Alt:Mag

10 Years of Alt:Mag (and Beyond...)

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Tue, 18 May 2021 19:11:00 +0000

Hi all, Lewis here. Hope you're surviving out there. Oh yeah, Alt:Mag turned ten years old today.

It feels like a lifetime since I first created this blog as an update blog for a magazine that never came out. Amazingly, that crude blog grew to become something a lot more polished as time went on, and has enjoyed somewhat of a lukewarm following over the years. Many articles have racked up hundreds of thousands of views, and some incredibly talented writers have contributed some amazing posts throughout the blog's history. I want to say a huge thank you to all of them. And to anyone who has taken time out of their day to read our articles or share them: thank you!

If you will allow me to indulge myself for a moment, I just wanted to say that this is a huge personal achievement for me too. I've always been a creative person, but Alt:Mag was the first thing I ever did that I persevered with. I have autism, and those close to me know that I have a tendency to natter for hours about the things I love. As much as I'd love for people to love everything I love, it's just not possible. That's why I decided to take to the internet to share my thoughts in the hopes they'd find others who were just as interested as me. Turns out it paid off, and ten years later, the website is still here.

Alt:Mag is also something I closely associate with my friends. I will never forget the days me and all the gang would rock up to comic conventions in our official Alt:Mag t-shirts and hand out fliers promoting the site to unsuspecting cosplayers. And of course, how could I forget the time me and my buddies shot a promotional movie in our home town about a (maybe homeless?) guy who really just wants to play Pokémon Yellow. For these reasons Alt:Mag will always mean the world to me.

Despite Alt:Mag celebrating such a significant milestone, it currently sits dormant, with the last article being uploaded in November of last year (one I'm quite proud of, to be fair). I just wanted to write this post to let you know that I am still writing articles behind the scenes. Unfortunately for Alt:Mag diehards (if you exist), I've turned into a bit of a perfectionist. Gone are the days of uploading a two paragraph article with an unrelated photo of Mad Dog from Time Crisis just because I felt cheeky that day. When I write an article I'll spend weeks on it. Sometimes they will even remain unfinished. This article drought won't last forever though. I hate to see great blogs go silent, and I will try my best to ensure that Alt:Mag doesn't suffer the same fate.

I really hated Kerrang! magazine, didn't I?

But honestly, the main reason I've not had time to write here recently is because I've been involved with something outside of Alt:Mag: The Dreamcast Junkyard. Some time in 2018, DCJY founder Tom Charnock reached out to me and asked if I wanted to write for the website, an offer I accepted in an instant. Not only is the Dreamcast my absolute favourite game console, but The Dreamcast Junkyard (especially Tom's writing) was heavily influential on Alt:Mag all the way back to when I first started the site back in 2011. Even today, The Dreamcast Junkyard and Alt:Mag share a lot of similarities, in the sense that they're both not-for-profit blogs that writers gravitate to because they just want to write their thoughts about something they're passionate about. I'm incredibly proud to be a part of everything going on there, and have made a lot of great friends in the process. It's ridiculous how alive the Dreamcast scene is in 2021.

I've been very involved with a lot of things Dreamcast Junkyard (and as an extension things within the DC scene), and I thought I'd link them all here in case you're interested. These range from small informative articles and podcast appearances, to quite substantial pieces of investigative journalism (at least by my standards) and involvement with upcoming book projects and even a physical magazine.

Dreamcast Junkyard articles I've written (some highlights):

Real Racer IX: Cancelled Game or Student Assignment? (2020) - an investigative piece into an unreleased Dreamcast game that was presented at a Japanese video game convention
In White 1999: The Time D2's Laura Appeared as a Model in a Japanese Fashion Magazine (2021) - another investigative piece looking at a Japanese fashion magazine that included Laura from D2 (one of my favourite Dreamcast games) modelling a Japanese fashion designer's clothes. I knew I had to document this odd magazine feature for the sake of Dreamcast and D2 fans alike.
10 Times Rappers Have Referenced the Dreamcast in Songs (2020) - My most ridiculous article of all, but also one of my favourites. No one probably cares which rappers have referenced the Dreamcast, but I decided you all needed to know anyway. It got us a tweet from Del, anyway.
5 Dreamcast Fan Translations You May Have Missed (2021) - I've always championed fan translations of Japanese games, and so I've written quite a few articles for the Junkyard talking about them. Here's one of my favourite ones.
Sakura Wars Columns 2 has been Translated into English! (2021) - My most recent article discussing a newly released translation patch. My article also provides a retrospective on the game itself.
A Brief History Of ChuChu Rocket! In Your Pocket (2018) - Although now out of date due to the release of ChuChu Rocket! Universe, this is still a great read for fans of this wacky puzzle series.

Podcasts I've appeared on:

The Dreamcast Junkyard DreamPod - My monotone voice appears on quite a few episodes of the Junkyard's official podcast. If you're into this system, there's hours of audio goodness in store for you.
Dreamcast Years Episode 10 - I appeared on Andrew Dickinson's podcast to discuss some incredible games that were released in the year 2006. Very fun episode, and an excellent podcast in general.

Physical media I'm involved with:

The Dreamcast Junkyard A to Z of Dreamcast Games by Mike Phelan - Friend and fellow punk from the Junkyard, Mike, wrote an incredible guide that covers every physically-released Dreamcast game ever. It's been available to download for free for quite a long time, but many have always wanted to see this impressive body of work released in physical form. I was more than happy to put my graphic design abilities to the test to create the cover artwork for the physical release of this book. Follow the Junkyard for more information on the book's release in the future.

Dreamcast: Year Two by Andrew Dickinson - Another book I'm involved with, but this time it's my writing that will appear in it. I really loved Dreamcast: Year One, an excellent book that covers the Dreamcast's 1999 release in the UK. Year Two will be covering the year 2000, and two reviews from myself of two of my favourite Dreamcast will appear within its pages. I have also contributed a column to the physical zine that comes bundled with the book if you backed a certain tier on KickStarter. Exciting!

I know I said "allow me to indulge myself for a moment", but I guess I spent this entire post indulging myself. Either way, thank you for reading Alt:Mag. Here's to ten years, and beyond.

Live on and be yourself!

Catherine: Full Body - Improved but Problematic

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 18:39:00 +0000

The year was 2011. Our last full year on earth, apparently, if the 2012 conspiracies were to turn out to be true. During this year, Atlus' rather uncreatively-named "2nd Creative Production Department" - the team behind the beloved Persona JRPG series - graced us with something unique: Catherine. A puzzle game, of all things.
I was excited. However, my initial excitement came not from the fact that Catherine was a fresh IP from the same minds as persona, but because the gameplay outside its puzzle sections offered a glimpse at what the engine of the then long-awaited Persona 5 might play like. Basically, I was doing it all wrong. I was playing a puzzle game for the bits without puzzles, all because I was yearning for a completely different game. Luckily, after getting into the game a bit more, I managed to set myself on the right path and started to enjoy the game for everything it had to offer.
But then something snapped in me. I got to a certain point, and after not being able to save the patrons of the Stray Sheep bar that play such a prominent role in the game's story, I stepped away from the game. I never finished it. I was just one level away from the goal, too. I'd gone from going into the game for Persona and had come out feeling bummed that I couldn't save brand new characters that I'd grown attached to. There was just something that felt so unfair to me about how, despite my best efforts, I wasn't able to save them. It bummed me out.
So I've had my gripes with Catherine, but many years have passed since I first played it. Last summer I even thought about revisiting it. But then I heard that the game was going to be re-released for PS4 as Catherine: Full Body. This re-release promised to be more than just an enhanced port of the original, being an enhanced remake with particular emphasis on a very important new character. Recently the game has also been ported to Switch, shining the spotlight on this peculiar title yet again.

From left to right: Catherine, Rin, Katherine

For those new to Catherine, let me just give you a rundown of what it actually is. The story revolves around 32-year-old Vincent and his troubles with commitment and embracing adult life. His girlfriend Katherine (with a K) wants to settle down, but he doesn't feel ready yet. Pressure mounts after a drunken night at the Stray Sheep bar, when he wakes up next to a younger woman by the name of Catherine (with a C), having no memory of how he got there. The majority of the original Catherine game focuses on the tug of war going on within Vincent's mind as he tries to decide what he really wants: committing to his long-time girlfriend Katherine and taking some responsibility, or embracing the frivolity of a casual relationship with the younger Catherine.

The plot and general aesthetic of Catherine constantly teeters on the edge of provocative, which has resulted in people I've recommended it to saying it looks "pervy", but I honestly found it to be a fundamental part of presenting the game's story, especially the conflict between Vincent's conscience and his sexual urges. This game isn't overtly-sexual for the sake of being shallow. Like Persona, it definitely has its fair share of shock-value moments, but for the sake of plot depth, it definitely isn't afraid to "go there".

The majority of Catherine's gameplay takes place in the dreams of the main character, Vincent. Players must guide Vincent, who for some reason has ram horns and is wearing nothing but his boxers, up towers of falling blocks. These sections play like some kind of vertical Sokoban, you must push, pull and climb up these killer cubes to form stairways and make your way to victory. The gameplay in these puzzle sections is simple to pick up and very addictive, and constantly mixes itself up as you progress through the story, with new block types and hazards added regularly. It can prove to be quite challenging, but there's always a sense of achievement when you finally make it through a level. Once you do make it through a level, you are taken to a "landing" where you can talk to and encourage other sheep (who are revealed to be real men experiencing the same nightmares, but everyone sees everyone else but themselves as sheep) who are trying to climb their way to safety, because those who don't make it, well, they never wake up. They die outside of the dream. Scary, huh? After this, you are taken to a confession booth, where you have to answer various different questions regarding relationships and morality. What you choose is what directs the narrative down the path of Order (Katherine with a K) or Chaos (Catherine with a C).

Outside of Vincent's dreams, you control him as he spends time at the Stray Sheep bar with friends. This section of the game is what intrigued me about Catherine initially, as the engine is basically the one Persona 5 uses. You move Vincent around and converse with characters similar to how you might in a Persona game - you can walk around the bar and talk to patrons and staff, drink a plentiful amount of booze, send fate-changing text messages, change tracks on the jukebox, or practise your skills on the arcade machine "Rapunzel", which is basically a faux-retro version of the box climbing gameplay.

The box climbing segments are fun and addictive, but the real highlight of this game, and ultimately what will keep you moving from one stage to the next, is the storyline, and how you answer those questions concerning morality, as well as how you conduct Vincent's behaviour regarding his multiple relationships.

In Full Body's version of the Stray Sheep, there is a fresh face: Rin. Being the major selling point for picking up Catherine: Full Body to those who played the original, Rin is the pink-haired, softly spoken amnesiac that Vincent takes under his wing. Vincent helps Rin find an apartment next to his, and hooks her up with a job at the Stray Sheep playing piano and serving drinks. Playing Full Body, you will quickly come to realise that Rin is an incredibly important character within the new rewrite of the plot, and to Vincent. She functions as pretty much the only calming, level-headed presence in Vincent's life as his conscious is tugged back and forth between the two Catherines. She also now provides extra assistance during the nightmare puzzle stages too, playing the piano when Vincent gets close to losing, to slow down the rate at which the blocks are falling, allowing players to guide him back to safety.

As someone who's played the original Catherine, at first Rin's inclusion felt a teensy bit wedged in. Only a little, though. But after the second night, things start to flow a bit smoother, with Rin fitting much more naturally within the plot. Of course, brand new players to the series probably won't even notice this, as they won't realise where the scenes involving Rin have been slotted in amongst those from the original game.

Rin, like the other two Catherines, is one of a now possible three love interests for Vincent. The path players must take to follow Rin's path is a cryptic one.

As mentioned before, between every stage in Vincent's nightmares, he must answer questions relating to his morality. However, if you answer specific answers to a certain few questions you encounter, instead of the meter moving left or right towards order or chaos, the meter will instead shatter. If you answer all of these specific questions correctly you will be led down Rin's route, to a super special ending, with extra levels.

Now, more inquisitive players will raise an eyebrow at the answers that are required to access Rin's route, and may perhaps grow suspicious. Either way, Rin's secret is revealed about half way through the game. Spoiler alert. Vincent, accidentally walking in on Rin naked, discovers that Rin is not a she, but a he.

Before anyone worries that I'm misgendering Rin, I just want to make it clear that this is how Rin is referred to in the game. As a straight, cisgender dude, I don't want to act like I'm completely clued up on everything to do with the trans conversation, but I am constantly striving to understand more. I also acknowledge that because I am these things, I may be able to forgive the more problematic aspects of Catherine: Full Body's representation of a trans character, while trans individuals might not be able to. When it comes to these things, the game isn't perfect in the slightest, but Rin's story is still one that is unlike anything seen before in a narrative-driven video game. Vincent's initial reaction to finding out about the parts Rin has downstairs is scathing and brash, and unfortunately one I imagine could potentially be really hurtful to watch for many trans individuals, but once the game starts to really explore Vincent's feelings for Rin as you lead him down that path, things really do improve. In fact, it's almost like the game deems Rin's ending as the real one, where Vincent is the most happy and free from strife. One of my issues with the original Catherine was that neither Catherine with a C or Katherine with a K really won me over that much. Neither of them are particularly nice individuals, and I was never quite sure if they made Vincent feel truly content. It turns out that this isn't just something felt by me alone, as Liz Lanier of Game Informer actually listed both Catherines as part of a Top 10 Female Villains in Video Games article, saying "Vincent can't catch a break between Catherine seducing him one minute and manipulating him the next; Katherine isn't much better with her passive-aggressive push toward marriage." Rin, on the other hand, is an absolutely lovely person; patient, kind, understanding, and someone that Vincent admits that he feels most happy with, regardless of gender. He also experiences a much more successful arc of personal growth with Rin than he does with either of the other Catherines, ending with an incredibly satisfying conclusion to Vincent's troubled tale. Many players who go out of their way to explore Rin's path will undoubtedly see this too, and I sincerely hope that Catherine: Full Body's portrayal of Rin and Vincent's relationship has the potential to make many players who never thought about the subject of trans people before, think much harder about it, and in a more positive light. Many will be happy to know it does all this without feeling cynical or preachy, and instead focuses on the strengths of the two characters and their love to push this point across.

Unfortunately, it's not an Atlus game if it doesn't cop out just before the finish line. With Rin, Atlus have again made a similar mistake to the one they made with Naoto Shirogane in Persona 4. Instead of keeping Naoto as the unambigously trans character she appears as for the majority of the game, Atlus had to take all that back when they revealed (with no ounce of subtlety) that Naoto was born a woman, and then that was that. Call Naoto a "she" for the rest of the game. The same happened in the original Catherine, where the waitress Erica is revealed to be a post-op trans woman in one of the game's endings, a reveal that is horrendously played off for laughs (followed by Erica being deadnamed in the credits - something that was thankfully changed in Full Body). If only Atlus had the conviction of their ideals to just let these trans characters exist within these plots without being "outted" in some way, because they're afraid of recieving backlash or alienating certain fans who lack the ability to differentiate between sex and gender. Atlus have had many years to do better, yet in Full Body, we see Rin recieving exactly the same treatment, if not worse.

Despite how cool many of us weebs think the land of Japan is, the treatment of trans people there is shite, really. Individuals who want to legally change their gender have to undergo irreversible sterilisation first. Yes, that is a thing that is done to human beings in 2020. So possibly a hard society to release games including trans or non-binary characters to, perhaps resulting in Catherine Full Body's need to hold back with Rin. Of course, there's also the unfortunate reality that game studios have to risk backlash in the West too, from the "forced diversity" bemoaners who flock to risqué or edgy games because they push the envelope, while completely missing any deeper messages they try to convey. These are the kinds of people who would have thrown a hissy fit if Rin had been identified with "she/her" pronouns. If it's really necessary, Atlus could have kept the bit where Vincent discovers what parts Rin has down below, but then, after a bit of thinking, had Vincent turn around and go "but Rin is a woman". It could have been a pretty big deal for Atlus to do something like that. But instead, we get a scene towards the end of Rin's story where Vincent breaks up with Katherine, saying "woman" "might not be the best word" to describe Rin. When pressed on it, he says Rin isn't a woman. As said before, it just all feels like a big cop out, because as far as I can see, Rin walks, talks and lives as a woman. It's a shame, because they nearly got it right.

Gripes aside, Catherine: Full Body got exactly the treatment it required. While the odd thing was added here and there, the game plays mostly the same, just enhanced for a more powerful system. Who knew that all the game needed to take it from a fairly decent game from the seventh console generation, to one of my favourites of the eighth generation, was an extra storyline? While a lot of characters that get wedged into Director's Cut re-releases can occasionally feel half-baked, Rin's inclusion is the complete opposite, and when placed alongside the original routes for Catherine and Katherine, serves to make the game feel much deeper and fleshed out. It's great. And the nicest part is, in my first playthrough of Full Body, I even managed to save all of the Stray Sheep's patrons, something that I failed to do before.

Every Season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Ranked From Worst To Best

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 17:13:00 +0000

Disclaimer: Mega spoilers incoming!

Ah, Buffy…truly one of the greatest live-action shows ever made, or at least in the top 10. In a lot of ways, Buffy changed television and what we could expect from it. It took the overdone 90s sitcom, tossed it out the window, and offered people something completely new. However, not all seasons of Buffy are created equal. While the show is entirely deserving of the praise and love it still receives, it’s an unfortunate fact that the show has suffered from some truly terrible writing blunders, and some less-than-stellar seasons. I’m here to judge them.

Absolute Worst: Season 7

I’m sure many of you Buffy fans reading this aren’t surprised to see Season 7 at the bottom of the pile. I’ll get into why in a moment, but let’s start with the few positives about this season. There are some notable episodes, like ‘Help’, reminiscent of classic Buffy, and ‘Conversations with Dead People’. The concept of Buffy discovering the origin of the Slayer line was also an interesting one…but that’s where the positives run dry.

To put it simply, the main plot was not executed well here. The Potentials, characters we don’t know and aren’t invested in, take up a lot of screen time – screen time that we don’t necessarily want to give up during the final season. Becoming invested in them is a struggle within itself – they’re whiny, annoying, and doubt Buffy from the get-go despite her gleaming track record of saving the world a bunch. Putting it simply, a bad cast of characters can easily make a show unwatchable, especially if those characters are supposed to be our heroes. At least there’s a good villain though, right?

Well, not really. The First is essentially a faceless villain. I get it, they didn’t know how the ‘embodiment of evil’ should look, but it had to look like something other than Spike and Buffy. It’s not a particularly charming big bad, either – no real personality outside of what it emulates when impersonating the dead. Even Caleb, ten times more charming and interesting than the First, isn’t enough to save the season because he’s inexplicably introduced in episode 18, four episodes before the end.

Robin is one of the more well-written characters and has a lot of potential, but he’s mishandled. His vendetta against Spike for a mother he barely remembers gets in the way. Speaking of Spike, there’s hardly any change explored in him despite having regained his soul. And I won’t delve too far into Kennedy and Willow’s romance because I could go on and on, but needless to say, it doesn’t work.

Perhaps the most egregious thing about Season 7, however, is the character assassination that takes place in ‘Empty Places’. Besides the fact that this mini-drama feels unnecessary, seeing the Scoobies treat Buffy the way they do is a hard watch – not only that, but it feels downright unrealistic considering how long we’ve known the Scoobies. Decisions here are made to further the plot without really reflecting on whether or not the characters would make those decisions. It comes close to ruining the characters, which isn’t a particularly welcome feeling so close to the end. Add to that the pathetic deus ex machina revealed by Angel at the last minute and the rushed finale, and you’ve got one terrible season.

Bad: Season 6

Admit it, you knew it was coming. The battle for last place was a close call but Season 6 came out better off only because of a few saving graces – namely, ‘Once More with Feeling’, ‘Tabula Rasa’, and ‘Doublemeat Palace’. You may not agree with the last one, but in this bog of misery I have to take whatever light-hearted fun I can get. Of course, the season openers are semi-decent, and the finale itself has many redeeming moments. Say what you want about Xander saving the day, but you can’t deny that the moment is heartfelt.

Season 6 is heavy, and while a season may benefit from darker episodes, too much of that can be overwhelming. Not only is Buffy utterly depressed after being ripped from Heaven, Xander ends up leaving Anya at the altar, Tara is killed off and there’s a distinct lack of Giles. Seeing our favourite characters undergoing major changes in their lives and dealing with difficult times is a must, of course, but throwing everything at us in one fell swoop is exhausting. It takes away much of season 6’s rewatch value. After all, nobody’s going to come back to an episode like ‘Normal Again’ or ‘Seeing Red’ on a whim. No matter how well-written the episodes may be, they’re just so unbearably bleak.

Perhaps the hardest thing about Season 6, though, is Willow’s arc. The magic-as-drugs metaphor was always going to be clunky, considering how it originally represented love between Willow and Tara – it doesn’t make a lot of sense to have magic stand for both of those things. Not only that, but seeing Willow fall deeper into addiction is simply a hard watch. She does things that we’d never expect from her, like putting Dawn’s life at risk and betraying Tara. I think I speak for most Buffy fans when I say that Willow is an adored character, which is why seeing her as the villain is unnatural. It doesn’t correlate with the Willow we know.

Then there’s the trio, none of whom are exactly oozing with charisma. They may have their funny moments but villains have to win us over just as much as heroes do, and as a unit, the trio don’t quite do that. Jonathan is perhaps the most likeable of the bunch because we’ve known him the longest, and he certainly seems the least diabolical. Andrew, on the other hand, isn’t particularly memorable and anyone who finds Warren agreeable in the least sense must be crazier than he is. As villains, they’re simply another bad piece of the puzzle that is season 6.

Semi-decent: Season 1

Season 1 is a strange one. It’s where it all begins and so wins the nostalgia vote, but a lot of it really doesn’t stand the test of time. For one thing, there are far too many one-off episodes, meaning the big bad of the season, the Master, gets lost in the background a little too much – for another thing, quite a number of those episodes are just plain cringey. ‘I Robot, You Jane’, anyone? How about ‘Teacher’s Pet’? Understandably, the show was only just beginning and special effects could only look so… special. But a giant praying-mantis posing as a sexy high school teacher? Where’s the logic on that one?

There are a number of good episodes, and season 1 is special in the sense that we meet all of the Scoobies, as well as other characters like Cordelia and Amy, for the first time. There’s that feel of classic Buffy about the episodes, which means that, even though they’re not the best, they have a certain rewatch value. They’re still well-written, with all the characters we love and great dialogue with some funny moments – the premise just isn’t quite there. It’s nowhere near, in fact.

The Master as a villain makes sense for season 1. It’s rather an obvious choice, that the vampire slayer has to defeat the master of all vampires, but considering that Buffy was in its infancy and unsure about where it was headed, it’s not an awful choice. He’s certainly charismatic and his scenes are engaging, making him a far more interesting character than some of the later villains. And of course, Buffy has her iconic moment in the finale with her gown, leather jacket and crossbow, a look that has proven to be one of the most memorable from the show. Still, as much as season 1 has its moments, it doesn’t quite stand up to the following seasons.

Decent: Season 2

Now, I know season 2 is a favourite for many and its place in this ranking may cause some outrage. Some of you may have expected season 4 to be here and it was certainly a close call between the two. But there’s a good reason for the way things turned out. Allow me to explain.

As far as villains go, season 2 boasts some great ones. The introduction of Spike and Drusilla is brilliant and the two share an entrancing chemistry. Drusilla herself is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating characters on the show, as funny as she is unnerving. Then, of course, we have Angelus, who’s an enchanting villain in his own right – darkly playful, psychotic and persistent in his tormenting of the Scoobies.

So, it goes without saying that season 2 undoubtedly has a great overarching plot. ‘Passion’ is a masterpiece of an episode with the murder of Jenny Calendar being an unexpected twist, chronicling the first (irreversible) death of a major character. Similarly, Buffy’s decision to kill Angel in the finale is a tragically beautiful one, and a powerful note to end the season on. Angelus as a villain is a great choice, not just because he’s purportedly the most sadistic vampire to have ever lived, but because we, the audience, love him and know him well. We love Buffy, too, and we’re invested in her journey through grief. It makes for powerful viewing.

That being said, however, much of season 2 is so plot-heavy that we’re almost suffocated by it. There aren’t a ton of episodes that stand apart from the major plot, and only half of them are really worth watching, namely ‘Halloween’, ‘Lie to Me’, and ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’. The others, like ‘Bad Eggs’ and ‘Phases’, are complete cringe fests. What that means is that if you don’t find the main plot particularly compelling or if you happen to dislike Angel, season 2 can be quite a chore. Because of the focus on plot and the darker themes of this season, it also suffers from a lack of humour compared to the next season on this list.

Good: Season 4

Again, some may disagree with season 4’s place here, and admittedly, the plot in 4 is…lacking, to say the least. Maggie Walsh’s death (prompted by the actress, Lindsay Crouse, having to bail on the show) is certainly a big factor when it comes to the overarching plot falling apart, not to mention the testosterone-addled Initiative getting in the way of Buffy. It’s also fair to say that Adam may be one of the least memorable villains of the entire show – part demon, part robot, part human, seemingly built to make cardboard Riley more interesting than he actually is.

However, the military plotline makes sense – after all, you have to wonder how long the bizarre goings-on in Sunnydale could continue before being picked up and studied by some kind of government agency. Buffy may be good, but we see demons slipping through the cracks all the time. Still not your cup of tea? That’s fine. Overlooking the negatives of this season seems easy once you consider the outstanding quality of the standalone episodes.

For one, you have ‘Hush’. If you need me to explain why this episode is brilliant, maybe even one of the best, shame on you. Then there’s ‘Fear Itself’, a treat because it has Giles wielding a chainsaw and Anya in an Easter bunny costume. ‘Wild at Heart’ is a wonderful, heart-wrenching episode dealing with the end of Willow and Oz’s relationship, ‘Superstar’ is simply pure hilarity, and ‘Restless’ is a fascinating deep-dive into the subconscious of each Scooby. There’s also ‘A New Man’, ‘Living Conditions’, ‘New Moon Rising’, ‘Who Are You?’, and ‘Beer Bad’, the last of which you may disagree with, but seeing Sarah Michelle Gellar lumbering around as cave Slayer is always going to be funny. It’s admittedly one of my guilty pleasure episodes.

There aren’t many standalone episodes that are bad, but when they’re bad, they’re bad. The insensitivity of ‘Pangs’ towards the Native American culture was surely considered too much even back in 1999, and ‘Where the Wild Things are’ is basically an hour of Buffy and Riley having sex with an orgasmic house (?) and an oddly confused plot about child abuse. It could also be said that the Riley-centric episodes, like ‘The Initiative’ and ‘The I in Team’, are not great, and are even worse if you’re one of the many who actively dislike him.

Still, this season is one of the best for me. The major plot undeniably suffers from the loss of Maggie Walsh, Adam’s complete lack of charm as a villain and perhaps too much Riley, but the plot can still be enjoyed to a degree because of its novelty. The show is taken into new territory and while that’s not always good, it is usually interesting. Plus, the excellence of so many episodes in this season that all have incredible rewatch value is crazy. It’s perhaps the season with the highest number of good-quality episodes, and that secures its place in this ranking.

Great: Season 5

I think many Buffy fans would agree that season 5 deserves to be known as one of the greatest seasons of the show. In contrast to the blandness of Adam, we have Glory, a fantastic villain second only to Mayor Wilkins. She’s colourful, fully dimensional and as adorably quirky as she is terrifying. She’s also a God, and, up to this point, the strongest opponent that Buffy has ever faced. Oh, and she’s a female, a nice change from the typically masculine role of the big bads in the show.

The overarching plot in general is a winner. Dawn is properly introduced in this season, and while she may be a polarising character, the storyline of where she comes from and how she is the key to the apocalypse is brilliant writing. Seeing her at the very last moment of ‘Buffy vs. Dracula’ is a true double-take moment, and learning of the truth of her presence along with Buffy is a journey. Of course, Glory is hell-bent on getting her hands on Dawn for her apocalyptic plans which keeps the stakes high.

Many of the Scoobies have standout moments of their own in this season, too. During the finale, Giles makes the hard decision to kill Ben in order to destroy Glory, because he knows Buffy can’t, or won’t. Spike shares a touching relationship with Dawn, particularly after the death of Joyce. Xander finally leaves the basement, gets a steady job and proposes to Anya. And who could forget the first lesbian kiss shown onscreen on Buffy, between Willow and Tara in ‘The Body’?

However, for all its good points, season 5 does have some bad ones. For one thing, there isn’t a huge number of fun, one-off episodes, and not many with rewatch value. A few good ones include ‘Family’, ‘The Replacement’ and ‘Fool for Love’, which has perhaps one of the coolest fight scenes in the whole show - you know which one I mean. There are some truly amazing episodes like ‘The Body’ and ‘The Gift’, which is, in my opinion, the greatest of all the Buffy finales. But they have little rewatch value, particularly ‘The Body’, because of all the…you know, death.

Yes, Buffy’s sacrifice is beautiful, and I wouldn’t change it. And yes, the episode on Joyce’s sudden death is incredibly well done. But Joyce’s illness takes up several episodes, not to mention the aftermath of her passing, and the whole thing is a very hard-hitting storyline. We suffer because we love Joyce, but we also suffer because we love Buffy. Couple that heavy sub-plot with a lack of light-hearted standalone episodes and season 5 doesn’t quite make it out on top.

Absolute Best: Season 3

Finally, in first place, we have season 3. This is perhaps the only season of Buffy which truly has it all – a strong overarching plot, a wealth of fun standalone episodes, a stellar villain and great individual moments for the Scoobies.

Firstly, ‘Anne’ does a good job of opening the season. The death of Angel has taken its toll on Buffy, and we see her attempting to live out a completely different life as a completely different girl. Of course, her abstinence from slaying doesn’t last long, and after her return to Sunnydale, the season goes on to give us several treats. ‘Band Candy’ brings us the hilarious escapades of ‘young’ Giles, Joyce and even Principal Snyder, ‘Lovers Walk’ sees Spike struggling with a broken heart, and ‘The Wish’ introduces us to our beloved Anya for the first time – we also meet vampire Willow here for the first time, and again in the great ‘Doppelgangland’.

And the standalone episodes aren’t just light-hearted hijinks. Some of them deal with some much heavier issues while also retaining their rewatch value. ‘The Zeppo’, ‘Bad Girls’, and ‘Helpless’ are all perfect examples. In these episodes, we see the likes of Xander saving Sunnydale High from certain destruction and finding his place in the Scooby gang, Buffy developing a rebellious streak thanks to Faith who ends up murdering a human, and Giles betraying Buffy per the demands of the Watcher’s Council. All of these episodes provide the Scoobies with interesting arcs and the audience with moral dilemmas regarding their favourite characters. Nothing is black and white, and good writing knows that.

Faith, of course, is a fantastic part of season 3 in her own right. She’s multi-faceted, full of great catchphrases and has her own devil-may-care attitude to both life and slaying. Her relationship with Mayor Wilkins, the greatest villain to grace Buffy, is fantastically handled, too. It’s equal parts sweet and creepy because, although we know how evil the Mayor is with his plans of Ascension, he’s also full of charisma and just plain funny. As much as he enjoys sending people out to commit cold-blooded murder, he’s also grieved by the death of Allan, his Deputy Mayor. He buys Faith gifts and treats her like his daughter. He has layers, to put it simply, and that’s what makes him so brilliant.

The finale is a great send-off to Buffy’s High School era, and seeing the school come together to fight Mayor Wilkins and his crew of vampires is special. Seeing Buffy have her hard work acknowledged in ‘The Prom’ is a poignant moment, but so is seeing her classmates decide that she won’t be the only one to fight this particular battle. It’s heartfelt, and it does well to top the twenty amazing episodes that preceded it. It fittingly serves as the season’s crowning moment, and ultimately makes season 3 the show’s crowning season.

What's your favourite season of Buffy? Do you agree with our ranking? Leave a comment below, or drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter!

Ooblets Is the Ray of Sunshine We All Need (Game Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 18:34:00 +0000

The internet isn't all doom and gloom, you know. Believe it or not, if you look hard enough on them there social media platforms, you will find pockets of sunshine everywhere; communities of people who have found a safe place to exist and be themselves online. Of course, we don't often think about the internet that way, because those happy pockets are stitched onto a big shirt of seething anger and resentment. Ooblets, a game by British indie developer Glumberland, feels like what would happen if you took all the beautiful, smiley, rainbow-infused positivity that exists within such online spaces, and made a game out of it.

Currently in early access for PC (through Epic Game Store) and Xbox One, Ooblets is a life simulation game that combines two equally addictive gameplay genres. It takes the same kind of easy to pick up farming reminiscent of beloved series like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, and mashes it together with the creature collecting and battling of the likes of Pokémon, and it does so with its own refreshing take. Combine that with a unique personality and lovely cell-shaded visuals, and you end up with a game that is oozing with such sincere charm that it could make even the biggest cynic crack a smile.

After stepping off the boat in Badgetown, a town located on the isle of Oob, you're greeted by the pink-haired, rainbow-hatted Mayor Tinstle. You start off by running around this colourful twee town and introducing yourself to the townsfolk, who love to strut their stuff and greet you with cooky conversation. Then you get your first Ooblet, which is one of the many cute plant creatures you will be collecting in this game. After a short tutorial that teaches you how to face your Ooblet off against another Ooblet through the medium of dance (this appears to be how conflict is settled in Badgetown), you are given a beaten up farmhouse to live in (for free) then next thing you know, you are swept up in the game's highly addictive gameplay loop.

There's two main things that you will find yourself focusing on in Ooblets. Firstly, the growing and hoarding of various plants and materials that are used to complete tasks for Mayor Tinstle (satisfyingly alliterated as "tinstle tasks"), who is trying her best to appease the Ooblet High Council. You are responsible for finding materials to fix up the town's many dilapidated structures of budding potential, like the clubhouses, the dance barn and even your own house. You're also tasked to fix other things like an Ooblet scanning machine for Rugnolia's Ooblet research project, as well as Gimble's hot air balloon so you can travel to other parts of Oob. Sometimes one of the many townsfolk might just need you to get them a particular item. Either way, you're set to become the handiest person that Badgetown has ever seen. Most of the needed materials for any of the game's tasks can be found around the town, spawning randomly each day (some rarer than others), but most can be grown on your farm using seeds you find or buy from the seed store. Just till the land, plant the seeds, and make sure you keep them watered. Occasionally you'll need to weed them. Later on you can unlock sprinklers and other helpful tools that can get a lot of the work done for you. While growing the required amount of certain materials can take a few in-game days (the game handily tells you how long each seed has left to grow), no stress is placed upon you. It's all very calming, really. There's no time limits, no penalties, no tension, just a reassuring "you did good" at the end of each in-game day. Whether you harvested enough crops to finish a task or two, or you simply just danced all day instead, that's no problem, because in Badgetown, you did good. There's always tomorrow.

The other most important part of the game are the titular Ooblet creatures. Using your starter Ooblet, you will face off with other Ooblets that hang around town in turn-based dance offs that feature a trading card game attack system. The reward for winning is a seed of the Ooblet you just defeated. Plant these seeds on your farm and you can grow yourself another Ooblet. Next thing you know you've got a whole gang of Ooblets behind you that you can use in battles that require anywhere up to a max of six Ooblets. They can also be put to work on your farm using "Oobcoops", meaning you don't need to spend as much of your time maintaining it and harvesting it, so get a few Oobcoops filled up, pop a load of sprinklers and other contraptions down and you've got a farm that practically runs itself.

Each Ooblet also has an uncommon colour and a flashy "gleamy" version too, meaning there are a lot of these creatures for completionists to acquire. If you get each unique Ooblet (including its variations) scanned in Rugnolia's Ooblet scanning machine, you will recieve a little statue of it, which you can put on display in the Town hall. Mayor Tinstle likes it when you do that.

So yeah, that turn-based trading card game dance off system I mentioned. It's beautifully simple but incredibly fun, shedding any of the obtuseness sometimes seen in the battle systems of more typical RPGs. The aim is to gain enough points to reach a set score total. Every turn you can play a card specific to one of your Ooblets that can either have it dance to gain more points towards the goal, add "hype", which is basically a move that raises the amount of beats a card gives you, or cast "fluster" which debuffs the opponent, making their dance moves weaker. You start each turn with a specific amount of "beats", and each card requires a certain amount of beats to use, so there's an element of strategy in deciding which cards need to be played each turn. As your Ooblets level up, they'll earn more unique move cards that can be put to use. You'll pick it up in an instant, and love it. Once you're comfortable with the battle system, you can get the dance barn fixed up and compete in daily tournaments where beating three opponents can win you a rare Ooblet seed.

Also, your character also always commends the opponent Ooblet for working hard when they lose. Have I already mentioned how positive this game is?

As you go back and fourth between farming and dance battling to the sounds of Pedro Silva's excellent soundtrack, you will gain two types of currency. The first, and most common, are Gummies, which are essentially the game's equivalent to money and can be spent in the game's different shops. You'll use them to buy food, seeds, purchase clothes and get your hair changed, as well as buying furniture and upgrades for your house. You can sell materials and plants to gain more gummies.

Wishies are a little bit more substantial, as they are used to unlock much more important upgrades, such as adding more items to shops, adding more Ooblets to the town, and unlocking helpful bits of kit for your farm. Wishies are achieved by receiving progress badges and completing three fairly simple daily tasks that reset at the start of each day.

At the beginning of your stay in Badgetown, you will find that you are running low on a bit of everything, materials, currency, you name it. But once you start to learn the ins and outs of the gameplay, fix up vital buildings and upgrade certain tools/farm contraptions, you'll find yourself rustling up materials and racking up gummies and wishies in no time. It still requires work, but the feeling that you've worked hard to make that work so much easier through all the errands you've done, and the tools you've invested in, makes for a really satisfying feeling.

Ooblets is a delightful and relaxing gameplay experience from start to finish. It feels cosy and safe; the kind of game that makes you want to stick around. Customise your character to be whoever you want them to be, and roam around in the delightful spaces of Badgetown and beyond, away from conflict and stress. If you can, don't just watch a Let's Play, play it for yourself, because it's one of those special games that truly becomes its best when you make it yours. I sincerely hope that Ooblets comes to more consoles, because I'd love to see this wonderful title become accessible to an even wider audience.

I suppose all that is left to do is scratch my head and see if I can think of any gripes I have with the game. I did have one particular gameplay-related one, concerning the fact that there was a limited amount of Ooblets you could have at one time, and the only way to fix this issue was to build or upgrade an Oobcoop to put them in, which requires quite a few materials, including Oobsidian, which is fairly uncommon. This halted gameplay quite a bit, as materials I could save for tasks were instead being used to build Oobcoops. Well, as I was writing this article, the developers added in a new feature, the Wildlands, which allows you to send Ooblets you no longer need away so you can free up space to get new ones. A lot of early access games often get criticised, but Ooblets is being constantly updated, with bugs getting squashed swiftly and even new content getting added since the game's launch on July 15th, 2020. The developers have been incredibly active and responsive on Twitter too, providing updates on incoming hotfixes and responding to the questions of excited fans. I'm keeping my eyes constantly peeled to see what Glumberland do for this game next. The Oob revolution is running like a well-oiled machine. And I am well and truly here for it.

Undertale: One of the Best Choice-Driven Games

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Fri, 29 May 2020 21:26:00 +0000

Last night, I completed Toby Fox’s Undertale for the first time ever since its release back in 2015 (yes, I know – late to the party again). And…wow. This game undoubtedly has a million articles written about it already and mine is sure to get lost in the pile, but it deserves those numerous articles. It’s a fantastic game. You probably didn’t need me to say that outright given the amount of italics I’m using to prove my point, but I’m saying it anyway.

There are certainly many other choice-driven games in the world and they’re all brilliant in their own ways. I’ve played a number of them myself, like Life is Strange, Heavy Rain and the entirety of Telltale’s The Walking Dead series. Considering that Heavy Rain and The Walking Dead graced our screens in 2010 and 2012 respectively, Undertale certainly didn’t pioneer choice-driven games. But given the incredible amount of high praise its received, both in 2015 and in the years since, it can perhaps be called one of the best.

Yeah, I know – taking into account the other three games I’ve mentioned, Undertale falls short in terms of general production value. After all, it’s an indie game. But what it lacks in pretty graphics and better mechanics, it more than makes up for in its story. It’s genuine, complex, and deeply heartfelt. Many games tell great stories that capture us in some way, but it’s been a long time since one made me feel the way Undertale did.

Because it doesn’t really matter how many hours of gameplay there are, or how much money has been pumped into the production machine. Undertale is but an independently developed RPG that can be completed in a handful of hours, but I consider it to be better than Heavy Rain. I even consider it to be on an equal footing with Life is Strange, which is saying a lot coming from me – I happen to hold Life is Strange in very high regard.

One of Undertale’s best features may just be its characters. Sure, the protagonist may be a little one-dimensional, but the characters around them are anything but. As soon as Toriel comes along, saving us from Flowey, we fall for her sweet, motherly nature. We eat her butterscotch-cinnamon pie and watch her read in her rocking-chair by the fire. She’s one of the first monsters we meet, and she shows us nothing but kindness.

Then, of course, there’s Sans and Papyrus – both completely meme-worthy, both hilarious and just as compassionate. They crack jokes, make spaghetti and argue like siblings do. Papyrus even has a racing carbed. They may remind us of real people that we know in the real world, and that’s important because it strikes a chord within us. Because, yes, they’re supposed to be the bad guys and capture us, but they never really do. They come to see us as a friend, and they treat us that way. We show them mercy, and in return, they show us the same.

The same goes for Undyne and Alphys, Asgore, and even Asriel in the end. The same goes for every monster we encounter and choose to spare in the game. After the brief intro at the beginning, explaining the war between the humans and the monsters, the kindness that we’re shown by everyone comes as something of a surprise. We start Undertale ready to fight our way through it like any other game, ready to attack, win, collect our spoils and move on without a second thought. We’re ready for that because we see the word ‘monsters’. But the game forces us to rethink. As soon as we discover that we can choose mercy over fighting, we suddenly realise that not only do we not have to kill, we may not particularly want to.

I love that about Undertale – the choice, and the sheer amount of choices that you can make. Each monster you encounter is a choice, to spare or to kill, even Sans, Papyrus and the rest. And while you should feel bad about killing these innocent creatures, you don’t have to, because it’s a choice. And whatever choices you make, you carry with you all the way through to the tailored ending. Granted, I’ve only seen the Neutral and True Pacifist endings because I refuse to commit genocide, even in a game, but the Genocide ending is valid in and of itself. It’s another set of choices that you’re free to make. It tells another story, just as well-written, though a lot less beautiful and a lot more…well, genocidal.

It’s an ending I simply wouldn’t find fulfilling. I already know I wouldn’t go back and achieve the Genocide ending, because I decided, after the True Pacifist ending, that I would never kill a single monster in Undertale. “It’s not that deep!” I hear you cry? I beg to differ.

That’s what I meant when I talked about Undertale making me feel something. Not only did I love each character, I felt like I knew them on a weirdly personal level – not only the major side characters, but each and every monster I encountered. Alphys and Undyne even remind me of specific people that I know in my life. And not only are they comparable to real people, these characters have their own personalities, their own dreams, hopes and fears like anyone else. One of them is an aspiring stand-up comedian. Another loves his hat. They’re all just like you – thrust into a random encounter, feeling as if they have to fight but ultimately, not really wanting to, and feeling relieved when they don’t have to.

I mean, really…how can you fight creatures that mirror you so perfectly? That’s the genius of Undertale. Monsters aren’t monsters at all, not in this game. Discard your binary way of thinking and look at this town – a shop, a library, a pub, houses, where monsters work, have a quiet one and just live. Ignore what every other game tells you. Think about the kindness these characters show you and the kindness you can choose to give. If nothing else, Undertale teaches us that kindness can go so far and touch so many – that’s true for the game, and for real life.

Tiger King: When Entertainment Wins Over Truth

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Sat, 23 May 2020 17:05:00 +0000

Every factual documentary has an agenda. It’s a sometimes-unfortunate truth that every single series or film comes complete with a biased lens, and I say "sometimes" because it isn’t always a bad thing. Every narrative has to be told from a certain standpoint. There are countless documentaries out there, particularly true crime, that use their position to bring some truly terrible issues to light, and focus their agenda on justice. They’re based on facts, they’re well-rounded, and they do not place entertainment value above the truth. That’s the point of a documentary, and many would agree with me on that.

So, when Tiger King arrived on Netflix, selling itself as a documentary, I was hopeful that some real issues would be touched upon. Real issues, like the gargantuan issue of big cat breeding in the States, and how we can begin to tame it. I’d never heard of Joe Exotic before, and from the many memes and hashtags that were trending on Twitter - #freejoeexotic being one of the most popular – I figured he’d turn out to be the underdog, the lovable hero of the story. Boy, was I wrong.

It’s no secret that Joe is a terrible person. He owned and operated a roadside zoo, kept his animals in less-than-stellar conditions, paid his employees an awful wage of $150 a week and manipulated a number of vulnerable men into marrying him. He threatened Carole Baskin’s life on the daily and even paid a guy to actually off her. Oh, and he didn’t provide sanctuary to exotic animals – he bred them, ripped the newborn cubs from their mothers, and charged hordes of people to take selfies with them. This is all made clear on the show. So why on Earth do people like Joe Exotic?

The answer is relatively simple. When we read books, watch films, or binge shows, we look for a hero to zero in on. In any story, we look for someone we can empathise with and join on the journey, someone we can root for. In The Keepers, it’s Abbie and Gemma. In The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez, it’s Jon Hatami. In Tiger King, it’s Joe Exotic. He becomes the hero because he’s the first person we meet, and because, intentionally, we’re shown the good about him before we’re shown the bad. And at first, he seems relatable – after all, he came from nothing, and he seems to love the animals. He’s what some might call ‘the salt of the Earth’. Not only that, but he's a gun-toting, gay polygamist with a mullet - the sheer madness of it is somehow endearing to the audience, and we root for him almost instantaneously.

Again, every documentary has an agenda, and every single one of them deals in entertainment. They have to entertain us, or we wouldn’t watch them, as shallow as we are. But there’s a major and important difference between being entertaining, and making entertainment the prime objective. The makers of Tiger King know better than anyone how terrible Joe Exotic is. They’re the ones who spent actual time with him, at his zoo, and captured, on camera, all of his awful exploits (including the stuff we didn’t get to see). But they’re also the ones who hold Joe up as the hero.

The reason for that is entertainment, plain and simple. Joe is, undoubtedly, a criminal and a bigot, but he’s also entertaining and that not only gets people watching, it keeps them watching. The makers of Tiger King know that. It’s why they let the issue of big cat breeding, and more broadly, exotic animal abuse, slide in favour of completely irrelevant speculation spouted by Joe, like whether or not Carole Baskin really killed her husband two decades ago. It’s why they force the perspective so we end up thinking of Joe as an underdog who tries his best, and rooting for him as such. Simply put, they know what works. If it’s a toss-up between a closer look at the harrowing animal abuse, or showing Joe shooting some dynamite, I think we can all say what’s more entertaining.

Then, of course, there’s Carole Baskin. Just as we need a hero to root for, we need a villain to struggle against. The show presents Carole to us only after we’re forced to listen to Joe ranting and raving about everything she’s done to him. From the get-go, we’re doomed to not only distrust her, but actively dislike her, despite the fact that she’s perhaps the sanest person on the entire show. She’s certainly the only one who runs a GFS-accredited sanctuary. And yes, she doesn’t pay her volunteers because, well…they’re volunteers.

The disappearance of her ex-husband, Don Lewis, isn’t particularly something I want to get into too deeply here because it deserves its own article. Suffice it to say that there’s precisely zero evidence Carole had anything to do with his disappearance. Again, the idea that she did is juicy, and draws people in. It’s likely that without that separate storyline, Tiger King wouldn’t have received half as much attention as it did. You only need to glance at the hashtags on Twitter to know that many people swallowed the narrative that Tiger King was offering because they’re still perpetuating it. Not even Doc Antle – not just a creepy guy, but also the ringleader of what appears to be a sex cult – gets the same kind of treatment that Carole suffers from on social media.

With that, Tiger King seems to have it all – a downtrodden, entertaining frontman, the uppity villain, an unsolved disappearance and a murder-for-hire plot all rolled into a single seven-part series. Of course people were going to watch it and talk about it. That’s the point of entertainment. It had one job to do – to keep people coming back – and it did that. But what it delivered in entertainment, it all but ignored in facts.

The main issue with Tiger King is that it presents itself as something it’s not. It masquerades itself behind the guise of documenting true events but twists the narrative in the name of entertainment. Not only that, but it does nothing substantial with itself. There is no fight against big cat breeding – other than the one Carole’s fighting – and no desire to spread any semblance of truth. If Tiger King was interested in the truth, Carole Baskin would not be such a hated figure, and Joe Exotic would be vilified rather than revered. But that wouldn’t be half as entertaining.

There’s something sinister about a show that is cut from the same cloth as a reality show posing as a documentary. There’s something even more sinister about the fact that people simply accept things for whatever they’re said to be. Tiger King is no more a documentary than Jersey Shore. It tells us nothing new, only presents us with carefully modified portions of the story, and does nothing to try and solve any of the issues they bring up. It’s viewing for viewing’s sake, observing a group of people as they struggle against each other, laughing as the time-bomb ticks down.

To go back to what I wrote earlier, all documentaries, even the well-rounded ones, have to choose how they tell their story. Every narrative has to be told from a certain standpoint, whether it’s based on facts or entertainment. But in documentaries, entertainment should never preclude the facts, should never get in the way of showing events as truthfully as possible while striving to remain as objective as possible. That’s the point of documentaries – they document the truth in order to bring an issue to light. If we consider Tiger King a documentary, then we may as well throw Keeping Up with the Kardashians in there, too. After all, where do we draw the line?

That’s the real question, and it’s not one with a simple answer, either. It’s easy to be fooled into thinking that all shows calling themselves documentaries simply want the truth, that all of them are created equal. But they’re not. While film-makers shouldn’t be as eager to deceive us as they are, we, as the audience, shouldn’t be as eager to buy what they’re peddling.

Tiger King is not rooted in facts, but entertainment, and that’s the difference. It’s a reality show, at best, with a villain for a hero. It’s not on a search for truth, or justice. It’s not about morality. It's about entertainment.

5 Documentaries to Satisfy your True Crime Cravings

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Thu, 07 May 2020 19:29:00 +0000

The interest in true crime has exploded in recent years, thanks, in large part, to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and all the streaming services out there that consistently provide us with batches of fresh content. While the general public have always enjoyed the macabre (with shows like CSI and Criminal Minds proving to be long-running favourites), true crime really seemed to explode into the mainstream with Netflix’s Making a Murderer, back in 2015 - we all remember how big it was. Since then, we’ve been positively spoilt with the number of factual documentaries, both series and films, that delve into the darker side of human nature. Here are five of what I consider to be the best…

1. Lorena (2019)

Lorena is a four-part series that follows Lorena Bobbitt’s 1993 trial for the assault of her husband, John Bobbitt. It was a story, and a case, sensationalised around the world. Why? Because she chopped off his penis, with a knife, while he slept.

Now, surely this kind of thing doesn’t just happen, right? Lorena claimed that John Bobbitt, while married to her, had abused her physically, verbally, and sexually. She’d attacked him because she’d snapped. Enough was enough.

The story goes rather deep, following John’s trial, and even taking a look into further allegations made against him by other women. It’s a wild ride.

Check it out on Amazon Prime.

2. The Keepers (2017)

The Keepers is a truly heartfelt series about the rampant abuse within Catholic institutions, the murder of a nun, and the solidarity between those who want justice.

Sister Catherine Cesnik was a teacher at the Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore before her untimely death in 1969. She was well loved by her students, who, decades later, are the very women featured in the documentary investigating her murder.

The kicker? Cesnik had suspicions that some of the priests, specifically Joseph Maskell, was sexually abusing the girls at the school. She had no proof, but she was looking into the matter during the time she was murdered. It’s almost as if someone wanted to make sure she stayed quiet about the abuse – someone like the very priests she suspected.

The Keepers is currently on Netflix.

3. Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist (2018)

There’s really nothing quite like Evil Genius. The series documents the bizarre 2003 murder of pizzeria employee Brian Wells, and the subsequent investigation into the diabolical plot that killed him.

The plot involved Wells delivering a pizza to a particular spot, where he claimed to have been jumped, and had a collar bomb strapped around his neck. He was then sent to rob a bank, the bomb detonating, thus killing him, shortly after.

The whole thing was almost certainly orchestrated by perhaps the strangest duo you’ll ever meet – Bill Rothstein and Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. The show focuses primarily on Diehl-Armstrong but looks at a host of others who could have played a part.

Why did it happen? The short answer is money. The question we might never know the answer to, however, is whether or not Brian Wells himself was a willing participant.

You can find Evil Genius on Netflix.

4. Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer (2020)

Ever since Bundy’s capture in 1975 and the explosive trial that followed, there have been countless books, films and documentaries made about him and his crimes. He’s perhaps the most talked-about serial killer in history, with the victims all too often fading into the background.

So, while this documentary is certainly about him in a sense, it’s refreshing to see someone take a deeper look at the girls who suffered at his hands. Not only do we find out more about them, we see interviews with their families – mothers, sisters and friends who are all still grieving for their lost loved ones.

Primarily, though, the show looks at Bundy’s long-term girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall, and her daughter, Molly. They share their memories and experiences with Bundy before, during, and after his horrific murder spree. Fascinating stuff.

Another great series on Amazon Prime.

5. The Confession Tapes (2017)

First, I feel I ought to give a word of warning for this series; it will make you angry. It will make you want to scream and throw your computer. It’s tough on the emotions, as it should be.

The Confession Tapes looks at several different cases involving possible false confessions – confessions that then led to murder convictions. Investigators are shown using controversial, and even illegal, techniques to extract these confessions – holding and interrogating the suspects for hours, threatening them, and keeping them from calling a lawyer.

The bad practice of some law enforcement departments in America is astounding, and is exactly how so many wrongful convictions happen. This series is unforgiving in its portrayal of the law’s abuse of power, and those who suffer for it.

The Confession Tapes is currently on Netflix.

What do you think of the documentaries featured on this list? Which is your favourite? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or via our Twitter or Facebook pages!

Dune - The Attitude of the Knife

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 18:38:00 +0000

In Frank Herbert's bestselling novel Dune, one of the lessons Paul Atreides learns is the attitude of the knife - cutting off what's incomplete and saying: "Now, this is complete because it's ended here." It's a lesson that Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have taken to heart with their upcoming film adaptation; instead of trying to film the entire story at once, they've decided to film it in two parts. According to Legendary's CEO Josh Grode "there's a logical place to end the movie before the story is over." Denis Villeneuve (director of Arrival and Blade Runner 2049) is directing the film and he's assembled a hell of a crew to help him breathe new life into Arrakis. However, all the fans are desperate to know one thing: Where will his film end? In this feature, I will discuss three scenes from the novel that could serve as the film's ending. I will explore them in detail, so if you haven't read the book, I strongly suggest you close your browser now and buy a copy. I'll be including scenes that don't appear in David Lynch and the Sci-Fi Channel's versions of Dune. Now that that's out of the way, let's get started!

Scene #1: Harkonnen Victory

The novel is split into three parts, or "Books", chronicling Paul's rise to power on the desert planet Arrakis. At the end of Book One, Paul and his mother Jessica flee into the planet's southern regions to escape their enemies, the Harkonnens. Their noble family, House Atreides, is overthrown and Paul's father Duke Leto has been killed. House Harkonnen is back in control of Arrakis. While hiding away in the desert, Paul has a series of visions triggered by the planet's "spice" melange. The mind-enhancing drug gives Paul the power to see the future and even read genetic memories passed down to him by his ancestors. He learns, to Jessica's shock, that her unknown father is the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen; and she will soon give birth to a daughter named Alia. Paul also foresees a future for himself and his family - the Fremen, the planet's desert-dwelling nomads, will give them sanctuary. They will gain power and prominence amongst the Fremen and Paul will become Muad'Dib; a messiah destined to free the Fremen from the Harkonnens forever. As he and Jessica come to terms with his new abilities, Paul mourns his father and swears to avenge him.

When I heard of Legendary's plan for Dune, this scene was the first possible end point I thought of. As the end of Book One, it's the earliest point Denis could choose to end the film... but it's not the most ideal. At this point in the story, only a few clashes have taken place: a failed assassination attempt, two skirmishes between Atreides and Harkonnen forces, and the final attack that drives Paul and Jessica into hiding. Viewers who haven't read the book will expect at least one more battle or conflict before the credits roll - and sadly, they won't get it here. As for Paul's visions, they could work both for and against the film if it ends here. Although they set up future events and pave the way for the next film, the revelations Paul uncovers would be too much, too soon. Newcomers and casual viewers won't have the time to absorb Paul's discoveries before the film ends. If Denis Villeneuve's Dune is to succeed, it will need a more exciting ending. Luckily, the ideal scene may be just around the corner...

Scene 2: The Testing Station

In the early scenes of Book Two, Paul and Jessica are rescued by their swordmaster Duncan Idaho and Imperial ecologist Doctor Kynes. They take shelter in an abandoned testing station - one of several the late Duke wished to investigate - which is, in fact, being used as a secret outpost by the Fremen! Paul learns that Kynes is the mysterious Liet; a Fremen leader who commands all the tribes on Arrakis. Liet sends for a Fremen tribe led by his brother, Stilgar, to take in Paul and Jessica. However, Harkonnen forces discover the outpost and attack, intent on taking the last of the Atreides dead or alive. Paul and Jessica escape, but Idaho dies defending them and Liet is captured. The Baron orders his men to execute Liet and reinstates his older nephew, Rabban, as ruler of Arrakis. "The Beast" Rabban has already earned a reputation for brutalising his subjects, but his uncle orders him to oppress the planet harder than ever! Meanwhile, Paul and Jessica begin their search for Stilgar's tribe.

Before I started on this feature, I re-read the first two parts of Dune. I realised two things when I reached this scene: it’s the literal halfway point of the story; and potentially, the best place where the new film could end! It gives the reader time to absorb Paul’s revelations before topping them off with one more – Liet Kynes, the Imperial ecologist ordered to betray the Atreides, is bound to protect them by his Fremen connections! Liet faces a difficult choice in this scene, which in itself makes for a satisfying climax you might see at the end of a film. And then, there’s the Harkonnen attack. Although it’s on a smaller scale than the later battles in Dune, it has the makings of a big screen finale worthy of The Lord of the Rings’ battle at Amon Hen! Compare this scene with the climax of the Fellowship of the Ring film, and you’ll see they have a lot in common. Paul and Jessica are our heroes running from a fight they can’t win. The Harkonnen soldiers are Dune’s Uruk-hai, an unstoppable menace our heroes must escape from. Finally, Kynes and Idaho are this scene’s Aragorn and Boromir, two warriors giving their lives to ensure the heroes escape. The battle already has the right components in the book, but Denis could raise the stakes higher if he wishes. In January, Dave Bautista (the actor playing Rabban in this year’s film) teased a fight scene between himself and Jason Momoa in the new season of Apple TV’s See. Jason is playing Idaho in the new film, so many people – including myself – mistakenly thought that he and Dave would butt heads in Dune as well. Rabban and Idaho never crossed swords in the book… but there’s still a chance they may fight on the big screen. Peter Jackson created the Uruk-hai Lurtz to give the Fellowship one last fight at Amon Hen, so Denis could bring The Beast Rabban to Liet’s station and give Liet and Idaho the fight of their lives! Whatever happens, it’s guaranteed to be a tearjerker. Duncan Idaho is one of the book’s most beloved characters, and he’s being played by one of today’s most loveable hunks! Fans of the character and the actor will want to pack tissues.

Scene #3: The Spice Agony

In the final scene of Book Two, Paul and Jessica have joined Stilgar's tribe. Paul has proven himself in combat and finally met the girl of his dreams: Chani, the daughter of Liet Kynes, who has appeared in his visions since before he came to Arrakis. Now, it's Jessica's turn to earn her keep. She agrees to undergo the spice agony; a ritual in which she will attempt to become the Fremen's new Reverend Mother. To do so, she must "change" the Water of Life - the bile of a drowned sandworm - and absorb the memories of the previous Reverend Mothers. Jessica performs the ritual without declaring her pregnancy, putting the unborn Alia's life at risk. Mother and daughter survive the ritual, but Alia awakens to consciousness prematurely and takes on the Reverend Mothers' memories as well. Jessica succeeds in changing the Water of Life - making it safe to drink - and secures her place among the Fremen! Stilgar's tribe celebrates by drinking the changed Water, and Paul and Chani become lovers.

Jessica’s rite is the very last point where Denis could end the film. I have my doubts, but I chose to include it because the rumour mill’s been working overtime the past few months. A screenplay, supposedly by the films’ screenwriters Eric Roth and John Spaihts, has appeared on the web. I haven’t read it myself – nor do I intend to for fear that it’s fake – but if it’s real, then it’s likely Denis Villeneuve’s Dune will end with Jessica changing the Water of Life. For me, it’s both encouraging and worrying. At this point, Paul and Jessica have achieved their immediate goals: they’ve joined the Fremen and claimed new positions of power. Also, Paul has fulfilled his visions of Chani – one of the first plot threads established in the book – and the two have become a couple. The last remaining members of House Atreides have two goals left, and they both become the focus of Book Three: amassing an army and taking back Arrakis. Book Three picks up two years after Paul and Jessica join the Fremen, so ending here could work in the film’s favour. However, I believe it could be a gamble. If the leaked script is genuine, and most of its scenes make it onto the screen intact, the finished film could be anywhere from two-and-a-half to three hours long. I wouldn’t mind it being so long, but not everyone has the energy to sit through a three-hour film without stopping. If Denis wants the film to succeed, he and his writers will need to make every word and second count. The pacing will need to be as tight as a doorseal; and the dialogue sharp as a crysknife. They’ll only get to make a second film – and adapt the rest of the story – if the first film succeeds. If Denis plans to leave off here, I truly hope it does.

Unless the screenplay is proved genuine, there's only one sure way to know where Denis Villeneuve's Dune will end. Will you be seeing it this Christmas? Where do you think it will end? Let us know in the comments below, or on Facebook & Twitter. And until December, may Shai-hulud clear the path before you!

Little Nightmares: Three Years On, Mysteries Are Still Being Unraveled

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 18:09:00 +0000

Little Nightmares was an instant hit upon its release back in 2017. While in some ways it seemed to follow in the footsteps of Playdead’s Limbo (2010) and Inside (2016), it also quickly proved to be like no game we’d ever played before.

We’re thrown into the world of Little Nightmares without much explanation, save for what was posted on the official website – we know who Six is, or, at least, her name, and we knew that we’d be coming face-to-face with a number of quite literal nightmares, like the Janitor and, eventually, The Lady. And while these behemoths of the game are undoubtedly terrifying, the game has the kind of atmosphere that, on its own, is enough to chill you.

As Six, we awaken in a darkened room, in what appears to be the bowels of a ship, known as The Maw. From the first note, the music of the game is truly an experience – it sets the tone for every chapter and keeps us on our toes, reminding us that we can never really relax. Each room is shrouded in shadows, and the sheer mystery of where we are and exactly what we’re trying to do only deepens the further we go. It seems we’re trying to escape, but why? From what? Who is the Hanging Man? Who is anyone? And, of course, why are we so desperately hungry? Three years on, these questions still seem to have no discernible answers.

As we progress the game does seem to throw us hints, but the answers are still hardly set in stone. For example, we see the Janitor wrapping up children and transporting their bodies to the Chefs in the kitchen. It’s presumed that he’s raising them to be cooked, and fed to the Guests of the Maw. While this seems plausible, we never see him kill a child, and we never see the Chefs cutting up or cooking a child’s body. The seed is planted, but what grows from it appears to be up to us, the players. Some even think that the Janitor is friendly, inexplicably trying to save Six from whatever she’s running towards.

I doubt it.

But that’s part of the fun (or horror, depending on how you see it) of Little Nightmares. We’re given all the elements of a story – the characters, the setting, the atmosphere – and we’re allowed to run with it. The possibilities are truly endless. It’s even been posited by many fans of the game that Six isn’t benevolent at all, despite how sweet she may seem. After all, she does attack and eat one of the helpless little Nomes, and even absorbs The Lady’s power by eating her. Could it not be true, then, that Six is the titular little nightmare?

She very well could be, at least in my mind. The Lady may seem sinister, but perhaps she only seems that way thanks to the framing of the game. Framing is everything, after all – she looms over us throughout the story, a giant compared to Six, and we know she has incredible, devastating power. But what, exactly, is the nature of her power? How did she come to wield it? And what’s with all the bloody masks?

So many questions, and so few answers. And while it’s certainly frustrating having no answers, I almost don’t want them. It’s a paradox, I know, and an annoying one at that.

I like being left to wonder exactly what Little Nightmares is really trying to tell us, if anything. Some theorise that it’s a direct reflection of our own society, one where the elite gorge on luxuries while others go hungry and suffer beneath a terrible system. Some theories question whether The Maw is home to a gluttonous God, one that feeds on the unsuspecting Guests. It’s thought by some that The Lady is keeping the world safe by endlessly satisfying the entity – if so, that would make Six the one who ultimately wreaks its wrath upon the world, and thus, she really would be a little nightmare.

These theories all have equal merit it seems, and that’s how I’d like it to stay. There’s something brilliant about having no answers because it keeps the questions circling your brain, and in that sense, a story never really ends. That’s why mysteries like Jack the Ripper and the Roanoke Colony persist, because they’ve never been solved. These events regale millions of people centuries after they’ve happened. They retain a strange kind of legendary status because, quite simply, they’ll never die.

No doubt, with the imminent release of Little Nightmares II some more hints may be offered up, and some mysteries within the Little Nightmares universe may be solved. But until then, here’s to not knowing.

Little Nightmares is available on Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC for various prices. Little Nightmares II will be available this year for the same platforms.

Sonic the Hedgehog (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 20:23:00 +0000

Sonic the Hedgehog is 2020’s attempt to break the video game movie adaptation curse. Its plot plays it safe, leaving it up to the leads to provide the entertainment for fans and families alike. The result hits with a much more delightful impact than expected, making me wish I was born 20 years later so I could grow up watching this movie with wonderment.

In essence, Sonic the Hedgehog is a fish-out-of-water buddy adventure; Sonic, the anthropomorphic blue hedgehog gifted with super speed, has been hiding out on Earth for a while to escape from being found by a tribe of echidnas who want his power. Partnered with a small-town cop, an on-the-run road trip ensues as they escape the power-hungry madman that is government scientist, Dr. Robotnik. Does that sound familiar at all? If so, that’s because Sonic the Hedgehog’s story is what feels like the 101st of its kind. That and a couple a plot holes that get wider the more you think about them, Sonic the Hedgehog shouldn’t be as enjoyable as it is; but in actuality, the screenplay is not where its charm lies.

After a character redesign that led to the film’s delay, the titular Sonic himself is as adorable as he is lovable. Ben Schwartz, the hedgehog’s voice actor, has always been able to bring a cartoonish, lighthearted cockiness to even his live action roles. Blended with this Sonic’s mix of confidence, vulnerability and child-like fascination with Earth’s delights, the film’s scenes that focus on the importance of friendship and loneliness are enough to melt the most stubborn of hearts.

Keeping the cast small allows Sonic the Hedgehog’s exchanges to be more focused and quick, providing an opportunity to showcase the writer’s talent for witty dialogue. James Marsden, playing the small town cop, works well in being the everyday straight man who’s a bouncing board for Sonic’s larger-than-life personality. Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik comes off as a return to form that we haven’t seen from him since 2003’s Bruce Almighty. Carrey injects the character with the same animated, zany flair and energy that put him on the Hollywood map in the 90’s.

Bolstered by well-done effects shown off in entertaining action sequences, boredom never rears its ugly head in Sonic the Hedgehog, making the 99 minute runtime feel just about lean and entertaining enough to be a great time for everyone. Fans of any of the classic SEGA games will get more joy out of it than others, but there’s something on offer for all thanks to the extraordinary personalities of its lead characters and the actors behind them. It doesn’t do much to change the formula, but it does a lot in making video game movies stand tall with what else is out there.

8/10

Alt:Mag's Movies to Watch Out for in 2020

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 18:27:00 +0000

We come to it at last. Earlier this month, our writers came together to discuss the things we’re looking forward to this year. First, we told you the games we’re waiting to play. Then, we showed you the TV series we’re going to tune into. Now we’re going to take you to the movies. Ben, Adam, and Harry have made time to talk about the films they’re going to see in 2020. So, grab your mates, grab your snacks, and have your tickets ready – as Christopher Lloyd said in Back to the Future, you’re gonna see some serious shit!

A Quiet Place Part II - Paramount Pictures, TBD 2020 (Picked by Ben Williams)

The brilliance of John Krasinski's A Quiet Place is still fresh in Ben's mind. The 2018 film - a horror show involving killer aliens with hypersensitive hearing - was a huge success, earning unanimous acclaim and over $340 million at the box office! Now, the Abbott family's fight for survival is set to continue. "Initial news of a sequel was met with sceptisism," says Ben, "with the first film already seeming like a complete story on its own. Thankfully, the trailers have quelled the suspicions. Part II's story is going in a sensible, yet still suspenseful, direction." After the harrowing events of the first film, Evelyn Abbott (played by Emily Blunt) leads her family out of the farmhouse and into the open. Their struggle is greater than ever, because now Evelyn has a newborn son to care for - and there are more threats in the outside world than the monsters they met on the farm. "With Emily still leading, and a whole family in tow, Part II is sure to be a heart-pounding thriller that expands the world we first saw in 2018," says Ben. "A world where you must depend on absolute silence for your survival!" A Quiet Place Part II was originally planned for release on March 20th - but unfortunately, Paramount has put it on hold thanks to the coronavirus. They haven't yet decided on a new release date, but we'll let you know when they do!

No Time to Die – Universal Pictures, April 2nd (Picked by Adam Thorley)

The life of a spy is something many have fantasised about: espionage, danger, and white-knuckle thrills wherever you go. Many film series have given us a glimpse of that dream, but one dwarfs them all: our very own Bond, James Bond! Adam’s waiting to see No Time to Die, the twenty-fifth entry in the landmark franchise, which sees Daniel Craig return as 007 for the fifth and final time. “Following the events of 2015’s Spectre,” says Adam, “Bond has settled down in Jamaica, leaving the Secret Service behind. But, his retirement is short-lived – when the world is in danger once more, Bond leaps into action to find a missing scientist. With new villain Safin (played by Rami Malek) on the rise; tension between himself and 00’ replacement Nomi (Lashana Lynch); and his lover Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) harbouring a deadly secret, Bond’s latest adventure looks set to be intense, emotional, and unmissable. Craig’s final outing as James Bond could be the best yet!” No Time to Die was set to release this April, but the coronavirus has struck once again. The good news is that Universal has a new date in mind - Craig's final mission, should you choose to accept it, will now begin on November 12th in the UK and November 25th in the States.

Dune – Warner Bros. & Legendary Pictures, December 18th (Picked by Harrison Fleming)

Until now, Harry’s had surprisingly few titles to choose from – but now that we’ve reached films, he’s in his element. “There are many films I can’t wait to see,” he says. “But the one I’m most excited for is Dune.” Frank Herbert’s bestselling novel is being brought to the screen once again, this time by visionary director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival and Blade Runner 2049). “I’ve followed the film’s production since it first began last year,” says Harry, “and it looks like Denis is finally giving Dune the cinematic treatment it deserves – he has the vision, he has the budget, and unlike David Lynch, he’s done his homework!” Denis plans to film Dune in two parts (a wise move given the book’s length), and a few lucky sand dogs got to see some of his handiwork last month. Author Brian Clement was one of them, and he thinks the film will blow us away “the way The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars did” when they first hit cinemas. It’s a good omen because the original Dune novels are often compared to Tolkien’s Middle-earth; and they inspired a great many things in the Skywalker saga. “If Denis plays his cards right,” says Harry, “the new Dune will be just as big as Star Wars – if not even bigger! Disney and Lucasfilm had better watch out.” At the time of rewriting, Dune is the only film on our list that hasn't been directly hit by the coronavirus. It may face competition if any films are rescheduled for Christmas, but the spice will flow on December 18th as planned.

Are you anxious to go out in the woods with Evy Abbott? Or perhaps, you're pumped for Daniel Craig's last mission as James Bond? Are you excited to set foot on Arrakis again? Or are there any other films you're waiting for this year? Leave a comment here on on Facebook and Twitter, and tell us what you're going to see at the cinema!

Alt:Mag's TV Series to Watch Out for in 2020

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 11:49:00 +0000

January has been and gone, but for the Alt:Mag team the excitement is just beginning. The new year promises a landslide of new hits, and we've all been busy choosing which ones to talk about in a series of features covering things to watch out for in 2020! In our first feature, we talked about four video games making their way to our consoles this year. This time, we're gonna discuss some TV series we're waiting to tune into in the coming months! Whether they're brand new series or upcoming seasons of established shows, we're all keen to see them - and after reading this feature, you will be too!

Uzumaki - Production I.G., TBD 2020 (Picked by Lewis Cox)

Our big boss was afraid that his choice may not count because it's an anime - but we had no objections to Lewis choosing the upcoming series Uzumaki. The four-part series is based on the manga by Junji Ito and is set to release first not in Japan, but in the US on Adult Swim's Toonami block! "It's hard to believe that I didn't know about Uzumaki until 2018," says Lewis. "I'd heard about Ito's other manga, The Enigma of Amigara Fault, in college and never thought to delve deeper into his work. But now, his cult hit Uzumaki is starting to get the attention it so rightfully deserves! The finely detailed art is grotesque yet beautiful, and the plot surrounding a town obsessed with spirals is deeply fascinating and unique." Ito's work has been adapted for TV before, but 2018's Junji Ito Collection failed to capture what made his work so legendary and terrifying. Uzumaki, on the other hand, looks far more promising - it's coming from the animators of Ghost in the Shell, who look to be doing their best to stay as faithful to the source material as possible, even going as far as making the art black and white, just like that of the original manga. Lewis was particularly happy with this choice: "the lack of colour always really added to Junji Ito’s work more than it took away, making the tormented worlds of his creations feel alien and devoid of joy. It will look incredibly jarring when aired alongside full colour cartoons on Adult Swim, but that's exactly how Uzumaki should make people feel."
Uzumaki will also include an eerie soundtrack by composer Colin Stetson, who previously scored the terrifying 2018 horror movie Hereditary. "The music in the teaser trailer was the biggest surprise of all," says Lewis. "The perfect accompaniment to the unnerving yet mesmerising images that swell onscreen. If the rest of the soundtrack follows suit, it'll give the likes of Akira Yamaoka or Boards of Canada a run for their money!" International release dates have yet to be set, but we'll have more info on Uzumaki as it develops.

His Dark Materials Season 2 - BBC, Winter 2020 (Picked by Harrison Fleming)

Harrison doesn't watch much TV nowadays, but there's one series he can't wait to see again. Based on the epic fantasy book series by Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials reintroduced audiences to a world both like, and unlike, our own - and, to quote a line from Monty Python, there was much rejoicing! "I first discovered Pullman's work through a film called The Golden Compass," says Harry. "It was an ill-fated attempt to turn the books into a children's film trilogy. The film strayed from the books' mature elements and incurred the wrath of fans and critics, along with a crippling take at the box office. I'm one of many people who waited in vain for a sequel - and now, our wish to see Lyra Belacqua's next adventure onscreen is about to be granted!" Last year's phenomenal first season was written by Jack Thorne (co-writer of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), who set out to give us a new vision of Lyra's world and right the wrongs of the Golden Compass film. He succeeded on both counts spectacularly, and now a second season is almost ready to air! "Viewers are in for a treat, and the newcomers don't even know it yet," says Harry. "What began as an Arctic rescue mission is about to turn into something much, much bigger. I finished reading the books last year, so I know exactly where Lyra's going next - and I hope Jack Thorne and the BBC will get to follow her to the very end!" Season 2 of His Dark Materials will air this winter on BBC One in the UK, and on HBO in the US.

The Boys Season 2 - Amazon Video, TBD 2020 (Picked by Ben Williams)

Last year, Amazon Prime viewers received the first season of The Boys, a superhero series developed by Eric Kripke (creator of Supernatural). Based on the comics by Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson, the series painted a darker picture of superheroes - or "supes" - than we've grown used to in recent years. Ben was one of the eight million viewers who made it one of Amazon Prime's biggest hits. "The Boys is an absolute freight-train, smashing through those preconceived assumptions about superhero series with its unfiltered violence and storytelling. Season one stayed true to its premise, ending on a sombre yet somewhat hopeful cliffhanger." The new season is set to continue right where it left off, going deeper into a world where superpowered beings are just another part of our morally grey, consumerism-obsessed society. Karl Urban leads the charge as Billy Butcher, the head of a gang bent on putting renegade supes back in their place. "When it first hit," says Ben, "The Boys asked an interesting question: 'What can normal people do against those who are practically gods?' Billy Butcher answered it, and if you've seen or heard anything about his nemesis Homelander (the series' sadistic, sexual predator version of Superman), you'll know that Billy and the Boys will not be holding back this year!" Season 2 is due to arrive at any time on Amazon Prime. In the meantime, you can subscribe to Prime and catch up with Season 1 right now! Or, if you can't afford to subscribe, you can buy the first season on Blu-ray and DVD from May 11th!

Are you excited to see Lyra or Billy again? Or are you eager to see Junji Ito's chilling work brought to life on our screens again? Are there any other series or new seasons you're waiting for as well? Leave us a comment here or on Facebook and Twitter, and tell us which upcoming shows you're tuning into this year!

Alt:Mag's Games to Watch Out for in 2020

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 16:39:00 +0000

2020 is here at last, and with it the promise of new things – whether it’s a new start, new opportunities, or simply a new you, the new year has something for everyone. As for us, there are three things we’re most excited for at Alt:Mag: new games, new TV shows, and new films. In this feature – the first in a three-part series – we’ll be hearing from our writers which video games they’re waiting for, and when they’re due to arrive. They may be coming next month, next season, or even at the end of the year, but they all have something in common… they’ve got us all chomping at the bit to play them right now!

Sakura Wars - SEGA, April 28th 2020 (Picked by Lewis Cox)

Our editor, Lewis, is waiting for the long-awaited reboot of Sega’s Sakura Wars. “It’s a franchise that has stayed in Japan for the longest time,” says Lewis. “The only entry to ever reach the West was the fifth instalment, So Long, My Love, back in 2010. The more widely praised early entries were never officially released in English. However, Sega appears to have breathed new life into this dormant franchise with its upcoming reboot.” Sakura Wars is a tactical RPG / visual novel game with dating sim elements, set in a Steampunk version of 1940's Japan. “The gameplay is probably most similar to Fire Emblem,” says Lewis, “so if you love that series, you’re bound to love Sakura Wars. This game looks set to take everything that was great about the original games and bring it into the sparkly realm of next-gen 3D. The gameplay shows a beautiful visual upgrade to what was already an elegant franchise. I think many gamers who were never aware of this franchise before will become big fans!” The new Sakura Wars is due to arrive on PlayStation 4 in North America and Europe this spring.

Little Nightmares II - Bandai Namco, TBD 2020 (Picked by Liv Gamble)

If you were a fan of 2017's smash hit Little Nightmares, you're probably aware that its sequel is set to arrive this year - and it's very eagerly anticipated! Liv couldn't be more excited. "The first game spun us an enchanting, horrific tale, but left fans with a lot of questions: Who is the Lady? What's the deal with the Maw? Who - or perhaps more fittingly, what - is Six? And is it even her real name? I was beginning to think we'd never have answers to these questions, especially with the developers being tight-lipped. But, Little Nightmares II might surprise us." In this sequel, we'll play as Mono, another youngster trying to find his way in the games' feverishly terrifying world. He's joined by none other than Six - the heroine of LMI - and together they'll journey to the Signal Tower to uncover its secrets and save Six from her own terrible fate. "Right now," Liv says, "there seem to be more questions than answers - but I've got high hopes that LMII will clear the fog and be another fantastic game in the process!" We'll all find out when the game arrives on PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch this year.

Cyberpunk 2077 - CD Projekt Red, September 17th 2020 (Picked by Ben Williams)

"It's like Skyrim, but in the future and Keanu Reeves is there." Easy words to describe Cyberpunk 2077, but as Ben rightfully says, "they don't do the upcoming first-person RPG justice!" It's the latest game by Polish developers CD Projekt Red, who last took the world by storm with the Witcher franchise. Geralt's Continent was a massive, gorgeous medieval world ravaged by war and depravity - and Cyberpunk's Night City promises an even larger world as seedy as it is grand. Its customisation is nothing to sniff at either. "If your average RPG's customisation is on a scale of 1 to 10, CD Projekt Red takes it up to 20! Its perk tree hosts a plethora of possibilities for whatever playstyle you want, whether you love to use blades, guns, hacking, or even athletics to kill futuristic gangsters. There's just as much fun to be had out of combat; you can choose your gender, sexuality, and whatever sci-fi aesthetic works for you. And through black market dealers and shady doctors, you can acquire all manner of cybernetic enhancements for another layer of skills and thrills! Whatever you see yourself doing in Night City - being the hero or running from the law - the world of Cyberpunk 2077 is your oyster!" Players will get to enter Night City on September 17th on PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Google's cloud service Stadia.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens - WayForward, TBD 2020 (Picked by Harrison Fleming)

Our last writer, Harrison, hasn’t held a gamepad in a while – but even he has something to look forward to in Shantae and the Seven Sirens. It’s the next entry in WayForward’s flagship series and promises a return to its Metroidvania roots. “The story’s promising too,” says Harry. “Shantae and her friends go to a tropical island for their first holiday. On their arrival, the island’s mayor invites Shantae to perform at a half-genie festival, where she meets other half-genie girls for the first time. The excitement is short-lived though – on opening night, Shantae’s co-stars disappear and she must scour the island to find them.” Unlike its predecessor Half-Genie Hero, Seven Sirens will feature a 2D, interconnected world much like the original games. However, there will be new gimmicks too – including “Fusion Magic” for new transformations and a collectible card system to customise Shantae’s abilities! And if that wasn’t enough, we’re getting animated cutscenes courtesy of Studio Trigger (creators of Kill la Kill and Promare)! The game had a soft launch on Apple Arcade last year, giving subscribers a demo of Shantae’s next adventure – but the full game’s due to land on PC, iOS, Switch, Xbox & PS4 this year. A clear release date hasn’t been set yet, but knowing the chaps at WayForward, Seven Sirens is bound to be worth the wait!

What games are you looking forward to this year? Leave us a comment here or on Facebook and Twitter, and tell us which upcoming games you can't wait to play! And if TV's more your cup of tea, then keep your eyes peeled for our next feature - we'll be covering new seasons and whole new shows in our next 2020 article!

Every Harry Potter Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 17:59:00 +0000

Warning: this article contains some spoilers. But Deathly Hallows, Part 2 came out 8 years ago, so how have you not watched them all already?

The golden question of mankind. We've all thought about it. "Which Harry Potter film IS the best?". These seven magic words cross each of our minds as soon as we're old enough to even comprehend such a conundrum (usually age 10 or so). It's hard.
I know. But don't cry, little muggle. Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. Why? How? What could possibly bring such joy? A chap with too much time on his hands, that's what. So, here's every Harry Potter movie ranked from worst to best. Except the Fantastic Beasts films. Because as we all know they don't count as Harry Potter films and never will. Ever.

8. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1

Let's get this one out of the way. We all knew this would be ranked the lowest. Why? Because it's literally filler, made to get us to pay to go see the same movie twice; and you know what? It's still ok, because even as the lesser of the Harry Potter films, Deathly Hallows Part 1 still has its merits.

After six films mainly set in the exact same place, the entirety of the seventh entry taking time off from Hogwarts is a welcome change of pace. Instead, we get portions of chase-heist film across the muggle and magical worlds; placed in tandem with a treasure hunt that also works as a quest for answers; Harry, Ron and Hermione are searching for the Horcruxes, along with any hints at ways to destroy them, thus Voldemort.

With what's at stake, the tone of Deathly Hallows Part 1 is arguably Harry Potter at its most grounded, thanks to its illustrated themes of war in a magical world, dealing with buried sinister emotions and how isolated a hero can feel even in such a wondrous fictional universe. Mere reminders of Dobby's final scenes will still make your average Twitter user curl up into a ball of tears.

Being two and a half hours of moderately enjoyable filler, it's easy to grow impatient towards how Deathly Hallows Part 1 attempts to overstay its welcome. Trying to stretch half a book into an entire film is always going to result in a viewing experience that goes stale half way through, namely Harry, Ron and Hermione's camping trip that seemingly drags on forever. The first time seeing DHP1, it was the desire to get to the long-awaited conclusion that got us through to the end. Years and multiple series rewatches later, it often feels like a chore, subjecting ourselves once again to what's merely setting up events for a much better part 2.

7. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

While Deathly Hallows Part 1 struggles with filling a massive runtime with only half a book as its source material, Goblet of Fire contends with an almost opposite issue: working from a book so large, that it shouldn't have tried to be contained in a single film. If any of the Harry Potter series needed a part 1-part 2 format, it was this one.

We could talk about the book-to-film differences with Goblet of Fire all day. When asking Harry about putting his name in the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore going from calm and assuring to stark-raving mad has been one of the best memes in the last decade. Cutting Dobby and the rest of the Hogwarts house elves, the latter of whom are revealed as the Hogwarts kitchen staff, is still a heinous crime. Omitting the fantastic reveal of annoying tabloid reporter, Rita Skeeter, being an animagus (turns into a beetle) that uses her ability to intrusively steal stories, was an inevitable but unfortunate consequence of an adaptation.

However, it wasn't what was cut from the theatrical version that puts Goblet of Fire in the seventh spot. It's what was left in its place. The Tri-Wizard Cup served as a much-desired vessel for introducing other schools that are part of the magical world, making the Harry Potter universe much more broad and grandiose than the previous three films would have you believe. The trials of the competition are epic in scale but like the Qudditch World Cup, they're all over far too quick. Sadly, much of Goblet of Fire's run time is dedicated to teen angst and high school drama that some would argue as inevitable, but no one asked for.

Ron starts a long-running grudge of insecurity towards Harry out of nowhere with literally nothing to substantiate it. Ron-fueled annoyance continues when spiteful jealousy emerges towards Hermione as he sees a love rival in wizard-Russian stereotype, Victor Krum, making him feel more like an imposter than the Weasley we've come to love. Finally, Harry's whole struggle of not being able to ask a girl out would be a lot more ironically adorable, if Daniel Radcliffe's 2005 acting wasn't as charismatic as the piece of driftwood he seemed to have been inspired by.

These misgivings are a shame because the climatic scene in Goblet of Fire is one of the best in the entire series. Voldemort's revival in the fantastically eerie and horror-inspired graveyard is a hard-hitting twist, still leaving its signature with the tragedy that comes with Cedric Diggory's murder. Against the fully restored power of You-Know-Who, Harry's clear powerlessness makes the scene almost hard to watch yet so gripping, as we had never seen him so desperate before. It introduces the large mountain that The Boy Who Lived will have to climb for the rest of the series and what's at stake along the way.

On its own, the graveyard scene would put Goblet of Fire much higher. As a film though, the nail-biting conclusion to the Tri-Wizard tournament is more like a reward for sitting through an episode of a Hogwarts-themed One Tree Hill.

6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The first obvious improvement since Goblet of Fire is that Harry and Ron finally cut their hair. Another is that instead of an arduous tournament and Ron being an unlikable prick, Order of the Phoenix gets back to what attending Hogwarts is actually about: learning magic. That and Harry's accomplishments from previous years actually being put into perspective. When getting going with teaching the other kids advanced spells, it's nice to actually see Harry actually be competent at something on purpose and without help. Be that as it may, a downgrade would be going from contending with dragons and ferocious mermaids to what's supposed to be Harry & co's biggest foe at school to date: bureaucracy and fake news.

From a tiresome first act that spends way too much time around a Ministry of Magic hearing to enforcing a new curriculum before exam season, the Umbridge saga often feels like another sample of filler that's meant to keep your interest minimally engaged, all before the far more interesting Voldemort-related stuff at the end. Although you wish the centaurs carried her off far sooner, Dolores Umbridge serves well as the antagonist you'll love to hate: being the embodiment of a crazy cat lady Margaret Thatcher doused in pink.

Funnily enough, the best thing about Order of the Phoenix also happens to be what leaves a bittersweet aftertaste in everyone's mouth: Harry and Sirius' relationship. Sirius' death is supposed to be one of the most hard-hitting moments in the entirety of Harry's journey and looking at it on paper, it's not hard to see why. Sirius was supposed to be the replacement father figure Harry grew up thinking he'd never have; whilst to Sirius, Harry was both a son and best friend, a latter being a void left behind by the death of Harry's father, James.

But by the time Sirius takes his last breath, we realise that none of us are actually as upset as we should've been. Why? Because thanks to almost all of Sirius' scenes in Goblet of Fire being cut in its film and some extra special moments being taken out from OOTP and Prisoner of Azkaban, him and Harry literally had only three conversations with each other.

There talks were sweet, deep and meaningful, yes, but Sirius Black was the biggest tragedy in Harry Potter not just in his murder, but his character as a whole when being adapted from book to film. For the non-book readers, Sirius' backstory and the Black family history is so fascinating in a heartbreaking way. Sirius' ancestors were a long line of racists and bigots, whilst Sirius, sought to do what good he could as the last of his line. That combined with his evidently fleshed out father-son bond with book-Harry is what makes his unjust murder stick with readers so much.

In the world of cinematic adaptations, when you give more time to magical politics instead of adding weight to a film's most important relationship, a certain serious death isn't exactly going to make you flood the room with tears.

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

We're officially onto the actual good ones now. Hooray.

Deathly Hallows Part 2 is as big in scale as it is emotionally heavy, making any rewatch just as intense as that first cinema viewing back in 2011. With Part 1 being a sizable filler piece, Part 2 is a silver lining that shimmers the same as a memory strand ready for the Pensieve: it makes way for all of the good stuff.

Another heist in getting the Hufflepuff Cup Horcrux from Gringotts, Harry's "How dare you stand where he stood!" rant, full-on magical war scenes at The Battle of Hogwarts, the subtle hints at the unwritten instruction manual for the Elder Wand; these all serve as delectable bottom layers of this fantasy trifle before getting to the sweet topping that is the reveal of who Severus Snape truly is, where his allegiances lie and how this makes you look back on every other film with a new perspective.

A lot of it is dipped in much more cheese than usual. Like Voldemort and Harry's final standoff getting changed in adaptation to a wizard lightning battle in the courtyard, elements are rushed and shifted around to conveniently hurry things along and for the sake of marketing. Nevertheless, even with the odd and obvious plot hole, it's just about enough weight on the Harry Potter brand to get away with.

Whether you've been with the series since 2001 or you've been getting up to speed in a pop culture catch up, the Resurrection stone and Dumbledore scenes are instantly received as some finely-crafted nuance, letting the tears begin to stream as you watch Harry ascend through his final development into the man he's meant to become.

Potter fans can often be split whether the earliest or the latest films are the best. Whichever camp they're in though, it can't be denied that Deathly Hallows Part 2 ties a poignant bow around a story that had been captivating audiences for a decade and beyond, with its finale being both respectfully sentimental and almost as moving as its debut.

4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

The one that started it al- NO. No. We're not doing that. God, could you imagine?

It's hard for a film you loved as a kid to be enjoyed on the same level after hitting adulthood. Philosopher's Stone is one of those rare gems that even goes beyond the exception, with the first Harry Potter film being more outstanding the older you get.

Taking you through Harry's perspective, entry to the magical world manages to astonish in tandem with the protagonist. Even in repeat viewings, the sense of wonderment never lessens, thanks to the reveal of each new creature, spell or part of this incredible world appealing to the childlike fascination that embodies us all. It brings us right back to the times when we were still wishing for our own Hogwarts letters.

Despite being burdened with some stiff acting ability natural to 10-year-olds, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson's debut performances still hold up, thanks to the stellar direction that allowed them to bounce off the seasoned skills of the older cast. Even the special effects have aged well, especially the bathroom troll and fluffy, the three-headed dog, looking like they're truly belong in the film's universe as much as they did 18 years ago.

Philospher's Stone without a doubt holds the best pacing amongst all eight films. The first half does excellent in establishing the ground-level knowledge of a wizarding universe before the second applies everything learnt so far to the series' narrative and themes; the most impactful of which being the way Harry's orphan status was handled.

Her mother passing away whilst writing The Philosopher's Stone, J.K Rowling conveyed her pain and sorrow in the life of Harry, being exposed like a delicate wound just as much in the film adaptation. Although the circumstance around its creation is unfortunate, Harry's anguish around the loss of his parents taught a lesson that resonated with us all. Molded with the creation of his lifelong friendships and the awe-inspiring tracks from the John Williams score, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone reminds us that those who we hold dear don't have to be related by blood to be thought of as loved ones.

3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Following the well-meaning but incredibly-muddled messes that were Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix, Half-blood Prince pulled off a combination that was unexpected. Carefully stabilizing the looming threat of Voldemort with some trials and tribulations about love and potion-making, Harry's sixth and final proper year at Hogwarts works astoundingly as the series' darkest and yet closest thing to a full-on comedy.

From the get-go, excitement is felt in motion as Harry is recruited into tactics against Voldemort by Dumbledore. All the while, the wheels in plans of Snape and the Death Eaters start to slowly turn, seamlessly entwined with intriguing B-stories: one of culminating romance and another around the mystery that is the Half-Blood Prince.

With so many layers, Half-Blood Prince shouldn't work, even with it's two and a half hour runtime. Director, David Yates, seemed to have learnt his lesson from the inconsistency of Order of the Phoenix. Instead of killing time with one plot thread before starting another, all switch back and forth between the spotlight, reengaging our interest each time but with the stakes of everything else still present in the background without feeling too muddled. If you skipped right from the playful and charmfully-written Slug Club dinner party scene, to a weery Dumbledore summoning a fire tornado to kill a horde of terrifying cave zombies (best scene), you wouldn't think it's the same film. Everything inbetween builds up at the ideal pace to make it all feel earned.

The addition of Professor Horace Slughorn works dynamically as a dual plot device in the Half-Blood Prince's balance. Although he's the source of information that Harry has to work for information on Tom Riddle, his return of potions master also meant that lessons in Hogwarts could actually feel fun again, a lighthearted first for the series in three films.

Speaking of potion masters, the label of dual plot device goes for Snape as well but in a much different way. His role as Death Eater/Malfoy Babysitter is entertaining enough on its own but after seeing the Deathly Hallows films, how we see the Half-Blood Prince himself is altered entirely. Looking back through the realisation that he was a double agent the whole time, the empathy it generates rejuvenates the film entirely, making it almost a whole new experience.

There's so much to love about the Half-Blood Prince. What clinches it though is at last seeing an actual friendship between Harry and Dumbledore. It could easily be described as the closest we get to a Dumbledore movie, as we at last get to see less of the legend and more of the man himself: his personality, his up-close morality and most importantly, his mortality. As we all know, every human has their flaws no matter how impeccable they seem, the lesson of which is used to flesh out Dumbledore enough to immortalise him as the best of all sweet yet noble elderly father figures; which is what makes that Avada Kedavra spell hit us all in the heart just as much.

Let us also remember cherish the fact that Daniel Radcliffe managed to actually inject some charisma into this one. "Not to mention the pincers".

2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Starting its full submergence into the gritty remainder of the Harry Potter narrative, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is that perfect balance of maturity with the sinister and extraordinary, at the same time avoiding becoming too convoluted.

As a new director taking the reigns from Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron's presence is evident from the onset, with much bleaker and drab aesthetics dominating the cinematography, crafting a cosy Victorian theme that makes you enchanted by each attention to detail.

The only entry without the appearance of Voldemort in some form, You Know Who being substituted by the dementors is as horrifying as back in 2004. With their visual effects aging astoundingly, the prison guards of Azkaban still command a sense of eerie dismay with a grim reaper-like appearance as the true embodiment of fear itself, making for one of the leading obstacles Harry has to overcome.

At this point, Harry's not exactly been taken down a peg just yet. Over his last couple of years, he disintegrated a man just by being touched, learnt he could talk to snakes, then stabbed a giant one of which in the face with a sword he pulled out of a magic hat. Harry's not had to really work that hard for the means to overcome his antagonists until Prisoner of Azkaban, making his obvious struggle to fight off literal ghostly definitions of fear all the more satisfying character development; albeit with a lot of help from best professor to ever teach at Hogwarts, Professor Lupin, obviously.

As with the contrast Harry's had in his battles between then and now, Prisoner of Azkaban doesn't defer in bringing grief to the surface in showing his darker side. During the series of reveals around Sirius Black, the scene where Harry finds out of his godfather betraying his parents to their death is one of utter sorrow. One that also for the first time see's him truly pour out real anger, allowing us at least for a short while to resonate with his life of despair.

Prisoner of Azkaban is heavy on its shift from wondrous to darker storytelling but does superb in sprinkling bits of the former over the latter. What turns out to be a turn of faith that Harry could actually have a proper guardian through Sirius, we're treated to an ageless twist of time travel being key to the film's third act all along. Buckbeak, the one magical creature we should adore with all of our hearts, made for a more magnificent scene in the series: gloriously gliding across the water with Harry riding on its back, being an insight as to what an absolute miracle this mythical world can bring.

Prisoner of Azkaban might've definitely been the best of all Harry Potter films if not for one glaring omission: the marauders. Not just who the owners of the Marauders Map really were, but the Prisoner of Azkaban film had also cut the details of Lupin's group friendship with James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew altogether, along with Sirius' general backstory, the Prisoner of Azkaban himself. After clearing away the story of such moving friendship, nothing else was put to fill in the blanks as to who, what, where and why, leaving fragments of confusion. As a result, Prisoner of Azkaban falters just a bit too much to be the #1 film.

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Like the flying car, the best film in the entire franchise, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, harnesses everything wonderful about the Philosopher's Stone and takes flight, dipping its toes into a darker tone but being sure to remain plentiful in magical wonder.

Amongst the sequels, Chamber of Secrets outdoes the rest in showing off the absurdity of Harry's life in the muggle world, his aunt and uncle treating him like a stray cat that they're too stubborn to set free. After an adorably awkward first meeting of Dobby the House Elf, Chamber of Secrets expands on the miracles of the magical world. One of the most tender was Harry meeting the Weasley family at The Burrow, seeing for the first time not only how wonderful a magical household can be, but how lively and loving a family should really be.

What the debut of the full Weasley family also brings is the flying car: the best thing exclusive to the film, each one of its sequences leaving you in awe just imagining if we had such a marvel in our own lives. Chamber of Secrets is the one Harry Potter sequel that can truly be enjoyed on its own, showcasing what joy this reintroduced magical world can bring to the dreary reality that is our own muggle lives.

Then there's the second-best feature that's exclusive to the Chamber of Secrets film: Gilderoy Lockhart, our very own impersonator of a Disney Prince Charming brought to life. Cartoonishly narcissistic, overflowing with bravado and spewer of confidence-flavoured nonsense, actor, Kenneth Branagh, brought the fraudulent Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher to life with a charisma that made it the grandest performance in the series. Pushed further by director, Chris Columbus', flair for dry humour, Lockhart was without a doubt Hogwarts' best worst professor.

John Williams, who scored the first three films, is heard most beautifully in Chamber of Secrets. As with any of the Potter films, Chamber of Secrets carries an assortment of scenes of varying tone: A sombre and nostalgic like Harry looking at photos of his parents and friends, an intense urgency during the near collision between the flying car and Hogwarts Express, the hauntingly creepy horde of giant spiders dangling above, an unrivaled mix of fear and dread as Harry see's a near-dead Ginny in The Chamber of Secrets. Everything in the score emphasizes what you're feeling in every scene and in Chamber of Secrets, each track feels as if it's been specifically crafted for what's going onscreen so that you're truly enamored, making each its own brand of iconic.

A lot of discussion over the years was that Prisoner of Azkaban had been Harry Potter's introduction to more malevolent storytelling. Where in fact, it was actually Chamber of Secrets had been the series' entry to a storyline that could almost be in its own horror. Whereas Philosopher's Stone exposed us to the delights of the magical world, Chamber of Secrets made us dive in to the darker and frightening, wrapped in a mystery of a terrifying monster that petrifies and kills its victims as it roams the castle. Yet, there's still its share of the breathtakingly sensational type of magic to keep things in balance. The entirety of the Polyjuice Potion arc is one of the more extremely remarkable creations to come from the mind of J.K Rowling.

Outside the castle, we're given a taste of what dangers lurk in places like The Forbidden Forest. Whilst Prisoner of Azkaban's horde of Dementors are chilling, many would rather take those over an army of hundreds of thousands of giant, man-eating spiders any day. The third film's climax ending with a hope-fueled reminder of happiness that is the Patronus Charm against the ghostly Azkaban guards is excellent, but Chamber of Secrets features our hero sword-stabbling a 60-foot, centuries-old, snake in the mouth! That's fantasy storytelling at its peak. Symbolic in both good triumphing over evil and what Harry will have to endure in years to come.

To top it off, the captivating mystery within a mystery of Tom Riddle's diary is one of the most terrific reveals that properly sets the stage for the years ahead. Catering over the basics of the Horcruxes with enough finesse to not give too much away, Chamber of Secrets skillfully got us hooked with an expanded second look into the Harry Potter world and its lore, including origins of Voldemort himself, making us want to come back again and again for more detail we may have missed when the curtains closed on the series finale.

As a reward for getting this far, please enjoy the compilation of sensational Ron faces that should've won Rupert Grint an Oscar.

Do you agree or disagree with these rankings? What's your number one Harry potter movie? Tell us what you think in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter.

Frights in Disguise: Unintentionally Scary Pieces of Media

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:39:00 +0000

Last year we discussed "four games that hide their horror", but that was all about video games that were built to be intentionally scary but hide their frights beneath an otherwise cute exterior, to fool the unsuspecting. If you hear mutterings about their scariness through their grapevine, you might be able to get away unscathed. But what happens when a piece of media; whether it be a movie or a video game, isn't created with scares in mind, but something within its content manages to scare your socks off anyway? We've rallied our Alt:Mag writing team to help bring some of these stray spooks to your attention!

Monster Hunter - Picked by Harrison Fleming

Have you ever met a Deviljho in Monster Hunter? Imagine you're playing a high-rank quest, perhaps hunting a Great Jaggi. You're about to creep up on your target when, suddenly, the music turns sinister - but the Jaggi hasn't seen you. You look behind you, and there it is... an abomination worse than anything from Jurassic World. And it's about to have you and that Jaggi for dinner!
The Deviljho has many cute and funny nicknames, but don't be fooled. Ten years after it first appeared in Monster Hunter 3, it continues to strike fear in the hearts of beginning and seasoned hunters. Its sheer strength, atomic breath, and ferocious appetite are scary enough - but the worst thing is you're always bound to run into one when you least expect it. If you're feeling brave, you can find Big Jho in the newest game, Monster Hunter World. Be careful though, he has some new tricks up his sleeve...

Batman: Arkham Asylum - Picked by Ben Williams

Moving on to become one of the seventh generation's biggest franchises, Batman Arkham Asylum defined the superhero genre in gaming; and it wasn't just because of its groundbreaking combat and adventure elements that made becoming the caped crusader so breathtaking. Masterfully paced and implemented, there was one part of the 2009 Batman story that still sends eerie chills down my spine to this day. Normally sending fear into the hearts of criminals, this particular section looks into the fear of Batman (Bruce Wayne) himself and it belongs in its own horror film.
Subtly afflicted with the effects of the Scarecrow's gaseous fear toxin, we begin to see the Dark Knight facing his worst fears as if they were reality. He sees the dead body of Commissioner Gordon, facing the idea that, like with his parents, he was once again unable to save those he cares for. Continuing to walk through the Asylum, the eerier music continues to escalate whilst masses of insects scale the walls. Opening another set of cold, metallic doors, Batman finds himself in an empty morgue.
Nothing seems too irregular, that is until you make Batman walk around. As you continue to make him stroll around the room designed for the deceased, you begin to hear whispers. The mutterings of child-like ghosts increase, in tandem with the morgue almost coming to life; as the cold lockers where bodies would be stored open and shut wildly on their own. Finally, when you walk through another door to leave this room of nightmares, Batman enters an identical yet-thankfully silent morgue. The other key difference however is that there are three full body bags lying ahead.

Giving you a sense of suspenseful unease, you’re urged to hesitantly walk over to the zipped-up corpses. The first is none other than the decaying, rotting body of Bruce Wayne’s own Dad, Thomas Wayne.

“Father….” Bruce mutters in a vulnerable down.

Thomas’ corpse turns and responds, almost angrily, “you should’ve stood up to him, son, like a man!”

Bruce goes across to the other bag, parallel to his father’s. Upon opening it he finds the elegantly dressed, ghostly corpse of his cherished mother, Martha Wayne.

“Mom….” Says Bruce in a tone of heartbreak.

The corpse turns its pale head, looking with clear, unseeing eyes as she cries, “help us, Bruce! Don’t let us die!”

At last, there is nothing else to do but approach the third bag, to discover what horror remains. Batman opens the bag and the horrifying, piercing gaze of the Scarecrow jumps out, making Bruce fall to the floor in delirium. Batman soon stands back up, his senses regained. Scarecrow and the bodies of his parents are gone.

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day - Picked by Lewis Cox

Not many people would argue that the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and his pals in the Hundred Acre Woods aren't some of the most wholesome children's tales to ever grace our screens. I for one still have a nostalgic soft spot for Pooh and pals, and the 2018 Christopher Robin movie gave me so many damn feels.
But there is a part of my happy childhood memories watching Winnie the Pooh that I have learnt to suppress. A little section during Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day known as "Heffalumps and Woozles". I once got told by someone that I was ridiculous for saying I found it creepy. Watch this shit and tell me that it doesn't unsettle you at least a little. Even a twinge of discomfort?

As a kid I felt traumatised watching my favourite yellow bear get taunted by the titular Heffalumps and Woozles. They shift in and out of existence, they contort and change, and they do so at a very alarming speed, as if the knowledge that you couldn't escape the fuckers wasn't drummed into your head enough. They do things that things in reality, you know, don't.
The music is discordant and the vocals are mocking, with a use of echo/reverb on them that just adds to the "you're in an unfamiliar, uncomfortable place lol" vibe that the entire scene carries. Oh, and there's a nice dose of heights too, in case you weren't tormented enough. And don't get me started on that bloody honey (sorry, "hunny") pot with human legs and its bloody Joker (2019) laugh. There's no reason it needed to laugh like that. That's not cool, man.
The reason why media for kids is so generic is because generic and normal is what makes kids feel safe and comfortable. As you tip your toe into the horror genre, you start to learn that taking us away from familiarity - from our comfort zones - is often what causes the best frights. Disney managed to utilise one of horror's favourite scaring conventions for a scene in the middle of a kid's movie. Thanks for the trauma, Disney.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - Picked by Liv Gamble

On the surface, Majora’s Mask doesn’t look too threatening. Many of the promotional images, and a lot of the cover art for the game, isn’t exactly what many of us would call scary. At 9 years old, fresh-faced, naïve and going in blind, I definitely wouldn’t have called it scary. I’d just finished playing Ocarina of Time and figured it was time to try Majora’s Mask – another fun little romp with Link!

How wrong I was.

Majora’s Mask may have elements of fun concealed within but rest assured it’s a horror game, through and through. From the very first second you begin the game, you’re transported into a strange world where time doesn’t quite run right, where you’re threatened and manhandled by the Happy Mask Salesman before you can say ‘quit game’, and where the people of Clock Town panic and suffer under a darkening sky.

Oh, yeah, and if all of that wasn’t bad enough, you have three days to save this backwards world from this gigantic, hellish nightmare:

Yep. That’s the moon. Save Termina (oh, come on – even the name is one letter away from the word ‘terminal’) in three days, or let it be crushed under a grinning hunk of rock. At this point I’d be willing to get the hell out of there and leave Termina to its fate, but there’s just one thing – you can’t leave.

So it’s up to you to swim the poisoned waters of the swamp, face-off against ruthless pirates and literally enter the valley of the dead in order to save this hell-world. You’d better make good use of the skip button, otherwise you’ll be treated each time to a clip of Link howling in pain as the various masks contort his features. Speaking of masks, there’s one in particular that sends this game from scary, to bone-chillingly terrifying; the All-Night Mask. As the name implies, it keeps you awake if you wear it. Sounds fine, right? Wrong. According to one of the Gossip Stones dotted around Termina, it was originally used as a torture device – forcing people to stay awake for days, weeks, months on end…

I know what you’re thinking; what the hell is wrong with this game, right? Did Nintendo have an emo phase, or something? And this is normally the part where I’d disagree, because Majora’s Mask is a fantastic game in its own right. But that doesn’t stop it from being all kinds of messed-up.

One last thing, if you were, by some miracle, doubting this game’s capacity for horror: While you’re travelling the valley of the dead, you’ll come across a house. Moaning, mummified corpses known as Gibdos are circling that house. Inside, a little girl is trapped. Her father is trapped inside with her, and he’s becoming one of those things. Not only is this game terrifying, they had to bring children into it. Thanks, Nintendo.

The Quiet Relatability of Rilakkuma and Kaoru

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 18:20:00 +0000

Released fresh from the Netflix original factory in April, and armed with enough cuteness to give a puppy a run for its money, Japanese stop-motion series Rilakkuma and Kaoru is a perfect show to sit down and watch after a long, tiring day. It'll turn your frown upside down with its cute antics, while also making you nod along with its inoffensive relatability as it covers the many niggles of adult life.

Created by San-X, the show focuses on the life of an office lady called Kaoru. Her work is stressful and she feels unimportant in her job role. She's indecisive and she worries a bit too much. She feels left behind as her friends have gone on to lead much more involved, successful lives, finding love and having children. Then there's the problem that she's older and too sensible to be invited along to anything the younger women are doing in the office. However this doesn't mean her free time isn't lacking in excitement, because living in her small apartment is Rilakkuma, a brown toy bear who spends his days eating and sleeping (his name literally means "relax bear"), as well as Korilakkuma (basically a smaller, female version of Rilakkuma) and Kiiroitori, Kaoru's pet chick who really loves to keep the place clean. How did these two bears end up living in Kaoru's apartment? Did they simply show up one day? Did they come down from space in a UFO? We don't get told until the very end of the series, but sometimes, we don't need questions like that answered straight away. Sometimes it's simply okay to accept things for what they are, and that is what makes Rilakkuma and Kaoru such an uninvolved but calming watching experience. I mean, who wouldn't want these cuddly teddy bears living in their apartment? Why question something like that? Especially when it looks this damn good too.

The hard work from the show's creators is constantly on display. It was revealed in a behind-the-scenes video that ten seconds of this show's animation can take an entire day, a fact that just makes everything all the more impressive. The show's presentation is bursting with life and colour, featuring expertly crafted scenery depicting the sleepiness of rural Japanese suburbia. If it wasn't for the stop-motion characters that inhabit it, I'd be convinced I was looking at something real. Speaking of characters, Rilakkuma and the gang, whose adorable antics take up a large share of the show's screen time, all look and move like cuddly toys brought to life, all complete with fluid movements that match their sizes and personalities. Rilakkuma moves heavy and lethargically, while Korilakkuma is much more energetic to match her smaller size and enthusiasm. Kiiroitori jumps around frantically, not just because he's a chick, but because he is often prone to bossiness and a temper. Along with their movements, the facial expressions and sounds these cute characters make manage to convey their emotions perfectly. This bunch really are the star of the show, with their cute little routines and attempts to be helpful providing the highlight to any episode.
When it comes to human characters, they're all represented using dolls. They remind me of something from a Tim Burton animation (Coraline, Nightmare Before Christmas, etc.), although definitely nowhere near as grotesque-looking. There are occasions where the dolls pass into uncanny valley territory (creepy fortune teller, ghost girl), but it's usually only to emphasise the eccentricities of their characters, and nothing that will keep you up at night. Kaoru herself looks like a perfectly normal office lady. Her simple, plain, but endearing appearance sets her aside from the other human characters in the show, and in turn makes her easier to relate to.

In the average episode of Rilakkuma and Kaoru, Kaoru will find herself in a typical adult life-related predicament. The inconvenience caused and its resolution will be the main focus of each episode, but its never anything dramatic or life-changing. Dramatic tension in this series is overall pretty minimal, and the stakes are never raised to any serious extent. You see, Rilakkuma and Kaoru seems to be another production in a wave of shows from Japan that are affectionately referred to as "iyashikei", a Japanese word that can be translated to "healing". These shows often involve little to no conflict, and place emphasis on the little delights in life - with the aim being to relax and soothe the viewer. I've discussed one of the forerunners of this genre previously on Alt:Mag, the absolutely wonderful anime Laid-Back Camp, but it can also be seen in other anime shows like Girl's Last Tour and K-On!. On a surface level, the average viewer might see shows in this style as not being all that deep, but in the case of Rilakkuma and Kaoru, if you take a step back and think about it all for a second, it is a much more relatable show than you might think. Often in life we find ourselves in Kaoru's situation: we get tunnel vision about the simplest of dilemmas and wonder how we'll ever find a way out. We waste hours of our lives stewing about such inconsequential nonsense, before finding our solution through a series of simple happenings, or someone helping us to see past it by thinking another way. In this series, Rillakkuma and the others are the metaphorical shoulder Kaoru can lean on. Their simple, easy existences and lack of responsibility make them the polar opposite to Kaoru's stressful adult life, and sometimes she needs to see things through their simplistic lense in order to get the clarity she has been so desperately in search of. An example of this is seen in episode four, where Kaoru has trouble making decisions, and envies Rillakkuma and the other's ability to just simply pick the thing they want without the added stress. The episode ends with her learning from Rillakkuma and the others that she doesn't always have to pick between things all the time, and can instead have more than just one thing. A simple solution to a simple dilemma, but the mountain that Kaoru makes out of this tiny molehill is bound to be relatable for many.

Netflix have really become a trusted name when it comes to exclusive shows, and in an attempt to broaden their content, they've slapped their name onto some brilliant and unique Japanese shows; anime, live action, etc. Sanrio's Aggretsuko is a particular highlight from their catalogue (seriously, if you've not seen Aggretsuko, you need to watch it) as well as the absolutely amazing Hi Score Girl (I swear I will finish my review of that at some point). It's clear Netflix has some clout when it comes to endorsing shows, and Rilakkuma and Kaoru is continuing in this trend of quality. If you've had a rubbish day at work, I guarantee it'll make you feel better, making you think just a little as you smile a lot.

Let's Talk About Rebuild of Evangelion

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 16:28:00 +0000

This year, the people at Netflix threw us a bone and a curveball. For the first time in eleven years, the acclaimed anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion is now available to stream worldwide. But, there’s a catch – it’s been given a new dub with an all-new cast and a retranslated script. And fans and newcomers aren’t taking the change well. The new dialogue is stiff, and the performances lack the punch and polish of the original dub. To top it all, the music’s been changed in places – all because Netflix didn’t want to pay the extra money for it. I watched the first six episodes and didn’t want to keep going, which is all the more upsetting because I’m a newcomer. However, my first taste of Eva wasn’t to be my last. The next day, I found an alternative in my local second-hand shop. It wasn’t the original dub on DVD, but another version of Eva I’m just as glad to have found. If you’ve been let down by the Netflix version of Eva – and you can’t afford the out-of-print box sets – keep reading. I’m going to tell you about my alternative: Rebuild of Evangelion.

Known in Japan as Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition, Rebuild’s a film series based on the original anime. Hideaki Anno, Eva’s creator, is the films’ chief director and writer; and most of his crew from 1995 returned to make them. The original concept artists, animators, Japanese voice actors, and original composer Shiro Sagisu are all back with some new hands to help them. They all gathered at Anno’s request for one purpose: to remake Eva as he originally intended. In 1995, Anno and his crew were held back by budget cuts, strict deadlines, the limits of hand-drawn animation, and Anno’s own struggles with depression. The series’ production suffered, and it took a much darker turn than Anno had planned – until, at last, it ended on a bleak note with the film End of Evangelion. Since then, it’s been loved and hated even by its own creator. However, he’s not done with it yet. After End’s release in 1997, Anno’s fortunes changed dramatically – he’s now the head of his own studio, Khara (which includes his returning colleagues from the original series), and he’s happily married. He still grapples with depression, but now he has a strong network of friends, family, and fellow filmmakers to support him. And if that wasn’t enough, his career’s been given a boost by none other than the King of Monsters. Anno wrote and directed 2016’s Shin Godzilla, which became the most successful Japanese Godzilla film of all time! With his recent success – and a little help from today’s technology – Anno is ready to recreate Eva as it should’ve been. And he’s making the most of his new resources to do it.

In 2007, Anno proved he meant business with his first Rebuild film: Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone. The film takes viewers back to the series’ beginnings, with Shinji Ikari’s first dealings with the mysterious organisation NERV. Shinji’s estranged father Gendo forces him to pilot the biomechanical Eva Unit-01 to protect Japan from monstrous aliens called Angels. Shinji goes unthanked by both Gendo and the people he protects but finds friends in two of NERV’s members: his guardian Misato Katsuragi and fellow Eva pilot Rei Ayanami. 1.0 follows the events of the series’ first six episodes, but it’s far from a simple rehash. Every scene is reanimated from scratch, blending traditional animation with CGI. Most animated works suffer when they do this, but Eva’s an exception – it benefits from the new technology immensely and uses it to improve on scenes from the anime. Operation Yashima, the climax of episode six, is a fine example. One of the least exciting battles in the original anime is now a stunning, thrilling finale! A few scenes were cut to pick up the pace but, having seen the film and the episodes it covers, I can honestly say it made the right cuts. I saw the episodes on Netflix and didn’t want to go on… but when I saw 1.0, I didn’t want to stop. It was released on DVD as 1.11 – an extended version with improved animation and additional scenes for newcomers – and you can find it online at the average price of £10. If you’re lucky, you may even find it for less (I bought my copy at CeX for £3). I highly recommend 1.0 to fans of the original series because of its fantastic dub. Two actors from the original series' first dub return for the film: Spike Spencer and Allison Keith; the original English voices of Shinji and Misato!

Two years after taking us back to Shinji’s world, Anno took it in a new direction with Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance. Shinji and Rei are joined in their fight against the Angels by two new pilots: Asuka Langley Shikinami and Mari Makinami. The girls couldn’t be more different – Asuka hates having to team up with Shinji and doesn’t try to hide it, but Mari is nicer… yet keeps her true intentions close to the chest. Meanwhile, Rei plans to bring Shinji and Gendo closer together with a dinner party. Her plans are ruined, though, when the test run of a new Eva unit goes terribly wrong. While 1.0 adapted the series’ first six episodes faithfully, 2.0 took the key events of the next thirteen and made them its own. The result is a film that played on fans’ expectations then subverted them in surprising and shocking ways. It was acclaimed for this and for its new portrayals of Shinji & Co. – one of Anno’s intentions with Rebuild was to rewrite the characters without his own emotions affecting them. His efforts paid off handsomely, but of course, it doesn’t stop them losing it when all hell breaks loose. 2.0 was released on DVD as 2.22 and is now out-of-print, but you can find copies online from £10. And fans will be pleased to know the cast of 1.0's dub return along with another familiar face: the original English Asuka, Tiffany Grant!

In 2012, Anno took Rebuild into brand new territory with Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo. Fourteen years after his last battle in 2.0, Shinji awakes in a devastated world. Humanity is on the brink of extinction, Rei is nowhere to be seen, and Shinji’s surviving friends have turned against him. Misato is now the head of WILLE – a new organisation bent on destroying NERV – and threatens to kill Shinji if he ever pilots an Eva again. Crushed by their hostility, Shinji escapes from WILLE and returns to NERV’s headquarters, where he finds his father with a new pilot in tow: the mysterious Kaworu Nagisa. Gendo tells Shinji he must pilot a new Eva unit with Kaworu to restore the world – but keeps the boys unaware of his true intentions. When it was released, 3.0 received mixed reviews for its new direction and darker tone. Some considered it even bleaker than 1997’s End of Evangelion. However, there are crucial differences between the two films. When he made the original series, Anno faced hardships at every turn. They drove the series, and End, down a much darker path where there were no happy endings for Shinji & Co.. But, things have changed since then. Anno’s in a better place now than he was twenty-four years ago, and now his characters are too. Although their world is on the edge of collapse, 3.0 leaves Shinji and his friends in a position to do something about it. And their story is far from over. At the time of writing, 3.0 is the only film that hasn’t gone out-of-print. It was released on DVD as 3.33, and you can buy it new for as little as £5.

The final film is being made as we speak. Evangelion 3.0+1.0 (a.k.a. Final) is due to arrive in Japan next June, and it promises to bring Rebuild to an explosive and satisfying finish. There aren’t many details at present, but a post-credit teaser in 3.0 gave us enough to guess where the story is going. Having played into his father’s hands, Shinji has lost the will to live. However, Asuka literally drags him back to WILLE as the war between them and NERV reaches its climax. Misato rallies her remaining forces for a final battle – but whether Shinji will fight alongside her remains to be seen. Although it was announced in 2012, Final has been over seven years in the making. Anno succumbed to depression again after 3.0’s release and almost cancelled the last film. Fortunately, Toho stepped in and offered him the chance to make Shin Godzilla – and the rest is history. Shin Godzilla’s success gave Anno a badly needed morale boost, and now he’s back at work on Final. In fact, the Japanese cast are recording their lines now! Sadly, we in the West will have to wait a while longer. When Final’s released next year, it will be another year or more before we get an English dub. When we do, though, there’s one thing I hope for above all else: a comeback by the cast of the last three films. Studio Khara and the films' English cast don't always get along, but it's widely agreed that their dubs are much better than the recent Netflix dubs. An iconic series like Eva deserves to go out with a bang - and as far as dubs are concerned, there's one cast with the skill, experience, and above all, the passion to see it done. Spike Spencer, Allison Keith & Tiffany Grant became famous for their work on the original series, and they outdid themselves with Rebuild. Let's hope Anno feels the same way and allows them to come back for one last turn.

Have you seen the Rebuild films? Are you eagerly (and patiently) awaiting the last instalment? How do you think they compare to the original series? Leave us your comments or tell us what you think about them on Facebook & Twitter.

Why Breath of the Wild is a Breath of Fresh Air

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 17:29:00 +0000

Ever since the release of the very first game, The Legend of Zelda, in 1986, every single instalment has followed a pretty linear structure. Side-quests aside, the games force you along a set path in order to progress in the story. Even against the vast backdrop of Hyrule in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, Termina in Majora’s Mask and the Great Sea in Windwaker, there’s still that structure that you have to follow – the second temple can’t be defeated without beating the first one, this objective can’t be tackled without this item, etc. Some places can be explored to a degree, but you can’t progress in the main quest unless you’ve ticked the right boxes. The story is set. Your path has already been determined.

Then Breath of the Wild came along, and suddenly, we had something completely new – a completely open-world Zelda game.

Polarising? Yes. There are those who praise it as the best of all the Zelda games, some who argue it doesn’t really feel like a Zelda game, and those who have been left feeling indifferent. Sure, the same arguments have been made about a lot of the games, particularly the Oracle games and Skyward Sword, but Breath of the Wild has introduced an entirely new concept for a Zelda instalment. Nintendo have changed the game, and they changed it good.

Because, differences of opinion aside, Breath of the Wild just…works. Before I even get into anything else, the visuals are indisputably stunning – important when it comes to creating a world that people should want to explore. For me, part of the appeal of the game was how beautiful and crisp everything looked. Even the tiniest things, like the little bulbs of apples that hang from the trees, have been painstakingly created, and it shows.

And then we come to the sheer size of the world. I’d be lying if I said I had any idea how gigantic the world would be before I played the game. I’m accustomed to the likes of the worlds in Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time, and sure, while neither of their versions of Hyrule are particularly small, they’re still dwarfed by the one in Breath of the Wild.

As is par for the course with Zelda, there are the specifically tailored areas where the different races reside, like the Gerudo and the Rito, but there’s so much more than that. Getting from Point A to Point B is no longer a quick trip across Hyrule Field. There are wetlands that stretch for what seem like miles and forests that are easy to get lost in, not to mention the hundreds of tiny, hidden nooks that you’ll want to explore.

Best of all, you can go wherever you want, whenever you want. Sometimes, yes, you’ll need to find certain items to traverse certain areas but they’re all accessible, if you know where to look. Nothing is blocked off, not even Hyrule Castle. Yep, that’s right. Once you’ve obtained the Paraglider, you can walk right up to Calamity Ganon with nothing more than three hearts, a branch and a pot lid and take him on. You won’t win, obviously, but the point is you can try, and having that option is great. You can also liberate the four Divine Beasts in whatever order you fancy. There’s a recommended order, but it’s nothing definitive. Again, you can go wherever you want, whenever you want. No Zelda game has ever been that open before.

And then there’s the obvious thing that really is the icing on the Zelda cake – Link can climb, and I don’t just mean up ladders or vines.

For years, Link couldn’t even jump, unless it was off the edge of a platform or with the aid of certain items. He could walk, run, ‘hyaa!’ and that was about it – until Skyward Sword first introduced the concept of a stamina bar in a Zelda game. That in itself was refreshing. But Breath of the Wild suddenly has Link Assassin’s Creeding across Hyrule, and it suits him. As a strong, adventurous swordsman, climbing seems like something he’d not only be able to do, but would have to do. As much as I love Ocarina of Time, nobody should simply be able to walk up Death Mountain as if they’re out for a Sunday stroll. The clue’s in the name, people.

Naturally, with the world being so vast, there are endless side quests and numerous detours from the main quest that you can take if you’re so inclined. There are tribes of monsters to fight through around every corner, shrines to seek out and defeat if collecting the spirit orbs is your thing, and characters dotted all around the landscape that need your help in some way or another, including the famous Great Fairy sisters. You can buy new clothes and accessories to add to Link’s outfit or dye his clothes whatever colour you want. You can tame and keep up to five wild horses, all with their own markings, temperaments and speeds. There’s the Yiga clan, the challenges presented to you by the Koroks (not to mention the whopping 900 Korok seeds you can search for throughout the game), and of course, the extensive list of food you can scavenge, and the even more extensive list of meals and elixirs you can cook from that food. Oh, and don’t forget the memories of Princess Zelda that you can recover if you look in the right places.

The list goes on. And on. And on, and on, and on.

Breath of the Wild is the kind of revamp that the Zelda franchise seemed ready for. That’s not to say that it was struggling in any way, although Skyward Sword and Tri Force Heroes weren’t exactly knocking the ball out of the park – but admittedly, the franchise’s formula needed a little tweaking.

Don’t get me wrong – as a huge fan, I love any and all of the Zelda instalments by default. They’ve all brought something new to the table, and some of those things have worked, while some, unfortunately, haven’t (I’m looking at you, Spirit Tracks). But for me, playing Breath of the Wild was genuinely exciting. It reminded me of the way I felt at ten years old, playing Ocarina of Time or Windwaker for the first time, feeling the thrill of it all and really, fully losing myself in them. That’s what good games do. They tell stories that make you want to keep playing, that make you forget you’re even playing at all. Nobody can deny that Breath of the Wild is a good game – if you need reminding why, just go back and read this entire article again. But most importantly, it’s different. Nintendo took those decades-old rules, tossed them straight out of the window and now here we are with the biggest, best-selling Zelda game of all time – a title that Breath of the Wild fully deserves.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: has Tarantino Still Got It? (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 12:11:00 +0000

Once Upon a Time In Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino latest, and plays out just as the title would imply: a story of trials and tribulations in the so-called city of glamour that is Los Angeles. The time is 1969 and in an increasingly modern yet still somewhat chaotic Hollywood, our fictional leads are taken through the same kind of journeys of self-reflection and stylised absurdity that have become a staple of the legendary director's work. Suffering from first-act sluggishness, Tarantino's ninth film ends up being an engrossingly mesmerising retelling of history.

Rick Dalton, played by our favourite Oscar-winner, Leonardo DiCaprio, is a famous veteran actor with the direction of his career going stagnant. Being a longtime TV and film star, Dalton's hurt that the recommended next step is for him to take roles in what he deems the lowest form of entertainment: Spaghetti Westerns. After confiding his upset in his driver/part-time stuntman/war hero/possible-wife murderer, Brad Pitt's Cliff Booth, Rick reassures that he'll commit to doing his best and make sure he is ready for set the next day, only to get drunk whilst reading his lines. Featuring Margot Robbie portraying Sharon Tate, an adventure of multiple storylines ensues.

While this would normally be "the boring" part of a review, it became obvious that talking about the camera work in this movie would be an utter joy because just a couple of minutes in. It's clear that Once A Upon Time in Hollywood's cinematography is part of its identity. A doting tribute to the fine works that came out of 60's LA; Tarantino's direction and masterful cinematographer Robert Richardson's skill in crafting camera angles have come together to birth a hybrid of visual flair. Long, drawn out tracking shots and pans typical of the decade hit you in a slow, humble way; causing you to appreciate everything that's going on and present in a shot. During production of one of Rick's films, the shots utilised offer a captivating in-film peek behind the curtain of how you can be grabbed by a scene done right; making you hang on every word being spoken before you're snapped out of it by a fumbled line or a director yelling "cut!".

His first film in four years, Leonardo DiCaprio is an unarguably welcomed return, especially with it being a Tarantino feature. As he did in 2013's Django Unchained, DiCaprio reeducates us as to why as an actor, he's a tour de force to be reckoned with. As performer and director, he and Tarantino seem to bring out the best in one another; with the former being able to convey complex emotions and the latter being a definitive writer of incredible dialogue that serves as a foundation to make them shine.

The pinnacle of this combination is a scene during Rick's time on set of the Western TV series he was drunkenly reading lines for the night before: Lancer. Getting himself together whilst waiting to film, Dalton strikes up a conversation with his 8-year old co-star about the book he's reading. The more Rick talks about its aging and broken protagonist, it's clear that he's relating to it more than even he realised, becoming more emotional with each word; being a stepping stone for wanting to become a better person. Being a mature filmmaker, Tarantino has further perfected the art of making you root for the flawed heroes in his stories; whom when they achieve some form of resolution, it's likely you'll shed a supporting tear of delight to match their own.

As much of a spectacle of a performer DiCaprio is in Once Upon A Time, Brad Pitt is on equal footing. Returning to the Tarantino filmography for the first time since 2009's Inglorious Basterds, Pitt carries his reputable charismatic intensity as the indestructible Cliff Booth, serving in an impeccable back and forth with DiCaprio as well as others around Cliff in his own story; enough to be one of his best roles. The beloved chemistry between the two leads is especially appreciated during the first thirty minutes, where the pacing noticeably drags on enough to make you question where the direction of this story is going, before the progression of the story is finally put back on track.

Despite there being arguably too much runtime, there isn't enough of Margot Robbie's Sharon Tate. From a certain perspective, at least. As much of a joy it is to see Robbie bring the late actress to life before her screentime is seemingly cut short, it's not until the events of the film coming full circle in the third act that you understand why. Without going into spoilers, it's the fusion of the director's legacy for stylish brutality and the desire to change history.

In addition to the unsparing humour in Quentin Tarantino's films, the merciless violence is at its best when it feels justified; when the recipient of the stabs, blows or gunshots are getting what they righteously deserve. On a scale of 1 to 5, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood turns it up to 13 on the Tarantino Meter: making everything you've seen in the two hours seem like the ultimate roller coaster incline before the most satisfactory drop. Saying you'll laugh in elation is an understatement.

Final Thoughts

A beautifully warped portal into 1969 LA, the gorgeous, timely aesthetics and set pieces are not why Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is such a captivating time. Picking up the pace after a stumbled start, this humbled yet enthralling story filled with witty dialogue and Tarantino-esque twists indicates that the director shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to delivering the gut punch of a satisfying finale. Whilst divisive in its audience reception, elements of Once Upon A Time in Hollywood are Quentin Tarantino at his best.

Rating: 8/10

So How Good is Dragon Ball Super: Broly? (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 18:15:00 +0000

As much as I respect Akira Toriyama, I was worried when I heard he was writing the next Dragon Ball film. Four years ago, he made his screenwriting debut with Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F. What should’ve been a glorious return for one of anime’s greatest villains was a glorified disaster – horribly paced, overpacked with action, and anticlimactic. His friends at Toei Animation sought to make up for it with Dragon Ball Super, the new series that began as a retelling of the films Battle of Gods and Resurrection F before telling its own stories. Now that the series has come to an end, Toriyama & Co. have given us a new film: the eagerly awaited Dragon Ball Super: Broly. Released on Blu-ray & DVD in May, it’s the third film Toriyama has supervised and the second one he’s written. He and his crew meant to take the lessons they learned in the past four years and do another iconic villain justice. Keep reading to find out if they succeeded – and as always, beware of spoilers!

Broly begins forty-five years in the series’ past, on the Saiyans’ home planet. King Vegeta III (our Vegeta’s father) discovers a Saiyan child with latent abilities that exceed his son’s immensely. Jealous and fearful of the child’s potential, the King banishes him to a hostile world then abandons the child’s father after a failed rescue attempt. Years later, their home planet is destroyed leaving only a handful of the Saiyans alive. We then move to the present day – after the events of Super – to find Goku and Vegeta fresh out of the Tournament of Power… and already seeking their next big challenge! It comes sooner than they think when their old enemy Frieza, newly resurrected after the tournament, comes to Earth to wish upon the Dragon Balls. This time, though, he doesn’t plan on fighting – Frieza has rebuilt his army and brought along two new recruits to do the fighting for him. To Goku and Vegeta’s surprise, the newcomers are Saiyans: the exile Paragus and his grown-up son Broly! The pair have spent their entire lives in isolation training, and now Paragus wants to take revenge on King Vegeta by having his own son fight the Prince of All Saiyans. Paragus thinks it will be an easy win – but he has little idea how powerful Broly really is. And no one, not even Broly himself, knows what terrible power he’s about to unleash.

I had a hard time getting my act together for this review, so I’ll start by saying this: if you hated Resurrection F, you need to see Broly. Everything about it is a huge improvement over the last film, from the writing to the battle scenes we’ve all come to expect. However, the first thing you’ll notice is the animation – it’s smoother, faster, and more fluid than ever before! That’s because Toei Animation formed a new team of animators to make the film. The lead animator is Naohiro Shintani, a Dragon Ball newcomer, and instead of staying with the art style we’ve gotten used to over the years, he gave it a complete overhaul. The screenshots I’ve picked don’t do it justice – the film looks so good in motion, it puts the finale of Battle of Gods to shame! Some of you may be upset that, once again, the film combines 2D animation with CGI. However, under Shintani’s wing, they blend together much better this time. In Resurrection F the CG characters were easy to spot, but even the most attentive viewers will have a hard time picking them out now. The trademark fights are improved too; unlike the clashes of yesteryear, the bouts in Broly use everchanging camera angles to give each punch, kick and blast extra impact. In a single shot, the view can change from a bird’s eye view to a closeup to a first-person perspective in the blink of an eye. Some viewers may find the action harder to follow, but the fast and furious camerawork makes it more intense than any fight yet seen in Dragon Ball. To top it all, they’re accompanied by a catchy soundtrack by Norihito Sumitomo and Daichi Miura.

Of course, there’s more to like about Broly besides what we expect – in a change from past Dragon Ball films, the character building is surprisingly strong. Instead of bombarding us with cameos, the film spends a good deal of time establishing the new characters. It’s especially good for Broly, the film’s star, who’s been given a makeover for his cinematic return. If you’ve been a fan of Dragon Ball since the 90s, you might remember him as the Legendary Super Saiyan from the classic DBZ films. Back then, he was little more than a madman who threatened Goku’s family… all because Goku cried incessantly as a baby. The new Broly is much deeper; a gifted child shunned by his own people and forced to become a fighter. Unlike most Saiyans, he’d rather make friends with you than beat you to a pulp – sadly, his father would have none of it. Paragus is so obsessed with revenge, he goes to horrible lengths to train Broly to get it. He even uses a shock collar to keep Broly in line, like an attack dog! Thankfully, not everyone treats Broly so harshly. The two Saiyans are rescued by two members of Frieza’s army: the non-combatant Lemo and thieving cutie-pie Cheelai. You wouldn’t expect someone from the Frieza Force to be nice, but these two come to see the best in Broly and do their best to bring it out. Lemo & Cheelai make Broly far more likeable than his original self… but he’s no less dangerous. When the gloves come off, he’s every bit as powerful as he was in the past – and unlike Frieza in 2015, this Broly gives our heroes a hell of a fight to the very end. Both fans and newcomers will come to love him by the film’s end; and you’ll be pleased to know that he’s now canon!

From the opening scenes, it’s clear that Toriyama & co. have raised their game since Resurrection F. Although Broly moves at a fast pace, it’s more even than the last film and doesn’t rush from one fight to the next. In fact, it spends its first forty minutes developing characters old and new – and if you’ve followed Dragon Ball since the beginning, you’ll be surprised at what you’ll see. In the opening act, we get a glimpse of the family lives of King Vegeta, Paragus, and Goku’s father Bardock. And far from being single-minded killers, as we were led to believe, they’re all loving parents! It’s quite the game changer, but fans will appreciate this as it makes the Saiyans’ fate more heartbreaking; and newcomers will love it because it shows them exactly who to root for. The last two films were weighed down by a huge cast, but Broly keeps the cameos to a minimum. No one is seen or mentioned unless they have a part to play, keeping our attention squarely on Goku, Vegeta & Broly. The film’s also more accessible due to its tone; even at its most intense, Broly isn’t afraid to have a laugh. Some of its funniest moments come in the battles with Broly, and they come out of nowhere in the best possible way! And don’t worry if you haven’t seen Super to the end; the film makes clever use of rapid-fire flashbacks to fill you in on the essentials. At the least, you only need to have seen Battle of Gods and Resurrection F to fully enjoy Broly. If this is your first taste of Dragon Ball, however, you’re still in for a treat.

If Resurrection F is Dragon Ball’s equivalent of Thor: The Dark World, Broly is its Ragnarok – a rich, refined, and rip-roaringly fun film for fans and newcomers alike! If you’ve seen it already, share your thoughts in the comments below or write to us on Facebook and Twitter!

Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie Ranked From Worst To Best (August 2019 Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 16:01:00 +0000

It's been two years since Avengers 2.5, aka Captain America: Civil War and the third Avengers film, Infinity War is here. As we bask in the joy that is Thanos actually doing something more than just sitting in a chair for six years, surely everyone has thought of watching all 19 Marvel cinematic universe films again and ranking them from worst to best? No? Well one (awesome) saddo
actually has the time to do that. THIS saddo, that's who.

March 2019 update: The saddo is back and ready to get the rankings up to speed! Since Avengers: Infinity War, we've had two new Marvel films: Ant-Man & the Wasp and Captain Marvel. Building up to Endgame, the list of MCU films is being updated from 19 films to all 21.

May 2019 update: A week since its release has been just enough time to dry the tears, so now the final chapter of the 22-film saga, Avengers Endgame, has now been added.

August 2019 update: We all knew this was coming. Being the final installment of the MCU's third phase, did Spider-Man: Far From Home end things with a grade-A blast? Nope.

23. Iron Man 2

What was it you loved most about the first Iron Man film? The engaging social commentary over terrorism and war profiteering? A kickass origin story based on technology grounded in reality? A protagonist who doesn't let any of his obstacles knock him back? Said protagonist blowing up a terrorist's tank with an explosive-walk-away? Jeff Bridges' mighty beard? Well remember that love and hold on to it tight because that's all gone in what I call Iron Meh, aka Iron Man 2.

Not even Robert Downey Jr's Downey Jr-isms and the introduction of Scarlett Johansson in leather catsuits can save Iron Meh from being nothing more than Marvel's first rushed take on killing time before an Avengers film. It's the definition of "sequilitis": the hero gets too full of himself and falls from grace, mixed with a few random subplots that don't go anywhere meaningful, including something about metal poisoning.

You get two halves of one half decent villain: Sam Rockwell playing a bland corporate weasel and Mickey Rourke as some Russian dude who likes birds, working on a half-baked scheme of one-upping Tony Stark. Both are so bland and badly written, all you want to do is check your watch when you're watching a scene without Downey Jr.

Filled with tedious meetings about nothing, Iron Meh waters down the fine wine of the character you knew before throwing him into a plot you'll forget an hour after watching. As Honest Trailers once said: "it's a sequel you'll fool yourself into liking only because it had Iron Man in it".

22. Iron Man 3

When Iron Man 3 first came out, there were a few headlines that debated whether if it was the best Marvel film ever. I of coursed scoffed every time because this isn't really an Iron Man film. It's the cinematic debut of Regular Man.

The adventures of Regular Man slightly improved on asking the same question that Iron Meh stumbled on: "who is Iron Man, the suit or the man who wears it?". Director, Shane Black's initiative to realistically develop Tony Stark's character is crippled by the film business equivalent of alcoholism: bad writing. The many instances of lacking logic for the sake of moving the plot along is almost laughable. Moments like Tony threatening a terrorist organisation, giving them his home address, putting on his one incomplete Iron Man suit that malfunctions and not turning on any security system are examples of plot holes that make you imagine the script looking like Spongebob Squarepants.

If you were hoping for the rebirth of excitement, thrills and genuine Tony Stark'isms from the first Iron Man, the once-again butchering of the character is all the more heart breaking. Taking Tony Stark out of an actual working Iron Man suit for almost the entirety of the film is one thing, making him anxious, insecure and suffering post traumatic stress disorder is another very depressing thing. However, it all could've been worth it if there was a decent pay-off. Sadly, in the theme that is Iron Man 3, these chances are blown up spectacularly with Tony's Iron Man suits for no reason, namely in the form of the bland villain being defeated by Gwenyth Paltrow wearing workout gear.

21. Thor: The Dark World

A cinematic definition of "well, it's just.... there". Thor 2 is both an example of an inferior sequel and the cemented thought that whilst the standalone franchise is passable, the direction at this point certainly makes these films forgettable. Even writing about it feels forgettable.

Forgettable generic end-the-world plot; generic villain, generic Natalie Portman, generic Natalie Portman's kooky sidekicks, forgettable already-played out fish-out-of-water humour. The one exception to all of the forgettable(-ness) is the delight in realising that the trio of pointless that is The Warrior's Three will be swiftly murdered in Thor: Ragnarok.

20. The Incredible Hulk

Remember when Tim Roth was a Marvel villain? Me neither.

Before accepting that he only works in non-solo supporting roles, the Hulk was given one last chance to smash his way to box office success by being all sad and serious. Having not seen this one since before Mark Ruffalo took over the role for The Avengers onwards, I forgot how much I liked Edward Norton's take on the character of Bruce Banner and what was done with it. The Incredible Hulk has an emphasis on drama, with Banner constantly at war with himself, being both a victim of circumstance, emotional pain and the odd bit of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ironically, that's all that's really entertaining: The Incredible Hulk is at its peak when the main character is just a man and not the big CGI monster the film's named after, which is what drags the film down. Besides the characterisation of Banner and Tim Roth's performance, it's all a bit of a boring formula: Banner's on the run; they nearly catch him, he becomes the Hulk, fights off the baddies, runs away, repeat twice, only the third time ends with a generic fight between two CGI monsters with an obligatory "Hulk SMASH!" thrown in.

19. Doctor Strange

Iron Man with magic.

Cocky; rich man with a goatee has near-death experience, acquires superhero capabilities in foreign land, fights a baddie with nearly the same superhero capabilities, cocky rich man is now a better person than he was 90 minutes prior, roll credits.

It really tells you something about a film when you've put off buying the Blu-ray for a year and a half. That's because compared to Iron Man, Iron Man with magic's biggest difference is that it has only a fraction of the substance and life that makes a film enjoyable.

Whilst the humour eventually picks up simultaneously with your interest, it's a long journey getting there. By this point, you're wondering "Benedict Cumberbatch is great as Steven Strange but why couldn't they just let him use his British accent"? Alongside with being curious as to how a sentient cloak has more personality than most of the cast.

The best thing about Doctor Strange is its trippy visuals, with memories of seeing it in 3D at the cinema still making me occasionally wonder if I was on acid. The issue is that with a smaller screen, like that of a decent-sized television, its impact is far less significant. In terms of the story itself, Iron Man with magic achieves very little in actually making you care what happens to those involved, except for the sentient cape of course.

Although it's ending is uniquely enjoyable in the form of defeating a villain by really annoying another villain, Doctor Strange contains mostly forgettable exposition about who the wizard man is in Infinity War.

18. Captain Marvel

My 2019 definition of "I was at least entertained". There's some really decent elements to Captain Marvel. Jude Law was great, being in it a lot more than I thought he'd be. The de-aging CGI on Samuel L Jackson in making a Young Nick Fury is absolutely incredible. For a few moments, I imagined a non-canon scenario where Pulp Fiction's (1994) Jules went from being an afro'd gangster to wandering into the life of a S.H.I.E.L.D agent because the CGI is that perfect. After Nicky Fury teams up with Carol Danvers when she lands on Earth, it's almost like a buddy cop film for a while, being the funnest parts of Captain Marvel.

What really makes me barely bothered about never seeing Captain Marvel again is that I didn't care for the lead. My opinion has nothing to do with Brie Larson riding the feminist train whilst promoting the film, she's simply unlikable as Carol Danvers. Whether it's the way she's directed or it's Larson herself, it's like the character's personality crash landed with her as she left space and never recovered, leaving the rest of the cast to pick up the slack.

Forcing in some 90s songs along with lines of nostalgia bait, the entertainment value of Captain Marvel begins to peter out during a generic action-heavy third act. "Generic" seems like the best word to label Captain Marvel with. Unlike many other entries further down this list, it seems to lack it's own identity, with the only unique selling point being "this lady's gonna be in Endgame! Woo!", to the point where by the time we got to the last 20 minutes, I just wanted it to end so we could get to the mid-credits scene. Captain Marvel feels like a regression to when Marvel films were just passable action flicks for anyone who has never seen anything of it's genre. in 2019, we should be far beyond the days of Iron Meh and Thor: The Dark World.

Finally, I'll never forgive how they made Nick Fury lose his eye. Never.

17. Spider-Man: Far From Home

On it's surface, Spider-Man: Far From Home is a welcome breather after the 3 hours of intensity that was Avengers: Endgame. With Homecoming director, Jon Watts back in the director's chair for the sequel, Far From Home returned to its quirky-high-school-drama-entwined-with-a-superhero-adventure roots.

Basically being an epilogue to Endgame through the lens of Peter Parker, Tom Holland's second solo adventure is a chuckle-worthy MCU entry that was worth the ticket price. This is thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal, an actor who has only been getting better and better with each new role, and in this movie manages to make a superpowered being who wears a fishbowl on his head actually interesting. So, why is this ranked so low? Because, steering more into what made Homecoming slightly falter, Spider-Man: Far From Home doesn't actually feel like a Spider-Man story. It's more of an Iron Man Jr. story.

At his best, Spider-Man is our favourite hero when he's the city-bound underdog we can relate to. Embodying the trademark words of "with great power comes great responsibility", Spider-Man stories hit their hardest when the wall-crawler fails to live up to those words and pays for it in the biggest possible way before learning from it. Far From Home partly hits this mark, lead by an anxious Peter who's afraid to step up to filling the void Iron Man left behind. However, Peter never casts off the Iron Man-shadow to be his own hero; the hero who uses what limited resources he has along with his own spectacular abilities to overcome the odds. To be The Amazing Spider-Man. Instead, Peter's given the ultimate McGuffin plot device: Stark Tech.

With Tony Stark's technology, Peter is practically handed a crutch to fill in the blanks of practicality the role of Spider-Man usually has. Before the big final battle, Peter spends his time in the back of a plane lab making a new suit in a super-tech 3D printer, customising it Iron Man-style to however he likes. Peter still does Spider-Man-esque things but it's as if he doesn't have to work all the way to get his true "hero" status, being given the ultimate cheat code of infinite money.

There's a silver lining to it, though. The emotional payoff of Peter's mourning for his surrogate father makes for some really sweet moments that really stick with you depending on how invested you are in the MCU. But looking through the scope of this being a Spider-Man film, it's a bit of a copout.

Then there's the whole premise of Far From Home: going across Europe on a school trip before Peter has to fight the last of The Elementals, a big fire monster. Looking back at it, there was literally no point in leaving New York to get this plot going. With the school trip mainly being a vessel for Peter's awkward high school romance plot with MJ, it only muddled up the story more, making the Peter and Spider-Man arcs feel like two different films. One about trying to score a Summer trip romance and the other struggling to fully explore the impliications of Endgame. At the end, when Peter was finally back in the Big Apple swinging away, I thought to myself I would've rather had a whole film of that instead of the passable story I just witnessed. I realised that through the whole runtime, I missed seeing the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. Instead of a legitimate story element, Far From Home seemingly took Spider-Man out of his home turf for a vacation tour all for the sake of a marketing gimmick.

16. Thor

My inner thoughts whilst re-watching Thor include repeated but mixed sequences of the following: "Wow. Epic music". "Oh. the Blue Man Group". "My god that's A LOT of CGI". "Damn, Loki is so good". "Cringe with a side of cheesy". "Does anyone actually care about Natalie Portman at this point?". "Please. Just. Put. Loki. Back. On".

The first Thor film was a fun-ish time back in the olden days of 2011 with a few elements that are still enjoyable today (mostly Loki). However, Marvel found their footing with its formula since then, being able to consistently make their films entertaining, funny and grounded at the same time. Thor's entertaining for sure but the rest comes off as cheesy and slightly dull. Other than the "ANOTHER!" bit, most of the jokes fall flat enough times to make me start imagining tumbleweeds rolling by.

The whole character development journey Thor goes on is only really half believable, doing almost a complete flip of his personality after two days. The plot as a whole's pretty weak as well. When not in the CGI-bloated Asgard, it's mostly the generic fish-out-of-water story line you've seen in any series or made-for-TV film from the early 2000's.

15. Ant-Man and the Wasp

Look, honey. I shrunk everything.

Continuing the combination of science fiction adventure wrapped in a layer of comedy, Ant-Man and the Wasp again reminds us why we'll all love Paud Rudd's acting until we die. Besides being eternally youthful, Rudd's Scott Lang is one of my favourite MCU characters. He's that lovable underdog who keeps a smile on his face whilst learning from the mistakes he made, making his delivery of every joke undoubtedly superb. Scenes between him and his daughter, Cassie, create a new meaning for the words "beloved" and "adorable".Being displays of their delightfully quirky character development, it'll make anyone almost believe that having children isn't a joyless burden.

Being set two years after Captain America: Civil War, the Ant-Man sequel looks at the repercussions of Scott Lang's role in becoming a technical criminal by teaming up with Captain America, which is nice addition for invested fans. Although it quickly tries to catch-up any newcomers with a quick glossing over of previous events, anyone besides a Marvel fan will be very lost with what's going on in this film.

Even though the first Ant-Man film is certainly better, with a much more focused script and far better screenplay, Ant-Man and the Wasp has a lot more fun with the science fiction elements involved. All of the action sequences find new ways to incorporate the shrinking technology involved to entertain in a unique way. It's sadly dragged down by the villain element of the film though, with there both being a few too many extra bad guys, along with the main villains not really giving us a proper reason to care about them, making this feel more like filler before Endgame.

14. Captain America: The First Avenger

CGI skinny mini Chris Evans. That is all.

Seriously, you know how far film-making technology has come when you can make an actor with the body of a superhero look like a well-groomed Gollum with correct posture.

Having just finished the Secret Empire story line in the comics (Cap becomes leader of the Nazis. It's a good read), watching The First Avenger is very nostalgic. The overall message of "just don't be a dick, ok?" sticks with you when it's accompanied with that inspirational orchestral score. It definitely has its flaws, basically being a feature length trailer for the first Avengers film.

In a film that's all about fighting the Nazis in World War 2, the majority of Captain America fighting said Nazis is condensed into a two-minute montage. That's after a lot of build up to making him Captain America in the first place. Explaining its several plot holes and interesting elements of its set period is instead replaced with setting up the next film. But hey, Tommy Lee Jones is in it.

13. Avengers: Age of Ultron

A film with a timescale that makes many think of it more as something along the lines of Bank Holiday Weekend of Ultron.

It has its great moments. The Hulk vs Hulkbuster Armour fight is a hilarious visual spectacle. Characters get put through the realism filter, being in conflict over what they could do/should be when not trying to save the world, asking themselves are they too damaged to be happy when there's no fight left to fight. My favourite aspect of this is Hawkeye. Despite being arguably the weakest or least powerful by comparison with no special abilities of his own, he's the one who actually has a family of loved ones to go home to. A normal life. It's great to see that in this team consisting of a god, a man in armour and a big green rage monster, he's the only one who's actually got his shit together.

Sadly, that's as far as Age of Ultron goes in terms of standing out. The product of constant studio pressure to capture lighting in a bottle a second time makes this Avengers sequel feel like an ex who's desperate to reconcile a once-great relationship. Its repetitive plot about a menacing but slightly witty villain trying to destroy the world with the help of a faceless CGI army feels dryer and more uneven than before. A few too many plot lines and multiple waves of misplaced jokes scream the impression that Age of Ultron just trying too hard to impress you in all of the wrong ways.

12. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Iron Man but poor:

Taking place after Civil War with Peter returning from a distant land in a technologically advanced suit that features an A.I assistant, he hopes to prove that he can make his own positive mark on the world whilst ultimately fighting an enemy in his own technologically advanced suit. Thankfully, that doesn't really matter because Homecoming's self awareness as a superhero high school comedy separates itself to make its own positive mark on our hearts.

Being what can be universally described as the definitive onscreen take of the lead character, Tom Holland does both sides of the wall crawler justice, whilst acting opposite Michael Keaton's memorable performance as the film's villain. Being able to portray Peter Parker's socially awkward yet charming personality and switch over to Spider-Man's innocently confident energy heightens the indulgence of this lighthearted story.

For the first time, instead of inappropriately casting adult actors in their 30's, Peter Parker is what he should be: a kid. The second act drags on but this Marvel-Sony collaboration deals with the idea of there being such a young superhero, including the recklessness and naivety that comes with it. Being what is Marvel's take on the teenage coming of age story, the credits roll with you being delighted with Peter's journey about power and responsibility.

11. Avengers Assemble

Ah 2012. A time before plots about a big beam in the sky ending the world got old. Avengers, having to be renamed for the UK because of a 60's series no-one ever heard of, actually holds up a lot better than I thought it would. The memories of it all being bright, colorful and about fighting a faceless CGI army made me skeptical.

Aside from Captain America's suit, which is basically just a bright onesie with a hood, it still shows why the Joss Whedon-directed spectacle was first reviewed as the lightning in the bottle that its sequel couldn't replicate. Watching characters who've already had their own films come together for the first time, bouncing well-placed banter and quips off each other, is just as fun as it was 6 years ago. Its humour, action and story is all written so well, it's enjoyable for anyone who hasn't seen a Marvel film and is only heightened by those who've seen the standalone entries leading up to it.

In addition to the theme tune that's still addictive to hum today, Avengers gave way to this beautiful moment:

10. Ant-Man

Iron Man but tiny:

A reckless yet likable man acquires a special suit with amazing capabilities. Using said suit to thwart a villain from using a large company's technology for their own personal gain, our hero defeats his foe who is also wearing a suit with almost the same amazing capabilities.

Ant-Man's similarities to Iron Man are dwarfed by its own individual personality. Direction by Peyton Reed, the still-visible contributions by Edgar Wright, the likable onscreen delights that are Paul Rudd and Michael Peña gave us something the MCU was yet to have: a smaller scale, personal story that's a fitting platform for it's simpler stakes and concentrated humour.

Being simply a comedic heist film, Ant-Man remains a breath of light-hearted fresh air despite the villain being played by the bland bald man from House of Cards. Its dynamic cast, witty writing and hilarious sequences are memorable gems that give Ant-Man its own identity.

9. Guardians of the Galaxy

The classic that is Space Avengers.

Guardians of the Galaxy excels the earthbound counterpart in every way to the point that it's just more fun. Being one of those instances where you don't even need to have heard of Marvel beforehand to enjoy it, you are presented with a feel-good yet comedic story about individuals who are lost in the universe, finding solace in one another despite their baggage, wrapped in the delightful warmth that is the Awesome Mix soundtrack.

Featuring a group of characters you follow and connect with almost immediately, Guardians of the Galaxy's five protagonists end up becoming just as if not more likeable than a group of heroes that take five individual films to set up. The villain being little more than a human-sized space smurf with anger issues drags it down slightly but the pleasant bond between a talking raccoon and a sentient tree brings it back up a bit.

8. Black Panther

Iron Man in Africa:

Following the death of his revered father, a good-hearted man takes on the position that was left behind along with the burden and responsibility that came with it. Fighting off those who wish to take his power for themselves, the hero dons his metal suit with amazing capabilities to defeat the villain wearing almost the same suit with amazing capabilities.

Despite being the most over-hyped box office success in recent memory, Black Panther roars loud enough (Get it? 'cause it's an animal. Ha) to be heard as a quality film in its own right with its heavy swings at themes of family, succession and the moral grey area between what's right and wrong. The narrative clash with its two villains is a noticeable stumble in its flow but the excellence of Michael B. Jordan's playing Erik Kilmonger, the main antagonist, cannot be denied. He's a gripping and thought provoking example of how a villain can merely be a victim of circumstance with no path to walk down besides the wrong one. The layer of tragedy beneath the surface makes you resonate with Black Panther on the same emotional level as The Lion King, and we all love The Lion King.

7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Space Avengers 2: Electric Boogalo

Mostly confined to a single location, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 had been knocked by many for not being a typical space adventure, jumping around over 35 and a half planets. Effectively building on the character dynamics already established in the original, this sequel excels in every way by offering a story that's hefty on the comedy but is also able to seamlessly pull back the laughs when needed to serve up some of the most emotional moments Marvel have offered.

Dealing with Peter Quill's daddy issues; Gamora with her angry robot sister issues, Drax using his comedy to mask his pain, Rocket and Yondu facing their complexes between family and friendship make Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 more of a a hard-hitting comedy drama than what it says on the Blu-ray case. It's everything a sequel should be, developing on existing character arcs supported on pillars of qualitative humour. In particular Yondu's arc, marking the first genuine death of a major character in the entire MCU. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 even improves your view of the original, making you look back at these heroes and their relationships in an even more loving light.

The fact that the villain was the charmingly gruff Kurt Russell instead of an angry blue space terrorist was also a massive plus.

6. Thor: Ragnorok

We're all sceptical when we hear the whole "third time's the charm" spiel. The idea of a third Thor film was similar to the concept of going on another date with someone who you've already had two yawn-filled experiences with. Turns out all you had to do was throw out all of the franchise's forgettable baggage, focus on what works and you've got Marvel's funniest film ever.

Thor: Ragnarok is the Thor film that finally feels worthy of its title by basically being the MCU's first pure comedy. Director Taika Waititi takes the larger than life source material of gods, monsters, rainbow roads etc and instead of trying to tell a half-hearted serious story, hones the material and just has fun with it. Characters from Nordic legend are painted in the same tone as Guardians of the Galaxy and actually feels even more fitting.

Waititi's comedic routes from films like What we do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople shine bright by ripping out the Thor franchises' foundations and just making it over the top ridiculous, especially for Thor and the Hulk. Their characters have worked in other films but their growth had been so limited to the scope of their genres, making them stagnant. Ragnarok's writing adds layers to the potential for the MCU's comedic prowess along with the personality and wit to these main Marvel characters, making them more than just semi-serious muscle heads.

Also, Jeff Goldblum.

5. Iron Man

Every other ranking list for Marvel films I've seen always starts with "the one that started it all" and I gag a little bit because that doesn't do the Iron Man film justice. Notice my wording there. I'm not talking about this as the first Iron Man film. This is THE Iron Man film. Compared to this masterpiece, Iron Meh and Regular Man haven't come close to being the treasured thrill it was and still is today.

From start to finish, even through Iron Man's quieter moments, you're interest is constantly engaged. It's not just about waiting for Robert Downey Jr to iron-suit up and shoot some ray beams, you're rooting for Tony Stark to conquer his demons, all whilst on a quest for discovery to fight the terrorism that he inadvertently created. Before the sequels took the character on journeys difficult to enjoy, we witnessed a competent protagonist who used his brilliance to kill terrorists and villains similar to those still in today's world, channeling a rage we can all relate to. Iron Man introduces Tony Stark as everything we wish we could be; rich, confident, intelligent and a ladies' man, and ends with him being a cinematic message that says, "if we have the power to do some good in the world, do it". Not to mention the "I am Iron Man" line is up there with some of the best film endings to date.

The AC/DC; Downey Jr's performance, the grounded action, Jeff Bridge's glorious beard and the blowing up of a bloody tank (with that explosion walk-away), makes the Iron Man film immediately re-watchable after each viewing. Also, not enough praise is given to Jeff Bridge's performance either, creating a spectacular out of the blue, over the top villain moment:

4. Avengers: Endgame

Anxiety. Fear. Hopelessness. These weren't just feelings we all shared trying to avoid spoilers on social media, but the emotions imbued into the very core of this beautiful climax to this 11-year film series. Endgame is the character-driven Ying to the action-fueled Yang that is Infinity War.

Following Thanos' success at breaking all of our hearts with superhero genocide, Endgame starts with the Russo brothers continuing to bring the consequences of comic book events into our perspective. Half of the population is dead. Friends, family, all manners of loved ones have been snapped out of existence, crumbling into dust before the very eyes of survivors. With scenes featuring Captain America running a self-help group for those still dealing with the tragedy five years on, it's easy to see yourself in such a hurtful reality, whether you're an Avenger or a normal human being (like that Hawkeye scene at the very beginning).

Infinity War was the Empire Strikes Back of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, telling us that the villains should never be underestimated. Endgame is without a doubt the Return of the Jedi of it all, just without the irritating Ewoks. Heroes have been in mourning, reeling from the horrors they had to witness and trying to move on, whilst a new, small glimmer of hope shines from the shadows as they learn from their mistakes.

The highlight here is Thor. Reminding us that Chris Hemsworth is a seriously underrated actor, he works with his directors in always trying to bring something new to the character with each return to the screen. Looking at the aftermath from his clash with Thanos, Thor blames himself, seeing himself as a failure for not stopping the Mad Titan when the chance to do so was easily in his grasp. Losing his way over the years, the weight of his other losses caught up with him, filling him with anxiousness, doubt and the need to drown his sorrows in addiction. Without wanting to spoil the arcs of the other characters so soon, it's easy to say everyone gets an applause-worthy share of development. Thor's just the greatest example of this Russo-style character development: taking larger than life characters, which include literal Gods, and evolving them in a way that makes us see ourselves in them and their journeys.

Nature of opposites continue between Endgame and Infinity War with the return of the comedy. With there being so much downtime and character development, Endgame returns hard with the humour far more present, but not so hard that it's unreasonable. These protagonists have been traumatised with so many deaths, taking years to move on, trying to find joy again before finding an opportunity for hope again. It makes sense to bring back the laughs to help lessen the pain, as well as helping the pacing of the film itself. Though when the action finally does hit, you'll still fall in unbelievable admiration for the meticulously-crafted fight scenes.

You can definitely feel Endgame's three-hour run-time. Although there are far fewer characters than in Infinity War, there are quite a few plot threads being weaved back and forth, sometimes making you forget what was happening where. For Marvel die-hards who've stuck with the franchise for years, however, the time goes alot quicker as you're being treated to what's a reflection on the entire MCU. With callbacks to other films, fantastic pairings and delightful twists, you're made to look at how much these characters have grown in tandem with the universe around them. If you're new to the MCU, this will merely be an average action film. If you're one of the decent human beings who love this world enough to be as invested as you can be, the tears will flow amongst the most joyful laughs.

3. Avengers: Infinity War

Watching Infinity War six hours prior to writing up its ranking, I could summarise it alone with "Ow. My emotions".

A few people I know were sceptical about Infinity War; wondering how a bunch of characters getting together for the third time to fight some CGI bad guys could be any more exciting than before besides the new and shiny heroes?

The answer is that the era of Joss Whedon-directed Avengers films is over. That and the happy-go lucky gloss that goes with it. The Russo brothers are in charge now, continuing their reign of redefining the art of adapting comics to the big screen. In what's currently the third film their directed trilogy, Joe and Anthony Russo were tasked with delivering on ten years of superhero franchise build-up. They've done just that by not making Infinity War a superhero story but more of a story about the villain, Thanos, and how he's actually the hero in his own story. No one a decade a go would believe that a computer generated purple space giant would become one of the most compelling cinematic villains in recent history. Feeling like it should have actually been called "Thanos: Infinity War", the new title holder of best Marvel villain is understandable and terrifying simultaneously, making each scene he's in feel more invigorating than each one before.

Constructed so that the humour is more of a passenger than the driver, Infinity War feels more like a hard-hitting graphic novel than a film. Opposed to a film's standard three acts, Infinity War is paced so that one scene or sequence with a particular group of characters each feels more like an individual comic part of a larger story. Any humour present feels well-placed and earned, with each grouping feeling thought out and meaningful to watch. That same sensation comic readers have when pining to read the next issue is present until the very end, causing the 3rd of May 2019 for the next film feel painfully too far away.

Infinity War stops itself from being ranked higher with its necessity to make room for a cinematic universe's worth of characters within the time frame of a single film. Despite the two and a half hours flying by, the inevitable uneven sharing of the spotlight is fairly noticeable with some characters. With so much going on, it's 149 minutes of pure action, leaving little room for character development compared to what some would prefer. With this much fast-paced content, you may go away feeling a little bloated in the same manner as whenever you get carried away at a Chinese buffet. This film has also been specifically made for those invested in the franchise. For those who have seen barely any (if any) of the Marvel films, the impact of its developments will land a lot softer.

Nevertheless, Infinity War is a heart-clenching reward for Marvel fans, awarding their commitment to the franchises' evolution over the past decade to its transcendence into a suspenseful drama with super powers. If Game of Thrones sets the TV precedent of using established; mature stories to make its suspense, developments and deaths as impactful as they can be, Infinity War is a lesson of how to be a cinematic equivalent.

2. Captain America: Civil War

Let's be honest. The airport scene alone deserves this.

What on paper seems to be an Avengers film instead of Captain America 3 manages to seamlessly blend both together, being everything fun about what a comic book film should be whilst being an emotional vessel for storytelling from a real world perspective.

Putting the impact of the MCU's events under a microscope, Civil War drags this comic book world and its characters down to reality, addressing real world consequences of the Marvel films that came before it, including the many off screen deaths that have previously been glossed over. Placing many players into a hard-hitting story, The Russo Brothers being back in the directors chairs masterfully does each character justice without one being given too much time or an insignificant amount of it compared to another.

When fists and laser beams aren't flying in captivating actions sequences, heroes are lent significant and meaningfully impactful character developments. The highlight of this being Tony Stark. Focusing on the significance of the relationships between him, his father, Bucky and Captain America himself, this arc holds more depth and weight than Iron Meh and Regular Man combined.

Even the use of the villain raises the bar. Daniel Brühl's Helmut Zemo is written in a way that changes our perception of the character and his goals as the film goes along to the point where you empathise with him. Despite having no powers or a nameless henchmen, he ends up becoming the most pitiful and yet one of the most brilliant Marvel villains. Outwitting the heroes at every turn, he manages to do something no villain in the MCU has ever done up to this point: he wins. He achieves his goal and our time with him ends with a smile on his face.

Also, we have the best introduction to Spider-Man ever. Neat.

1. Captain America: The Winter Solider

Before kicking off my Marvel re-watch, a friend told me how he thought Winter Soldier's one of the best films ever made. He's definitely on the right track. Being one of my favourite films, Winter Solider's the easiest to get excited about re-watching due to how exhilaratingly impeccable it is from start to finish.

It explores the real-world concept of our technological advancements, ever-present threats of violence and war coinciding to ask the question "how far is humanity willing to go to ensure it's safety, even if it means prioritising fear over free will?".

If Civil War is a love letter to those who love comic book films, followed by Infinity War being a reward to loyal Marvel fans, Winter Solider is a love letter to those who love films in general, very closely taking the top spot due to its tighter focus that suits practically all audiences. You don't even need to like superheroes or know anything about them to enjoy this film. All you need to know before watching is there's this super solider WW2 hero who got frozen in 1945 and now it's the present, which is all explained anyway.

The director duo that is the Russo brothers ground and further humanise the character of Steve Rogers, going from a patriotic wet blanket wearing a onesie in Avengers Assemble to an unstoppable force of strength, skill and will, with a moral compass from another time.

Winter Soldier's use of an ensemble of villains actually work in its favor unlike many other comic book films which trip the narrative by using multiple antagonists. The highlights being Robert Redford's Alexander Pierce as the calm and collected corrupt brains behind the dormant Hydra organisation, whilst The Winter Solider himself not only represents the cold brutality that Hydra can inflict, but also the relentless hurricane of skill and cunning that makes him Captain America's equal as a moral opposite.

Out of all Marvel films, it also makes the best use of its side characters. Nick Fury actually seems like a competent badass besides his usual role of just appearing in post-credit scenes and giving motivational speeches. The "you need to keep both eyes open" line delivery still gives me chills. Black Widow is finally shone solely in the light of a deadly spy instead of a sex symbol, laying the groundwork of hype for a solo film we're still pining for.

Winter Solider successfully combines the genres of action, conspiracy thriller and spy film all in one, being carefully balanced with moments of tender character development to be a complete example of what perfect entertainment should be. Action sequences are fluid yet excitedly rough; matching with the well-placed score, making sure the intensity and suspense never waver no matter how many times you've watched it, all laid on the foundation of a story of friendship and doing what's right.

Captain America: The Winter Solider isn't just the best film Marvel has ever made, it's one of the best action films ever made, raising the bar that many others are still trying to reach.

Do you agree or disagree with these rankings? What's your number one Marvel Cinematic Universe movie? Tell us what you think in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter.

The 5 Best Films of 2019 So Far (Jan-Jun)

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 17:40:00 +0000

Films have been looking good as a whole in the first half of 2019, despite a couple of recent blunders which dampened our spirits (*cough* X-Men Dark Phoenix *cough*). Although certain franchises have been making massive, well-deserved returns, others are just starting out with original titles that have the potential to become so much more. Whilst we've entered the foray of Summer blockbusters, we're taking a minute to look back at the best movies from the last six months.

5. Pokémon: Detective Pikachu

Being proclaimed as the best video game adaptation of all time isn't exactly raising the bar given the lackluster competition. However, Detective Pikachu stands above the failed attempts as an endearing and visually stunning fantasy tale.

Testing the waters with an adaptation of a spin-off (Detective Pikachu on the 3DS) instead of the beloved traditional Pokémon RPGs was the perfect way to gauge the interest of film lovers for a live action Pokémon world without being held under the same scrutiny as other video game movies. In the same way we gasped with wonder at our first viewings of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings films, the land of Rhyme city and the photo-realistic Pokémon that populate it is a mesmerising delight. While the big villain's plot is a bit Saturday morning cartoon-ish and the human protagonist's personality is as flat as a board, it's all fine because it's not the intended novelty of Detective Pikachu. This comes in witnessing a fleshed out universe where these incredible fictional creatures that have been cherished for decades have come to life in the live action medium.

Pikachu himself being voiced by Ryan Reynolds is the icing on this enjoyable cake. Basically being a PG version of Deadpool, his take on the electric mouse is as hilarious as the character's animations are adorable. All-in-all, it's a near-perfect attempt in capturing what we've wanted to see since the late 90's.

4. Shazam

At least once when you were growing up, and surely many times since reaching adulthood, you've wondered what it would be like to a superhero. Although you may have not imagined getting your powers from an ancient wizard who's also watching over demon statues, Shazam set itself as a captivating superhero origin story that will remain awe-inspiring to kids for years to come. In the same way previous generations are still elated thinking about Christopher Reeves's Superman, the Zachary Levi-lead Shazam charmed and inspired us with a realistic look at how a teenager would actually react if they suddenly become a superhero, being a touching tale of love for one's family at the centre of this coming-of-age story.

3. Brightburn

Doing a one-eighty on the cheerful Shazam-Superman comparison, what if Superman never even became Superman? Instead of growing up to be a beacon of hope for humanity, the discovery of his lineage and powers at a young age made him a horror for all to fear. That's what was not so subtly explored in Brightburn.

A tongue-in-cheek twist of the definitive superhero origin story, this spectacular horror following an all-powerful adolescent with a god complex is even more fun than the initial premise sounds. Protagonist Brandon is initially a shy but sweet boy who is part of a loving family. However, when he realises he possesses monstrous strength, laser eyes, the ability to fly and the fact he's from another planet, all of his dormant inhibitions come to the surface, slowly transforming him into a sociopath as he realises he can easily do away with whatever he wants.

Brightburn has fantastic cinematography, with perfectly crafted shots that exemplify the happenings and chaos in each scene, despite the film featuring that typical horror trope of constantly making you know what's more or less going to happen. Unlike an undead nun or some haunted doll in another film of the genre, Brandon has more than just one ability. Written as an all-powerful villain, the build-up to the clash with each of Brandon's victims is captivating, shot after shot of teasing his silhouette in the darkness as if he's playing with his food whilst you're guessing what he's going to do.

When these scenes climax, Brightburn's small budget is stretched beyond its limits to present some of the most satisfying jaw-dropping gore, making all of that suspense all the more worthwhile even on a second watch.

Elizabeth Banks is also a treasure and needs to be in more films.

2. Toy Story 4

None of you were overly optimistic for Toy Story 4. No no. You don't have to lie. It's ok. We get it. Why would you have been? Toy Story 3 seemed like the perfect ending. Andy grew up, Woody, Buzz and the other toys eventually came to accept it and they wound up being passed on to a kid of the new generation. When the fourth installment got announced, we all wondered where the story of toys could go from there. Turns out, it wasn't about the group of toys as a whole. It was Woody's story. Somehow, it's as heartwarming as those that came before.

Bonnie, the toy's replacement owner, already had her own room of sentient objects that magically come to life before Andy's came along. A room with their own leader. Demoted from being the Sheriff to a reserve in the closet, Woody felt unneeded and lost. As the surrogate parent Andy didn't know about for all of his life, Woody saw his child go off to college and is reminded in Bonnie's room that his purpose in life has been fulfilled. Initially looking like it was going to be a one-note runaway adventure, Toy Story 4 blew us away by having one of the characters we missed in 3 return: Bo Peep.

Deciding to make her more than just the generic love interest she was in the first two films, Bo Peep actually has a personality. This change in character makes for a more realistic relationship between her and Woody, with both banter and sweet moments. Their first scene together during Toy Story 4's prologue was already enough to drive a few to tears. The tender moments shared between these two is further added to by the film's astonishing animation. It's amazing to see how far Pixar's animation has come in Toy Story's 24-year series run. There's one shot in particular with Woody and Bo Peep stood under a car with rain pouring down in the background that contained so much vivid detail that it doesn't look like animation anymore, but almost like real life.

Unexpectedly, this is even the funniest Toy Story 4. Forky, our new favourite utensil with googly eyes, is the most marvelous piece of trash you'll ever see. Bunny and Ducky, voiced by comedy duo Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key have a few scenes that actually made us laugh harder than at any Pixar film ever.

1. Avengers: Endgame

It's three hours in length and you may not even know what's going on if you haven't seen a Marvel film before but for anyone even slightly interest in Endgame, which was a lot of people, this was the event of the decade.

What was the conclusion of the story with Thanos as the central protagonist, Infinity War left us feeling empty and hopeless. Endgame immediately kept that feeling of the good guys not always winning going for us, as the Avengers supposedly have their last hope snapped out, before the heroes get given a new one and it became their story again. Endgame's writing kept effortlessly subverting our expectations. Nearly all of us all knew what the end result was going to be but the Russo Brothers kept proving us wrong as to how they were going to get there, in addition to who may get lost along the way.

With less characters to work with than its predecessor, Endgame used its smaller cast for more intimate moments with alot more comedy. As a way of giving us breaks from all of the existential dread, the development of these characters from over the years was better than anything we could have expected. The acts were seamlessly broken up, each obviously being bigger than the last, making its massive runtime almost seem half of what it actually was.

Our reactions to the heroics, the deaths and conclusions to the rest of the arcs in the Infinity Saga storyline are still intense with emotion in a way that can only be achieved after 11 years of being invested in these characters. Our vocal gasps, cheers and tears were the result of fantastic writing, universe building and the best performances we could have ever imagined from a comic book film.

Love you 3,000.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 18:56:00 +0000

It's been five years since Godzilla - the debut film of Legendary's new Monsterverse - returned the atomic giant to our cinema screens. Taking into account our criticisms of the first film (the main one being that it focused too much on the human characters), writers made it a mission to make the sequel more of an ensemble piece: blending a more balanced mix of monsters and humans into the story. Being the 35th film in the Japanese Godzilla franchise and despite bearing such a grabbing title, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, is as disappointing as its monsters are visually grand.

As the story begins, we meet Madison Russell, played by Millie Bobby Brown, who almost anyone with a Netflix account will know as Eleven in Stranger Things. Her mother, Dr. Emma Russel, is a leader of a group of scientists who for some reason think it's a good idea to release more giant monsters upon the world, despite Madison's brother losing his life in the chaos of the first film. Once events inevitably go out of control, it's up to Dr. Mark Russel (Madison's father) and Dr Ishirō Serizawa (Ken Watanabe), heading their own group of annoying soldiers and Godzilla-friendly scientists to get everything back in order.

Cinema-goers may be wondering how a seemingly action-heavy monster movie could possibly be so boring. After all, long shots of certain various monsters, Godzilla included, are a feast for the eyes. Combined with life-giving visual effects, pre-production even involved performance capture for some of Godzilla's monstrous foes, creating immersive movements and lavish shots that could serve as at least ten high quality desktop wallpapers. However, even with these impressive-looking monsters, "mundane" sadly still comes to mind far too often, mostly because of the terribly-written human characters.

As with any big action set piece, a script often requires a scene or two of downtime before the next one, letting characters breathe and allowing for personal development and stakes to sink in. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the bridges between the monster fights are all irritating babbles of exposition in war rooms by one-dimensional personalities. With some fantastic actors in front of the camera, it's a tragedy to see them work with a lazy script ridden with awful dialogue and character arcs that are nonsensical. It's the irritating kind that involves scenes brimming with weak and tired jokes every five minutes, despite being in intense life-or-death situations, only existing to stretch the runtime, whilst merely feigning any hints of sincerity.

Ken Watanabe as the Godzilla-loving Doctor is a welcome return from the first film, leading the only genuine, heartwarming scene in this tired sequel. Charles Dance, best known as Game of Throne's Tywin Lannister, is an unfortunate waste of talent as the film's closest thing to a human villain, acting out an arc that struggles to make sense the further it goes along.

Even though the monster action scenes are the impressive draws, these are too few and far between given the runtime and the monotonous writing. As much of a relief it is to be thrown into a monster fight after what feels like an eternity, the camera work often takes the thrill away. Heavy with too many zooms and shaky cam shots along with constant cuts away to the human's perspective, the feelings of exhilaration when seeing Godzilla clash with a three-headed dragon only stay for half as long as you expect them to.

Thanks to the hard work of talented visual effects artists and film score composers, this is easily the best-looking Godzilla film to date. However, the aesthetics are as far as the quality as Godzilla: King of the Monsters goes. Obsessed with furthering an entire franchise dedicated to the Legendary Monsterverse, it seems the writers and director put together a storyboard of monster fights and wrote down the bare minimum of a story to connect it together. Like looking at the destruction of a Godzilla-torn city, it is a disheartening catastrophe to see a monster movie that's so dull.

4/10

A Brief Guide to Dune (and the Upcoming Movies)

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 16:49:00 +0000

Two years ago in November, my father died. He had suffered from a chronic illness for years until, finally, succumbing to it just before I’d planned to move out. I was given a choice: delay the move until after my dad’s funeral or see it through and mourn him when the time came. I saw it through and moved to Brighton two days later, with my aunt’s help. On the way down, I read a book about a young man who had also lost his father. He too was starting a new life, but everything else about him – his background, the cause of his father’s death, and his new home – couldn’t have been more different. His name was Paul Atreides. And the book was Dune.

Published in 1965, Dune is the first in a series of bestselling sci-fi novels by Frank Herbert. It follows Paul, heir of the Great House Atreides, as he moves with his family to the planet Arrakis (a.k.a. Dune). It’s a desert world branded the most barren place in the universe, yet it’s the only source of the most treasured drug in the universe: the “spice” melange. The drug prolongs life, enhances mental abilities, and makes space travel possible. Whoever controls the spice controls the universe – and that makes Arrakis a prize to kill for. At the order of Galactic Emperor Shaddam IV, House Atreides move to Arrakis to take control from their hated rivals, the Harkonnens. However, the Baron Vladimir – head of the Harkonnen family – plans to wipe out the Atreides and take Arrakis back. With a traitor’s help, Paul’s father is killed, and his forces are scattered. Only Paul and his mother, the concubine Jessica, escape into the planet’s southern regions. The Harkonnens leave them for dead, but Paul and Jessica find help from an unexpected source: the Fremen; a community of desert people who suffered under the Harkonnens. The Fremen have a prophecy that a messiah, Muad’dib, will come from off-planet to free them and turn Arrakis from a desert planet into a lush, green paradise. Paul and Jessica exploit the prophecy, presenting himself as Muad’dib to win the Fremen over. With their help, they plan to take revenge on the Harkonnens – but there’s a price to pay for the Fremen’s allegiance… and more to their enemy’s plans than the Atreides expect.

It’s hard to describe Dune in just a few words. Arthur C. Clarke called it the sci-fi equivalent of The Lord of the Rings, while Denis Villeneuve thinks of it as Star Wars for adults. However, neither description is spot-on. Dune’s universe is just as intricate as Middle-earth, but it’s not your typical story of good vs. evil; and although it has a lot in common with Star Wars, it was published twelve years before the world met Luke Skywalker. Some of you may be surprised to hear that it shares elements with another popular series: royal houses at war with each other; organisations plotting behind their backs; clashes between politics and religion; and a seat of power everyone and their brother wants. If you pictured Game of Thrones in space, you're on the right track. The violence, language and sex are milder, but that’s forgivable since Herbert wrote Dune long before George R. R. Martin wrote A Game of Thrones. And Herbert left quite the legacy – in 1966 Dune won the first Hugo & Nebula book awards, and today it’s the bestselling sci-fi novel of all time! Five sequels followed it, and after Herbert died in 1986, his son Brian took charge of the franchise. Brian wrote another two sequels from his father’s notes, and eleven prequels with acclaimed writer Kevin J. Anderson. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s now an executive producer of an upcoming film adaptation of Dune (we’ll come back to it later).

Dune has many themes and stories to tell, but at its heart it’s about a boy fighting to make a name for himself in a new, harsh world. In his journey, Paul Atreides learns from many people – and his two most important teachers are the Bene Gesserit and the Fremen. The Bene Gesserit (BG for short) are a sisterhood that aims to control human breeding and create a superbeing with their unique skills and more. Paul’s mum Jessica was a BG Lady, but she defied their orders by giving birth to him and teaching him in the BG way. A BG student can control every muscle and nerve in their body, allowing them to think and act faster than the average person. They can resist poisons, suppress their instincts, and deduce a person’s character from the very smallest clues. By taking spice, they can see the future – and a select few can even tap into ancestral memories through large doses. The BG’s skills have limits, of course, but they remain vital to Paul’s survival on Arrakis. Later in the book, he finds new teachers in the Fremen; the blue-eyed natives of his new home. To survive in the deserts, the Fremen conserve all the water they can. They wear stillsuits to reclaim body moisture, distil water from the dead, and even use water as money among their tribes. They train themselves to fight from infancy, and even their women are fearsome! The Fremen have to be tough because they face death wherever they go – from the heat, the Harkonnens… and enormous sandworms. Sandworms are the top predators of Arrakis, armed with crystalline teeth and tempers that would make the Graboids from Tremors squirm! However, instead of hunting them, the Fremen have learned to live with them. How they do it is a lesson both Paul and you will learn in reading the book – and it’s just the beginning.

If you’d rather watch a screen adaptation, I have some good news and bad news. First, the bad: there are only two right now and they both have their flaws. The first is David Lynch’s 1984 film starring Kyle MacLachlan. It has an all-star cast, unique visuals, and a rocking soundtrack… but little else to justify its cult classic status. Lynch wrote and directed the film, but sadly, he hadn't read the book nor was he interested in sci-fi. The result was a two-hour film that suffered from horrible pacing, incessant voiceovers, and characters radically different from Herbert's creations. It was a commercial and critical failure, and Lynch disavowed the film upon its release. His producers made an extended cut without his permission and, incredibly, it turned out worse than Lynch’s version. We wouldn’t get a decent adaptation until sixteen years later. In 2000 the Sci-fi Channel (known today as SyFy) produced its own version of Dune, written and directed by John Harrison. Frank Herbert’s Dune was made to be truer to the novel than Lynch’s film and, to that end, it was made into three feature-length episodes. The series was held back by a low budget and some clunky, expository dialogue… but it fared better than Lynch’s film and remains the most successful adaptation of Dune to date. It won two Emmy awards for its special effects and cinematography, and its success led to a superior follow-up, Children of Dune, starring James McAvoy. Both series were released on DVD, but sadly, they’re both out of print. If you find copies of them in good condition, I suggest you get them immediately. For now, they’re the best way to experience Dune if you don’t have the time to read the books.

Now, for the good news… three years ago, Legendary Pictures bought the film and TV rights to the Dune franchise – and they just started work on a new film! Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) is directing the film, and he’s called together a cast including Timothee Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, and Stellan Skarsgard to name a few. They started filming in March in Hungary, and video diaries by Chalamet and Brolin have revealed they’ll be filming in Jordan too. There’ll also be talent from Game of Thrones involved – Jason Momoa has joined the cast, and Dothraki linguist David J. Peterson is creating languages for the new film. We don’t know yet how long it’s going to be, but Villeneuve plans to make the film in two parts; a smart choice given the sheer length of the novel. The two-film approach has worked well for Harry Potter, It, and the Avengers, so this writer hopes it will do just as well for Dune. The first part will be released by Warner Bros. on November 20th 2020, so keep an eye out for further features and a review nearer the time. Until then, keep you knife arms free – and your shields at full charge!

What Made Game of Thrones Season 8 So Disappointing?

noreply@blogger.com (Alt:Mag Crew) — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 16:54:00 +0000

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones Season 8 spoilers will follow!

The long night finally arrived. After taking a year off in 2018, Game of Thrones returned to conclude the story which began eight years ago (or longer, if you’re a fan of the novels). The show captured the minds of millions of viewers, becoming a cultural phenomenon over its running, with online theories and unimaginable hype engulfing the internet. It was impossible to avoid, the fear of spoilers lurking around every corner, forcing some viewers in the UK at least to get up in the middle of the night to watch each episode as it airs. So, with this unreal expectation, were creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss ever going to be able to satisfy all fans?

Following the events of the seventh season, everything has changed in Westeros. The Night King (Vladimír Furdík) has broken through the wall, and now in the possession of one of Daenerys’ (Emilia Clarke) dragons, is marching his army south towards Winterfell. The Stark and Targaryen armies have teamed up ready to do battle against the immense evil heading their way, whilst Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) is bulking up her army back in Kings Landing. Season eight crams a lot into its six-episode run, including the battle against the Night King; the destruction of Kings Landing; and finally, the decision as to who should sit on the Iron Throne.

With the story set up for an intense ending, it’s a real shame that most of the plot feels rushed. The build-up that has been present in the previous seasons appears to be absent for many key plot points here, with events taking place and concluding in an astonishingly fast time. Where previously a character of the stature of the Night King would take more than a few episodes to defeat (as well as taking a few of our beloved characters with him), he is defeated within an hour of his first appearance in season eight. Whilst it could be argued that we’ve seen many scenes featuring the Night King and his army in prior seasons, you can’t help but feel that they are disposed of far too quickly. This is a threat that has loomed over the realms of men for over a thousand years, and yet after it, most of our main cast is still standing. It all feels a bit un-Game of Thrones and unfortunately takes away from the incredible ending of the episode.

Not only does the plot feel rushed, but also most of the character development we’ve come to expect from the series vanishes in season eight. Such an incredibly talented cast feels wasted, with the connection to the characters we’ve enjoyed in previous seasons feeling a little blurred. One of the biggest tragedies is in how Daenerys’ character is treated. Despite having control of the city, and the surrender of the Lannister forces, Dany goes against all her beliefs and erupts pure horror onto the innocent people of Kings Landing. Yes, the loss of Missandei, two dragons and many of her close allies can explain the sudden turn. But such a monumental twist in Daenerys’ character deserved to have more time to breathe, to really play on the audience’s mind. More time was needed to allow the brilliant Emilia Clarke to showcase the mental decline of the character. Thankfully some characters, such as Tyrion, are still allowed time to entertain us with their wit; however, more screen time to develop characters would have made for a much more satisfying season.

As the episodes went by, it became more and more clear that our favourite characters were going to survive against impossible odds. The shock factor had gone, with moments such as Ned Stark’s execution and The Red Wedding simply not being there. This becomes clear during the battle of Winterfell, where despite facing thousands of the dead, only a few major deaths happen. And when major deaths do finally arrive, I was left feeling empty. I wasn’t shocked when Cersei and Jamie were crushed under the Red Keep, or when Jamie defeated Euron Greyjoy. I was surprised by my lack of feeling when Jon made the difficult decision to kill Daenerys. These are moments that should have carried a lot more weight and be given time to play on our minds. We’ve followed these characters for many years, with them becoming a huge part of our lives (see how many people have been naming their kids after Thrones characters). To see them suffer life-changing moments, and for them then to be brushed over onto the next main plot point, feels like a real shame.

Game of Thrones has often felt like a riddle, with every little detail and plot point amounting to some greater cause or event. Take Jon Snow (once again portrayed wonderfully by Kit Harrington): from leaving the comfort of Winterfell to join the Nights Watch; uniting the Wildlings; to then dying (and returning from the dead), everything felt like it had a purpose. It’s odd then, that in the final season, many of the plot points which have been built up over the last few seasons felt pointless. Jon Snow being Targaryen doesn’t really impact the overall plot, as Daenerys would likely still have gone mad in the end anyway. Despite the characters’ heritage, he ends up cast aside back at the wall (which now has no purpose due to the White Walkers being eliminated), with all his achievements seemingly ignored. Bran being the three-eyed raven suffers a similar issue, where aside from seeing that the wall has been smashed, didn’t really add anything to the story. Cersei getting the Golden Army again was completely useless, with the whole army wiped out in a matter of seconds. The only plot point I felt truly carried much purpose was with Arya, whose assassin training helped her to overcome the Night King (something which is astonishingly overlooked in the final three episodes). It all just feels so unsatisfactory, something I never expected to feel from a show that has always felt so clever and unpredictable.

Despite being the worst of all of the Game of Thrones seasons, there are still things to appreciate for long-time fans. This is still the world of Westeros you’ve been sucked into over the past eight years, and being a part of the world still feels great. There are still meaningful moments here, despite the feeling of the story being rushed. The long-awaited battle between The Hound and The Mountain is bloody and brutal, bringing a close to the rivalry which has stood between the two siblings throughout the entire series. Sansa becomes the Queen in the North, taking all the pain endured throughout her story and using it to become powerful and strong. Brienne of Tarth becomes the first female knight in Westeros, whilst Jon Snow gets his reunion with Ghost. For all of its problems, Game of Thrones has many heart-warming moments certain to bring a smile to long-time fans of the series. It’s just unfortunate there aren’t more of them.

Game of Thrones must also be appreciated for the success it’s had over its nine-year run. Records have been smashed, with record numbers of viewers tuning in to see how the story ends. The bar for CGI in TV has been raised, with a near-cinematic quality being displayed, something which helped make the show feel that little bit more believable and engaging. Scenes such as the heart-breaking moment where Drogon discovers his mother has been murdered, or Jon’s heart-warming reunion with Dire Wolf Ghost, feel that much more engaging thanks to the effects on display.

Whilst all things must come to an end, what feels most painful is the fact that the show is ending with a highly disappointing season, full of rushed plot points and unsatisfying moments. It’s a show which has unfortunately lost its way, and for the first time in the Thrones series, I feel no urge to go back and re-watch. Whatever the reason for the change, be it the lack of source material due to the books not being completed, or the decision to cram the remainder of the series into a mere six episodes, the series as a whole should not be tarnished because of this. It’s a real shame that the story ends in predictable fashion, with an almost too happy ending that feels out of place. Whilst we’ll always be left wondering what could have been (until the books are released, that is), I’m thankful to everyone involved in the series: it’s been one hell of a ride.