The Winchester Tavern

Film Review - The Science of Sleep

2008-09-09T17:35:00.004+01:00

For many people their first encounter with writer-director Michel Gondry’s seemingly endless, if rather odd, imagination was the widely acclaimed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It illustrated perfectly the way he enjoyed exploring the inner workings of the human mind and soul with his wacky, zany storytelling and seemingly normal yet deeply creative and troubled characters. It sparked people’s imaginations becoming a huge success and claiming fans from far and wide (myself included). Anticipation was therefore high for Gondry’s next film, especially when it was discovered that he had parted ways with Eternal Sunshine’s co-writer Charlie Kaufman. This effectively meant that for the next project, The Science of Sleep, he would be unhinged and free to let the creative juices flow unabated, whether any audience could take it or not.

We follow Gael García Bernal, a young artist, as he arrives in Paris eager to start a new job after the death of his father. His mother has made all of the arrangements but unfortunately working at a pornographic calendar makers is not exactly what the ambitious young man had in mind. It soon becomes clear that he needs a more creative outlet, which he finds, at least in part, in his new next door neighbour Charlotte Gainsbourg who becomes swept up in his hyperactive, childish and sometimes unpredictable fantasies. Bernal is often completely overwhelmed by the outside world and so uses his extensive imagination as a form of wild escapism to shield himself from the events around him. Buoyed on by Gainsbourg seeming acceptance of these erratic flights of fancy Bernal starts to delve ever deeper into his mind and begins to shun the mundane world. With his soul mate by his side Bernal’s desperately tries to hang on to his hopes and dreams, but it is those dreams and ideas, the things that brought them together in the first place, that may ultimately drives them apart.

In many ways The Science of Sleep is the true sequel to Eternal Sunshine simply because it follows the same mind-bending artist style that made the other film so unique. If anything this is even more out-there than Eternal Sunshine, which in itself is quite an achievement. The dream sequences are brilliantly realised and actually benefit from the films low budget. This is, after all, an indie film so cash doesn’t exactly grow on trees. The stop motion animation and creative use of ordinary everyday objects, such as cling film or stuffed animals, fits perfectly into the sometimes chaotic thoughts of Bernal’s character who is normally the centre of attention (it is his imagination after all), with the others providing support. These events are always wildly over-the-top but rarely feel out of place or heavy handed. The “real world” settings are normally just as interesting as well, mainly due to the colourful collection of characters that inhabit it. Obviously, this is most evident when Bernal and Gainsbourg are on screen, particularly in one or other of their apartments because of all of the random junk, which often provides the inspiration for the dreams, but the supporting cast do a valiant job, especially Guy (Alain Chabat) who acts as the blunt (and often obscene) voice of reason.

Ultimately, the Science of Sleep is a glimpse into the mind of a true artistic free-spirit. It is about the dividing line between whimsy and childish immaturity, and shows that from time to time we can all become too wrapped up in our own little world. Bernal finds this out the hard way as his idealistic fantasies get in the way of his work and relationships with his friends and family, making him indecisive, irresponsible and more than a little creepy. What we end up with is a wonderful portrayal of how a balance must be reached in order to grow up; to still have hopes and dreams yet not be dominated by them. There really is a lot to like about this film and if you’re imagination is even half as active as Bernal’s then you will be able to empathise with his situation completely.

Score -

EA causes choas in £20,000 fuel giveaway!

2008-09-05T22:40:00.004+01:00

Massive traffic jams were seen outside Last Stop garage in Finsbury Park, North London this morning. The reason? No not the everyday hustle-and-bustle of England’s vibrant capital. Electronic Arts were promoting Mercenaries 2: World in Flames by giving away £20,000 worth of free petrol. Seriously, I’m not yanking your chain here. Take a look for yourselves.

Unsurprising the locals were not best pleased with this and started complaining to anyone who would listen. Even the political got in on the act.

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, said: "Whilst a lucky few might have got free petrol, hundreds of residents have faced misery".

While the Liberal Democrat said: "Trying to recreate Venezuelan-style fuel riots on the streets of London is completely irresponsible and downright dangerous.”

Oh those crazy politicians and their relentless logic!

The thing that strikes me most about this story is EA’s audacity to pull something like this off. Basically crippling a busy at of London just to promote a game that is expected to sell very well is totally insane! But you know what, I tip my hat to you EA. You guys sure do have some guts, that’s for sure. And, by the sound of it, it worked like a charm. Many people in line to get their free fuel were saying that they were going to get Merc 2 as soon as it came out. Now that’s what I can marketing!

Kudos, EA, kudos, you crazy bastards you!

'Ghostbusters 3' Announced! Who You Gonna Call?

2008-09-05T10:40:00.003+01:00

1980's film squeals seem to be on the rise again. With the leaked news of Lethal Weapon 5 a little while ago it was inevitable that something else would follow suit soon. And so it is as Columbia Pictures has just announced the third film in the Ghostbusters franchise, nearly twenty years after the often scorned sequel.

Whether this announcement fills you with joy or a deep creeping horror it's undeniable that this has been on the cards for a while. Like the long fabled video game (which, by the sounds of it, is also finally being made) rumours and speculation surrounding Ghostbusters 3 have been flouting around for quite a few years.

For all of the doubters out there in cyber-space there are a few things to take comfort in. Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, the writers and producers of the Office (American version), have been recruited to write the script. That sounds promising at least. The biggest and most exciting news however is that there are plans to reunite the original cast of Ernie Hudson, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd and, hopefully, Bill Murray. In a way, that's a no-brainer as a film without those guys would be pretty pointless. It sounds like there are doubts over Murray but if presented with a decent script and, let’s face it, a big enough cheque then I'm sure he'll be on-board too.

There are certainly reasons to be positive if everything comes together but until the cast and story are confirmed and with so much left unsaid we really need to reserve judgement. I'm optimistic but I've been burned before so curious is essential.

For the full story check out Empire!

Game Review - The World Ends With You (DS)

2008-09-03T16:32:00.022+01:00

If you’ve played RPG’s for any length of time you are sure to know who Square Enix are. Think Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy and you’ll have a pretty good idea of their basic gaming formula and style: lush fantasy worlds, massive swords, crazy looking characters (chocobo’s optional), and so on. In one sense, Square Enix are quite stuck in their ways. They experiment occasionally, throw in a new feature or two, put a bit of shine on a few things, but in the end they rarely stray from their traditional format. But why not? They are, after all, extremely good at what they do and their stuff sells like hot cakes. Why change a good thing? It might be surprising to hear then that, although they continue to churn out a huge amount of the older style stuff, they are also not afraid to shake things up a bit from time to time and try something new.

The World Ends With You is definitely not the Square Enix norm. There are no enchanted forests, magic wielding sorcerers and cuddly Moogle’s here; instead the setting is modern day Tokyo’s Shibuya district, Japan’s fashion and youth-culture centre. You follow the story of Neku Sakabara, a graffiti loving 15 year old loner, as he is thrust kicking and screaming into the Reapers Game, a twisted week long battle for his very existence. Before too long Neku finds himself faced with strange monsters called Noise, all baying for his blood, in an alternate version of Shibuya where the general public don’t seem to be aware of his tricky predicament. Thankfully help is at hand when another “player” named Shiki, a cheerful yet mysterious girl, turns up to form a pact with our hero which will allow both of them to defend themselves. This “defence” takes the form of pins that grant the user special abilities, such as lighting Noise on fire or catching them in a tornado, each very destructive and satisfying in their own way. Along the way Neku reluctantly teams up with other players who not only help him to fight off the various enemies but also show him that not everyone is out to get him and that he doesn’t have to spend the rest of his life allow. Needless to say, Neku finds the whole thing rather bewildering.

The first thing that really strikes you from the very moment the game starts is the look and feel of the world. It’s simply gorgeous! The colourful anime graphics really lends itself well to the stylish and fashion obsessed setting of Shibuya’s shopping districts giving the whole place a unique and absorbing atmosphere. The same thing applies to the battle scenes which are extremely engaging and exciting. With all of the lights and bodies of vanquished Noise flying across the screen it never feels dull, but it can, at times, get a bit too much. There’s just so much to take in, it can result in major sensory overload (which is actually quite exhilarating in a way). The characters too are also a product of this style and, like most Square Enix creations, are pretty wacky and over-the-top (Square hasn’t completely abandoned its roots). It’s all amazing though and is a real treat for the senses.

The other aspect that is immediately apparent is the gameplay. Unlike most DS games TWEWY is almost completely stylus controlled, with minimal input needed with the D-pad. You control everything from movement, battles and the menu screen from here without the need (or even the option as far as I can tell) of using the arrows. Stuff like that has been done before but the big difference here is that it actually works. One of the real triumphs with this game is the way that it so effortlessly works with the technology that makes the DS such a unique console in the first place. It feels natural, quick and intuitive, as well as a being an almost criminal amount of fun. A quick word of warning though: the learning curve surrounding the battle system is pretty steep, because although the D-pad is not used much in the conventional sense it does have a purpose. During battle, when Neku is partnered with Shiki, you must control them both individually (Shiki on the top screen and Neku on the bottom). This in effect meaning you are fighting two battles at once, which at first is pretty daunting and will take a lot of getting used to. Persistence reaps rewards however and with a little practice you realise the genius behind it. Like so many things in this game it feels unique and perfectly balanced between difficultly and awesomeness. Even if you don’t like it though, fear not! If you are finding it difficult to comprehend following two screens at once (which is completely understandable) you can let the AI take over Shiki so you focus on kicking the snot out of the Noise with Neku. It really is very adaptable.

All of this technique wizardry would be meaningless without a decent story however but, once again, TWEWY delivers in spades. Don’t let the anime graphics fool you; this is no childish Saturday morning cartoon. The story is wonderfully compelling with enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end. There are several scenes where everything seems to be resolved and sorted only to be catapulted into a totally different direction in the blink of an eye. It really is edge of your seat stuff. The character development is skilfully handled as well with some genuinely heartfelt and hard-hitting moments. Neku’s journey from angsty, sullen teen to a caring and functioning member of society is wonderfully portrayed and the plots surrounding the co-stars, such as Shiki, are no less rewarding. That sort of emotional clout isn’t particularly common in the gaming world, especially on the DS, but having them here is fantastic and it’s those moments really drive this game along. It really is the cherry on this delicious and fattening cake!

The World Ends With You is flawlessly presented and just oozes style and cool from start to finish. Its innovative handling sets a new benchmark for RPG’s and shows that new and unique features can still be added to keep the genre fresh. This is not just the best DS games I’ve played this year but one of the best games of any kind to be released over recent months. A true Square Enix classic and a must have for any DS owner!

Score -

A New Direction!

2008-08-25T09:56:00.017+01:00

Now that I’m back from Sweden it’s high time I started updating the ol’ blog again. ^^ I was hoping to post some stuff while I was out there but finding any sort of connection was a nightmare. No idea why but there you go.

While I was away though I started thinking about what to do with this blog. Originally I started it just to see what blogger was like. Simple as that. I’ve been using LiveJournal for my personal blog for quite some time now so there isn’t a real need to have a second one if all I’m going to do is repeat myself.

So what to do with this one? Well, I decided that, instead of just shutting it down (that’s would be a colossal waste of time!) I thought I’d steer it in another direction. I’ve always loved writing reviews of films and games and the like so having a free blog space to use seemed like a good opportunity to really indulge that interest.

So welcome, one and all, to The Winchester Tavern! Before we begin I’d just like to put this site into some kind of context. I won’t be competing with the large sites, such as Empire, IMDb or Filmspotting (each of which I highly recommend!). They are dedicated businesses with full time staff to keep track of what going on and write cutting-edge reviews. A single student with a limited budget, such as myself, has little chance of keeping up with that. That may seem a bit defeatist of me but I’m simply being realistic. I’m starting this because I love doing it. Films, games and books have always fascinated me and actually looking at them critically is a huge amount of fun. In essence, that’s what this site is all about; one film lover passing on his thoughts and opinions to others. As much as I hope people will enjoy this page writing columns here will also give me a chance to enhance my writing skills and help develop ideas, so even if no one turns up some good will come out of it at least. ^^

Anyway, I’ve got a few reviews in mind so hopefully I should have those up before too long. They’ll most likely be for things that have already been out for a while (sorry about that) but I hope you enjoy them none the less.

Wish me luck!

And a blog is born!

2008-07-01T11:17:00.000+01:00

Hi guys!

Well here we go: a new blog on Blogger. Sweet! ^^ You may know that I've actually been doing this for quite a while on LiveJournal, and have always had a great time doing so, but Blogger has always looked great so I decided to give it a try. Fear not though, I'm not abandoning my LJ blog. This is really just an expansion and an experiment. Blogger seems to have a lot of really nice features so I'm just curious so see what's on offer. I may well end up use both pages so we'll just have to see waht happens. :)

I'll start posting some stuff soon but for now I think I just need to start looking around this site and see what it has to offer. It's always fun coming onto a new site. ^^

Catch you all later!
Tom