The Blood on Satan's Claw- Cult Film Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

Playing with Reality: Gaming in a Pandemic- Book Review

September 23, 2023

Covid swept across the world nearly 3 years ago and created a ‘new normal’. In the lockdowns, people adapted and gaming came to the fore like never before, connecting people in virtual worlds.

It was a unique time and I’m glad that there is a new book looking back at this unprecedented time. Playing With Reality: Gaming in a Pandemic by Alex Humphreys is a fascinating book and there are mini essays which are broken down into chapters about how the videogame industry was affected, both positively and negatively, during the pandemic. The writing style is conversational, easy and very British with mentions of Greggs and the Lurpak commercial with Douglas the buttery trombone player.

The book is broken down into 6 chapters looking at key themes. The inside covers contain a montage of photos that are relevant and referred to in the articles, providing visual context.

Chapter 1: Stay Home, Play Games
- The Videogames industry wanted to help during Covid but we're wary of WHO, who had classified Gaming Addiction as a mental health issue in 2018, but they worked with influencers to spread the message using gaming imagery and music to support the various governments.
- Videogames made record profits in the West as people engaged with gaming in their isolation to escape from reality, connect with friends or just to pass the time. In Asia, many gaming cafes (where most PC gaming occurs) closed and haven't opened up whilst sales of mobile games and the Switch rose greatly in these territories.
- eSports and real world sports merged during this period with lots of professionals playing games of their sports to keep their skills sharp and fans engaged. It brought a kind of legitimacy to the eSports world for some. Codemasters hit gold with F1 and Dirt 2.0 recruiting new fans into the fold whilst shifting record number of units.
- Canned fan chanting and cheering from EA was used to make football matches behind closed doors in England less weird. There was some cognitive dissonance between seeing the empty stands and hearing belated cheers after a goal went in but it kind of worked. Also, Football Manager promoted men's mental health charities as they knew many in their fanbase would be struggling with issues.
- Zynga had to make the difficult decision to move to remote working and had to figure out how to support staff with their mental and physical health whilst still maintaining a high work ethic.
- King, creators of Candy Crush and other games, states that the mainstream medias dialogue around gaming changed and society generally has a better opinion of gaming as a social activity rather than the stereotypical loners choice.
- Blizzard discuss their Shadowlands update and how hybrid working helped to create this expansion.
- EA recorded the Star Wars Squadrons soundtrack using an orchestra but each person played their instrument apart together.
- Rare discuss how Sea of Theives connected many people, including those who struggled with socialising, and found it's groove a couple of years after it had been released, reaching new heights in the pandemic.
- Mental health took a battering during the pandemic but the free games offered to some key workers allowed many to destress and connect with others in the online community.
- Jamming the Curve was a game jam where the focus was to help spread a positive message about the vaccine and combat misinformation.

Chapter 2: We Are Gathered Here Today
- Revd Simon Archer, the Vacarious BIG, gained a following by streaming games and talking about god. By being his authentic self, he found a growing community who could ask him questions about god as well as his gaming skills.
- Twitch and Discord saw record numbers of people using their tools to join their community. Watching people playing games was a huge past time and long form content could not be supplied quickly enough.
- Over the lockdown, gaming offered solace for many and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Amoung Us, Rocket League were the big winners during this time.
- Girls Make Games moved to a digital camp during the pandemic and saw a huge rise in international collaboration.
- Melbourne, Australia was one of the most locked down cities in the world which lead to challenges for neurodivergent pupils. A server was created for these pupils to interact and the friendships formed were deep and menaingful: mode of communication not as important as the quality of interactions.
- Some games, including Minecraft, Second Life and Roblox, were used in education as a contextual hub for learning as well as for virtual tourism.
- The NHS has a Centre for Gaming Disorders but the word 'addiction' is bandied around a lot by people when actually the number of addicts is actually a lot lower. The horrible mass trauma of lockdown exacerbated other underlying issues for many and gaming was an outlet rather than the cause.

Chapter 3: Lockdown 2.0
- FMV games boomed during the pandemic as many had exhausted their streaming catalogue and wanted some interactivity. Some people think this may stop the brain drain in more rural or deprived areas as hybrid or Work From Home becomes more viable.
- Psychonauts 2 was a challenge to create during lockdown but the themes of mental health, isolation and empathy really found an audience.
- Asynchronous communication was challenging when creating a game but using other tools such as Zoom, Notes, Discord etc. helped to bridge the gap for Inflexion Games and showed the potential for remote working.

Chapter 4: Retrograde
- Tim Schafer liked to surround himself in stuff that made him happy in his home office as he spent an awful lot of lockdown there. His philosophy was surround yourself with stuff that makes you happyand you can obsess about for a bit- whatever it takes to get you through.
- Milgemilge used The Sims 4 to create buildings from her youth including her Grandma's house as well as the Ukrainian city of Lviv. It's was a comfort to her and helped her think of better times.
- The Corrupted Blood in World of Warcraft game from over a decade before offered epidemiologists an insight into human behaviour during a pandemic. Disease modelling uses a similar dataset to project how they think people will react but people are unpredictable *ahem, toilet rolls anyone?*
- Gaming offered many a chance to reconnect with old friends through online play. The game wasn't the important thing but the interaction and camaraderie.

Chapter 5: Parallel Lines
- Build the Earth was a project kickstarted by PippenFTS to create a 1:1 representation of the Earth, including it's estimated 4 billion buildings.
- A Welsh bronze age site was recreated in Minecraft to teaxh audiences about the period and give them the opportunity to carry out virtual archaeological digs (see Brny Celli Ddu in Minecraft).
- Whilst mnay used gaming to escape from the pandemic realities others noticed the pandemic overtones in many games released over that time including, Spiderman (pathagen released me at citizens wearing masks), Assassin's Creed Odyssey (plague) and The Last of Us 2 (pandemic). Some embraced it whilst others struggled to play these games during these unprededented times.
- A philosophy professor found solace in Red Dead Redemption 2 as it looks at the end of the Wild West and the rise of a different world. He felt it mirrored life in that there was a pre and post pandemic world.
- An Asian American discusses how Animal Crossing helped her to socialise when there was a spate of anti-Asian attacks in the USA. She states that it is a reminder for many people that 'the freedom to exist as you are is conditional' and post-Brexit, I can see that as a British Asian.
- Animal Crossing features heavily in pandemic games played by people and became a pop culture phenomenon, being on the front page of the Financial Times when they discussed turnip prices on the stock market.
- The National Videogame Museum in England created an Animal Crossing Diaries exhibition to capture peoples' experiences of the game--they felt it was important to capture a moment in time before it is lost to the ether.
- Tim Schafer discusses Zoom fatigue but says that the pandemic has fast forwarded the transition to online and hybrid working by several years.
- The metaverse is a thing but no one is quite sure what it is or what shape it is going to take when it happens.
- The metaverse(s?) might exist but grifts like NFTs and Web 3.0 and dubious moneymen make it difficult to see how this will occur in a sustainable and equitable way.

Chapter 6: The (Final) Next Level
- Gaming trends and wider digital trends accelerated.
- Videogames were seen in a mostly positive light and even the mainstream media seemed very pro game.
- It helped many with mental health (especially in the UK) by in other places many still suffered, mostly due to lack of exercise and social interactions.
- However, there are many issues such as toxicity especially around gaming communities as well as the political and social fracturing through online discourse.
- The lines between the physical and digital world have blurred and there is a danger that the online mysogyny, racism and other -isms may bleed into the real world.

I very much enjoyed the book as it covers a lot of ground within the gaming industry. The sheer variety of people Humphreys speaks to ensures that you get a good overview of opinions and insight. However, she speaks often to CEOs, Production Executives and the like from companies such as Blizzard, Riot and Ubisoft so what we get is insight of their pandemic processes but done through the lens of corporate speak. They mention all the right things about supporting their staff, maintaining good mental health and work life balance but these companies have since been accused of horrific abuses as well as hiring excessively during Covid but now firing the same staff as they now seek to consolidate and maximise the profit for the elite few higher ups.

The accounts of the main chalk face people on the ground are not often discussed in this book but that may be because this is not Humphreys' aim; she is looking at the industry wide pivot in light of Covid restrictions and in this context, this book is a triumph of capturing a unique moment in time.
However, I would now like to see an 'all sides' account of what occured during the pandemic and the repercussions, beyond the corporate speil. I get that every business's wants to put it's best face forward but I do think a critical look at what occured post-Covid with mandated return to office, huge worker culls amid consokidation/ mergers/ acquisitions closures of many Games As A Service titles as well as the loss of hard fought rights, such as insurance etc which have been rolled back. Now, that would be an interesting but depressing book to read. Maybe a Jason Schreier type author would create a book that is a critical look at the industry. We'll wait and see as I'm sure it's incoming from somewhere.

LINK- Let’s All Create A ‘New Normal’

LINK- Straight Outta Quarantine: 14 Days in Blighty

LINK- Flying Home From Coronavirus

LINK- One Month on From Social Distancing in Saudi

LINK- Life in Coronavirus Lockdown Saudi

LINK- Life in the Times of the Coronavirus

Who Hunts The Whale - Book Review

September 16, 2023

Who Hunts the Whale by authors Laura Kate Dale and Jane Aerith Magnet is a satirical critique of the videogame industry. So far so good as gosh knows a few powerful individuals and CEOs need to be taken down a peg or two; but, is it any good?

I read the book whilst on holiday as it was a light and easy read.

The story follows the newly hired PA Avery as she joins the hit making Supremacy Software family. With access to the Top floor she sees the excess and extremes of the industry and how it chews people and spits them out, all in order to make more for the 1% ers. Over the course of the year, we see Avery collecting evidence of managerial impropriety in the hope of taking down the system. Will it work though?

I bought this book as I felt that the blurb had the potential for it to be an acerbic takedown of an industry that is well known to protect it's own, even if it is rotten in certain places (a lot of places). However, I found that the characterisation was bland and the story of releasing the next iteration of Call of Shootey, whilst highlighting the poor conditions and abusive management, didn't really hit for some reason. True, the book showed the downsides of the industry and, having read a lot about the layoffs, abuse and the solemn jpeg over the years, there is a story to be told but it needs to told better.

I know it is satire but satire can be ascerbic, refined or broad but this is paper thin when addressing issues like doxxing, predatory monetisation, crunch, the shuffling around and failing upwards of abusive staff.

This book is on the side of the good and I was rooting for it but it was just not that well written or executed in my opinion as it doesn't do things subtly or with nuance. Read it if you'd like an insight into the industry but don't expect Haruki Murakami, Sandor Murai, David Mitchell or any other impressive authors who have surnames ending in M. Rather, I'd recommend the books and articles of Jason Schreier, who is the Ronan Farrow of videogame journalism, or the videos of James Stephanie Sterling, who looks at the abuses within the system in their own unique and hilarious way.

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

LINK: Japan- My Journey to the East

LINK- My One True Gaming Constant in Life- Nintendo

LINK- On, and On and Conston (Or, ‘How We Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism in GB’)

LINK- ‘Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’

LINK: Let’s All Create a ‘New Normal’.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow- Book Review

September 10, 2023

I'd heard good things about Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow from various media outlets and thought a YA fiction book that looked at the creative process behind videogames from the perspective of two young adults growing up as the industry grew and matured was intriguing. So, setting aside a couple of days I read the whole thing.

I bought the book soon after release but only got to it several months later.

The synopsis is quite simple: two pre-teens meet in a hospital and become friends over a shared love of video games. Sadie is visiting her sister who is undergoing cancer treatment whilst Sam is getting his foot fixed after a tragic car accident. Years later, they meet by chance on the platform of a train station and reconnect. They share their fond memories of the past and bond over the game making process, making a hit game. What follows is the highs and lows of their professional and personal relationship and the impact that achieving fame so young can have on the ego.

Reading the book, I felt waves of nostalgia for my history with videogames. The period of time covered in the book was coincidentally similar to my formative teen years, and author Gabrielle Zevin’s, so I could relate quite well. The characters of Sam and Sadie felt realistically portrayed as they are presented as creatively eloquent yet not always able to express their emotions or feelings clearly. Their behaviour was redolent of teens trying to figure out the way forward and not always making the right choices. It rang of truthiness and had me reflecting on my past behaviours and how I would act in those situations now. Dov, the antagonistic game designer and creepy lecturer, is well written and I am sure representative of a lot of people within academia who are sketchy. Marx, Sam's friend is a saintly figure and came across as too perfect in places. Sure, he was a confident player but he also lacked any personality to make him seem well rounded.

The book jumps about in time quite a bit through Sam and Sadie's life but I didn't find it confusing as it is clearly signposted if it was set in the past, present or future. I felt many occasions of dimpsy, a feeling where the past speaks to us, as the book namedrops videogame and pop culture references all over the place.

The games it mentioned included: Donkey Kong, Frogger, Oregon Trail, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros, Duck Hunt, Commander Keane, Doom, Space Invaders, Tetris, King's Quest 4, Zelda, Chrono Trigger, Metal Gear 3, Wolfenstein 3D, Zelda: Oot, Mario 64, Ms. Pacman, Myst, Diablo, FF, Ultima, Leisure suit Larry, Warcraft, Monkey Island, The Colonel's Bequest, Persona, Madden, Harvest Moon, Everquest, Half Life 2, Halo 2, Unreal Tournament, Call of Duty, The Sims, Journey, Uncharted, Braid, Bioshock 2, Heavy Rain, Wii Sports,

On top of this, the book is full of pop culture references including: D and D, Kotaku, Studio Ghibli, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Hokusai, Yoshitomo Nara, Haruki Murakami, Toshiro Muyuzami, Dickens, Philip Glass, The Bible, Homer, Shakespeare, Chuck Close, Escher, Wired, Mary Lou Retton, Rube Goldberg, James Bond, William Morris Agency, Speed Racer, Takashi Murakami, Sigaharu Fujita, Philip Glass, Brian Eno, Miles Davis, John Cage, Terry Reilly, The Heroes Journey, The Odyssey, Call of the Wild, Call of Courage, The Language Instict, Chris Cornell, Soundgarden, Antigone, That Love is All There Is by Emily Dickenson, Jackson Pollock, Game Depot, Simon and Garfunkle 1981 concert, The Matrix, PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox, Gameboy, Kafka, Titanic, Thomas Anders Junior, Noh Theatre, Cherry Blossoms at Night by Katsushika Oi, Strawberry Thief by William Morris, Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen, Kurt Vonnegut, Macbeth and Visual Novels.

The book is an interesting read and, as a fictional account of achieving fame at a young age, would be a good companion to the book Masters of Doom which looks at the creation of Doom by John Romero and John Carmack. There are some emotional beats here that hit hard, such as the comment on real-world identity politics and how putting your head above the parapet can have consequences, or how depression can immobilise and isolate you.

Overall, the book is well plotted and paced but the language is serviceable rather than exemplary. Sure, it doesn't match the eloquence or style of a Murakami, Gaiman, Márai or Mitchell but then it doesn't have to; it is an interesting story well told and I am sure the inevitable film will be solid, if fan-servicey.

LINK- Blood, Sweat and Pixels- Book Review

LINK- Streets of Rage 2 OST on Vinyl Review

LINK- The Offworld Collection- Book Review

LINK- Uncharted 4- Video Games As Art

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain by Amy Jeffs- Book Review

September 7, 2023

I have a real interest in myths and legends from around the world. One of the reasons I studied anthropology in university was to find out more about the commonalities between ancient cultures and how they influence the world today through belief systems, structural hierarchies and etymology.

I knew a little about British folktales but probably not much more than the average person on the street- Joseph of Aramathea visiting Glastonbury, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and the Loch Ness monster. You know, typical stuff that you pick up from living on these sceptred isles. When I heard about Storyland by Amy Jeffs I picked it up as I thought it would be a good way to plug my knowledge gap.

The stories are told, one per chapter, with all the lineages of the families and details about the geography. It adds a real academic element to these fantastical stories but I often found that stories are clearly told but lacked the lyrical flourishes of Neil Gaiman's Norse Gods or Stephen Fry's Troy or Mythos series of Greek myths. What we have are a smorgasbord of myths and legends from creation to about the 1200s but with none of the personality of these stronger writers.

Jeffs is obviously passionate about the subject and her stories are meticulously researched. Her critical commentary after each tale provides an informative breakdown of the symbolism and the provenance adds an element of academia to it but it lacks the lyricism of prose to make it an engaging read. In places, it felt stuffy and dry which is difficult to achieve considering these are tales of daring-do, mighty battles and magic. Having said that, this is a handsome tome with the linocut artwork adding a unique artistic style to proceedings.

Overall, this is a useful book to have for research purposes or to have access to a wide range of tales in one handy volume, but it is not a great read.

LINK- How to be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Mike Schur- Book Review

LINK- The Good Place and Philosophy- Book Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

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LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

Captain Sindbad- Cult Film Review

September 3, 2023

I've been on a bit of a Sinbad binge lately, I mean who hasn't right?, and I had half remembered memories of this one from my youth, in my head it was a mixture of this with The Golden Voyage of Sinbad where the hero goes to an island to kill the beating heart of an evil dictator who has separated it from his physical body to make himself invulnerable. After some research online, I found the film I was looking for was the lesser known Sinbad film Captain Sindbad (1963) and so stepped up to watch it.

The story was similar to what I remembered but quite different in many ways: Sindbad (with an extra 'd' for some reason) returns from a voyage and heads home to his beloved Princess Jana. However, in his absence, her kingdom has been taken over by an evil warlord who cannot be killed as his heart has been stored away in a far off tower. What follows is a treacherous voyage through a swamp to recover the heart, kill the fiend and return the kingdom to its rightful rulers.

The story is pretty basic but it's Sinbad so we are expecting swashbuckling and 'browning up' of people to be 'swarthy' and of uncertain Middle Eastern heritage. However, it is a product of its time so should be understood and appreciated as such. I don't bear it any ill will.

The cast are all uniformly matinee players, with the broad acting style that entails, Guy Williams makes a likeable but pretty bland Captain Sindbad, Heidi Brühl is a beautiful but deadpan Princess Jana, Pedro Armendáriz chews the scenery as El Kerim, all 'Kill him', 'Take him to the dungeons' and 'Raise the taxes, no double the taxes' kind of acting whilst Abraham Sofaer plays magician Galgo as a weak, simpering coward with no self-motivation or drive beyond simply surviving for the next few minutes. However, the matt paintings, costume design and set pieces are pretty sumptuous here considering the small budget this film undoubtably had.

The special effects are definitely of their time, featuring the evil El Kerim spinning court magician Galgo's head around and the invisible creature (show by stencilled footsteps, some sparkler effects and a green hue). The magician later does a spell to grow and stretch objects and, I'm not proud of this, my thoughts went straight to the gutter, but he uses it to gain access to El Kerim's ring which takes away the villain's power. What this is definitely missing is the wonder of Harryhausen’s creatures as they became the draw that stayed long in the memory after the often forgotten stories. There is a hydra type monster but that looks like a flimsy rubber model which has red led lights for eyes and fake looking smoke machine smoke. The fight isn't fluid but rather the protagonist flailing his sword around windmill style with no flair or skill. The fact the creature is taken out by a conveniently placed square boulder dropped by his crew from a nearby cliff edge makes the fight seem pointless. There is no kinetic drama in this fight compared to Harryhausen’s work but what is to be done (except three better Sinbad films). Later on, when Sindbad fights the glove in the tower, again, it lacks drama. The use of the swanee whistle when Galgo uses magic to get El Kerim to the tower is poorly conceived as it gives a everything a comedic tone. I'm not saying everything needs to be grim dark but a bit more consistency in tone would be much appreciated.

Overall, the film is a lesser Sinbad film as it lacks the drama and magical effects that really propel the story along. It is an okay diversion but not really one I can recommend unless you have fond memories of it from your youth.

LINK- The Golden Voyage of Sinbad- Cult Movie Review

LINK- The 7th Voyage of Sinbad- Cult Movie Review

LINK- Into the Unknown Exhibition Shines Bright at the Barbican

LINK- Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema Virtual Exhibition Experience- Review

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK- Pure Invention- Book Review

Hammer Glamour- Book Review

August 30, 2023

I have been a film aficionado for a long time. My father brought me up on classics like David Lean's adaptations of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations, the various black and white classic comedies of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy as well as the Dynamation works of Ray Harryhausen.

My love for old horror films started in my formative teen years. The BBC would show cult horror films late on Friday and Saturday nights in the early to mid-90s and, when we got Sky, late 90s/ early 2000s Bravo Channel. Some were the more salacious films of 60s and 70s European cinema, often in the horror genre but not always- some were experimental pieces which had a deeply ethereal feel and long moments of quiet where the gorgeous scenery and silence would wash over you. It was here I first saw The Witchfinder General, Circus of Horrors, Vampiros Lesbos and Twins of Evil and many, many more.

I became even more interested in cult TV series and films whilst attending university. Our campus was media-centered and as a result it had a huge catalogue of VHS tapes to rent, free of charge. I ploughed through many often taking the maximum 8 out at a time and consumed them voraciously.

Hammer was a name that stood out to me as you were guaranteed a strong performance from a lead actor, often Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing, and lashings of blood and glamour. It was here that I came across many actresses who I knew from other works like Caroline Munro (Sinbad), Nastassja Kinski (Paris, Texas) and Madeline Smith (Live and Let Die). It seemed like horror was the genre many a young lady had cut their teeth on and specifically Hammer.

Cushing and Lee get all the credit but the leading and supporting ladies added so much to the productions and needed to be spotlit. The women were often glamourous and their acting skills overlooked by many, including the film makers themselves, for mere tittilation but the coffeebook Hammer Glamour looks behind the scenes and presents black and white and colour photographs from the Hammer archives of these actresses.

Usually, each of the 50 actresses gets at least 3 pages as well as biographies including candid interviews from the surviving actresses or archival quotes from past interviews for those who are no longer with us. These are no mere puff pieces but actually quite critical of the treatment many of these women received from an often mysogynistic and sexist British film industry of the time. Many were told that the nude scenes or candid photos they reluctantly took part in would only be for 'foreign markets' only to find the scenes shown in the home UK market. The author, Marcus Hearn does not shy away from this and, whilst having a clear love of the studio and it's works, he is aware of these issues and has shared them here. It isn't all doom and gloom though as many actresses had an amazing time and were well treated, however, many left the industry jaded, dependent on drugs or alcohol, whilst a few even committed suicide.

The book is a handsome tome with good quality paper stock and crystal clear photographs. The layout of the pages is consistent with large photographs of the actresses in their film roles as well as promotional shoots. This book is a respectful look at the first ladies of horror and is highly recommended by me.

LINK- Into The Unknown Exhibition Review

LINK- Kolchak: The Night Stalker- Cult Movie Review

LINK: Kolchak: The Night Stalker- Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- Blood, Sweat and Pixels- Book Review

Last Stop- Videogames As Art

August 7, 2023

Last Stop is wonderfully atmospheric narrative-driven adventure game, in the style of what some people sometimes called in derogatory terms, 'walking simulators.' As opposed to many walking simulators, this game places you in the role of different characters across three different but ultimately converging stories, all set within a fictional part of London.

Over the course of 6 chapters per story, It gets progressively weirder. We start off in the 70s with some scallywags nicking a copper’s hat, to a trio of kids doing gas and skipping school whilst watching a creepy neighbour, to an 80s inspired Freaky Friday style bodyswap piece to a kitchen sink melodrama featuring a spec-ops government official.

It all reaches inter-dimensional proportions that hold you in thrall…until it goes a bit wonky near the end. But, for the 8 or so hours it is engaging with hints of Twin Peaks, Kolchak and The X-Files.

LINK- Streets of Rage 2 OST on Vinyl Review

LINK- The Offworld Collection- Book Review

LINK- Uncharted 4- Video Games As Art

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

Kolchak: The Night Stangler- Cult Movie Review

July 10, 2023

A while back, I watched the 20 episode television series of Kolchak, after having had the DVD collection for years. I had heard it mentioned often when The X Files was at its peak. I thought the series was excellent and could understand why it had achieved cult status over the past 50 or so years; it had a late night pulpy horror charm. I’d also watched the first movie and found that the production values were high in this slower paced affair. The tightness of the film made it watchable and exciting, even with the dated makeup effects.

It was with some excitement that I watched the follow up movie, Kolchak: The Night Strangler. It follows our intrepid investigator as he is down in his luck in Seattle a year after the incidence in Las Vegas. A chance meeting with his old editor Tony Vincenzo places him on a path to track down a serial strangler in Seattle. Every 21 years, a sequence of murders occurs within the same few blocks and so Kolchak seeks the killer who has possibly discovered the elixir of life.

Like its predecessor, the show is well produced with great cinematography highlighting the cityscape of Seattle. The story is intriguing and Kolchak (Darren McGavin) has lots of fun interactions with the office staff as he is trying to save the case. The old Seattle catacombs are an excellent location for this mystery and lends the whole film that 70s griminess.

I like Kolchak, the intrepid reporter who deals with the supernatural in the most unorthodox of ways. This film is a great watch and, even after nearly 50 years, is well worth your time.

LINK- Kolchak: The Night Stalker- Cult Movie Review

LINK: Kolchak: The Night Stalker- Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- How to be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Mike Schur- Book Review

LINK- The Good Place and Philosophy- Book Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

Nimona- Film Review

July 2, 2023

I'm a bit of a ND Stevenson fan, having become aware of his work through the magnificent Lumberjanes graphic novel series. I purchased the hardback Nimona graphic novel way back in 2015 and loved the premise of a shape-shifting teen and her friendship with a vengeful knight. I loved the quirky characters and how Nimona was goofy yet incredibly forthright and aggressive when she needed to be. When I heard that the movie was being made I was ecstatic as Stevenson's work on She-Ra was exceptional and his characters felt well realised and, well, human with all the flaws and foibles that entailed. Over the course of 5 seasons, she showed character growth of She-Ra, the Princesses of Power as well as Catra… that was on top of writing some pretty epic storylines about multi-verses and such. It was a heady brew and Nimona seemed promising as this was a graphic novel which had heart and growth at its core.

When Blue Sky animation, who had been working on the animation for a couple of years, was shuttered by new owners Disney I was gutted as Nimona had apparently been nearly completed. However, praise be our Netflix overlords who stepped in and saved the film from being scrapped. So, was it worth the salvage?

The story is a familiar one, an outsider, (a Knight named Ballister Boldheart voiced by Riz Ahmed) achieves success through his hard work and merit but is deemed unworthy by many to become a knight of the realm due to his lineage as a commoner. He is framed for a crime he didn't commit and has to clear his name whilst hiding from the authorities. He bonds with another outcast, Nimona (voiced by Chloe Grace Moretz in an excellently nuanced performance) who has been hunted by all for her difference; she is a shapeshifter.
The two develop a friendship as she becomes his squire as they strive to clear his name.

The film is like one of those odd pair buddy movie where the characters are seemingly very different but through their adventures they realise that, actually, they are quite alike. The relationship between Ballister and Nimona is beautifully told, as he tries to understand his squire’s shape-shifting tendencies. After asking some small-minded questions. Nimona's reply of, "Honestly I feel worse when I don't do it (shape shift)... I shape shift and I'm free… if I didn't shape shift I just sure wouldn't be living," really resonated.

It's these interactions that make this a great character study as these two very different people, in the LGBTQ+ community, bond over being ostracised and different.

The whole film is stunningly animated, from the retro futuristic world, combining gleaming high-rises with turreted tops and giants screens, to the stylistically and expressive characters. Cosplay season is going to be busy with this show, I can tell ya, as the details on the clothes and accoutrements are a fans dream. I can’t wait to go to the next expo and see people dressed in this getup.

I loved the film and the message of being your authentic self, even when it is a challenge to be so. It also asks people to not listen to the prejudices of the older generation but actually think about the lived experiences you have had with people from the community or to use empathy to understand their struggles. The film builds on the graphic novel series and is a rallying cry for acceptance and tolerance of the LGBTQ+ community and I, for one, am here for it!

LINK- American Born Chinese- Season 1 Review

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- God of War: Ragnarok- Videogames As Art

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK- Ms Marvel Can Change the World

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

American Born Chinese- Season 1 Review

June 26, 2023

About 15 years ago, I came across American Born Chinese, a graphic novel about the immigrant experience in America. I loved the book back then and revisited it again recently in preparation for the series. In terms of story, we have three tales all dealing with the themes of alienation, discrimination and being true to yourself. The first deals with Jin and his burgeoning friendship with recent immigrant Wei-Chen Sun. The second tale looks at the Monkey King (he of Journey to the West fame) who wants to become more human and attain godhood. The final tale deals with Asian-American Danny and his cousin Chin Kee, who represents all of the worst racial stereotypes about Chinese people that Danny is trying to distance himself from.

The stories all weaved and supported each other to reach a highly satisfying and thought-provoking finale. I was intrigued to see how they would adapt it into a series for television, especially in light of how much change there has been in the world since the 2006 book release.

Over the past few years, in wake of the Covid pandemic, there has been a rise in anti-Asian sentiment. There was a huge spike in attacks against this community, especially in America, as Covid ripped through the country. Asian- Americans were scapegoated by some and it led to this community feeling under seige. In this way, the story of Jin Wang, the main protagonist in American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang may offer some people from that community the same joy I felt at finally seeing a more rounded representation of my faith and culture in Ms. Marvel.

I can now say that, after watching the entire run, it stays true to the source material but adds an important thread about racism and how it manifests. In a bold choice, the word racism and its many synonyms is never mentioned but characters like Suzy, the head of the Culture Club talks about this eloquently when she says '... there are a lot of people out there who don't have a voice, it's up to people like us to speak for them'.

In the series, rather than 3 separate stories, featuring respectively: Jin, Chin Kee and Cousin Dannee and the Monkey King, this show interweaves the plots into one cohesive whole centred around Jin's personal and school life. We also have Ke Huy Quan skits as a bad Chinese stereotype in an old 80s style sitcom which shows how much we have moved forward as a society. Ke Huy Quan nearly steals the show in episode 7 when he is confronted with his racist stereotype character 30 years after the fact. He struggles to move on from the role and sees the negative impact it has had on the Asian community and feels remorse for bringing this highly successful role to the masses. It's a complex situation, one where BAME actors and actresses often felt like they had to take earlier roles which demeaned their heritage, however it was often the only job open to them to get on the career ladder. It must be a tough cross to bare.

Riz Ahmed spoke about it eloquently and Ke Huy Quan has spoken about it recently with his recent renaissance after Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, including his impactful Oscar speech; everyone wants to make something impactful, something that speaks to the human condition but sometimes people were not treated as equals.

I loved the way American Born Chinese was done. The actors were all uniformly excellent but the two older actors who portrayed the Monkey King and Bull King were phenomenal, showing nuance in their roles as wannabes trying to make good with the Gods. Also, the show is shot well throughout but the wuxia fight scenes are excellent for a television series, especially the close combat battle between Michelle Yeoh and the Bull King in a small apartment building. The soundtrack is banging and really adds to the emotions of the story.

American Born Chinese is a very watchable and though-provoking show . It asks for those who are struggling to fit into both worlds to be brave and bold and believe in themselves whilst understadning that the world has changed for the better (for the most part).

I loved the show and thought that, whilst very different from the graphic novel experience, it carried a lot of the same messages and themes. This show gets a huge thumbs up from me.

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- God of War: Ragnarok- Videogames As Art

LINK: Let’s All Create a ‘New Normal’.

LINK- Ms Marvel Can Change the World

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

Marvel Lego Minifigs

June 19, 2023

I have quite an extensive graphic novel and comic collection. I started collecting when I was 8 years old and haven’t really stopped. I now am more selective with what I buy, what with time and money both being precious, but I do like to keep up with current events.

My eldest daughter is getting into comics but seems to prefer the slice-of-life/ indie scene more with Lumberjanes, Hilda and the Raina Telgemeier graphic novels being firm favourites. She’s finished all of them though so I’m getting her onto the superhero comic scene and, to mark this event, I purchased some Lego figures of my favourite Marvel heroines. We made them together and I think they look pretty cool!

LINK- End of an Era As Ms Marvel Co-Creators leave After 5 Successful Years

LINK- Battle Angel Alita: And So It Ends

LINK- The Moomins 80's Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK- Inspector Gadget Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

The Watch House- Cult TV Series Review

June 10, 2023

British children’s television series during the late 70 right up to the late 80s period were quite interesting; slightly spooky but not too spooky, with a tinge of creeping dread. I'd never heard of ‘The Watch House’ but, had heard it mentioned in the same tones as Moondial, Children of the Stones and The Owl Service. Just hearing it mentioned with those greats had me interested and so, over the course of an evening, I watched all three 30 minute episodes.

The story is quite simple:
Following the difficult break-up of her parents, young teen Ann is left to stay with friends of the family at an old life-brigade watch-house. Whilst cleaning it up, she realises that the place is haunted but what is the spirit (or spirits) trying to tell her?

No-one does creepy folk horror quite like the British and this sort-of ghost story is effectively produced, featuring lots of location shoots that add some sense of place and atmosphere to proceedings. For a 1988 production, I can imagine it costing quite a bit but the shoot really adds a gorgous setting in which to set-up this ghost story. The special effects are obviously dated and we're made on a limited budget but, when the shipshead comes alive and the flashback of the ghosts is revealed, they are effective.

Whilst some of the adult actors do come across as quite hammy and theatrical, and some of the child actors precocious to the point of annoying, the whole thing generally works. Sure the story is quite basic and doesn't linger in the memory like the shows that left their endings more open (such as Children of the Stones), but what we do have is a short serial with a feisty female protagonist (played by Diana Morrison) trying to get to the bottom of a mystery.

As an adult with no nostalgia for this show, it is pretty forgettable but I don't feel like I wasted my time on this. Not every show has to be an all-time classic and this is pretty basis but effective enough.

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- God of War: Ragnarok- Videogames As Art

Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost- Classic Animation Review

June 1, 2023

1969s ‘Scooby Doo! Where Are You?’ was a television animation milestone. Many children around the world watched the Hannah Barbara show over the years, mostly through syndication, and as a result it had constantly gained new generations of fans. It's impact on pop culture was vast too, from its oft-quoted, "I would have got away with it too, if it wasn't for you pesky kids" to "It's old man xyz" to popularising the chasing through different doors sequence, you know the one; the chaser is pursuing the chasee(s) as they enter through one door only to emerge from a different or opposite door.

The show was hot stuff and it was doing well but over the years it lost its lustre and when ‘A Pup Named Scooby Doo’, released in 1991, was not well received it looked like the end of Scooby Doo. Due to the popularity and relative cheapness of shows like ‘Power Rangers’, ‘Saved By the Bell’ and its live action ilk there was a lull in television animation in the mid to late 90s and Scooby Doo looked like it was going to join the limbo of syndicated satellite cartoon show for all posterity.

However, in 1998 the straight to VHS Scooby Doo on Zombie Island animated movie released and helped to revive the series, winning over a whole new legion of fans and reviving interest in the characters. Due to the overwhelming success in sales, a follow up film was commissioned and so, we had ‘Scooby Doo and the Witch’s Ghost.’

The Mystery Incorporated gang meet horror writer Ben Ravencroft (voiced by the inimitable Tim Curry, playing the role to the hilt) and are invited to his peaceful hometown of Oakhaven, Massachusetts. Upon arrival, they see that the town is awash with tourists as the ghost of persecuted witch, Sarah Ravencroft (Ben’s ancestor) is apparently haunting the town. And so, it is up to the gang to get to the truth and find out if it really is a ghost or another case of ‘Old man xyz’.

The first thing to note is that the animation is gorgeous as it is the same Japanese studio that worked on ‘Scooby Doo on Zombie Island.’ Also, the music and soundtrack are pretty banging, particularly the Hex Girls song (which I’ve placed below for your auditory pleasure- you’re welcome!)

The story itself starts off okay but does build up towards an exciting conclusion. The final reveal is quite beautifully animated with the power revealed but it does lacks the intrigue and bite of Zombie Island.

The film overall is definitely worth a watch and not too scary for the little ones; my 5 and 8 year old daughters enjoyed it and were not too scared at all.

LINK: Let’s All Create a ‘New Normal’.

LINK- Ms Marvel Can Change the World

LINK- Mysterious Cities of Gold Complete Series 3 Review

LINK- Hilda Complete Series Review

LINK- Disenchantment- Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Series 2 Review

Ghost of Tsushima- Videogames As Art

May 27, 2023

Over the past year, I've been overwhelmed with the sheer choice of amazing AAA games. I working my way through the unholy trinity: Elden Ring (167 hours), God of War: Ragnarok (31 hours) and Horizon Zero Dawn: Forbidden West (31 hours). I found myself at a bit of a loose end after completing these and, after taking a bit of break, thought I’d work my way through games I’d had my eyes on but never got around to. So, I bought and played through Ghost of Tsushima, an Akira Kurosawa inspired open-world game. I loved the experience and thought the clever hidden HUD, which used the wind to guide you, was an ingenious idea. I enjoyed the story and though the story of growth of protagonist Jin was very well done.

Here are some screenshots from my playthrough:

LINK- Skyrim - Videogames As Art

LINK- Elden Ring - Videogames As Art

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)