District 9 owes plenty to Bad Taste

I admit, I wasn't a fan of District 9 but I have been a fan of the films of Peter Jackson ever since Bad Taste(one of Jackson's first features) was released back in 1987. Forgetting that District 9 was produced by Jackson, I feel it's styling and some of its feel are a homage to the 23 year old comedic sci-fi.

I wouldn't have given life to this way of thinking though, until a recent friends tweet triggered me to reassess why I didn't enjoy District 9 in the way I thought I would. I can remember seeing the trailers and had an impression of a taunt and dramatic sci-fi thriller but the movie, or at least my impression of it , was darkly comic. I didn't connect with the main character, Wikus van de Merwe and found him irritating rather than endearing.

My lasting impression is that I was misled, to a degree, what to expect from District 9 by its trailers. I watched the movie feeling almost cheated and wondering aimlessly if this was honest film making, which I admit is rather harsh. But where Bad Taste showed it's honesty of intention from the outset, District 9 had its potential clouded by some PR smoke and mirrors.

Now that I know what to expect from District 9, a second viewing would be worth taking in to try and get an untainted experience and maybe appreciate other parts of the film that I may have been distracted from.

Can't stop the A-Train

The Boys - The Name Of The Game collects issues #1-6

Kick-Ass - Book One collects issues #1-8(9 with Director's cut issue)

Both Kick-Ass and The Boys have renewed my belief in comic books as a unique medium that can still be a rewarding to read. I picked both up without prior knowledge of what to expect, although I had seen Darick Robertson's artwork in Transmetropolitan, but am so glad I did.

I wouldn't hesitate in recommending both these titles to anyone that has grown tired of the standard fare that has come from Marvel & DC of late. But I'd also feel that these wonderful titles have something to offer anyone that likes their drama mixed with a wicked sense of humour. I laughed at Wee Hughie's predicament within the first few pages of The Boys first chapter, 'The Name of the Game' and I dare you not to find it absurdly funny and a very good hook into the story.

Although both Kick-Ass & The Boys have their own pace and style, they do share a very rare commodity in comic book titles of late - there is a sense of care and warmth shown to the characters in each title and the sense of uncertainty to what will happen next is magnified by the great writing and artwork in each title. There maybe some throw-away deaths or jibs & blunt language but the stories allow the characters a breath of emotion that draws you slowly into their world and understanding of their condition.

I will be reading the second collection of The Boys, 'Get Some' next. I suggest you get reading...

Week 16 in subspace-urbia

What with a PC outage, 6 days in a cellular black spot and looking after a kitten(post-op), my last few weeks have been tough on my gaming time. I have only played We Rule on my iPhone these past few weeks, along with some recent Words with friends. The break from console gaming(and cellular blackout) has allowed me to start and finish a book and catch a so-so movie.

I'm hoping to see the Kick-Ass movie very soon and will aim to post something about the comic book & movie then. What I will say about the graphic novel, that collects the first book, is that it has restored my faith in the comic book as a interesting medium. It has been a very long time since a comic book has drawn me in so quickly, as Kick-Ass did. Even if your not a fan of Mark Millars, I would still suggest you put those doubts aside and pick up the graphic novel - even if it's a borrow.

To my regular readers, a quick apology for the lack of activity here of late. But until I am in receipt of my MacBook Pro, hopefully later this week or early next, I have very little access to a stable platform to blog from. Normal service will resume, soon enough.

PC closure

Back in December last year, I jettisoned my Blackberry mobile phone for an IPhone(my first ever Apple product). In very different circumstances, I now have a window(sorry couldn't resist) of opportunity to move away from PCs and buy my second Apple product, a Macbook Pro.

My primaries for choosing a Mac aren't based in the need to have a gaming machine. I want a break from PC and Microsoft based OS, need portability and from what I have read and seen, the Macbook Pro will suit my needs.

That's not to say that gaming on a Mac is totally out of the question as there maybe a few titles that come out on PC/Mac only format that I may like to try...maybe even the odd MMO...

*Youtube video note: This is not I but gives you an idea of possible gaming on a Macbook Pro, even if this is running on Vista OS

Narrative is not a dirty word

Give me a good story, well told, and you'll hook me each and every time. Give me all this but add the illusion that I can change the outcome of that story, and I'll show you an excellent videogame experience.

Sure, if I was to raise the debate over whether videogames are just an excercise in button-pushing reactions and can't be classed as narrative, in the classic sense - then I'd be sure to be stirring up a hornet's nest of opinions. I know my view on what videogames could and can be and also what 9 out of 10 times they are, so let's not go there. I also know that gamers want the thrill of action and multiplayer over most other things in a new videogame title release. And that's fine, as there's a place for everything and variety in videogaming is always needed.

My personal hopes are that developers in the future don't neglect the balance of a well crafted story that dances side by side with action and adventure. With any luck, developers will listen to the likes of videogame design consultants like N'Gai Croal.

N'Gai made an insightful reference to the opening sequence to Bioshock 2(see EDGE issue 213 pg 156), wishing that the three minute cutscene was longer but also, that it were interactive. This example of possible gameplay would motivate the player to see out the full extent of a storyline, and their effect on it, rather than rushing on through, to blaze-a-trail onto the next combatic encounter. This was put into practice in Mass Effect 2, with cutscenes that allowed Shepherd to perform an action while an NPC was in dialogue mode. But I would like it to be put into far greater effect by developers and would mean that they wouldn't feel the need to rush a story or time limit a cutscene for fear of player boredom.

I, like N'Gai, maybe in a minority of gamers that want better involving storylines in our videogame titles, rather than a multiplayer element or destructible environments in the next Call of Duty clone. But I hope developers feel that there's much to be rewarded in developing new and better ways to tell and share a story with current and future gamers.