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A vicious attack but do two wrongs make a right?

Matt Geary
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A vicious attack but do two wrongs make a right?

I, Like many, have been witness to a heinous attack on a fellow geek… nay, human being. The attack came in the form of a ‘man’ assaulting a cosplayer, dressed up as a predator in the centre of Birmingham, by pushing him off the plinth he was standing on; resulting in him flying face first to the ground and taking out a small child who was standing watching him.

ccording to the metro :

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: ‘We are trying to identify the street performer and the little girl and her parents as neither have made contact with the police.

‘Bullring security is aware of the incident as are the local neighbourhood policing team in case they come across the street performer or the offender.’

The young male is heard saying ‘wagwan’ twice to the camera before the assault, which is slang for ‘what’s going on?’

Anyone who knows the attacker or was at the scene has been asked to contact West Midlands Police on 101.

unsurprisingly the Geek/ cosplay community has been up in arms about the unprovoked attack and has vigorously made its feelings known on all media platforms. Sadly though, it did not take long for on tragedy to beget another and what was, at the start, support and solidarity, turned into uninformed racism and abuse towards another child; who may have done nothing more than naively adding the video of the attack on his facebook.

I have made a video commenting on the latter:


you can see many of the mention comments on this link, even some from the kid in question protesting his innocence.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONBJtnu-Rtk

 

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PLAY EXPO 2013 MUSIC VID

Matt Geary
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PLAY EXPO 2013 MUSIC VID

Had a great Time at Play Expo this year, check out our video below!

Air Conflicts: Vietnam Review

Stephen Brewer
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Air Conflicts: Vietnam Review

Air Conflicts: Vietnam was published by little known company ‘bitComposer Games‘, known for ‘Jagged Alliance‘ and ‘Citadels‘ in conjunction with Kalypso, creators of ‘Dark‘ and Ubisoft the creators of ‘Splinter Cell‘ and the popular ‘Far Cry‘ series. After playing this game it does beg the question just how much influence Ubisoft and Kalypso actually had in the development of this title.

For instance after enjoying the cell-shaded graphics of Kalypso’s Dark’ game, it was slightly disappointing to see only the planes themselves looking partly polished. Something you would expect in a game like this would be beautiful scenery, flying across well-defined Vietnam countryside. Instead it seemed to be a rough sketch/beta of what could have been.

I love the small of napalm in the morning
I love the small of napalm in the morning

Whilst it is a good game for those interested in the history of the Vietnam conflict, and flight simulator fans, it will never become a main-stream game. Newcomers to the genre will find the first mission quite difficult as they will need to learn the tricks and how to use all the different camera angles. For example, entering ‘bomb view mode’ will certainly make destroying villages easier, but players must remember that they will have to still pilot the craft whilst staring directly at the ground below.

The background music for the in-game missions is enjoyable but it is drowned out by the roar of the aircrafts engines that makes it almost impossible to hear. The controls seem a little clunky here and there, the use of the left and right bumpers to perform evasive maneuvers are very intuitive. But pressing both of them to do a barrel roll when you can perform this move simply by holding back on the left stick makes one wonder why it’s there. The time it takes to do either is similar in time so it is not much of a shortcut.

Air Conflicts: Vietnam

For those who aren’t used to air combat simulators, this game will certainly come as somewhat of a shock (flying a plane in GTA V doesn’t count). There is somehow a very cathartic feel to flying in this game, once you’ve gotten used to the controls it has the ability to let you lay back and unwind to a game, brilliant in it’s simplicity.

The attention to detail has the power to bring a player further into a title, or take them out. Whilst previewing the UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” aircraft, it has some in-depth specifications detailing speed, weight and service dates. But it also showed rotary blades that were comically large and cut through the rear propeller which would never happen for obvious reasons.

In conclusion I would not suggest this game for a player looking to dip their toes into the fighter pilot game, though I would for people interested in the Vietnam conflict and who were hardcore flight fans. It has a good length first-person campaign to go through and the multi-player allows for up to 8 people in a single game.

Dark Souls II Preview; Prepare to Die, Again (and Again, and Again…)

Matt_Walklate
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Dark Souls II Preview; Prepare to Die, Again (and Again, and Again…)

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“Welcome to Play Expo. Prepare to die…again. Because you’re about to go beyond death. This, is Dark Souls II.” These were the first words I heard upon entering the Namco Bandai area at Play Expo in Manchester last weekend. Strong words indeed, but overly dramatic as they may be, it certainly hammers home what the sequel to one of 2011’s most surprising cult hits is all about. Because that line really does sum up Dark Souls 2, in that it’s more of the same. And by no means is that a bad thing.

 

Our preview was 20 minute session in level in the game. As it was explained to us, there was also a competition running throughout the day. It sounded simple enough; get to the end of the level, and defeat the boss. Do so within the 20 minutes, and you win a t-shirt. Sounds simple enough, but as anyone who’s played Dark Souls (or its cousin, Demons Souls) knows, this was going to be a lot easier said than done. Indeed, throughout my entire day at Eventcity, I probably only saw two or three people actually win one.

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Yes, the Dark Souls formula is back with a vengeance, and if the rest of the game is anything like the short section I played today, then even die hard fans of the original are in for a treat. Though the whole preview level was not large at all (it consisted of perhaps 6 or 7 small rooms); simply getting to the boss room itself proved more challenge than many players could handle, myself included. The demo started quietly enough, but no more than a short descent down a ladder brings you face to face with two innocuous looking undead soldiers. Again, anyone that’s played Dark souls before knows that these plain soldiers are not mere fodder. Indeed, as I approach, both rush me at the same time. I panic, hit the wrong button and get pushed off a ledge to my death. The first of many deaths.

Starting again, this time I’m ready. I kill one before he even has a chance to react, and deftly roll away from the second. My skills are returning. Locking on to him, I sidestep the soldier’s second attack, step behind him and pull off one of the game’s execution attacks, which make a welcome return. Encouraged, I move on. Down a flight of stairs and I run into a new enemy; what appears to be a large, armoured, bipedal turtle (think the big, fully armoured aliens from The 5th Element). I edge forward, slowly, and in true Dark Souls fashion, this big lumbering creature suddenly leaps forward unexpectedly with a blindingly quick series of attacks. Trying my same tactic from earlier, I attempt to sneak round to the creatures back for an execution attack. However, as soon as I get in position the monster pulls out another unexpected move, and simply falls backwards and crushes me instantly. Restart.

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Finally, I did make it to the boss chamber, but only after giving up and running through the whole lot. Even then, I have a close call as I get ambushed by a bigger and nastier version of the armoured creature, and even a sorcerer who almost felled me with one hit. Finally, I reach the boss fight; a huge, towering armoured knight with a sword that can perform devastating lightning attacks. Great. Ornstien and Smough, eat your heart out. But before I even get a chance to try again and put up a fight; my time is up.

 

Safe to say then, Dark Souls 2 certainly builds on its predecessors reputation for taking the word ‘challenge’ and beating it with an oversized meat cleaver. The game’ director has already gone on record and said “there will be no easy mode”; that’s certainly an understatement. Namco Bandai have even kept the suitably dark, foreboding environments, giving the game its signature dark fantasy atmosphere. Alongside with the return of the now famous difficulty , is the open world format that was introduced in Dark Souls. Once again, there will be a whole land filled with exciting secrets and unexplained areas, and the director has promised this map will be even bigger and better than before.

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But then again, Dark Souls has never been about the size of the map, it’s been about the gameplay. And though this gameplay has been preserved, the only criticism to be said at this point is that Namco could be accused of sticking to what they know just a little too much. While sticking to their guns means the welcome return of many things that made the previous game such a cult hit (like the covenants; mysterious factions that players can discover and join);  I saw practically nothing new or different in the gameplay to make this game stand out from the original. Right down to the animations; while they’re good, as is to be expected, the attacks, interface and enemy behaviors are so similar to almost look identical to the first game.

 

In that respect, I got the feeling that Dark Souls 2 feels more like an expansion rather than a sequel. However, Namco have been keeping very quiet about the game so far, and with plenty of time before the game’s release next March, we’ll simply have to wait and see what else comes out of the woodwork. But regardless of whether or not Dark Souls 2 brings anything new or innovative to the series, it’s certainly shaping up to be more if the same hardcore, dark fantasy that we all know and love. And that’s certainly no bad thing at all.

Butterfly Gate

Cristina Bogdan
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Butterfly Gate

The fact that I like Improper Books is no secret, but I admit I was a little afraid that their soon to be released Buttefly Gate will not measure up to Porcelain: A Gothic Fairy Tale. Shame on me for even entertaining the thought!  While different from the aforementioned comic, Butterfly Gate has the same ability to keep you on the edge of your seat, eager to learn more with every turn of page.

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Since the comic won’t come out until November of this year, I’ll do my best to keep this as spoiler free as possible.

 Benjamin Read and Chris Wildgoose (who are also behind creating Porcelain) have managed to create a brand new, entertaining and at the same time frightening world through the pages of Butterfly Gate. There were times when I was reading when I was completely taken by surprise by what was going on, having expected something entirely different and a little more clichéd than what I was getting. By the authors’ description, the story focuses on “A  Brother  and  Sister that leave  our  world  and  its  rules  behind,  journeying  into legend  through  the  Butterfly  Gate,  where  every  step  they  take  will  come  at  a  price.”  

Perhaps I’m reading it wrong, but the story comes across as one focused on the consequences of our actions. Spurred on by youthful excitement and maybe a dash of madness, the two siblings push the boundaries of what should and shouldn’t be done, causing a chain of events that will force them into a world that breaks apart everything they knew and understood before.

The comic is silent, every emotion, every event being conveyed solely through the images, something I thought would be impossible to achieve, but once more, I was proven wrong. The transition from two innocent looking children, catching butterflies and frogs to hardened individuals is so clear and brutal, that it’s impossible not to be impressed by the authors’ ability to showcase this transformation, while still keeping the sibling affection there, an anchor to the kids they were before stepping through the gate.

As I was flipping through the pages, I realised that we rely so much on words, on understanding the world through them, that Butterfly Gate proves an unique experience (for me at least), forcing us into a world that’s so quiet it’s almost deafening. I found myself struggling to grasp words where there were none, simply because I was so used to having them around all the time. The comic will force us to rethink a little the way in which we experience the world, having us rely on our own imagination to carry the point across and for that, I absolutely loved it.

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The story started off slowly, showing us the world we’re used to, one that has perfectly sane, logical rules, the one that we can understand, only for things to precipitate in the second half, throwing us in a completely different realm and forcing us to reassess what we know. This is perfectly conveyed through the character’s shocking turn from innocence to something darker, their will to survive pushing them to become entirely new people. While this was only the first instalment, it made me want more, because it leaves you hanging in the best ways, teasing you with the promise of better things to come. 

[quote]‘I  think  once  people  start  following  these  children  through  the  Gate  and  beyond they’re  going  to  have  their  minds  blown,  the  first  chapter  is  a  tiny  scratch  on  wherewe’re  going,  you’re  going  to  see  these  kids  travel  through  space  and  time and  take  on  armies,  nations  and  Gods.’  [/quote]
 This comes straight from the mouth of God, Chris Wildgoose, one of the creators. With that as a teaser, what more can I possibly say other than go out, buy the comic and patiently (or impatiently) wait for issue number 2 to come out.

 

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Trailer: A glimpse of epic

Becca Harper
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Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Trailer: A glimpse of epic

Finally we have a trailer, a short one, but it is so beautifully epic that one watch is not enough. How many different references did you spot? I smiled at the Jelly babies and of course Sarah Jane, but I think I’m going to have to watch it a few times more to really appreciate the details. So Whovians, watch and watch again, and let us know what you have spotted:

Slasher Saturdays – The Virgin Spring

Michael Dodd
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Slasher Saturdays – The Virgin Spring

Slasher Saturdays

As we have seen, in 1960 the foundations of what would become the slasher film genre were laid down by the influential British film-makers Alfred Hitchcock and Michael Powell in their respective masterpieces Psycho and Peeping Tom. Each film comprised many of the key slasher tropes, such as inventive methods of murder, the past trauma which influences the actions of the killer, and the murderer’s disturbing relationships with their own family. These two movies are in many ways the cornerstones of the slasher, and so in spite of the intrigue of possible earlier archetypes like Terror Aboard, it is a sound claim to make that 1960 was the year in which the slasher genre truly began.

a Ingmar Bergman Jungfrukällan The Virgin Spring DVD Review PDVD_001There is another film from that year which holds a certain level of significance for the genre. Not a horror movie, but a poignant examination of faith and human cruelty from one of cinema’s greatest directors. The Virgin Spring is not a slasher film, but I feel it is worth discussing before we move on from 1960 because I believe it is the final piece of the foundation, the third building block alongside those two great British works, from which the entire genre spring-boarded.

There is first of all the obvious reason why this movie is significant to the slasher film genre. In due time we will be looking at an early collaboration between slasher icons Wes Craven and Sean Cunningham called The Last House on the Left, a controversial exploitation work of the 1970s which earned the contempt of critics and the revulsion of those who appointed themselves cinema’s moral guardians. This video nasty was a reworking of The Virgin Spring, and so as a piece of direct source material for a later work of the early slasher canon, this film is definitely significant.

virginspring5The movie tells the story of an innocent young woman who is raped and murdered by a group of men who then wind up inadvertently seeking shelter at the home of their victim’s parents, thus instigating an act of brutal revenge. Typically for an Ingmar Bergman story, the film is heavy in religious symbolism, as the morality of all of the character’s actions are debated against the ambiguous question of the presence of God. This film can be seen as a starting point for the much maligned rape-revenge genre, an area of cinematic exploitation which like the slasher was to encounter much indignation and scorn in the coming years.

The reason I believe that Bergman’s film completes the foundation established by Hitchcock and Powell, is the dominant theme of innocence lost. Psycho and Peeping Tom may have presented many of the key slasher tropes and themes, but I would argue that neither of them captured this principle theme of the genre quite like Bergman did.

virgin_spring1_rgbThe recurring denouement of a slasher is the halting of a murderer by the survivor, a person of innocence and purity who was able to overpower the great evil but at the price of losing that innocence. The Virgin Spring does not present the theme exactly as it would become recurrent in the slasher film, but like Psycho and Peeping Tom it does demonstrate an archetype which the later slashers would vary and build upon.

When I was planning my discussion of the influence of 1960 on the slasher film I considered The Virgin Spring to be an interesting extra, a film which would later be remade into an early slasher and so perhaps a nice bit of trivia to enjoy. Now that I have watched the film I am convinced that it is much more important than that; that like Hitchcock and Powell’s works it represents the true origins of the whole genre. To understand the slasher, I feel that you must watch all three of these great works of 1960, for once you do you will find that just about all of the slasher’s key elements hark back to them.

We have seen the slasher’s thematic tropes established, next week we shall see where its visceral visuals came from. It’s going to get bloody…

Sexist Kinder Eggs to Include Marvel Heroes

GuruMel
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Sexist Kinder Eggs to Include Marvel Heroes

Kinder surprise have already hit the news with their new gendered eggs – pink for the girls with Fashion Dolls, and blue for the boys with Sprinty cars.

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Well, this is a limited release, says Kinder, and will have 3 stages, with the second in February including Marvel Heroes in the blue eggs, and Disney Princesses in the pink ones. They also blather on about how it’s not sexist or gender stereotyped –

“We do not advocate or promote our products as gender specific. Instead, Kinder Surprise Pink and Blue offers a range of interesting new toys in coloured eggs which help parents navigate the toy ranges on offer and make purchasing decisions based on what is most relevant for their child.”

Yes, of course the arbitrary assignment of pink and blue is purely coincidental.

Not only is it really blatant gender bias, but it also kind of ruins the ‘surprise’ doesn’t it?

Of course, no one will want to deprive their whining brood of Marvel figures, or even Disney princesses, if that’s their bag, but again, lets think about the girls and boys that at a infuriatingly early age are being told that what they like is not what they should like, and they are not fulfilling the expectations of their gender.

So, just as with any number of awful superhero movies, many fans are a captive audience, and this applies especially to children, so if we are unable or unwilling to just not buy the product, what can we do?

Ferrero UK (distributor of Kinder Surprise) is a company that prides itself on it’s Code of Ethics, and is involved in many social enterprises. They also promise to respond to customers with promptly and with courtesy, so it is easy enough to send them a message through their website, or even call them if you want to. There is also a petition available to sign on change.org – it has surprisingly few signatures, so maybe a bit of sharing and promotion is required. It may not seem like much, but it shouldn’t go without complaint when companies choose to tell children what they should and shouldn’t like.

The Let Toys be Toys campaign have already contacted Kinder on the issue, and have a comprehensive article on their website.

You may not be a parent, and may not care about gender stereotyping, but as a geek are you seriously ok with telling little girls that they shouldn’t idolise superheroes? Come on humans – we should be beyond this!

Free Film Friday – Intolerance: Love’s Struggles Through The Ages

Michael Dodd
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Free Film Friday – Intolerance: Love’s Struggles Through The Ages

Intolerance-lillian_gishLast week’s choice of film proved quite controversial and so it was decided not to publish it. The picture notably caused controversy when it was first released nearly one hundred years ago and has continued to do so ever since. While the response to The Birth of a Nation from audience, critics, film historians and lowly public domain movie bloggers over the last century has proved a varied melting pot, it is the response of the film’s director to the controversy that is most telling. Therefore this week, we shall be responding to the controversy, just as its director did, by examining intolerance. 

It seems too fantastical to be taken seriously, but apparently D.W. Griffith did not consider the story of The Birth of a Nation as anything other than just a story, a plot from which he could produce an epic film. Seemingly just to prove this point, his very next feature would also be a tremendous epic but this time discussing the impact of intolerance throughout history. 

This is a fascinating picture not only because of its sheer grandiosity and pure sense of the epic (one cut in circulation is over three hours in length), but also because of how haunted the whole movie is. The spectre of Griffith’s previous work hangs over every aspect of Intolerance: Love’s Struggles Through The Ages. To watch this film is to see Griffith caught in a creative trap, for he is trying to not only one-up his previous epic but also in a way erase it. The great director is going all out to so that he can not only sweep away accusations of personal bigotry, but also cement his reputation as Hollywood’s foremost figure of cinematic influence. In short, this film comprises Griffith’s apology for and attempt to supplant his most notorious work. 

intoleranceA review of this film is a real formality, for there are no words to describe it. I can only urge you to watch the whole thing, all three plus hours of it, and treat it not as simply a film to be watched, but as an experience to be lived. Embrace the stunning cinematography, the audacious grand sets and the enormously influential directing style which Griffith employed, and know that if Griffith’s previous film is resignedly regarded as the first Hollywood masterpiece, then this must surely be its second. 

There’s also a great amount of geeky trivia to take in. For instance, the sheer scale of the project necessitated Griffith’s hiring of multiple assistant directors whose names may be familiar to you. Among them were influential horror master Tod Browning, the man behind Dracula and Freaks. Also assisting Griffith was Erich von Stroheim, who would later star in Sunset Boulevard. 

And hey, for all you gamers out there; that grand set from the Babylon sequence features in L.A. Noire. 

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In writing this blog I have hoped to present you with fascinating works of cinema, and this week I feel that I have given you the very best yet. Enjoy the experience, it is quite unlike any other. 

 

London Film and Comic Con – The Winter Edition

TinkerTonks
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London Film and Comic Con – The Winter Edition

1383432_10202078084736628_2084980190_nI was supposed to write about my foray into Winter London Film and Comic Con with fellow geek Laura Maier, last week, and usually that wouldn’t be a problem. I’m a pretty dab hand when it comes to rambling, but after my experience last weekend, I really couldn’t quite think of the words to explain how I felt about LFCC. And it’s honestly taken me this long to work out how to convey my sentiments in a cohesive manner, without the use of doodles and wild arm flailing. I mean, anyone can tell you something was amazing, or phenomenal, but do you really understand the gravity of what’s been said? Would you truly appreciate the conviction behind it? For me, LFCC was beyond words this time around, and was far more encompassing of a feeling.

 

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It was familial, right from the get go. The crew and staff bent over backwards to help us, from walking into the hall, to navigating the perils of queueing to meet some of our childhood idols. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the usual Showmasters team are almost always lovely, but I do think they deserve more than an honourable mention for their hard work and dedication at this particular shindig. Security too, for that matter, who kept tabs on the balcony as well as the entire floor, deserve a credible and bona fide pat on the back. It’s easy to overstep the mark sometimes, or to lose that calm and civil cool demeanour when surrounded by hundreds of people, but my hat goes off to them for doing a brilliant job with a smile regardless. Which is a really bizzare way to start a review isn’t it? Thanks security for not throwing us out!

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In all seriousness, LFCC, as it has always been, is a godsend. It’s one of the few places you can go and experience the true spectrum of geekdom and enjoy every second of it. You can meet a handful of famous faces, support one of the charity costuming groups, spend oodles of money on shiny trinkets that have your bank balance cringing afterwards, bear witness to some phenomenal costumes and take pride in the knowledge that you’re surrounded by like minded individuals. There isn’t a single time at LFCC that I was left on my own, because someone would always come and say hello. To discuss a costume or the event itself, to strike up a conversation about what we’d done or were planning to do, and I think that’s rare. At so many conventions these days, it’s easy to fall into the cliquey mentality of only speaking to people you know within a set circle. It’s great if you know everyone, but as an outsider, it’s incredibly ostracising to try and break through without a proxy to help you out. So I think that took some of the edge off really, to know that the people around me attending such a busy event, were friendly and amicable without that air of elitism.

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One of the big pulls of attending a convention like LFCC of course, is the cosplay – and I have to say, Winter LFCC did not disappoint. Unlike the Summer event, people weren’t actually melting this time, and as always the standard and variety was phenomenal. My personal favourites for the weekend, included a pint-sized Chun Li, a whole litter of Cats cosplayers, anyone wearing a Game of Thrones costume and a very dapper looking Colonial Marine. But as always, the costumes and the people wearing them, were some of the most lovely and contented people you could ever possibly ask for. They stopped to pose, to chat, and just generally hang out, which I think speaks volumes about the kind of crowd LFCC is attracting these days.1375089_10202078077536448_1162026797_n

 

And naturally, speaking of cosplay, I’d like to take a minute to give a huge shoutout to the likes of Iconic Legion (who totally let me steal one of their chairs for the majority of Sunday) and Heroes Alliance, since not only did they absolutely nail their costumes, they also worked hard to raise money for their respective charities. And while we’re on the subject of shoutouts, I’m going to be incredibly biased and give a huge kudos to the Mandalorian Mercs too, since they humoured a lot of my questions about putting together a Mirta Gev with a smile and a healthy amount of encouragement.

 

1375015_10202078073496347_1253049936_nAside from the cosplay though, I have to confess to having been a little out of my depth when it came to the guests this year. Brian Blessed, Margot Kidder, Michael Shanks, Billie Piper, Walter Jones etc. It took a great deal of effort not to simply sit rocking in a corner at the notion of being in the same room as them, let alone anything else. But aside from being incredibly busy, it was a real treat to see just how enthusiastic every guest was, and how committed they were to their fans. Hell, one of my good friends was completely smitten when she got to meet Walter Jones two days in a row, and he recognised her despite a drastic costume change. I think that’s a credit to him, and the guests as a whole, as they do actually remember who they’ve met! Their fans aren’t just fleeting blips on the raydar, but memories in the making, and I like to think that’s sort of what LFCC is all about.1375663_10202078098056961_1501267836_n

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So all in all, I have to say, Winter LFCC was a massive resounding success. From the costumes, to the celebrities, the stalls to the smiles. It was perfection; simply put. And while the usual Brit-Cit presence was severely lacking in numbers this time around (and I did see a very smug looking Ma-Ma) the likes of Superman and the Doctor kept everyone in check, and we were all mostly behaved. Fingers crossed that’ll still be the case next year when London Film and Comic Con rolls around again in July!

 

 

 

You can keep up to date on more equally fantastic events run by Showmasters, by checking out their website:http://www.collectormania.com/  Laura took the photos.

 

 

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