CAUTION: Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised. Look what I found in the loft! Old school goodness on cassette tape!
Jet Set Windu is a computer game originally written for the ZX Spectrum home computer, and subsequentally ported onto the Amstrad and Commmodore computer systems. It was published in 1985 by UDC Digital, under license from LucasFilm Ltd, and used a modified Jet Set Willy game engine. The game is almost identical in concept and execution to Jet Set Willy, but it set in the Star Wars universe, utilizing characters and scenarios from the films.
And a closer look at that cover...
I know what I'm playing for the Winter months...
And because I love you all so much, here are the individual characters...
Update: Fixed the resolution issues on No Place Like Homestead. The old one's here.
Many thanks to Arantor for reminding me that people will notice ;)
DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organizations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Although the trailer makes it look a little whacky, most of the performances in Brett Ratner's Tower Heist are fairly understated. Sure, Eddie Murphy does his wide-eyed-shrieky thing a bit, and it's hard not to be a little slapstick when you've got a Ferarri winched over the edge of a skyscraper while the Thanksgiving Day parade trundles beneath unaware, but considering the film is constantly amusing, it's got a muted tension to it.
I daresay some of that's down to the subject matter in the current financial climate, and each member of he audience wondering what they'd do if a rogue investor swindled them out of every penny they've saved. And to his credit, Alan Alda doesn't pantomime his villain up at all; he's slimy, sure, but only in the way you see regularly on news and current affairs programmes.
Hark at me, making this all serious!Tower Heist is a very entertaining film. It's fast-paced to start with, and then slows to a more manageable level, but it doesn't fail to engage at all. A borderline-farcical crescendo gives way to a satisfying ending without being too clichéd. Ben Stiller reins in his comic-exasperation, while Matthew Broderick and Téa Leoni quite happily take a back seat to Stiller and Murphy's antagonistic double-act.
It's better than I was expecting it to be. All in all, worth a gander.
Try not to think too hard about the maximum weight capacity of your average elevator, and you'll be fine.
DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organizations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
In Time is the third cinema-film I've seen this year that stars JustinTimberlake. That statistic would be worrying if it wasn't also the fifth that's starred Olivia Wilde…
A futuristic action-thriller where time is the currency of mankind, and Will Salas (Timberlake) is living day-to-day in the ghetto where most people wake up without enough on the clock to see them 'til the evening. Basic commodities cost precious minutes and life is a balancing act for those struggling through it. On the other side of this, and several time-zones away, society's elite have more time than they could ever want, and live in opulent disregard for the unfortunates. Crime is rife in the ghetto, but through a chance encounter with a philanthropist, Salas is set on a course to try and seize justice, and time, for all…
The Good: Timberlake's on fairly good form here, as is Olivia Wilde. The script, plot and pacing are all clear enough. Despite it seeming like an outlandish concept, it works quite well in context. None of the characters are completely believable, but given the scenario of the film, they're not going to be. Generally speaking, it's respectable performances all round.
The Bad:Yeah, it's a pretty heavy-handed metaphor for capitalism, and feels a little overdone in the first half-hour or so. I expected it to get quite preachy in the final act, about 'not wasting the time you have', but surprisingly they've eased off on that. As a result, though, the ending seems a little limp; and things more or less slot into place for the characters, one way or another, and it all seems a little easy. Another downside is that in this undisclosed future-Earth (set at least 100 years after our time, but probably more), humans are genetically modified to stop ageing at 25 when their 'clock' kicks in and they have to buy time to survive. So, you just cast a bunch of 25yr olds, right? Well, for the most part it works fairly well, but it doesn't explain how Timekeeper Leon (Cillian Murphy) looks about 40 (especially as Murphy's actually 35). On the flip side of this, when you have Vincent Kartheiser playing a 25yr old-looking man who's aged over 100, and he puts on the pomp and concern that befits his character, it feels a little like a sci-fi Bugsy Malone. It's not a biggie, but it doesn't quite add up. And lastly (I promise), there's a partially-revealed backstory about Will's father, that concerns Leon. Some details are discussed and more are hinted at, but we never get a complete picture. Cut for time?
The Ugly: Alex Pettyfer, trying to channel his best 'Ray Winstone' as a ruthless but well-spoken ghetto gangster. Sadly, he has neither the presence or the gravitas to do this. Frankly, it's a bit embarrassing.
All-in-All: Despite my moaning, there, it's very enjoyable. Although I feel they could have done more with it, given an extra half an hour and a more adventurous plot.
See if you liked:The Adjustment Bureau, Source Code.
DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Hmm. I can't really objectively review a film I've loved for the last 22 years (even though this was the first time I'd seen it in a cinema (even though I've been regularly watching it live for the last 15 years)).
Our nearest Cineworld screened this for Hallowe'en, so obviously Mrs Blackout and myself went along (it being our anniversary an'all). A sizeable chunk of the almost-sold-out crowd were dressed in character (not me; not my style, I'm afraid). Curiously, of the half-an-auditorium that stood up to do the timewarp, only about half of those actually knew the steps (which is an achievement when it's a song that describes the moves itself). There was also some hesitant audience participation in the form of the accepted heckling*1, but I think the night's crowd were more used to seeing the live-production where a lot more people are joining in, and it's more... well, interactive*2.
Hmm. I've made that sound a bit crap. It really wasn't. If you like tacky b-movies and musicals, Rocky Horror is an astounding movie, and a great time was had by all.
Look, it's not really that easy to explain. On several occasions, my BFF has asked me to explain what the fuss is about, and I can't really do it. The only way to know if you'll like The Rocky Horror Show is to watch it. It's sort of kill-or-cure; I don't know anyone who's ambivalent towards it.
A solid 6 because I love it to bits.
*1 I don't know how else to describe it. It's what the audience shout at the stage during the live productions. It's evolved over the years and is accepted/expected by the performers.
*2 You haven't enjoyed the theatre until you've seen David Bedella walk to the front of the stage and silently mouth 'SHUT THE FUCK UP!' to an audience member who was getting a little out of hand, even for a RH audience member.
DISCLAIMERS: • ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organizations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
