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!

The Doctors Wife Review

There are many kinds of love, there is mutual, sexual, unrequited, you get my drift, but I think the best is the love a man has for his car, not the weird I love her and want to marry her love, but the subtle, caring and soft love a man shows to his prized car, which is really what this episode was really about, a man and his greatest love, his car.

Of course, the Doctor isn’t soft or subtle with his car, in fact it is very much the opposite, he is brash and harsh and rather rude sometimes with his equivalent of his car, the TARDIS, which is what makes that love all the more special really, it’s a love-hate relationship, where she loves it when he hates her. And we have finally got to hear it from her side within this episode, where the TARDIS is in the body of Idris, played brilliantly by Suranne Jones who gave a personality to the TARDIS which echoed all of the Doctors maddest moments in one little body, she pulled off what many could have failed so badly at, being more Doctor that the Doctor and not upstaging him.

The setting was actually beautiful, you can see the BBC gave these episodes a huge budget, one minute we’re in America, the next we’re on a ship, and then there are TARDIS corridors and on a junkyard planet, WHICH TALKS! Hats off to Martin Sheen for voicing house, he brought more of a calm maniacal sense of the character than Gabriel Wolf with the Devil creature and Sutekh, which fitted the character and the mood of the piece superbly.

NO CHILDREN! HOORAY! I was so pleased with the cast, and very surprised a small cast were so good, but then again this show had been working with small casts for 26 years, so it was no surprise really that the episode felt like one of the best in recent years, if not within the history of the show, that’s it, I’ve said it. I do love the direction this series is going in at the moment though, it has a classic Who feel which I, personally enjoy because, well I'm a huge nerd, all the references just put huge grins on my face, especially the little tiff between the Doctor and the TARDIS, but those moments just made it even more sour when she actually said "Hello" and "Goodbye", but the hello was the one which killed you most, because you know that out of all the companions, from Susan to Romana to Sarah-Jane, to Rose to Donna, only the TARDIS would ever be able to truly stay with the Doctor forever.

One thing I was most pleased about, which shows that this was a true highlight for recent years on DW, is that my dad said that he didn’t fall asleep when he watched that one, because my parents have had a bit of trouble with liking the stories, calling it Amy Pond, instead of Doctor Who, which I protest to with the simple Martha era was more needy and annoying and about her than Amy and Rory could ever be. Because that’s the thing, it has to be about them because they are main characters, I agree that they shouldn’t save the day, but the Doctor is getting on a bit, he doesn’t look it, but he is.

In short, this was a hugely successful story in my eves, and on one of the simplest ideas you could have with the show, executed perfectly.

The Curse Of The Black Spot Review

The last time I remember a pirate story being done was in “The Pirate Planet” and it was a rather fun story, but this was set in the future, on a different planet and with a very scary parrot, but the last proper story set with pirates was way back in 1965 in “The Smugglers” I think, with the good ol’ Bill Hartnell, and unfortunately it was good but wasn’t the best story in the world; so when I heard that this was going to be a pirate story, I was a bit concerned that it would take one of these routes, a weird, but fun space adventure, or a normal pirate story where the characters talk more than swashbuckler. I however was wrong, yes there was a LOT more talking than swashbuckling, but with good reason, the baddie in all this, the siren, played oddly serenely by the lovely Lily Cole, because, if someone was injured in any way, she would, apparently blow them up, to be blunt.

Of course, with a pirate story, you had all the clichés, but they worked, except the child, I am sorry, but there was just something about him, or was it her, really there was something more supernatural about the boy/girl than the bleeding great glowing alien! Also it was a waste of talent with guest star Hugh Bonneville having to act against a rather inanimate and frankly just naturally annoying child.

What I liked about this story is that it felt like a classic romp, where the Doctor doesn’t have a “moral obligation” to help people, its one where he actually has to help and figure out the mystery because he is trapped. It felt very much like a remake or a tribute to “The Smugglers” in the sense that it had the Doctor, trapped, a young couple, Amy and Rory (Ben and Polly), and a bunch of pirates, swashbuckling and talking a LOT about their problems. The twist at the end was very Davies era as well, which I think helped people realise that the show is the same, and it is still a good show, even after quite a bit of scepticism many fans have shown towards the show that it has lost its spark, this episode shows that the spark is still there, but not quite shining how it used to.

Doctor Who Series 6 Opening Two Parter Review

I must say, I was bemused at these episodes from the offset, but I couldn’t look away, I am an avid fan of Doctor Who and know it has random quirks that can be explained rather really rationally when you look at it, but Mr Moffatt must be hiding this rational explanation from us for a while because I can’t quite make out the reasons for what he has planned yet.

Alex Kingston is just perfect as River, giving her character a bit more personality every time we see her, but keeping us guessing who, and what, she is, we can tell she has a past with the Doctor, and from the end of The Day Of The Moon, we can see it is not simple, but nothing is with her. I have to say that Arthur Darvill as Rory needs more space to grow though, and he has been given some lately, but, for someone like me, I want more from him as a character, and not just comic relief and to show Amy does care for someone.

I am going to complain now, and to anyone who enjoys the series, I am sorry, but the astronaut, I can deal with, the Silence, maybe or maybe not being killed, I can deal with, I can even deal with the Doctor dying and not telling the others his plan, but having a little girl REGENERATE! Out of the blue and completely randomly, I cannot deal with. I found her annoying, stupid and pointless except to get Amy caught and for her to show how much she really loves Rory, just in case we forgot she was there for the dads watching, “wink, wink”, but this child just enforces my hatred for children in film and now television, because she is going to be such an annoying character, I just know it. The Silence were a good monster, if a bit vague, but that was meant to be part of the appeal, which is good, but when we know Moffatt can bring out the Angels with huge backstories, which terrify kids before they even see them, and we know the Daleks work incredibly well, in part because of their history, their backstory, which is what annoyed me about the Silence, they seemed to be a get out clause within a get out clause so we can see a whole load of technobabble and not have to have any reason for it.

Of course, I enjoyed the conclusion; the Silence condemning themselves to death was fitting and the video clip while watching the space landing was clever, funny and inventive. I enjoyed this opening two parter, but with the final scheduled to be just one episode long, I am worried that, like we saw in the beginning of The Impossible Astronaut, this was the end of something, I just hope it isn’t the end of common sense and good plots with good, non-annoying characters, and is the end of lots of random plot holes.

Inception Review

When I first watched Inception, I knew it had rave reviews, but kept an open mind, because films hyped up that much always seem to disappoint, like when you get told that a cake tastes perfect that much, that when you take a bite, it doesn’t really compare to the descriptions you got. I was right with Inception, It started abruptly and I had hardly any clue as to what was going on in the first 10 minutes, which world was which and what was going on, as the film progressed, I understood the concept and what they were actually doing with the events.

I have never been a huge Leonardo DiCaprio fan, there is just something about him that doesn’t quite fit in my books, but he did well, he was a bit excitable/hectic at times, but I guess that’s part of what he had to do, but it was a bit of an extreme portrayal. I must say, I was happy to see Ellen Page and her character, as she is a good comedy actress (Juno) and she played this more serious role very well, and gave you more sympathy towards Leonardo’s character, without her, I think I would not have really cared if he died or not.

The direction was compelling, I can see what people mean there, but you can’t go wrong with an anti-gravity hotel fight scene, but this was directed really well, and was enjoyable. I saw the appeal of everything, and if you looked at individual performances or scenes, they are good, but overall lack direction, especially with the “Mal” character stopping parts or filling gaps when the story might be dragging a bit. The film tries to be a fast paced, intelligent blockbuster, and it is, but it’s not all it could have been and was hyped up to be.

I can see why people said this cake was the best in the world, but after all the hype, I can see it being a good cake, it has most of the right ingredients, just probably not baked right.

Panic! At The Disco Vices And Virtues Review

Ever since Panic! split, I was worried about what they would be doing and hoped they wouldn't do anything stupid like the other half did, and went onto soft rock which frankly sounds naff, and i am extremely pleased to say they were smart.
This album is back to what we love, the madness of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, but we have hints at Pretty. Odd in songs such as Always, which emphasise the madness but they stand on their own as great tracks. Obviously I have favourite tracks, Hurricane, which I have decided to choreograph a dance to for a performance event, on the 25th of May, and Sarah Smiles which is just a lovely song, but with a good beat to keep you interested.
The publicity of this album, while not as mainstream as it really should be, worked, especially in the short film, The Overture, with clips of some of the songs from this album, and showing that Panic! are ready to come back fighting, if ever they were gone.

The sound just seems to put a smile on your face, get rid of the lyrics, I must say that Brendon and Spencer have stepped up to the plate excellently, by producing high quality, high energy tracks. Also, I would like to say to many critics of the song lyrics, who say the Album is majorly filled with simplistic lyrics, well, maybe that's the beauty of it, because it can connect with people differently, I heard one track, The Calendar, and got a different message than was meant to be given, at least it isn't narrow and sometimes confusing like some of the songs in Pretty. Odd became, it has identity for everyone, well, everyone with good taste in music.

In short, this is a class album, with all the quirks and bangs of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, but with the precision applied that Pretty. Odd contained. I sincerely hope this album gets some award or recognition.

10/10

Sucker Punch Review

Hi guys, sorry I know, I said I would post this ages ago, but at least I am now.

What can I say about Sucker Punch, well, I went into the cinemas with low expectations, I will admit, I expected a 15 rated movie for one, but this was a 12, and I expected a lot of action in short skirts and bad taste against women. I was I think anyway, pleasantly surprised, the movie starts with a fitting score which keeps the mood throughout, a soundtrack I am tempted to purchase.
Oddly, it takes about half an hour before any action starts, but I wasn't craving it, I was actually wanting to see the story develop more, the action was typical, but more tasteful than you would imagine, it focused more on the visual effects than "Babydoll", the lead.

I think I should explain this film, a girl, "Babydoll" loses her mother, and so her stepfather takes Babydoll and her sister, but when he finds that he is left nothing in the will, he goes to rape Babydoll, when she barricades herself in ther room, the stepfather advances to her young sister, Babydoll, escapes through the window, retrieves the stepfathers gun, and shoots at him, she misses and shoots her sister, then runs out of the house, to see the police, the stepfather has her sent to an asylum. This all happens in the first 5 minutes of the film, but it doesn't seem rushed, it is poetically directed, by the director of Watchmen, so it has that feel, but I felt different than I expected, I expected to want more action, but I wanted to see the drama unfold even more.

When being led through the asylum, and when the stepfather arranges for an illegal labotamy to be performed on Babydoll, we have the obligatory introduction of cast members and key, but Zack Snyder, the director does something to make it feel fresh and every key thing is pointed out but not in a condoscending or stupid way. And we reach the labotomy, where just before it is performed, we enter fantasy world number one, where everyone is part of a burlesque house, in roles that they would suit in the asylum, the same with when the characters are in fantasy world number two.

I won't reveal much more because, I fell you have to see it to understand what I am saying, it can't fit into a genre well, becuase it is it's own genre, and I like that, I wasn't a B rated movie, or a sob story drama, it was a journey, one which picked you up, but only if you wanted it to. I am speaking of the many critics who slated this movie for only satisfying Zack Snyders sick feelings, well, I think they are sick for not seeing this movie for what it was.

It is in essence, a struggle for escape for Babydoll and her friends, some of the most interesting points are kept a mystery but that is part of what appeals to me, I don't want to know how they really tried to escape in the asylum, I don't really want to know how they really retrieved the items, becuase I don't think any of the characters saw it, and it would be intruding on them.

I have to applaud the soundtrack, for fitting so perfectly into a 1960's setting, for enhancing the story and tension, also, the actors and actresses in this were actually not bad, especially with Vanessa Hudgens to act against, which is obviously hard, but Carla Gugino was superb, I must say, she was the rock that stopped this movie from slipping, she made you care about the characters, becuase she genuinely did, which is odd really, but she did and it was lovely.

In conclusion, don't see Sucker Punch for what you want, see it for what it is, it will be a much better experience, and I suggest you purchase the directors cut on DVD, as I feel it will give a much better experience, I know I will.

Children In Movies

I am enraged now, time to blog.
We all know the popular saying, never work with children or animals. Well, in part it is true, it is wether the child or animal is trained for the work, and whether it completely ruins the outcome. I am going to, of course concentrate on children in movies, because they do well, it is just the setting. Home Alone was a great film, Matilda, an iconic film, and the first Harry Potter, and what ties these films together is the content, they are family films, to snuggle up with and laugh or be captured in the ensuing plot, with the children being witty. Whereas, in horror films or thrillers, such as Pirannah, or Pitch Black, or other films with children related to the main character in some way, the child seems to be THE most important thing in the universe, nothing else matters, if the child needs to rest, we all rest even if there are a ton of aliens threatening to kill everyone, or the child completely messes up, and gets 3 characters killed, and then they get told not to do it again. A mosre recent example of this stupidity is the film Battle:Los Angeles, I saw the trailer and was innediately turned off the idea, becauce I heard the words "We have 2 civillians and 3 children", now in any horror with kids in, it is rare that they die, because people sacrifice themselves for the child, 3 will just mean slaughter. I love kids, I really do, but they are so frequent in Hollywood Blockbusters that they are annoying, it makes you want to stop having kids, so that they can't appear in any more, getting in trouble and, oops, killing nearly all the minority groups in the film in one go. So I propose, we make films where either, children die every time they mess up and get people killed, to teach the modern generation of children as well, that karma will get you sooner or later, or that there are films with just children as the leads, and at least one of them has to die, just so it keeps the little crazy person in my head happy.

The Hunger Games Trilogy Review

Right, now I have appreciated my Laptop more after it broke, I am bucking my ideas up, starting with this really.

I stumbled upon The Hunger Games really, and I have my laptop breaking to thank for that, it was only becuase I needed to use the internet that I went there, and I had a look round the teenage section and saw the first book, sitting on top of a pile of books, there was something about the cover that brought me to it, the look of the title, what the story was about or the girl in the centre. I read the synopsis on the back, and checked it out immediately.

That night I read, and couldn't stop, I found it would be insulting to stop reading, becuase I would be letting the main character, Katniss, down somehow, as I had read about the living conditions in a Post War Earth, where the Capitol rules over the 13 Districts, well, 12 now, as generations before, there was a rebellion, and 13 was destroyed to be made an example of. And since then, to ensure power never slipped, the Hunger Games were formed, where each year, all the boys and girls from each District, between 12 and 16 years old would be put in a raffle, a boy and a girl would be chosen from each District to compete against the others in the Hunger Games. However, to win, they had to be the last standing, the last alive, they are pitted against each other to fight to the death in perilous conditions.

Of course, no-one would go in voluntarily, but when Katniss' sister Prim is called forth to take part, she has to, to protect her little sister, even though going in is near suicide. The story telling captures something, the sparks you don't see in normal things, but makes them coma alive as you read, from Katniss' descriptions of her home District where they mine, and barely make enough to get by, to the descriptions of the Capitol, technicolour, and strange, I find it hard to argue why they are not planning on making the first book at least into a film, because you can already see it will be spectacular, it  is just sitting back and waiting to be made.

Most of the action, does not happen in the Games, but in the Events leading up to, it sounds and doesn't feel, initially enough action, but it is, it is perfect really, you follow everything that happens with Katniss, she is telling you as though you are stood next to you the whole time. I think the story flaws slightly in being, like the Capitol in a way, over thought, and over explained, and then, some of the heart, being lost in the process, but you could argue that that is what Katniss is really like, lacking a little heart, which she tells you from a very early point.

I do not want to give away too much in terms of plot, as it all is intricately tied into itself, in the way the Harry Potter books have, this will never be Harry Potter, I stress that, but it did to me in 3 weeks of reading, nearly what I fet after 3 years of Harry, it made me feel for the characters as they were real, could walk through the doors any second. All three of the books are my top 3 for the year, I cannot see anything beating them for character, life and rebellion.

9 out of 10.

Just To Vent

You think you can stop me,
When you can't even stop yourselves.
Stop seeing me, moving me,
Whne you can't even see yourself and
Don't know where you're going.

I'm the best, you're just jealous.
You want to be like me,
So you pick on my highlights.
Voice, Hair, Face, Posture, Personality.
Big up your worst parts,
Voice, Hair, Face, Posture, Personality.

You can't hear me yell, I don't want you to.
It's just to vent, like you vent on me.

Just a really long thing.

I would like to start off this post with a thank you to everyone who has read the blog or has listened to my Podcast/s. Because even if you listened/read to see if it was bad and to make fun of me, I don't mind, because in a way, you are helping me, If I get more views, the more likely strangers will read/listen and it has more of a chance to grow. So thank you. I am trying to get some video sketches up on youtube as well, like RoosterTeeth Shorts, or Armstrong and Miller show, I would like to give my own spin on these though, hopefully not everyone likes everything I do, becuase then its boring, I want criticism and applause becuase thats what happens in every business, and the more my stuff is talked about, the better my stuff will look.

I am going to be doing a bit of on the side comic strip making, I take all credit for the jokes though, even if they are stolen from ones people I know make, becuase its a recognition that they are funny, and I am letting the humour out in a way. I would also like to say thank you to everyone I know now, even the annoying idiots, minus a couple who I would rather have never ever met, because without everything that has happened in my life I couldn't be how I am, i would be another person trapped in the flow, and have decided to get a normal job.

I am more happy now than I have ever been, I feel because I can fit in groups and have fun and learn,a  combination I have never gotten the hang of, but I am ready to leave this happiness and go onto better stuff, where I can start fresh (Again) and know how to start properly, and stick with that good start. I want to go out and not let anything stop me becuase if I get the right stuff, I will feel invincible, and it will be good. I know this sounds soppy and boring but I mean everything and I want to go to so much stuff and its all there waiting for me, which is so exciting.

Thanks for taking time to read this if you have, if no-one does, I don't mind because at least that stuff's off my chest.

Comic

Twas hard finding a really funny and good joke, so I went for the random instead.

Huge Update

Nope, got nothing yet, sorry guys.