Essay that helped get me in Uni

Then criteria was pick from a list of topics and argue a point raised in it, I chose "News, Entertainment or Information"

The News, entertainment whether we like it or not.

In the past few weeks I have seen a disturbing rise in the amount of pleasure people have gained out of watching the news, most recently and frankly shockingly, the pleasure in watching and documenting Colonel Gadaffi's demise. I will look at how major events such as this are turned into a crude form of entertainment and trivialised, by news papers, television shows and internet forums.

I bring again the Gadaffi story to the forefront of this argument because I feel it shows best how news has declined from being informative and impartial and turned into the trivial mess that it is today.

I walked past a newsagents the day after Gadaffi was shot and captured and saw on the cover of a newspaper, in big black font "THIS IS FOR LOCKERBIE" with the image of him slumped down covered in blood, this was, obviously on the cover of the Sun, already a trivial tabloid newspaper for people to purchase anyway, but I was astounded at the sheer guts the newspaper had for printing this, because it was bending peoples opinions into a very messed up view, of how we should celebrate along with the Libyans that Gadaffi is dead. In actual fact I am annoyed to say the least that he will not stand trial, and give the Lockerbie families reasons as to his actions, that he won't be able to tell us about who he consorted with in other governments, I think Tony Blair is sleeping a little sounder knowing some things aren't going to arise now. However, the readers judgement is clouded on issues such as that because the newspaper gave them something to be happy about and to revel in and, gain entertainment from, which is distressing because it is showing the world is slowly becoming a place where the easiest answer, the easiest option is the one people will accept and take more enjoyment from.

Also, we are presented with too many satirical shows, poking fun at the big issues of the week, I know this is how I get a good dose of my information from, but I read lots of articles on the subjects, trying to find the fact from fiction and to form a view of my own, whereas the average joe will not make that effort, so will agree with the case put before them by the person they think is funniest. Nowadays jokes can be made about someone in the news almost instantly, the amount of iCoffin jokes and the like a friend of mine and I shared when Steve Jobs died were a bit much, but that was how I found out he had passed away, through someone telling a joke on twitter, it is so easy to spread an opinion on a big issue through a joke through sites such as twitter, I regularly see ill humoured jokes on issues which are pressing and should be dealt with by everyone with more tact, and more adultly, instead of lowering the importance of the issue by making a petty joke.

 

The internet certainly doesn't help provide solid information, with forums where people can post their opinions and views no matter how twisted or strange and discuss, for their own entertainment, because I think people only post strange opinions because they get replies and people arguing, thus shying away from the issue which was going to be discussed, trivialising the topic once more, giving the original person who deviated the discussion, amusement and entertainment.

 

Music Video channels are now incorporating news portions in the corner of the music videos, consisting of the weather report and a recent fact or headline about the artist currently being shown, the news the target audience of these channels, young people 14-25, is trivial information, in most cases what one celebrity said they thought about another, hardly highly important issues, but because this is probably the only information these people will receive, they talk about it with friends and co-workers, because this news is entertaining. In today's society, the average person will not want to read or listen to the news unless they feel they will get something out of it, and the simplest way for the news to feed that "want" the reader/viewer/listener has is to provide them entertainment along with the information.

 

It is a vicious circle where unfortunately everything will end up deteriorating and people will have snippets of information provided in the form of a joke for them to learn anything about the current state of their government, the economy, sport, etc. Major news needs to trivialise itself by reducing to crude entertainment in a desperate bid to inform and educate today's audiences because they see no other way to inform the general public.

 

Unfortunately we need the news to entertain us, because if it didn't then I fear the vast majority of people would be even more tuned off to what is happening around the world, at least by entertaining the general public in the way it does, the news is still giving out information, albeit, condensed, dumbed down information, a necessary evil if there is any hope of educating the majority of the public on what is happening in the world.

Fatal Seduction Review

Hi, its been a while, sorry but I've had a lot on my plate lately.

I saw this game in the indie game section on the XBOX Live marketplace, and was intrigued to say the least.
The story is of a young girl, Emily Ritter who is in a mental institute and she tells her psychiatrist why she is there, I won't go into much more detail than this because it would ruin the story. The story is compelling, and you get drawn into it very easily especially because you are playing the girl and killing
demons and have to concentrate on what is going on, this worked, very effectively, I was drawn in and disgusted really at what I was seeing but felt compelled to keep playing. This is hard to explain without the details but I felt horrible after playing the game after just a minute and disgusted with myself at how readily I killed the demons to progress with the story.

The layout just makes the story worse, the background is like a chalkboard and you are a chalk drawing, re-enacting the story being told, with the various characters and, shall we say "freeze frames" drawn in chalk as well. Another thing that gets to me however is there are photographs scattered every now and then on the chalkboard which certainly gives a sense of realism to the game and the story.

There was a lot of voice acting in this, there was never a pause really which helped stop me from drawing myself out of the game (pardon the pun, it wasn't intentional) and it again instilled more disgust for myself while playing this game.

This game is only 80 microsoft points and a real bargain, the play time is around 10 minutes but well worth it, just don't go expecting a family fun game when you purchase this.

Also update for the YouTube channel, I should have a video up soonish.

*****

A Note To My Critics

Hello, I know you are out there, I probably have a heap of critics, but I would like to say that these are my opinions and I am allowed to express them.
Just thought I would say that to get it off my chest.

A Good Man Goes To War Review

Oh, I really cannot be bothered with this.

That was probably what Steven Moffatt was thinking when he wrote this. It all seemed a little last minute and half hearted by everyone actually, except of course Alex Kingston, who was fighting a losing battle in this episode. By the way, there will be spoilers galore here.

OK, the direction and director, there were some good bits, but honestly, the Tall gay man whatever, why were there so many shots to him in the barracks scene, HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! The climactic bit, with the fat blue guy having his head chopped off, OK, but then when we saw his head like that, we could hardly see it, the quality actually went back to the quality of what we had in the 60s, I couldn't make out much, just that he didn't have a head.

The score, it was impressive and fitted and all that jazz, but HOW CAN SOMETHING WITHOUT A HEAD MAKE A HUMMING NOISE? It was a cool, atmospheric score, but made no sense. The opening 15 minutes were introducing characters and blowing a huge chunk of budget on really good and atmospheric sets, for and then threw them away really easily, it was a waste!
Apparently, this story was brilliant... Really, really? I wish the story was what it should have been, like the chase, racing around time and space, chasing after Amy and picking up the other characters along the way, it would have been so much better that way, no matter what anyone says. There just seemed to be an anticlimax to the whole "Doctor will rise after a huge war" and what not, but I've seen Tennants Doctor, Bakers Doctor (The good one) FOR GODS SAKE EVEN TROGHTONS DOCTOR, get angrier than Smith was in this episode. And there was no war, the "Doomsday" battle was a nerdgasm, this should have been just as good as that, there should have been some big battle and action, instead we got a few people shooting at monks with swords very slowly advancing.

As for the storyline, I am disappointed in Moffatt, last review, I could have forgiven him as another writer made that story, but even as this was better than that one (come on, which one wasn't from this series) it didn't give what I wanted and the only thing that made me want to watch it when it returns is the tagline "Let's Kill Hitler". I am an avid fan of this show, and for the first time, I am annoyed, I forgave Baker (The Bad one), I forgave JNT to a certain extent, I even forgave Mel, but maybe it is how I am feeling at the moment, but I sincerely hope the series gets better in the future. For its own sake.

Right, can't write anymore or I will end up not enjoying reviewing as well. Great.

The Rebel Flesh and The Almost People Review

Hello, I am alive, and reviewing Doctor Who, sorry, just had a lot going on recently, but I should be a bit free now. Right, I thought I should review this two parter in one part, but it will be longer than normal, if that makes sense.

The Rebel Flesh opens quaintly really, but of course, Amy is hung up on the whole doctor death thing, but, ooh look, Rory is getting screen time, and its good, finally, lets hope it continues. This Doctor is a pushover, he really is, Amy, Rory, can I drop you off, you know, get some space maybe. Cut to Amy screaming "NOOO, YOU'RE HIDING SOMETHING FROM ME! DON'T THINK I DON'T KNOW YOUR SECRET YOU MONSTER!", so he has to take them, which was a bit of a shame, would have been nice to have had another Deadly Assassin moment.

OK, the other characters, we have Cleaves, your typical boss type, hard and not got a soft side until they actually need to be hard, then we have Buzzer, a character who promises so much charisma and a jokey nature, who then goes sour, and unhappy, very sour and very unhappy. Jimmy, your dad out working to provide and conveniently his sons birthday is tomorrow, then Jennifer, sweet and nice (What the hell is she doing on a bloody chemical mining site thing) but then she goes super schizo. Then there is the other one, I know he was credited with a name, but I won't use it, this person did nothing to the story, but was there, seriously, in the second part, he doesn't even talk on camera until the last *spoiler* death scene bit and at the end. THAT'S IT!

Oh, I'm on a roll now, and going to jump straight to the monster, the flesh is an interesting thing, and this could have been a really psychological episode, relying on thrilling scares rather than naff gore. Whats that BBC, you want naff gore, oh goody. -_-
The make up on the flesh was really cool, it looked spooky, and atmospheric, which I really liked, shame that the setting and the storyline weren't. The setting was meant to be a big monastery, but it felt wrong, like the budget went out of the window hiring Neil Gaiman (So worth it by the way) and they half dressed the set sci-fi and then gave up, completely. Now we go onto the big climactic flesh monster, and all I can say is, what the hell was that, I thought graphics were meant to get better as years went on, I watched "Tooth and Claw" the other night, and the Werewolf was much better than this atrocity. It looked that slimy that it looked fake, the face was nothing like Jenny's and the hair, weird, the body was abysmal, I was expecting a huge wall of faces of Jenny's sliding along, slowly devouring anything that got in its way, at least something with substance, not this stick thing!

Right, the plot, oh, I thought for a second I was going to start on something actually of any quality, but no, a two parter, in an industrial environment with a revolution in the early stages, and the Doctor is key negotiator, anyone hearing, oh I don't know a little word like SILURIAN! Totally stole from that episode and killed what was good about it, even though I am in the minority in that particular department, it was psychological, fun, nostalgic and not all about the gore and killing. This was terrible, boring, and characters apparently, conveniently had to die.

I will say one thing, Raquael Cassidy as the flesh version of Cleaves was thoroughly entertaining and witty, all the best lines were obviously saved for her, the saving glory of this story, but it pales in comparison to the rest. Oh, and Rory, yes, he is getting some screen time, oh, he's understanding the flesh girl, aw, that's cute, OK, now you go to your wife, what, you're risking death for some girl when the love of your life is begging you to go with her, oh, and you find it acceptable that this girl is hitting on you, oh, you pansy, you locked everyone in the chamber to meet their doom, and now the weird girl knocked you out, GOOD! No, wait I actually like Rory, and look what this writer has done to him. Grr.

Ooh, nearly forgot, Two Doctors, that can't go wrong, oh the one's a nutcase, but he does really good Tom Baker impressions, you have to give him that much. Oh, they swapped shoes, cop out! And the conspiracy theorists will wonder when they swapped, and if the "real" one heard that he's going to die, ooh, nope, bored of this dull dialogue.

I can't even go on, I physically can't the terrible storyline, the random annoying characters, Rory being dragged to a whole new low. Oh, Amy is preggers, didn't see that, oh yeah, did, lol. Oh and now she's flesh, whoop, Rory is being a man and letting his wife go after being told by the angry man for her to meet her fate, you go! Oh, right. And the eye patch lady is back, she was always fun.

I will post the Good Man Goes To War review when I recover from this atrocity. OK, if I recover from this atrocity.

You Are Here Review

I think I should start by explaining how I found out about finite films and their work. I was one day idly searching on YouTube random things and wondered whether anyone had made a music video to the Regina Spektor song "Two Birds" and found Alex Calleros' video and I instantly fell in love with his work, it was unique, combining natural looks and feels to everything, but unnaturally, somehow, pulling you in to the storyline and the characters.After watching that, I researched him and found out he worked on Finite Films and I looked at their work and was intrigued by what they do, letting the viewers choose what happens which gives endless possibilities, ironically as the choices are referred to as constraints.

You Are Here is the first film created properly by Finite Films, well, that's what I read on the website, and i must say, they certainly opened on a huge high. From the opening you knew there was going to be a big narrative, the quiet before the storm shall we say, opened with an sharp track and real, cool action to open. Which is what I enjoy about the work these guys and girls do, its real, they don't get rid of background sound, in fact, emphasise and enhance it and the soundtrack, in a time where louder and more disruptive seem better, this production was a real relief, only using music when it was really needed and to enhance the experience in the right way for the viewer.

The writing was really top notch, especially for a low budget production, you knew when and where the character were in the storyline through hints such as the map on the wall or relationships between the characters throughout. Which brings me to the acting and the characters in this piece of film, Shashona Brooks really stole the show for me, but as the lead she should have wowed, and she did, I felt the emotion that she did in this story because she portrayed it so beautifully in this production, she really did, I am truly surprised that she is not on the big screen, however, I can say that for all the cast in these films I have seen so far, I really think that. Garrett Liggett did a great job, and I know how hard it can be to connect with as, I guess for want of a better word, bad a character as his was, as a n actor because you don't want to connect with them, but he really did and, I mean this in the right way, I felt angry at his character because although there was no promise made, one of the key "constrictions" in this piece, I can see why, he sent out messages through subtle gestures only someone who really felt like the character could pull off. Finally, Adele Watkin, although not given a huge amount of screen time, gave a wonderful performance, innocently and unknowingly destroying a friendship, which was quite sad really, but she pulled off, what I feel was another difficult character extremely well.

Also, the direction was very innovative and top notch, enhancing the natural feel and helping the mood each scene conveyed.
All in all, this was a great production, however, if I were to critique a bit, i would have liked more content and room to grow in the piece, even if it was presented in to parts, I wouldn't have minded because the work done on this by everyone was top rate, and I can't wait for "Stealing Time"

*****

A Little Insight Into My Brain

Hello, just thought I would do a special post to say why I am not very critical when I should, it is simply fear. Fear of being mean to a person who might be nice or who might beat me up, and fear of ruining their lives in some way or contributing to that happening. And no you are reading, thinking "Hey Mr MadMan (See what I did there) With a Box, without a box, who never had a box to begin with, you slate children in films and telly, and thats harsh", well person, yes, but the children are too young to understand what I'm on about or have time to change their career choice, adults don't, and thats part of the fear, they chose whatever they do as a career and it reels weird to destroy what they, presumably, love.

So I want to set a few ground rules so I can be a better reviewer and thus, critic, I am only saying what I do with good intentions, and it is not personal, you could be a  really nice person, I just didn't like you in something etc. I am only giving an opinion, something others do much less nicely than is normally accepted in society, and they get away with it and are sometimes praised for it, so I should get to voice my opinion really.

Thanks guys!