Far Cry 4

Charging into an enemy base astride an elephant, firing your gun left, right and centre before leaping off, stabbing someone in the neck and claiming it for the Golden Path, the freedom/terrorist movement (depending on where you stand) that you are a part of. There is no denying that moments like this in Far Cry 4 make you feel awesome and that’s not even a campaign mission or the only way you could go about it. Want to sit on the hill opposite and snipe, never even being spotted by those in the base. You can do it. Want to float in on a hang glider raining grenades from above. Yup, they’ve got it. Far Cry 4’s greatest strength comes in moments like this.

Continue reading “Far Cry 4” →

25/02/2015 3

Trash

There’s a lazy habit in the film industry of boiling things down to an elevator pitch and then sticking with that description. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Trash has become widely known as a Brazilian, Slumdog Millionaire. Directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Richard Curtis, the film has star power behind the scenes, but then chose to follow the City of God model by taking its lead actors from the streets of Brazil, rather than the glamour of Hollywood.

Continue reading “Trash” →

18/02/2015 0

Big Hero 6

Following up a hit like Frozen was never going to be easy for Disney. Their animated wing has hit a run of form with Tangled, Wreck it Ralph and everyone’s favourite snowy adventure, so the choice to adapt an obscure Marvel property for their latest animated film, might have seemed bold. Of course, that was before adapting obscure Marvel properties became all the vogue and in a post Guardians of the Galaxy world, it’s become clear that it doesn’t matter how many people have read it, the Marvel Disney combo sells.

Continue reading “Big Hero 6” →

17/02/2015 1

Adrenaline Mob – Dearly Departed

Adrenaline Mob came into everyone’s consciousness when they became one of the many bands Mike Portnoy threw himself into after he left Dream Theater. Joined by Russell Allen (Symphony X), Mike Orlando and the likes of Rich Ward, they looked like a pretty cool supergroup. However, slowly members have left. Portnoy realised he didn’t have enough time to be in 100 bands. Ward’s focus has narrowed in on Fozzy and the band has morphed into his current line up, which features Allen, Orlando, A.J. Pero (Twisted Sister) and Erik Leonhardt. The changes led to second album Men Of Honor which it has to be said was met with a resounding meh. So are Adrenaline Mob a band that we should be wasting out time on in 2015.

Continue reading “Adrenaline Mob – Dearly Departed” →

16/02/2015 0

The Interview

It is fair to say that The Interview has caused a bit of a fuss. However, hacking scandal and threats of violence aside, there is still a film at the centre of all of that and it has finally seen a release in UK cinemas. The second film to come from the combination of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the first being This is the End, The Interview once again sees Rogen teaming up with James Franco to try to deliver comic success.

Continue reading “The Interview” →

13/02/2015 0

Shaun the Sheep Movie

Most studios would be horrified at the idea of an animator filming three seconds of footage a day and it being seen as a good thing. Then again, most studios aren’t Aardman Animations. The studio who are most famous for Wallace and Gromit and uses stop motion clay animation, have long been famous for their incredible attention to detail and wonderfully crafted movies. Yet, even for them their adaptation of Shaun the Sheep felt like a stretch. Based off a show that airs on CBBC and generally runs for around seven minutes, it is the story of Shaun and the farm he lives on. The added hitch in big screen plans, is its complete lack of dialogue.

Continue reading “Shaun the Sheep Movie” →

11/02/2015 2

Everything is Awesome

Music is a funny old business. Heavy metal is a genre that sits outside the mainstream and 99% of the time, relishes in that fact. We embrace our difference and we love it. That is until something like the Grammy Awards comes along and gets metal horribly wrong. They don’t get us, so they just go with the safest option, this year that was Tenacious D, and hand them a trophy, before ushering the whole thing off stage and breathing a sigh of relief. Should we care? No, of course not. Do we care? Well sadly, a glance around the internet suggests some of us do.

Continue reading “Everything is Awesome” →

10/02/2015 0

Inherent Vice

If you’ve ever sat in a smoky room, squinting at a TV screen through the fog of whatever is being inhaled around you and struggled to make out exactly what is going on, then you are probably prepared for the experience of watching Inherent Vice. The latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson, sees the Hollywood auteur try to adapt the famously incomprehensible novel of Thomas Pynchon.

Continue reading “Inherent Vice” →

09/02/2015 1

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Matthew Vaughn made his name directing the stylish and ultra violent Kick Ass. An adaptation of a Mark Millar comic, which took a very different look at super heroes. It was successful enough that he bagged himself an X-Men film. However, with Kingsman: The Secret Service, it appears Vaughn is going back to the w, as it’s another Millar adaptation, but this time see’s him dealing with gentlemen spies.

Continue reading “Kingsman: The Secret Service” →

05/02/2015 0

Live Review: Mariachi El Bronx w/ Pounded By The Surf

Usually when The Bronx come to town, they leave a trail of destruction in their wake. Upturned tables and a crowd with a look that sits somewhere between confusion and ecstasy are their stock in trade. However, every now and then they leave that insanity behind. They don the Mariachi gear and choose instead to serenade us, with tales of love, life and all those other lovely things.

Continue reading “Live Review: Mariachi El Bronx w/ Pounded By The Surf” →

04/02/2015 0