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Everybody takes the G.O.A.T.: Why I love Fallout 3

Sai Mealing
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Everybody takes the G.O.A.T.: Why I love Fallout 3

Fallout_3

 

Alas,  Bethesda’s recent teaser and announcement was revealed as a new project involving Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami called ‘The Devil Within’ which promises to take survival horror back to it’s trouser-filling core. Whilst this definitely sounds like a promising idea, I couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed as the media hype surrounding the teaser only reminded me of how much I love the Fallout series and, specifically, Fallout 3.

I don’t want to set the world on fire….

Firstly, I have to admit outright that I am not a Fallout purist. I’ve never played the original top-down RPG’s at any great length (somebody really should port these to iOS and Android) and due to some rather severe phobias involving certain creatures including cockroaches, rats and scorpions,  I have only ever been able to play the Bethesda published open-world sequels on the PC using replacer mods. Some hardcore fans may argue that I have meddled with the designer’s formula and ruined these games for myself, however I challenge those people to try my modded ghoul ridden vision of the Capital Wasteland for themselves before dispensing judgement. What remains important for me however is that this community-developed content allowed me to experience a game like no other I had ever played before and for that I will always owe them a debt.

Bethesda purposefully bestowed a generic title upon Fallout 3's protagonist so the player becomes at one with their unique vault dweller.
The Lone Wanderer: Bethesda purposefully give a generic title to Fallout 3’s protagonist to help the player feel at one with their unique vault dweller.

We’re born in the vault….

For the uninitiated, Fallout 3 built upon a franchise created for the PC by Interplay in the late 90’s and it’s subsequent sequels. Released in 2008, Fallout 3 is almost entirely disconnected from the original games although certain factions and lore remain the same. It tells the story of a vault dweller born 200 years after the world has nearly destroyed itself using nuclear weapons. Players customize their character from the point of birth, witnessing the world of an underground totalitarian bunker and building their basic skills and attributes through a series of monumental childhood events such as a 10th birthday party and a high school graduation exam before being forced to escape the confines of Vault 101 towards the terrifying and hazardous world above. I fell in love with that world from the first moment that I laid eyes on it.

War, war never changes….

What first struck me about Fallout 3 is the sheer vastness of the game world. Fallout 3 is absolutely astonishing to look at and was a genuine technical achievement when it was released nearly 5 years ago. Even though the world consists of only a single human player, almost every moment feels like it is completely unique and unexpected. A student of game design or seasoned RPG player would be able to immediately spot the standard formulas in use, e.g. the player will encounter weaker enemies and simpler quests at first as a means to level up etc, but in Fallout 3 it remains entirely possible to leave Vault 101 and head in the ‘wrong’ direction, leading to either certain death or a completely unique gaming experience, dependent on how well you can fight and adapt.

The design of the world is based on a 1950’s Sci-Fi cliche of a post-nuclear apocalyptic America only with a noughties twist. The player carries a PDA-style Pip Boy 3000 around which glows an eerie retro green, controls character and game options and enables some of the best in-game radio stations this side of Grand Theft Auto. The music on those radio stations along with the announcers and DJ’s is incredible and builds on an already amazing soundtrack which could actually stand out on it’s own even without the game as an accompaniment.

V.A.T.S: This poor guy won't know what has hit him
V.A.T.S.: This poor guy won’t know what’s hit him.

Vault Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.)….

The last outstanding feature of the Pip Boy is V.A.T.S. which allows players to freeze mid-battle, target a specific area on an enemies’ body and make a critical strike, which can lead to some seriously gruesome slow motion scenes.  Heads explode in gory detail, limbs get dismembered and some of the larger creatures in the later stages of the game will be either seriously irritated or entirely decimated depending on your choice of weapon. Fallout 3 is an extraordinarily violent game but this isn’t an experience that was designed for families and because of that the game isn’t afraid to tackle some other subjects which many other artistic works would go out of their way to avoid.

Are you taking Jet over here?….

The 2227 Capital Wasteland is an ugly place and not just aesthetically. Humanity as we understand it no longer exists and man has been split back into smaller feudal societies, each looking to ensure their own survival or improve their lot by any means necessary. Those humans most affected by radiation became zombie-like ghouls of either the feral or sane nature and are largely ostracised by those other survivors  who managed to keep their physical forms slightly more in tact. Women and children are fair game for slavers and rapists and the power to deal in drugs, enslave, cannibalise or even commit mass-genocide  is placed in the hand any player with a darker side. Only Bioshock springs to mind as a game of this generation which has even come close to giving the player the kind of choices that Fallout 3 does in a world where law and common decency don’t exist but in Fallout 3, almost nothing is taboo. Every single action has a consequence and Fallout 3 is a rare interactive experience which can actually make a player question their own sense of morality.

Towns like Andale are home to some mankind's last survivors and occasionally some dark secrets.
Andale: small towns like this are home to some of mankind’s last survivors and occasionally to some dark secrets.

Bottlecap for your thoughts….

In an industry where many products seem to be going down a more big budget and faceless path, Fallout 3 stands out as a game which I will likely remember for a large part of my life. The level of openness is like nothing I had experienced before and like nothing I have experienced since and I still find myself occasionally longing to go back and play it. Fallout 3 is the kind of game that will still be discussed around a table with a group of friends for years to come and it is likely that no two play throughs will ever be completely the same. Each player is actively encouraged to project their own personality and judgement into their Lone Wanderer avatar which will then have massive consequences within the gaming world. I often cite Bioshock as being my choice for the most important game of this generation as the choices which it introduced left a lasting impression on almost every player who experienced them. However all of those choices still ultimately remained within the narrow path lines of a heavily structured narrative. Fallout 3 blew that system out of the water by creating a virtual world with a sense of completely open decision-making and progression and whilst Fallout 3 was far from being the first mainstream open-world RPG, it was possibly the first one to include some of most openly adult and culturally-sensitive themes yet experienced within the console space. Fallout: New Vegas and Skyrim further built upon some of Fallout 3’s ideas however Fallout 3 will always remain a game close to my heart and I really look forward to seeing where Bethesda take the franchise during the next generation.

Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition is available now on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. For more information on mods for the PC version of Fallout 3 visit http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/

Transmetropolitan: Graphic Novel Review -9 GPP

Stephen Brewer
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Transmetropolitan: Graphic Novel Review -9 GPP

The brainchild of Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson, “Transmetropolitan” throws a lot of people with its name. Several people apparently believe it has something to do with metro-sexuality and present day New York. This could not be further from the truth, and if you have not heard or indeed read this graphic novel, do it. I cannot give it higher praise, being a huge fan of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.

This novel’s premise is : Spider Jerusalem,  a jaded, angry writer, sick of ‘the city’ in the 23rd century, is dragged back into the population by his publishers. He has a contract stating he has to write several books against his will. Once he wrote the first, he became an instant celebrity. Despising the limelight he left the forever un-named city, preferring isolation in the hills.

 

Spider Jerusalem

Unfortunately for Mr Jerusalem, he can only write in the city, a place he hates and despises. After the first half of volume one I could see why. Such is the way this graphic novel is worked, it shows the extremes of where our current lifestyles are taking us.

Never before has a dystopian future been given a cyber-punk twist and yet been delivered to us in such a real, down to earth way. With corporations and politicians both screwing the population for their own gain; religions celebrating paedophiles; and advertising everywhere, this is truly Warren Ellis’ angry views on how the world is going, and how we as a society are taking everything for granted.

Every single person in the city is connected via the internet; nothing goes on in the city without it being recorded for everybody to see (if they look hard enough). Big Brother of George Orwell aside, that last point is very well exploited by our main character, the anti-hero, Spider Jerusalem.

 

Journalism Rules

Spider Jerusalem, who is fuelled by anger and drugs, unlike other journalists/reporters of the age will stop at nothing for the truth. He doesn’t swallow what everybody’s PR team tells them.  He takes to the street and finds out for himself – be it humans injecting themselves with alien DNA to perform surgery or crooked cops looking to kill people and create riots.

He is an unwilling hero to the masses following the success of his book and makes no qualms about who he is, with tattoos all over his body, including a spider atop his bald head. He is what many would call eccentric, or a lunatic depending on your point view. Whether it be adopting a cat with two faces or having a drug addicted vending machine, everything he does is larger than life.

Warren Ellis is well known for his sociocultural commentary and this is exactly the case here. His writing is exceedingly smart, full of contempt, but very funny. This is not a children’s comic, this is a full blown 18+ graphic novel and doesn’t apologise for it. It is aimed solely at intelligent, science fiction loving adults and hits the mark across the board.

In fact I would not be amiss to say that after reading this 10 volume series, it will make you want to know what’s going on in and around your own life – to help you figure out what is actually worth fighting for and what isn’t worth your time.

“Transmetropolitan” has been published under the ‘Vertigo’ label, an off-shoot of DC. Vertigo was created for DC to be able to write and make more adult-based creations. It was a place where they were allowed to have profanity and nudity without judgement. Whether it be “DMZ”,” Y: The Last Man”, “Preacher” or “100 bullets”, it gave writers a lot more freedom than they would be allowed at DC.

It is also helped by some fantastic artwork done by Darick Robertson. Robertson is an American artist who is best known for his work with DC and Marvel, including “Wolverine” and “The Justice League”. He is also the artist for one of my other favourite graphic novels, which is the satirical superhero story ‘The Boys’ which shall be getting reviewed by me at a later date.

Upon researching further into Ellis and Robertson’s brainchild, I became elated when I came across talk about it being turned into a film or animated TV series. It was going to be with the aid of Patrick Stewarts’ production company ‘Flying Freehold Productions’. Sadly however, Ellis explained during a London comic convention, production costs would be too expensive. This reviewer shall always live in hope that I manage to see this visage in an animated TV series.

Transmetropolitan_SpiderJerusalem-570x294

In conclusion, Transmetropolitan is a dark, twisted series well worth a read. Whether you’re a fan of great artwork, social commentary, and witty dialogue, or maybe have a penchant for an insane man with a bowel disruptor gun, this series is for you. I believe all the books are still available online despite finishing a decade ago.

Game of Thrones – Season 3 – Episode 4 – Loss and Gain

SeanPWallace
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Game of Thrones – Season 3 – Episode 4 – Loss and Gain

I was discussing with someone how the writers and producers of Game of Thrones will possibly be able to work with books five and six of the Song of Ice and Fire series if they have to turn the third book into two series. The conclusion we came to was that there would have to be many, many compromises and details collapsed.

One of the ways they can logically group the episodes is to run with dual themes for an episode, giving one set of characters a motif to work with and the other something entirely different. This worked quite well in Episode 4.

The first theme was that of loss, something sign-posted with the opening shot of Jaime’s now-shorn hand dangling loose from his shoulders. The following scene, with Jaime being humiliated and beaten in the mud, serve to show how much he has fallen and how the loss of his hand represented the loss of his strength and prowess as well. This is the true start of Jaime’s character arc, the piss-drinking nadir, if you will.

Tyrion then meets with Varys, who tells the story of how he was ‘cut’, the loss of his manhood and innocence. Varys plays a large part in this episode, one of the better characters from the books; ‘Influence is largely a matter of patience,’ he says, a signpost for the story over this series and the next few books.

Zooming up north, we continue with the Crow’s loss of pride as they serve Craster but also introduce the second of the themes; the imbalance of power between the genders, the strength of one man as he rules over his many daughters. Sedition is spread amongst the Night’s Watch as the Brothers shovel after pigs, a dangerous virus which twists through the mind.

This theme of gender imbalance is rather slapped on in a conversation between the Queen of Thorns and Cersei Lannister, during which the excellent Queen despairs of the foolish men who run Westeros in the Sept of the Seven. Joffrey does his creepy teenage boy thing and tries to impress Margaerey with his alarming knowledge of dead Targaeryans before she convinces him to step outside the Sept and greet the people of King’s Landing. This is the exact moment that Cersei realises she is losing Joffery’s favour, a moment very-much helped by the obvious stating of the first theme.

We then have the culmination of the Bastard of Bolton’s horrid torture of Theon, during which we see that Theon has actually grown as a character, realised that he has lost everything by choosing to support his bloodline over the family which raised him. It’s incredibly well-written, perfectly sets him up to be led back into captivity and strapped once more, screaming, to the wooden cross. Iwan Rheon plays the role excellently, the miserable joy shining as Theon’s freedom is taken from him.

Jaime then goes on a hunger strike of sorts, choosing to die now that he has lost ‘who he was’. Like a boss, Brienne slaps him down for such thinking and convinces him to eat, to fight and cope with the real world… a sign that loss is not always so bad a thing. This contrasted nicely with Cersei as she goes to visit her father, concerned about the Tyrell’s increasing influence and seeking to be an influencer, to be trusted as Jaime would be. Tywin slaps her down, knowing full well that Joffery’s nature is her fault, and accuses her of what she accused Tyrion of a couple of episodes ago; not being half as clever as she thinks she is.

Varys and the Queen of Thorns then meet, discussing Sansa. Varys’ concerns go more to Littlefinger’s potential marriage to him and the title that would earn him should Robb Stark fall. “He would see this country burn if he could be King of the ashes.” Varys offers a potential solution, which the delightful Queen had already considered; that Sansa could marry Loras Tyrell once she is queen, tying her away from Littlefinger and extending the Tyrell’s influence. The power of women is subtle but just as powerful as that of the men in Westeros, which shows how foolish Cersei has been to think herself capable of engaging the brutal Westerosi men on their own terms.

Then, in a fantastic and extended scene, the Night’s Watch burn one of their dead. “And Now His Watch Has Ended,” is the title of the episode and this loss plays out as Craster tells Lord Mormont to kill his men who are weak. The brothers don’t take kindly to this and the sedition explodes as Mormont’s commands are ignored and Craster is killed. Brother fights brother as Craster’s Keep is in disarray and Samwell escapes with Gilly and her son, taking their only chance to get the girl to safety.

That alone would have been a great end to the episode but Episode 4 treats us to a extra helping of epic after a scene where the fascinating Berric Dondarrion, leader of the Brothers Without Banners. Arya and the Hound are brought into his company and he gives a speech about the Brothers, what they stand for. They put the Hound on trial for murdering the Targaeryen children but he denies it, saying he went nowhere near them. The Hound mocks them as they heap other accusations on him for which he declares himself innocent… then Arya tells them that Sandor killed Mycah at Joffrey’s order. The Hound brushes it off somewhat but it’s enough for Berric to accuse him formally under the terms of the ‘One True God, the Lord of Light’. There will be a trial by combat… and the Hound will face Berric himself.

And then Dany. Her taking of the Unsullied was fantastic in the book and it played out just as well at the end of the episode as she reveals that she could speak Valyrian all along and commands Drogon, who she has just ‘traded’ for the whip which signifies ownership of the Unsullied, to kill him. The Unsullied and Drogon massacre the Good Masters and Dany frees the Unsullied and leaves Astapor triumphant, showing that a woman can compete at the man’s game with subtlety and brutality.

There is a lot to get through over the next few series and this episode was a model for how to cope with so much. I hope it continues like this.

Evil Dead Remake Review – 7 GPP

SeanPWallace
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Evil Dead Remake Review – 7 GPP

Straight to the point: It made me laugh, was genuinely creepy and often quite uncomfortable viewing, just like the original.
If you watch the first Evil Dead, or even its remake / sequel, under modern auspices then you wonder what all of the fuss was about, what could have possibly earned it the ban in the UK which it earned; with one very notable scene aside, it’s a silly, hammy horror with cheap gore and some notably amateur directing. What was the fuss, one might ask? I certainly did.

But context is king. Tolerances were lower then and the violence and rape scenes were unacceptable, made audiences uncomfortable. Censors could not believe not just the brutality it attempted to depict but the occasional levity it brought along with such gore. In hindsight, we look back and make it a cult classic.

One of the main criticisms I read of Fede Alvarez’s retreading of not just Evil Dead 1 but Evil Dead 2 (helpfully ear-marked by the magnifying glass-like necklace given to Jane Levy) was that it turned the classic into torture porn, made it drip with all the trappings of that oft-despise genre; a genre I myself just do not enjoy. But I think to dismiss Evil Dead 2013 as torture porn is to miss what Fede and his producers – some guy named Sam and another named Bruce – seemed to be aiming for; recapturing the boundary-pushing of the original movie. And for the large part it achieves that.

I’m not going to retread the story for you as I do in my Game of Thrones reviews but instead talk about the general story itself; like the original, it takes a little time to get going and we spend some time getting to know this new gang of teens who will have their souls swallowed. And like in the original, I felt it just about worked to give the audience enough context to make sense of the rest of the film whilst making you care about what happens to the main characters, in this case the siblings Mia and David.

(FULL REDBAND TRAILER)

There is some horrific violence in the film as the Deadites (sadly not name dropped once) consume Mia and then her friends; the scenes from the trailer contained most of the worse but there was two incredibly disturbing scenes in the bathroom which my girlfriend actually noticed me recoil from. And I am a horror officianado, not one for the cringing. Where limbs are shorn off – and what else would you expect from an Evil Dead film – it is well done in a way I’ve not seen before… until the very end where there’s a bit of prosthesis that you almost hope was a nod to Ash’s ‘lost hand’ in Evil Dead 2. In the horror aspects of the film, it succeeds very well.

One point where it misses is the lack of humour; both Evil Dead originally contained ridiculous and wonderful moments, such as Bruce Campbell aping the laughing lamp as the cabin starts to drive him made. Evil Dead 2013 has a couple of funny moments but nothing with the charm and wit of the first two. If, as rumoured, we are going to see another film like this then it’d need to see of that comedic spark from the first film.

The plot is hit and miss and another place a sequel could be worked on. It starts out well, adds some interesting depth to the Necronomicon and the Deadite background whilst adding subtle callbacks to the first two films, but it relies on a moment of monumental idiocy to recall the Deadite menace. There was a theme of drug abuse and the person trying to quit addiction made you into which I rather enjoyed, provided some depth, and some surprises but it generally follows the plot of the originals and that can make it a little dull at times if you’ve watched them as much as I.

But for its stated aim of rebooting / remaking the Evil Dead story, it is very much a success. I enjoyed it and recommend it to my fellow geeks. Remember to stay for the credits and postscript if you want some interesting extras. If you don’t, I’ll SWALLOW YOUR SOUL!

Gameovercast Episode 135, 136 and 137!!!

Andrew Corban
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Gameovercast Episode 135, 136 and 137!!!

New bunch of Gameovercast Podcasts are online. I’ve been terrible in keeping Geek Pride up to date, but its time to make amends. Press the links below orrrrrr, as always, subscribe on I-Tunes to listen

 

Episode 137 – This episode will improve your sex life.

[quote]

The show opens with Nij scaring innocent bystanders, radar drinking more than he should, and then it all goes down hill from there….

In games we talk All aspects of Bioshock infinite, War Thunder, Singstar Guitar (i know i know…) and more besides.

News this week includes Disneys unexpected closure of LucasArts.

Our subject of the week is an awesome one, the subject: What games would make great films, and who would they star?

http://www.gameovercast.co.uk/index.php?id=news&db3=137

[/quote]

 

Episode 136 – Danny’s Down Under Adventure

[quote]

The show opens with Danny’s epic down under adventure(culminating in the ultimate onion ring escpapade), the show talks about the oddity that half of them use online pseudonyms and the other half don’t, and then it all goes down hill from there….

In games we have been playing, we tlak Bioshock infinite, Arma 2(in all its squad based glory), DLC quest, A little bit of Dark Souls, and mucho mucho more.

The show closes with an awesome quiz brought to use by Jay! The last round of the quiz requiring out best video game joke we can muster.

http://www.gameovercast.co.uk/index.php?id=news&db3=136

[/quote]

 

 

 

Episode 135 – Lego and Bacon vs Cucumber Sandwiches and Tea

[quote]

In games we talk Mass effect 3 DLC Citadel, Starcraft 2 Heart of the Swarm, Dark Souls, Guild Wars 2, Bioshock infinity, Metal Gear Rising: Reveangance and mucho more!

News has us respecting Creative assembly for immortalising a dying fan, face palming over the British test and asking “is the GameOverCast British enough?”.

http://www.gameovercast.co.uk/index.php?id=news&db3=135

[/quote]

 

Űber #0 – 10 GPPs

Laura Maier
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Űber #0 – 10 GPPs

My local comic book shop sold out in three days, copies are selling on ebay for ten times their original sale price, and unbelievably, it’s not even issue one yet- all this furore is over the 51-page epic prologue issue zero.  To say that Kieron Gillen’s Űber has caused a stir would be an understatement. But what’s the big deal? On the surface it just looks like your standard alternate universe superpowered Nazis story, the kind that screams “B-movie” with absolutely no subtlety at all, and, well, it is. Gillen is well aware of this, however, and has decided to come at this from a unique angle- by taking it completely seriously.  

Uber 00 cover

Nietzsche groupies will have already guessed at the concept from the title, but I’ll give you a summary anyway.  Űber follows the Nazis’ Űbermensch project; the űbermenschen themselves, the doctors, scientists and military personnel working with and around them, and the civilians caught in the crossfire.  The purpose of the űbermenschen is not what you’d think- they’re not around to secure Germany’s victory, but as űbermensch Sieglinde puts it, “just ensure everyone loses”.

Nobody likes to feel pandered to, so it’s refreshing for a comic to drop you from a terrifying height into a war zone with no parachute. With no clear hero to root for (in fact, I’d go so far as to say that there are no good people) it’s up to the reader to find their own way through the story. The lack of internal monologue gives no easy justifications for the characters’ actions, and in-dialogue exposition is kept to the bare minimum- not only do we have to find our own way around, Gillen has taken away our map and torch. The overall effect is a little baffling, but incredibly compelling.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a comic review without some commentary on the artwork, but I don’t think there’s really anything to be said- Canaan White’s visceral style speaks for itself.

Uberart

Űber is brutal from beginning to end, and as close to perfection as a first installment can get. I’d tell everyone to rush out and buy it, but it’s a bit late for that… I guess, just add it to your pull lists?

Matt Geary Interviews, N.Irish Artist, ‘Anarkitty’

Matt Geary
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Matt Geary Interviews, N.Irish Artist, ‘Anarkitty’

When I went back to N.Ireland at Easter I have the great privilege of talking to N.Irish Artist, Anarkitty… It did help that she’s my big sister.

In the video, Emma talks to me about how she started off painting, some of the challenges she met along the way, what she has learned and what is in store for the future. 

It’s a very in-depth video, giving a glimpse into the life of a very talented, shy and under rated artist; A must watch for budding artists and fans a like.

Make sure you pay attention as there will be a giveaway coming up to win some signed prints! 

 

Interview by Matt Geary
Video and editing by Matt Geary

Track – Reach for the Sky was a free download of the day from audiojungle can be found here http://audiojungle.net/item/reach-for…

You can find more of Emma’s work here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anarkitty
http://www.Anarkitty.co.uk
http://www.anarkitty.bigcartel.com 
http://instagram.com/anarkitty/
http://pinterest.com/anarkitty/ 
https://twitter.com/Anarkitty

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https://geek-pride.co.uk
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http://www.facebook.com/geekpridephotographybymattgeary

Month of Movies: The Sequel

ScarlettNight
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Month of Movies: The Sequel

So I’m back for the sequel of the updates. Sorry for the delay but life got in the way, but I’m back now with a lovely list of movies that I watched and my thoughts. Hopefully, that’ll make up for my absence… I know you missed me!

Taken (2008)
Director: Pierre Morel
Genre: Action/Crime
Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser
Trailer: http://youtu.be/kZ02_Uzf7So

taken

I watched this because I was starting to feel like the only person in the world who hadn’t seen it. Taken follows the story of a retired CIA agent (Liam Neeson) who is back in action after his daughter is kidnapped while she’s in France. The story follows his epic journey and fights to find her and save her.

If you can get past the first 20 minutes or so of the film setting up the relationships then it’s a great watch. Liam Neeson does a great job in the protective father role and his fight scenes are impressive (although who knows how much of it he actually did). Although the ending is kind of predictable (of course), it’s a good action film although not on the same level as films like Die Hard.

In short: Liam Neeson, in Europe, kicking ass.
Rating: 7.5/10

 

Hackers (1995)
Director: Iain Softley
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama
Cast: Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie
Trailer: http://youtu.be/Ql1uLyuWra8

hacker

Geek Pride’s very own Laura suggested this film to me for my challenge so of course I accepted it. The story follows a group of hackers who are being framed for writing a computer virus.

The story was interesting and I was geekily intrigued by the whole hacking business but the execution of the film just let it down. It felt either cheaply made or just very, very, 90s. I also spent a good amount of the film wondering where I had seen the main character before until I gave in and searched only to find out he’s Sherlock Holmes in Elementary. Angelina Jolie also stars, showing a lot of skin in one scene, which is sure to amp up the intrigue for some guys or gals (Don’t say I don’t give you anything!). I didn’t find the acting to be great so that also let me down.

In short: A very geeky film but just executed poorly.
Rating: 6/10

 

Office Space (1999)
Director: Mike Judge
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, Stephen Root.
Trailer: http://youtu.be/_IwzZYRejZQ

office space

I stumbled upon this film while searching around for films to add to my list. I am so glad I found it; it’s possibly a new favourite of mine. Office Space centres around Peter Gibbons who hates his job. After having enough he gets together with his co-workers to hatch a plan to get back at their greedy boss and their company.

What I love about this film is that the main character’s hate for his job is so relatable. Even if you’re in a job you love right now, you’ll have had a job that you absolutely hated. The film is full of laughs, even if they’re just chuckles, and the actors are great. The character of Milton is portrayed so brilliantly that you’re not sure whether to laugh at him or cry for him. I’ll definitely be watching this again.

In short: A great, relatable comedy.
Rating: 8.5/10

 

This is 40 (2012)
Director: Judd Apatow
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann
Trailer: http://youtu.be/jz2m9aGjEgo

this is 40

This is 40 acts as a sort of sequel to Knocked Up and follows Debbie and Pete around their birthdays. I loved Knocked Up and I love most of Apatow’s work so I was looking forward to seeing this. There’s so much happening in the film to every character that it resembles family life pretty well; it’s mayhem.

It’s not as funny as Knocked Up but it still made me laugh. One thing I found annoying is when Debbie cries and she seems to do that a lot, or maybe it’s not a lot but I just remember it so well because it’s so annoying (sorry, rant over). I also enjoyed the appearances by Jason Segel, who was also in Knocked Up, Melissa McCarthy, whose bloopers are hilarious, and Chris O’Dowd. And I’m sure many people enjoyed the appearance of Megan Fox who has little clothing on in many scenes (Again, don’t say I don’t give you anything!).

In short: Fun family mayhem but not up to Knocked Up’s level.
Rating: 7/10

 

Life of Pi (2012)
Director: Ang Lee
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Adventure
Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain
Trailer: http://youtu.be/mZEZ35Fhvuc

life of pi

Life of Pi follows Pi Patel, and his interesting companions, in a lifeboat after the cargo ship they’re on sinks. The film follows the epic story of his attempt at survival while battling nature, in more ways than one. The movie touches upon zoology and religion which add an interesting element.

I should probably say that I read the book before watching the film so my review is a bit biased seeing as the book was fantastic. The film does the book justice, it can’t have been easy to adapt, but it also leaves out some parts of the books and also adds in other details not from the book.

The graphics are mesmerising, colourful and realistic and I’ve been told that it’s even better in 3D. One of the only negatives is that I found that the opening sequence was quite long and a bit unnecessary but that’s nitpicking.

In short: A great film but a better book.
Rating: 8/10

 

The Butterfly Effect (2004)
Directors: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller
Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart
Trailer: http://youtu.be/B8_dgqfPXFg

the butterfly

Noted as one of Ashton Kutcher’s better performances, The Butterfly Effect follows a childhood littered with blackouts. When the young boy grows up, he finds a way to go back to the blackouts and change the past.

The film has a very interesting concept and it’s definitely a good watch. Unfortunately, there are many flaws in the storyline, but if you’re willing to overlook these then it’s an enjoyable film. There are also several different recorded endings to the film, so if you find yourself interested after watching the film, make sure to find the alternative endings, they’re quite intriguing.

In short: An interesting film regardless of its flaws.
Rating: 8/10

 

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Director: Henry Selick
Genre: Animation
Cast: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara
Trailer: http://youtu.be/8qrB9I3DM80

nightmare before

This was another film I felt like everyone else had seen and although it’s not really the right time of year to watch it, I thought what the hell and watched it anyway. The film is definitely not my usual pick but I’m glad that I watched it. The Nightmare Before Christmas is based on a story by Tim Burton about the king of Halloweentown who discovers Christmas and gets captivated by the concept but doesn’t quite understand it.

Tim Burton’s unique style mixed with music seems to make an appealing blend and make a truly original film. It’s very bizarre and at parts I found myself unsure whether I was enjoying or feeling uncomfortable but overall I really enjoyed. I found myself singing ‘What’s this?’ for a day or so after.  

In short: A unique animation with some musical numbers.
Rating: 8/10

This week I would totally recommend watching Office Space, you won’t regret it! So that’s the round up. If you watch any of the films I’ve reviewed, let me know what you thought of them 🙂

Zombie Apocalypse – Household Weaponry

Becca Harper
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Zombie Apocalypse – Household Weaponry

Once again your Geek Pride Zombie Apocalypse Health and Safety Officer is here with some sound advice about weapons. First of all…

YOU DON’T HAVE ANY OF THESE!

The Walking Dead, for the most part , is great and though they do some really stupid things they seems to have an endless supply of awesome weaponry, ideal for dealing with the undead infestation. I would like to go off on a slight tangent here and ask why it is they don’t kill more zombies. I mean, sometimes there is one right there, safely on the other side of the fence and they just ignore it. Stab it, stab it in the eye now, because it is almost guaranteed that some way down the line it’ll come back to bite you in the ass, or more likely the arm as these guys seemingly avoid the added safety of a simple coat. 

Anyway back to what the point of my article. TWD have an array of military grade weapons, and with it being set in the land of gun freedom this is kind of explainable. But what about poor me here in the relatively gun free UK? what are we supposed to do? Well I have some friends who have an awesome range of ‘show’ swords and other such handy medieval themed weaponry and I am sure there are people reading this that have petrol operated chainsaws. But these items are not common place in the average home. So here is my handy guide to the average household’s weaponry.

No!

Forks or Spades

I’m talking garden standard here, please don’t try and take a zombie down using a beach based toy, you will definitely die, let’s face it none of us are Daryl; the only person who could make it work. They are weighty, sturdy and capable of causing significant blunt force trauma. The only issue comes with the person wielding it. I, being short and terribly unfit, would not be able to wave a garden spade around for too long; it needs to be a weapon assigned to the stronger, fitter members of the group.  I may cope better with the stabbing force of a fork, at the very least I can pin them to a wall and hope with all my heart a team mate could take care of the head.

Shelving and Furniture

Come the ZA having your books lined neatly and proudly on the display in not really a priority. Don’t get me wrong books are important, they are necessary for building the future in a post-apocalyptic world without the internet; and are a good source for burning when the nights grow cold. But the large planks of wood they sit on are just as important. Slamming a 2×4 into a skull can be quite damaging, with the added advantage of being light enough to withstand  frenzied “oh my God I’m going to die” attack without you tiring too quickly. Als,o they are relatively easy to carry if you strap it to your back. But don’t overlook the legs on the beautiful oak dining table, again a fantastic melee weapon.

The Crowbar

Every household should have a crowbar. They are light, easy to swing around and very effective at creating big brain destroying holes in your undead foes head. A bonus of this weapon is its effectiveness when breaking and entering properties when you’re out tracking down supplies. So if there is one item I say you must have then it is this one, better still have a couple.

Glow in the dark, even better!

 Sports Equipment

Are you an avid cricket player? May be you have a baseball bat lying around, then perfect, you have one of the ideal and let’s face it classic weapons. Made for athletes to swing for sustained periods of time, you really couldn’t ask for a better designed weapon. In fact duct tape a crowbar to it and you have extend your kill diameter, double hard! A pool cue whilst good for bashing is also suitably eye or temple jabbing whilst giving you that little more range. Fencing foils and air pistols in reality are no good. Although with a realistic looking air pistol you may be able to convince a human raiding party to back the hell off.  

Smaller Household Items

There are a range of smaller items that can be quite effective but also carry a high risk. They require you getting up close and personal which is something should really try to avoid, that’s why getting the zombies prone on the floor is a worthwhile effort. So here are a few to I should draw your attention to: Pans in general but cast iron ones are better, carving knives and cleavers, hammers, larger wrenches, your iron, rolling pins, eye jabbing screw drivers; the list is quite long but I’m sure you get the idea.

Sticks & Stones

I suspect many people would overlook the treasures the garden has to offer. For instance long sturdy branches from your prized tree and rocks from your expensive rockery. Branches can be easily cut, assuming you have a saw, and made into several weapons to a length of your choosing and the left over wood can fuel your fire.  Rocks, whilst not an ideal bashing weapon due to their severe lack of range, are still worth considering. Plus they can be dropped from heights. You can also utilise smaller rocks by tying them in a sock, I’m not convinced this would do a whole lot of damage, but in this scenario anything is worth a try. Sidenote, when testing whether a weapon is effective, catch a zombie and tie is up securely, very securely. I know it’s very risky indeed and not something I recommend but it is better to test these weapons in a controlled environment than out in the field.

One shot items

Large electrical items, heavy furniture and paving stones are some of the ideal one shot items and let’s face it you ain’t going to be vacuuming anytime soon. Dropped from a height you can get some good squishing on but it does really depend on you being accurate. If you do fail then at least you can consider the items obstacles, there, it’s not all bad.

There it is quite a few ideas for you. Take the time to look around your own home and mentally make a note of your stash. If your home is a little lacking then I would certainly consider, at the very minimum, investing in a cricket bat and crow bar. Everything after that is a bonus. Remember it will be a very different world so a lot of your prized goods are meaningless, if you can use them to save your life then they become valuable once again. Good luck survivors. 

There’s something about labels – case study “Geek”

Cristina Bogdan
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There’s something about labels – case study “Geek”

labels-vWe just love labels, don’t we? Pushing everything into a nice category, slapping on it a definition that becomes the norm for a certain behaviour and smiling while we also pat ourselves on the back, proud of our accomplishment. It doesn’t matter what it is, we must push it under the umbrella of a single term in order to feel empowered and what’s worse, we don’t  do it only to others, we also do it to ourselves, adopting that one label that will somehow justify all of our behaviours, validating them in the eyes of society. At least in theory. It can be anything from goth to rocker to geek, it doesn’t matter, we all do it and we all do it loudly and proudly.

I personally hate these labels. Am I a geek for liking Doctor Who or a rocker for being able to differentiate between Iron Maiden and Uriah Heep? Maybe I’m emo for enjoying sad songs when I’m upset? I don’t know, perhaps I am, but somehow I don’t feel the need to bang my own drum about it. Does it make me less of a fan (or if we’re using the slapstick label – less of a geek/rocker/goth/hipster/punker/insert artificially created category here) of either things if I can’t recite all the lines from my favourite episodes or reveal how many moles David Tennat has on his back because I skipped freezing the frames to count them, like apparently a good fan does? Am I less of a geek for not shouting it out to the clouds each morning as I wake up that I belong to that exclusive club?

I think not, but I’m sure most people won’t agree with me. There’s just something special about having a label though, isn’t it? Like wearing a shirt of “our super (not so) secret club that you have no chance of getting into!” We claim we resent it, but in fact most of us feel slighted if somehow we fail to belong to our category by simply being ourselves, so we add layer upon layer of “geekdom” to fit in better. You hate Firefly? Well, watch it anyway and pretend it’s the best or your opinion on good sci-fi is irrelevant. Heaven forbid, you don’t like Doctor Who/Marvel/DC/any number of things that might not fit your own tastes and personality? Well, be gone heathen, you are unworthy of the name! By chance you just discovered, as an adult the magic of gaming, reading comics and watching what’s labelled as geeky? You’re nothing but a wannabe, a poser that seeks approval because being a geek is fashionable as of late, thanks to some well placed good looking guys/girls in various popular shows.

My-Multi-Geek-Personality_30744_b7p0_l

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against geeks (I’m here, aren’t I?),  the whole purpose of this article is to reject these labels we slap on our backs and carry around, hoping somehow people will understand us better, because I feel that some people are using it to explain some invisible affliction they feel they suffer from. I hear people lament all the time how hard being a geek is, like it’s some sort of a rash, spreading over their bodies and they can’t stop the itch. You can either take pride in being true to yourself, or stop being who you are and take on the mantle of another “super (not so) secret club!” and be happier for it. Just don’t become something you’re not in order to belong to a place that will add to your misery. Not to mention the other category of people that feel entitled by their seniority to reject anyone who’s new to a certain thing, whether it’s a show, a movie or a book, like they have the right to judge someone, because they weren’t immersed in geekdom since their mother’s womb.

To all of you that feel like they are geeky, don’t hold up a list of “requirements” made up by some random kid sitting in his bedroom and hold it as gospel. You don’t have to know every episode/quote/movie ever made of a certain thing. You don’t have to be able to recite the pledge of allegiance in Klingon to be welcome to the exclusive geek club, because you know what? It’s not exclusive! That’s the whole point! You can be yourself and enjoy books and if you want to be known as a geek you’re welcome to it, just as much as if you enjoy knitting little Starship Troopers! (By the way, if anyone can do that, kudos to you, my friend!) You like building boats out of toothpicks? Well who am I to say you’re not a geek because you’ve only seen the first three Star Wars movies and stopped at that?

And if you consider yourself a full-fledged geek, try to remember that people around you that don’t like the same things as you, aren’t stupid. I see it too often on tumblr/facebook/twitter, subtle and not so subtle attacks against those that don’t share a specific geek’s passion. No, they aren’t dumb for not liking it, they aren’t idiots for not having read Harry Potter, though they clearly missed out on something great. They aren’t retarded for not understanding Doctor Who or Star Trek or any number of other things most geeks love. They are different, but not worse than this particular group is. 302293_276874705676586_1003534663_n

I understand where this is coming from, this elitism some of us manifest. We’ve all been slighted and treated as the “weird kid on the playground” growing up. I’ve been called a freak for liking Andromeda rather than enjoying soap operas or reality shows, I’ve been challenged for not enjoying clubbing like my peers did when I was fifteen, enjoying Star Trek on a Friday night instead. Yes, I was that “cool”. Now we’re fighting back when we feel like they’re trying to break through our barriers, our walls that have kept us safe for so long, protected from the very people that now are trying to weasel their way into our midst. Let’s try not to brand them with scarlet letters on first sight, though. We know how it feels to be kicked when you’re down. How about we try to help them learn and accept them instead, and leave the public humiliation to others?

P.S. Change the word geek with absolutely anything and you will still get the same results. Don’t use it as an all around response to all that’s wrong or right in your life. It’s not a disease, it’s not a cure, it’s not an excuse. It’s simply who you are or a big part of who you are. Just don’t let the label define you or change what you feel or how you treat others. Stay frosty and feel free to disagree! 

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