I haven't really posted to the blog this year because I didn't want to do anything half-heartedly and because I've been terribly busy writing and producing for my theatre company, The Sigil Club.
We created a show back in August which comically told the history of comic books. It was well received by critics, comics fans and non comics readers. One kind soul even said that with some polish and confidence, it has the potential for a long and successful future as a fringe favourite.
Well I took that to heart and we're performing Full Stage Splash at the Hen and Chickens this Saturday at 9:30pm and then the following Saturday (same bat-time, same bat-venue). Tickets are £8 and are very much worth that price (or more). You can buy them here. There are some puppets, a fight scene, some terrible accents and I really think anyone can enjoy it. You may not get *everything* but you will enjoy it. If you haven't seen the show, then please give us a chance; we're damn good at what we do and if nothing else, some of the performers are rather attractive. If you have already seen the show why not tell other people to come see it? Word of mouth really is the best marketing we can get. Also we've added a scene, so, there's an incentive to see it again?
This might be the last time I get to do this brilliant show with some fantastic people and if that's the case then we're going to enjoy it but I would be very grateful if you could help me make this show successful enough to keep us going.
Here is the obligatory facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/522878754408959/
P.S. Sorry everyone who isn't in London.
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Project 52 - Second Wave: G.I. Combat #1
It was only upon Alex requesting that I review G.I. Combat for the second wave of Project 52 that I realised I'm not sure what G.I. stands for. And so I've gone in to reading G.I. Combat hoping to find the answer. Good idea? Well let's get into it and find out.
G.I. Combat #1 contains two stories, "The War That Time Forgot" by J.T. Krul and Ariel Olivetti, in which the US army fights dinosaurs and "The Unknown Soldier", written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti and with art from Dan Panosian which is about a scarred soldier of relentless malice fuelled by revenge.
"The War That Time Forgot" goes by very quickly. After a very brief, rather bland character introduction, in which it's established that one of our protagonists has a family and the other is his friend, we follow the US investigating an area of anomaly in North Korea.When they spot Pterodactyls, the grossly incompetent soldiers think it's a good idea to shoot at the dinosaurs. This goes as well as one might imagine leaving our not so gifted individuals stranded in the middle of a war between the North Korean army and dinosaurs.
Luckily whilst the dialogue isn't to my liking Ariel Ollivetti's realistic artwork works well in a book filled with vehicles of destruction, giant Indosuchus, Tyranosaurus Rex and pterodactyls. His digital colouring might be jarring to those not used to it but it's the best I've seen of his recent style. The characters faces are smooth and expressive and whilst previously his photo referenced objects like guns or backgrounds seemed to stick out from the figure work, they now blend together more. I find it hard to complain about anyone who draws a fighter jet tearing through a pterodactyl. Guts, intestines and blood spurting out the other side.
"The Unknown Soldier" is a standard origin story told through two narrative devices which don't entirely mesh together. We're introduced to the Unknown Soldier as he ruthlessly and effectively kills Al-Qaeda soldiers told through a US soldier's letter home. A colonel then interviews the Unknown Soldier about his past, revealing his origins and the reason for his brutality. It functions similarly to a superhero origin and makes better use of its 14 pages than "The War That Time Forgot", feeling more like a complete story. There's a really nice touch of black humour at one point and a genuinely intriguing ending.
Panosian's art is kind of scratchy during moments of conflict but cleaner during flashbacks to a happier time in the Unknown Soldier's life making it quite effective. His action makes war chaotic but has few moments of depicted violence, often focusing on the person shooting than who they're shooting at.
G.I. Combat #1 is a bit of a mixed bag but there is something enjoyable there and it adds some diversity to the DC line whilst maintaining enough fantastical elements to stop it from feeling out of place. I still haven't learnt what G.I. stands for though. I'm going with Gun infested.
FINAL GRADE: C+
G.I. Combat #1 contains two stories, "The War That Time Forgot" by J.T. Krul and Ariel Olivetti, in which the US army fights dinosaurs and "The Unknown Soldier", written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti and with art from Dan Panosian which is about a scarred soldier of relentless malice fuelled by revenge.
"The War That Time Forgot" goes by very quickly. After a very brief, rather bland character introduction, in which it's established that one of our protagonists has a family and the other is his friend, we follow the US investigating an area of anomaly in North Korea.When they spot Pterodactyls, the grossly incompetent soldiers think it's a good idea to shoot at the dinosaurs. This goes as well as one might imagine leaving our not so gifted individuals stranded in the middle of a war between the North Korean army and dinosaurs.
Luckily whilst the dialogue isn't to my liking Ariel Ollivetti's realistic artwork works well in a book filled with vehicles of destruction, giant Indosuchus, Tyranosaurus Rex and pterodactyls. His digital colouring might be jarring to those not used to it but it's the best I've seen of his recent style. The characters faces are smooth and expressive and whilst previously his photo referenced objects like guns or backgrounds seemed to stick out from the figure work, they now blend together more. I find it hard to complain about anyone who draws a fighter jet tearing through a pterodactyl. Guts, intestines and blood spurting out the other side.
"The Unknown Soldier" is a standard origin story told through two narrative devices which don't entirely mesh together. We're introduced to the Unknown Soldier as he ruthlessly and effectively kills Al-Qaeda soldiers told through a US soldier's letter home. A colonel then interviews the Unknown Soldier about his past, revealing his origins and the reason for his brutality. It functions similarly to a superhero origin and makes better use of its 14 pages than "The War That Time Forgot", feeling more like a complete story. There's a really nice touch of black humour at one point and a genuinely intriguing ending.
Panosian's art is kind of scratchy during moments of conflict but cleaner during flashbacks to a happier time in the Unknown Soldier's life making it quite effective. His action makes war chaotic but has few moments of depicted violence, often focusing on the person shooting than who they're shooting at.
G.I. Combat #1 is a bit of a mixed bag but there is something enjoyable there and it adds some diversity to the DC line whilst maintaining enough fantastical elements to stop it from feeling out of place. I still haven't learnt what G.I. stands for though. I'm going with Gun infested.
FINAL GRADE: C+
Saturday, 31 December 2011
So that was 2011
Upon reflection 2011 (Twenty-Eleven) feels rather busy, which is comforting as it explains why both my stress levels and the mess in my flat have so rapidly built up. When first looking back on the past year, my mind leaps to the theatre work I’ve done through the Sigil Club but I also somehow managed to balance all that with my full time job, enjoying great company and finding ways to enjoy myself from those small commitments like scheduling time to play Arkham City or meeting Grant Morrison to the bigger weekend events. Kapow was a fun experience probably made richer by having good company like Colin, Robin and Elisabeth to cling on to amongst the madness. The Empire Big Screen was an interesting mess that Jackie and I look upon fondly; we packed a few films in, got some cool stuff and had a pretty unique experience - where else can you see Jason Momoa be mobbed in front of a Nandos and then go outside to see a terrible band dressed like characters from Pulp Fiction (including someone in black face)?
I think the only way I’ve been able to have this full life is due to the patience and understanding of my brilliant friends who haven’t taken offence when I’ve told them I’m busy or have scheduled stuff around my one free evening a week, often coming to me rather than me going to them. Tim (Nolan), Gavia, Yashoda, Alex (Millington) and Grace have been friendly faces popping up throughout the year and I’m really glad they’ve been there. Robin is consistently awesome, evidenced by how much I’ll mention him. Israel gave Jackie and me really useful advice for when we were in Barcelona and all my Castaway/Caballero buddies are permanently there for a good joke, interesting discussion or unexpected support. I’ve probably seen less of The LSS, Dos, Splinter and Paddington than I would like to but they too have had really busy years so it’s just nice that we have made time for each other where possible.
Whilst all that fun has been on the fringe of my life the rest of the year has been concerned with the Fringe (Har-dee-har). At the start of 2011 we were in the middle of rehearsing Stripped, we had just had to replace one actor and it was a rather dramatic time as we upped the rehearsal schedule. Everything clicked though once we started seeing each other more and brought all the production bits together. I was worrying about designing and launching the Sigil Club website and selling the show and freaking out about very small things (and writing two other projects) but I think the actors started enjoying each others company and we really pulled together to make a good show. My nerves and anxiety showed even more once we were in the theatre but that unpleasant experience has meant I was much stronger by the time we performed Stand-Up Comics and I feel like I continue to grow as a director.
Focus quickly shifted to Stand-Up Comics which really did encapsulate a lot of my time. I was writing the script as well as my initial Camden Fringe Festival application in the beginning of the year whilst giving and getting advice from Grace about the festival process. We cast the show over a few weeks at the end of April/beginning of May before rehearsing in June and July, performing in August. Not to mention writing the press release, working on the posters, promoting the show, recording the shorts, organising props, naming a pigeon, the major analysis of trends I did when looking at all the festival shows and of course meeting everyone involved and making new friends. The Camden Fringe was a great experience with a rough patch at the end before giving us some wonderful fallout which meant we did pretty much the entire process again during October and November. I wouldn’t go back and change a single thing (maybe the performance dates in August) because whilst as trying as those experiences were, I got to work with some wonderful people (whom I thanked here for Stripped and here for SUC), a lot of whom I consider friends and really push myself to do better and I’m proud of what I achieved this year.
Oh and I had the monologue I wrote for the Orpheos Productions Machine of Death project come out this year, which I wrote about here.
However I think I let writing slip a little this year due to how much time I spent producing. I wrote a sitcom episode for a BBC Writersroom thing in January/February called Horsemen which wasn’t as strongly thought out or as tight as it could have been but it got my mind ready for sitcoms again, which came in handy for the Stand-Up Comics rewrite. But I do like the concept for Horsemen and have thought about it since so I might be able to get something out of it in the future. Stand-Up Comics was written between February and April but apart from fleshing out a handful of ideas and some extensive plotting and dialogue exchanges for Highwaymen that was the last time I’ve really written a play. I’m slightly worried that I’ve forgotten how to do it but comforted by how quickly I managed to get a decent script done this year by just ploughing forward.
Part of the reason I haven’t written any theatre was because I tried my hand at writing webcomics. I was asked to pitch a few scripts for a project and wrote about 25 between the end of May and the end of August but they decided to go in a different direction. Writing three-panel gag strips really is a different beast to what I’m used to and I’m not sure how well I adapted but it was nice to get the opportunity.
So really I tried to write in small doses; inspired by the varied content Yashoda produces, Alex’s wonderful film and comics analysis, Gavia’s perfect blog, Emily launching Bearded Eloise and the fun stuff on friends’ tumblrs I’ve tried to do a bit more with the blog. I redesigned, started the Comic and Sandwich of the month write-ups plus the infrequent Friendly Friday and “Which of these isn’t in my backpack?” games. I also did that post of super awesome movie pitch ideas (He Fights Robots became one of our fake comic covers in Stand-Up Comics). A lot of my silliness and weird humour has been expressed here and it’s nice to have an outlet for it. And I think that my rushed monthly comic reviews were part of the reason Alex let me sub in for him for Project 52 and rush those reviews.
I might have had more time to write or eat or see the sunlight if I wasn’t obsessed with the goal of watching 50 new releases a year. Annoyingly I only managed to watch 49 films from 2011. It's still a decent number and better than 2010; plus it gives me something to work towards in 2012. But at what cost? At what cost? (Roughly £250 I’d say). I’ve done a separate post for that though as it’s a pretty big list and, as usual, I’ve done that thing where I roughly rank them based on how I’m feeling right now; it can and will change any other time you ask me because some films fight for power depending on the mood I’m in or if I’ve recently re-watched them. Other rankings might change because films are sneaky like that and sometimes they crawl into your brain when your not expecting it and hold your thoughts hostage. And Jackie has done a list too. As you can see, my list is better than hers [written before actually reading her list]. She thinks The King's Speech is better than True Grit and doesn't even have Kung Fu Panda 2 in her top 20.
Because we’ve been staying in a lot this year because the ghosts are out by the time we’re home or we’re too tired to do anything else we have been watching a lot of TV. In fact we spent all of New Years Eve and New Years Day watching Misfits for the first time. I like Misfits, I think it has a really strong cast and benefits from being the vision of one person. It’s funny and has adult storytelling in equal measure and paces its storylines really well rather than dragging things out, often doing something unexpected. It’s always visually interesting, from great depictions of superpowers to filling the shot with hilarious reactions from actors in the background. I thought the Nazi episode was a slight misstep this year, it not feeling like the Nazis had been around for 70 years, but otherwise it was strong.
We got two small doses of Doctor Who this year, which made it feel like it never really left rather than like we didn’t get enough of it. A series in which I enjoyed a lot of individual episodes (“The Doctor’s Wife” especially) but wasn’t overly fond of the series arc. Mrs Pond started to grate on me towards the end but Matt Smith is a joy to watch.
I continued my obsession with Community, understandable considering that in just this year it gave us the Dungeons and Dragons episode, “Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking”, “Critical Film Studies” A clip show with all new clips, A Spaghetti Western which transformed into Star Wars, “Remedial Chaos Theory”, horror stories, an anime sequence and a musical. And Magnitude. Can you believe that before 2011 we didn't have Magnitude? That’s an incredible amount of variety for a show that is consistently hilarious and tightly scripted.
Jackie and I watched all of Parks and Rec in a very short amount of time because it’s remarkable. It’s just so positive rather than being cruel or cynical, without ever feeling saccharine; instead it gives us characters to root for, with friendships and relationships we care about, and lets them be funny in the situations presented, often strengthening them rather than taking anything away.
Cartoons that you probably aren’t watching but that I was watching because I am cool are Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I think the success of both cartoons stems from the fact that they’re both made with utmost sincerity without any irony. Scooby Doo can be a surreally funny show with interesting character work and cool action set pieces and MLP can be genuinely about the sacrifices involved in friendship and the benefits that come from them (whilst referencing comics or The Big Lebowski) and both work because they play it straight whilst having fun with their characters and concepts. (From MLP “I’m going to do what I do best. Lecture her!” or from Scooby Doo “I took months of Pilates to reach the point where I could control the mouth with my abs”). In fact I’m constantly impressed by MLP subverting cliché “friend arguments” and remaining optimistic.
Like a lot of people this year I became obsessed with Game of Thrones. It’s really great to see serious fantasy on television with a decent budget and fantastic cast. But beyond being immersive and gripping GoT is a televisual miracle because it inspired my brother to actually buy and read books.
I’ve immersed myself in comics more than ever this year; I’ve dwelled on things from a reader’s, creator’s publisher’s and retailer’s perspective to have my mind right for SUC. So it’s really lucky that, beyond the comics that I’ve highlighted (Venom, Criminal, Osborn, The Sixth Gun, the X-Men relaunch, Ultimate Spider-Man) there have been so many good comics this out this year. Kieron Gillen has had a consistently good output; Uncanny X-men embraces bold superheroics combining good humour with tight plotting. If mutants are the next stage of evolution, then the X-men are about our future, our next generation and Generation Hope put unique, perfectly formed teenage characters forward, addressing current social problems alongside zombies, genocidal robots and Akira homages. Journey into Mystery is one of my favourite kinds of stories, one about the importance and power of myths and stories and by extension it often plays with and twists words.
Daredevil written by Mark Waid is a fun and lively pop book and Marcos Martin and Paolo Rivera support with a great visual style that finds new ways to represent Daredevil’s powers. And I love the irony of people having to see Martin’s and Rivera’s art to fully grasp it.
I’m along for the ride and eager to find out all the secrets in Morning Glories, the book that’s like Runaways meets Lost mixed with The Prisoner has answered some questions whilst ramping up the tension and making things even more mystifying. Writer Nick Spencer had a few other books out this year that I have enjoyed especially his Jimmy Olsen story which was an exciting humour book that worked well as both a serialised story and when it was collected.
Pre-New 52 I was really enjoying Batman Inc with its fun, world travelling action, visual gags and attempts to fit as much information into a page as possible. Post New-52 I’ve mainly clung on to Batman and The Flash (and need to catch up on Animal Man). Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman (which I reviewed the first issue of here) launches with a story that simultaneously shows Batman’s strengths and weaknesses and easily shifts between something dark to bombastic comic book action. And whilst Bruce is at the forefront there have still been wonderful moments for Alfred, Dick and Commissioner Gordon and Gotham itself. The Flash is vibrant and kinetic with a story that I’m really interested in. Francis Manapul’s pages are some of the most exciting visual storytelling at the moment.
Matt Fraction continues the layered, dense storytelling in The Invincible Iron Man, exemplified by the giant size issue 500 with a fantastic art team covering multiple deftly structured stories. And 2011 finally saw the return of Casanova, my favourite comic, with its third arc “Avaritia”. Now packed with more pages, a letter column, dazzling colours, spacemen, pandas and spatiotemporal holocausts, Casanova only seems to be getting better.
I’ve also used a lot of that spare time I’ve spent in the flat (afraid of the world outside) to play rather a lot of video games (for me anyway) made easier because I invested in my first portable console for about five years.
Marvel Vs Capcom 3 gives the initial frenzied buzz as one is given the opportunity to use Iron Man’s repulsors to blast Ryu from Street Fighter in the face and eventually the initial confusion of the frantic combos gives way to sense of achievement when you finally manage one of the more complex manoeuvres. Of course now I haven’t played it in a while the best I can manage is probably crouching in a corner flailing limbs and wondering why the catgirl can constantly defend against my bullets.
My 3DS was purchased pretty much so that I had something to play Pokemon White on (and to show off) and whilst I eagerly anticipated it I wasn’t as obsessed post game as I was all those years ago playing Blue and Gold. Perhaps one needs to live Pokemon, watch the cartoon to find creatures you want to catch, breed new armies to fully appreciate everything. But I fought tiny monsters with a sentient ice-cream and a firey pig wrestler so it made me happy. And it meant I now have a 3DS, which aside from giving me a weird sense of joy at seeing it’s green light flash whenever I pass someone else with a 3DS and have the closest thing possible to social interaction, has given me the opportunity to play some cool games. I didn’t own Ocarina of Time before (I know) but can see why people love it so much and the updated graphics make it look better than ever. Having played the games since it doesn’t feel as revolutionary but still a very very fun game. Super Scribblenauts was a cute way to spend evenings after rehearsals when all I wanted to do was create a metallic dinosaur in a top hat. It’s a game only limited by your imagination and some of the things I made come to life from my magic notebook to complete the puzzles had me laughing out loud. Mario Kart 7 is Mario Kart at its best, the controls are fantastic, the action unrelenting and after mastering all the cool new tracks, it’s really simple to play online for some real competition. And my brother bought me Super Mario 3D Land which is really simple to pick up and play but there’s so much to do and find that I think it will keep me challenged for a while.
Arkham City may not have had the best story and it was slightly frustrating to have a whole chunk of Gotham to play in but still feel restricted but it’s definitely a game that makes you feel like Batman and I’m the kind of guy who likes to hang from gargoyles and punch sharks in the face.
Dynasty Warriors 7 felt more on form than DW6 but the return of Lu Xun’s belly shirts and the addition of fighting pandas wasn’t enough to stop it from feeling a bit too repetitive. I’m not even sure I unlocked every character...maybe I’ll start playing again. It’s possible I only stopped because I got busy, I can’t remember. Though, that’s not a good sign is it?
I’ve also been given Skyward Sword and Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 for Christmas and are eager to start playing through them. Expect many declarations of love for Voldemort on twitter in the near future.
Musically Childish Gambino was a great discovery; there are a few tracks on his first album, Camp, that I really enjoy but perhaps not as much as the stuff on EP. Both Patrick Stump and Patrick Wolf had some pretty cool pop stuff on their albums this year and The Lonely Island gave us Michael Bolton cross-dressing.
But the highlight of the year musically for me was going to see Jimmy Eat World play all of Clarity and Bleed American with Jackie, Robin and Elisabeth.
Moving into 2011 was interesting because I had a vague idea of what it was going to be like. Stripped and Stand-Up Comics gave it a structure to build my life around from months in advance. But now I don’t know what lies ahead. I do know some of the things I’d like to try but no big plans. I’d like to find a way to repay everyone that made this year great and not lose the momentum I’ve built up this year. And with a lot more friends moving in to London now I hope they can tolerate me enough to hang out more.
I think the only way I’ve been able to have this full life is due to the patience and understanding of my brilliant friends who haven’t taken offence when I’ve told them I’m busy or have scheduled stuff around my one free evening a week, often coming to me rather than me going to them. Tim (Nolan), Gavia, Yashoda, Alex (Millington) and Grace have been friendly faces popping up throughout the year and I’m really glad they’ve been there. Robin is consistently awesome, evidenced by how much I’ll mention him. Israel gave Jackie and me really useful advice for when we were in Barcelona and all my Castaway/Caballero buddies are permanently there for a good joke, interesting discussion or unexpected support. I’ve probably seen less of The LSS, Dos, Splinter and Paddington than I would like to but they too have had really busy years so it’s just nice that we have made time for each other where possible.
Whilst all that fun has been on the fringe of my life the rest of the year has been concerned with the Fringe (Har-dee-har). At the start of 2011 we were in the middle of rehearsing Stripped, we had just had to replace one actor and it was a rather dramatic time as we upped the rehearsal schedule. Everything clicked though once we started seeing each other more and brought all the production bits together. I was worrying about designing and launching the Sigil Club website and selling the show and freaking out about very small things (and writing two other projects) but I think the actors started enjoying each others company and we really pulled together to make a good show. My nerves and anxiety showed even more once we were in the theatre but that unpleasant experience has meant I was much stronger by the time we performed Stand-Up Comics and I feel like I continue to grow as a director.
Focus quickly shifted to Stand-Up Comics which really did encapsulate a lot of my time. I was writing the script as well as my initial Camden Fringe Festival application in the beginning of the year whilst giving and getting advice from Grace about the festival process. We cast the show over a few weeks at the end of April/beginning of May before rehearsing in June and July, performing in August. Not to mention writing the press release, working on the posters, promoting the show, recording the shorts, organising props, naming a pigeon, the major analysis of trends I did when looking at all the festival shows and of course meeting everyone involved and making new friends. The Camden Fringe was a great experience with a rough patch at the end before giving us some wonderful fallout which meant we did pretty much the entire process again during October and November. I wouldn’t go back and change a single thing (maybe the performance dates in August) because whilst as trying as those experiences were, I got to work with some wonderful people (whom I thanked here for Stripped and here for SUC), a lot of whom I consider friends and really push myself to do better and I’m proud of what I achieved this year.
Oh and I had the monologue I wrote for the Orpheos Productions Machine of Death project come out this year, which I wrote about here.
However I think I let writing slip a little this year due to how much time I spent producing. I wrote a sitcom episode for a BBC Writersroom thing in January/February called Horsemen which wasn’t as strongly thought out or as tight as it could have been but it got my mind ready for sitcoms again, which came in handy for the Stand-Up Comics rewrite. But I do like the concept for Horsemen and have thought about it since so I might be able to get something out of it in the future. Stand-Up Comics was written between February and April but apart from fleshing out a handful of ideas and some extensive plotting and dialogue exchanges for Highwaymen that was the last time I’ve really written a play. I’m slightly worried that I’ve forgotten how to do it but comforted by how quickly I managed to get a decent script done this year by just ploughing forward.
Part of the reason I haven’t written any theatre was because I tried my hand at writing webcomics. I was asked to pitch a few scripts for a project and wrote about 25 between the end of May and the end of August but they decided to go in a different direction. Writing three-panel gag strips really is a different beast to what I’m used to and I’m not sure how well I adapted but it was nice to get the opportunity.
So really I tried to write in small doses; inspired by the varied content Yashoda produces, Alex’s wonderful film and comics analysis, Gavia’s perfect blog, Emily launching Bearded Eloise and the fun stuff on friends’ tumblrs I’ve tried to do a bit more with the blog. I redesigned, started the Comic and Sandwich of the month write-ups plus the infrequent Friendly Friday and “Which of these isn’t in my backpack?” games. I also did that post of super awesome movie pitch ideas (He Fights Robots became one of our fake comic covers in Stand-Up Comics). A lot of my silliness and weird humour has been expressed here and it’s nice to have an outlet for it. And I think that my rushed monthly comic reviews were part of the reason Alex let me sub in for him for Project 52 and rush those reviews.
I might have had more time to write or eat or see the sunlight if I wasn’t obsessed with the goal of watching 50 new releases a year. Annoyingly I only managed to watch 49 films from 2011. It's still a decent number and better than 2010; plus it gives me something to work towards in 2012. But at what cost? At what cost? (Roughly £250 I’d say). I’ve done a separate post for that though as it’s a pretty big list and, as usual, I’ve done that thing where I roughly rank them based on how I’m feeling right now; it can and will change any other time you ask me because some films fight for power depending on the mood I’m in or if I’ve recently re-watched them. Other rankings might change because films are sneaky like that and sometimes they crawl into your brain when your not expecting it and hold your thoughts hostage. And Jackie has done a list too. As you can see, my list is better than hers [written before actually reading her list]. She thinks The King's Speech is better than True Grit and doesn't even have Kung Fu Panda 2 in her top 20.
Because we’ve been staying in a lot this year because the ghosts are out by the time we’re home or we’re too tired to do anything else we have been watching a lot of TV. In fact we spent all of New Years Eve and New Years Day watching Misfits for the first time. I like Misfits, I think it has a really strong cast and benefits from being the vision of one person. It’s funny and has adult storytelling in equal measure and paces its storylines really well rather than dragging things out, often doing something unexpected. It’s always visually interesting, from great depictions of superpowers to filling the shot with hilarious reactions from actors in the background. I thought the Nazi episode was a slight misstep this year, it not feeling like the Nazis had been around for 70 years, but otherwise it was strong.
We got two small doses of Doctor Who this year, which made it feel like it never really left rather than like we didn’t get enough of it. A series in which I enjoyed a lot of individual episodes (“The Doctor’s Wife” especially) but wasn’t overly fond of the series arc. Mrs Pond started to grate on me towards the end but Matt Smith is a joy to watch.
I continued my obsession with Community, understandable considering that in just this year it gave us the Dungeons and Dragons episode, “Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking”, “Critical Film Studies” A clip show with all new clips, A Spaghetti Western which transformed into Star Wars, “Remedial Chaos Theory”, horror stories, an anime sequence and a musical. And Magnitude. Can you believe that before 2011 we didn't have Magnitude? That’s an incredible amount of variety for a show that is consistently hilarious and tightly scripted.
Jackie and I watched all of Parks and Rec in a very short amount of time because it’s remarkable. It’s just so positive rather than being cruel or cynical, without ever feeling saccharine; instead it gives us characters to root for, with friendships and relationships we care about, and lets them be funny in the situations presented, often strengthening them rather than taking anything away.
Cartoons that you probably aren’t watching but that I was watching because I am cool are Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I think the success of both cartoons stems from the fact that they’re both made with utmost sincerity without any irony. Scooby Doo can be a surreally funny show with interesting character work and cool action set pieces and MLP can be genuinely about the sacrifices involved in friendship and the benefits that come from them (whilst referencing comics or The Big Lebowski) and both work because they play it straight whilst having fun with their characters and concepts. (From MLP “I’m going to do what I do best. Lecture her!” or from Scooby Doo “I took months of Pilates to reach the point where I could control the mouth with my abs”). In fact I’m constantly impressed by MLP subverting cliché “friend arguments” and remaining optimistic.
Like a lot of people this year I became obsessed with Game of Thrones. It’s really great to see serious fantasy on television with a decent budget and fantastic cast. But beyond being immersive and gripping GoT is a televisual miracle because it inspired my brother to actually buy and read books.
I’ve immersed myself in comics more than ever this year; I’ve dwelled on things from a reader’s, creator’s publisher’s and retailer’s perspective to have my mind right for SUC. So it’s really lucky that, beyond the comics that I’ve highlighted (Venom, Criminal, Osborn, The Sixth Gun, the X-Men relaunch, Ultimate Spider-Man) there have been so many good comics this out this year. Kieron Gillen has had a consistently good output; Uncanny X-men embraces bold superheroics combining good humour with tight plotting. If mutants are the next stage of evolution, then the X-men are about our future, our next generation and Generation Hope put unique, perfectly formed teenage characters forward, addressing current social problems alongside zombies, genocidal robots and Akira homages. Journey into Mystery is one of my favourite kinds of stories, one about the importance and power of myths and stories and by extension it often plays with and twists words.
Daredevil written by Mark Waid is a fun and lively pop book and Marcos Martin and Paolo Rivera support with a great visual style that finds new ways to represent Daredevil’s powers. And I love the irony of people having to see Martin’s and Rivera’s art to fully grasp it.
I’m along for the ride and eager to find out all the secrets in Morning Glories, the book that’s like Runaways meets Lost mixed with The Prisoner has answered some questions whilst ramping up the tension and making things even more mystifying. Writer Nick Spencer had a few other books out this year that I have enjoyed especially his Jimmy Olsen story which was an exciting humour book that worked well as both a serialised story and when it was collected.
Pre-New 52 I was really enjoying Batman Inc with its fun, world travelling action, visual gags and attempts to fit as much information into a page as possible. Post New-52 I’ve mainly clung on to Batman and The Flash (and need to catch up on Animal Man). Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman (which I reviewed the first issue of here) launches with a story that simultaneously shows Batman’s strengths and weaknesses and easily shifts between something dark to bombastic comic book action. And whilst Bruce is at the forefront there have still been wonderful moments for Alfred, Dick and Commissioner Gordon and Gotham itself. The Flash is vibrant and kinetic with a story that I’m really interested in. Francis Manapul’s pages are some of the most exciting visual storytelling at the moment.
Matt Fraction continues the layered, dense storytelling in The Invincible Iron Man, exemplified by the giant size issue 500 with a fantastic art team covering multiple deftly structured stories. And 2011 finally saw the return of Casanova, my favourite comic, with its third arc “Avaritia”. Now packed with more pages, a letter column, dazzling colours, spacemen, pandas and spatiotemporal holocausts, Casanova only seems to be getting better.
I’ve also used a lot of that spare time I’ve spent in the flat (afraid of the world outside) to play rather a lot of video games (for me anyway) made easier because I invested in my first portable console for about five years.
Marvel Vs Capcom 3 gives the initial frenzied buzz as one is given the opportunity to use Iron Man’s repulsors to blast Ryu from Street Fighter in the face and eventually the initial confusion of the frantic combos gives way to sense of achievement when you finally manage one of the more complex manoeuvres. Of course now I haven’t played it in a while the best I can manage is probably crouching in a corner flailing limbs and wondering why the catgirl can constantly defend against my bullets.
My 3DS was purchased pretty much so that I had something to play Pokemon White on (and to show off) and whilst I eagerly anticipated it I wasn’t as obsessed post game as I was all those years ago playing Blue and Gold. Perhaps one needs to live Pokemon, watch the cartoon to find creatures you want to catch, breed new armies to fully appreciate everything. But I fought tiny monsters with a sentient ice-cream and a firey pig wrestler so it made me happy. And it meant I now have a 3DS, which aside from giving me a weird sense of joy at seeing it’s green light flash whenever I pass someone else with a 3DS and have the closest thing possible to social interaction, has given me the opportunity to play some cool games. I didn’t own Ocarina of Time before (I know) but can see why people love it so much and the updated graphics make it look better than ever. Having played the games since it doesn’t feel as revolutionary but still a very very fun game. Super Scribblenauts was a cute way to spend evenings after rehearsals when all I wanted to do was create a metallic dinosaur in a top hat. It’s a game only limited by your imagination and some of the things I made come to life from my magic notebook to complete the puzzles had me laughing out loud. Mario Kart 7 is Mario Kart at its best, the controls are fantastic, the action unrelenting and after mastering all the cool new tracks, it’s really simple to play online for some real competition. And my brother bought me Super Mario 3D Land which is really simple to pick up and play but there’s so much to do and find that I think it will keep me challenged for a while.
Arkham City may not have had the best story and it was slightly frustrating to have a whole chunk of Gotham to play in but still feel restricted but it’s definitely a game that makes you feel like Batman and I’m the kind of guy who likes to hang from gargoyles and punch sharks in the face.
Dynasty Warriors 7 felt more on form than DW6 but the return of Lu Xun’s belly shirts and the addition of fighting pandas wasn’t enough to stop it from feeling a bit too repetitive. I’m not even sure I unlocked every character...maybe I’ll start playing again. It’s possible I only stopped because I got busy, I can’t remember. Though, that’s not a good sign is it?
I’ve also been given Skyward Sword and Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 for Christmas and are eager to start playing through them. Expect many declarations of love for Voldemort on twitter in the near future.
Musically Childish Gambino was a great discovery; there are a few tracks on his first album, Camp, that I really enjoy but perhaps not as much as the stuff on EP. Both Patrick Stump and Patrick Wolf had some pretty cool pop stuff on their albums this year and The Lonely Island gave us Michael Bolton cross-dressing.
But the highlight of the year musically for me was going to see Jimmy Eat World play all of Clarity and Bleed American with Jackie, Robin and Elisabeth.
Moving into 2011 was interesting because I had a vague idea of what it was going to be like. Stripped and Stand-Up Comics gave it a structure to build my life around from months in advance. But now I don’t know what lies ahead. I do know some of the things I’d like to try but no big plans. I’d like to find a way to repay everyone that made this year great and not lose the momentum I’ve built up this year. And with a lot more friends moving in to London now I hope they can tolerate me enough to hang out more.
Jackie's 47 films of 2011
[The following is by guest poster and personal plaster provider, Jackie O'Sullivan]
So I saw 47 films released this year, be it at the cinema or on DVD. My apologies to Tyrannosaur, Warrior, Arrietty and all the other films that I’m sure would have fared well but I didn’t get to see. Here’s my ranking of the ones I did get to see.
- Drive
Hypnotic from the near-silent opening sequence to finish, Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling took a script that was originally imagined as a Hugh Jackman studio flick, stripped it to the bone and created a masterpiece. This is my film of the year because it’s one of the only times I’ve felt I’m not watching a movie, but CINEMA, iconic, destined-to-be-cult cinema. Drenched in 80s style but feeling completely original, with Gosling on sensational form, this is also the best directed film of the year and has an absolute killer soundtrack, bristling with tension. Just so damn cool. - Tangled
The film that restored my faith in Disney! Quite simply gorgeous animation, an excellent script, a fantastic passive aggressive villain, Menken songs..what more does a girl want? Jeffrey Tambor singing and a funny, engaging male lead who isn’t the titular character, you say? Jackpot! I will never get tired of watching Tangled. It was robbed at the Oscars. -
Hanna
Joe Wright needs to direct more action. Saoirse Ronan was mesmerising as always, but the direction really made this film, juggling themes of self-discovery, family, kick-ass action and government villainy without ever feeling muddled or in any way predictable. Also had a fantastic soundtrack. - Crazy, Stupid, Love
Entry number 2 for Ryan Gosling! I only saw 2 of his movies this year and they both made my top 5. CSL’s script was sharp, savvy, sexy and only elevated further by a wonderful ensemble cast. Creating more believable relationships onscreen than you seen in several movies over a whole year, this was truly romantic and truly funny. I’m not just being girly and putting a romcom in my top 5. I’m putting the best romcom since Intolerable Cruelty in my top 5. - Black Swan
As dark in topic as it was elegant on the surface, Black Swan was the film I felt most deserving in the awards season early this year. The cinematography here was extraordinary, and Portman’s performance was fantastic. It also drew unexpected parallels with Tangled, so bonus points. - Thor
Branagh brings us.. a superhero movie that does a surprising amount for feminism! Shakespearean family dynamics! A hero with really pretty hair! A complex villain who we feel for! An opulent and believable Asgard! A camera that has never met a spirit level! Kat Dennings! - Source Code
Proving that Moon wasn’t a one off, Duncan Jones blended thriller and twists to great effect, with one of my favourite endings to a film this year. - Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Best of the summer blockbusters, with an unexpected intelligence (much like that of the apes) and anchored by Andy Serkis in yet another mo-cap performance that leaves critics chasing worthy adjectives. - Attack the Block
Just so fun, with a great young cast, genuinely scary monsters and real slang that I hope will confuse Americans as much as the fact it’s about 15 minutes until someone drinks a cup of tea in an English film. “This is too much madness for one text!” - 50/50
Perhaps it’s the medic in me that made me put this is my top 10, but I have so much respect for how well cancer comedy was pulled off. I was really looking forward to it and it just left you feeling all the lows and highs (some literal) and uncertainty that the writer Will Reiser must have felt. Excellently handled, it made me laugh a lot without ever feeling mawkish or shying away from tough moments. - 127 Hours
- The Fighter
- Submarine
- The King’s Speech
- Hugo
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
- Never Let Me Go
- True Grit
- Tucker & Dale vs Evil
- Bridesmaids
- X-Men: First Class
- Love & Other Drugs
- Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
- Fright Night
- Real Steel
- The Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec
- Captain America
- Kung Fu Panda 2
- Super 8
- Rango
- 30 Minutes Or Less
- Winnie the Pooh
- Rubber
- Scre4m
- Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Paul
- The Adjustment Bureau
- Green Hornet
- Morning Glory
- Limitless
- Super
- Green Lantern
- Cars 2
- Cowboys & Aliens
- No Strings Attached
- Your Highness
Michael's 49 Films of 2011
I wanted to see fifty films released this year, to come so close is a bit of a disappointment. Luckily the majority of those forty-nine films I did see were enjoyable and a select few will be ones I'll watch over and over for the rest of my life. So it's not all bad.
I've attempted the impossible task of ranking them, which is of course ludicrous because how do you compare the quality of films so remarkably different? They each have things they excel in, points to celebrate and others to criticise. But I've just attempted to put them in order of my favourites based on how I'm feeling now (or earlier when I wrote the list.)
There are a few interesting trends in the films I've enjoyed this year; some have fairy tale like qualities (or are fairy tales), some have had epic fight scenes and some have been female driven (Four of my top five have female protagonists). The best ones tend to blend two of these elements and, where I was really lucky, some had all three.
I've attempted the impossible task of ranking them, which is of course ludicrous because how do you compare the quality of films so remarkably different? They each have things they excel in, points to celebrate and others to criticise. But I've just attempted to put them in order of my favourites based on how I'm feeling now (or earlier when I wrote the list.)
There are a few interesting trends in the films I've enjoyed this year; some have fairy tale like qualities (or are fairy tales), some have had epic fight scenes and some have been female driven (Four of my top five have female protagonists). The best ones tend to blend two of these elements and, where I was really lucky, some had all three.
- Drive
Most films are immersive because they drip feed you information; Drive is immersive because it encourages you to fill in gaps yourself so that you are invested in it. It’s a risky approach which works because of Refn and Gosling. In this way it’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a film version of a comic. And apart from that it’s a stylistically interesting movie, wonderfully shot and lit that I’ve been thinking about ever since. - Hanna
Is it a kick ass action movie about a highly trained young assassin confused when entering the outside world or a fairy tale about a young princess torn away from her father by her evil stepmother/ wicked witch? Filled with atmospheric silences and people shot in profile it is quite obviously a Joe Wright film but Wright also shows a wonderful eye for directing action. Each fight scene within the film (there’s a few!) is shot differently depending on the emotion of character/ scene so that they are storytelling and not just action scenes. What results is a multi-layered fantastic film with an amazing score from the Chemical Brothers and the use of some amazing locations. - Tangled
Is it a fairy tale about a young princess torn away from her parents by her evil stepmother/ wicked witch or a kick ass comedy about a confused young girl entering the outside world to give her life meaning? Tangled knows that poking at clichés or wryly mocking oneself is never as funny as a good joke or well timed comic moment. And it looks beautiful; traditional soft pastel colours beautifully rendered by vibrant CGI under Glen Keane’s watchful eye. I’ve watched Tangled three times this year and I know I could watch it more. - True Grit
Firstly that Roger Deakins found another way to gloriously capture the Old West is marvellous; that he is yet to win an Academy Award for his cinematography is ludicrous. The film also features really strong performances from its entire cast, with Hailee Steinfeld standing up against a showy Jeff Bridges. But the film is the Coens through and through; the editing and direction fantastic but the dialogue manages to not only denote time, setting and character but still keep its idiosyncratic humour. - Black Swan
There are mirrors everywhere, a swan’s skeleton in Vincent Cassel’s office and some really intense dancing. The visual stimulation and style make it a really gruelling thriller where the shocks are strong and the central performances good (Cassel doing his best with some moments of terrible dialogue). Aronofsky puts some his trademarks to good use, his over the shoulder moments feel like we’re being pulled by Portman not following along with her. All the suspense and tension builds to that final crescendo when we’re finally allowed to briefly relax. Bonus points to Aronofsky for making two movies in a row with the same ending. - Kung-Fu Panda 2
Has a by the numbers “Hero’s Journey” plot and from the moment Master Shifu balances/ diverts that water droplet in a film with cannons you know what the conclusion will be. But it has script consulting by Charlie Kaufman, is not afraid to deal with darker issues and themes, has a fun performance from Gary Oldman as a villainous peacock, has a gorgeous style, laugh out loud moments and some of the best Martial Arts fight scenes in recent memory. - The Fighter
Amongst all the yelling and big performances my favourite moment in The Fighter is when Mark Wahlberg is sitting in the car, on the way home after losing his fight, in silence whilst everyone else bickers about what he should do next. It’s small and silent but perfectly captured. - Tinker Tailor Soldier SpyIs an espionage movie so slow burning, you can’t really call it a thriller. But the structure of the script and the voyeuristic shots from long lenses make one feel like a spy unravelling the movie as it goes along. A plethora of British talent is on display here with Gary Oldman taking the lead and is (again) brilliant; physically controlled but with emotions bubbling in his eyes.
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes Much better than I had hoped for and I had high hopes. Andy Serkis and Weta digital not only brought Caesar to life but crafted a character to believe in and follow, much more interesting than any human on screen. Exciting action, some decent science (with a couple of exceptions) and some slight tweaks to the Apes history whilst referencing the old movies made it a wonderful addition to the series. The moment when Caesar stands up to Draco Malfoy’s abuse with those lines next to one another was brilliant.
- Hugo
Is a love letter to filmmaking and storytelling, and their ability to inspire us, complete us and help us identify something we felt was missing. But whilst Scorsese celebrates film history he is eager to try new things, the film is full of ambitious shots and edits and a moment of 3D where Sacha Baron Cohen’s face slowly looms towards you in a very unsettling manner. - Submarine
- Never Let Me Go
- 127 Hours
- Super 8
- Source Code
- Attack the Block
- Thor
- Tucker & Dale vs Evil
- 50/50
- Crazy, Stupid, Love
- Real Steel
- Captain America
- Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
- The King's Speech
- X-men: First Class
- Rango
- Bridesmaids
- Super
- Love and Other Drugs*
- Tintin
- The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec
- Holy Rollers
- Limitless
- 30 Minutes or Less
- Fright Night
- Rubber
- The Inbetweeners
- The Green Hornet
- Winnie the Pooh
- Paul
- Cowboys and Aliens
- Adjustment Bureau
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Scre4m
- Cars 2
- Green Lantern
- Morning Glory
- No Strings Attached
- Your Highness
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Sandwich of the Month - Leftovers sandwich
As it's the Holidays, I thought I would give a gift to the world by
permanently featuring my past "Sandwich of the Month" posts. I'll put
one up every day, as we count down to the end of 2011.
The sandwich for the month of December is the Turkey and stuffing (and whatever leftovers you have) sandwich. That’s right; LGC is getting more festive than a resentment filled, embarrassing Christmas party adorned with pound-shop tinsel.
The sandwich for the month of December is the Turkey and stuffing (and whatever leftovers you have) sandwich. That’s right; LGC is getting more festive than a resentment filled, embarrassing Christmas party adorned with pound-shop tinsel.
To some there is nothing more Christmassy than the hollow, discarded remains of rapidly drying meat that reminds you of the meat you really wanted, slathered in a juxtaposed coarse and sodden mixture of indistinguishable mush placed between slices of the last remaining slices of bread before the shops open up again. Sometimes there’s cranberry sauce involved but that’s for fancy families who can tell the difference between berries and who insist on eating a meal that doesn’t solely consist of different kinds of meat.
It’s not my job to debate the olfactory delights and dissidents of a Turkey, bacon, stuffing and cranberry sandwich; it’s my job to keep trolls out of Cornwall. And even if I was to be paid an excess of £4000000 that sandwich judges get paid I would refuse. Refuse on moral grounds. Grounds that are cracked because the metaphorical council ignore it and let weeds of deceit fester. Because the “Christmas” sandwich is a sham.
Whilst my knowledge of the bible is limited to the bits with Donny Osmond’s patchwork coat and Jesus conducting laser eye surgery I’m pretty certain there are no passages mentioning stuffing or Yorkshire puddings. I have also never seen a photograph of jolly old St Nick wrestling turkeys or throwing roast potatoes at his elves. So how do these items fit within Christmas tradition? I can’t tell you and I doubt you can tell me. In fact I have done countless minutes of research and it seems there are no sources of information. It is as though the knowledge has simultaneously been wiped from our collective memories.
I cannot begin to comprehend what they hope to achieve through this subtle indoctrination and forced feeding but I do know that I refuse to partake in the eating of this sandwich. Until I have to figure out what to do with my leftovers that is.
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Sandwich of the Month - New York Deli Sandwich
As it's the Holidays, I thought I would give a gift to the world by
permanently featuring my past "Sandwich of the Month" posts. I'll put
one up every day, as we count down to the end of 2011.
The sandwich for the month of November is the New York Deli Sandwich.
The “sandwich” that one currently finds in “delis” in “New”
Before sandwiches, before light from amber bulbs, before Henry VIII took his gigantic mallet and edged out the British Isles so that its jagged edge warred off the French lived a great lumbering creature called the Pastrami. When stood on its hind legs, the Pastrami loomed over the foliage it dwelt behind and when it moved its legs did crack the Earth as they fell upon it. Its eyes shone red and its belly blistered by the heat contained within. It sung the moon towards us and frightened the sun away, its teeth cut through mountains and its saliva washed down thunder. And it tasted wonderful.
Different philosophers have dwelt on the notion and existence of the Pastrami and the inevitability of its extinction but I think Noam Chomsky put it best when he said “It was just too tasty to live, son.”
Generations were spent trying to recreate the taste of the Pastrami and whilst what we are left with is a glorious concoction, there will never again be a taste like the Pastramis of yore. So when you lick your lips and savour the taste as the deli sandwich melts away remember that you’re not just easting something delectable. You’re eating a glimpse into a bygone era.
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