Steampunk Willie

Sometimes you come across some information that just makes you go 'HOLY FUCK'. I'd like you to now experience one of those moments now....

Disney is set to release a new game as of yet we only know by the codename 'Epic Mickey' for this game the following concept art was released:

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<"Mickey">
<"Mad">
<"Goofy">

sadly the bad news is the game is to be released for Wii and this (http://kotaku.com) is what theyve done to that beautiful concept art. *weep*

Assassins Creed 2

Well if you read my last review you'll know that I attended this years Eurogamer Expo in Leeds. At the event i was able to get my hands on the new Assassins Creed 2 GDC demo. The new game had dramatically improved graphics the textures and lighting were realistic yet remained stylistic to the theme of the game. AC2 had the wealth of new features we've all been waiting for. Of course the hidden blade returns along with a twin brother, handy for double assassinations. Other new items in your arsenal are smoke bombs and poison your also able to perform assassinations from almost anywhere.

There's also a new weapon system that allows you to use any weapon on the game and your not short of choice. You now have the ability to disarm and use a weapon against your enemy using the much improved fight system sporting a whole variety of deadly moves. No longer will you revert to blocking and countering when fighting large groups of enemies you could even throw a smoke bomb and escape in a flurry of confusion.

A new economy system works using monetary awards for completing assassinations for clients. This of course means you can buy things such as upgrades and supplies, extra smoke bombs and poison but also weapon and costume upgrades including dyes and armor. The game has a new weapon selection menu that pauses the game as it displays a wheel bases menu reminiscent of the Mass Effect. Overall the the gameplay has been improved, feels faster and more natural and promises to be an entertaining game.

Eurogamer Leeds

This week i embarked on a trip to Eurogamer Expo at Leeds, this is the first time a Eurogamer Expo has been at Leeds. The event was more of a demo event of recent and upcoming games than your traditional expo with developer booths. The event was small but got quite packed in the mornings. There were a few games that have been out for a while (Need For Speed: Shift, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Uncharted 2 and Wet to name a few) but many of the games there were still unfinished. Some highlights of the event were the GDC Assassins Creed 2 demo which exceeded in expectation, the inventively controlled Heavy Rain which used QTE's effectively to portray multiple story lines and Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All Stars which although only available on the wii shows that 2D can be transferred to 3D/2.5D effectively and without loss of gameplay. A few points about the event though, the size of the of the TVs where inconsistent and uncalibrated. lode to the guy on the 32" uncalibrated Samsung sat next to a spot on 50" 1080p Sony. And then there's the "career fair" that resided in a small area of cubicles inhabited by 3 universities, Ubisoft and Team 17. Overall the event was, i feel was well worth the £6-a-day entry fee. It was enjoyable and there were some good games on show although the career fair was a bit of a wet biscuit it didn't spoil the day.

St. Trinian's (2007)

There’s been a lot of bad reviews on the latest St. Tinian's movie and after watching it for myself I can't disagree more. The new movie is a far cry from the 1966 Great Train Robbery I remember fondly from my childhood. Thigh-highs and suspenders set the mood as your pelted with drug references and sexual innuendos. From the Joint smoking Rupert Everett to Stephen Fry on uppers this is St. Trin's for a new generation. The anarchical school is threatened by bankruptcy and foreclosure while The Minister of Education (Colin Firth) wants to expose the school as a corrupt hellhole. The girls decide to save the school by stealing a famous painting and then fencing it off though the loose moraled Flash Harry (Russell Brand). The Film has some great moments and is, in some parts extremely funny. Anyone shouting at the decidedly un-politically correct humor must of had their funny bone surgically removed. Highly Recommended.

Jumper (2008)

The story revolves around David Rice (Hayden Christensen) who has a genetic anomaly close to what we would normally call 'mutants' and 'Paladins' who are trying to kill him and all other like him. After an accident which promotes the onset of his power to 'Jump' or teleport at will, David goes on the run leaving many believing him to be dead. he lives his live robbing banks and jumping wherever he wants. One day he gets found out and has a close encounter with Roland(Samuel L. Jackson). Roland is a high ranking Paladin who's job it is to kill Jumpers, Paladins belong to an ancient cult believe that Jumpers are an abomination and only God should have their power. David goes back home to see his childhood friend and love interest Millie (Rachel Bilson) to find she still lives in the same town and has given up her dreams. He then puts her life in danger by taking her with him to Rome. This is where he he meets Griffin (Jamie Bell) who teaches him about who he his and the history of the war between Paladins and Jumpers. This leads to a predictable climax where the girl is kidnapped and they guys team up to beat Roland. After the first 20 min's or so you think about reaching for the gun to blow your head off but is saved when the story gets going and the acting improves... slightly. The story, although no award winner is entertaining and is well directed. a little dodgy camera work and below par acting is saved by the grace of Jamie Bell and Samuel L. Jackson even if they did seem a little uninterested. On the whole the film is watchable, even enjoyable but don't go expecting another Matrix.

The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a film based on the books of the same name. The story centers around Jared Grace who finds an magical book after he and his family movin into an old house in the middle of nowhere. Disregarding the warning Jared reads the book whitch causes something to happen. What exactly happens isnt fully explained however whatever it does it attracts alot of attention. Attention from some not so friendly magical creatures that want the the book to take over the world. The main antagonist, a rather ugly looking shapeshifer ogre called Mulgarath employs the help of Redcap, a cool looking pirate toad guy with toady henchmen to retreve the book for him. Much chaos ensumes. The overall feel to the film was quite compelling with a good script and camera work. Moreover the special effects were very well done and not a trace tacky. the only down point that i would like to point out is the acting of the main role. I think Freddie Highmore was not quite talented enough for the lead protaganist let alone a dual role, although this can be over looked due to the superb quality acting of Sarah Bolger and Mary-Louise Parker who plays a normal stressed out mother just as good as drug dealing stressed out mother on the whole though id say it was an enjoyable film with some unexpected gems.

Top Ten List

I thought this was quite funny and strangly accurate :p

You know your a student when:

1.You'd rather clean than study especially if an essay is due.
2.You schedule your classes around sleep habits.
3.Looking out the window is a form of entertainment.
4.Rearranging your room is your favourite pastime.
5.You wear dirty socks three times in a row and think nothing of it.
6."Oh shit how did it get so late!" comes out of your mouth at least once a night.
7.4:00 AM is still an early night on the weekends
8.Anything before 12:00 is early morning
9.You know the pizza boy by name and don't even need to read the menu.
10.You live for getting e-mail/Facebook

Top 10 reasons that university is like playschool:

1. You want your mother.
2. You cross the street without looking for cars.
3. Snack time is a necessity.
4. You get dressed for the outdoors without caring what you look like (because everyone else looks as stupid as you do).
5. You stay at home and play games with your friends.
6. You wear your backpack on both shoulders.
7. You like cuddles ^_^
8. Playing in the snow is a legitimate activity. (hell yeah!!)
9. You take naps.
10. You look forward to cheese toasties.

redux

And for no reason what so ever...

Smiley Face (2007)

Smiley Face is about a young not-so aspiring actress who unwittingly ingests a boot load of her roommates space cakes. After she sets off to replace the cupcakes she goes from one problem to the next getting into more and more trouble. The script was well written with a good fluid plot. The acting was amazing Anna Faris especially was good. The effortless portrayal of a wasted stoner roaming the streets is easy to relate to. I found the story overall was funny and entertaining. Although the film is not perfect, there is a few things that I’m uncomfortable with. The overall message is very anti-drugs and being a film aimed at drug users seen slightly strange. Most of the characters were quite aggressive towards Jane for no apparent reason. There are a few exceptions to this, one being John Cho’s character Mikey the sausage van driver. There are also a few plot holes and other niggles that would spoil the film. But don’t let that deter you this is highly recommended. Good comedy value if not quite essential cult classic.

Music

hey I havent posted anything in a while so heres somthing I did in Illustrator. Enjoy.

Logos

here's a selection of Logos created for college

SNOW DAY!

The day it snowed in Oldham.

Cowboy Bebop – Title Sequence

The quick tempo music score complements the use of contrasting graphical styles with well-designed typographical elements used in this title sequence. With the Jazzy track and gritty tone reminds me of 30’s detective films.
Overall the feel is reminiscent of Saul bass but very different in many respects. Colour corrected video and quick sharp cuts differ from the smoothness of Saul’s work, But work better for the ambience.
The sequence begins with a flashing typography. Dirty and gritty, the type gives you a feel for the show. The sequence begins with vertical and horizontal lines that pan to reveal various video clips.
In short the sequence is well directed and beautifully put together giving you a good grasp on what the shows like

Death Proof (2007)

The insanely talented yet equally annoying director known as Quentin Tarantino set his sights on paying homage to the 1970’s exploitation “Grindhouse” films with this latest film ‘Death Proof”.
This lukewarm effort from him fails to inspire, the story is centered on Stuntman Mike and his homicidal tendencies in relation to groups of young girls. In the first half of the film he targets a group of girls in Texas who are out getting wasted and reminiscing about school days. Enter the ever deplorable, but forgivable acting talents on one Mr. Tarantino. As usual Tarantino has a lot of disposable script for the girls in which the try to score weed. Although not essential to the storyline it was entertaining for the most part. The girls are promptly killed off by Stuntman Mike in a satisfyingly gruesome manner. In the second half of the film Stuntman Mike emerges in Tennessee where he meets the second group of girls. The girls however are not so easy to kill and turn the tables on him.
On the whole the plot is very weak with very little narrative. The plot holes and bad character development could be put down to the “Grindhouse” effect. Personally though I feel it’s just lazy writing and is losing out in what potentially could be a great film. The direction is impeccable as usual with some good shots giving the film its saving grace. Near the end of the film However, Stuntman Mike completely changes character and spoils any constancy the film had.
With all this in mind the film is OK but falls short of what it could have been. After the film ends it leaves you wondering what happened and whether or not there’s more to it. In my opinion it would have been better as a short. Worth a watch but bother spending any notes on it. Possibly in its original Theater production as ‘Grindhouse’.

Juno (2007) – Title sequence

The opening title sequence is a piece of wonderful eye candy that is a refreshing change from the cold serious ones that seem to plague the cinema these days. It set the pace and feeling for the film right off the bat with a striking old style cutout animation. What makes it even more special is that it is created using traditional stop motion techniques (LINK). As the sequence starts, the lovely Ellen Page strolls down the street swigging from a Sunny D bottle. She saunters into the animation world. The hand-drawn background gives it a charming indie feel witch is backed up by the childish handicraft typography. With the animation itself it is photocopied cutouts roughly colored in, again by hand. Meanwhile the title sequence doubles as the opening scene of the main storyline making it feel entwined into the film. Furthermore the transition between the animated title sequence and the live-action film is seamless. All things considered the work that has been put into this sequence is admirable and the result is a highly rememberable opening for a great film.

The day the Earth stood still (2008)

The Promise of an epic first contact doomsday Blockbuster fell shy of its target. Although entertaining and an enjoyable watch the film lacked a sense of awe and climax. The story is about an alien, Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) who comes to earth representing a collective of planets. They have been monitoring Earth and in particular, humans and our impact on the planet. They intend on helping the earth.

The main story is portrayed smoothly and easy to follow but suffers from the lack of the ability to draw you further in. It starts off well it had an air of mystery and suspense action and tension all to a climatic crescendo as the Sphere lands in central park as the film flexes its big budget muscles… kinda. The CGI in this film felt slightly unfinished, such as the snow at the start of the film. Compensating for this though is the direction with excellent atmosphere and mood.

Sadly though this is pretty much the climax of the film. The script steadily declines throughout, though remaining enjoyable seemed stretched with safe clean yet anti-climatic ending. Throw in an annoying kid with daddy issues and we start to see the problem Though people will swoon at the mere mention of the original, I think this one will fall short of it potential.