Lowdown We head to NYC
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-Spectre -Kurt Cobain -Fallout 4
Contents Page 6
New York City Travel Review
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Spectre Review
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck Review
Fallout 4 Review
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Page 22
Page 26
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View from the top of the Empire state building at night
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New York: Escape To The Concrete Jungle
W
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hen looking for
New York. The Empire
you have seen on films
a break that
State Building, the
or read in a book and
dreams are made of,
Statue of Liberty,
to truly discover it, you
look no further than the
the Brooklyn Bridge,
have to journey there.
concrete jungle that
Madison Square Garden,
happens to be made
Central Park or Times
of the same thing. New
Square. There is no other
York City. A place with
place in the world that
so much history and
can compare with New
so many landmarks.
York for pure imagery.
Everyone has a different
However, there is a lot
idea of what represents
more to this place than
While it is by no means a bargain, travelling to New York has never been as inexpensive as it is now. I paid ÂŁ999 which included flights
with British Airways
York and six and a half
price of your flight
and accommodation
coming back. From a
ticket. For those who
with Hampton Inn
personal standpoint,
are not frequent fliers
Manhattan for four
flying with British
or dread the thought
nights. Considering I
Airways made the time
of flying in general, do
had previously skipped
completely fly by and
not be put off by the
two family holidays to
no one treats their
duration of time spent
Spain in order to save
customers better. Out
in the plane as the
up the money for it, I
went seven and a half
journey to and from is
firmly believe it was
hours of a child kicking
highly enjoyable.
worth it in the end. It
the back of your seat,
might be the higher end
little to no legroom and
of the budget, but going
being overcharged for
to New York guarantees
a meal that will barely
memories for a lifetime.
act as a ripple in your stomach and in came hot meals, feature films
The flight was roughly seven and a half hours heading out to New
and plenty of leg space all incorporated in the
Taxis at JFK airport are probably the easiest way to get to your hotel. Although the queue for one can be quite long and you are sometimes approached by complete strangers to share a cab to cut costs. It is all a bit hectic, especially if you are travelling at rush hour like I did but taxis will soon become the most familiar and relatively stress-free modes of transport around the city. 7
Despite how surprisingly good the journey over was, no airline can ever control the effects jet lag has on you. Moving between time zones will leave you exhausted on the first night, regardless of whether or not you have a nap on the plane over, so it is wise to just grab something easy to eat before taking a nap.
The Hampton Manhattan Inn is as close to an English B&B as you can get over in the States. The hotel itself was lovely and good value for money. The rooms all have nice, detailed interiors with artwork a feature on the walls both in the room and throughout the hotel. Staying in the city that is famed for 8
never sleeping, there is
are available but the
surprisingly little noise
milk and butter just isn’t
disruption in the rooms
what we’re used to here
as well. I stayed on the
in Scotland so it wasn’t
9th floor and while I could very good. If you like hear car horns sounding
your bacon, eggs and
practically all the time, it
sausage in the morning
was nothing that would
be prepared for a let-
stop you from sleeping.
down at this hotel.
The one negative about the hotel was that the free breakfast each morning was pretty disappointing. A selection of cereals, bagels and pancakes
For the first night’s dinner I looked no further than any other fellow students and searched for a
McDonald’s. I found one.
snack. Almost every slice
dinners in a restaurant.
The biggest one, found
I tried over there was
While restaurants are
in Times Square. The
amazing and I’m glad
more expensive than
scenery around you has
that at least lived up
other places for food,
been lifted straight from
to expectations on the
they are almost always
the silver screen and is
food front. There are
worth it as the food is
out of this world. I just
restaurants, pubs and
always of the highest
wish that the food had
food vendors around
quality and it makes
been the same. Plumping almost every corner so
for a great experience.
for my usual choice but
you will always be spoilt
Burgers from The
with a twist, I sat down
for choice.
Counter and pasta
with a double Quarter
from Nizza are highly
Pounder meal, you just
recommended.
wouldn’t get away with something that has so many calories over here. Unfortunately, neither the meat nor the chips
However, seeing as this was the trip of a lifetime and feeling as though I
For a truly unique
should make the most
dining experience
of it, I chose to eat most
however, look no
could beat the taste of those back home and I am sorry to inform that McDonald’s in America isn’t all that it is made out to be.
Food in general is relatively cheap, you can usually find slices of pizza sold at $1 per slice and these act as a great 9
further than Ellen’s
would recommend to
Stardust diner. Winner
see all the ma jor sights
of the 2015 Concierge
is by tour bus. It is not
Choice Award for Family
the most original way
Friendly Restaurant, the
to see the sights but it
diner features singing
is the most effective. At
wait staff who regularly
$50 for an adult, it isn’t
perform variety shows.
cheap, but you would
Some of the staff in the
still spend that money
past have also went on
and possibly more
to star in Broadway. The
getting around the city
food also lives up to the
through other ways. The
entertainment and it
bus follows different
underlines everything
routes and operates with
great about New York.
a ‘hop on/hop off’ policy that is similar to those found in London. Very
As with any ma jor city, the only way that I 10
convenient for exploring landmarks in greater
detail.
The one you really need to stop off at however, is the Empire State Building. The sheer scale of this building cannot be believed unless it is seen in person. Pictures and video simply do not do it justice. For those who are unafraid of heights, a journey to the top is a must-do. While there is usually a sizable queue depending on which entrance you go in, there is the option
to skip it for $7. This
a ferry to Staten Island.
recognition and the
seems to be a popular
The ferry is free and can
size of the park in
theme in America,
hold up to 2,000 people.
the middle of the
particularly at theme
Providing excellent
city never fails to
parks, and is worth it
views of New York from
amaze me. There is
here. The journey to
the bay as well as the
always something to
the top requires two
Statue of Liberty, the
see or do in it and
elevators but the views
ferry is usually busy
there’s something for
from the top are simply
as it full of commuters
everybody. Simply
breath taking. You are
and other tourists. A
walking through it
best advised to witness
worthwhile venture
is an experience in
it during the day for the
nonetheless.
itself. The two places
full experience rather
that stood out for
than at night.
me were Belvedere Central Park is another place that New York
I would also recommend
that has worldwide
Castle, one of five visitor centres in the park, along with the
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Alice and Wonderland statue. The park provides a rare idyllic environment in the middle of the city.
No trip to New York would be complete however without a visit to a poignant reminder of one of the most tragic events in history. The 9/11 memorial is a heartfelt and touching tribute to the 2,977 victims who lost their lives that day on the 11th September 2001. Water features are now part of the foundations where
that day.
everywhere you look.
the buildings once stood
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big screen is replicated
with a small museum in
Visiting New York has
between. The museum
left lasting memories
The ultimate place on
is usually very busy and
with me. It is truly a city
any potential traveller’s
there may be a waiting
like no other on this
bucket list.
time but visiting the
planet and worth every
memorial is hugely
penny to get there. The
rewarding and it is a
people are friendly, the
symbol of the resiliency
city is lively and the
that has been built since
glamour you see on the
9/11 memorial
alice in wonderland statue 13
10 Things I Learned From Travelling To New York 1. Macy’s sell cheap pairs of Levi’s - $40 compared to £75 back home. 2. Century 21 likeiwse sell cheap pairs of New Balance - $33 instead of £65. 3. A fa jita from a street vendor can cost you $17. 4. The ferry to Staten Island is free. 5. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum opened on September 11th 2011, the 10th anniversary of the attacks. 6. King Kong is a prominent theme in New York, he is mentioned a lot. 7. It takes two elevators to reach the top of the Empire State Building. 8. Driving in New York at rush hour is absolutely insane. 9. I had coffee in Tom’s Restaurant, made famous by Suzanne Vega in her song Tom’s Diner. 10. The city that never sleeps is surprisingly quiet at night.
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Spectre: Not Quite Hitting The Heights Of Skyfall J
ust how do you
Despite being met
unconnected, there is
follow-up Skyfall?
with a prickly reaction
always the chance to
Rightly regarded as one
when he was originally
freshen things up once
of the best Bond films of
announced as 007,
in a while and Daniel
all time, 2012’s release
Craig has managed to
Craig has to be up there
had it all and while it set
completely reinvent and
on an equal pedestal
up events perfectly for a
revitalise the character.
with the best Bond
sequel, it also set the bar Craig’s Bond is edgier,
actors like Connery. If his
to almost unattainable
more layered and
demeanour during press
levels. Spectre and
displays a composure
releases for Spectre is
director Sam Mendes
befitting of the world’s
anything to go by, he
just fall short of the mark most famous secret spy.
won’t be staying in the
on this one.
He is a man who will go
role much longer and he
to any lengths to get the
will be a very tough act
job done and often does,
to follow.
Returning for his fourth performance as James Bond, Daniel Craig is practically as flawless as Bond’s taste in suits.
despite his fractured past. The beauty of the Bond franchise is that because previous actors and their stories are
With that being said, there is the overriding feeling that, through no 15
daniel craig - ready for action as bond 16
fault of Craig’s, Bond
would be nice for the
of the ‘silent but tough’
is just going through
films to continue to
guy played very well
the motions in this film.
break that mould as
by former WWE star
While Skyfall cleared
Skyfall did.
Dave Bautista. Andrew
the deck and allowed
Scott’s Max Denbigh is
for a fresh approach,
a hard villain to invest
Spectre returns to the same old Bond clichés we have seen time and time again. Car chases, a villain with a secret organisation to back him up, a tough henchman, Bond sleeping with a Bond girl and vodka martinis. It is the tried and trusted formula of any Bond film and it
The car chase that happens in Rome between Bond and tough guy henchman Mr Hinx is one of the most boring chases in cinematic history and it feels like we have seen it all before. The character of Mr Hinx ends up being underutilised in the film in general with the role
in. It’s always going to buy into how evil the character is when his ultimate plan is to set up a surveillance system to monitor people across the country isn’t too dissimilar to what our current government is trying to do. Spectre’s main villain, Christoph Waltz’s
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Franz Oberhauser,
physical threat unlike
the successful Bond
is barely shown on
previous Bond baddies.
movie formula. Bond
screen for the first 90
The insinuation that
interacts the mysterious,
minutes and when he
Spectre were behind
recently widowed,
does arrive it ultimately
events from previous
Lucia Sciarra when he
feels like a rehash of
movies in the Craig era
is in Rome. During this
Waltz’s character Hans
comes across as lazy
scene, he demands to
Landa from Inglourious
and cheap too.
know answers about
Basterds. He also comes
the secret organisation
across as too ‘weak’ to
known as Spectre before
be the leader of a global criminal organisation. He might be sinister in his mannerisms but when it comes down to 18
it, he poses little to no
The Bond girls in the film, Lea Seydoux’s Madeleine Swann and Monica Bellucci’s Lucia Sciarra are also hampered by following
sleeping with her for no other reason apart from that tradition demands it. It makes little sense from a storyline perspective and Bond
is very unnatural,
Skyfall and her only fault
almost aggressive in
here is that she isn’t
his seduction of her.
featured enough. Ralph
While Madeleine Swann
Fiennes plays Mallory
shows promise that she
or ‘M’ very skilfully and
can keep up with Bond
this film just adds to
(she shows that she has
his portfolio of great
been trained to shoot
performances. The real
to kill in a scene on a
star turn however, is Ben
train,) she is eventually
Whishaw who returns
shown to be little more
as ‘Q.’ Whishaw has
than useless in the
managed to make the
final showdown with
role his own and the
Oberhauser and his
tech genius is a quiet
men. She even allows
yet integral character
herself to be captured
in this film. Young and
prior to the film’s
quirky, ‘Q’ injects some
finale. Both girls were a
much needed humour
disappointment but that
to proceedings without
is due in no part to a
overstepping it and
lack of effort from both
becoming a complete
actresses.
comedy character.
Bond’s allies, Eve
Spectre is not exactly
Moneypenny, Mallory
a bad Bond movie and
and ‘Q’ are a positive
if it hadn’t followed
feature though.
the excellent Skyfall, it
Moneypenny, played
would probably seem
by Naomie Harris, was
better than it is. The
one of the star turns in
opening scene, set in 19
Mexico on the Day of
physical showdown
into the relative safety
the Dead, is wonderfully
between the two. The
of tried and trusted Bond
done. Tracking Bond
special effects of the
clichés is a let-down.
(disguised as a
film are also practically
It is a Bond film under-
skeleton) through the
faultless, it looks
standably and while
streets, into his hotel
wonderful visually.
there is always room
and up into his room
for nostalgic call backs
in one continuous shot
for the audience, it feels
that sets anticipation high for the rest of the film. The meeting of Spectre’s council in Rome is another technically brilliant scene with Oberhauser shrouded by darkness as he addresses the organisation’s members. It really adds to the mystique of his character and the scene itself comes off as chilling as any that you’ll see in a Bond movie. The fight scene between Bond and Mr Hinx on the train is gritty as well as being wonderfully exhilarating and the car chase should’ve been cut to build up to this 20
When Skyfall ended with Judi Dench’s departure and Mallory assuming the role of ‘M’ along with Moneypenny moving into her role as his secretary, it felt like a real change of the guard. For the first time in a long while, Bond felt exciting again. After seeing what Mendes and his screenwriters could do with Skyfall, there was a lot of hope that Spectre would follow suit. Instead it feels like that film was the culmination of Daniel Craig’s story arc as James Bond rather than Spectre. While it is still a good watch, the fact that Spectre fell back
like it is time to move on a bit. James Bond will be back, perhaps even with a different face, and further Bond films will be produced but it is with great hope that they learn from the mistakes Spectre has made.
cobain the sculptor
cobain the artist 21
Kurt Cobain Montage Of Heck: An Imperfect Look At An Impefect Musician P
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roduced following
While some Cobain fans
sound his band are
Brett Morgen’s
have argued the final
famed for in these
documentary of the
product is intrusive, the
recordings and is likely
same name, Kurt
soundtrack undoubtedly
to be successful with any
Cobain: Montage of
offers a chance for
Nirvana fan.
Heck is a CD comprised
fans to explore Kurt’s
of early recordings
various musical
made by solely by Kurt.
experimentations with
Available on cassette
lyrics and chords that
as well as CD and
would eventually make
digital download, the
it into future Nirvana
soundtrack follows the
tracks. Never regarded
documentary in showing
as the most talented
us an intimate glimpse
vocalist in the world,
into Kurt’s private world.
Kurt still manages to replicate the distinctive
Perhaps the most interesting of all the songs on the album is a cover of The Beatles’ “And I Love Her.” Combining The Beatles with Nirvana would never be the first thought on any potential
composer’s mind but
The two sketches, enti-
to offer a glimpse into
Kurt manages to make
tled “Montage of Kurt,”
the inner workings of
it work here. Distinctive
get particularly annoy-
Kurt’s mind rather well.
and personal, the song
ing after more than one
Available in two differ-
stands out from the rest
listen. The song “Beans”
ent versions – standard
and is worth a listen.
is also quite irritating.
with 13 tracks and deluxe with 31 – Montage of Heck is aimed at Nir-
The rest of the album
There doesn’t appear
is made up of Cobain
to be any hidden mean-
casually running through ings behind any of these Nirvana songs like “Been
songs other than Kurt
a Son” and “Sappy,”
entertaining himself.
spoken word poetry
Unlike some Nirvana
and Cobain testing out
songs, there is nothing
various screaming and
particularly thought pro-
sketches in both a high
voking about the album
pitch and a low pitch.
but it serves its purpose
vana/Kurt enthusiasts and it is a good buy if you count yourselves among them. However if you don’t, stick to Nirvana’s albums and give this a skip.
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the album’s artwork was designed solely by kurt
some tracks had previously never been heard before 24
welcome home...
25
Fallout 4: A Welcome Return To The Wasteland P
ull on that Vaulttec jumpsuit and
26
Successor to the
Unlike its predecessors,
critically acclaimed
Fallout 4 starts off
grab your nearest
Fallout 3 and Fallout
by offering us a brief
weapon because we’re
New Vegas, Fallout 4 is
glimpse into life pre-
heading back out to the
set in post-apocalyptic
nuclear warfare. In
wasteland. The vault
Boston and manages
Fallout 3, you start off as
door has once again
to keep the essentials
a kid already sheltered
been opened and we
of what made those
from the world outside
are now left to explore
games great as well as
within the confines of
the devastated nuclear
introducing a few new
Vault 101 while in New
landscape of Fallout.
elements along the way.
Vegas, we are thrown
straight into the cut
than previous story arcs.
throat world of post-
Although one aspect
apocalyptic Las Vegas.
that could be argued is
Fallout 4 differs in this
that the vast amount of
approach by introducing
side missions and places
us to our character and
to explore sometimes
his/her spouse along
detract from the main
with their child. The
story.
prologue gives us a brief glimpse of family life Another new element is
before they must quickly
the addition of a voiced
escape to the Vault. The conversation and
you discover that your
character interaction
wife has died and your
is intelligent and
son has been taken by a
comical at times and is
mysterious organisation
a welcome change in
known as ‘The Institute’.
direction from Bethesda. The journey to find your son is a lot more developed and engaging
protagonist which is a series first for Bethesda who have also worked on games like The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and Skyrim as well as the Fallout franchise. This comes across as well as
The story in general is
dialogue is a lot more
far more intriguing than
cinematic and allows
previous instalments.
players to feel as if they
Following your escape
are behind the director’s
to the fault, the game
seat of their own feature
introduces the plot
length Fallout film.
device of cryogenics
Conversations are fluid
in order to transport
and unique to individual
us to our eventual in-
characters although
game world 200 years
the four dialogue
later. When you awake,
buttons accessed 27
through A,B,Y and X
however is undoubtedly
consuming the reward
are vague and do not
structure building. For
is more than satisfying.
give a clear indication
the first time able you
This crafting element of
about the direction the
are able to build your
the game where you can
conversation will go.
own structures, fill them
also customise weapons
with basic essentials
and armour appears
and in time create
has been lifted directly
whole new settlements
from Skyrim, one of
for characters to live
Bethesda’s other leading
in. The settlements
titles and has been
must have defences
adapted to fit within
to prevent attacks and
Fallout 4.
The combat targeting system V.A.T.S returns and while the general principle of it remains the same, there have been a few tweaks that have definitely improved it. Rather than stop time completely, V.A.T.S now slows it down so that you have time to pin point an enemy’s crucial weak spots in battle without being a “cheat” to take time out of the battle altogether and plan multiple strikes at once. This gives greater urgency and makes any encounter a lot more exciting as well as challenging the player. The most ambitious new feature 28
caravan trade routes can be set up between them. These settlements are constructed using various materials that are picked up on your travels and while time
Power armour has also been completely overhauled.Changing the HUD when it is worn, power armour is now powered by fusion cores
and operate almost character
like a vehicle as
models however,
the fusion core’s
still look a lot like
remaining power
last-gen with a
level is displayed
lick of paint over
like a fuel gauge.
them. The positives
Offering a lot more
far outweigh the
protection than
negatives though.
other armour not to mention being able to survive falls
Fallout 4 seems to
from any height
be the culmination of
and being immune
a series of successful
to radiation
projects for
poison, the power
Bethesda. The tagline
armour acts as
‘Welcome Home’
an equaliser
truly makes it feel
against the
like they have come
harsh wilderness of the Commonwealth. However with fusion cores hard to come by, players will be faced with the decision over whether to take this power armour on seemingly challenging missions or leave it for tougher ones later down the road.
full circle with the The landscape of post-
good work they have
nuclear Boston is simply
done since 2008’s
beautiful. From man-
Fallout 3. The game
made settlements and
remains loyal to
the crumbling remains
what makes Fallout
of Diamond City to the
games great with
eerie stillness of the
action, scavenging
radioactive Glowing
and unique and
Sea, Bethesda has truly
diverse characters
outdone themselves
and places to
sculpting this diverse
discover. A must-buy.
world. Graphics for the 29
A 10 Point Guide To Surviving Fallout 4 1. Salvage as much as you possibly can, anything and everything can prove useful at some point 2. Pick up the Fat Boy weapon at the start of the game as soon as possible, it acts as real equaliser against any opponent. 3. Keep power armour well maintained and only use it when necessary. 4. Do not attempt to enter the Glowing Sea unless power armour is equipped and you have sufficently levelled up, to go there early is to court certain death. 5. Raid any dead bodies for supplies, it helps keep your stock levels up. 6. Avoid Deathclaws as much as possible. 7. Come equipped with a decent weapon at all times. 8. Exhaust all conversations with chracters, it levels you up faster. 9. Pick your perks wisely. 10. Kill everybody else (saving your game beforehand is strongly advised.)
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