Comic Book Overkill

Nerd rant alert...

I have a fear that by the end of this post most of you will be shouting hypocrisy, and more than a few of you will be calling for blood.

Why? well because I'm going to be discussing an issue I have with the veritable pile up of comic book media visiting screens soon. Because that is what the genre is becoming - a pile up - and very soon I fear it is going to be a car crash.

There are just too many superhero related films, TV shows, tie-in merchandise and video games coming out in the near (and worryingly distant future). In this year we will have:

• Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man and Fantastic Four in films, 
• Gotham, Flash, Marvel's Agents of Shield, Marvel's Agent Carter, Arrow and Marvel's Daredevil on TV.
• and relatively less in video games with just Batman: Arkham Knight (although the lack of games is probably due to the shocking history of superhero games.

That is quite a lot hitting our screens, but 2015 is relatively quiet in comparison to the upcoming years. Take just next year for instance. 2016 will feature eight cinematic films and the amount of TV shows is set to increase too. This amount is going to be the standard amount from next year until at least 2020.

Oh, and these only reflect the two major comic book publishers, DC and Marvel's, intellectual property. There are many more lesser known comic book tie-ins coming.

Now I am someone who enjoys comics, so I should love these films right? 

Well yes I do, and you can read my opinion on the latest Avengers here. 

But I can't help feeling that the market is becoming over saturated and the franchises will soon sink. Even I'm getting fed up of seeing superheros plastered on everything, so surely the average non-nerd is too. At the very least people will be getting confused as to whom fights with whom and why certain heroes aren't appearing in certain franchises.

Film fatigued can effect fans and casual watchers alike.

And this fatigue can harm how  the fans feel towards a film. I had this feeling as I went into Avengers: Age of Ultron. The Avengers franchise has the had the threat of the villain Thanos hanging over it since Avengers Assemble, and with every addition the end game has been hinted at more and more. However the payoff for this will not come until Avengers Infinity War Pt. 2, which is scheduled for release in 2019.

Thanos is hardly a threat when he has to sit in that throne for another eight films.

Don't get me wrong I enjoyed Avengers: Age of Ultron, and definitely the Guardians of the Galaxy, but I still went in feeling that it could be nothing more than filler with an end goal far out of sight. You could argue that it is my own fault for reading everything and everything I find, that I have spoilt it for myself. But whether I know about it or not doesn't change the fact that there are so many films coming out.

And for those who are only casual fans the amount of films must be confusing. Without doing the reading that I mentioned above it will be hard to know what films tie into what. This confusion only gets worse when we consider the two Quicksilvers that are hitting the screens. 

If your an avid fan or not it won't be long before people tire of superheroes. At which point this fad will end as it does with all popular culture. The problem is that by over-saturating the screens the studios are bursting the fad sooner, bringing on their own demise. At the rate they are going at now I worry if anyone will be interested by the time that Avengers: Infinity wars pt. 2 releases, let alone the scheduled films for the 2020s.


Comic timeline photo from Outerplaces, Hypocrite meme from quickmeme, Thanos image from Screenrant.

Avengers: Age of Ultron - Film Review

This review is spoiler free.

Next week I am hitting London's MCM Expo. Since Avengers: Ageof Ultron is the big nerd film at the moment I thought I best watch it soon as MCM will hold spoilers.

My lateness in seeing the film was in part because I had grown weary of the film before even seeing it. We have heard so much about where the Marvel cinematic universe (MCU) is going. With releases scheduled right up until 2020 I couldn’t imagine that the story would be that significant. Added to this the trailers had given a lot away for me, as a true nerd, I had over-speculated and deduced the plot from the teasers.

But I have finally seen it, and whilst I had been correct in my predictions, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is the sequel to The Avengers, but technically also a sequel to many other recent Marvel films. Thankfully, you do not need to have seen every addition; nor even have seen the original Avengers. However a basic knowledge of the heroes is helpful.

It's okay, he doesn't start performing a Hamlet monologue.

The film opens with the Avengers creating a new initiative, named Ultron, that hopes to make world peace a reality. However, it doesn’t take long for the Ultron initiative to turn sour. The result is a rather confused sentient AI that believes the key to peace is the extinction of the Avengers, followed by the rest of humanity. The Avengers then have a race against time to save the world and stop the Age of Ultron.

The teaser made it look dark, but it is the usual perfectly balanced between fun and action packed that you would expect from a Marvel film. Even the bleakest situations are met with a quick-fire quip. For instance when Iron Man swears during a firefight Captain America reminds him to watch his ‘language’. This extends to the villain Ultron who appeared to be pompous in the trailer. Instead even he doesn’t stick to a straight script and banters with the best of them. This makes him rather human, despite being an entirely artificial intelligence.

It is a good job that the team have some support in the form of the Maximoff twins Wanda and Pietro, AKA Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. These two new additions are far from normal, and have certain mutations enhancements. Quicksilver is a speedster, and Scarlet Witch is a telepath, has telekinetic abilities, spatial manipulation and, ummm, is ‘weird’ (as described by Maria Hill).

The two new heroes are played by Aaron Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen. I was skeptical at first as the last time I saw this pair was in Godzilla, and you can tell how I felt about that here. But this time around they impressed me, especially Olsen’s weird stutter movements as Scarlet Witch (very Japanese-horror style). Johnson wasn’t bad as a slightly dense, but good natured, Quicksilver. They have a great relationship on-screen and you can really believe that they are brother and sister. Each balancing each other perfectly, in personality and power. However, Johnson's performance as Quicksilver is not a patch on Evan Peters in X Men Days of FuturePast (that comparison is inevitably always going to haunt Avengers Age of Ultron).

I believe the best character was Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. I was one of the few people who actually liked Hawkeye in the original Avengers. Many considered the guy with a bow useless, on a team composed of gods and immortal soldiers. But his archery skills impressed me far more than Thor’s lightening or Captain America’s invincible patriotism. This film really allows Hawkeye to shine. We get to learn much more about the hawk this time, including his personality, now free from mind control, and his sense of humour. Whilst he may be mortal the team needs him as much as any other member. He is a symbol for fighting even when you are mismatched. 


There are also some great performances from Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johanson as Hulk and Black Widow. I had read many articles before seeing the film about the two having great on-screen chemistry. Now I see why, and have to admit that both play the part of good people with a monstrous other side perfectly. Possibly the best will they, won't they since Ross and Rachael on Friends.

Still a better love story than Twilight

Overall, Avengers Age of Ultron doesn't change the superhero formula much. Bad guy vs good guys, but Marvel does it well as allways. Never becoming too heavy or dry, and having enough story to stay fresh throughout. It was well paced too, so beats the original which I felt had too many climactic moments. It is a great blockbuster, although I have to wonder why it was scheduled for spring and not the summer. I hope that Marvel's Antman is befitting of the summer spot.

Lucy Film Review

I wasn't quite sure how to feel whilst watching a Korean man knee-slide down a hallway as he fired a Bazooka: scared, confused, patronised and maybe even a little bit violated. Watching Lucy was a complex experience to say the least.

Note: This review is spoiler-free.

Lucy is a science-fiction action film from the director Luc Besson, best known for the more down-to-earth Taken films (which if anymore sequels are made should probably be known as 'Returned' by about now). It stars Black Widow Scarlett Johansson as the titular Lucy, a woman bestowed with accelerated evolution after her stint as a drug mule goes awry. As the film went on, I wished she had stayed as a drugs mule and not as a symbol for brain power recruitment initiatives.

After viewing a trailer I was interested by the premise. Yes, the overused line of 'humans only use 10% of their brains' was the key theme (which I know is a false fact as we use pretty much 100% of our grey matter), but it looked like a solid action film. Also, one with a strong female lead. Unfortunately, this pseudo-science theme was expelled horrendously and in a way that defied its own logic. I will state that it is fine playing with our concept of science in fiction, but a writer should know their story's science on a level that stays consistent.


The beginning gave me hope; the opening scene where Johansson becomes a drugs mule against her will is intense. It set up a great conflict/revenge plotline. Yet, from this promising idea, I was whisked away to Morgan Freeman delivering a lecture on the possibilities of expanding the human brain capacity. At this point the film took a nose-dive.

The lecture was, in my opinion, a heavy-handed way of explaining the film's premise, and outlined where the story would go. How fortunate to give the audience the different brain capacities one might go through in a particular set of circumstances where their mind evolved (a plant and payoff trope if I have ever seen one). Luckier still that the main character passed through these stages before reaching the theoretical 100%.

Acting wise, I would like to applaud Johansson for her performance in this film. Her character evolves into an emotionless being, and as such Johansson had a difficult task ahead. Playing a character with complex emotions can result in two outcomes: a) the actor/actress takes this as an excuse to phone it in and the complex character becomes monotone, or b) despite playing it in a monotone voice the actor/actress delivers a multi-layered character regardless. Johansson manages point b and Lucy actually becomes a fully-fleshed person despite her bland personality.

On the other hand, I was rather unimpressed with Freeman who seemed to play his usual type of character. He said things slowly whilst sounding sincere, so that everything he said sounded meaningful. Unfortunately for him, what he said wasn't too meaningful. I think it could have been swapped for his narration in March of the Penguins, and his character would have been just as useful. The issue I had with his character was his point within the plot. As Lucy became godlike, I began to question why she would need his help. After all, she had already read all of his research.

The Simpsons can get away with it, because its The Simpsons.
Enough said.

Lastly, Amir Waked delivers a rather out of place character that serves as a perpetually confused witness to Lucy's actions. Once again I don't understand why Lucy needs him, the reason given is a reminder of humanity. But as she is a being above emotion and of heightened brain function, I don't really buy this. Instead, I believe he is the remnants of a romantic side story which was forgotten.

Lucy has a interesting idea for an action film, a traditional approach for a revenge flick, but with a female lead and super powers thrown in. Unfortunately, the film misunderstood its own logic and went over the top. I would say it jumped the shark, but even that wouldn't cover fist-bumping the first monkey to evolve. This monkey is also named Lucy, I see what you did there film!


Film poster from Allocine, Simpsons image from TVTropes.

Merry Christmas 2014

I think it is a tad to late to say it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. To be honest it has started to look this way since late September.

Regardless I have held out from doing a Christmas blog post until this week. A week that began with a new tradition, but will also include all the old ones too. A perfect time to reflect on my own personal festive traditions.

We didn't decorate ours, just placed one in the fireplace.

Firstly, the new tradition that I added to my list this year was the burning of a Yule log. This is a pagan tradition, one which I took part in because of a agreement between Amy and myself. I won't go into detail on this agreement yet, however, I'm sure you will hear more about it in the year ahead.

The burning of the yule log represents the end of the old year and encouraging a prosperous year ahead. It is performed around the Winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year (this year the 21st December). I fear I may have simplified that tradition a bit, but that is how I viewed it.

As I watched the log burn I thought about the year ahead and what I wanted from it. I thought of prosperity, renewal and restoration. I also thought that to achieve these I would need to sacrifice things in return, whether that be through time money or effort. We must always put in something to see a return.

As for returning traditions there are the obvious, like watching The Muppet's Christmas Carol, The Nightmare Before Christmas and perhaps some sitcoms too (or Adventure Time). Also I have already begun the tradition of listening to festive music as I work. Last year I found myself in the bottom floor of my University library, reading legal cases from the eighteenth century to the sound of Wombling Merry Christmas. Not the oddest way a law student has coped with studying the law, believe me.

I have also eaten rather a lot of junk food. My personal favourite so far has been some home-made shortbread.

Part of the food celebration will include the traditional eating of Astronaut ice-cream on Christmas eve (it's a long story).

I spent last Christmas around my brothers Christmas tree,
Pretty isn't it?

Of course soon on Christmas day will be the usual gift-giving and then on Boxing day comes eating left over food and opening a tree present.

This year marks the first that I won't be spending with my family and instead with my girlfriend and her parents. I will be seeing my own family on New Years a nice compromise, that has the side effect of two festive celebrations.

How are you all spending the festive period? Let me know below in the comments.

Yule log image from Kappaphi,

Christmas Tag Time

 It seems blog-tags are coming to me thick and fast, well maybe not actually considering this is only the second on Geek Boy Babbles. For those who are interested the first one can be found here, and was a post all about random facts about myself.

This tag is a bit more seasonally appropriate, considering I am posting this on the 1^st of December, and is all about Christmas. The tag was passed to me by Jenna Louise Lloyd, who got it from Amy (different Amy).

Nothing about this Santa looks right. 

I will be tagging DependantonGadgets, Suzy Marie and Anna Celeste.

1. What is/are your favourite Christmas movie/s?
   Tough one this, despite not being my favourite Christmas films, I guess it would be between The Muppet Christmas Carol and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Due to having to watch both of these films during the season every year. You would think films I have seen at least 15 times would have got old, but I still sing along every year regardless.
2. Do you open your Christmas presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
   Christmas morning of course, what do you think I am? I like to savour the excitement; to the point that one gift, the 'tree present' (a small gift that fits in the tree) doesn't get opened until Boxing Day.
3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
   This may sound sad but not really I'm afraid. Not because I've had a harsh life, but because I enjoy every year as much as possible. Last year was epic as I got to celebrate once with my housemates, once with my family in Norfolk, once with my Grandparents and  once with my family in Dartford. I was all over the place, yet loved every stuffing moment. This year I am off to Amsterdam just before Christmas, in Norfolk for the actual day and then Dartford for New Years. Hectic once again and I can't wait, the best bit, returning to Uni for a Law exam the week semester starts.  A big thanks to the University of Winchester's Law department.
4. Favourite festive food?
   Turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings. Basically the savoury Christmas dinner. Although, as my housemates found out last year, you can't beat Josh Francis' Christmas stew and dumplings.
5. Favourite Christmas gift?
   Hmmm, another hard one. I have had a few that I can name, my GameBoy SP complete with Pokémon Ruby, my various gaming stuff and then there is the annual Space-Man Ice Cream I get every year now... Hint, hint, Dad!
6. Favourite Christmas scent?
   I thought they were all the same; cinnamon, spice, it's all pretty and nice.


7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
   Not as such, perhaps get to sleep early to bring on the fun quicker. Although, I usually stay up to see the night in. Also of course, watching aforementioned films, if I haven't caught up on them by that time already.


8. What tops your tree?
   A snowman made from a toilet-roll tube made by my brother. It is the only thing that looks natural to me. A fairy looks like it is being tortured, I guess a star is nice however.


9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?
   Peace on earth... only kidding, what child wants that? I'm not sure I can ever remember a toy I never got but massively wanted. Perhaps I was a bit spoilt, or that I was so hyper over what I got that I forgot my list afterwards.


10. What’s the best part about Christmas for you?
    This one has been turned upside down somewhat by Amy Brown, but it used to be how different every day felt around Christmas. some days are anticipation, others excitement; then there's tiring, relaxing and eventually somewhat reflective. I love the whirlwind of emotions the season brings. Now since being in a relationship I find the highlight is appreciating all the little twinkles alongside someone else (eugh, so cheesy!).
    
    

Tag I'm It: The Liebster Award

The UK Blog Awards voting opened today and my blog Geek Boy Babbles is entered under two categories: Young Person and Tech blog.
Any and all support for me in the awards is appreciated.
Well this is certainly exciting, my first blog tag on Geek Boy Babbles. I would like to thank Anna Kissed Celeste for this challenge, known as the Liebster Award. The blogger tagged as part of the award must give 11 random facts about themselves, then answer 11 questions put to them by the tagger. After that, the tagged blogger can issue 11 of their own questions to inflict, sorry, pass on to 5-11 other bloggers.
I don’t know what's up with all the 11s; perhaps they’re in season this year.

So, without further ado: 
11 Random Facts 
1. Despite having a deep hatred for football I actually have a working knowledge of the game and the teams. I can even explain to you the offside rule. This is a result of growing up in a family that was more than a little obsessed with the sport. To this day I have a distrust for everything to do with Derby, due to a family-based Nottingham Forest biased.


2. I enjoy making things and I am often crafting something or other. I recently got into Amigurumi (crocheting plush toys), but in the past have constructed props for costumes; such as my keyblade from Kingdom Hearts. Which I vow will someday be used as pert of a Sora cosplay. If you want to check out some of my stuff then check out the Crafty Projects page on this blog.


3. I consider myself as having a semi-eidetic memory (also known as photographic memory) and because of this get compared to the characters Sherlock (from BBC'S Sherlock) and L (from Death Note). Considering both of these characters are rather odd to say the least you would expect me to be insulted, actually I'm rather proud. Why semi-eidetic? well it is contested whether the condition exists. And yes I do use practices such as 'mind palaces', although I think of it more like a memory map or tree.


4. I can sing the whole of the musical episode of Scrubs (My Musical) after I watched obsessively for a few weeks.


5. I am more than a little bit geeky and consider myself to be an emo (although the age of 21 is pushing the boundaries of either). For this reason I coined the term 'gemo' to describe myself.


6. Despite random fact number two I loathe the shop Hobby Craft. The reason for this is the how expensive their prices are and working for the company for little over a year.


7. Apart from Geek Boy Babbles I run another blog: Taken To Tokyo, which is part of my university dissertation. I also used to ran Saxon Daze, where I reviewed sweets and candy. I ended Saxon Daze after a year of blogging, believe me there is only a few ways you can describe chocolate before you get bored of it.


8. I am not your stereotypical student, and since attending the University of Winchester I have actually become healthier. I haven't drunk alcohol since the second semester of my first year (partly down to too many nights of being taken home in the 'safety bus' during semester one) and go to bed usually before eleven. I don't even get to lie in as my body wakes up naturally about seven thirty!


9. Despite being rather nerdy, I loathe computers and their accessories. I can't fathom software or computer programmes and have gone through more than four printers. As a writer I much prefer pen and paper and hate how I have to use Microsoft Word for the majority of my work.


10. I don't consider myself a vegetarian, but I really dislike meat. Nothing to do with my morals I just really hate the texture, the preparation in cooking it and the taste. I much prefer vegetables and meat free products. If I do eat meat it is usually chicken, ham or cod; but they are my limits.


11. To relax whilst studying law I have found myself: reading law upside down, crocheting, baking, listening to The Muppet Movie soundtrack, eating vast amounts of carrots, throwing balled up socks at my friends, doodling, origami, walking after midnight in the rain, watching Youtube and many more things. Basically studying law can be dull, stressful, moral questioning and unpractical; although I enjoy every second of it.

It looks like I've been spotted!

And now to the questions put to me by Anna Kissed Celeste:

1. Have you taken any exciting trips anywhere you can tell us about?
   Easy one to start, eh? This summer my girlfriend Amy and I travelled to Tokyo. It was an amazing trip to a city that made me feel more at home then anywhere I have ever been. I miss it everyday, although this is both helped and hindered by my dissertation; which is a series of travel pieces based upon the trip.


2. Where would you love to visit the most?
   At one time this would have been easy to answer: Tokyo. But since I have been there it would probably now fall to Oslo in Norway. I studied it once and fell in love with its name, the society and Scandinavia in general.


3. What is your favourite social media platform? I will admit to being less than proficient with computers and almost equally as bad at keeping in touch with people. Overall, I find myself most at ease with Twitter (@JoshFrancis93); I hate Facebook with a passion.


4. How long have you been blogging for?
   I have been blogging in some form or another for just under two years now. My current blog Geek Boy Babbles is still pretty new and under half a year old.


5. What can we expect to find in your blog?
On my blog, Geek Boy Babbles, you can expect all kinds of nerdy posts. Mostly reviews or news on the latest books, film and games. But sometimes I post the odd rant or opinion piece too.

6. Can you describe to us a memorable dream you've had?
   I am terrible at remembering my dreams and those I do recall probably shouldn't be mentioned.


7. What is your ideal career path?
   Ideally I would like a career in freelance writing, that is my most grounded aspiration. My dream job would to someday be a stand-up comic, as I love to make people laugh. I believe laughter is one of the most human things to do, especially uncontrollable giggle fits.


8. If you had a talk show, what would you name it?
   I think I would stick with the name of my blog. It really encapsulates what you get with me: a talkative nerdy guy.


9. What is your favourite film of the moment and why?
   I am still in love with Joss Whedon's Serenity, not just because of the film and lets face it space-western is always awesome. But because of the community it created amongst the fans and the way it saw the light of day after the show, Firefly, was cancelled.


10. Can you tell us about an artist who's music meant a lot to you?
    Probably one of the most recent influential artist on me is Mat Devine and the band Kill Hannah. They were introduced to me by my girlfriend before we began dating, and was the soundtrack that built up my courage to ask her out.


11.  It will be my 1st Blogiversary in December, what do you recommend should be done to celebrate?
    A massive cake with your face and HTML tag on it. The live tweet eating it and perhaps even get a twitter party hangout going. Whatever you do congratulations, have fun and keep on being an awesome blogger.

If you want to find out more about the geek behind the babbling check out this post here and my about me page.










My Questions

1. Where do you see your blog in: (a) one year, (b) three years and (c) five years time?


2. Who most influenced you to blog?


3. What are your favourite blog posts to read and write?


4. What is TV show could you watch indefinitely?


5. Do you enjoy gaming? If so what is your best loved game/series?


6. Have you got any crafty hobbies?


7. When did you last just completely fall flat-out asleep?


8. What is the best live event you have been to?


9. Where was your first memorable holiday to?


10. What shop do you always have time to lunch in?


11. How do you connect with your audience?

That marks the end of my tag post. Those I pass this challenge on to shall be notified by Twitter. Good luck to those chosen few.

I would also like to end by saying that Monday 10th November is when the public voting opens on the UK Blog Awards 2014. Geek Boy Babbles has been nominated for Young Person and Technology blog.

A full list of candidates can be found here.

Happy Halloween 2014

Hello All,

This is just a quick blog post to wish you all a Happy Halloween. May your tricks be forgiving, and your waistlines just the same, with the treats you tuck in to.I hope you all survive the night and don't get grabbed by ghouls and goblins, what ever you have planned.

My plans are a bit subdued this year. My friends and I will be carving pumpkins, baking some cookies, watching scary films and then retreating under our blankets; probably all before ten o'clock this evening. Oh the joys of being hardworking third-year students.

Also, a quick mention that this week I have finally gotten around to playing the spook-tacular (sorry) Silent Hill 2, a game which every gamer and horror buffs should experience. I have been rather neglectful, until now, of the long list of games that are must plays. Weirdly, what put me off playing wasn't the horror, as I don't find it that scary. It was the rather archaic controls, but once I gave it time they have grown on me. So, now I can add that badge: 'met Mr Pyramid Head to my gamer belt.

How are you guys spending your Halloweens?
Share with us in the comments below.

I wish my meeting with Pyramid Head was this pleasant.

Happy Halloween banner from PDFfun, Silent Hill image from wall4all.

Gone Girl Book Review

This review will be SPOILER FREE.

The latest blockbuster to hit cinema screens in the UK is Gone Girl, a mystery/thriller based on the popular Gillian Flynn novel. After seeing trailers for the film I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the premise, the fact that it stars Neil Patrick Harris also helped. In line with what people describe as my hipster nature (I swear I’m not), I decided to read the novel before I go and see the film (OK maybe I am a bit of a hipster).

The premise of the novel is:

After five years of marriage (which has become progressively hostile), Nick Dunne comes home to discover his wife, Amy, is missing.  With no clues as to what happened other than a battlefield of a living room and the treasure hunt his wife had prepared for their anniversary. Soon Amy’s disappearance attracts the attention of the media, starting a state-wide manhunt that demands answers from Nick, who soon finds himself the prime suspect. Could the treasure hunt be the key to finding his wife, saving his marriage and himself?

Gone Girl (the novel) takes an interesting narrative viewpoint, the chapters alternate between the present from Nick's point of view and Amy’s diary extracts at key points in their past. In this way the reader gets to know both character's inner thoughts and often hear their opinion in very specific detail. We are inside both of their heads which helps create an intimate connection with them. At first having every opinion expressed made it seem rather slow and too hung up on precise detail. I found the first few chapters a bit of a slog, feeling like it was a little unnecessary to know what Nick thought about crepes. Then something clicked, and turned to the books advantage. I began to feel rather uncomfortable as I read. Seeing reflections of my personal relationships within their own, believe me this made me worry, their lives are not not something you want to replicate. However, this is the power Gone Girl has over its reader. By feeling intimately connected with the characters you gain an understanding of why their lives were doomed when they became entwined. It may be too late to save them (not a spoiler), but not yourself.

I did find some reassurance after I finished, and I realised that the sensation I felt was merely an illusion. I had felt a similar feeling when I read Jon Ronson’s The Psychopath Test. In one chapter Ronson described how a psychopath acts, I found myself thinking:

     ‘Oh god I match this profile!’ 

Thankfully, the passage that followed this stated that a key flaw of a psychopath is that they would never imagine themselves to be one. There is a natural response in humans to see ourselves in everything we read. It’s the same thing that makes hypochondriacs thinking they will soon stop ticking.

Gone Girl evoked a very real sense of fear for me. Not a fear constructed from horror, but a much more chilling one. A fear based in reality, the possibility that our lives are beyond our control. The underlining message of the book concerns manipulation of the people by different sources. Characters in the novel are controlled by the pressures they face, whether that be from loved ones, society or the media. It made me start to question my own life, which created a polar response in my mind. Part of me wanted to throw the book down and shut myself away from questioning my life, whilst half of me was hooked in a morbid fascination and hope I could learn how to overcome any threats to myself. Of course these fears are unfounded, and I soon shed their power over me when I reached the conclusion.

Gillian Flynn’s characters are therefore, warrant of praise; rarely do I read a novel which contains such realistic depictions as those in Gone Girl. Even the characters that only appear on the side-lines of the story are fleshed out in just enough detail. The relationships between them are believable too. Its exploration of marriage, blood ties and friendship is brutally honest and doesn’t pull punches. I saw reflections in many of my family ties whilst reading too.

More praise has to be given to the clever narrative, which as I mentioned lets the reader know the inner-most thoughts of Amy and Nick; despite this, the narrators can  also be very unreliable. We may know what they are thinking, but that doesn’t mean we have the full clarity of their intentions. Throughout the book I wanted to believe that Nick was innocent, yet I was in as much doubt as the characters within the novel. At one point Nick checks an unregistered phone with little reference to why he is carrying one or how long he has had it. By withholding the right amount of information to the reader Flynn kept me guessing all the way through.

My only nit-pick with the book is some of the events that lead up to its final act. A few events felt a bit rushed and inconsequential other than to drive the plot forward. That isn’t to say that they aren’t needed and they do serve a purpose. But, any other manner of events could have been used and they felt a bit unrelated to what had come before.

Gone Girl in my opinion is great and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in crime thrillers and mystery. Having said that, I am not a reader of those genres myself and still I was enthralled. I loved the in-depth discussion the book had about relationships and power plays, which kept me hooked and philosophising throughout.  




Cover image from esquire,

My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki

It isn't often that a book makes me feel physically sick and I still keep reading. Especially if what is making me feel sick is a harsh truth about the way we live. I read books to escape from reality, so why would I continue with one that highlights the worst aspects of society?

My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki showed me uncomfortable truths. The fact that I fought with discomfort to the end demonstrates how compelling the story, or more accurately the characters are. This is the second novel of Ozeki's that I have enjoyed after recently finishing  A Tale for the Time Being; which I read shortly after returning from Tokyo as I pined for the Japanese way of life.

Note: This review contains NO spoilers!

Ozeki was born in America. Her father was American, and her mother was Japanese. This split-cultural background clearly drives her choice of story. Her novels I have read both feature the two cultures coming together. She draws from her own feelings towards heritage to make her characters' behavior believable. One of the characters, Jane, shares the same mixed parentage as Ozeki and I'm sure she has imparted her own personal insecurities. A reoccurring theme within both novels is a struggle to understand yourself and find somewhere that feels like home. Despite my own background being rather straightforward, I share the sense of limbo her characters experience.

Within My Year of Meats, the uncertainty that Ozeki explores is love and integrity. The novel focuses on two very different women; Jane, a documentary filmmaker in America, who struggles with a career that she loves, but one makes her question her beliefs, and Akikko, a Japanese housewife trapped in her marriage.

During the course of making a cookery show, Jane discovers horrible truths about Western food and finds answers to a personal mystery. She battles to show the truth about the meat that the show's producers would rather not be revealed. At the same time, across the globe in Japan another woman, Akikko, watches the show and begins to question her marriage, her society and even her sexuality. Both women become linked by the two sides of the lens and, though their countries are different, the issues they face in life are the same.

The novel interested me on multiple levels. I set out to read it due to my obsession with Japanese culture. Once again, Ozeki doesn't pull punches in her portrayal of Japanese society and this time sheds light on the darker aspects of being a housewife. I genuinely felt trapped like Akikko, as I read her side of the story. Part of this came from my own knowledge of the relationship dynamic in Japan, but it is Ozeki's writing style that brought it into sharp focus.

On another level, the novel revealed more to me about the meat industry. Thankfully I am not a voracious meat-eater anyway; I tend to stick to white meat and fish. My almost vegetarian existence isn't political or down to disgust, simply a matter of taste. But after reading the novel I am glad that I don't like beef anyway. Many parts showing the way in which cattle are bred made me feel ill. I was disgusted at the ways society is desperately trying to feed our escalating population. During these parts it would have been very easy to give up in disgust yet, due to her enticing plot, I read on. It was like coming across a car crash on the motorway: you know you shouldn't want to see it, but curiosity keeps you watching. I am sure that, like me, any reader will come away from reading this with their eyes open.

If I have one criticism of the book it is the ending. Whilst some plot details were wrapped up rather conveniently for my liking, others were left open. Sometimes this isn't a problem and it is rather refreshing when a novel leaves it up to your imagination. However, in this case I felt a little cheated. It really isn't a big point and the rest of the novel far outweighs this gripe.

One aspect I love about the book is how the characters stories are told. The book is split into sections and the point of view switches between the characters. Thankfully, it is clearly shown whose head we are in at all times and it doesn't become confusing. Nor does the switches happen too frequently as to become annoying.

Overall, My Year of Meats is a brilliant read for those who want to dip into another culture. It sheds light on Japanese and American life, as well as death. Along the way it questions relationships, identity, media bias and the food on our plates. I highly recommend both the book and other works by Ruth Ozeki.

Cover image from Madison, beef image from teacher-chef.

#HeforShe: Strong Female Characters

The big news as of posting is Emma Watson's recent speech to the UN as the ambassador for the #HeforShe campaign. I firmly support this movement and hope it can bring about some fresh change.

I have never called myself a feminist, equalitist yes, but not a feminist. In my head a feminist is someone who wants to flip society and give men a piece of their own patronisation. Since SheforHe I have realised this is an outdated view of feminism. The new wave seeks to not only promote woman's rights to be equal to men, but also to allow men to also be free express themselves.

The movement seeks to break down barriers of how society dictates your gender. I would describe it more, but I fear I would do it a disservice. Instead I will incluede a link to Emma Watson's amazing speech below.

My interest of the movement led me to attending the Winchester University Feminist Society. Where during a round of introductions we had to say our favorite female character. This task has created the inspiration for this post of my top females in fiction (in no particular order).

• Morrigan from Dragon Age: Origins
  Morrigan was my first thoughts when I thought of a female character I admire. When faced with her world's saviour how does she react? With mistrust, sarcasm and disinterest of course. Yet, over time as he/she proves themselves she can, depending on your choices, soften to you. She is a powerful sorceress and becomes your most powerful ally. Then I read this article, specifically point 2. I realised that she does in sleep with the hero as a plot device, this caused me to question whether she is that strong. Then I remembered that, after the ending, she scarpers with the baby. She has her own goal and that child has a use to her. Also if your main character is female she doesn't jump in bed with you, instead she encourages you to for the same dubious purposes. The child is significant to her in both cases, clearly it wasn't just to save you. Added to this there are points when she is rather vulnerable and the walls of sarcasm fall. After all, if your mother raised you solely to prolong her
  own life wouldn't you have trust issues?
  


• Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty/KingdomHearts
  I will admit I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty; and I won't be talking about the latest Maleficent film. Not that she isn't strong in it, she is; especially during the film's darker moments. But when the film tries to soften her villainous intent she gets too sentimental. Maleficent in KingdomHearts is the example I want to mention. Here she leads an army of Heartless (evil shadow creatures), is the head of a league of evil characters (which includes male villains like Hook, Oogy Boogy and Hades) and manages to resurrect herself from the dead. Yes she is beaten in the first game, but she comes back stronger than ever in the second. She is still somewhere in the game's universe, plotting her return. Plus, she turns into one badass dragon, which is a pain to defeat.






• Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas
  
  Sally is trapped physically by her creator/dad, Dr. Finklestein, and emotionally, by her unrequited love for Jack. She escapes both of these on her own, and manages to save Jack from Oogy Boogy and himself. She is strong-willed and street smart despite being a typical sheltered child. Her personality isn't rough and ready; instead she is deeply caring and eager to help those around her.


• Alice from Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (the novel)
  I think if I fell down a hole into a world of nonsense I would have no clue on where to go. It wouldn't take long for me to give in and breakdown. Alice doesn't, instead she plays the mad inhabitants at their own game and succeeds multiple times. Add to this that she is still a child and I feel rather ashamed.
  


• Elizabeth from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  Elizabeth, or Lisbeth, is a very complex character. With a troubled childhood and a social disorder, she could easily allow herself to be manipulated by society. But she doesn't, even when government agencies and psychopathic individuals try to stop her she fights back. Usually with her own sense of justice which can be rather brutal. She also isn't afraid to connect ties with her love interest, in doing so she asserts her independence. She is a fascinating character due to her amoral attitude towards everyone and everything. She sees no differences between people and only judges on their actions.
  

Honourable mentions:

• Princess Zelda, specifically in Ocarina of Time (Not just a kidnapped princess in another castle!)
• Female Commander Shephard from Mass Effect (Literally can do anything Male Commander Shephard can do)
• Lana Winters from American Horror Story: Asylum

Before I end I want to make you aware that #HeforShe stresses that they also want to promote male rights as well. The right for men to express themselves freely without being judged. For this reason I will follow up this post with examples of male characters who don't adhere to their gender.

I also throw the gauntlet down to fellow blogger Amy Elize at The Willow Web to give her list.

Link for Emma Watson's UN speech.

But I also want to know what you guys think.
Who are your favourite characters who transcend gender?


Let me know below.

Morrigan image from Dragon Age Wikia, Maleficent image from KingdomHeartsfanon, Sally image from Writeups, Alice image from e-reading, Lisbeth image from minkmagic.

Student Essentials - Wireless Range Extender

I have something to admit, I am one of those people who are more than a little set in their ways. Nothing demonstrates this better than my university housing record. Most students will probably start in halls before floating between landlords for the rest of their degree.

 Not me no, I found a house I liked in my first year and stayed put. I got a little adventurous during my second year. Switching rooms to one upstairs, but now for third year I am happily back in my downstairs cave. I’m happy like this, the room may be small, but its cosy and I have had good times there. Honestly, when the landlords come to get me out they will probably find me growing on the walls; a bit like the cursed crew of the Flying Dutchman from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Except hopefully, I won’t have sold my soul and my skin will have slightly less barnacles growing on it.

To demonstrate my technical know how:
 I have no idea what this is about.

The only real problem with the room is that it is a wireless dead spot. For my first year that wasn’t too bad. Yes, I was cut off from technology when I was at home. But it meant I left the house a lot more, instead of using Facebook to socialise I used my actual face! However, now that I am in my final year the workload makes a good connection a bit essential.

You may think we students spend our whole time slacking off, hell even I think that of certain students. But we do a lot of work and in this age a constant connection is needed for this. I could go back to using the uni’s facilities for work, but this means trekking to campus. This is great on nice days, let’s face it though, I live in Britain and the majority of the days it is going to be cold, wet and I’ll probably be set upon by wolves; seriously, some days you just can’t leave the house for those things.

So this year I took affirmative action, well I bought something shiny, (Firefly reference for the win!) I got myself a wireless extender, luckily Argos were having a sale and I found a few cheap(ish) options. I hammered in the code for the TP Link Wi-Fi extender or TL-WA850RE, but I call it Jeff.

As technology know-how goes I am somewhat limited. Restricted to being able to plug stuff in and pray that it does what the box tells me it will. Luckily this model has an easy set-up, which was: plug it into a spare socket, press a button on the front and on our router and then place it between said router and my room.

The difference was immediate, enough that I constructed a review for it. I can actually now have a signal throughout my cave without having the door open. Better yet, I can stream videos, whole videos, without getting hypnotised by those swirling circles. Just think with that kind of help I may be able to write my dissertation, so long as I don’t watch too many videos.

For a student like myself I have to recommend a Wi-Fi extender like this. It really is an essential for university; make sure you put one on your packing checklist. Also I recommend a packing checklist, but that’s for another post.

I’m not being paid by T.P Link and hopefully prove this by suggesting you buy any model of extender, regardless of brand. But the model I have is great, plus it comes with a three year warranty. This means that when I need a work break I can play keepy-ups with it too.

If you do find areas in your home have issues with dropping Wi-Fi then definitely give one of these a go. They are small, simple to use and usually cheaper than buying another box to re-route the signal. Definitely a student essential.

T.P Link image from PCAdvisor, Info graphic from biztech magazine

Seventh Son

What type of person are you? Let’s do a little test to find out. I want you to imagine that you have just found out a beloved book or series of books is about to be made into a film. Are you type A, who upon hearing this news buries their head into their arms and silently weeps. Type B, who gets super excited exclaiming that you finally get a chance to enter an exciting land. Or are you type C, who reserves judgement until later. Well reader, which are you?

Right now I am quite firmly type A after seeing the second trailer for Seventh Son; the upcoming film 'inspired' by Joseph Delaney's Spook's Apprentice series of books. I put inspired in quotations because after seeing the trailer I can't imagine much inspiration came from the page.

To start with the main character Tom Ward, in the books, is aged twelve in book one. Seventh Son's Tom is played by Ben Barnes, a man aged thirty-three almost three times the age of his character. The same can be said of Tom's love interest Alice, played by Alicia Vikander who is twenty eight. In my mind these casting choices have been made so that the film can target an older age range. An age range that has had enough pandering to, in my opinion. Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent, The Mortal Instruments and The Host, films whose central characters end up in an teenage angst-fuelled romance. Yes, Tom and Alice have a romance in the books, but at their age it's a subtle one that doesn't match the audience the film makers are targeting. That audience is rather removed from the original book's, which targeted children aged between nine and fourteen. I have to wonder why the makers are shifting the focus of the viewers, especially when this shift dramatically alters the story.

I will give them credit in casting Jeff Bridges as the Spook. He's tall, gangly and sports an impressive beard. He is a great choice for the role and matches the image in my head. The costume he has doesn't quite match. It has the appearance of a knight from the crusades but with a gothic twist: too much chain mail for my liking. Delaney's Spooks wear a long black cloak that leaves them rather fragile and their greatest defence is their knowledge of the dark. In my opinion plates of armour offer little protection from the magic of a witch or the mental torment of a boggart.

This brings me to my next gripe with the film. The book series fits comfortably in the horror genre, it even states on the back 'Not to be read after dark'. I remember when I first read the books feeling slightly uneasy at some of the horror found in its pages. An unease that came from a very psychological place as the story took advantages of very subtle, yet powerful fears. One part that was rather effective came early in the first instalment and young Tom Ward's training. He was tasked with spending a night alone in a cellar haunted by a ghost known for killing those who dwelled within. Before the task begins Tom is briefed on the ghost and the cellar's history, then the candles blown out and we are left alone with Tom in that cellar. Soon thumps and groans are heard from its darkest corner and Tom slowly begins to investigate. The tension created from the approach to the pile of sacks is almost unbearable with great detail made about the slow walk. I won't ruin it for you by detailing his grim discovery; you'll have to read for yourself.

I say this because I can't imagine the scene will be brought to the big screen. From the looks of the trailer subtlety flew out the window when the four-armed monster opened the blinds. It looks like horror isn't the genre the film sits in; instead it looks like a fantasy/adventure film. So, not only does the film want to get in with the tween romance trend, but also wants to ride The Hobbit 's tail-coat too. If the directors don't have enough confidence to allow the film to stand on its own merits why should the viewers?

Talking of The Hobbit, I can't help but think that it 'inspired' the setting of the film. The books are firmly set in England, specifically around Lancaster. It anchored the plot and made it more believable, which when dealing with the horror genre is very important. Freud's work The Uncanny tells us that when what we find familiar is altered it becomes unfamiliar and a sense of unease is created. Think about the view you get every time you open your front door, it's an image that I'm sure is pretty strong in your mind. Now I want you to imagine something that doesn't belong there, for instance a sinister clown, it would unsettle you to say the least, am I right? By changing the setting to something that looks a lot like Middle Earth shatters any familiarity and horror it may have. 

With his cloak on the Spook does look right I must admit.

Lastly, perhaps most tragically, the film appears to mess with the rich lore that the series created. In the trailer spooks are described as being 'noble knights'. Anyone who has even read the first chapter will know this isn't true. Spooks are seen as a blight on society, omens of death and misfortune, they are an unfortunate necessity. If one has to call a spook in then one would hope it leaves soon. They are seen as anything but noble. The books also utilize Celtic folklore and contain creatures and myths from the British Isles. I can't imagine much of these are included and indeed the monsters in the trailer look rather CGI and far removed from ancient.

It is a shame the film seems to deviate so much from the source material, especially when other films have shown it can be done, and done successfully. Harry Potter did it right, J.K Rowling kept a firm grasp on the treatment the films delivered and it paid off. The films are a gift to the fans of the book and a joy for them to watch. Twilight does this too, mainly because the makers had true passion for the books. If Twilight can get it right, then surely anything can, am I right?

I found this map which illustrates the books locations.

As you can tell I'm rather disappointed in how Seventh Son is shaping up. I have a feeling that Delaney signed away the rights to the film and ran with the money. Researching this post reminded me of a film adaptation being made of another of my favourite childhood series, Artemis Fowl. I then looked that up and it seems that the film will cover book one and two, this news sent my head right back into my arms, and I'm not coming out.

What do you think about film adaptations of beloved books, or perhaps the other way around? Let me know in the comments section.

Back cover image from Bookcrossing, Cast image from Comingsoon, Map from Larissabookgirl. 

Baked Kit-Kat

In a few short days I travel to Tokyo, I’m excited to say the least. To get myself in the right frame of mind I attended Hyper Japan 2014 (See my Student Wire article). If I’m honest whilst the event seemed to show Japanese culture it had a clear focus on what we expect, such as Kawaii (cute) fashion. I realise it is far from the only thing I will experience whilst I’m in the actual country.

Whilst I was at Hyper Japan, however I did pick up a certain treat I have been hearing a lot about. As some of you may know Kit-Kats are rather popular in Japan, perhaps due to the name being translated as Kitto-Katsu: which roughly translates as certainly win. There is a mountain of weird and wonderful varieties available, such as Green tea, strawberry cheesecake, dark chocolate the list goes on. One of the most popular is baked pudding flavour and often even the dedicated Kit-Kat stores will sell out of them. So I felt pretty certain I had won myself when I found them on sale on a sweet stall.

Now the why out of all the flavours are these so popular? Well, it is because the ‘baked’ part of their name actually describes the preparation not the flavour. That’s right these guys can be cooked. Unfortunately for me the instructions are in Kanji, but after searching for some Youtube videos I know how to cook them. So, after lining a baking tray I was ready to begin baking like Cooking Mama herself.

Ebony and Ivory side by side on my foil-lined baking tray.

When I opened the packet I was hit by a very intense smell of caramel, almost sickly. They are meant to be Crème Brulee flavour so I expected a hint of burnt sugar. I didn’t expect to get a sugar high from the smell alone. I tried one of the fingers, they come in mini-packs of two, uncooked and I wasn’t too impressed. The outside had the appearance of white chocolate, unfortunately not  the taste: it had little flavour and a texture that was rather waxy.

However I persevered and popped the baking tray into the oven, and in the interest of science also included a regular Kit-Kat finger. I put the oven on 180 degrees, but ended up putting it a bit higher. Guides I had read suggested leaving it for four minutes. I wasn’t taking any chances, and on a Saturday night I sat on the kitchen floor eagerly watching the oven.

 

Such an exciting student.

The chocolate started bubbling and after about six minutes the outside started puffing up and turning brown. It had the appearance of puff pastry when I pulled it out. The regular bar just looked a bit burnt, and after a nibble I can confirm it was rather char-grilled. But the baked one was rather different. It had a nice and subtle vanilla aroma and the outside flaked when I picked it off the tray. Taste wise it was Ok, nothing spectacular: Just subtly sweet but not caramel as I had expected. The texture was nice as it fell apart in my mouth.

Neither looked too appealing if I am honest.

 Overall I think the main draw of these is the preparation. Their popularity lies in their novelty and, unfortunately they don’t quite live up to the hype. Unlike some I will not be cancelling my trip to Japan after this disappointment, no instead I will just have to try more flavours once I’m there to make up for it.

What a gamer wants.

Like many gamers, I have an ever-increasing list of announcements that I want (read as need). Surprisingly, none of these is for the elusive Half Life 3; I have yet to complete Half Life 2. Also, I personally think the good people of Valve aren't quite sure what number follows two.

I thought I would post a list about what I want to see in the near future. You may not want another fan-boy wish list, but I'm going to give them to you anyway.

If by the end of this post you find yourself agreeing/disagreeing or discovering your own wishes, then please leave them in the comment section and we can banter about them there.

1. Minecraft for Wii U.                                                                                                          Just think how well the Wii U's tablet controller would lend itself to Minecraft, or for that matter Terraria. No more fiddling in inventory screens, just drag and drop, the thing touchscreens were made for.                                                                                             I'd even take a 3DS port of the pocket edition. Come on people of Nintendo and Mojang, get together; there's money to be made in this one.                                                                                    
2. Japan's Hyrule Warriors limited editions.                                                                            If you don't know about the Hyrule Warriors Treasure Box set then check out this link. I am rather envious of this limited edition, and very tempted to import it. I especially love the scarf and Tri-force alarm clock. Western special sets have yet to be announced, so I'm still holding out for a similar version to reach our shores.                                                                       
   
3. More respect for the Wii U.                                                                                               I won't rant about this one too much, for now. However, I could and have written many posts about the wasted potential of the Wii U. What annoys me isn't just the gamers who don't give it the time it deserves, developers too always seem very reluctant to give it a chance. The most recent example of this is Ubisoft, withholding a Wii U game that is ready to ship (link).                                                                                                                    
4. The end of console exclusives.                                                                                           Surely, I'm not the only one who is sick and tired of being pulled in all directions, just to play games. Why should we have to choose between missing out on exclusives, or spending money on buying multiple consoles? I know that the simple answer is to buy a PC, where the majority of games end up. But, for someone not tech savvy, PC gaming seems like a minefield.                                                                                                                          

   

   It looks cool but,
   can it play Crysis?

5. The cost.                                                                                                                          Number four leads nicely onto this one. It doesn't matter what console you pick, gaming is getting too expensive. Just a few years ago, a new release would cost about £39.99, that would only be a few days before there was some promotion making it affordable. But now, games release at around £45, and seem to hold that value. Games companies wonder why gamers buy pre-owned, it's because they are pricing themselves out of the market.

That's a few wants off my chest. I bet the moment I hit publish I will think of a dozen more.

For now, however I want to hear yours. Share them in the comments. I will reply and discuss them all, no matter how insane.

Rage image from the christian nerd, Tri-force alarm from nerdreactor, PC image from techspot.