out. Its a good book, but unless your a huge fan of the Hobbit game, at £20 the price might put you off. For me it was worth it, but why not head into your shop and ask the staff if you could give it a read before buying.
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