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Paul's Top Guardians of the Galaxy

27/12/2014

 
For many movie goers this year one film stood head and shoulders above the rest, Guardians of the Galaxy was a fun filled roller coaster of an experience with a great deal of charm and more laugh out loud moments then the majority of comedies out there.

Below though is my list of my favourite characters in order starting with....
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Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy..L to R: Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Drax The Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel)..Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel 2014

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Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy..Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista)..Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel 2014

5. Drax

Although played wonderfully well by Dave Bautista, the literal destroyer felt somewhat underused in this first outing. 
When called upon his timing seemed spot on and there is no doubting he brings a physical presence to the team but I really wish he had more screen time to flex his muscles.

Gamora

Although Zoe Saldana played the beautiful assassin brilliantly I had issues with the choreography of her fight scenes. They felt a little sped up at times, this could be just because it is very hard to portray a enhanced killer. Unfortunately these did bug me but her acting was great and so she steals ahead of Drax by a nose.
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Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy..Gamora (Zoe Saldana)..Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel 2014
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Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy..Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt)..Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel 2014

Star-Lord

Chris Pratt did such a great job in portraying Peter Quill that he is now seemingly influencing the comic portrayal of Star Lord. This is obviously a lot to do with the writers/ Wardrobe designers/directors and many more people but the way Pratt sells the character was the icing on the cake. Unfortunately for him he came up against two of the best digitised characters in movie history and so places third.

Rocket

Before watching the film I was sure Rocket would be number 1 on the list. The trailer which showed him all guns blazing in the Kyln, along with what I had heard of Bradley Cooper's voice made me fall in love with the wise cracking Raccoon.
In the end though he was beaten by the better man/tree.
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Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy..Rocket Racoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper)..Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel 2014
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Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy..Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel)..Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel 2014

Groot


I AM GROOT


For more of my top lists of 2014 click here
& for the rest of the teams musings click here

The PWR list

1/11/2014

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PWR stands for Play, Watch, Read and if you look above you can see they are our three main sections on the site. Obviously with the wide scope of the site sometimes the things I am enjoying can be lost. 

The reason for these articles is to highlight some of these in order to let you in some of the treasures I have been consuming.

There will be times I point you towards reviews on the site from other writers. I may agree with the assessment but also I may have different views which I will put forward here.

For now though look out for the PWR list
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Why a Ms. Marvel TV show is something that needs to happen.

19/10/2014

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By Paul Fiander
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Cover Artist: Sara Pichelli
Marvel have a host of TV shows in the works but most of these are aimed at a older audience this is balanced with the Disney XD cartons that are able to appeal to the younger watcher (as well as the young at heart). There does however seem an opportunity for a TV show based around Kamala Khan. For those not in the know she is a teenage girl from Brooklyn with a love of all things superheroic and even likes to write fan fiction, she is also Marvel’s first Muslim character to headline their own book. This mix would seemingly make her an appealing character to a teenage market who are beginning to find their own way in the world, her difficulties are exaggerated but ultimately relatable.

Now thanks to Disney’s acquisition of Marvel there is even a perfect channel format for the show to go out on. The Disney channel is well known for its live shows and a teenage superhero should be able to fit in nicely with their programming. Using Kamala this way instead of keeping her for the movies would hopefully give those too young to see the movies something of their own to follow. It would feel like a stronger message if the show is based within the teenager’s life with the adults being the outsiders a reverse of the usual roles within adult focused movies.

From a business standpoint the introduction of a character to an underrepresented teenage market would hopefully widen the appeal of Marvel and open up the opportunity to bring new readers in. At the same time it will also show the diversity of comics and hopefully give the medium a much needed shot in the arm.

Opinions above are my own and may not represent the views of the site as a whole.

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Random Chat; Game of Thrones Season 4 Episode 4; Oathkeeper

28/4/2014

 
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I'm both a book and TV show fan, I have read the books all to date and so am coming to the table with some foreknowledge. However the wonder of the show is not just that they are not just retelling the book instead they are putting their own stamp on events. As such watching the show has actually spoiled the book in certain plot lines. I will try my hardest not to spoil any future events but as far as I'm concerned events in this and past episodes are fair game. 

Is this the day the show spoilt the book?

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The ending of tonight's episode caused more than a few raised eyebrows among book readers. The taking of the Babies by the White Walkers has been established but what is done with them has never been revealed in the books.
This is mainly due to the way A Song of Ice and Fire is crafted, the story is told from a POV perspective meaning some of the story is told off page. With no witnesses to the Walkers actions we never knew until tonight what happens to the children who are taken.
Although this may may seem like a small point this change cements certain aspects of the coming story while breaking others. 
For me there is now a divide between the Show and the Book, they are both headed for the same destination but look like they will taking different paths to get there. This is the genius of the show and I'm very happy to be going along for the ride.

It takes two to parley.

Grey Worm opens up tonight's episode in his bid to learn the common tongue with the help of the translator Missandei. Their relationship seems to be growing but to what end? It is however his entry into Meereen that really puts the captain of the Unsullied into the spotlight. His infiltration into the city is the spark for a slave revolt and in typical fashion a very quick siege is ended off screen. We are spared the brutality of the revolt but we do get to see justice being paid on the masters by Daenerys. I can see a problem for the Mother of Dragons as she is beginning to put her desire for justice in-front of her humanity. To be a leader you need to know when to fight and when to make peace. So far Dany has not yet reached this point but something tells me though that an awakening can not be far away.
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This episode seems full of two on two confrontations firstly we get to see Jamie continuing his training with Bronn. The Sell Sword is clearly the better fighter and now takes to teaching the Lord Commander about the way things in King Landing stand. This leads to a meeting with Tyrion that has the two brothers playing a small bit of verbal tennis in the name of bonding. Tyrion as always has the better of the encounter and this leads to Jamie seemingly questioning his brother's position.
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The next meeting between Sansa and Little finger is perhaps one of the most revealing conversations in the whole of the Game of Thrones lore. It is however also one of the most infuriating. Together with Margaery's chat with the lady Olena the audience is spoon fed the way the Purple wedding played out. It is one thing to treat the audience with contempt but both Sansa and Margarey are shown to be pretty naive and this makes them both appear weaker. However of the two the Lady of High Garden has the most to lose, she has shown herself to be a great player in the Game of Thrones but comes off as something of a naive girl on the realisation that the Queen of Thorns was in fact Joffreys killer.

Later in the episode though she takes the lead from her Grandmother and seduces the young King Tommen. It may seem a little creepy with the older lady seducing a young boy but it works. You can see form the young man's face he is enthralled with the beauty that is within his grasp. It seems that everyone is desperate to win the King to their side, all except Cersei. With the death of Joffrey all she seems concerned with is taking revenge on her younger brother. The trouble is once she comes round to he senses she may find that the Game has moved on and left her behind.  

The North will rise again.

In a series filled with disturbing images tonight was the first time that I actually felt really moved by a scene. Watching a newborn baby left in the snow naked except for a fur was harrowing television. I'm not sure if it was because I knew what was coming or because it was a defenceless child left in the wild to freeze.
The leaving of the baby is just one of the vile acts of the mutineers at Crastor's keep, from rape to torture it seems once a villain always a villain. But is justice coming in the form of a party from the wall headed by Snow?
Jon though has a problem that he does not yet understand in the form of Locke. A soldier of the Bolton's he has been tasked with disposing of Lord Snow and now he seems to have the perfect opportunity to fulfil his duty.
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The ranging to Crastor's has also taken on another twist with the arrival of Brann and his party. Could the Stark boys meet up? This is another move away from the book and I think it will hopefully be a good move however the way this season has gone so far I will take nothing for granted.

In this episode more than any other we have seen that the show will not worry about keeping book continuity Game of Thrones is a separate beast to A Song of Ice and Fire. I just hope that readers and watchers can respect each others mediums.

Knowing the way the game is played I'm pretty sure they will.

Episode watched via Sky Atlantic on the evening of the 14th of April 2014

Images courtesy of BSkyB

Random Chat; Game of Thrones Season 4 Episode 2; The Lion and The Rose

14/4/2014

 
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I'm both a book and TV show fan, I have read the books all to date and so am coming to the table with some foreknowledge. However the wonder of the show is not just that they are not just retelling the book instead they are putting their own stamp on events. As such watching the show has actually spoiled the book in certain plot lines. I will try my hardest not to spoil any future events but as far as I'm concerned events in this and past episodes are fair game. 

Has the way TV seasons are now scheduled just been changed forever?

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With the eating of a pie and drinking of wine the end of a king has occurred. On watching last week’s episode I had a sneaky suspicion the Purple Wedding was going to unfold in this week’s episode and to say it rewrites what can we expect from a television series is something on an understatement. A death of this magnitude has usually been kept to the end of the season. Both Rob and Ned Stark died in episode 8 of the third and first seasons respectively. The fact this is the second episode shows that not only is no one safe but predicting the way a series will unfold is also no longer as easy as it has been previously. Even though I pretty much knew it was coming the tension that grew throughout the episode was almost maddening as we travelled around the whole of Westeros. However at no point did I feel the story drag, this must go down as one of the best if not the best second episode of a season I have ever seen and to find out why continue reading below.

A look at the Episode.

Our Episode begins not in the majesty of Kings landing instead we find ourselves in a wood following some hunting hounds. This is by no means unusual for the kingdom as hunting game is a natural way to gather food, but when are things in Westeros ever simple. Our next batch of images show a girl running and then we get to see Ramsey Snow (Bolton) on the chase with his hunting partners Miranda (pictured to the right) and Reek. This is a stark reminder of the way the Bolton’s value human life but what do you expect from a house who displays a flayed man on their banner. Throughout this episode the theme of respectful treatment of humans comes up time and again. Admittedly Ramsey takes this to a whole different level firstly with the killing of the girl and then with his display with Reek. In previous season people have questioned why we needed to see the torture and psychological breakdown of Theon tonight gave us the answer. The shaving scene was a great performance by both actors and now we know that where once there was Theon we now have Reek.

Continuing the disregard for human life we find Melisandre offering human sacrifices to the God of Light. Stannis seems to be going along with his wife’s new found deity, however the rightful king of Westeros seems ill at ease. This may be as he has just watched his brother in law sacrificed or the loss of the war but it may just be something closer to home. His protection of his daughter Shireen is noble to say the least but from her verbal parley with the Red Woman he may need to work even harder to protect the young princess especially with Melisandre telling her that is only one hell and we are living into it. It’s a powerful statement tells you a lot about the motivations for the followers of light.
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The episode though is not all about the negative. The way Jamie has been treated so far has been pretty awful and it takes Tyrion to show that human kindness still exists. His meal with Jamie is a tender point in the episode and shows how jointly protective the brothers are over each other. When Tyrion offers a sparring partner it comes from the desire to help his brother. His teacher is none other than Bronn and the brief sparring session we get to see is intriguing to say the least. As we know the sellsword is an accomplished fighter and even from the outset he is teaching Jamie to fight instead of fence. 

Unfortunately later in the episode Tyrion really is singled out for some terrible treatment from his nephew. Has there ever been a more deplorable character in TV and literature thAn Joffrey Baratheon? The jumped up spawn of an incestuous relationship has shown he is both evil and a coward throughout the previous three seasons. This is continued in tonight’s episode as he uses his new Valyrian steel blade to decimate the wedding gift Tyrion gives him. Joffrey’s torture of his uncle continues during the wedding and is crowned by a Mammas show featuring a troupe of dwarves. It’s a slap in the face that Tyrion fights with words and has seemingly won until he is crowned himself with a cup of wine. The revulsion in the faces of not only Margaery (Pictured left) but a great deal of the major players in Westeros is something to savour. It not only marks the hatred for the king but also the suspects for his death. 
Now though his brief reign of tyranny has come to an impromptu end. His passing however was as undignified as the rest of his time on earth, his death from poison was not a noble death (if there is such a thing) instead he suffered to the end and bled from his nose pointing to uncle until his last breath. Tyrion is the obvious culprit but would a man of his intelligence really make so great a mistake. Admittedly his torture was extreme but the murder of his nephew does not seem in his character. Cersei though is already convinced and we get to see Tyrion being taken away by guards just as Sansa is being taken away by Sir Duntos to an unknown destination.

Even though the Death of Joffrey is the crowning moment of the episode the battles that take place during the wedding really set this episode apart. The wonder of the books has always been the political interplay and although it is rather rammed down our throats in this episode we get a great glimpse of it here. These are headlined by Olena Tyrell the Queen of thorns and Prince Oberyn who between them take the Lannister’s down a peg or two even before the Kings passing. The verbal parlays are numerous and I have already enjoyed a second watch of the wedding (thanks to SkyGO) 

We do get to check in with Bran Stark on his journey through the North and realisation of his considerable power. This is essential to the further development of his story and he is moving along at a fair pace.
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We do get to check in with Bran Stark on his journey through the North and realisation of his considerable power. This is essential to the further development of his story and he is moving along at a fair pace. 

This episode though is a celebration of the death of the king and although he was loathed he made a stand against all that is good and just in the world and for that we salute at Backwards Compatible salute him.

This is an episode that shows why a shortened season with higher production values is one thing but good writing can be as equally dramatic as advance CGI. I hope TV producers realise this especially the Gmae of Thrones producers......

Knowing the way the game is played I'm pretty sure they will.

Episode watched via Sky Atlantic on the evening of the 14th of April 2014

Images courtesy of BSkyB

Back Catalogue; A look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9

31/3/2014

 
Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 or 8. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun of course from this point I will also add from Dark Horse Comics as well.. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

At the culmination of Season 8 some odd things were afoot in the Buffyverse, thanks to the destruction of the “Seed of Wonder” magic has now been removed from the world. As usual though things are not that simple as beings infused with magic still retain their powers. This means while Buffy remains the Slayer, Willow is now completely lacking of power. This change in the world resets what we know and helps Season 9 to remove some of the larger plots that weighed down Season 8. The back to basics principle serves Buffy very well and some of the stories in this run are much more human in tone. This is led by an abortion storyline that really shook up the media and readers alike, Whedon’s lack of fear in diving into an extremely sensitive area is one of the highlights in the lore of Buffy.
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Image courtesy of Dark Horse
Of course Buffy is still able to handle herself when it comes to dispatching the undead, she does however have a new breed of enemy. Namely Zompires, these new breed of vamps are brought about by the removal of magic from the world. They are a new threat to the world, due to their lack of restraint they are a huge threat to the general population as well as the Slayer. It’s great to see a new enemy to face and the way their formation is brought about shows how well the overall plot is crafted. 

Buffy seems to be mostly just trying to survive for the majority of the stories whether that be in battles with the undead or just trying to keep to a semi normal life. With this regard she really needs the help of her friends but due to deaths and falling outs the Scooby Gang is not as large as it once was.  We do get friends new and old within the season, their interactions with Buffy lead us to a new battle which takes up the largest section of the end of the season. That is not before Buffy has to deal with the realities of being a former student as her loan is due. However the collector is not a normal collection agent as he introduces himself with the phrase 
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Buffy Summers, it is time for you to pay....
Much like the previous season this one has multiple arcs and one shot’s that together form the narrative at large. We do get multiple writers throughout the season and all bring their own subtle influences on to the world. This is coupled with more than a few pencillers; the art does feel pretty high throughout the run and some of the covers like the one above by Jo Chen are really something.

The new status quo is set by the end of the season and we can look forward to the continuing Buffyverse growing along these new lines. If we take Season 8 as a bit of a learning curve then this ninth season is the proof that the lesson has been learnt. It felt that bringing Buffy back to more realistic stories (realistic is taken with a pinch of salt), made the narrative have more impact. Season 10 is perfectly set up with more than a few twists in the tail form the ninth, we also have a side running storyline in Angel and Faith add these two together and what you get is a whole heap of Whedonverse goodnes

You can find our review of Buffy Season 10 #1 here

Back Catalogue; A look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer Series 7

28/3/2014

 
Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

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Image courtesy of Dark Horse
The start of the seventh season sees our team split more than usual, Willow and Giles are visiting a coven in Devon with the hope of restoring our red haired witch back to her old self. As for the rest of the Scooby gang they have either passed on, returned to their former selves or are just going about their normal lives.
This series though is building to something pretty epic the end of series 6 showed that Buffy is not the only all powerful woman in Sunnydale. Driven by hate and grief Willow became the most dangerous witch in the world. However it was perhaps the least powerful member of the Scoobes that saved the day, Xander has been pretty much an ever present throughout the Buffy run. His brand of wit has always been there but it was his tenderness that really won the day.

For the start of the season though we are reintroduced to Sunnydale high and by an odd twist of fate the place where Buffy will end up working. Coupled with this is the deluge of characters who return in this season. The whole season has a reunion feel but thankfully Its handled well. We also have a draft of new recruits to the Buffy Bootcamp but as somethings changes, others will always stay the same
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Buffy: Talisman must've been destroyed.
Dawn: How'd you know it was a talisman?
Buffy: There's always a talisman.
We do get an action ramp up with a new breed of enemy to face, its good to see Buffy being in danger and having to rely on her friends. Again it points back to the strength of the gang and the way they all support each other, it has been one of the best things about Buffy in its entirety and in this seventh series we really get to the know the value of a collective.

Ultimately though Buffy is the key to victory and watching her grow as a character over the seven seasons was one of the best televisual experiences in my life. Thankfully watching Buffy back now the show pretty much holds up. The CGI may be a little dated but this show was more than about the way it looked. Its odd to think that over a decade later there has not been a show quite like this. The strong female lead is something we should not need to talk about but far to often girls/women are not portrayed as the carriers of shows. Buffy was a trend setting show but unfortunately TV failed to hang on to the coat tails of the phenomenon. 

The end of Buffy was a fitting end, the final season had a lot of depth and some great performances It was a fitting end but like we have seen in the past just because something ends does not mean its finished.

Back Catalogue; A look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer Series 6

28/3/2014

 
Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

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Image Courtesy of Dark Horse
Series 5 had a Life and Death theme running through it, we had the introduction of Dawn and the death of Mrs Summers but perhaps the biggest loss was of Buffy herself. Season 6 though is more about a different theme that of coping. From destructive relationship to recovering from perhaps the most scary experience of any persons life (waking up in a buried coffin) the Scooby Gang are put through the mill
The opening of Series 6 though sees an increasingly powerful Willow try to resurrect Buffy, the spell initially seemed to fail but after a while we see Buffy come back. The opening is a double episode and in it Buffy finally ask what we have all been thinking about Sunnydale;
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Buffy : Is this hell?
The return of Buffy brings back a number of deeper questions about the afterlife. For a show based around the idea of resurrection  this is not a new theme but the last time Buffy came back it was only after a few minutes now though it has been a lot longer. Buffy's loss of herself takes her down roads we would never expect, mostly based a mutually abusive relationship with another recurring character. It is a very clever conceit that eventually will cause a huge amount of turmoil for Buffy but that is not a new concept in Sunnydale.
In terms of emotional impact this series is filled with great moments the stories also see to get back to Buffy at her best. This is exemplified by one of the best episodes in Buffy history, its called Once More, With Feeling and is almost the exact opposite of Hush from season 4. Here we have Sunnydale being overrun with singing and dancing which on the face of it sounds nicer than the usual evilness that goes on in this town but what would Buffy be without a twist.

The ending of this season is especially strong as it has been building for through pretty much every episode, the intertwined story strands end up with an amazing finale where we have friends doing battle and this time the world is in danger. The biggest surprise though is the hero of the piece, the last stand is melodramatic with a great side dish of humour not to mention a big dollop of violence. 

The scene is set for Season 7..

Back Catalogue; A look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer Series 5

26/3/2014

 
Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3 or 4 It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

The Season 4 finale was perhaps my least favourite episode. It felt like a mid season show and did not have the draw of previous end of series hootenanny's. Of course not every show can be a blockbuster but for a show to bring back watchers it needs either a grandstand finish or lots of goodwill. Thankfully Buffy was a strong enough show that many did come back but they were presented with he ultimate Vampire cliché Dracula. It has all the hallmarks of a weak episode with everyone falling for his spell. Well everyone but our newly house trained vampire Spike
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Riley: What can you tell me about Dracula?

Spike: Dracula? Poncy bugger owes me £11 for one thing.
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Image courtesy of Dark Horse Comics
Of course it would not be Buffy if the usual pattern followed but truthfully this episode does improve but just like the season as a whole its ups are high and up and downs are pretty low. For that its probably the weakest season, there are some interesting new happenings in Sunnydale but they do not really make the season a must watch. Obviously though for completeness the pay off for the season comes in the future especially thanks to Dawn. 

We also have a new bad in Harmony, she may seem cute and fuzzy but ultimately this is one vampiress not to be messed with. Sorry I tried but Harmony is a comedic villain and not in keeping with the usual tone of bad.

In Buffy's real life she has a multitude of things taking up her time from college life to a spot of big sistering. However the biggest change really comes via Willow with her powers growing her Witch like capabilities are proving her to be a formidable force. She is still as out there as ever and her light hearted brand of humour is generally a welcome addition especially when compared to Xander's more in your face brand of wit. Of course the powers are not the only change to the flame haired sorceress she also has a new partner in Tara.

The addition of a lesbian character was one of the biggest gambles of the whole Buffy show, it shouldn't have been but even in this day and age it still raises eyebrows when a gay character appears on TV. Thankfully Tara's and Willow's relationship is tender and avoids obvious tropes.
This season will be most remembered for two of the most impactful deaths in TV history. But more of that later.

Back Catalogue; A look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer Series 4

22/3/2014

 
Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2 or 3. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.
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The wonder of television dictates that when your student body reach the age of moving to college that a town can miraculously spawn and support a university. It’s a trait that Buffy holds true to and the elevation of the Scooby from high school seniors to university freshman is filled with the usual level of paranormal mischief. Not that the whole team have managed to get to the halls of higher education,  either by not meeting the grade in education terms or even in not quite surviving the horrors of the Hellmouth.

The finale of Season 3 saw a double episode called not surprisingly graduation, the episode saw Buffy kill her first human as she decided to put Angels life over that of Faith. It was a moment filled with relevance and unlike when vamps are killed there was no dust cloud just blood. It was a poignant moment in the series and the fact it was all done in vein gave the story an extra level of drama. Of course in the end Buffy destroyed the Mayor and Sunnydale survived to continue being literally the gateway to hell.

So the move to college obviously allows for new characters and even more importantly new and even more imaginative enemies. This is highlighted best in the Hush episode. It’s a tale literally from the storybooks as a host of fairy-tale creatures steal the voices of the residents of Sunnydale. The whole episode is made even more theatrical by a little girl singing a rather spooky Rhyme which goes;
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Can't even shout, can't even cry
The gentlemen are coming by 
Looking in windows, knocking on doors 
They need to take seven and they might take yours 
Can't call to mom, Can't say a word 
You're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard.
The episode is probably the high point of the series and is one of favourite 45 minutes of television. Oddly the lack of voice just makes the whole situation feel creepier. Even though Buffy is a show about Vampires I never once felt scared but this is the episode that comes closest to elevating Buffy to a true horror event. It’s also compounded as there is still noise emanating from the rest of the world and environment. The lack of vocalisations does have on benefit for Buffy in terms of a new friend, or maybe this someone can be a little more than that.

On the positive side (maybe) there is an anti-vampire group on campus, the question is are their motives in line with Buffy’s sensibilities. Obviously as the show goes on you get to find out more about the world of the University of California Sunnydale and there are the usual missteps by the Scooby Gang along the way. Especially from Buffy as she finds that her early days on campus are filled with difficulty both in classes and on her nightly adventures. 

Back Catalogue; A look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer Series 3

22/3/2014

 
Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

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Image courtesy of Dark Horse
This Season starts with a hoot and an odd way of slaying vampires, gone is our queen of slaying and instead the Scooby Gang is trying to replace her. This mostly comes about due the fact that the relationships that were being formed in the last season are pretty much broken. Admittedly death caused a fair few relationship breakdowns but so did the truth. Finally Buffy’s mum found out why her daughter keeps on getting into trouble and she did not take it too well. This and the fact that Buffy had to rip out part of her heart (not literally) meant that the opening finds our heroine a little lost, so much so she is no longer in Sunnydale hence the gang needing to go it alone.

We do start seeing other changes like the first appearance of “previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and an upgrade in the visual quality of the filming. Obviously this has a lot to do with technology but the quality is very noticeable between the end of the last series and beginning of season 3. Although the quality remains the changes that the season began with will ebb and flow as the season goes on. We also get the best new character (in my opinion) entering the Buffyverse in the form of a new slayer with the name of Faith. Her entry is interesting and her time spent in Sunnydale is eventful to say the least.

We do get a great moment of slayerhood between Buffy and Faith that shows the sometimes quirky comedy moments the show is built on. 
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Buffy: Maybe I should introduce you again. Faith, this is Giles.
Faith: I've seen him. If I'da known they came that young and cute, I would've requested a transfer.
Buffy: Raise your hand if eww.
The season schedule was always intertwined with Buffy’s school years, it makes the whole aging process of the actors work and it also moves the story along. Of course she was expelled in the last season but some things do not last forever in the Buffyverse. There is a period mid season where this could not be truer thanks to Cordie and a mischievous demon. It gives the townspeople a chance to see what would happen if the Buffy we know and love never existed, it’s a chance to see alternate reality storytelling and is pretty well done albeit with an expected outcome although there are one or two twists along the way.

As this is senior year the obvious conclusion of the season would be graduation, however would it be a Buffy season without a sting in the tail.  

Back Catalogue; A look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer Series 2

21/3/2014

 
Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.
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Image courtesy of Dark Horse
A new school year and some problems have gone and some new ones are just beginning for Buffy. She is no longer the new girl on campus but those pesky Vampires are still an ever present threat and they even have a new friend for Buffy to play with in the form of Spike. The blonde haired slayer slayer comes in and takes charge of the job of removing the thorn in the side of evil that is Buffy. He is very resourceful and dedicated as he goes through the entire series finding new and inventive ways to achieve his goal. You get kind of a sense Wyle.E.Coyote vibe with Spike just in a more sinister way.

Perhaps the biggest change we get in this season though is Buffy herself. In the first season the fight choreography wasn’t very fluid. There were constant pauses in the middle of combat however from the first episode of this series we get to see an altogether stronger and more able Buffy. This was more than likely due to extra combat training for Sarah Michelle Geller in the off season but it did bring a whole new level of authenticity to the show. For an action show the violence needs to be created within reason but if it is too slow it would become boring to watch. Thankfully the combat is great to watch and continues on from this point.



However mostly I would say the theme of Season 2 is relationships, whether they be existing or new the ties that bind can sometimes be inescapable. Perhaps the oddest coupling is our bookworm librarian Giles with the Techno pagan Miss Calander (who returns from the first series). Their match of new and old information is vital in helping Buffy understand the world around her but the opposite attract factor is played for laughs at every opportunity. Their relationship is also responsible for the best rugby related lines in television as Giles remarks;
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I just think it's rather odd that a nation that prides itself on its virility should feel compelled to strap on forty pounds of protective gear just in order to play rugby.
Buffy has an unexpected new relationship to deal with in the form of Kendra a new slayer; she was activated (so to speak) after the events of the season 1 finale. It’s a great conceit and her introduction again shows Whedon and the creative team have a flare for the dramatic.

Overall the second season of Buffy is a step up from the first. We have more action and character development as well as a growing cast. The wonder of the cast growth is that we get to lose characters along the way meaning no one is safe not even the slayer herself if the finale of season 1 is anything to go by.

Back Catalogue; A look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer Series 1

19/3/2014

 
Being the new kid in school can always be difficult, however when your school is located at Hellmouth then things may get a little messy. This is where we meet Buffy Summers our reluctant heroine, although she already knows her role as the slayer it does take a little time for her to warm up to the name.
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Image courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
Although when the series launched it was a new TV show, Buffy had already had an outing at the movies. However the tone of the series was similar but with a new cast the question was always going to be can the TV show endure?

Obviously in hindsight this seems like a daft question but a new show being headed by a young relatively unknown actress was always going to be a risk. Add to that the mix of horror, action and teen life and you could be facing disaster. From the first episode I was hooked I was always a vampire fan and this show was bringing a dark side to TV. The fact that Sarah Michelle Geller was an extremely charismatic lead (not to mention I had a huge crush on her) helped the show gain an audience, but it is the shows creativity that kept the audience tuning in. From the very opening of the first episode you are expected to believe in the normal format of a vampire attacking a damsel in distress, but this is expertly flipped around and so Buffy was born.

The first Season starts with a double header and has a twelve episode run; the first episodes are a particular highlight. Instead of rushing our introduction the story plays out over the two episodes, this allows the viewer time to adjust to the world and really starts Buffy off on a strong footing.


In these opening episodes we are also able to meet the Scooby gang as they are affectionately titled (by Xander). Although Buffy is a great central character the team around her are every bit as important in the shows narrative. The rag tag collection of a geeky girl (willow), a Librarian (Giles), a wise cracking want to be cool guy (Xander) and the dark and mysterious Angel. Each has their place of importance to the collective and will be the main stay of this series and some of what follows.

Although Buffy is called a Vampire Slayer she does have the ability to slay pretty much any evil creature and in this first season she will have to face monsters and witches and of course our fang touting bad guys. My personal favourite battle is from the episode entitled the Puppet show, I’ll not spoil the plot for you but the title should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

We do have a big bad in this series called the Master and as the name suggests he is the leader of the Vampires and although not in every episode he and his minions are always lurking. The Final episode is pretty epic and we really get see our lead performing at her best.

Ultimately Buffy was a great piece of pop culture. Watching the series again now, it still holds up even though the visuals are a little shaky. We will be taking a look at each season over the next few weeks but for now I’ll leave you with one of the most iconic quotes form the show from Giles
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In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.

Random Chat; Why the opening 4 Minutes 11 seconds of The Walking Dead was a true game changer in TV.

22/2/2014

 
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The best way to start to a TV show is something that will stick in the mind, this is something The Walking Dead did and it still amazes me that the creators of the show had the bottle to pull it off. The opening revolves around the two characters you can see below. One is Rick Grimes (played by Andrew Lincoln) the other is (or was) a little Girl.    

The opening actually starts off in a very quiet manner. You view a quiet country road with a car coming towards the camera. Then it becomes apparent to see that something is amiss, there are glimpses of cars turned over and damaged in what can only be described as a chaotic event. The whole scene is tense and this is added to by the lack of speech and background music. You do get the odd chirp of a bird and scenery related sound as Rick picks his way through the carnage to a petrol station and then we hear it.
A slow moving shuffle of what we assume is shoes. Rick picks up on the sound at the same time as we do and investigates. Then he spots a little girl in a dressing gown and fluffy slippers he calls then and says the immortal line “don’t be afraid”….

If you have got this far and not seen the scene you will be spoiled for ever more if you continue.

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Image courtesy of AMC,
Description:The Walking Dead, Season 1
Characters/Actors:Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Greg Nicotero
Photo Credit: Scott Garfield/AMC
At this point the girl turns and we get to see fear in the eyes Rick instead. His realisation that this young child is a zombie seems to affect him and that’s why I love this scene. The realisation that he is going to have to take on this girl seemingly hit him in hard in the few seconds of calm he has before she starts moving towards him. 

The creators of the show could have gone any way they wanted to with the zombie a man, a woman or a boy but a little blonde girl seemed to me a statement of intent. It meant no one is safe. How often have we seen children get shot on television in a brutal fashion? I’m not sure I have ever seen such a brutal execution of a child in any form of visual entertainment ever. The sound of the gun shot echoes in the surrounding environment and the bullet hit is shown in slow motion along with the blood splatter. As the body falls you finally get a brief soundtrack and the title scene kicks in. This is a bar setting scene if there ever was one.

Admittedly the girl is a zombie but the feeling of revulsion still remains as we are yet to find out what it means in this universe to be a zombie. She was a young girl and our feelings about child killers is something ingrained in to most people from a young age. I’m not sure however though if anyone would blame Rick for his choice as it was more about survival then about violence towards a child. For the life of me I can not even think about how many zombies I have seen killed in this show but this is the kill that I remember (and one other from Season 2). Maybe it's because I'm a father? or it could be the first kill always sticks with you? but I can not remember the death of an extra that has been so strong in any other show.

The whole opening was perfectly pitched and made more of an impact on me then any other TV show or version of The Walking Dead. The stellar opening means the rest of The Walking Dead has a lot to live up to. The question is can it? We will endeavour to find out as our shuffle around Kirkman's universe continues.

Random Chat; The Walking Dead, a poster child for Trans Media Entertainment.

6/2/2014

 
Whether your passion is Gaming, TV or Comics or a combination of these you can have helped but hear the name The Walking Dead. Robert Kirkman's along with Tony Moore (who was the original artist but he was replaced by Charlie Adlard at the 7th issue) creation has gone from strength to strength since initial comic release in 2003. Spawning books a TV show and now a hugely successful game franchise (along with a not so successful game but lets keep quiet about Survival Instinct).
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I'm a fan of the three areas mostly thanks to the way they interweave with each other. Each can be appreciated on its own merits but as a whole they give a great insight into the post Zombie Apocalypse world. The varied characters are multi dimensional each with their own back story  and inner demons. This helps the narrative to flow and make something interesting come out of nearly every issue or episode. 

This kind of media is growing and thanks to the efforts of Telltale, Skybound (along with Image) and AMC it looks like the Walking Dead is destined to grow even stronger as time goes on.

We have a cunning plan in how we want to cover this type of media which we will be sharing more of in the coming weeks. So for now I leave you with this common question; who actually cuts the grass? 
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Random Chat; Game of Thrones Season 4 trailer

13/1/2014

 
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This weekend saw the release of the eagerly anticipated (at least since it was teased earlier this week) trailer for the fourth season of HBO's Game of Thrones series.
As with the series as a whole the production values are first rate and the glimpses we get of the CG from a Giant to the shadow of a Dragon show that the scope of this series looks to be the best yet.
As the series goes I'll be talking about each episode here on Random Chat as well as creating some posts for the series that have already been released. These will contain moderate spoilers. However when it comes to my crazy ideas I will label spoilers and make it a chore to find them to stop people inadvertently ruining the show.
So sit back and watch and ill produce a bit of ramble under the video.
In terms of the battle Westeros of the four kings that posed a challenge for the crown after Robert Baratheon's death only a defeated Stannis and the Boy King Joffrey remain. However the unknown threat across the sea in the Mother of Dragons Daenerys Targaryen could still prove to be a thorn in the Kings side. For now though she is far across the narrow sea and no real threat.
This does leave an opening for a antagonist and this is looking to be filled by Oberyn Martell the Red Viper of Dorne. If the writers are able to capture the swagger of the Viper from his book depiction then we are in for a treat.
Speaking of swagger Jamie's return to Kings Landing was shown in more than scene and his reconnection with his sister and the rest of the family already looks to be causing issues. This is especially noticeable in the brief scene he has with Joffrey where they are discussing war. Jamie is an interesting character and one I'm sure I will visit a number of times as I go through my Game of Thrones musings.
As for the rest of the cast we saw a few glimpses of the Stark Children, Yara Greyjoy and the Hound among others but the closing line and seemingly most poignant quote comes from Melisandre "There's only one Hell...the one we live in now.
It looks like Winter is Coming and so is Season 4.

Random Chat; They may LOVEFILM but I miss game rentals, or do I?

12/1/2014

 
A few years ago my wife in her infinite wisdom (have to write that in-case she reads this) got me a Lovefilm subscription as a Birthday gift. The package allowed for two disc rentals at a time but unlimited rentals through the month. The kicker was it could be games or films. This was astounding at the time, I had a solid game collection but thanks to the wonder of the rental service, my postman and a very sneaky way of manipulating the system I was able to get a plethora of games as day one rentals. I was also able to rent older games that I had missed out on. This second point is less of an issue with the monthly delights of PS+ and the (hopefully) soon to be released PlayStation now. (for two opposing views on this new service you can read Matt's article here and Jon's here)
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So the big question is why did a seemingly successful business model finish. The answer to this in my opinion is more than likely streaming. The LoveFilm streaming service has a major competitor in NetFlix and the fight for the best content means extra capital was needed to secure some key deals. The capture of Disney titles on LoveFilm is probably the key reason we now subscribe to the streaming service (the pleasures of a three year old son) as well as the Vikings one of my favourite new shows. Unless Netflix pull a rabbit out of the hat and capture HBO shows like Game of Thrones (you will discover my love for this show and books if I have not scared you away with this first post, later) LoveFilm is where I will be laying my hat.
The second and in some ways more important reason is my migration top the world of PC. With my new found inclusion in the PC sphere I am finding it increasingly easy to find great money saving deals some of which I will be sharing in this section. That being said I still do miss finding those Square white envelopes in my post box and diving in deep to find another new game.
    To Subsricbe to the Random Chat Podcast click on this link
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    What this is

    The random chat is changing a little to be just as the title says. This is going to function as my place to chat about things that can come from anywhere, from TV to films to Sport to gaming. Most things are up for discussion even though I will avoid the key no no's like Religion, Politics and Macro Economics (Micro economics of the gaming/comics world though is still fair game) and of course the biggie whether the Spice Girls were the greatest musical group of all time or not. I hope to bring a taste of something different in these posts and please feel free to comment where you see fit.

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