Your Geeky Friends

Arctic Monkeys: Sit down or Move on?

2011-04-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

At the end of the 3 minutes and 4 seconds that the new Monkey’s track took up on Zane Lowe’s show, a massive wind –probably- swept the country and possibly the world. This force of nature was almost definitely due to the fact that the new Arctic Monkey’s track kicked any doubts and misgivings we had about their new album into touch. It’s a new reason to add “Suck It and See” to your albums-that-are-more-important-than-food list.

Not seen: Colour

My major reaction to Brick by Brick (which is here) was that it's lyrics lacked the spark that we had come to expect from them. It’s a major relief then that DSDCIMYC (its acronym o’clock) is perhaps the wittiest we’ve heard from them in a long time. “Run with scissors… through a chip pan fire fight” Alex croons seductively over the unassuming guitar riff in the intro.

Of course, it doesn’t stay very unassuming for long, as the song is shot into space, becoming the type of snarling rock beast that Queens Of The Stone Age might have produced a while back. Coupled with a chorus that is basically arena chants of “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” and Matt Helders making his presence felt, there’s a lot to love here.

With two songs now previewed from the upcoming album, it seems that the Monkeys are kicking off the summer with the type of sun-tinged rock that’ll be lapped up at festival time. What a brilliant summer it’ll be.

Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair by arcticmonkeys

Ben Tyrer

LOTR: War in the North. One game to rule them all, or as repulsive as a Nazgul on heat?

2011-03-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

There appear to be many things in life that just aren’t worth attempting and leave you with a whole lot of hassle. Things such as; attempting to win an Oscar if you are under 30. Or even trying to find your Tamagotchi in a Tsunami wreckage (too soon?). And whilst I am not accusing the developers at Snowblind studios of attempting any of the above they do seem to be operating in a fruitless endeavour in churning out yet another Lord of the Rings based game.


The saviour of Middle-Earth games?

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, is the game that these developers believe, will finally restore a bit of credibility to the LOTR gaming sector. On paper War in the North has everything it needs to be a successful RPG. Freely roaming areas, treasure to loot, a strategic battle system and levelling and even an added sense of brutality to the game. The background to the story is that the three heroes have been sent to take down some bloke called Agandaur who is a lieutenant for arguably the most evil flame fuelled eye ever (that’s Sauron for those of you who have been living underground for the last 10 years). This bad-ass lieutenant is raising an army, unsurprisingly in the North. The game gives the player a choice of three characters to choose from; Eraden a Dunedain Ranger with solid ranged and melee attacks. Farin the Dwarf warrior renowned for his up-close ruthlessness with the added bonus of being able to spot weak points in structures or walls that can be smashed to pieces to either aid you in your search for treasure your help you find shortcuts in your path for victory. And finally Andriel the Elf Mage who is basically the cheerleader of the group offering both moral and spiritual support in the form of spells aimed at healing and protecting others.

Andriel is the groups protector

Farin can smash through walls


Eraden and his ranged weapons

War in the North mirrors The Third Age in the sense that it revolves around characters completely oblivious from the films, yet does include cameos from Aragorn, Gandalf and the like. Yet where The Third Age fails miserably in its strategic combat style, War in the North has returned to a more simple combat style evident in the Return of the King. Snowblind have wisely ousted the alternate battle turns from The Third age. Instead they have gone for a mix and match between the strategic approach of The Third Age and the “let’s mash the buttons and see what happens” approach of the original games. Basically when you encounter a baddie you strut around the surroundings as you please and attempt to take down an undead summoner (new to Middle Earth) or you can fall back and rely on the expertise of your “fellowship” and calculated moves to take down even the biggest of foes (and judging by some of the artists impressions, there are some BIG ones!).

"We should have just stayed in Osgiliath!"

So not only is a do you need the intelligence of Charles Xavier to overcome your enemies you’ll also need to make sure you don’t suffer from a dose of hemophobia, as it has also been revealed that the deaths, that were about as realistic as those ones children act out in a game of wink murder in previous LOTR games, are set to be bursting with the blood of the slain. However the people from Snowblind were quick to point out that it won’t be as grisly as you might expect for a game rated 18. They believe that too much gore makes the realism vanish and is instead replaced with a cartoony exterior.

Yet as many have found out before, even the most aesthetic and indulging LOTR game just can’t live up to the bravado of the trilogy of films. Take “The Return of the King”. In my opinion the only plausible of the middle-earth based games. The reason that game drew so much attention is, unlike the first two parts of the trilogy it left you with a compressed map that merely allowed you to hack your way through hoards of Orcs, spiders and the undead. This led to an immediate understanding of what needed to be done and where you needed to go. This made the game extremely addictive, as whilst you knew what need to be done, doing it was a whole different story. Yet the other Tolkien based games proved a blueprint of what not to do in creating a successful LOTR game.

THE HOBBIT

An absolute monstrosity of a game. Bilbo Baggins is probably one of the least desired Hobbits around (if Hobbits are desirable at all) so making him the only person you could control was a massive mistake. The graphics were extremely childish and the platform system of the game was frustrating and extremely pointless. If War in the North used this game in any way shape or form when constructing their game then avoid it at all costs.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

it tried to involve the surrounding environment to a better extent than platforms by introducing side quests etc. However the map became bogged down by unnecessary interactions which were either helpless or got you helplessly lost.

THE TWO TOWERS

It signalled a vast improvement in comparison to the previously mentioned games. The maps were cut down a lot more, the combat was more intriguing, the graphics were much, much better but it still failed to live up to the epic movie version.

THE RETURN OF THE KING

As previously mention The Return of the King creates a believable, action packed game as it took up the “let’s leave all this Sam and Frodo Bromance stuff alone and concentrate on stabbing the expletive out of Shelob and the like”. The two bonus levels at the end added a level boosting platform that allowed you to carry on playing after completing each storyline. Yet unfortunately the storylines were far too short.

THE THIRD AGE

It had all the potential to be an absolute classic. However the “let’s pretend were playing conkers and take turns attacking each other” dragged out the game. The save points in the game were few and far between, and whilst the visuals were the vastly improved it came at a cost as your enemies would suddenly appear out of absolutely nowhere. To be fair to The Third Age it did have its plus points such as its evil mode in which you could actually be the Balrog or Sauron, which was pretty bad ass, yet it failed to create a compelling storyline seeing as how you pretty much act out the films with random characters and after completing the game you can’t even save it.

CONQUEST

The Third Age’s introduction of the darker realms of Middle Earth did have us watering at the mouth a little. LOTR: Conquest should have satisfied our hunger for bad and evil. Yet the option to pick sides whilst an interesting concept was plain and simply bad, and not in the way Gollum was bad and evil, but more of a way that Elijah Wood’s acting career has been bad ever since these movies.

If War in the North can steer well clear of its predecessors then maybe just maybe the we will have a game that compelled us as much as the films did, but whilst War in the North looks promising many of its features seem regurgitated from its failed ancestors so the success of this game, as Galadriel would say, “stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail. But hope remains,” but for how much longer?

By Matt Mace

What are your thoughts on the game, or any of the LOTR games, let us know by commenting below.

Arctic Monkeys "Brick by Brick" or missed a trick?

2011-03-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already heard, the Arctic Monkeys released a new song today, called "Brick by Brick". And, naturally, we couldn't wait to fill our earholes with it's sun kissed grooves and stomps. Having spent the past hour listening to it on constant rotation, it's fair to say the Monkeys are back in style.

Pictured: Arctic Monkeys, not monkeys in the arctic.

Let's start off with our main criticism. Alex Turner is rightly lauded as one of the most articulate voices of his generation. Their debut, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not stands up as one of the defining pictures of life in northern England, but Brick by Brick is a huge step back from this. The song is clearly all about rebuilding, "I want to build you up, I want to break you down, I want to reconstruct" Helder, taking over on the lead vocals, croons in blistering fashion, but it never seems to have the same wit of Crying Lightening or Brainstorm. By all means, this is nothing approaching bad, but the band are certainly capable of much more.

Now, churlish nit-picking aside, the tune itself is instantly catchier than anything off Humbug and sounding like a sexier cousin to White Stripes' Girl, you have no faith in medicine. It's thundering guitars aren't in the rush their earlier singles were and Matt Helder's drumming is, as usual, tight and involving, instead of being there to keep time. It's the type of confident tune only a band four albums in could make, it shimmers with the sun of the LA studio they've been recording at and it feels as if you're being snaked along an American highway.

So, yes, it's good. In fact, give it a couple of listens and it becomes very good. The Monkeys don't seem to be in a rush to return to their post-punk angular guitars and are intent on building up their Americana stomp chops. If you weren't already weak at the knees for the new album, Brick by Brick will do a bang-up job of ensuring there's weakness in them knee bones.

Ben Tyrer

Agree or disagree, let us know what you think of the new song in the comments below!

2011 Oscar Predictions

2011-02-27T05:17:00.000-08:00

By some divine miracle, or perhaps jammy fluke, this time last year I managed to predict every winner in each Oscar category. I bet you’re all thinking either a) BULL-SHIT! This guy is talking out of his anus. Or you could be thinking b) OMG! He must be some kind of warlock that can see into the future; I wonder how much money he won for predicting that?!
The answer: I won nothing. My only recognition was a pat on the back from Empire Magazine. The truth of the matter is, I could be a millionaire if I managed to achieve the same feet this year—and remembered to place a bet on it. So, here it goes; this is my attempt at predicting the winners of the 2011 Oscar ceremony. Not that I’m back tracking already---but this is one of the hardest to call competitions in the last few years.
I’ve highlighted the potential winner for each category in RED! Any film/actor/actress who I actually think deserves the award, however probably won’t win it, is highlighted in yellow.

The Nominees for Best Picture:
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All RightThe King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

In my opinion this is the strongest Best Picture category we’ve had for a couple of years, so calling it could be very hard. Needless to say, I’m very much prepared for my first prediction to be fatally incorrect. Three films stand out as potential winners—The Kings Speech, True Grit and The Social Network. I think many of us would love to see either Toy Story 3 or Inception to win this; stranger things have happened.

Best Director
David O. Russell – The Fighter
Tom Hooper – The King’s Speech
David Fincher – The Social Network
Joel And Ethan Coen – True Grit
Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan

Again, this is a hard one to call. David Fincher seems like a good shout here, however, True Grit presented some of the most memorable scenes of the year.

Best Actress
Natalie Portman – Black Swan
Annette Benning – The Kids Are All Right
Jennifer Lawrence – Winter's Bone
Michelle Williams – Blue Valentine
Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole

Everybody has been raving about Natalie Portman’s portrayal of Darren Aronofsky’s demented ballet dancer, yet, I expect Annette Benning to step up to the plate here and perform too. If I was a betting man, I would say Benning-- but clearly I lack the balls to justify my gut instinct.

Best Actor
Javier Bardem – Biutiful
Jeff Bridges – True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network
Colin Firth – The King's Speech
James Franco – 127 Hours

I think the British darling Colin Firth is going to walk away with the gong this year, he was denied it last year---I think his time has come. Javier Bardem and Jeff Bridges would both be in contention any other year.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams – The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo – The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld – True Grit
Jacki Weaver – Animal Kingdom

It would be a crime if Hailee Steinfeld didn’t win this category. The academy is notorious for not awarding child actors—but in all honesty she carries the weight of True Grit on her shoulders. A remarkable performance from an even more remarkable up and coming talent. Let’s hope she doesn’t go off the rails any time soon. I’m putting my neck and balls on the line and sticking with my guns.

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale – The Fighter
John Hawkes – Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner – The Town
Geoffrey Rush – The King's Speech
Mark Ruffalo – The Kids Are All Right

Once again, this category is lead by British talent. It’s between Bale and Rush. Bale perhaps grabs this by a whisker.

Best Original Screenplay
Another Year - Mike Leigh
The Fighter - Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Keith Dorrington
Inception - Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right - Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The King's Speech - David Seidler

Personally I would love to see Inception win this but it could be any of these---they are all magnificent. I know I’m going to get this one wrong, so I’m going to say The kings Speech.

Best Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours - Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
The Social Network - Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3 - Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich
True Grit - Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Winter's Bone - Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

The Social Network. I think so.

Best Animated Film
Toy Story 3
The Illusionist
How To Train Your Dragon

Another no brainer!

Best Foreign Film
Biutiful (Mexico)
Dog Tooth (Greece)
In A Better World (Denmark)
Incendies (Canada)
Outside the Law (Algeria)

A fantastic film, which is transformed by the performance of Javier Bardem. My knowledge is slim of this category but I’ve heard rave reviews about Bardem’s performance. It might just be enough.

Technical Categories:
Best Score
How to Train Your Dragon – John Powell
Inception – Hans Zimmer
The King's Speech – Alexandre Desplat
127 Hours – A.R. Rahman
The Social Network – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Best Song
Coming Home from Country Strong – Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
I See the Light from Tangled – Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
If I Rise from 127 Hours – Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
We Belong Together from Toy Story 3 – Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Best Cinematography
Black Swan – Matthew Libatique
Inception – Wally Pfister
The King's Speech – Danny Cohen
The Social Network – Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit – Roger Deakins

Best Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland – Colleen Atwood
I Am Love – Antonella Cannarozzi
The King's Speech – Jenny Beavan
The Tempest – Sandy Powell
True Grit – Mary Zophres

Best Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland – Robert Stromberg, Karen O'Hara
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 – Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
Inception – Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
The King's Speech – Eve Stewart , Judy Farr
True Grit – Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh

Best Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland –Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 – Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian
Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
Hereafter – Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
Inception – Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
Iron Man 2 – Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Best Sound Editing
Inception – Richard King
Toy Story 3 – Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
Tron: Legacy – Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
True Grit – Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
Unstoppable – Mark P. Stoeckinger

Best Sound Mixing
Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

Best Documentary Feature Exit through the Gift ShopGasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land

Best Live Action Short Film
The Confession
The Crush
God Of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143

Best Animated Short Film
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let's Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar

Best Documentary Short Subject
Killing In The Name
Poster Girl
Strangers
Sun Comes Up
The Warriors Of Qiugang

Best Editing
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

Best Make-up
Barney's Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

There we have it. Expect more to be wrong than right—especially in the technical categories. Who knows, this time in tomorrow I could be a millionaire.

Adam Bartlett

Valentine's disaster and the songs you need for it.

2011-02-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

With Valentine’s Day now just hours behind us, isn’t it time to take a step back and see what the next logical steps are for most couples. Breaking up. And when all break-ups come around, there is one thing we all turn to make sure that deep down, we can pull ourselves through it. Music. And with this increasingly morose theme starting to head off the rails, it’s time to look at what are the best songs to listen to after the romance of Valentine’s Day has turned into the dejection of February 15^th.

Warning: Overtly symbolic use of colour

The Beatles – For No One

“She no longer needs you” – Paul McCartney

In one devastating short sentence, McCartney sums up everything you fear at the end of a relationship. As the wounded protagonist is forced to accept the grisly fate, the mournful French horn provides the briefest glimmer of hope in the background. It’s the sound of a million heart’s snapping in half and, whisper it, is better than that other Macca ballad, Yesterday.

Radiohead – How to Disappear Completely

“The moment’s already passed” – Thom Yorke

So, naturally, Radiohead were going to crop on this list at some point. No Surprises and Creep could just as easily be here, but it’s How to Disappear Completely’s marriage of increasingly harrowing lyrics to a crumbling soundscape that places it above those two. What starts out as mainly an acoustic guitar, slowly melts into a tidal wave of electronic static, the song steadily building to a crash of strings and Yorke’s pained vocals. If life had soundtrack, this would be the crushing moment of realisation at the end of a relationship.

Alkaline Trio - Cringe

“You were the last good thing I ever saw” – Matt Skiba

Now so far in our list, there’s been a focus on the slower side of things. And naturally, there’s always the period of anger, self-loathing and thrashing around like Nicolas Cage in The Wicker Man. For this stage, the Trio have you covered. It’s got a simple riff, loud drums and charges head first into all the pain and heartbreak of Skiba’s lyrics. Yeah, so it’s not going to make you feel any better, but it’s going to get stuck in your head like chewing gum on a desk.

James Blake – Limit To Your Love

“Like a map with no ocean, there’s a limit to your love” – James Blake

Now then, this gets placed ahead of Fiest’s original version of Limit To Your Love for the sheer harrowing ambience. Blake’s baby tones seem to be breaking as he squeezes out lyrics, but it doesn’t need lyrics to sink it’s hook into you. Blake has recently became dubstep’s poster child for his sparse production and here is the best showcase for his jaw-dropping talents; long silences and stabs at a piano. This will scrape your soul.

Nick Drake – From The Morning

“A day once dawned and it was beautiful” – Nick Drake

And, at the end of that soul searching, nights with the tissues and films, possible drunken binges that have resulted in restraining orders etc, there comes that moment of acceptance. From The Morning is the audible equivalent of that moment. The final track off the best acoustic album ever released – controversy! – is absurdly gentle, lyrically, compared to what has come before it on the album and it’s simple chords is the literal sound of a sun rising through the forest. In short, want to feel better after 14^th of February? This song has you covered.

Ben Tyrer

Ten alternative love songs

2011-02-15T13:07:00.000-08:00

Valentines has been and gone and many people (especially single people) would have grown tired of the same old soppy love songs, from Elton John to Snow Patrol. Not all love songs are vomit-enducing however, some are great songs that you should use to serenade your lover next year. So here are my top 10 alternative love songs that prove that a song about loving a girl doesn't have to be aimed at middle aged women or screaming teenagers.

10. Hellogoodbye – Here (in your arms)

A definite guilty pleasure, the Californian pop group’s super-synthy record oozes charm from every beat. “I like where we are, when we drive in your car”. The lyrics are nothing short of very cheesy and cliché, but there is something sweetly innocent about the simple yearning to attract a girl.

9.The White Stripes – Fell in love with a girl

Jack White certainly knows how to write a song. Fell in Love with a girl clocks in at just under 2 minutes long but provides a perfect example of why the duo were so good. A rocking riff, simple drum beat and great lyrics combine to make up the Stripe’s classic. Plus, the video has Lego in it. That alone makes it awesome. It is a shame that the band have split.

8.Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl

Proving that love songs don’t have to be soppy, Jamiroquai turn up the dance floor groove to 11 with this disco belter.

7.Daft Punk – Digital love

The French electronic duo proves that behind the cold and expressionless masks lies two deeply emotional human beings. Well, on Digital Love at least. The song from their superb album Discovery doesn’t even mention the L word once but tells the story of dreaming about a girl out of reach. “Suddenly I feel the shining sun; Before I knew it this dream was all gone”. I’m sure every person reading this can relate to that frustration.

6. Bloc Party: This Modern Love

The London band’s debut album is one of the greatest British indie albums of recent years, spawning hugely successful singles such as ‘Helicopter’ and ‘Banquet’. Outside of the singles, the album was riddled with hidden charms and This Modern Love is one of the best. A much more mellow and soft turn compared to most of the toe tapping riffs of the likes of ‘Helicopter’ or ‘Banquet’ with beautiful lyrics to match. “You told me you wanted to eat up my sadness. Well jump on, enjoy, you can gorge away.” Please Kele. The Boxer was good and all but please make some more Bloc Party material. Please.

5. Example – Watch the sun come up

A prime example of why just because a love song is in the chart doesn’t mean it is horrendously generic (I’m looking at you, Bruno Mars). With Watch the Sun Come up, Example tells the tale of a holiday romance. The one night fling is felt like an everlasting love, with romance being the spoken language between the two lovers; “Spoke through kisses you didn’t speak English”. Example is showing why he is fast becoming one of the best lyricists around.

4.Bombay Bicycle Club – Ivy and Gold

Bombay Bicyle Club’s latest album is one of pure joy. It feels like the warm beauty of the summer crammed into over an hour of musical goodness. The band ditched their electric-indie roots and chooses a folk-inspired turn, with the highlight being the ever lovely Ivy and Gold. If you don’t like the song at the moment, wait until the summer. Sit outside in the sun. Get a pint of cider. Turn on Ivy and gold. Enjoy.

3. The Killers – Mr Brightside

A song just as much about heartache about love, Mr Brightside tells the tale of seeing a woman who you love out of your reach with another man. “Now they're going to bed And my stomach is sick And it's all in my head But she's touching his-chest Now, he takes off her dress
Now, letting me go”. The Killers are a great band and this is their best work.

2.The XX – VCR

After being on the music scene for a few years, The XX deservedly exploded into the mainstream after their 2010 Mercury Music win. The beautifully soft VCR is the highlight of the bands amazing self titled debut album. Romy Croft and Oliver Smith’s contrasting vocals in The XX add a genuinely unique twist to current indie music and the duo are on top form in VCR. One of my most listened to tracks of recent years.

1.Foo Fighters – Everlong

My personal favourite song of all time, so I will not be ashamed in spouting my biased love for it. It features one of the best lines in a song ever; “Breath out, so I can breathe you in.” It is the perfect blend of soulful guitar and heart-felt rock, with Dave Grohl’s voice providing the sometimes spine-tinglings overlay to the track. The acoustic version is also superb, especially on the Skin and Bones album. Nothing beats the original though.

Callum Alexander

The rise of the 'Smartphone'

2011-02-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

Sales figures show in the final quarter of last year 33 million smartphones running the Android operating system were sold, up from just 3 million in the last year. It has and over-taken Nokia's Symbian platform and it is clear Smartphones have landed and are here to stay. Here is a look at the history of smartphones, including iconic devices and some forgetten relics.

The great granded to your iPhone

1992: IBM arguably release the first ever smartphone, 'Simon'. Priced at $899, the Simon offered a touchscreen, mobile phone capabilities, a world clock, note pad, calculator , e-mail and games. Memory: 1MB.

1996: Finnish mobile giants Nokia releases the 9000 Communicator, the first in it's line of Communicator phones.

2000: Ericsson release the first ever phone running the Symbian operating system, the R380. The phone has wireless internet, a touchscreen, infrared communicator and much more.

2000: Nokia's communicator phones evolve with the 9210, being the first colour screen smartphone and the first Nokia phone to run the Symbian operating system.

2000: Microsoft enter the smartphone market with Pocket PC 2000, the first to use the Windows Mobile operating system.

2002: The first BlackBerry hits the market, from Candian company Research-In-Motion (RIM).

2002: Little-known company Handsprings (later bought by Palm, Inc.) releases the Treo 180, a flip phone with full keyboard.

2003: 3, a brand of Hong Kong based Hutchison Whampoa, brings 3G to Europe. 3G allows for high speed internet access, helping smartphones become a lot smarter.

2004: Nokia brings out the 9500 in it's series of communicator phones, which is the first to include an inbuilt camera and wi-fi access.

2007: Apple releases the revolutionary iPhone. Despite a lack of 3G access, it introduced the multi-touch screen and paved the way for the current iPhones and helped push modern smartphones into the mainstream.

2008: Open-source operating system Android, backed by Google, is released with the T-Mobile G-1.

2008: Apple opens the app store, allowing users to download apps and games straight to their phones. Later that year, 10 million apps are downloaded.

April 23 2009: 1 billion apps are downloaded.

April 19 2010: Online blog Gizmodo leak photos and specs of the iPhone 4, reportedly bought for $5000 after it was left in a bar by an Apple worker.

Sept 16 2010: In an effort to topple Apple and Android, Microsoft release Windows Phone 7, the latest iteration of their Windows phones, offering a new intuitive interface.

Jan 26 2011: 10 billion apps are downloaded.

Jan 31 2011: Android passes Symbian as the operating system with the largest market share.

3Ds arguement: Nintendo 3DS or Nintendon't

2011-02-03T14:09:00.000-08:00

With the release of the Nintendo 3DS just around the corner, two of our writers sat down and debated the portable console, until neither knew what dimension they were in. Each had strong feelings concerning the revamped bundle o’ gaming and try to convince you whether, on March 27th, you should be the first line in Game or be far too busy playing on your DSi.

3DS in... 2D

Ben

Tuesday 23rd March 2010. The dull lighting in the stockroom of Game Nuneaton is comforting, as a routine 2-6pm shift is about to be carried out. A colleague questions, “Have you heard? Nintendo just announced something pretty massive”. There’s a race to the iPhone, a dash to computerandvideogames.co.uk and the screen finally crosses the line. Then everything stops. Time, for all I’m aware, comes crashing to a halt, as my heart pounds against my rib cage. One simple phrase causes this.

3D without glasses.

The Nintendo 3DS had captured my heart with sickening ease. Now, after the 3DS stealing the show at E3 and the press conferences in Amsterdam, we know that the 3DS has the potential to be so much than a revolutionary moment in 3D technology. It has the opportunity to be a revolutionary moment in portable gaming.

3D is the mighty, three-dimensional, elephant in the room. Every time 3D has rolled into cinemas, cries of “head-ache inducing” and “brings nothing to the experience” are screamed until critics are holding the dismembered head of 3D cinema in their hands. But this isn’t cinema, and 3D is finally beginning to break the prison of the multiplexes. 3DTV’s have been out for roughly a year and 3D gaming gained a considerable notch on the bedpost with Black Ops supporting 3D for those who have the active shutter glasses and 3DTV.

And the 3DS is the first major opportunity to finally make 3D a mainstream passion, instead of a tech obsession. The first one is the obvious, glass-less 3D will eliminate the need to wear ugly, bulky glasses. Moreover, the loss of colour from 3D films comes from the glasses you wear. No glasses should hopefully equal more colour on our games.

The second is the fact the effect is controllable by an analogue slider next to the top-screen. How many times have you wrestled with the decision to walk out of a 3D film becomes a chore, not an experience? The 3DS slider practically spells the end for headaches by giving you the power of controlling the depth of the 3D and turning it off when eye-fatigue set’s in.

Games

In 2008, a tear ran down the cheek of my soul. As a sales assistant it was my job to sell games. My integrity didn’t like it to begin with, but jumped out of my body and ran screaming the day I convinced a couple that Wii Music would be perfect for all the family at Christmas. To this day, my spirit has issues with me.

So it was with a sigh of great relief when the games started trickling in for the 3DS. Instead of the usual launch pap, we’ve got Super Street Fighter 4 3D edition, Lego Star Wars 3, Kid Icarus: Uprising, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Sims 3 and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. These are just a mere handful of the most impressive launch games that should capture the imagination of old die-hard Nintendo fans and newer, fresh faced younglings.

3D Films… On the go

At E3 last year, Nintendo showed off Dreamwork’s better than expected “How to Train Your Dragon” and this led to the realisation in Hollywood that here was a very elegant solution on how to ensure that 3D films these days aren’t consigned to all two of the people who own a 3DTV and a 3D Blu-ray and a…

Yes, to watch 3D films at home you need to be Bill Gates and willing to know as much about the tech as he probably does. But the 3DS doesn’t require you to be a millionaire or to have a PhD in new technology. Although little has been confirmed in the way of films, a simple download store would offer Nintendo an absolutely huge market for people who want to view 3D films the way they did in cinema, while giving Johnny 3DS Owner something to gawp at on the bus in the morning.

Coming to a handheld near you?

I’m well aware that the 3DS is up against the wall in recent weeks. Luke-warm first impressions, a fairly hefty price-tag and the news of PSP NGP has all but killed off enthusiasm for the two screened, pocket filling, fun bag. Don’t let it kill yours. Nintendo’s focus on new generation (Resident Evil Saints Row, Assassin’s Creed) and old generation (Zelda, Kid Icuras) should please any gamer who has ever wanted a mix of the latest and the greatest. Then you have the ability to view 3D films on the move, create 3D images and a functioning online system, something Nintendo has seemed almost allergic to.

Oh and this is 3D without glasses. You know, what you thought the future would bring when you were six and wearing those silly cardboard glasses. And for that feeling alone, the 3DS will deserve a place in the heart of any self-respecting tech addict.

Callum

So it seems that the media industry as a whole have decided that a measly two dimensions aren’t good enough for our viewing pleasure. It was only a matter of time until the third (and seemingly best) dimension came storming into gaming full force. The Nintendo 3DS, Nintie’s latest handhold offer, has been officially priced and dated for Europe, arriving at our shores on March the 25^th and costing a staggering £229.99. Ben has already told you why he has “a boner for it” (Ben - Don't worry, I probably did say that over a pint at some stage) but I am far from convinced that the handheld is a revolution in gaming.

3D films have been around since the 50s and seem to come and go over the decades but this fad is here to stay, largely in part due to the huge success of Avatar. It is undeniable that no matter what you say about the film’s wafer thin plot or uninspiring characters, its stunning visuals provided more eye candy than Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi. The 3D was masterful and immersive and smashed box office records as everyone flooded to see the film. However, this led to dozens of films jumping on the bandwagon and converting the film to 3D in post production, the shoddy effects adding nothing to the film except the extra £1.50 to the ticket - which, let’s be honest, is why studios do it. 3D isn’t popular because it is seen as a ground-breaking new medium to push films to new limits, it is to make money. This is why I was sceptical when Nintendo announced the 3DS. Surely the company, ever the innovator in the gaming industry, weren’t just hopping on the gimmicky 3D bandwagon?

Poor Battery Life

With news about the console progressing from mere drippings to an almost flood of information, my pessimism about device has grown. Worryingly, Kotaku have reported that the 3DS will have as little as three hour’s battery life. Three hours?!?! Having a handheld console with that little battery life is about as useful as bringing a gun to a lightsaber fight. It would be useless for sustained outdoor playing and would need to be charged daily, making it about as handheld-friendly as Nintendo’s ‘Virtual Boy’ from the 90s. For those hardcore gamers wanting to commit some solid hours into some 3D Zelda or Resident Evil, they will have to play on their sofa plugged into the wall – completely defeating the point of handheld gaming.

It costs how much?!?! (Also featuring sub-standard graphics)

I can see the pixels from here.

I’m sure some Nintendo fanboys are shouting at their screens right now, saying things such as “but the 3D is just an addition, with it all the way in 2D it has up to 8 hours battery life and awesome graphics!” Eight hours is a much more acceptable battery life but you shouldn’t have to gimp your playing experience just to get what should come as standard. As for '2DS' having good graphics, a 3DS without the 3D is just a slightly better DS, something that is not worth the asking price of up to £230. After looking at some screen shots and game play footage, as nice as the graphics are they do not match what the iPhone can currently achieve. Infinity Blade kicks the pixelly-crap out of anything on show for the 3DS and the recently unveiled PSP2 is capable of running PS3 games (that’s something even the Wii can’t say). If users are willing to play with 3D off, then Nintendo are better at brainwashing than Derren Brown.

Without the gimmicky 3D, the console becomes nothing more than a slightly better DS, with better (but not amazing) graphics and more connectivity features. Console re-launching and rebranding is nothing new (this would be the 5^th edition of the console, after the original, the DSlite, DSi and DSi XL) but charging over £100 than the current generation is horrendous. To put it into context, for the same price I could get an Xbox 360 4gb, two games and still have £30 left over. I know what I’d buy.

So that’s what we think about the 3DS here at YGF. What is your opinion of the console? Is it the future of gaming or nothing more than gimmicky trash? Leave a comment below.

My Top Ten Most Anticipated Albums of 2011

2011-01-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

No 10: Black Lips

Okay, many of you will be thinking---really??? I grant your scepticism; this is the American band that reportedly pisses in each other’s mouths whilst on stage. But hear me out, none other than Mark Ronson is going to be sitting in the producers chair for this new homage to 60’s house garage rock. Ronson is aiming to capitalise on the band’s spiritual grass roots as 70’s Punk band. The album is expected in Mid 2011, with no set release date stated at this present time. Expect fireworks from the band, during recording there was an unhealthy amount of “shitting, vomiting and fever”—they must be cooking up something pretty spectacular. Stand out tracks will include: ‘Raw Meat’, ‘Dumpster Diving’ and ‘Modern Art’.

Is he blind in his left eye? Was it piss related?

No 9: Metronomy: ‘The English Riviera’

One of my all time favourite and local Indie/Electronic bands, Metronomy, are following up their 2008 success ‘Nights Out’ with another quirky ensemble of electric funk; only this time under the guise of ‘The English Riviera’. The band, now an official four piece, has added two new members in the form of Anna Prior and Gbenga Adelekan-- they join Devonian boys Joe Mount and Oscar Cash. Expect some insane jives, ghostly vocals and just plain outrageous guitar riffs. This band is an ecstasy inducing funk furore, the likes of which we’ve never seen before. Released in March; look out for ‘She wants’ ‘Love underlined’ and ‘The Look’.

No 8: Kasabian

Do I really need to introduce them? The word on the street is that Serge Pizzorno has almost completed the yet untitled fourth album and that he’s working on something BIG. In his own words “This is an emulation of OK, Computer. I just want people to fucking come away from it going ‘Yep, great album. It’s different. I love this.” We can expect this to be available for download before the festival season gets us under way.

No 7: Kanye West and Jay-Z: ‘Watch the Throne’

Oh baby, it’s time for some controversy. Love them or hate them; it is simply impossible to ignore this record. The two greatest--? Err---most infamous hip-hop artists of our generation, both doing battle to produce what we hope will be a truly fresh sound. Expect egos. Big egos. Or should I say grand egotisiques; as this album was indeed recorded in Southern France. The first single should be out any day now, with the album due for a March release.

Nice Trousers, Kanye.

No 6: The Streets: ‘Computers and Blues’

Today is a sad day for lovers of chav rap. ‘Computers and Blues’, the fifth Streets studio album, is to be their last. Mike Skinner is calling time on the outfit, with the February 7^th release, providing the send off that the band deserves. This album is the dog’s bollocks. Skinner has gone back to his roots providing the vintage Street’s philosophies of old. Look out for ‘Without a blink’ and ‘We can never get old’.

No 5: Friendly Fires: ‘Pala’

The Friendly fires must be breathing a deep sigh of relief to have almost completed their DREADED SECOND ALBUM. Their incredible debut, self titled, had an amazing reception---back in 2008! Now, three years later, we are going to get the privilege of hearing their second offering. Please be good. I have my fears for the fires; I just hope I’m proven wrong. They too, like Kanye and Jay Z, have been finding a new sound in France under the premise that you can’t rush a good album. That’s fair game but anytime this year would be appreciated. They’ve promised April will showcase songs such as ‘Running away’, ‘Blue Cassette’ and ‘True Love’. I can hardly wait.

No 4: Bombay Bicycle Club

Stunning debut album: check. A decent ‘tried something different acoustic’ second album: check. Ditching the acoustic: check. Going back to their electronic roots: FOR THE LAST FUCKING TIME. CHECK. The BBC did create a fantastic, acoustically mellow album in 2010, but they’re getting back into bed with the big boys for this next one. In a similar vein to the ‘friendly fires’, the BBC have never been one’s to rush anything. They got their breakthrough at the V festival in 2006, having won a competition but it took them a further three years to complete their debut album. Like any decent beer though, good music needs time to settle and I anticipate that this album will be a stonker. I don’t think any lover of the band will want them to rush this one; it is pencilled in for June which gives them plenty of time to deliver some golden tracks. ‘Bad timing’, ‘The Sleep Song’ and ‘Beggars’ are completed and ready to go!

No 3: The Strokes

Hmm, this one is hard to fathom. It is fair to say that this fourth album could very well be the maker or breaker for the band that, in 2001, changed the face of modern rock as we know it, with ‘Is this it’. Here’s what I know: the album will encompass 10 Songs, it was produced by themselves with help from Gus Osberg and Joe Chiccarelli (U2, Beck, Bijork), the potential release date is sometime in March and that lead vocalist Albert Hammond Jnr thinks it’s a gooden. He doesn’t usually lie, honestly.

Legennnnndddddsssss!

No 2: Coldplay

Many of you have just read this and shouted WTF!!!!!!?????!!!!!!! I apologise, however, ‘Mr Shouty Man’; think yourself lucky, Coldplay were almost number one. It cannot be argued that Coldplay should be considered as one of Britain’s very best bands, they’ve been around for an eternity now but they just keep producing stellar records. They are still searching for their masterpiece (I think their debut Parachutes is entirely that) and I don’t expect them to give up until they believe they have made it. The new album has promised to be a piece that lyrically looks at musical perspectives from different angles; a few of the songs will come from a woman’s point of view. This has the potential to be magnificent, just as long as it is no ‘Christmas Lights’. Expect to be able to get your hands on it in the coming spring.

No 1: James Blake

This one man electronic wonder kid is about to explode into 2011 with an epic album that will infuse post-dub step electro with eerie vocal harmonies. James Blake, recently runner up in the ‘Sound of 2011’ competition is going to be blowing up big time this year. If you have heard some of the leaked EP’s from his forthcoming album, you too, will be blowing up. Everybody has been raving about ‘Limit to your Love’; a blinding solo vocal track that uses silence as well as it uses its electronic pulse. ‘CMYK’ is another purely electronic tune that forces your feet to move with ecstatic rigour. Blake is the white noise king; I would imagine that he could also be crowned King of 2011.

Wab Wab Wab!

A few Apologies:

Here are some of the bands that narrowly missed out on the top ten: Glasvegas, The Big Pink, Beady Eye, Arctic Monkeys and Elbow. Did I get it right? Let me know what you think!!!

Adam Bartlett

The Golden Globes: Insert witty Ricky Gervais insult here.

2011-01-18T05:10:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, get your slimming pants and tuxedos out of that dingy walk-in cupboard; dust them down and force them on for size.

You guessed it; it’s time to roll out the red carpet for Hollywood’s most prestigious month on the calendar; January welcomes the warm return of the Oscar season.

Also known as "Really? Burlesque?? Awards"

For 68 consecutive years now, the Oscars have been preceded by their neighbour, the utterly insignificant Golden Globe awards. The Globes are often described as the indicator to who may receive the accolades at the Oscars; any damn right minded film contributor doesn’t really give a shit about the Globes—they’re normally already dribbling at the prospect of getting their grubby little mitts on the shiny golden man a few weeks later. The truth of the matter is that more people are concerned with whose wearing what, who’s had a boob job--who needs a boob job-- whose stretch marks were sagging; then they are with the actual awards themselves. The Golden Globes are the world’s leading pioneers in the creation of the bitch festival.

To make matters worse, when the nominations for the Globes were released on December 14th, they were the equivalent of a randy teenager’s jar of wank. Johnny ‘potential-walking-deity’ Depp received two nods for his roles in ‘The Tourist’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’. WTF? No offence to the Depp-Meister, he is a sensational actor, but come on! The Tourist had to be one of 2010’s biggest flops, boasting a fantastic cast lead by Depp and Jolie, only to be drowned out with a lethargic script and poor romantic chemistry. (Empire gave it 2 stars, Total Film 2 stars; it has been certified 43% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes) Apparently, it was still worthy of a nomination for Best film. Let me not fail to mention Burlesque. Yes---you heard me right. The strippers answer to High School Musical was also up for a nod in the Best Film- Musical/Comedy. Can any sane human being tell me how Burlesque was in any way shape or form better than Scott Pilgrim vs. The World? Or even Jackass 3D for that matter? How the Coen Brothers remake of John Wayne’s swansong, True Grit, didn’t receive any nomination? AT ALL.

It is entirely fair to say that the members of the academy who compiled the shortlist of nominations for the Globes were either a) taking financial/ sexual bribes or b) high on numerous illegal substances. Thank the high heavens then that they seemed to have battled their problems and announced some popular---realistic---winners at last night’s award ceremony.

Leading the way was David Fincher, and his band of merry men, with their Facebook drama- The Social Network. Picking up four gongs for Best Film- Drama, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Score; they were humble winners. The film’s screenplay was the foundation for their success; Aaron Sorkin compiled a film that captured the culture of the Facebook generation—combining betrayal, love and obsession to encompass arguably the world’s most powerful man.

There were also, thankfully, wise choices in the Musical/ Comedy category with The Kids are Alright picking up two gongs for Best Film- Musical/ Comedy (I would have put my fist through the TV had Burlesque won) and Best Actress for Annette Benning who put in her best turn since 1999’s American Beauty. Benning will most certainly do battle with Natalie Portman for the Best Actress Academy award in a few weeks time, after Portman picked up the award for Best Actress in a leading role-Drama. Her performance is utterly breath-taking as an unconventional, psychologically unstable, ballet dancer in Black Swan. 2011 could indeed be her year.

The same could be said for British darling Colin Firth, he picked up The King’s Speech’s only award of the night from 7 nominations. His Best Actor- Drama award was in my opinion the only certain result of the night. No-one deserves the Oscar more than Firth, having only narrowly missed out last year with his portrayal of homosexual lecturer in A Single Man. My gut instinct is that he will do the double with the Oscar---his film will also perform far better.

Other notable awards went to Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Paul Giamatti. The latter receiving the Best actor in a leading role Comedy/Musical. Bale and Leo both received their awards for supporting actor/actress for their respective roles in The fighter. Toy Story won Best Animation, no surprises there! I’ll be shell-shocked if it does not get a nod for Best Film with the Academy. In the world of television Glee and Boardwalk Empire rightfully reigned supreme, with an extremely deserved award for veteran Steve Buscemi for the latter.

The ultimate winner of the night was Ricky Gervais, who may have indeed received a slap on the wrist during almost an hour off the stage. If this was to be his last time as an awards ceremony host; he went out on fire.

So, what do these results tell us about the Oscars? The answer is simple. Nothing. We can be as sure of this as we can be that Burlesque was not going to win an award---and that Jenifer Anniston has definitely had a boob job. The questions we should all be asking are: do we really need the Golden Globes anymore? What exactly do they provide us film lovers? I’ll let you be the judge.

Adam Bartlett

What we can expect from Elder Scrolls V

2011-01-14T06:11:00.000-08:00

A lot can happen in five years. I myself have spent the time emerging victorious in my battles against puberty, scraping through my A-levels and now find myself a fully-fledged (albeit failing) Uni student. However before you rush to send my congratulatory card in the post may I first point you in the direction of the publisher and developer Bethesda who have spent their last five years in a far more productive manner than myself. Most notably for the fifth instalment of The Elder Scrolls. And guess what, there will be dragons!

Admit it, this has got you all hot and bothered

Bethesda’s Tom Howard appeared at the Spike TV Video Game Awards to announce that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be released on 11th November this year. For all the ES fanatics out there, the 5 year gap between The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and the latest instalment, may seem unbearable, yet let me remind you that Oblivion wasn’t without its faults. So what can we realistically hope to expect from the people at Bethesda?

Well if you have watched the trailer then it’s pretty obvious what to expect…dragons! Honestly, when I first heard this I cried a little. But these weren’t the tears of sadness you get when you found out the Jar-Jar Binks lives at the end of Star Wars; no, these were the tears of joy that you get when two Kit-Kats fall out the vending machine instead of one. Dragons, by far the most mesmeric creatures to ever grace the fantasy world are appearing in Elder Scrolls V, with meaningful effect. One can only hope that these majestic creatures (I know I’ve got a bit of an obsession with dragons, Dragonite was my favourite Pokemon by the way) aren’t merely limited to a few bosses on the storyline. I crave for interaction with these winged beasts on multi-purpose levels.

Imagine merely exploring the mountain paths of Skyrim when you happen to stumble on an ancient dragon (much like the ones you saw on Spyro) who offers you missions much like the guilds on Oblivion. Even better why not be able to train your very own dragon to transport you and aid you in combat. Don’t get me wrong I was a big fan of Shadowmere but a dragon beats an evil horse hands down. The possibilities of these dragons are endless, yet these are just imaginations of the mind and we shall have to wait and see as to what Elder Scrolls V actually offers up.

With the inclusion of dragons the Skyrim it is vital that Bethesda get their graphics right. The evolution in terms of game-play is evident by looking at Elder Scrolls: Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind and Oblivion. So one can only wonder as to what Skyrim is going to unleash onto the gaming world. It is already well documented that Elder Scrolls V will be running on an engine similar to what is visible in Fallout 3 and New Vegas. With this in mind we can expect to wave goodbye to the lifeless expressions that plagued the characters in Oblivion, with more enhanced facial features much like what we see in New Vegas.

I personally hope that Bethesda comply a total revamp of the levelling system that left levelling up in Oblivion as a fruitless endeavor. In Oblivion the whole game world would level up as you do. Whilst this does allow you to obtain some pretty awesome equipment (think back to the shrine quests where you’d happily sell your Argonian mother just to meet the required level) it also generates some pretty worthless opponents. Who really wants to spend their time failing to try and smash a sewer rat to pieces with a Deadric sword?

It would, instead, make much more sense to let these sordid little creatures remain at hopelessly low levels and instead introduce a more natural system in which the further you venture into the wilderness the more powerful the opponent you meet. Let the rats and the crabs lurk near the outskirts of the city, and more importantly let us have the ego-trip of a lifetime by seeing its blood seep out of its body after one mighty swing from our kick-ass weapon. It really would add a lot more strategy to the game if we were to come across a creature in the depths of a dungeon so impossibly powerful, that it makes our little level two character wet itself in fear. Not only does this add an element of surprise to the game but it also makes the levelling up system extremely beneficial to the storyline.

So despite being undoubtedly amazing Oblivion did have its faults. Yet with five years of development under their belts the people at Bethesda may have finally created the game that not only leaves its fans mesmerised as to the quality of the storyline, but also one that leaves its fans without any sort of criticism.

Matt Mace

Andy Serkis and Ian McKellen confirmed for The Hobbit

2011-01-11T04:42:00.000-08:00

Whilst this comes as no suprise, this news does bring a huge smile to my face. I'm a huge fan of the epic Lord of The Rings trilogy (can you believe that The Fellowship came out almost 10 years ago now!) and it is awesome to see Jackson's latest tale from Tolkein's universe really start to materialise.

According to Deadline.com, which has the news about Serkis signing on, Christopher Lee could also be in line to make a return., with The Hollywood reporter saying that McKellen has put pen to paper to reprise his role as Gandalf (let's be honest, it would be a travesty for anyone else to play the role).

The Hobbit is seemingly fast becoming a reunion party, with Deadline.com also reporting that Ian Holm is set to return to portray an older Bilbo (Martin Freeman already confirmed as the younger Bilbo, which is great news in my books). It is also rumoured that Orlando Bloom with be reprising his role as the elf Legolas which, although the character does not appear in the books, makes sense as the travelling party visit his homeworld of Mirkwood on their way to the dragon Smaug.

Whilst the Hobbit's future has taken alot of twists and turns in the last year, it seems things are finally on track and going full steam ahead. As much as I respect Guillermo del Toro (I'm sure he would have done a fine job directing the two-part films) I am very glad Jackson is back at the helm of the project. Filming is set to begin next month, so I'm am eagerly anticipating the first shots from set. Roll on 2012!

Callum Alexander

What does Sky Atlantic HD offer a UK audience?

2011-01-10T04:08:00.000-08:00

The other- vaguely warm- day, I was sat perched on the edge of my seat. There was Dustin “One of the best actors of all time” Hoffman. In an advert. For Sky.

Intergrity not pictured.

Jesus and all of his illegitimate children.

Our Dustin was hawking Sky’s new channel, Atlantic HD. It’s set to become the exclusive home of HBO in the UK, as well as the resting place of some of Sky’s produced drama, like Chris Ryan’s Strike Back. And for a second, I could have quit my degree, sold my family and possibly a few vibrant and vital organs to buy everything I would need to settle down with this channel. Because, for my money, HBO has remained the best producer of TV around the world. The Sopranos, The Wire, Generation Kill, Flight of the Conchords, Treme, Entourage, Boardwalk Empire, In Treatment, Six Feet Under, Eastbound and Down. E. T and C. Even the channels less popular shows – Bored to Death and Hung – are still worth a thousand My Family’s or genro-ITV-sitcom.

Basically, the back catalogue of classic shows that take years and years to develop are being dropped instantly into Sky’s lap.

Oh… hang on. There’s more? More shows? Like Mad Men, from series 5, will be exclusive? As will The Borgias, Showtime’s new period piece? This channel sounds less like a collection of impressive drama and more like a guide of things that are 87% better than anything you’ve just thought of.

Yes, obviously 87% better than that. Why would you even think of that?

But after this commotion, something horrible set in. This is terrible for British audiences. A true “And you’re not allowed this peasant” to those who can’t afford Sky or refuse to buy it. James Murdoch in 2008 attacked the BBC for it’s “chilling” ambitions when it came to it’s plans of expansion. In 2010, his dad’s company has snatched at least two of the BBC’s shows (although granted The Wire was on FX before the BBC) from it. This may just be me, but I find it more chilling to witness Sky’s ruthless “Buy everything possible” policy, than the BBC’s continued development of home grown shows.

Moreover, who is the actual audience for this monolithic back catalogue? The people who have watched shows like The Sopranos have either moved onto new pastures or own the DVD. Hopefully both. It’s doubtful that the family is going to finish off whatever Louis Spence is doing – I’ll guess dancing – and switch over to enjoy a few episodes of Mad Men? While you can’t blame Sky for getting the show’s back in rotation, it’s hard not to see it as a way of taking another step towards a total grip of the UK’s television.

Finally, what is the long term plan for the channel? Will it follow Sky’s usual policy of “It’s getting viewers? It’s American? And why isn’t wasting away in our Sunday slot yet?”*Or will Sky buy as many imports as possible to limit the competition from the BBC and the commercial broadcasters in the UK. Purely speculative, but at the amount they’ve already amassed, I wouldn’t say it’s beyond possible.

James Murdoch

As I said, if you don’t own Sky, you’re kind of being shafted in terms of quality drama.

So the advert finished. Something about cars came on after. But I was left bewildered and a little sad. The commercial and public channels in this country have always had a solid reputation for imports. Now they’re being forced out of one of the most successful services in America. There’s little to legitimately complain about. After all, we’re a capitalist society and this is just business. But, for me, it places another set of limitations to the public service offered by the BBC or C4 or ITV… The BBC has started producing content with American channels, the upcoming Episodes with Matt Le Blanc for example, and I hope it will usher in something to challenge Sky.

For Sky customers, you’re one hell of a lucky bunch. The channel is free on the basic package and you’re getting an avalanche of exceptional entertainment at the push of a Sky-branded button. For the rest of us, thank every single deity you hold dear – or science – for DVDs.

*24 being brought from the BBC… Hurt. A lot.

Own Sky? Tempted to fork out for it now? Agree or disagree with me? Let us know below!

Ben Tyrer

127 Hours Review

2011-01-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

It would be easy to write 127 hours off as nothing more than an amazing survival story. Man gets trapped; man does something extraordinary to live. Whilst the real life story of Aron Ralston (played by James Franco) is at heart an unbelievable survival story, director Danny Boyle – who has brought us hits such as Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later and Trainspotting – tells a tale of a man battling himself and his inner demons.

A quick warning before I continue with the review, whilst most people will know what lengths Ralston had to go to survive, there may be some readers completely ignorant to the plot and ending. I will be revealing slight spoilers, so if you are one of those people stop reading and return to living under a rock.

Ralston’s accident is almost assured from the opening of the film. The outdoor enthusiast’s extraordinary talent is also his ultimate downfall; his confidence means that he tells no one where he is going. After meeting a couple of back packers (Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn) Ralston takes an unlucky fall and gets his arm trapped under a rock. Facing a nightmare scenario, he desperately tries to move the huge boulder but all attempts come to nothing. Realising he is stuck there, Ralston is now not only in a race to survive but a race to keep his sanity.

As the hours turn to days Ralston begins to hallucinate and slip from sanity, using his video recorder to try and keep a grip on reality. Danny Boyle’s masterful directing talent is at full work during these sequences, the quick cuts and visual effects perfectly portraying Ralston’s diminishing state of mind. James Franco, who you may recognise as Harry Osborn from the spider-man trilogy, puts in the performance of his life (I would be surprised if he wasn’t given a nomination for an Oscar) and quite literally carries the film by himself. As is with any film with only one major character, its success relies fully on its lead actor and Franco does a superb job.

Ralston’s hallucinations reveal the film’s deeper and more satisfying plot. He evaluates his life, thinks back to certain moments and realises his flaws. His epiphany, prompting him to cut off his own arm to escape, is a highlight of the film. The film reaches its climax both mentally and visually as nothing is left to the audiences imagines as to how he escapes from the rock. I don’t mind a bit of blood in films but even I winced at every spine-tinglingly realistic crack of his bones breaking.

Even if you don’t like human survival stories, 127 hours is a must watch. It’s a unique look into the mind of someone thrown into a desperate situation and the rollercoaster ride that is his mental stability. Visually stunning and thought-provoking, 127 hours is a cracking way to kick off 2011 in films (pun intended).

Callum Alexander

Sega's Toylet, the gaming equivalent of a mental breakdown.

2011-01-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

If by now you haven’t heard, Sega are releasing a new console called the Toylet - do you see where this is going? – and you don’t need a controller. But you do need to be a male, whose had one too many. You see, this breakthrough in human development requires you to play by urinating on a sensor in a urinal. Genius, ey?

It works by attaching a sensor to the urinal and then a monitor at the top of the urinal. It’s set to ship with four games already installed on it:

Why is there a plaster on his leg?

The games are: “Mannekin Pis” Try and wee as hard as possible, while avoiding the awkward stares as your face turns into the crimson red colour of humiliation. “Graffiti Eraser” - Remove the anti-social artwork by pissing on every part of the picture. Propaganda at its most invasive. “Milk from nose” – Tinkle harder than the gent who had preceded you and your reward is an on-screen character projecting more milk from his nose. And our personal favourite… “The North Wind and Her”. Blow a girl’s skirt up further, the harder you pee-pee. Even Don Draper would struggle to top that.

But, frankly, we’re disappointed. Only four games, and all, bar one, are variations on the statement “Piss harder, you and your puny bladder are no match for Doug at the bar!” Sega, where is the catalogue of amazing games?

Don’t worry though, we’ve done a bit of soul searching and have come to Sega’s aid, to shake the last few ideas from the concept.

Towering Inferno: The Toylet Game – If there is one thing the famous Steve McQueen bothering disaster film has taught us… well it taught us nothing. It did however have a massive tower facing some sort of massive inferno. Now just imagine putting out said Inferno with only the power of your one eyed best friend. Much better than casual misogyny – AKA Toylet’s “The North Wind and Her”.

Call of Duty: Brown Ops – Firstly, I can only offer my sincerest apologies for the terrible pun. Secondly, in this version of the averagely competent shooter – stick that on the back of the box, Activison – you don’t play as Alex Mason. You don’t play as someone who you would define as the hero. Instead, you humiliate you’re on-screen avatar by replicating the effect a normal man would have when faced with the one man armies of the game (clue, this article is based around the art of whizzing). Bobby Kotick brought COD to the DS, a console famed for it's audience average age of 112. The chances he won't bring it to Toylet are slim.

Because what won't Bobby Kotic do?

Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode 4 – Because the quality of Sonic’s recent games and Toylet’s control system are one and the same… Am I right?

Any other suggestions? Actually –god forbid- looking forward to the Toylet? Want to wonder out loud what kind of insanity lies in the heart of Sega? Let us know in the comments!

Source: MCV

Ben Tyrer

Our Best Albums of 2010

2011-01-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

Gather around one and all and rejoice. We, your geekiest of friends, have produced a list so awe-inspiring, some are already calling it “less than redundant” and “five minutes of life that is now gone for ever”. Below are the albums that collectively make the super-group “The best albums of 2010”!

10. Vampire Weekend – Contra

Whatever you think about their ubiquitous nature, try not to get to end of Cousins without smiling. And then listen to the rest of this audible bag of happiness.

There are no vampires. This was (possibly) taken on a Tuesday. What a misleading name.

9. Magnetic Man – Magnetic Man

Wob, Wob, Wooooobbbb. The DNA of dubstep may shine through the album like a torch to anyone under the age of 21, but instead of producing just 50 minutes of the aforementioned wobble, Magnetic Man had the guts to take a stab at crafting an album more than the sum of its parts.

8. Beach House – Teen Dream

Bathed in the bliss that can only scientifically exist during summer, Beach House somehow managed to craft that feeling for four minutes with opener Zebra. The rest of the album is delightful, but Zebra remains one of the year’s best songs.

7. These New Puritans – Hidden

Dense and seemingly obtuse, after a few listens, it reveals itself in ways that should only be described by the record. Not to say that the album needs to be listened to as a whole. We Want War is so bold and epic, it is destined to be the song playing in the background when Sarah Palin becomes President and doomsday hits.

6. The Suburbs – Arcade Fire

There’s very little left to praise Arcade Fire with, and short of inventing words, there’s a very good reason for that. The Suburbs may plough the same doomsday lyrics of predecessor Neon Bible, with “We were bored, before the bombs fell” being just one example, but it’s the more playful arrangements and songs that set it apart from previous efforts.

Stay tuned for part deux!

5. Various – Scott Pilgrim vs. The World OST

The film is amazing, the soundtrack is even better. Despite boasting the most incredible list of artists for a summer film ever; Blood Red Shoes through to The Bluetones all the way back Broken Social Scene, it’s the original songs that make the most impact. If you’re not pumped for anything after We Are Sex Bob-omb, then all of life's pleasures have passed you by.

BUY SCOTT PILGRIM. NOW!

4. The National – High Violet

2010: The year when we all embraced how horrifyingly majestic The National are. High Violet gave us their best single to date, Bloodbuzz Ohio, and their most immediate album as well. Terrible Love, Anyone’s Ghost, Afraid of Everyone… They may’ve came back at their most introspective, but the rawness of Berringer’s voice is worth more than 50 minutes of your time.

3. Foals – Total Life Forever

The best type of second album, one that doesn’t give you an hour of what you’ve heard before, but instead builds upon a solid structure until the band are almost unrecognisable. From sparse opener Blue Blood to centrepiece Spanish Sahara, there’s barely a moment where Foals don’t sound like the future of British music.

Standout Track: Spanish Sahara – Proving that Foals had matured to almost Radiohead levels. The build last’s for a lifetime, as Yannis’ murmur seems to slide through the air, until the chorus hits and it takes off. Not an indie floor-filler, it defies dancing. It’s something far better.

2. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening

James Murphy may have retired the LCD name, but at least he gave us one of the best albums of the year. I Can Change could soundtrack a thousand break-ups, while Home is surprisingly triumphant. If LCD Soundsystem had been any better, then there would be no need for other bands. Gone, but by no means forgotten.

Standout Track: Dance Yrself Clean – What’s that? A quiet opening, fairly melodic percussion and James Murphy’s unique drawl voice almost at the low volume of static? Really…

The song kicks in. You dance yourself clean. You owe it to yourself to listen to this song.

1. Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring

Los Campesinos have always been charmingly indie, maybe irksome for some and too twee for others. But, if We are Beautiful, We are Doomed didn't take those assumptions and kick them into the galaxy of "How very wrong some people are"... then Romance is Boring did. It's brash, sonically aggressive and features more than a few songs that are better than their most well known pop blast "You! Me! Dancing!". Beyond all the music, though, lies the true evolution of the band, with frontman Gareth's lyrics becoming wittier and intelligant. The examination of a friend's depression leads to lines like "On every videogame's machine, they called her triple A". They've been Britain's best kept secret. Hopefully, not for much longer.

Standout Song: The Sea is a Good Place to Think About The Future - Haunting, powerful and the culmination of Los Campesinos's most difficult period, it's neither flippant nor pretentious. It's just insanely powerful.

Agree? Disagree? Think our writer has the musical taste of Razorlight's 3rd album? Let us know in the comments... below!

Ben Tyrer

My thoughts on Mass Effect 3

2010-12-29T16:27:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed on my look forward to 2011, there was one glaring omission. Don’t worry folks, it was intended. I hadn’t forgotten about Mass Effect 3, it simply deserves a post of its own.
Well, maybe it did slip my mind but that doesn’t mean I can’t change things now. The Mass Effect series has quickly become one of my favourites in recent years, possibly all time. Maybe I shouldn’t be proud to admit it, but I maxed out all the achievements on the first game and I’m on my way to doing the same with the sequel. The release trailer, shown at this year’s VGAs, looks beyond epic (if you haven’t seen it, there are reapers attacking London. Also, go watch it, now!). So here is a look at a game that will transform me into a hermit when it is released in ‘fall 2011’.
The single player will no doubt be what we’ve experience from the previous two games – near perfect role-playing combined with a hugely immersive storyline and world. It will definitely be interesting to see if decisions from the first game will still have an impact – I’d like to think saving an entire race in the first game will reward me more than receiving a measly private message in the sequel.

(Warning: The above image contains vast quantities of awsomeness. View with care)

With Mass Effect 2, Bioware streamlined the inventory system immensely, stripping it down to a handful of guns and armours that could be customised by changing the paintwork of them. I would quite like to see something more in depth for the third but that is just a preference, you wouldn’t see me complaining if it were kept the same.Something very interesting that is creeping around the internet however is that Mass Effect 3 will feature a multiplayer mode.Now, this could go either very well or very badly. Here is my opinion on what could happen.

Why it could suck:
Makes the single player less awesome
One of the main reasons fans worry when they hear their favourite single player franchise is getting multiplayer in a sequel it is because they fear the beloved single player side of the game could be affected. This is because the staff working on the game is divided, with less of them working on the single player. With less man hours put into it, a game surely suffers. No matter how good the multiplayer side of the game turns out to be, fans will be purchasing the game purely for the single player. In the day and age of multiplayer becoming more important than single player, Mass Effect stands proudly in a small group of renegades making their stand for solo gaming.

Combat isn’t Mass Effect’s strong point
Whilst the combat system, a mesh of real time shooting and tactical usage of powers, works for the game by its self it is not amazing. Anyone who purchased Pinnacle Station, a combat only DLC for the first game, know this all too well. Unless Bioware are planning to revamp the combat for the final game, I can’t see online be a lot of fun. Firstly, without being able to pause and select which power you wish to use will it even work well? Mass Effect is meant to be played in a single player environment, with the player taking it slow to best defeat their foes. Can it be easily transferred to a run and gun style of multiplayer? Another point to think about is balancing. Will biotics powers be able to be used without being too overpowered? I can’t say I would look forward to being turned into a rag doll as I’m dragged around by people spamming their biotics on me.

Why it could rock:
Bringing RPG to multiplayer
Forget random battles, with one side being humans and the other Turians (or something of that effect). Bioware should add a background story to the whole online, there needs to be a point behind going to battle every time. Winning matches and getting kills could change the story and progress it as time went on. Instead of being tied down to a generic character model of the side they had picked, players should be able to select a side from day one and create a unique character that they can customise and level up. With kills come EXP, meaning you could level up your character and their abilities. Just for another slice of awesomeness, your performance online should affect the single player experience to some degree. A geek can dream...

So enough of my rambling thoughts, what do you think? Do you agree with my comments? Should Mass Effect 3 get online? Leave your comments below.

Callum Alexander

2011 on the 360: A look ahead

2010-12-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

2010 was a great year for us Xbox 360 gamers. Not only were we treated to massive blockbuster hits of Mass Effect 2 and Red Dead Redemption, Microsoft reinvented the console with the launch of Kinect in November. Despite reaching the grand old age of 5, the Xbox 360 looks far from its retirement and the line up for games in 2011 proves that the console is still getting stronger. Here’s a look at the 5 games scheduled for release next year that are bringing me to nerdgasm.

5: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Ok, ok, so this hasn’t actually been announced yet but who would be willing to bet against its release? The first Modern Warfare is still my favourite game to play online, even 3 years after its release and the epic single player really set a new benchmark for cinematic gameplay experiences. Being in the centre of a nuclear explosion stands out as one of the most breath taking moments in recent gaming history. Ok, since the amazing modern warfare the series has slipped into mainstream monotony but I’m still willing to forget the hit and miss experience of Modern Warfare 2 and welcome Captain Price and Soap back with open arms.

4: Duke Nukem: Forever

Forever really is the key word here, as it feels like Duke Nukem has been stuck in development for that long. In reality the game has been in development since 1997 and until recently was seen as nothing more than a long running joke, the game that would never be released. However, it was officially re-announced at PAX 2010, giving hope to the gaming world that it would finally be released. Will it justify the 13 years of development by being the most awesome game ever released? Or, perhaps a more relevant question; will it actually ever reach our shelves? Only time will tell.

3. Bulletstorm

Genuinely new IPs (intellectual properties, or game ideas for those with a less nerdy orientation) in this day and age of franchises and sequels are few and far between. However, Epic Games are collaborating with People Can Fly - yeah, I had to google it as well. The only notable game they have produced is Painkiller – to change that with Bulletstorm. I seriously doubt it will impress with a rich, deep and engaging storyline but it will, as the name suggests, provide crazy first person shooting action. Over the top is the name of the game, with a scoring ‘skill shot’ system hopefully providing more depth than the average shooter.

2. Batman: Arkham City

Arkham Asylum fully deserves the acclaim of being regarded as the best comic book video game of all time. The gameplay was fluent, the setting was expansive and the voice acting was brilliant. In the sequel, the Dark Knight is let loose into Gotham as a large portion of which has been taken over by Arkham to house the criminally insane. Whilst the Asylum provided a more than capable back drop to the first game, the thought of taking control of Batman in an open city, gliding from rooftops and fighting through streets is enough to send any fan of the caped crusader wild. The plot also seems to be more than a generic ‘find and capture The Joker’ jobby, with the latest trailer revealing Hugo Strange as the main villain, who knows the identity of our favourite bat-themed superhero.

1. Gears of War 3

When the first Gears of War entered our consoles in 2006, it marked the start of what was to become one of the strongest 360 franchises Microsoft had to offer. If asked what exclusives the 360 has, Gears of War is normally the first to spring to mind (no, PC doesn’t count). The game single handily reinvented the genre of 3^rd person shooting by throwing in levels filled with conveniently heighted walls and rubble to provide cover for players to duck and dive into. The third instalment in the series promises to wrap up the epic trilogy as well as mend all the wrongs that bugged the multiplayer of Gears of War 2. I’m no master of foresight but I know I will be playing this game for years to come.

Callum Alexander

Tron Legacy Review

2010-12-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

Videogames have, and always will be, a mysterious medium. On one hand, these days it’s more than obvious that pixels are moulded to form our violent entertainment, but the value and scope of the worlds that we are thrust into continue to amaze. And on that note, it's more than amazing to finally see the original game world of Tron done justice, as Tron: Legacy is part sequel, part reboot for the 3D HD generation.

Starting in 1989, we see Kevin Flynn leave behind his son Sam Flynn and mysteriously disappear into the night. And within those first minutes, we straight away get a sense of the extraordinary amount of detail poured into CG, with a digitised Jeff Bridges getting a Benjamin Button style digital makeover. It's effective, even if it struggles to truely convince.

From this, we move into the present, with the now angst ridden Sam Flynn doing his best to annoy Encom, the company his father used to run and the one he technically owns, even if his definition of running a company involves breaking and entering. When his dad’s old friend Alan pops by to let him know that daddy might not be as missing as first thought, we finally get to everything we’ve been waiting for.

As soon as Sam is transported into world, he's captured and placed onto the Grid, a virtual arena in which programme’s fight for the amusement of other programmes. It’s here where he also comes face to face with CLU, an exact replica of his dad from 1989, hell bent on making the perfect Grid and the perfect world...

Tron: Legacy succeeds where you would expect it to. Firstly, the 3D, like last year’s Avatar, is neither in your face or a strain. In fact, it’s confidently used, sucking us into Tron’s world by only using the effect when Sam is inside the game. In one spectacular scene, we’re treated to the pixels flying off from the torn torso of a defeated programme. While 3D may never be essential to a film, at least in Tron its part of the fun and not part of the problem.

The soundtrack, composed by French digital warlocks Daft Punk, is also of a lofty standard. Although elements of it sound remarkably close to Inception’s infamous BARHMMMM, Daft Punk show remarkable restraint, using a full orchestra on top of their usual electronic sounds to perfectly nail the feel of a digital environment. So while the soundtrack is never quite the electrical soundscape we may have been led to believe, it’s impressive never the less.

Even better, classic scenes, such as the disk fighting and light cycles are finally given the tech to do them justice. Spinning cages housing the combatants, with flawless CGI pinging the razor like discs through rubber domes, is just one the ways Legacy physically enhances the memory of old Tron. Even more exciting, is the painfully short light cycle race. The deathly lines shimmer and the crashes are wince inducing. In short, everything you’d imagine Tron would be when you saw it in your mind’s eye.

But, as mentioned, this was all expected. The problem with Tron is that it fails to really be that much fun past the first hour. It settles into a narrative grove of action, exposition, action, exposition repeat until end. It sucks the fun dry until you’re left numbed into a lull of pretty images and groovy sounds. The story struggles to connect on any level. A lot of video game narratives are criticised of the go here and more story routine, but Tron seems hell bent on sticking to this formula.

And with no narrative drive, you’ll quickly realise that for all it’s nostalgic and cinematic charm, it loses it's way and descends into little more than techno styling and techno rabble. Tron is a worthy experience then, but only just. Like all electronic intelligence, you just wish it had a bit more heart.

Scott Pilgrim or 101 reasons why I don't trust the American movie watching population

2010-12-17T16:30:00.000-08:00

How do you take an obscure, yet revered, 6 part comic series about romance, seen through the eyes of the Street Fighter generation, and turn it into the summer’s most eyeball popping insane film? On the evidence presented, it’s easier than it sounds…

Scott Pilgrim starts out fairly innocuously. In the best pre-credit’s sequence of the year, Wright introduces you to the world of Scott (Michael Cera) in a mix of vibrant colours and pulsating indie-rock through the first performance of his band “Sex Bob-omb”. Suddenly, Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) skates through Scott’s mind instantly causing Scott to fall in love, despite the fact he is already dating Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). For Scott’s love to prosper, though, he must defeat Ramona’s seven evil exes. Not your typical Boy-meets-girl story then…

Firstly, this is Wright’s most frantic and visually witty film to date. The screen is exploding with jokes. From watching Scott falling into the word “SMACK!” as he’s punched, to a small black box detailing the character’s stats, no small piece of screen is wasted. Coupled with editing so fast, it’s in danger of crashing and you’ve got a film with such a unique blend of styles, it’s practically hypnotic. Furthermore, the script more than holds its own against the visuals. It’s instantly quotable and doesn’t rely on insults for all its laughs. Yes, “Get Him to the Greek”, there are laughs outside of hurling swear words.

That isn’t to say that the action side is ignored. The evil exes might as well be ripped from Street Fighter and Bill Pope, the cinematographer behind Team America and The Matrix, ensures that the fights are as incredible as that sounds. There’s an old-school style at work here, as the fight’s capture every detail, making sure you can actually see what’s going on. The fights range from a Bollywood kung-fu mash up to a breathtakingly messy samurai showdown. Wright’s greatest achievement here is making sure that the action remains thrilling, while continually making sure it doesn’t overshadow the comedy, something very few action-comedies can claim.

All of this is carried by an ensemble cast that ensure the story never feels trite and forced. Scott’s friends; Stills, Kim Pine and Young Neil (Mark Webber, Alison Pill, Johnny Simmons) jump from the page to the screen uncannily, while Ellen Wong manages to infuse Knives with a cute innocence as she begins to realise that Scott is moving on. Most importantly, this is Cera’s show and he knows it. He surprises with a turn that utilizes his stoic charm while giving him more to do than “look awkward”. Put it this way, you’ll believe he can kick ass. The evil exes have, unfortunately, very little screen time, but Jason Schwartzman, Brandon Routh and Chris Evans are all worth your money alone, generating more laughs in their 10 minutes than some films generate over 90.

Despite all this, the film sags slightly in the middle, as Scott and Ramona’s relationship struggles to resonate fully. We can see that there are reasons for Scott’s chivalry, but they fly by so fast, it’s an obligation to the story than a full romance. That’s not to distract from the fact that Scott Pilgrim feels like the first time you watched Star Wars. This is a brave and bold step into a new world, where everything combines to create something that visually sticks with you long after the final credits have faded away.

Ben Tyrer