JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
LOCAL BAND FEATURES - REVIEWS - GIGS - EVENTS - INTERVIEWS - GAMING - MOVIES - LIFE(STYLE) - FITNESS - ART - TV - DVD - OUT & ABOUT - MOBILE APPS - QU
men of the year
2013?
LES FRITES PETITE > REDLINE MUSIC: OF THE YEAR / 14 FOR 14 THETRACK SUNSET CLAUSE MOVIES: MOVIES OF THE YEAR / MOVIES FOR 2014 LIFE(STYLE) > MOVIES GAMES: GAMES OF THE YEAR / GAMES FOR 2014 GAMES > TV > DVD > O&A FITNESS WITH www.goguidemagazine.co.uk
T.O.D COACHING
CONTENT JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36) Contents
WHAT’S INSIDE THIS MONTHS ISSUE... HOMEFRONT (pg126) 2013 MOVIE RETROSPECTIVE (pg130)
- - - - - - - MUSIC - - - - - - TRACK OF THE YEAR (pg4) 4 FOR 14 (pg12) MUSIC QUIZ (pg22)
- - - - - - - TV & DVD - - - - - - DVD CHART (pg136)
New music quiz - answers on (pg192)
TOP 10 DVD’S THIS MONTH
WHAT’S ON GUIDE (pg24)
DVD WALL - OUT THIS MONTH (pg137)
What’s on in the local area.
Some DVD’s being released this month
- - - - - - LIFE(STYLE) - - - - - -
ON THE BOX IN 2014 (pg138) SHERLOCK (pg148)
REAL LIFE SCI-FI TECH (pg30) 5-A-SIDES (pg32) FEEDMENOW (pg36)
DVD REVIEWS (pg152) BATTLE OF THE DAMNED / BIG ASS SPIDER / KICK-ASS 2 MOVIE YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED (pg153) James M’s MYMHM - JUNO with guest Mr Suit
PHONE APPS (pg42) ANDROID/iOS APPS CHARTS (pg42)
- - - - - - - GAMES - - - - - - -
Our top 10 FREE and PAID apps charts for Android and iPhones.
GAME CHARTS (pg156)
- - - FITNESS WITH T.O.D - - -
Top 10 games across PLAYSTATION, XBOX and PC.
LOOK BACK AT ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE T.O.D. FEATURES (pg46) WITH T.O.D.
BEST GAMES OF 2013 (pg158) MOST ANTICIPATED GAMES FOR 2014 (pg164) REVIEWS & FEATURES
NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS (pg176) KILLZONE: SHADOW FALL (pg180) NBA2K14 (pg184)
- - - - - - - MOVIES - - - - - - FEATURES
- - - - - - - OUT & ABOUT - - - - - - -
MOVIE NEW RELEASES (pg58)
All the new releases in cinemas this month.
O&A (pg190)
MOVIE QUIZ (pg59)
This month its a new quiz - movie posters - answers on (pg193)
Out and about with some great indoor and outdoor stuff to get up to in the local area
THIS MONTHS BOXOFFICE TOP 10 (pg62) WORLDWIDE BOXOFFICE TOP 10 OF 2013 (pg66) MOVIES TO SEE IN 2014 (pg74)
QUIZ ANSWERS (pg192)
REVIEWS
CLASSIC MOVIE POSTERS (back page 194)
Music and Video Quiz answers
WE ARE WHAT WE ARE (pg92) YOU’RE NEXT (pg96) FROZEN (pg98) AMERICAN HUSTLE (pg104) THE HOBBIT 2 (pg108) ANCHORMAN 2 (pg112) PRISONERS (pg118) CHUCKY (pg122)
We take a look back at some classic movie posters.
FEEDMENOW MYOP1K
Who are GOGUIDE...???
ANDY ROBERTSON
We try to ensure our information is correct before uploading but some details are subject to change. PLEASE check online or with each location directly for fully up to date information.
GOGUIDE is a local online magazine for the West Lothian area. We try to be less focused on local ‘news’ and more a targetted on, ‘what’s on’ or ‘happening’ in the local area. We do try to have a pretty modern approach to GoGuide content and eventually hope to produce articles on subjects outside our usual stuff such as Clubbing, Theatre, Internet, Sport etc.. With the vast majority of our content sourced from local contributors we are always on the lookout for new people to join us and help provide input to this content hungry mag so if you’re keen on writing stuff and getting it published in the mag feel free to drop us a message at content@goguidemagazine.co.uk
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BWANI JUNCTION
JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
J M RECORDINGS offers high quality, polished recordings at very reasonable price across ALL genres. Working with full bands, duo’s and solo artists is never a problem and there are special rates for multiple track recordings such as EP’s or Albums. For a quote please email me with your band name as the subject and include how many songs you would like to record, ideal recording dates and any website info. I also offer remixes, mastering and tracking services, please email for a quote. If required, drum tracks are recorded at a location/studio of your choice with bass,guitars and vocals all tracked and mixed at my Edinburgh based home studio.
www.facebook.com/jmrecordings www.soundcloud.com/jm-recordings
www.jmrecordings.co.uk bookings@jmrecordings.co.uk - JM Recordings - Edinburgh - Scotland JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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MUSIC
FEATURE
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NUMBER 10
JAPANFOUR – EXILE
Japanfour – Exile Japanfour have been a staple of the local music scene for more years than I care to remember and ‘Exile’ is a track that pretty much paints the picture of the band for everyone to see, well hear really. Certainly a more mature sounding band has emerged over the years and this is one of their best pieces of work, hopefully 2014 signals see a lot more local public appearances and tunes from the band. https://soundcloud.com/japanfourband/exile-1
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JAPANFOUR
All images © Copyright of bands and/or Photographers
NUMBER 9
BRIGHT SIDE - WEIGHT OF THE WORLD Bright Side - Weight Of The World
Melodic hardcore band Bright Side hit the local music scene in 2013 with EP Face The Unknown which we have taken this track from. Opening up with a bludgeoning guitar riff ‘Weight Of The World’ never lets up and is a good guide track for what the band are all about… http://brightsideuk.bandcamp.com/track/weightof-the-world
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/WEAREBRIGHTSIDEUK
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NUMBER 8
TEENAGE CHINA - Embrace The Street Teenage China - Embrace The Street
Pulling in some of the most accomplished musicians in the area Teenage China wrap up the emo/melodic/metal parcel in a nice wee bundle and their EP Forth released last year is a sweet collection of tracks with ‘Embrace The Street’ for me being the pick of the bunch and easily takes its place in the top 10. http://teenagechina.bandcamp.com/track/ embrace-the-street
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/TEENAGECHINA Page 6
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NUMBER 7
PENFOLD - Exactly How It Happened
Penfold - Exactly How It Happened Penfold are good, damn good and including this track was a hard one, well mainly because as I really struggled to pick just one song, I suppose having all those fine tracks is a good thing, but not when you’re trying to pick a top 10 from so much great stuff. OK, i’m going with ‘Exactly How It Happened’, it’s an awesome track and deserves its place in this year’s list, but wait what about... https://soundcloud.com/penfoldbanduk/exactlyhow-it-happened
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PENFOLDBAND
All images © Copyright of bands and/or Photographers
NUMBER 6
RAMAGE INC. - By the way side
Ramage Inc. - By the way side Ramage Inc. have a defining theme that kinda runs through everything they do, and that theme is that it’s sh*t hot. Be it the songs, the sound or the show it’s all pretty much as pro as an unsigned band could be, maybe even as good as, or better than some pro bands out there doing it for a living. For me that is testament to a bunch of guys who work damn heard at their day jobs and seem to live by the age old motto of ‘Work hard, Play hard’. 2013 saw the release of the simply sublime collection of tunes from the band under the title ‘Feel the Waves’ and put simply it’s a masterpiece. We’ve pulled opening track ‘By the way side’ for our list but to be honest it was one of many. https://soundcloud.com/ramageinc/by-the-wayside
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/RAMAGEINC JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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MUSIC
FEATURE
NUMBER 5
ANDY ROBERTSON - Slip Away
Andy Robertson - Slip Away Mr Robertson has been pretty quiet since his time playing in a couple of local bands about 5-6 years back so it’s really good to see him popping his head back up again with a stunning solo EP ‘Not Today’ that is brimming with some of the best acoustic stuff I’ve hear locally for a long time. Our track ‘Slip Away’ is a new one from Andy and what a tune… just have a listen. https://soundcloud.com/andyrobertsonofficial/ slip-away
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ANDYROBERTSONMUSICOFFICIAL NUMBER 4
THE SUNSET CLAUSE - Firing Line
The Sunset Clause - Firing Line Having covered ‘The Sunset Clause’ in the Dec 2013 edition and gushing all over them like a salivating dog, we shouldn’t really need to explain why this track makes it into our top 10. In fact if we could have chosen 2 we would have… ‘Something Beautiful’ is simply a glorious piece of song writing and comes to life as an acoustic track on just released EP ‘The BAAD Sessions‘. However we’ve chosen ‘Firing Line’ for our no 4 slot and If you haven’t checked out the guys so far then shame on you, what are you waiting for? https://soundcloud.com/thesunsetclause/firingline
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/THESUNSETCLAUSEOFFICIAL Page 8
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NUMBER 3
LOVERS TURN TO MONSTERS - Skeletor
LOVERS TURN TO MONSTERS – Skeletor Aww man… Lovers Turn to Monsters produce a tsunami of material every year and I wonder just what Mr Wood gets up to in whatever spare time he has when not writing/recording, grab a couple of hours sleep I guess? Skeletor is a masterpiece of quirky indie pop that you simply can’t love from the first time hearing, trust me. https://soundcloud.com/lttm/lttm-skeletor-final
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LOVERSTURNTOMONSTERS All images © Copyright of bands and/or Photographers
NUMBER 2
THE BEGBIES - Something about Niki
The Begbies - Something about Niki Released in the middle of last year this track was a stonking prequel to the release of The Begbies debut album ‘it’s not good music, it’s good Grammar’. I suppose the problem with releasing such a stonking track in the run-up to an album launch is that you better make damn sure that the rest of the songs on it are just about as good… and The Begbies manage to do that with a collection of 10 songs anyone would be proud of… for me though ‘Something about Niki’ stands firmly on the shoulders of the rest with Ashleigh making a gallant effort to join it. https://soundcloud.com/the-begbies-music/ something-about-niki
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ANDYROBERTSONMUSICOFFICIAL JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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MUSIC
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NUMBER 1 BLACK BALLOONS - This House Black Balloons – This House The number one track of the year, yep… Black Balloons take the tiop slot with ‘This House’, easy wasn’t it? A truly amazing wee song from a bands that are gonna be just too big for West Lothian so enjoy them while you can. Why then haven’t we interviwed them for the magazine? Why didn’t they play on the Grassroots stage? Why? Why? Why? I have to hold my hands up and say that we have so far dropped the ball regarding getting the full rundown on Black Balloons, i’m hoping to address that in 2014 with our biggest feature on a band EVER…!!!!! That’s if the band is even want to talk to us... New track ‘Haunted’ looks like picking up from where ‘This House’ left off and I can’t wait for a proper album crammed with BB bootie, but for now though, let’s hope that the award for GOGUIDE MAGAZINE TRACK OF THE YEAR is some consolation for our failings. https://soundcloud.com/black-balloons/thishouse-1
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ANDYROBERTSONMUSICOFFICIAL Page 10
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All images Š Copyright of bands and/or Photographers
4FO 4FO MUSIC
FEATURE
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OR14 OR14 JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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MUSIC
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LITTLE SONGBIRD Little Songbird, the creation of one Lynzie Dray, popped up last year after signing a wee deal with West Lothian’s very own multi music area based org Music Tree Records but has since parted company with the guys and is once again persuing her solo interests. A rough folky, rocky acoustic formulae hides a pretty sweet dreamy and unusual voice that really cries out for a good sound engineer/ producer to take Little Songbirds music to the next level. An artist definitely to watch out for in 2014. www.facebook.com/littlefallensongbird
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EVE THE BETRAYER Unfortunately 2012/2013 saw the slow demise of local stalwarts of the metalcore/screamo scene As Autumn Falls and Behind Hollow Walls and they both decided to call it quits leaving behind the remains of both bands to figure out what to do. Some had already kinda got together and brought us 2013’s ‘Bright Side’ a more classic screamo/hardcore/newpunk band in the Gallows’esque vein and 2014 now looks set to see the return of 2 original members of AAF the music scene with new metalcore outfit ‘Eve The Betrayer’. The brainchild of AAF drummer Jamie and original AAF guitarist/screamer Matt, the ETB line-up is complete by Greg Armstrong on Guitar/ Vocals, Daniel Drever on Guitar and Bálint Markó on Bass. I have a wee soft spot for our hardcore bands and Bright Side produced an awesome debut EP in ‘Face The Unknown’, which was actually recorded with ETB’s Jamie on recording/mastering duties on some, if not all, of that record so I for one can’t wait to hear how Eve The Betrayer turns out… www.facebook.com/EveTheBetrayer
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4FOR14 JESUS TRIP
If you’re looking for a wee trip down memory lane, no pun intended, to the whimsical days of 60/70’s psychedelic rock look no further than Jesus Trip, they pretty much sound like someone has dug them up in a 40 year old time capsule. Historically I’m not a fan of bands that are set on sounding like something from previous generations but I guess I’m mellowing in my old age as Jesus Trip kinda float my boat a bit. There is just so much bubbling under the skin of these guys that it’s like listening to a million bands all at the one time and influences spill out from every wee nook and cranny, it’s hard to keep up and hard not to like. It would be nice to hear a much bigger, ‘produced’ sound at some point in 2014, these days track qty doesn’t matter in a studio and this genre of music needs track qty more than any other probably. Like classical music, the more layers the better. Most of their current recorded stuff leans more to a dreamy acoustic side of things but when you see them live or listen to some of their live recordings I just think… WAW man… get yourself into studio, with a good engineer and be amazed, then amaze us even more with some proper kick ass psychedelic rock… www.facebook.com/loftoid
ADULLBOY It’s hard to talk about adullboy without repeating myself having probably gushed over the guy too much in our feature on Les Frites Petites in last month’s edition of GoGuide Magazine but this chappie is definitely someone to keep an eye on. A local acoustic singer songwriter who you can catch regularly down at the The Corrie Bar in Armadale, gently massaging the crowd with his catchy acoustic folk/pop tunes in his own unique way. www.facebook.com/imadullboy
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ANDY ROBERTSON After 5 years away from the local music scene, studying and travelling, Andy Robertson is back with a bang with his very own take on classic acoustic song writing and his Not Today EP is definitely something that everyone should checkout. From his time playing in local bands like Trondheim, JACC and Fuze/Munk as a teenager it was clear to see that there was something pretty special going on with this guy.
Singer songwriters seem to be the flavour of the month at the moment and perhaps that has a direct effect on the amount of new bands out there as there seems to be way less than I’ve seen in the local area for a long, long time. Ryan describes himself as a folk/blues artist and it’s not often that I agree with how artists/bands describe their sound but I actually agree here, and he’s got it down to a T. Songs like Bleeding Dry and Kitchen knife are pretty sweet acoustic blues numbers but tracks like Liars, Closer and GPS show a real folk side to the repertoire.
www.facebook.com/andyrobertsonmusicofficial
4FOR14 Page 16
RYAN MORCOMBE
There is plenty of tunes online for you to enjoy and make your own mind up so get yourself over to his web pages and check him out. www.facebook.com/RyanAtTheDisco
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4FOR14
THE FISH PILOTS One of the younger bands we have on our list that we hope can kick off in earnest in 2014. A classic UK indie/rock sound on the demo’s shows that the band have definitely got something worth checking out. Look forward to seeing them live and hopefully a proper recording or 2 this year. www.facebook.com/TheFishPilots
DANNY LIVINGSTONE I wanna throw in another classic type singer songwriter into the mix on our list in Mr Danny Livingston as for me he has one of the most naturally good voices around at the moment in the local scene. Somehow that doesn’t come across in any of his recorded stuff so far though and only seems to come to life when heard live. Not sure what the cause of that is? Hopefully 2014 sees the young man pairing up with a good studio and engineer to help get the best from his sound, it deserves it. www.facebook.com/danny.livingstone.5
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MUSIC
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MYOP1K
UNCLE RED Awwwww man… Uncle Red are awesome… probably one of ‘The’ bands that changed my opinion of covers bands, because they just do them with so much conviction and with their own unique ‘Uncle Red’ flare that it’s just too damn hard not to have them turn your head. With a classic 50’s Rock`n`Roll / Rockabilly sound and a collection of killer tunes that rifle into your brain these guys know exactly what they are doing and go about it with big big swagger and some super cool style. www.facebook.com/unclered.co.uk
4FOR14 Page 18
The first time we’ve featuring a DJ/Producer in our annual list but hopefully not the last. MYOP1K comes from a background of playing in metal bands when he was younger and eventually found the same buzz in House/Dance music which has led him to where he is today, which is one of the hottest young local producers around and a pretty top notch DJ to boot. With one track already released through Wolfrage Recordings Myop1k spreads his time balancing producing club sets, remixes and working on his original songs and of course a heavy amount of time on the DJ side of things. I for one am looking forward to 2014 and hopefully some more original tunes from the man himself. For a plethora of Club Sets, Remixes, Mashups and original material checkout the MYOP1K Soundcloud page. https://soundcloud.com/myop1k www.facebook.com/MyOp1K
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4FOR14
ZERO FEEDBACK Originally formed as YMCRT, Hip Hop duo ZERO FEEDBACK, featuring Righteous Fist and Effi-G, come from a historically rich vein of musical talent. For me it is pretty surprising to see these two guys doing what they do but one thing I did know was that if they had anything to do with it… it was going to be good… and I wasn’t wrong. They take their art seriously and it reflects in all aspect of the Zero Feedback portfolio. The tracks, the production, the look… it’s all there. Righteous Fist’s Dragon Tracks Vol 1 is out now along with a few other ZF tracks so checkout the bands sites for all things Zero F. www.facebook.com/ZeroFeedbackUK
THE PHANTOMS 4-piece brit rock band The Phantoms were formed way back in March 2012 and the guys have been busy honing their skills and touring around the usual central belt venues and even ventured South of the border to help spread their take on that classic 90’s UK rock sound. In November 2013 the band released their debut EP ‘This Is How It Should Be’ featuring 5 pretty sweet tracks showcasing just what the guys do best. 2014 will see the bands follow up single ‘Revolution’ released and their first feature video at the same time. www.facebook.com/TMATW
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MUSIC
FEATURE
image @ theskinny.co.uk
BWA BLACK BALLOONS
Black Balloons are a four-piece band ‘beat combo’ that apparently “combine elements of Alt Rock and Noise Pop to create 3 minute Garagey Pop songs”, well again I have to admit to a description being pretty spot on from a band. They released their debut self-titled EP at the start of 2013 and sold out Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh at its launch show. They write super catchy tunes, you know, the ones that you can listen to over and over for months and still love them when you start the car it they start to blast out the CD player. I have to admit to having a wee bit of a platonic crush on Black Balloons but whatever you do, don’t tell them, just check their awesome debut EP and some of their pretty sweet videos. www.facebook.com/BlackBalloonsTunes
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image @ www.list.co.uk
ANI JUNCTION
2014 is set to be the year that GoGuide officially adopt Bwani Junction as a local band at some point. With at least one member hailing from the historic areas around the West Lothian Fault Line (you know, the ‘North of the M9’ territories) we thought it was about time we made a decision as to whether the guys were a local band or not and I’m pleased to say that from now on Bwani Junction could be living in Bathgate for all we care… they are LOCAL. Bwani are one of the hottest indie bands in the UK at the moment and have played pretty much everywhere with pretty much everyone. And that’s not just in this country as the guys are used to jetting around the globe and playing to all manner of audiences as well as entertaining the Hogmanay crowds in Edinburgh. Our adoption couldn’t be better timing as the guys are set to release their debut album ‘Tongue of Bombie’ on Aksatak Records this month with a launch show in the Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh at the end of Jan. On a sad note the release of the album and their January show will signal a wee hiatus for the guys to allow them to focus on some other stuff for a while but hopefully not too long. So until we get a chance to have a chat with the guys just get over and check out their audio tracks and some pretty sweet videos online and obviously the new album when it gets released. www.facebook.com/Bwanijunction
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MUSIC
D N I M R E V NE ’S T I S K C O L THE BOL
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WHAT’S ON
WHAT’S ON...
JAN/FEB JANUARY
MUSIC
CHECKOUT OUR EVENTS PAGE @ WWW.GOGUIDEMAGAZINE.CO.UK/WORDPRESS/EVENTS-CALENDAR OR THE BANDS & VENUES SITE FOR FULL DETAILS
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CHECK ONLINE FOR YOUR AREAS NEXT EVENT
www.facebook.com/pages/Rock-a-Buy-Baby-Kids-Market
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CHECK DATES ONLINE
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LIFE(STYLE) FEATURE
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LIFE(STYLE)
THE REAL-LIFE TECHNOLOGY OF SCI-FI FEATURE
Star Trek has proven over the decades that it is an immensely popular show with an intriguing and interesting premise. It has survived the test of time not only as a classic, but also as a reinvention as several generations of people have enjoyed it in some form or other. Some are original series veterans, some (like myself) became associated with it under the command of Captain Picard and some have only just recently become familiar with it after the recent, massively successful Hollywood blockbuster remakes. Star Trek, like many other successful nerd-culture icons, is the subject of debate amongst fans; who’s the better captain, Kirk or Picard? Who are the better bad guys, the Borg, the Klingons or Khan? Which is the best series, the original, Next Generation or Voyager? These subjects will most likely always be debated, but one thing that isn’t up for debate is that Star Trek both predicted, and Page 30
paved the way for, many of the modern day technologies we use today.
Part of the fascination and wonder of the scifi genre is the amazing variety of out-of-thisworld gadgets and gizmos that the characters use in their missions or jobs. Many of these still seem like a far off dream, but some have already come into fruition, and several have their origins in Star Trek episodes.
image @ www.yourprops.com
Mobile phones, flat touchscreen computers, wireless earpieces, tele-presence, voice recognition, personal computers, portable memory and remote location finding are all found throughout older Star Trek episodes and were once thought to be fanciful inventions of the imagination and nothing more. But now they are all an integral part of modern day society and are all easily accessible to the public, and some have been for a number of years. Although names have changed (communicators = mobile phones, flat touchscreen computers = tablets, telepresence = Skype and remote location finding = GPS), these inventions are still practically identical, function wise to how they were depicted on Star Trek all those years ago. But Star Trek is not the only sci-fi show to have inspired real-life inventions. Thanks to the ever-growing advances in technology, there are now many weird and wonderful developments in the implementation of sci-fi gadgets to the real world that were once thought to be impossible. The first, and perhaps most widely used, on this list is facial recognition. In sci-fi shows and movies a person’s identity could be deciphered by a machine that scans a person’s face and nothing more. Well this technology is well and truly implemented into everyday modern life. Airports often use it to ease lines, and even Facebook uses it to help tag photos. If it recognises the placement of certain features, it can guess who it is in the photo. Mind reading
JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
I
Victoria Tickle GoGuide Magazine Contributor
has also become a reality. The gaming company Emotiv have already developed and brought out a video game controller that is operated by brain activity. In essence, the controller is reading the users mind in order to propel the user’s avatar through the
game. Driverless cars are also a thing now. The Google cars are driverless cars that have driven, unassisted by humans, over 482,803 kilometres to date. The cars can also be given ‘personalities’, they can be programmed to drive aggressively or cautiously. Robotics has proven to be a popular sci-fi field to investigate and experiment with as
the driverless cars aren’t alone. Androids have also made an appearance in our world as far back as 10 years ago – which in technology years is practically a lifetime. In 2003 the ‘Actroid’ was released. It was a robot specifically designed to mirror the mannerisms, looks and behaviours of a human woman. It breathed, blinked, recognised the sensation of touch and it could imitate human behaviour. It is also remarkably realistic looking on both an aesthetic and movement level. Nanodrones are also now very much a reality. These tiny, 3cm wide, unmanned aerial vehicles are designed specifically with remote surveillance capabilities in mind. According to the Pentagon there are over 100 models in use. Moving from tiny to giant, the real world now has several military exoskeletons in existence. Whilst these aren’t standard issue by any means, the ones that have been built are impressive ventures into weaponry and defence. Some models let the user lift 17 times their normal lifting weight and can punch through 8cm of wood. Other models can carry a weight of 90kg and can reduce the user’s oxygen consumption by 10%. GM foods are nothing specifically new or exciting, but there are a few exceptions to the rule. Dutch scientists have successfully grown meat in test tubes. The tissue originally came from stem cells, and the first stem cell burger cost approximately $330,000 and was apparently authentic tasting, if a little bland. Force fields are also slowly creeping their way into reality. Boeing has created a powerful, highly concentrated laser JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
called MATRIX. This is designed to detect and destroy anything that flies into its range including jet fighters and rockets. Perhaps the most exciting and most iconic piece of technology from many sci-fi stories is the transporter, or teleportation device. The good news is that it has been invented! In 2009 the University of Maryland successfully copied an atom to a remote location. The bad news is that the time needed to transmit the information required to teleport a human would take 4.85 quadrillion years. Whilst it’s true that many of the sci-fi inspired inventions on this list are unlikely to become as available to the public as the real-life Star Trek inventions listed at the beginning of this article, the fact that they exist at all is a huge achievement. As technology evolves, develops and becomes more efficient and cheaper, the world of make-believe may soon find itself becoming a reality. After all, I’m sure if you went back in time to as little as 50 years ago and said that you can carry all the information in the known world in your pocket (essentially a smartphone with internet access) and have instant access to it, you would have been called crazy – yet it’s a standard device that most of us have, and have had in some form or other for years. The wondrous thing about technology is that it seems that the possibilities are endless, and it appears that nothing seems to be impossible anymore – it’s just going to take some time. We all have a lot to thank sci-fi for, and hopefully we will all have a lot more to be thankful for as time goes by.
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S E D I S A 5
LIFE(STYLE) FEATURE
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TOP 5 MOST PHOTOGRAPHED PLACES
HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME (LOS ANGELES)
EIFFEL TOWER (PARIS)
The Hollywood Walk of Fame comprises more than 2,500 fivepointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California. The stars are permanent public monuments to achievement in the entertainment industry, bearing the names of a mix of actors, musicians, directors, producers, musical and theatrical groups, fictional characters, and others. The Walk of Fame is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and maintained by the self-financing Hollywood Historic Trust. It is a popular tourist destination, with a reported 10 million visitors in 2003.
hdwallpapers.in
The Eiffel Tower is located on the Champ de Mars in Paris and is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair. The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world with the tower receiving its 250 millionth visitor in 2010. The tower is 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall and has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second. The third level observatory's upper platform is 276 m (906 ft) above the ground. Most popular photo: The tower from a distance.
Most popular photo: A single star from above.
TRAFALGAR SQUARE (LONDON) Trafalgar Square, owned by the Queen through Right of the Crown, is built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of commemorative statues and sculptures in the square, while one plinth, left empty since it was built in 1840, The Fourth Plinth, has been host to contemporary art since 1999. The square is also used for political demonstrations and community gatherings, such as the celebration of New Year's Eve. Most popular photo: A wide shot of the National Gallery and St. Martin-in-the-Fields church.
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doyourpart.com
tastelikedeath @ flickr
COLOSSEUM (ROME)
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING (NEW YORK)
The Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy.
The Empire State Building is a 103-story skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet (381 meters), and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft (443.2 m) high. Its name is derived from the nickname for New York, the Empire State. It stood as the world's tallest building for nearly 40 years, from its completion in early 1931 until the topping out of the World Trade Center's North Tower in late 1970.
Built of concrete and stone, it was the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire, and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. It is the largest amphitheatre in the world. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in 70 AD, and was completed in 80 AD under his successor and heir Titus. The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology.
The Empire State Building is generally thought of as an American cultural icon. It is designed in the distinctive Art Deco style and has been named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The building is owned by the 2,800 investors in Empire State Building Associates LLC. Most popular photo: The view from the street below.
Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. Most popular photo: One showing the entire structure.
5 QUESTIONS ABOUT LASER EYE SURGERY
WON’T I GO BLIND? As with all medical stuff laser surgery comes with risks attached and like everything else you can’t rule out 100% something going wrong. You might feel better knowing that the risk of going blind is roughly 1 in 5,000,000. To put it in perspective the odds of being struck by a meteorite and killed are about 1 in 250,000, so it is pretty unlikely that anything will go wrong.
WILL IT HURT?
HOW LONG IS RECOVERY?
Although the procedure might feel a little strange laser eye surgery experts and millions of patients are happy that it doesn’t hurt. The surgeon will use local anaesthetic eye drops to numb your eyes, yep… not a needle in sight. You will feel a little pressure on your eye but it will be completely pain free.
Most surgery lets you return to work within one or two days of the procedure, some types of operations though may recommend a couple of weeks maximum. Your eye won’t really be fully healed for around six months after the procedure but that is normal due to the lack of blood flow to the eye area and you may see slight changes in your vision, but nothing enough that it would affect your day-to-day life.
WHAT ABOUT INFECTIONS? Infections of the cornea are very rare after eye surgery as antibiotic drops are used throughout the treatment and after the surgery to help keep your eyes as healthy as possible and stop any infections taking hold. You can also minimise the risk of infection after the surgery by avoiding thing like swimming pools, hot tubs and not wearing any eye make up for at least a few weeks.
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SO HOW MUCH TIME OFF WORK DO I NEED? A lengthy period off work is not required with any standard laser eye surgery. Exact timescales though very much depend on your job type. Most people are back at work within 2-4 days and most office based light physical workers can be back at their desks within hours of their surgery.
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S E D I S A 5
LIFE(STYLE) FEATURE
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5 NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS PEOPLE MAKE LOSE WEIGHT On almost everyone’s list at some point in their life and always among the most popular resolutions hints at just how hard it actually is to stick to this one. You can do it though if you take the long term approach “You want results yesterday, and desperation mode kicks in,” says Pam Peeke, MD, author of Body for Life for Women. “Beware of the valley of quickie cures.”
Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program at New York City’s’ St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals. “But I always tell people to think of how much money they will save.”
SAVE MONEY It is thought that a lack of social bonding can potentially damage your health just as much as alcohol abuse or smoking, more than being overweight and overall fitness a 2010 study in the journal PLoS Medicine suggests. Social media can help massively with keeping in touch with friend or family but be careful it doesn’t become your only contact with people.
Combining a couple of resolutions together isn’t a bad thing and doing one automatically leads to doing the other, like quitting smoking, it immediately saves you a small fortune. Healthy things like walking or using a bike for certain journeys saves money and gets you some exercise at the same time.
QUIT SMOKING
Expect the odd slip up from time to time and use a food diary to help keep track of what you eat, when you eat and try to have a support system in place. “Around week four to six...people become excuse mills,” Dr. Peeke says. “That’s why it’s important to have someone there on a regular basis to get you through those rough times.”
This is a popular choice but like the diet stuff it tends to be the one broken most, and quickest, there’s never been a better time to try nowadays though with more aids than ever to help you make it. Most ex-smoker will tell you that multiple attempts is par for the course.
STAY IN TOUCH The festive season brings people together and a few months into the year you might have found in the past that friends or family have fallen by the wayside? It’s a healthy pursuit to try to keep in touch with people. Studies have found that those with strong social ties are found to live longer than those who perhaps get lost in only work and home life.
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Feel free to try a number of different methods to find out what one works best for you before dismissing yourself and sit always have a wee note of how much money you spend on smoking close to hand. “It’s one of the harder habits to quit,” says Merle Myerson, MD, director of the
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Expensive gym membership can be reduced by exercising more at home. There are plenty of fitness programs on modern videogame consoles to help get your sweat up right in your living room. To save on shopping ALWAYS shop to a list, and check your fridge and cupboards and make your list as you go along. Supermarket ‘browse’ shopping almost always leads to poor choices and overspending. Although do keep your eyes peeled for offers on items on your list or substitutes for items on it, NEVER add stuff regardless of how much of a bargain it seems. Remember you’re using a methodical approach to saving money rather than a hit and miss.
CUT BACK ON ALCOHOL Binge drinking somehow seems to be on the up in the UK and while there has been loads written about the benefits to our health of perhaps just a small amount of alcohol, overindulgence still seems to be our biggest issue. Our brain is actually quite affected by drinking excess quantities of alcohol as changes in our neurotransmitters can actually make you more susceptible to depression, memory loss, or even seizures. Proper heavy drinking may also take you into the areas of liver and heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and mental deterioration, and even cancers of the mouth, throat, liver, and breast. So definitely well worth cutting back if you think you are overdoing it on a regular basis.
5 TOP RETURN QUERIES
CHANGE YOUR MIND?
When you buy something from the shops you don’t actually have any legal right to get a refund just because you decide you don’t want it anymore, you don’t like the style, or perhaps you feel it doesn’t fit the way you might have liked it to. Sure lots of shops will happily let you exchange your item or even issue you a refund if they are really nice - but it’s good to know that they don’t have to.
ONLINE RETURNS Online shopping always carries a seven day ‘cooling off’ period, and this is from the date you receive the product. During this period you can feel free to send your items back for a full refund – even if the only reason you have is because you changed your mind.
BUYING A GIFT?
THE PRICE ISN’T ALWAYS RIGHT Want us to clear up an old myth regarding shop pricing? Ok… did you know that shops don’t actually have to sell items to you at their displayed price? So the next time you find something priced ridiculously low don’t get too excited, wrongly priced items that show up at their correct price at the till need to be paid for at their higher price. The shop legaly don’t have to seel you the item at the marked price.
YOU DON’T NEED A RECEIPT TO RETURN FAULTY GOODS As long as you have some form of proof of purchase; bank statement, credit card statement etc. is all you need.
If you are buying a gift for someone else it is good to know that legally, the only person that can return the item is the person who bought it in the first place. Many shops though will allow other people to return gift item. If you have any doubt that the person might not like the item make a note on the receipt suck as “Purchased as gift for Yada Yada”, which transfers the rights to the gift recipient. As a belt and braces approach add the same note to the shops copy of the receipt.
5 FOODS SAFE TO EAT AFTER ‘USE BY’ CEREAL
POTATO CHIPS
Most cereals not stored/sealed properly will just get stale pretty quickly and never make it to the use by date. If, however, you store them properly using a good sealing technique you can safely eat them months after they have expired.
Crisps are pretty highly processed items so other than potentially getting a wee bit soggy you can safely tuck in to them months beyond their expiry
SOFT DRINKS Canned Diet sparkling juice is good for up to 4 months after its due date, after that the artificial sweeteners begin to break down so toss them. Regular however can easily and safely be drunk up to 9 months after its date has passed.
BEEF Not one I like but officially, and as long as you cook it THOUROUGHLY when you use it, you can actually stretch beefs ‘best before date’ for as much as 5 days before you need to cook it.
HARD CHEESES As an example a cheddar cheese, even if it’s been opened, should be safe to consume for up to 4 weeks beyond its best before date.
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FEEDME FEEDMENOW!!!
LIFE(STYLE) FEATURE
Special edition of Fee this month after the festive season, I pers see another roast din can help it. So I’m he snacks just now so a out some Toastie rec
I use a family sized George F traditional Toasted Sandwic done with just a little plann just your standard cooker gr
Methods for ALL recipes – s in individual recipes if need
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FOREMAN: As with the abo sandwich in your Foreman i toast until at your desired c
GRILL: Open Toastie – No need for side of each slice of bread, a each recipe, or toppings in t of a toastie, to the untoaste stick back under the grill un on your toppings.
Image @ currys.co.uk
Image @ amazon.com
Closed Toastie – Again no n one side of one slice of brea to the untoasted side as det you second slice of bread on the grill until your desired c toasted through.
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ed Me Feed Me Now indulgence of the sonally don’t want to nner until spring if I eavily into quick light perfect time to try cipes.
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Do we really need to tell you how to make a classic melted cheese and ham toastie? Yes? No?…
ove but just place the instead and close the lid, cook is achieved.
Makes 2 INGREDIENTS
r any butter, just toast one add the filling as detailed in the case of this open version ed side of your bread and ntil your desired cook is met
4 slices bread Cheese qty as desired 2 slices ham METHOD Prep as for Toastie or Grill
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Place the ham and cheese on your prepared bread…. Yep that’s it. Finish as for Toastie or Grill Inspired by a recipe @ http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes
CHEESE &
ONION Cheese & onion seems to be one of those combinations you have everywhere so its no surprise to see it in a toastie. Serves: 1 INGREDIENTS 2 slices of bread (1 for grill) 50g cheese 1/2 small onion METHOD Prep as for Toastie or Grill Lay your sliced cheese evenly across one of the slices of bread. For quick toasties chop your onion into rings, if you’ve got the time or have chef like knife skills I like mine diced. Spread your onion evenly over the cheese Finish as for Toastie or Grill
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Inspired by a recipe @ http://www.cheesetoastie.co.uk/
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CHEESE
NA + ONE
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KICK
One of a number of basic recipe ideas that is quick and easy and doesn’t really take any planning or special ingredients, unless you class Worcestershire Sauce as something special? Serves: 4 INGREDIENTS 50g strong cheese (mature Cheddar or similar) 8 slices of bread of your choice (4 thick slices for a grill toastie) 1 tin of tuna, drained 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce METHOD Prep as for Toastie or Grill Spread the tuna evenly over one slice of the bread. Completely cover with sliced cheese and sprinkle Worcestershire sauce over the top and place under the grill. Finish as for Toastie or Grill Inspired by a recipe @ allrecipes.co.uk
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EEZE CHILLI CH
TOASTIE
Another simple cheese delight packed with awesome vegies and a wee kick along the way‌ Serves: 2 INGREDIENTS 4 pieces of bread - 1/2 tsp minced garlic - 1 small tomato, thinly sliced 2 mushrooms, thinly sliced - 1/2 red or green pepper, thinly sliced 8 slices of mature Cheddar cheese - Dried mixed herbs or black pepper for seasoning METHOD Prep as for Toastie or Grill Start by spreading a small qty of the garlic on 2 pieces of the bread. Cover the bread with tomato, mushrooms and peppers then a good couple of large slices of the cheese. Season with the dried herbs and pepper as you fancy. Finish as for Toastie or Grill For Open sandwich feel free to season after final cooking. image by epSos.de @ flickr
Inspired by a recipe @ allrecipes.co.uk
For the most part just a typical tuna, onion and cheese experience but throw in a few sliced jalapenos for a super wee kick. Serves: 2 INGREDIENTS 1 Tin worth of Tuna 1/2 small onion, minced 1/2 teaspoon pepper to taste
1 Jar of Jalapeno slices 4 slices of bread Cheddar cheese as desired
METHOD Prep as for Toastie or Grill Drain your Tuna and throw in a small bowl, add the onion and black pepper. Spread the mixture on your bread and top with your desired amount of jalapenos on each. Top with cheddar cheese as desired. Finish as for Toastie or Grill Inspired by a recipe @ allrecipes.co.uk
For another toastie with a wee kick try this Chilli version, wee bit of prep and cooking but worth it. Serves: 2 INGREDIENTS 4 slices bread 1 teaspoon of oil 1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small chilli, finely chopped - your choose desired on your quest for heat 4 slices cheese Small handful of fresh coriander, chopped
METHOD Prep as for Toastie or Grill Start by frying the onion and chilli gently over a medium heat and be careful not to burn it. When ready take off the heat and leave to the side to cool. After a wee while add the coriander and mix well. Cover two slices of your bread with the cheese as desired, divide the onion mixture equally over the top. Finish as for Toastie or Grill Serve with mango chutney if desired.
Inspired by a recipe @ cathedralcity.co.uk
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LIFE(STYLE)
FEEDME FEEDMENOW!!! FEATURE
CHEESY BANANA
B
EET PC SUPER SW
BACON
PEANU
T BUTT
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Don’t let the ingredients put you off this one, it’s awesome and I bet the kids will be grabbing it out of your hands once they have tasted it. Serves: 1 INGREDIENTS 2 slices bacon 1 banana 50g cheese Black pepper to taste 2 slices bread
TE CHOCOLA
METHOD Prep as for Toastie or Grill Kick off by quickly grilling the bacon until it’s crispy then break it up or chop into pieces. Grab a small bowl and mash the banana then throw in the bacon, cheese and pepper. Spread the mixture on your bread and toast. Finish as for Toastie or Grill Inspired by a recipe @ allrecipes.co.uk
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N
NUT CRU
A sweet and sticky treat now with a peanut butter, chocolate and banana toastie to die for Makes 2 INGREDIENTS 2 big desert spoonfulls of crunchy peanut butter ½ banana, sliced 3 chunks chocolate Method Prep as for Toastie or Grill Spread the peanut butter on your bread. Top with the banana slices and chocolate. Finish as for Toastie or Grill Inspired by a recipe @ channel4.com/4food/recipes
An awesome sandwich on its own without toasting but throw it all together into a toastie and you’re in for a real treat. Makes 1 INGREDIENTS 2 Slices bread 2 Teaspoons crunchy peanut butter 2 Teaspoons any flavour fruit jam you prefer METHOD Prep as for Toastie or Grill Spread your peanut butter on one slice of bread, spread your jam on the other, combine your slices on top of each other (don’t have to explain which sides do we? Plain sides out folks). Finish as for Toastie or Grill Inspired by a recipe @ allrecipes.com
NCH The ultimate sweet toothed toastie for us anyway…. I certainly couldn’t eat more than one, or two… maybe three at a push or…. Makes 2 INGREDIENTS 1 Single bar of chocolate of your choice broken up and chopped finely 4 Slices of bread 1 tablespoons dark or milk chocolate chips (something different from your main chocolate 1 tablespoon chopped toasted hazelnuts or nuts of your choice METHOD Prep as for Toastie or Grill Melt the chocolate using the good old pot, bowl and water if you’re used to that method. Or, like me, use the microwave method. Place your chopped chocolate in a small microwavable bowl and cook for 20-30 secs on the LOWEST setting you have. If your super lazy or in a real hurry you can use a good dollop of Nutella for this stage. Remove and stir if possible, repeat in 15 sec intervals until you’re happy that all the chocolate is melted. Spread the mixture on your bread then sprinkle the chocolate chips and nuts evenly as desired before toping with the 2md slice of bread. Finish as for Toastie or Gril
Inspired by a recipe @ www.studentbeans.com
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LIFE(STYLE) TECH - PHONE APPS
B
eing an office based ‘drone’ trudging the daily 9-5 I’m always keen to see the odd office based game popping up every now and again, which isn’t nearly as often as I’d like to see as to be honest think there are a million office games out there just waiting to be unearthed and imotrilised in a Java based 79p handheld bundle of joy. When you look at that famous episode of The Office (US version) where they hold the office Olympics… you just know there was thousands of people shouting ‘That’s my game...’ at the screen I mean, who hasn’t played DunderBall in their office?
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Paper toss filled a wee bit of that gap and now I’m kinda a wee bit addicted to ‘Smash the Office - Stress Fix’ by Tuokio Oy on Android and iOS.
of the office. Head first towards the fire extinguishers if you see any, they explode and wipe out all the stuff around them. After completing levels there are options available after each level to boost your speed and strength and to change your basic weapon to something a little meatier. Oh… and some crazy hats for you to wear….?????
It this quick to get to grips with this game, well even I managed to move around , swing big bat/sword/blunt instrument, move around some more. The level throw you into a bog standard looking open plan nine-to-five The graphics are simple with some cool sound effects to accompany your carnage. office/cubicle farms with computers, desks, You are unable to leave the confides of the chairs, plants, water bottles and other typical various (well maybe not that various) offices office gear…. Aim of the game? Well…. just smash ‘em up, as much as you can, as quick and only moving from room to room does get a tad repetitive after about 15 minutes, much as you can. You have around one minute on like office life in general. the timer to get a high score with a few extra seconds available to earn along the way by smashing certain SMASH THE OFFICE objects. Other special £FREE objects double your speed, or your score, Mr Suit for GoGuide Magazine freeze the clock, or Contributor give you whirlwind like powers to destroy large parts
GG
JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
F
lipagram is quickly becoming the ‘daddy’ of third party apps that lets you create short and personalized video clips from a bunch of your photos, or images as us techies like to call them ;-). It’s been a massively successful app at a time when so many people have a desire to share a FLIPAGRAM £FREE Mr Suit for GoGuide Magazine Contributor
GGG
retrospective look at their year in wee short video form to their mates but has caused a few headaches, as you’d probably expect, with the Android users among us with numerous claims of crashes and hangs and poor image quality when using it with Google’s Play Store seeing many comments from unhappy users leaving 1 star reviews for the app due to these issues. Luckily for some, iOS users seem to have no issues using the app – as you would JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
probably expect due to the vast amount of different handsets using the Android OS and just the one really using iOS. There was an update released at the start of Jan for the app so hopefully that resolved a few issues. Overall the app looks pretty good and is easy to get to grips with and in use things couldn’t be easier. From within the app all you do you can pick a bunch of images from social sites like Facebook, Instagram, and the also your photo gallery on your phone/tablet and have them included in the finished product. Once you have your images chosen simply sort them in the order you want, adjust the timing of each photo flips and choose some banging tune as backing track to your awesome video and WHEHEY… you’re done. When you’re happy share your video through the usual social networking channels. Nothing much else to say other than it ‘does what it says on the tin’.
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LIFE(STYLE)
PHONE APPS CHART
CHECKOUT THIS M FREE AND PAID APPS ON BO
TOP 10 FREE APPS
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TOP 10 PAY APPS
1
Cartoon HD Pham Liem
1
2
Mr. Crab Illusion Labs
2
Cut the Rope 2 - £0.69 ZeptoLab UK Limited
3
Flipagram Cheerful, Inc.
3
Heads Up! - £0.69 Warner Bros.
4
Nike Training Club Nike, Inc.
4
Minecraft – Pocket Editio n - £4.99 Mojang
5
Scanner Pro by Readdle Readdle
5
MONOPOLY - £0.69 Electronic Arts
6
WhatsApp Messenger WhatsApp Inc.
6
Traffic Racer - £0.69 Soner Kara
7
Can You Escape Kaarel Kirsipuu
7
Play Tube Convert - £0.69 Fill Bogachev
8
Farm Heroes Saga King.com Limited
8
Feed Me Oil 2 - £1.99 Chillingo Ltd
9
Snapchat Snapchat, Inc.
9
Football Manager Handhe ld™ 2014 £6.99 SEGA
10
QuizUp: The Biggest Trivia Game In The World! Plain Vanilla Corp
10
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7 Minute Workout Challe nge - £1.49 Fitness Guide Inc Health & Fitnes
The Chase - £1.49 Barnstorm Games
PHONE APP CENTRAL
MONTHS TOP 10 OTH ANDROID AND IPHO N
E
TOP 10 FREE APPS 1 2
Facebook Skype - free IM & video calls
2
Candy Crush Saga
3
WhatsApp Messenger
4
BBC iPlayer
5
Skype
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
King.com
WhatsApp Inc.
BBC Media Applications Tech
BBC Media Player
6
Facebook Messenge
7
BBC Media Applications Tech BBC Media Applications Tech
Flipagram
Cheerful, inc.
Official eBay Android App eBay Mobile
Snapchat
Snapchat, Inc.
Minecraft – Pock et Edition - £4.99
1
3
TOP 10 PAY APPS
8 9 10
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Mojang
SwiftKey 3 Keyboa
rd - £2.99
TouchType Ltd
Poweramp Full Ve rsion Unlocker £2.68 Max MP The Chase - £1.49
Barnstorm Games
Wreck-it Ralph - £0
.49
Disney
Worms 2: Armag ed
don - £0.99
Team 17
MONOPOLY - £1.4
9
EA
Sonic The Hedgeh
og 2 - £0.69
SEGA
Football Manager Handheld 2014 £6.99 SEGA Nova Launcher Pr im
TeslaCoil Softwar
e
e - £2.60
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FITNESS
& Fit inc Studio Gym
WITH EVERYONE POTENTIALLY OVER DOING IT OVER THE FESTIVE PERIOD WE RECAP ON A T.O.D. FEATURE THAT HELPS YOU GET BACK IN SHAPE EVEN IF YOU CAN’T GET TO THE GYM
WEIGHTS ARE NOT REQUIRED
T.O.D GUIDES US THROUGH HOW PT TRAINING GETS RESULTS WITHOUT THE NEED FOR OTHER EQUIPMENT.
A LOOK BACK AT ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE T.O.D. FEATURES FROM 2012
TON UP
T.O.D. WORKOUT TO GET YOUR CORE TICKING
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
T.O.D. SOME MORE RECIPES TO HELP YOUR BODY TAKE IN ALL THE RIGHT FUEL TO KEEP YOU GOING
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JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
HEALTH&FITNESS
T.O.D. COACHING
JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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FITNESS
TCO.AOCH.DING. FEATURE
&
M Y G O I D U T FIT INC. S SECTION GOGUIDE MAGAZINE LY TH ON M ’S M GY IO .D. FIT INC. STUD G AND KEEPING FIT. T.O IN TT GE T T.O.D. COACHING AND OU AB OW P NG YOU NEED TO KN IONING AND BOOTCAM IT ND BRINGS YOU EVERYTHI CO , NG NI AI TR , REGIMES. BEST IN EXERCISE BRING YOU THE VERY LIST EVENT TRAINING IA EC SP D AN TS BI HA D EATING WORKOUTS, DIETS AN
A
t T.O.D Coaching one of our specialties is using your body as the main tool to getting you fitter. Our classes and personal training sessions are dedicated to a good foundation of body weight exercises to initiate and maintain a healthy and fit body. Weights are not necessary for those who dream of feeling full of energy and invigorated. . . it’s just your human body and turning up that you require! I’m Daniel O’Donnell and I am a personal trainer at Fit Inc Studio Gym home of T.O.D Coaching, I am a core and plyometric training specialist and I enjoy helping people work hard. At T.O.D Coaching any PT client will be put through core stability exercises to strengthen their body for day to day tasks, we have a core complex class for a healthy half hour of foundation laying core stability exercises
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along with many other classes like ton up and military street gym where your body is the key to improving your health and wellbeing.
lumbar curve and a swayback posture. Stronger, balanced core muscles help maintain appropriate posture and reduce strain on the spine.
When it comes to the core people simply think of the abdominals, forgetting the back and other stabilising muscles around the shoulder girdle and pelvic girdle, being the foundation of trunk strength but they are only a small part of what makes up the core. It is weak and unbalanced core muscles that can be linked to low back pain. Weak core muscles result in a loss of the appropriate
Because the muscles of the trunk and torso stabilize the spine from the pelvis to the neck and shoulder, they allow the transfer of power to the arms and legs. All powerful movements originate from the center of the body and never from the limbs alone. Before any powerful, rapid muscle contractions can occur in the extremities the spine must be solid and stable and the more stable the
JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
core, the more powerful the extremities can contract. Training the muscles of the core helps correct postural imbalances that can lead to injuries. The biggest benefit of core training is to develop functional fitness; the type of fitness that is essential to daily living and regular activities like lifting and moving objects. I quickly became aware of how demanding and rewarding core work is when I joined the armed forces when I was 17 where it was a daily occurrence, I definitely felt the benefits as well as the sensational shakiness of my muscles as they struggled to maintain my posture. 8 years on and I am putting others through the same routines only here at T.O.D it is tailored to clients abilities to ensure motivation is high and rewards are great too. Many athletes make our gym their place to improve either through personal training or our diverse selection of classes and most will tell you the exercises that get the heart pumping and muscles working really hard are the fast, explosive ones or plyometrics as they are also known. Any person who wants to improve speed, agility, power etc. will include bodyweight exercises with a little explosion of energy to get the bodies systems working to 110%. Most people can squat or do a sit-up but most find burpees and clap press ups that little bit more
difficult therefore making that leap from basic bodyweight exercises to plyometric will benefit all who dare to work against gravity. Plyometric are used in most sports and set out the best from the rest because those that can turn quicker, jump higher or farther, accelerate faster etc. will perform their sports more efficiently and consistently.
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Plyometric exercises are designed to improve speed and power by minimising the time spent in the isometric (muscle length does not change while contracting) phase of a muscle contraction. Using the eccentric (lengthening of a muscle when contracting – lowering phase of a bicep curl) phase to work against gravity and your bodyweight while the concentric (shortening of a muscle
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when contracting – raising phase of a bicep curl) phase makes the muscles contract explosively therefore improving strength and power. I have greatly improved my heading ability when playing football thanks to squat jumps, gun drills and burpees as they have improved my jump height along with my strength. We incorporate plyometric exercises into our classes to help improve our clients fitness levels as they are a good hit for the anaerobic and the aerobic systems therefore aiding clients in getting an all-round work out. Our ton up class takes it to the next level as you will perform bodyweight exercises but only you will do hundreds within the half hour to raise the metabolic rate sky high and burn many calories during and after the class. The class is not as mundane as doing one hundred reps of an exercise then moving onto another it is based on 10 sets of 10 reps but using 10 different exercises and there is no rest between exercises and 60 seconds rest between sets. So the set could be 10 squats to 10 press ups to 10 sit ups etc. this ensures all the major muscle groups are worked as well as the cardio vascular system due to the high intensity of the circuit as the absence of rest between the exercises keeps the heart rate elevated.
your muscles and of the body, it enhances stabiliser muscles, has been shown to cut body fat and increase strength. There are different variations for those that are fitter but this type of training will always challenge and help to progress anyone’s training physically and mentally.
Core complex classes are every Monday at 12:30pm and Wednesday at 9:30am. Ton up classes are every Tuesday at 5:30pm and Thursday at 9:30am.
Ton up classes improve functionality of
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Now a little TON UP workout that could be done at home, a local park, at your gym or anywhere you fancy...
SQUAT
Perform 10 repetitions of each exercise with no rest between exercises, once you have done all 10 that will be 100 which is 1 set. Aim for 3 or more sets up to 10.
PRESS UP
Squat – feet shoulder width apart, heels flat, bend at hips and then knees in a sitting motion to bring thighs parallel to floor then stand up tall.
Burpee – from standing lower to a press up position then bring knees back in towards chest then stand back up.
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BURPEE
Press Up – hands shoulder width apart, feet together, bend at elbows to lower chest to floor then press back up to straighten arms.
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Remember 10 repetitions of each, no rest. Once all 10 done that will be 100 which is 1 set. Aim for 3 or more sets up to 10.
LUNGE
TON UP workout continued...
SIT UP
Lunge – lunge forward with one leg lowering back knee to ground and bringing thigh of front leg parallel to floor, raise up bringing feet together then repeat with opposite leg.
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JUMP
Jump Squat – The same as a squat only when you raise power the body up and off the floor then land softly keeping the knees soft.
SQUAT
Sit Up – feet flat on floor raise upper body off floor towards knees, lower back to floor placing each vertebrae one at a time in a controlled manner.
CRUCIFIX PRESS UP
Squat Thrust – In a press up position bring knees up towards chest and in line with elbows then spring back to press up position.
DRILL
GUN
THRUST
SQUAT
Crucifix Press Up – The same as a press up only when lowering you bring the chest all the way to the floor and bring arms out to the side, bring hands back under the shoulders and raise back up.
V-SIT
Gun Drill – In a lunge position quickly spring up and change feet so you land in a lunge position on the opposite side.
V-Sit – Keeping legs and arms straight in a lying position bring legs and arms up to meet to form a v shape, shoulder blades should be off the floor then lower to touching the floor again.
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PAY T.O.D. A VISIT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU!
Fit Inc Studio Gym 1 Simpson Parkway Kirkton Campus Livingston EH54 7BH Tel: 01506 413040 www.tod-coaching.co.uk
Team T.O.D/Fit Inc. and one WBO/WBA Champion Mr Nigel Benn
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MOVIES NEW RELEASES Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones 1st January – 15 Generation Iron 2nd January - 12A Last Vegas 3rd January - 12A Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom 3rd January - 12A The Canyons 3rd January – TBC 1: Life on the Limit 10th January - 12A 12 Years a Slave 10th January - 15 Bounty Killer 10th January – 18 Collider 10th January - TBC Delivery Man 10th January - 12A The Railway Man 10th January – 15 Devil’s Due 16th January – 15 The Wolf of Wall Street 17th January – 18 August: Osage County 24th January – 15 Dark Days 24th January – TBC Fonzy 24th January – 15 Grudge Match 24th January - 12A I, Frankenstein 29th January - TBC Out of the Furnace 29th January – 15 That Awkward Moment 29th January – 15 Lone Survivor 31st January – 15 The Armstrong Lie 31st January - 15 Page 58
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JAN/FEB 2014
Please check online or with cinema directly for latest information.
MOVIE QUIZ WE GOT HOLD OF THE SCISSORS AGAIN NAME THE MOVIES PLEASE?
SEE INSIDE
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MOVIES BOX OFFICE TOP 10
THIS MONTHS UK The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Warner)
The second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, this film continues the adventures of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (Paramount)
San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy, returns to the news desk with co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone, weather man Brick Tamland, man on the street Brian Fantana and sports guy Champ Kind - All of whom won’t make it easy to stay classy... while taking the nation’s first 24-hour news channel by storm.
American Hustle (Sony)
Con man Irving Rosenfeld and his seductive British partner Sydney Prosser are forced to work for FBI agent Richie DiMaso. DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that’s as dangerous as it is enchanting. Irving’s unpredictable wife Rosalyn could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down.
Gravity (Warner)
A brilliant medical engineer is on her first shuttle mission with another veteran astronaut when a disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone - tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth...
Saving Mr. Banks (BV)
When Walt Disney’s daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, Mary Poppins, he made them a promise-one that he didn’t realize would take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a writer with absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by Hollywood.
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K BOX OFFICE TOP 10 Frozen (Disney)
A prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, so Anna must team up with Kristoff, a daring mountain man, on a journeys to find the Snow Queen and put an end to the icy spell. Encountering Everest-like extremes, mystical creatures and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Fox)
A day-dreamer escapes his boring life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.
47 Ronin (Universal)
After a treacherous warlord kills their master and banishes their kind, 47 leaderless samurai vow to seek vengeance and restore honor to their people. Driven from their homes and dispersed across the land, this band of Ronin must seek the help of Kai -a half-breed they once rejected-as they fight their way across a savage magical world.
The Butler (Entertainment)
This film tells the story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades. The film traces the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man’s life and family.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Lionsgate)
Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering.
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MOVIES
TOP TEN BLOCKB OF 2013 Natasha Orme GoGuide Magazine Contributor
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TOP TEN BLOCKBUSTERS OF 2013 So it’s that time of the year again. We say goodbye to one year and hello to another but the big question on all our film fan minds is, which films were the biggest? Let’s start with film at number Ten.
10 STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Captain Kirk is put to the test when he launches a manhunt to find the ‘one-man weapon of mass destruction’. Featuring the talents of Chris Pine and Bennedict Cumberbatch, we are hurtled into space for another action packed adventure.
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE TAKINGS = £ 284.3 MILLION Page 66
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9
OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
Dorothy once whisked us all away on the big screen to the magical land of Oz. Disney has taken us back. With James Franco playing the young and inspiring Oz, we follow his own journey into Oz which is even more magical than before.
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE TAKINGS = £ 300.0 MILLION
8
MAN OF STEEL
So forget Christopher Reeves because Henry Cavill takes us back to the beginning of the legendary life of Superman. The story is retold the way it was meant to be and for a second time in 2013 we are propelled through space on a journey like no other. There’s no surprise this film is in the top five, its effects, casting, costume, story and script are simply outstanding.
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE TAKINGS = £ 402.1 MILLION JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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MOVIES
7
GRAVITY
Sandra Bullock and George Clooney take on the roles of a medical examiner and an astronaut that become stranded in space after what was thought to be a routine spacewalk. With nothing to hold onto but each other, they go hurtling through space.
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE TAKINGS = £ 412.9 MILLION
6
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
How did it all start? Meet a younger Mike Wazowski on his ambitious way to University to study scaring in a way that you could never have imagined. Mike then has to muster all his senses to not only keep up with the rest of the class but beat the entire school in the Scaring Games. Will Sully help him be scary or will they all fail?
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE TAKINGS = £ 453.2 MILLION Page 68
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5
FAST & FURIOUS 6
After Dom and Brian's Rio heist went so well, their team scattered across the globe with $100 million between them but their lives are incomplete, until their speciality skills are enlisted to help track a mercenary mastermind in exchange for full pardons. This film really is fast paced and furiously entertaining.
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE TAKINGS = £ 479.7 MILLION
4
FROZEN
Elsa has the magical ability to create ice and snow but when she accidentally causes an eternal winter, it’s down to her sister, Anna, and the mountain man, Kristoff, to save the trapped kingdom of Arendelle. Don’t worry, like any good Disney film, there are some hilarious and entertaining characters in the form of the snowman Olaf and Kristoff’s reindeer Sven. Okay so now we’re down to the top three, any ideas which films were the favourites of 2013?
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE TAKINGS = £ 483.7 MILLION JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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MOVIES
3 THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
Now there is no surprise that this film is this high up the list. After the release of the first film, book sales went through the roof and the increasing interest in the sequel was mounting. Katniss Everdeen, played by the beautiful Jennifer Lawrence, has been through hell in the hunger games before but now it’s the quarter quell and she’s back, this time she’s against people that have already won. She won the first games on almost pure luck, does she have the skill to win a second time?
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE TAKINGS = £ 497.6 MILLION
2
DESPICABLE ME 2
Some people might be surprised at the popularity of that old villain, Gru but after the first film became a modern legend, this film had a lot to live up to. Now as a full time Dad, Gru becomes a good guy and is enlisted by the Anti-Villain league to find someone with a dangerous substance. This time he has a new sidekick, Lucy, and with the help of his minions, he will become the ultimate good guy. This film is surprisingly funny and stood its ground in the shadow of the first film.
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE TAKINGS = £ 579.9 MILLION
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1
IRON MAN 3
Now this is hardly a surprise. After the cocky Robert Downey Junior stole our hearts not only as Sherlock, but in the first two Iron Man films, a third was bound to a big hit. In this film, Tony Stark is haunted by the trip through the wormhole in The Avengers. Although Stark finds himself almost going backwards, his enemies are always growing stronger and it’s going to take all his physical strength as well as his mental strength to put up a decent enough fight. The question is, will Iron Man win?
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE TAKINGS = £ 738.9 MILLION
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MOVIES
MOVIES
TO SEE IN
2014 MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM / ROBOCOP /
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MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM
Release date: 3 January Director: Justin Chadwick Cast: Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Riaad Moosa, Zolani Mkiva Plot: An adaptation of the late, great Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom, this tells his life story from his days as a boy in the countryside to his election as President following the long struggle to end apartheid. Elba plays Mandela with Harris as his second wife, Winnie.
ROBOCOP
Release date: 7 Feb Director: José Padilha Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Douglas Urbanski, Abbie Cornish Plot: In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Overseas, their drones have been used by the military for years - and it’s meant billions for OmniCorp’s bottom line. Now OmniCorp wants to bring their controversial technology to the home front, and they see a golden opportunity to do it. When Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) - a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit - is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp sees their chance for a partman, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and even more billions for their shareholders, but they never counted on one thing: there is still a man inside the machine pursuing justice.
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MOVIES
NOAH
Release date: 4 April Director: Darren Aronofsky Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson, Ray Winstone. Plot: The Biblical Noah suffers visions of an apocalyptic deluge and takes measures to protect his family from the coming flood. Speaking of the film’s extensive use of visual effects, Aronofsky said he and his crew “had to create an entire animal kingdom”, using no real animals in the production but instead “slightly tweaked” versions of real creatures. Industrial Light and Magic said their work on the film represented “the most complicated rendering in the company’s history”
NEED FOR SPEED Release date: 12 March Director: Scott Waugh Cast: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Scott Mescudi
Plot: Based on the most successful racing video game franchise ever with over 140 million copies sold, DreamWorks Pictures’ “Need for Speed” captures the thrills of the game in a real-world setting. An exciting return to the great car-culture films of the 1960s and ‘70s, when authenticity brought a new level of intensity to the action, “Need for Speed” taps into what makes the American myth of the open road so enticing. The story chronicles a near-impossible crosscountry race against time.
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MUPPETS MOST WANTED Release date: 28 March Director: James Bobin Cast: Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell
Plot: While on a grand world tour, The Muppets find themselves wrapped into an European jewel-heist caper headed by a Kermit the Frog look-alike and his dastardly sidekick. Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theatres in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit.
THE LEGO MOVIE
Release date: 14 February Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller Cast: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett Plot: Directed and co-written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and starring the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman. In the Lego universe, an ordinary mini-figure named Emmet is mistaken as being the Special (the greatest Master Builder who can save the Lego universe). With the help of an old wizard named Vitruvius, and a tough young woman named Wyldstyle, Batman, Uni-Kitty, Benny, and a pirate named Metalbeard, Emmet will have to unlearn everything he saw in the instructions and discover the power of imagination to defeat the evil tyrant Lord Business, who is bent on destroying the Lego universe on Taco Tuesday and recreating it as he sees fit by gluing it together.
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MOVIES
FURY
Release date: 24 October Director: David Ayer Cast: Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf Plot: April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battlehardened army sergeant named Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.
22 JUMP STREET Release date: 6 June Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller Cast: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube
Plot: After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team, and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership. Now they don’t have to just crack the case - they have to figure out if they can have a mature relationship. If these two overgrown adolescents can grow from freshmen into real men, college might be the best thing that ever happened to them.
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CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER Release date: 28 March Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Cast: Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Riaad Moosa, Zolani Mkiva
Plot: After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn.
INTERSTELLAR Release date: 7 November Director: Christopher Nolan Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
Plot: When a wormhole (which hypothetically can connect widely-separated regions of spacetime) is newly discovered, a team of explorers and scientists embark on a voyage through it to transcend previous limitations on human space travel. Interstellar is a movie by Director, Christopher Nolan (Inception, The Dark Knight Trilogy). In the future, governments and economies across the globe have collapsed, food is scarce, NASA is no more, and the 20th Century is to blame. After the rip in spacetime opens it’s up to whatever is left of NASA to explore and offer up hope for mankind.
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MOVIES
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
Release date: 22 May Director: Bryan Singer Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Evan Peters Plot: The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-Men: Days of Future Past. The characters from the original X-Men film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from X-Men: First Class in an epic battle that must change the past - to save our future.
THE RAID 2
Release date: Feb 7 Director: Gareth Evans Cast: Julie Estelle, Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian Plot: After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen in The Raid rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap.
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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Release date: 1 August Director: James Gunn Cast: Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan Plot: In the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan. In order to evade Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a group of misfits including Gamora, Rocket, Drax the Destroyer and Groot. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand — with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.
THE EXPENDABLES 3
Release date: 15 August Director: Patrick Hughes Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kelsey Grammer Plot: Barney, Christmas and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks, who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill... or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables. Barney has other plans and decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy.
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MOVIES
GODZILLA
Release date: 16 May Director: Gareth Edwards Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston Plot: Godzilla is a science fiction monster film featuring the Japanese film monster of the same name in a reboot of the Godzilla film franchise produced by Toho. It is the second Godzilla film to be fully filmed by an American studio, the first having been the 1998 film of the same name. The film retells the origin of Godzilla in contemporary times as a “terrifying force of nature”. An epic rebirth to Toho’s iconic Godzilla, this spectacular adventure pits the world’s most famous monster against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity’s scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.
THE MINIONS
Release date: TBC - could be delayed to 2015 Director: Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin Cast: Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin, Sandra Bullock Plot: Minions are yellow henchmen, who have existed since the beginning of beginning, evolving from a yellow single-cell organisms into beings who have only one purpose: to serve the most ambitious villains. After their masters were destroyed, they decide to isolate themselves from the world and start a new life in Antarctica. Sometime in the 60s, the lack of a master drives them into depression, so bravest minion and two other volunteers set out to find a new one. They arrive at a villain convention, where they compete for the right to be henchmen for Scarlet Overkill, a stylish and ambitious villain determined to dominate the world and become the first female supervillain. (IMDB: Anongmous)
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POMPEII
Release date: 2 May Director: Paul W.S. Anderson Cast: Kit Harington, Carrie-Anne Moss, Emily Browning Plot: Set in 79 A.D., POMPEII tells the epic story of Milo (Kit Harington), a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia (Emily Browning), the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him.
I, FRANKENSTEIN Release date: 29 January Director: Stuart Beattie Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Miranda Otto
Plot: Set in a dystopic present where vigilant gargoyles and ferocious demons rage in a battle for ultimate power, Victor Frankenstein’s creation Adam (Aaron Eckhart) finds himself caught in the middle as both sides race to discover the secret to his immortality. From the creators of the hit supernatural saga, UNDERWORLD, comes the action thriller I, FRANKENSTEIN, written for the screen and directed by Stuart Beattie based on the graphic novel “I, Frankenstein” by Kevin Grevioux, and brought to life by a cast that includes Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Jai Courtney, Socratis Otto, Mahesh Jadu, Caitlin Stasey and Aden Young as Victor Frankenstein
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MOVIES
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Release date: 17 October Director: Jonathan Liebesman Cast: Megan Fox, Alan Ritchson, William Fichtner, Will Arnett, Noel Fisher, Whoopi Goldberg
Plot: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the fifth film in the film series and also a reboot that is targeted for release in 2014. The film will be produced by Scott Mednick, Galen Walker and Michael Bay’s production company Platinum Dunes.
HERCULES: THE THRACIAN WARS Release date: 8 August Director: Brett Ratner Cast: Dwayne Johnson, John Hurt, Ian McShane, Joseph Fiennes,
Plot: Yesterday, a tormented Demigod walked the earth: Hercules was the powerful son of the god king Zeus. For this, he received nothing but suffering his entire life. After twelve arduous labors and the loss of his family, the dark and world-weary soul turned his back on the gods, finding his only solace in combat. Over the years, he warmed to the company of six similar friends, their only bond being their love of fighting and presence of death. These men and women never questioned where they would go to fight or why or whom, just how much they would be paid - until the King of Thrace hired them to train his men to become the greatest army of all time. Page 84
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JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT Release date: 24 January Director: Kenneth Branagh Cast: Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley Plot: Based on the character created by bestselling author Tom Clancy, “Jack Ryan” is a global action thriller set in the present day. This original story follow a young Jack as he uncovers a financial terrorist plot. The story follows him from 9/11, through his tour of duty in Afghanistan, which scarred him forever, and into his early days in the Financial Intelligence Unit of the modern CIA where he becomes an analyst, under the guardianship of his handler, Harper. When Ryan believes he’s uncovered a Russian plot to collapse the United States economy, he goes from being an analyst to a spy and fights to save his life and those of countless others, while also trying to protect the thing that’s more important to him... his relationship with his fiancée Cathy.
EDGE OF TOMORROW
Release date: 30 May Director: Doug Liman Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton Plot: In a near future, a hive-like alien race called Mimics have hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault. No army in the world can match the speed, brutality or seeming prescience of the weaponized Mimic fighters. But now the world’s armies have joined forces for a last stand offensive against the alien horde, with no second chances. Lt. Col. Bill Cage is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and then dropped - untrained and ill-equipped - into what amounts to little more than a suicide mission. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an Alpha down with him. But, impossibly, he awakens back at the beginning of the same hellish day, and is forced to fight and die again...and again.
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TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION Release date: 10 July Director: Michael Bay Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor Plot: The sequel to Transformers: Dark of the Moon, taking place four years after the invasion of Chicago. Like its predecessors, the film will be directed by Michael Bay[2] and executive produced by Steven Spielberg. This is the first film in the series to not include Shia LaBeouf and also the first to feature an entirely new cast. Returning Transformers include Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, and is the first live-action Transformers film to feature Dinobots.
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Release date: 17 July Director: Matt Reeves Cast: Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis Plot: Eight years after the events of the first film, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed eight years earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species
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SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR
Release date: 29 August Director: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez Cast: Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson Plot: Co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller reunite to bring Miller’s visually stunning “Sin City” graphic novels back to the screen in SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR. Weaving together two of Miller’s classic stories with new tales, the town’s most hard boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more reviled inhabitants. SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR is the follow up to Rodriguez and Miller’s 2005 ground breaking film, FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY P1 Release date: 21 November Director: Francis Lawrence Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
Plot: Katniss Everdeen reluctantly leads the districts of Panem in a rebellion against the tyrannical and corrupt Capitol. As the war that will determine the fate of Panem escalates to the point of destruction of the other districts by the Capitol, Katniss must decide for herself whom she can trust and what needs to be done, while all she holds dear hangs in the balance.
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THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
Release date: 18 April Director: Marc Webb Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx Plot: We’ve always known that SpiderMan’s most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead. It’s great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there’s no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone).
THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAIN Release date: 19 December Director: Peter Jackson Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Evangeline Lilly
Plot: The Hobbit: There and Back Again” is the epic conclusion to Peter Jackson’s trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece “The Hobbit,” by J.R.R. Tolkien. The film concludes the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins, who joins the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.
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FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Release date: 13 February Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson Cast: Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Max Martini
Plot: When Anastasia Steele, a literature student, goes to interview the wealthy Christian Grey, as a favor to her roommate Kate Kavanagh, she encounters a beautiful, brilliant and intimidating man. The innocent and naive Ana startled to realize she wants him, despite his enigmatic reserve and advice, she finds herself desperate to get close to him. Not able to resist Ana’s beauty and independent spirit, Christian Grey admits he wants her too, but in his own terms.
BAD NEIGHBOURS
Release date: 9 May Director: Nicholas Stoller Cast: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron Plot: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne lead the cast of Neighbors, a comedy about a young couple suffering from arrested development who are forced to live next to a fraternity house after the birth of their newborn baby. Neighbors is directed by Nick Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek)
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e Are What We Are is an English language remake of the Spanish film Somos Lo Que Hay. A premise is shared between these two films, but they are totally different. We Are What We Are is more of a reimagining than a remake. The main themes surrounding the film are religious fundamentalism and rituals, mixed in with denial. Denial is a key aspect of the film; there is the denial of the family to lead a normal life – especially for the teenage girls, a denial of sexual freedom, and the shared denial of the townspeople that something is wrong with the Parker family.
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The film is set in a quiet, rural American town where the way of life seems more simplistic than the lives of people in the big cities. The narrative follows the reclusive Parker family and their bizarre rituals and…eating habits. The Parkers are cannibals who believe that consuming human flesh (apparently always a young, seemingly teenage, girl) gives them religious penance and that by doing this they are saved in the eyes of God. The way this practise came to fruition was via generational ancestors and a diary that they kept. The diary tells of a particularly harsh winter where food was hard to come by, so they resorted to cannibalism. The Parker family have kept this ‘tradition’ up for generations and they see the diary as a holy scripture. It becomes a rite of passage to own it and when the time is right the children inherit its ‘teachings’.
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The family is kept in line by the patriarch of the family, particularly after the matriarch suddenly dies. The patriarch has a cool exterior which covers a broiling rage that threatens to erupt in a sadistic fit of violence at any time. This makes him a frightening and unnerving character to watch and is amazingly well played by Bill Sage, who plays the part so well. The whole film is intensely atmospheric and is constantly tinged and tainted with darkness that slowly uncovers itself. The atmosphere is masterfully held by the brilliant core throughout the film, which supports the unrelenting feeling of nervousness felt by both audience and characters alike. We Are What We Are is a well written and well-acted film that is beautifully shot to give audiences a subtly
E WHAT WE ARE gothic horror that is restrained in all the right ways in a market that is oversaturated with gore and excessive violence. The script was believable and strong and focuses on storytelling rather than special effects usage, gore or violence. The gore that is in the film is kept to a realistic minimum which works the films advantage. It is beautiful restrained which is unlike most American remakes of foreign films- especially those in the horror genre. A lot of cannibal films are rather tasteless (no pun intended) and everything in them seems overdone. We Are What We Are is artistic and subtle and even, at times, beautifully depressing. It doesn’t rely on dramatic plot twists because it doesn’t need them. It’s deliberately slow-paced but it never gets boring. The slower pace makes the payoff better when it happens.
Michael Parks, who is always a real treat in anything he’s in, plays a believable part as the suspicious doctor who begins to put the pieces together about the Parker family puzzle. He is still haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his daughter years ago, and he uses this as the spark to ignite his curiosity. There is also great acting coming from Amber Childers and Julia Garner, who play the two teenage daughters. Their acting is subtle and refined and has the right elements to pull of their gothic characters. Overall, We Are What We Are is a beautifully gothic, subtly dramatic and highly atmospheric horror film that is well worth a watch, despite most of the plot being in the trailer. Victoria Tickle GoGuide Magazine Contributor JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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remember being in the cinema sometime in early 2013 and seeing a trailer for You’re Next and I remember thinking that it was genius. The visual showed the panic and dismay of a group of people (a family) as they are being attacked and killed in a hunter/prey scenario. The audio was ‘Perfect Day’ by Lou Reed. I remember thinking it was both darkly funny and effectively creepy and unnerving at the same time, which is the same way most of the other people in the cinema felt too, judging by the looks on their faces. When it came down to actually watching the film, the trailer quickly flashed through my mind and I thought that is the trailer was that good, then (by the unwritten rules/ curse of the trailer/film relationship) the film would probably be bad. Now although it’s true that the plot of the film is given away in the trailer, there is still a huge twist waiting for audiences and the film itself is very good. It’s the kind of film where they can’t devise a trailer that doesn’t divulge the plot, but it’s also the kind of film that isn’t spoiled by it either, which is a rare occurrence. As the trailer suggests, You’re Next is a home invasion film, so fans of this sub-genre will love this gem.
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We’re presented early on in the film with characters that are archetypical to this subgenre, as well as the expected setting – a large, remote house. The characters behave how audiences expect them to behave, and the female characters aren’t whiney, helpless cannon-fodder either. Both of the genders are just as scared, resourceful, smart and ripe-for-the-picking as each other, which really helps add to the realism. The leading actress, Sharni Vinson, and her character were fantastic and really believable. The suspense and tension is brilliantly built up through a perfect blend of good acting, a brilliant score and tried-and-tested camera angles. These all add up to make the film really excel in the field of suspense and tension, which is something that this subgenre of horror/thriller desperately needs. The director places the audience right in the middle of all of the action, almost as if the audience is another member of the family who is fighting for survival. Doing this also withholds information that is naturally unknown to the characters such as who the attackers are and what their motivation is.
its credit and advantage it didn’t. The film also offers realistic answers to the questions that audiences might ask of typical horror film tropes. An example from this film is “why don’t their mobile phones work?”. Well in this film, one of the siblings bought a temporary signal blocker so that no family members would be distracted by their phones at an important family get-together. Whilst that excuse and explanation might have some readers scoffing right now as they read this, I assure you that the way that this information is presented in the film is very convincing.
The death toll rises, as is to be expected, and there is quite a fair amount of gore to many of the deaths, but is it used both tastefully and realistically. There is more gore than a simple stabbing would yield, yet the deaths never cross the line into the absurd, as too many horror deaths do nowadays (although one death comes close to this but manages to stay on the right side of the invisible line). Gore has its place in horror cinema, of course, and this film could have easily crossed into the well-trodden territory of gore-for-gore’s sake, but to both
The film does take a little while to get going, but if the first 25 minutes were cut or shortened then it would cheapen the film to nothing more than a killing spree with no really connection to the characters. You’re Next doesn’t bring anything new to the genre, and it’s not hugely original, but it is refreshing in its approach to an oversaturated sub-genre and thoroughly enjoyable.
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The script is shockingly quite good and has clever elements of comedy that are so subtle, so as not to ruin the atmosphere of the film, but are darkly funny enough to give the audience a short break from the tension, if only for a second. The script also gives us a suspense/thriller that doesn’t rely on jump scares. Sure there are one or two, but it isn’t the only weapon in the arsenal. This to me is a very welcome change to the norm and I hope future suspense films take note.
Victoria Tickle GoGuide Magazine Contributor
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D
espite being the latest film to come out of the movie making machine that is Disney, Frozen feels fresh and exciting rather than ‘just another Disney movie’. It feels both new yet nostalgic. It will make adults feel like kids again, and remind them of the senses of wonder and amazement that they felt watching Disney films as children. Whilst there is not as much hidden adult humour in Frozen as there has been in other kids films (such as Shrek), it is still an highly enjoyable film for adults. Frozen is a perfect example of showing off exactly what Disney is capable of doing when they really put an effort in – and a lot of effort went into this visual masterpiece. Just like Tangled before it, Frozen is really funny and beautifully animated – and keep a sharp eye out for Rapunzel and Eugene’s cameo!
Frozen is a Disney princess film that offers up not one, but two princesses who have joined the ever expanding lineup in the merchandising giant that is the Disney Princess franchise. Loosely based on and adapted from Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale The Snow Queen, Frozen depicts the story of two princesses; Anna, the 18 year old younger sister to 21 year old Elsa, who has had the power to control ice since birth. After negative events unfold at Elsa’s royal coronation, she flees the kingdom and seeks a life of solitude and freedom in the icy mountains. Unfortunately, during the emotionally charged events that lead to Elsa’s decision to leave, she accidently plunged her kingdom into an eternal winter. Anna decides to make the journey to the mountains in order to bring Elsa back and to save the kingdom.
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The story and messages in Frozen are very moving and are unique compared to most of the other Disney Princess story arcs. Where most other Disney Princess stories (with the exceptions of Mulan and Pocahontas) have the female lead focus on finding their true love, Frozen has its two princesses focus on the sisterly relationship than a romantic one. It even breaks the absurd ‘engagement after meeting for a day’ trend that seems to plague Disney princess stories. Because of this, there is real character development throughout the film, and it isn’t just limited to the princesses. Most of the main characters involved undergo significant character development compared to their other Disney film counterparts. There is a lot going on in this film and the plot moves quite quickly, but never at a pace that causes the audience to get confused. Frozen is very family orientated in theme, which has made for a much better story than yet another true love or romance orientated Disney plot. Its message of family over brief romance is both strong and important. Straight after watching the film, I thought that Disney chose the wrong protagonist. The film revolves around Anna and her journey to get Elsa back, and whilst this was entertaining, it seemed like the weaker of the two options. Compared to Elsa, Anna is a bit dull. She’s just bored and lonely, whereas Elsa is completely isolated and lives with guilt and fear. I thought that the song ‘Let It Go’ was the films transition into Elsa’s narrative rather than just a brief intermission from Anna’s, because Elsa is literally transforming into a more developed character. Elsa is a complex
princess; she’s a quasi-beast-like character and suffers far more than any other Disney princess. To me, the choice not to make Elsa the protagonist was a missed opportunity. Disney could have revisited a similar story to Beauty and the Beast wherein Elsa creates snow beasts to live with her and interact with in the castle, much like the Beast had in Beauty and the Beast. That way the narrative could have remained with Elsa. The ending to Frozen was a little flat and at the end of the film Anna had had two love interests where Elsa got none. Love interests aren’t needed for Disney films, but it would have been nice to have seen Elsa find someone who wasn’t afraid of her powers. Despite this, it was still a good story, although I could have done without the troll scenes. They seemed clumsy and unnecessary sub-plots and weren’t as funny as clearly intended. The music was stellar throughout the whole film and the songs return to the level of greatness that the 90’s Disney movies gave audiences. The version of ‘Let It Go’, performed by Idina Menzel of Broadway success (not to be confused with the version that Demi Lovato sings which pales in comparison and is played at some point during the credits) is the flagship song for this film, much as ‘Reflection’ was the flagship song for Mulan (in which Christina Aguilera ruined at some point in the credits too). It is the strongest song not only for its content, but also for the power and emotion that Menzel gives it. It went viral on YouTube and will quickly become a classic Disney song in many people’s hearts. Almost all of the songs during the film have a professional, JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
Broadway feel to them and they are all storytelling devices rather than cute sing-along fillers that are often used in Disney films. The songs are further brought to life by the amazing voice talents of the cast, specifically Kristin Bell and the brilliant Idina Menzel who also put such emotion into their work that themes of love, sacrifice, pain, betrayal, loss, fear, happiness and family are easily understood by the audience. The writing and dialogue in the film are not only spot on, but highly believable too which really helps the comedy moments flow naturally. Another thing I noticed, which I am really happy about, is the voice and appearance of Elsa. She looks and sounds a lot more mature than other Disney princesses – see is supposed to be 21, and by looking at her and listening to not only what she says, but how she says it, it’s completely believable. She looks like a woman, not a little girl and she’s the first Disney princess who isn’t a teenager. This was a refreshing change and I hope Disney decide to reflect the ages of the characters more realistically in future films. Frozen is the best animation of the year in terms of quality – it’s visually captivating and perfect. It has a beautiful story with a beautiful message and is easily one of Disney’s best works to date.
Victoria Tickle GoGuide Magazine Contributor
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AMERICAN HU
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Natasha Orme The
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ometimes I read a summary of the film before I watch it or even see the trailer but this time, I didn't do either so American Hustle could have been about anything. I wasn't too sure what to expect but it certainly wasn't con artists in an FBI case.
Irving Rosenfeld, played by Christian Bale (Dark Knight: 2008) is a con artist who team up with the sexy and seductive Sydney Prosser, played by Amy Adams (Man of Steel: 2013), and together they con people out of thousands of dollars. That is until they meet the FBI agent Richie DiMaso, played by Bradley Cooper (The Hangover: 2009) Page 104
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and are forced into a dangerous operation that involves all kinds of bad people. People worse than simple con artists. I think the most striking thing about this film was the acting of Jennifer Lawrence. Now we've all seen her in The Hunger Games and whether or not we were impressed by her skills, I think we may have been more caught up in the action. By defying the natural rise to fame from such a successful movie that would forever brandish her as Katniss Everdeen, she takes on the role of Irving's wife Rosalyn. This character shows a whole new side of Lawrence's acting abilities and perhaps breaks the stigma that will forever be Katniss. Putting Jennifer Lawrence's acting skills aside, this film was interesting. We're taken JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
back into America's 1970's to experience the story of this con for ourselves. There is a combination of flashbacks and voiceovers that piece together not only the biggest con of Irving's life but his entire life. We are given a good insight into both Irving and Sydney's lives which doesn't add much to the story but establishes the relationship between them. I would say that this film is perhaps for a more selective audience. Perhaps one that is not shy to shouting, swearing and violence. I did enjoy the adventures of Irving and his 'buddies' especially because it was something different to the current cinema scenes and it's somehow a shame that more of these films aren't out there. If you're looking for something a little different then go give this one a watch, you might surprise yourself.
USTLE
ED UP TO BE ????
Victoria Tickle
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merican Hustle has a wide array of cast members that are sure to bring all sorts of people in to the cinemas to watch it. Anyone who knows me will know I’ll see anything with Jennifer Lawrence in it, and that I have a soft spot for Christian Bale, so I was already sold on the film without knowing or caring what it was about. With such a great cast it’s hard to imagine this movie lacking anything. But it does.
This film sees Christian Bale undergo yet another dramatic physical alteration for the sake of his art. He plays Irving Rosenfeld, an overweight conman with a…complicated comb over. His body (as repulsive as its intended to look) is hard to take your eyes off of when it’s offered to you on screen. One such scene sticks in my mind particularly, and this is a scene where Irving is talking to Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) at a pool party. The camera angel is right between Irving’s chunky, meaty thighs and is looking up at him. We can barely see his face because of his gut, and the camera hovers there for quite a while, so that the audience has a good, long look at something they probably wouldn’t want to see if it were anyone other than Christian Bale. The fact that this is the scene that sticks in my mind more than any of the others in the film (and this one was insignificant) will tell you that the film wasn’t all that it promised to be. The film is very dialogue heavy, so it’s hard to really take in any other screens except for visual ones in the first place (hence my perfect recollection of Bale’s thighs and gut). Being so dialogue heavy worked against the film and makes some, but not all, of it kind of dull to endure. I checked the time to see how long the film had left several times during my viewing – and I wasn’t the only one. The film is unnecessarily long and could do with being cut by about 30 minutes – not because it’s too long to sit still, but because there really isn’t all that much going on onscreen. I’d read that a lot of the dialogue throughout the film was improvised by the cast and that Bale had told director David O. Russell that it would change the story. Russell responded by saying that he preferred interesting characters over
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GoGuide Magazine Contributor story, and this is definitely what happened. Interesting characters are all very well and good, and are undoubtedly what we got, but they don’t mean much when there isn’t a compelling story to drive them. The story ended up to be just above average of what most of us have come to expect from Hollywood. Despite this, the acting was superb, specifically that from Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Whilst here were some comedy moments in the film, there were perhaps significantly fewer laughs then the filmmakers may have wanted, but they are still there. A lot of the comedy comes from Jennifer Lawrence’s character, who is over-the-top but in a believable way. She is a spectacular actress and even at such a young age, she easily portrays someone older than her not just physically, but mentally too. The direction throughout American Hustle was of a really high quality and the film is visually stunning. From set design, to costume to locations, everything on screen looked amazing and so stylised. The cinematography was top-notch and this is truly a visual masterpiece. The rich colours of the fabrics of the costumes contrasted with the grittiness of the streets and it all made for a spectacular viewing experience. However, there is no action in the film. At all. There is one brief (and I mean brief) instance of someone being shot in a 10 second flashback, but that is all the action that the film offers. American Hustle is not as engaging as it could have been or should have been. I didn’t feel much for the characters, despite them being good, and by the half-way mark of the film I found that I really didn’t care what happened to them either. I didn’t feel invested in anything that the film had to offer. I felt like there could have been any ending to the film and I have just accepted it, I just didn’t care at all. This wasn’t helped by the length of the film seemingly dragging on forever. I want to reiterate that the failings of the film had little to nothing to do with the actors. They were all fantastic in their roles. What I think happened with American Hustle is that it was one of those movies that got caught up in its own hype and started to believe in it. I think it thought it was a roast dinner with all the trimmings, and whilst it was more substantial than gruel, it was little more than bangers and mash when it comes to substance. It was a disappointing experience, but not a bad one. I think if people go into it with much lower expectations then they will probably enjoy it a lot more. PAGE 105
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The Hobb The Desolation of Sm REVIEW
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artin Freeman is back as Bilbo Baggins as he continues his adventures with the ragtag band of dwarves. If you haven't seen The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey then don't worry too much but if you were a fan of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy then you'll like this one. Peter Jackson has outdone himself once again and gives the audience a non-stop journey through the dangerous lands of Middle Earth. This time we're visiting the elves of Mirkwood and the men of Dale. For those that haven't seen the first film, the dwarves are following Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on a quest to reclaim their homeland of Erebor from the fire-breathing dragon, Smaug. I knew that it was going to be a long film and if I'm honest, I thought it was going to drag in some places but I was pretty impressed with the speed and pace throughout the whole film. I'm not going to go through all the details because that will spoil it and you can glimpse some of the best bits from the trailer anyway. I will say that it's pretty accurate compared to the novel which is always good news for the book lovers. This film not only has the adventure, the fire-breathing dragon, the giant spiders and a mini-romance but it also has a good amount of humour. There were a good few moments where I found myself chuckling away. There are good effects, good dialogue and a good sense of the narrative in this film. These sort of movies don't come into cinema very often so if you're looking for something to watch, i would definitely recommend it. I think I'll leave this review at that point as we're all familiar with how successful Peter Jackson's other films and who doesn't love a good Tolkien story?
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bit maug Natasha Orme GoGuide Magazine Contributor
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hey had 9 years to get this right. 9 years. I liked Anchorman, it had a few off-moments, but it was generally brilliant. It quickly became a cult classic and for good reason. Any sequel was never going to be as good as the first, but even by those high standards, Anchorman 2 is bad.
I saw the trailers and laughed at them the first few times, then quickly got more and more bored with each new clip of the movie I saw. I thought it would be one of those films where the best bits are in the
trailer, but the studio do this on purpose to make people think that the trailer contains average material in the hopes of drawing more people in. This was unnecessary in the first place for a film like this because the title would bring people in anyway. But regardless, the trailers have several of the best bits in them already, and the whole movie isn’t worth seeing just for the very few genuine laughs you’ll get. Anchorman 2 is nothing more than a cash-grab movie and a disappointment. If you liked Anchorman you’ll most likely hate Anchorman 2 because it’s everything the first wasn’t – I seriously thought about walking out of the cinema and I wasn’t alone. It’s a real shame because the film actually had a good premise, which ties in with Veronica Corningstone’s main gripe in the first film; real journalism is falling prey to soft news and entertainment. This could
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have turned into a really good film if they’d have stuck with that, but due to poor scripting (among other things) it all seemed to fall apart. There were times in the film where it seemed almost as if the whole filming process was ad-libbed. I really tried to like this film, but there were too many things working against it. There were a few moments that were genuinely funny, but they were few and far between and they were nowhere near enough to even half-way save this film. The story morphed from one with promise to just a plain bad one and the concept flew out the window. Continuity seemed to be a problem too. Many scenes jumped all over the narrative and some just didn’t fit at all. The whole film plays out like a sketch show. Everything was taken too far for this film. The stupidity in the first film was well balanced with seriousness and came off well, but that’s
not the case with the sequel. Jokes from the first were also re-used, to little effect. Whilst there are some big jokes that you’d expect to make it into a sequel (such as the news team battle or Ron talking to Baxter) there was nothing original and any jokes just felt re-hashed. The film also follows the same formula as the last one, but it was used to the point of overkill. There were so many pointless time-filler episodic sub-plots that no one really cares about – even the characters at times. Perhaps the most obvious one is the relationship between Ron and his son, but he most annoying is the one where Ron is blind, which comes across as so forced and contrived it’s painful to watch. There is also much more use of Brick, and this was probably due to fan demand. What made him so funny in the first film were his occasional outbursts and awkwardness. Anchorman 2 jumped on this revelation and destroyed it by overusing Brick to the point where it ruined his character and he became more annoying than anything else. Brick was further run into the ground
by having the most annoying character as a love interest in the form of Kristen Wiig’s character, Chani. The director could have cut all scenes with Chani in them and not only would the narrative still have made perfect sense, the film would be better for it. Their sub-plot helped to drag the whole film down.
help that one of the celebrity cameos is none other than Kanye West. It’s almost as if the filmmakers thought to themselves “who’s the most obnoxious person we can think of who is trending and is sure to get people to talk about himself and the film? I know, Kanye West!”.
On top of bad and annoying characters, some of the actors looked like they didn’t even want to be there at times! Some audience members at my viewing, myself included, felt embarrassed for some of the actors at certain points in the film. It all made for an extremely uncomfortable viewing experience because it was all too obvious that the film just tried too hard to be liked, funny and iconic.
Anchorman 2 is not an Anchorman movie – it is a caricature of one. It’s a shame and a disappointment, but it’s also the truth. The IMDB rating for Anchorman 2 is currently quite high, and the only explanation I can give is that the ratings have come from a mixture of blindly loyal fans, pre-emptive votes or the very small number of people that liked it. The first half is massively better than the second half, but that doesn’t mean the first half was good by any definition of the word and it does not make a good film in total. Anchorman 2 is also too long – not necessarily in runtime, two hours isn’t that long for a film – but it dragged. It felt at least half an hour too long. In my eyes, Will Ferrell has lost his reputation, and this is the film is the reason why.
One of the big jokes that everyone knew was coming was the news team battle. This should have been an exciting and nostalgic art of the film but instead it was boring and uninspired. The celebrity cameos were supposed to be fun but instead were either clear acts of desperation on the actors’ part or they just seemed out of place. It doesn’t
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ight from the opening minutes of the film, Prisoners presents itself as a dark film that isn’t going to be a typical run-ofthe-mill thriller. It’s gritty and real and doesn’t have the shiny, plastic Hollywood gloss all over it that it could so easily have had. It’s a true mystery film as the audience is kept guessing about what exactly is going on, and boasts a puzzling plot with depth and complexity as well as a controversial storyline. It’s a thriller film that doesn’t just promise tension and suspense, but actually delivers it with the help of its haunting atmosphere that is unrelenting throughout. It’s not a comfortable movie to watch, and it isn’t meant to be. It will definitely have you questioning your own moral boundaries by its end.
One of the key themes surrounding this
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movie is hopelessness. It is something that pretty much all of the characters experience at some point in the film, whether it is the abducted girls, their parents or the detectives involved in the case. All of these characters experience their own personal forms of hopelessness at different time in the movie, which gives the audience the constant feeling of not only hopelessness, but helplessness too. This is one of those films that really forces you to question the possibility of a happy ending for anyone involved. The hopelessness, whilst intense, stays at the right level of intensity so as not to over-step the line from realism into overacting. The film in itself stays within the realm of realism to make this a hard-hitting thriller all-round. Everything is so well grounded in reality that the film, if edited differently, could serve as a re-enactment documentary of a real-life case. Everything from the set design to the costumes and acting work together to make a deeply depressing atmosphere that is tinged with darkness and sorrow. Even something as simple as the heaviness of the weather helps to give the right mood for the film. There is realism to the dialogue throughout the whole film that is given life to through great acting, most notably through Hugh Jackman. His character also undergoes the most realistic character development throughout the whole film. It is in this film that Hugh Jackman really sets himself apart from his other roles in the past. Wolverine, JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
Jean Valjean, Van Helsing and Robert Angier (The Prestige) were all characters that showed extreme emotion and at times anger at something in their lives, but Keller Dover in Prisoners takes it to the next level of intensity. However, Jackman has come under fire from some critics, not for the character of Keller Dover, but for his portrayal of him. There are critics that say that Jackman’s portrayal made Keller out to be a crazed, ruthless, one-dimensional rage machine – but I disagree. He displays, on several occasions, that he is capable of restraint and perhaps doesn’t even want to carry out the actions he intends to do, but is compelled to in an attempt to save his daughters life. One example of this is when he smashes the sink instead of Alex’s head as a threat. He smashes the sink repeatedly, instead of Alex’s head in an attempt to intimidate rather than beat a response out of him by force straight away, which is what the character that the critics describe would have done. His choice to smash the sink shows his characters struggle with morality. He also uses logic and reason, another trait that would not be present in the critics’ Keller. Instead of blaming Alex for no reason, Keller can see something in his eyes. Not necessarily that he did it, but that he knows something. All this and more makes Keller completely different to what the critics label him as, but show him to be a complex and emotional character. However Jackman was not alone in successfully portraying emotional characters.
Jake Gyllenhaall’s Detective Loki was a performance not to be missed. But perhaps one of the strongest performances from a supporting actor that I’ve seen in a long time comes from Paul Dano, who plays Alex Jones, the potential abductor. The score was also emotionally charged to evoke feelings of dread, terror and suspense in the audience. The most noticeable part of the score was the use of violins, especially during the scene where Keller is looking for his missing daughter. They really help to portray a feeling of utter confusion, heartbreak and sadness of a child going missing. I have read reviews saying that this film was only made to anger and upset people. Whilst I can see that there certainly are aspects of the film that will undoubtedly anger or upset some viewers, I disagree that this was the films initial intention. The narrative, at its most basic, is about child abduction and it’s unfortunately not all that rare of an occurrence in real life. Because of this, I think one of the films goals was to reflect several points of view when a situation like this comes to light – not to specifically set out to upset people over a sensitive topic. Good cinema, not just a movie or a film as there is a difference, challenges its audience in some form or other and presents them with opinions, points of view and plans of action in a variety of situations that they may not have considered before. It goes beyond telling a story and almost transcends into conversation. That’s exactly what Prisoners does.
That being said, there are a couple of pitfalls in Prisoners as no film is perfect. Detective Loki is supposed to have a perfect record yet seems to miss a couple of seemingly obvious clues. He also fails to keep tabs on the Keller family during a time he knows to be particularly emotionally charged as he watches Keller disintegrate through several emotional levels. There are also a few of what I call “huh?” moments in the film. Some of these include not knowing how one of the little girls manages to escape her situation, Keller’s failing to tell the police that he knows the location of the abductors and that the abductor knows that one of the little girls has escaped, yet does nothing about it, they don’t even attempt to flee or hide. There are also several red herrings in the film which might be annoying to some and even seem irrelevant when all is said and done. However, these are small side tracks and do not take away from the film as a whole. Prisoners is a long film at 153 minutes, and although it drags a little in places it never gets boring. There are very few special effects and settings, but there is no need for them. To add them would have taken away from the film and ruined it to some extent. Prisoners reaches a rare level of intensity that few thrillers achieve. As an audience member you will feel something long after the credits roll – anger, grief, confliction, but that just shows that the film did its job. Victoria Tickle GoGuide Magazine Contributor JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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C
urse of Chucky is a rebooting of the franchise of sorts for a new generation of moviegoers. I say ‘of sorts’ because it isn’t technically a reboot because it stays within the original timeline of the films from the 1980’s. It uses both flashback scenes and the inclusion of previous characters to explain the important elements of the storyline to first-time viewers of a Chucky film, whilst reminding veteran viewers of a couple of things they might have forgotten. Curse of Chucky wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but it was entertaining to say the very least. However, I think the decision to go straight-to-DVD was the correct one. Now it will be a good DVD find rather than a cinema flop. Curse of Chucky has everything you’d expect in a Chucky film; a sexy woman in underwear who is then killed in it, an innocent child who Chucky misleadingly befriends, a few jump
scares and a high body count. The script is a little cheesy at times, but that’s also to be expected from this calibre of film. There was also the unexpected-yet-all-too-expected lesbian relationship ‘plot twist’ (and I use that phrase very loosely) that feels like it was added at the last minute in a bid to get more viewers. Despite this, there is a pretty effective atmosphere throughout the film. There are times when there is genuine suspense for both the audience and the characters. But perhaps the biggest plus for Curse of Chucky (the 6th in the Child’s Play franchise) is that it finally gives us a protagonist who would believably be in peril against a child’s doll and have difficulty in fighting back. Nica, played excellently by Fiona Dourif – Brad Dourif’s (voice of Chucky) real-life daughter, is wheelchair bound and has limited capability in everyday tasks, never mind when she’d up against a doll possessed by a serial killer. Curse of Chucky wasn’t as slapstick as previous titles in the franchise, mainly the ‘of Chucky’ films (Bride and Seed), but it was not as serious as the original Child’s Play trilogy. It seemed to float somewhere between the two and it should have picked one or the other because it just made for confused viewing a times – I wasn’t sure if I was laughing because it was funny on purpose or by accident. In my opinion, it should have continued on in the style of the ‘of Chucky’ films. It should have done JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
a Final Destination – a franchise that starts off as a serious horror but then, with each new film, evolves into an almost caricature of itself (which is done on purpose) because it’s what the fans want to see. The initial scare and shock has worn off, and all that audiences want to see now is people die in creative ways. The Chucky franchise almost did this; the previous two films dropped the premise of trying to be frightening and instead became a ludicrous black comedy about a killer doll, but Curse of Chucky, for whatever reason, decided to attempt to go back to being serious horror film. I think if they had continued the franchise with another black comedy then it would have been a more successful film. This is because this generation of movie-goer is never going to be frightened by a main antagonist that’s a child’s toy possessed by a serial killer who kills people in graphic ways. The time for that has been and gone, and it was the 80’s. Any attempt at transferring that premise to a modern day serious horror would probably come across as accidentally comical anyway so (in the eyes of the movie industry) it would be better to start off on that route in the first place. That being said, for a film that seems to five into both styles of horror haphazardly, it’s still an entertaining enough watch to not make you want to turn it off. Gore is present in this film, but the dial has been turned way down in an attempt to come across more like Child’s Play rather than an ‘of Chucky’ film.
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But it’s not all bad, the artistic direction was spectacular. The set used, a big, gothic beautiful mansion-type house, could have easily become a pitfall of horror movie clichés or become Scooby-Doo like in the chases. However, both of these things were avoided and the visual aspects of the behindthe-scenes things like set design and location were beautifully shot. There were also some really good scenes in the movie, such as the true face of Chucky being revealed. He starts the movie fresh-faced, and for anyone who’s seen the last few films, you’ll know he’s covered in stitches. How this is revealed by and to the characters was so simple, yet effective. This was not the only simplistic, yet highly successful effect used throughout the film. Another favourite of mine was the way Chucky’s pupils dilate when he’s getting ready to move. The movie as a whole really makes the most of what it has and uses it to the fullest extent. The film had a small
location, a largely unknown cast and a low budget, so that being considered, Curse of Chucky was actually quite good. The continuity throughout the film was a little off regarding past characters if the franchise is supposed to be lineal, but this isn’t he kind of film where that really matters to anyone except the hard-core fans and is easily looked past. Some scenes were also quite long and at times unnecessary, but again, this is a flaw that’s easily overlooked for the type of film this is. One thing that is hard to look past though is the age of the little girl character who ‘adopts’ Chucky. Given the age she is supposed to be, or at least comes across as, it’s hard to believe that she would believe in a talking doll as something benign and not to be worried about. The whole film is full of little niggles like this, such as its formulaic set-up and anticlimactic and uninspired killings. But again,
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this is the 6th film in the franchise, so I can forgive this and just enjoy the film for what it is. My only real complaint with this film is Chucky himself had very few lines which was disappointing. He was never going to have as many lines as he had in Bride of Chucky or Seed of Chucky because this film tried to be closer to Child’s Play, but he had so few lines in this he might as well have kept silent. When he did speak, he didn’t hold the same amount of gravitas that he usually does. All in all, Curse of Chucky is a good film if you are prepared to take it for what is and don’t expect too much. It’s a shame they didn’t continue in the style of the ‘of Chucky’ films, but it’s still an acceptable and fun watch. Victoria Tickle GoGuide Magazine Contributor
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omefront is the type of film I call a ‘popcorn’ film - the kind of film that you don’t rush to the cinema to see, but if it’s on the TV or Netflix then you’re likely to turn it on and grab a bag of microwave popcorn.
I remember seeing the trailer for Homefront and a variety of things shot through my head. One was that it was probably going to be (visually) a very pretty film. There looked like there was a real effort made with the cinematography. I also thought there was going to be a kick-ass little girl character, which I thought would make a nice change to the seemingly home invasion/abduction style film this was shaping up to be. As the trailer continued, I thought “Oooh, James Franco, he’s a good actor, this might be good” and I also thought that Jason Statham might actually be considered a real actor in this rather than just an action star. He seemed to hold a lot of promise in this film based off the trailer. I also thought that parts of the plot might have been inspired by Breaking Bad and Taken. Overall, I thought it looked like a pretty entertaining film that might have some substance behind it rather than just being a high-octane kidnapping film with gunfire and explosions. I wasn’t exactly wrong, but I wasn’t exactly right either. After seeing the film all the way though, I realised that it was complexly unnecessary because the entire film is contained in the trailers for it. I appreciate that trailers have a difficult job; they have to give just enough of the story away to entice audiences, but they mustn’t give too much away otherwise there’s no element of surprise or enjoyment. The trailer’s editor either did a brilliant job or Page 126
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a terrible one, depending on how you look at it, because literally all the important aspects of the film are present in the trailer – and it’s almost in chronological order too! That being said, it wasn’t a bad film and whilst I’m not a huge fan of Statham, I did like him in this. His character had just the right amount of bad-assery present to keep Action Statham fans happy and just enough dramatic presence to make everyone else happy. There is more to this story than Statham running around beating people up, however it was a very straightforward story. This film was written by Sylvester Stallone and you can definitely see his influence throughout the narrative. I was right about the cinematography that I saw in the trailer too. The rest of the film has equally good cinematography that is simple yet stylistic. A lot was done with a seemingly limited set and location. However, the nice cinematography does not serve as acceptable filler between the actions scenes, which were very few and far between. When action was present on screen, it was nothing new and nothing too exciting and the vast majority of the action only happens in the final 15 minutes of the film. None of the characters really had any backstory or character development – they were just there, and stayed the same people that they were at the beginning of the film. There is a cat in the film and for a while I found myself much more interested in the cat and its welfare than any of the human characters. There were also far too many bad guys, there were probably twice as many as the film needed and the narrative felt a little bit too crowded. However, bad guys weren’t the only thing there was too much of in this film; there was a lot of swearing. I’m no prude when it comes to swearing, and I never seem to mind it in a movie – sometimes it can makes scenes infinitely better (think Lucy Liu’s O’ren Ishii and her speech scene with the bosses in Kill Bill: Volume One). But the amount of swearing in this just seemed overdone and unrealistic. It bogged down the dialogue and just dumbed down the whole film. The acting, for the most part, was pretty good. As I said, Statham was more than he usually is in his films and was surprisingly acceptable in this sort of role. Wynona Ryder was very good, but I think she wold have shone much brighter had her character been developed more. James Franco is usually good in whatever he does, and this is no exception and Kate Bosworth was fantastic as the character that everyone just wants to punch. The only gripe I have with any of the acting is that of Izabela Vidovic who plays the young daughter of Statham’s character. She was painful to watch and was not realistic on any way. Her scenes were almost insufferable and to be honest, it’s inexcusable. There are so many other young, promising actresses out there who are actually good. I’m not sure how she made it out of the auditions with the part. When all is said and done, Homefront was better than expected, but is nothing to rant and rave about. It makes for a good ‘popcorn’ movie but it doesn’t show anything that really stays with the audience after the credits finish rolling. It brings nothing new to the action/thriller genre, and plays out as if it was made in the style of a paint-bynumbers craft. That being said, audiences aren’t likely to feel cheated after watching this, because it’s the type of movie that does what it says on the tin. Victoria Tickle GoGuide Magazine Contributor JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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H C O L L U C C M JAMES
FAVOURITE MOVIE OR MOVIES THAT YOU SAW IN 2013?
Stoker, It’s a Disaster, Man of steel and Kick Ass 2 WHY? I’m a huge fan of Park Chan-Wooks films and I wasn’t disappointed by his first outing in Hollywood. A rather outstanding broody thriller that got the best out of its stellar cast. Man of Steel was pretty much the perfect superman film. Kick Ass 2 was just as brutal and ridiculous as the comic. And It’s a Disaster was just the most unexpected film of the year that totally blindsided me. Just a joy to watch.
WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 MOVIES THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2014?
Sin City: A dame to kill for, X-Men: days of future past and Muppets most wanted WHY?
Sin City, well cause I watched the first one and it was awesome. X-men films have been pretty hit or miss but First Class and The Wolverine have caught my attention enough to put this on the list. And it’s the Muppets, if this isn’t on your list then you may actually be dead inside.
WHAT MOVIE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MADE NEXT YEAR?
WORST MOVIE OR MOVIES YOU SAW IN 2013?
InAPPropriate Comedy and Texas Chainsaw 3D
Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel
WHY?
WHY? InAPPropriate comedy was pretty much the worst film I’ve ever seen. There was nothing worthwhile in the script and since it was meant to make you laugh it pretty much failed to do so the entire time I was watching. I also still can’t get the horrific Lyndsay Lohan image out of my head after all this time. Seriously though, what is wrong with that director. Texas chaninsaw 3D is like a play by play account of why I hate a lot of the bigger budget horror films being made in America right now. It also ruins the name of an otherwise great horror franchise.
With the amount of superhero films being made right now we really need a female fronted superhero film to come in. The characters are outstanding and both having great runs in the comic world. Add to that 3 of the biggest films last year having the main lead being female, the age old excuse studios give us that people don’t want to see films with a strong female lead can finally be put to bed… The idiots.
WHAT WAS YOU’RE ‘GUILTY PLEASURE’ MOVIE THIS YEAR?
The Heat
WHY? Sandra Bullock could pretty much do anything and I’d enjoy it. Add Melissa McCarthy to the mix and it’s like an 80’s cop movie. Loved it Page 128
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RETROSPECTIVE 2013
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GOGUIDE MOVIE
E L K C I T A I R VICTO
WHAT WAS YOU’RE ‘GUILTY PLEASURE’ MOVIE THIS YEAR?
FAVOURITE MOVIE OR MOVIES THAT YOU SAW IN 2013?
Frozen, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Despicable Me 2 WHY? Frozen – This film really shows off what Disney can do when it actually wants to make a film rather than when they have to. Elsa is one of the most awesome Disney princesses ever and the music is incredible. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – Jennifer Lawrence. Enough said. Despicable Me 2 – This was way funnier than the first one, and a film that can make people laugh this much is worth putting on the ‘favourites’ list.
WHY? Warm Bodies – This film was surprising, I expected this to be like Twilight with zombies but it actually wasn’t. It had its own charm and style and I really liked it, but it’s still directed at the tween market, which is why it’s my guilty pleasure
WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 MOVIES THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2014?
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, X-Men: Days of Future Past WHY?
WORST MOVIE OR MOVIES YOU SAW IN 2013?
The Purge, Oldboy and Man of Steel WHY? The Purge – This movie is full of unfulfilled promise. It was awful and lethargic and it all lead to a weak, watered down excuse for a horror/thriller movie. Oldboy – This 2013 remake of the Korean cinematic masterpiece of the same name just felt like betrayal and disrespect on so many levels. My tactic for dealing with this is that I’m pretending that it never existed. Man of Steel – This has made the list not necessarily because it’s a bad movie, but more because it was such a disappointment. It didn’t bring anything new to the table and didn’t stand out from the countless other superhero movies that we’ve been barraged with over the past 10 years.
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Warm Bodies
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – I got The Hunger Games book trilogy for Christmas and I’m reading them right now. So far I’ve found that a rare thing has happened – I think the films are better than the books. So I want to see if this will continue throughout the whole franchise. Also, Jennifer Lawrence. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For – I loved the first film and it was extremely close to the graphic novels, of which I’m also a huge fan. So I want to see if the epic level will remain as high as it has been before, or if the bar will be raised. X-Men: Days of Future Past – I’m more of a DC girl, but I think that some of the X-Men stories are some of Marvel’s strongest ones and I think this will be the best one yet. Plus I’m a big fan of Patrick Stewart and will watch pretty much anything with him in it.
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RETROSPECTIVE 3 1 0 2 WHAT MOVIE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MADE NEXT YEAR?
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
WHY?
i’d love to see a film adaptation of the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite novels and zombies are my monster of choice. I think it’d be hilarious to see how citizens of the late 1800’s England deal with a zombie apocalypse.
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MOVIES
GOGUIDE MOVIE R MR SUIT
FAVOURITE MOVIE OR MOVIES THAT YOU SAW IN 2013?
Iron Man 3 / Pacific Rim / The Heat
World War Z / Pain & Gain / Warm Bodies
WHY?
Iron Man 3 – I enjoyed this move the best of all the ‘superhero’ movies this year, I think I’m rebelling against the current crop of dark ‘emo’ remakes of all the comic book movies I liked, although the latest Batman was pretty good as well. Pacific Rim – way, way better than everyone would have expected and not just a transformers rip off like I though initially. The first movie where I really couldn’t tell what was effects and what was real. The Heat – I just loved the pairing of Bullock and McCarthy, strangely as I don’t particularly like bullock that much in most things. Probably the best comic McCarthy performance so far.
WHY? World War Z – took such a pounding with the critics but I really liked it, graphics were pretty awesome if you ask me and the move deserves a lot of credit for kicking the infection/zombie genre up a notch. Oh… and Pain & Gain… awesomely strange and entertaining movie, truly f*cked up for the most part… surprisingly great performances by a lot of people I didn’t expect. And Warm Bodies… zombies and a love story, some thing for me, something for her… Perfect.
WORST MOVIE OR MOVIES YOU SAW IN 2013?
The Great Gatsby / This Is the End / The Incredible Burt Wonderstone WHY? The Great Gatsby? – I just didn’t get it? I didn’t connect at all with any of the characters and thought it was at least an hour too long. This Is the End – awwww man… I was so looking forward to this move and I’m guessing that effected my enjoyment of it but a super weak comic story and any real freshness in the comedy elements left me without a belly laugh throughout. A prime example of all the real laughs being covered in the trailer. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone – Gees what can I say…. Love Carrell in so many movies and The Office but I truly don’t know what happened here??? Page 132
WHAT WAS YOU’RE ‘GUILTY PLEASURE’ MOVIE THIS YEAR?
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RETROSPECTIVE 3 1 0 2 WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 MOVIES THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2014?
RoboCop / Dawn of the Planet of the Apes / Noah
WHY?
RoboCop – loved the original and I think it is definitely the type of move that benefits from a remake/reboot as it’s a future/tech based movie. However we do need a person behind the suit so I hope that Joel Kinnaman is the right man for the job… otherwise it could fall flat on its arse. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – I liked the recent reboot of the first Apes films, stories have been entertaining and they really benefit from modern special effects so I’m definitely looking forward to the 2nd instalment in the ‘prequel’ series and hopefully some more to follow in the future. Noah – there’s not enough biblical epics around these days and some of them do deserve to be rebooted just as much as some of the other’s kicking around these days, true the originals really can’t bettered for stories but I’m sure acting has moved on leaps and bounds since the 50/60’s when most where made and the benefits of modern filming techniques and effects would make some of these pretty awesome – so yeh, stop rehashing the stories inside other movies and just reboot the originals.
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WHAT MOVIE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MADE NEXT YEAR? Nirvana – I’d like to see a movie chronicling the rise of one of the most influential bands in the past 50 year and their eventual demise at the hands of Cobain’s shotgun. Forgotten – True story of America Stephen Slevin who was arrested for drunk driving and accidentally placed in solitary confinement while awaiting trial, he was then forgotten about for 2 years before being discovered and released without charge. He was awarded $15.5 million when he won a court settlement with Doña Ana County Police in 2012. During his time in solitary he was forced to pull out his own tooth and the conditions that Slevin endured ruined him, physically and mentally. Fawlty Towers – Come on one of the UK’s best loved sitcoms deserves the big budget movie treatment.
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GOGUIDE MOVIE R D R A P P E H S SAM
WHAT WAS YOU’RE ‘GUILTY PLEASURE’ MOVIE THIS YEAR?
FAVOURITE MOVIE OR MOVIES THAT YOU SAW IN 2013?
We’re the Millers / World War Z / A Haunted House
Man of Steel / Pain and Gain / The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
WHY?
WHY? Man of Steel – Just a blockbuster epic and the best superhero action you’ll see to date. Great reboot of the Superman franchise Pain and Gain – This film was just constantly hilarious and unbelievable that it’s based on a true story.
We’re the Millers – Thought this movie would be just full of bad jokes and the only good part would be seeing Jennifer Anniston stripping but actually the movie was a hell of a lot funnier than I thought it was and it lasts throughout the whole movie. World War Z – I was never a big fan of zombie movies, usually because the plots are crap, but this was a great new style on the zombie genre and was actually one of my favourite movies of 2013.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: An Unexpected journey was a fantastic movie overall and there was a slight thought that the next chapter A Haunted House – I didn’t see this when it first would not be as good, it wasn’t… it was better! came as it was getting some bad reviews, and was thinking it was going down the same road that the WORST MOVIE OR MOVIES YOU SAW IN 2013? scary movie franchise went, but it goes to show that After Earth / This is the End / Pacific Rim a review is just one person’s opinion as the film is hilarious. WHY? After Earth – This movie was just a major flop. Nothing about this movie was even remotely interesting, the characters are either constantly annoying or boring you whenever they speak, and why would you have one of the most charismatic actors, Will Smith, play the most uncharismatic person ever???
WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 MOVIES THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2014?
300: Rise of an Empire / Godzilla / The Raid 2
WHY?
300: Rise of an Empire - 300 is one of my favourite movies and Rise of an Empire looks like it might be just as good.
This is the End – Thought the movie was about a bunch of celebrity stoners trying to survive the harsh lands of the apocalypse… turned out to be a bunch of Godzilla - The franchise is getting another reboot celebrity stoners trying to survive the apocalypse… in but this after watching the trailer, it loooks very promising. their house. Pacific Rim – Bad acting, not enough alien monster fights and why didn’t they just make a Power Rangers Movie instead? Page 134
The Raid 2 - The first Raid movie had just some of the best fighting in any movie to date so I wont be surpirised if the the second movie easily tops the first.
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RETROSPECTIVE 3 1 0 2 WHAT MOVIE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MADE NEXT YEAR?
Venom Movie - It’s been confirmed that there will be a Spider-man spin off featuring one of Spidey’s most fearsome villains, Venom. How they portray the character is one key question, will they have the big, brooding, animalistic Venom by Eddie Brock - which could seem weird if he’s getting his own movie - or will they have the tamed, action man Venom played by Flash Thompson, which could pass a movie but they would need to find some way to introduce the Venom character first then capture the creature and... and... and...
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TV&DVD DVD TOP 10
1
ELYSIUM (SONY PICTURES HE)
2
THE CROODS (DREAMWORKS ANIMATION)
3
THE HANGOVER - PT 3 (WARNER HOME VIDEO)
4
DESPICABLE ME 2 (UNIVERSAL PICTURES)
5
THE WOLVERINE (20TH CENTURY FOX HE)
THIS MONTHS DVD TOP 10
6
SKYFALL (MGM)
7
THE HOBBIT - AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (WARNER HOME VIDEO)
8
THE HEAT (20TH CENTURY FOX HE)
9
PAIN & GAIN (PARAMOUNT HOME ENT)
10 Page 136
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PERCY JACKSON - SEA OF MONSTERS (LIONSGATE)
TH...
OUT NOW AND THIS MON
new dvds CAL AT YOUR LO
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VIDEO SHOP
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2014
TV&DVD TV FEATURE
ON THE BOX IN
2014 TV looks to be shaping up quite nicely, loads of new premiers are in the pipeline and we will also see the return of some old, and even some new, favourites. We’ve trawled around and here are just a few of our fav’s that we are looking forward to. Catch them on Terrestrial, Sky or Online Streamers everywhere.
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HELIX US: Syfy, January 10 UK: Channel 5, January 20 Battlestar Galactica creator Ronald D Moore has not one but two new series coming in 2014. The second show being the eagerly awaited Outlander, which will air in the US at a time still to be confirmed. Helix is basically a sci-fi thriller about a team of CDC scientists (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) who go to a remote Arctic research facility to look at a mysterious viral outbreak that has the potentially to wipe out the human race. Moore intends to resolve the story line at the end of the 13 episodes of the show but you know how these things tend to go. Billy Campbell (The Killing) heads the cast, and Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager) will guest in a multiepisode arc.
DR WHO 8 US: TBC, Autumn UK: BBC, Autumn On the Christmas Day 2013 episode of Dr Who we witnessed the end of Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor and the rise of Peter Capaldi, the 12th Doctor. Season 8 featuring the new Time Lord will not return until autumn of 2014, which means more than a year will have passed since the last series aired in the UK. We can thank our USA friends for this. “Doctor Who may not be quite the force it was when it returned with Christopher Eccleston and in its David Tennant heyday in the UK, but has a growing audience in the US on cable channel BBC America It will not return next year until the autumn, giving it plenty of time to recharge batteries. And what better way to do that than with a new Doctor?” Doctor Who showrunner, Steven Moffat.
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TRUE DETECTIVE US: HBO, January 12 UK: Sky Atlantic, February 22 Over hyping a new show is almost kill a show off before it has even begun, but like The Walking Dead, this brand new HBO drama looks pretty much like it might just have a chance of living up to the massive amounts of expectation that it is generating. Heading the cast for the opening season are non-other than Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as a couple of detectives, Rust Cohle and Martin Hart, taking on a 17-year hunt for a Louisiana serial killer. It looks as if it won’t be light viewing, but I for one am pretty much hooked already having only seen a couple of trailers. Like a few of the better shows around just now there will be a definite conclusion to the initial season of the show with future seasons, if they happen, seeing new cast, locations, and story lines, similar to shows such as American Horror Story. The eight part mini-series will also have the bonus of consistency behind the cameras as well with all the episodes penned by novelist Nic Pizzolatto and directed by Cary Fukunaga (Jane Eyre).
HOSTAGES US: HBO, January 12 UK: CH4, January 11 The last time America took an Israeli political thriller and adapted it to make it their own, it was called Homeland. So are there similarities with current US show Hostages, which arrives on C4 later this month? Hostages may very well have a good few similarities with another big American series which has been just a wee bit successful of late; dark dangerous secrets within the heart of a typical American family unit? Check, a dysfunctional political system? Check, Ok… we won’t go on. The US President is soon to have an operation when his surgeon Ellen Sanders (Toni Collette) and her family are kidnapped by a team headed by FBI Special Agent Duncan Carlisle (Dylan McDermott). The ransom? Well nothing really, all she needs to do is make sure the President doesn’t make it off the operating table alive… Each episode covers a day in the story, over a 2 week period, lines begin to get fuzzy and we start to wonder if Carlisle as unsympathetic as it first appeared?
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THE WORLD CUP BBC/ITV, June 12 - July 13 Summer 2014, even for those non-football fans out there, will bring more people together than anything else, (well, maybe not in Scotland this time) The World Cup in Brazil is definitely an occasion to look forward to. Kicking off on 12 June, the competition sees the hosts set as favourites to win the trophy for the sixth time. The main European threat probably comes from Spain, the current champions and aiming to be the first European team to win on American soil. Our friends across the border in England will play their opening match against Italy in the Amazonian city of Manaus, it will be hot and humidity and I’m sure they hoped for a safer journey to the tournament.
THE WALKING DEAD US: AMC, 9 February UK: FOX, 10 February At last, Season four of AMC’s zombie hit returns with eight new episodes, which will find the surviving cast members from the awesome Prison attack mid-season finale once more on the move, making a return to a show more akin to the first-season, with the various characters spread around with no hideout to keep them safe. Michael Cudlitz joins the show this season as Sgt. Abraham Ford, for me Michael will always be Sgt. ‘Bull’ Randleman from that other awesome TV mini-series Band of Brothers The last episode, one of the most surprising episodes in the whole show, saw the Governor one again declare war on the prison and killing off one of the show regulars before all hell breaks loose rendering the prison useless as a safe place to live. Michonne eventually reaps revenge and partially dispatches the Governor in her usual fashion before his girlfriend Lilly finally kills him off. With the group left scattered and everyone’s whereabouts unknown to each other the big think on Rick’s mind is where the hell is Baby Judith????? The Walking Dead will also return for a fifth season at the end of the year with a spin-off in the works for 2015.
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HANNIBAL US: NBC, February 28 UK: TBC Hannibal fans have been eagerly waiting its return the first season finished this summer but there has been a distinct lack of info going round apart from an interesting poster showing Hannibal exposed as the monster he is. Season two is thought to be set to kick off with a two-parter aimed at serving as “a new pilot for what the new season can be,” said showrunner Bryan Fuller. He also revealed that the third episode would feature someone’s trial, which we think is more than likely to be his own. For a wee recap the first season saw Abigail learn that the ‘copycat killer’ was none other than Hannibal, he killed her, then framed Will for both her murder and all the rest of his gruesome murders. After Will himself found out that Hannibal was the killer he tried to shoot him and ended up committed where he greets one of his visitors with the classic line ‘Hello, Dr. Lecter’.
VIKINGS UK: History Channel, February 27 The doppelganger of ‘Jax’ from Sons of Anarchy has been hanging out over on the History Channel’s hit historical drama Vikings for a season and the good news is that it makes a return for a second season of 10 episodes this year. Jacks… sorry Ragnar Lothbrok will be joined in his raiding life by new cast members Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games) and Linus Roache (Law & Order) along with regulars Katheryn Winnick, Clive Standen and Donal Logue. The new season will bring crises of faith, of power and of relationships. Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) has allied himself with King Horrik (Logue) to stand against the Earl in Gotaland which potentially puts him head to head with his very own brother Rollo (Standen). And let’s not forget that he also has a baby on the way, unfortunately not with his wife Lagertha (Winnick). Ragnar’s indiscretions begin to threaten his marriage, tearing him and his beloved son apart.
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BATES MOTEL US: A&E, March 3 UK: Universal Channel, EST September Bates Motel is an American drama billed as a “contemporary prequel” to 60’ Hitchcock masterpiece Psycho and depicts the life of Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/August Rush) and his mother Norma (Vera Farmiga - Source Code/The Conjuring) before the events seen in the original film. For purists among us it is actually set in a different fictional town, White Pine Bay, Oregon where the original motel in Fairvale, California. Season 1 kicked off just after the death of Mr. Bates when Mrs. Bates decides to purchases a motel in a small coastal town so she and Norman can start a new life. We last saw Norma repairing her rift with Norman by telling him that her brother raped her as a child, Norman attending the dance and got punched out by Bradley’s boyfriend. Miss Watson took Norman home to attend to his eye and a vision of his mother told him that Miss Watson was trying to seduce him, so Norman killed her. Season 2 opens with the death of Miss Watson still quite a mystery but episode one might just make you think twice about whether or not it was actually Norman who did the deed…
THE FOLLOWING US: Fox, January 19 UK: Sky Atlantic, January 21 Critics pretty much dissed this uninviting serial killer drama throughout its debut season in 2013, but despite that it was deservedly quite a hit for Fox. Fans will be happy that the channel will air 15 new episodes starting at the end of Jan. Returning stars Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy, and Natalie Zea will be joined by newcomers Jessica Stroup (90210), Keith Carradine (Dexter), Sam Underwood (Dexter), and Connie Nielsen (Boss)
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MAD MEN US: AMC, April 13 UK: Sky Atlantic, April TBC The period drama Mad Men’s seventh and final season will be split into 14 episodes aired over 2 seven-episode stretches separated with a festive mid-season break. The first half of the season is thought to be called ‘The Beginning’, and the second half ‘The End of an Era’. The final run of episodes sees the return of Don, fresh from his sabbatical after the events of the season six finale. Will also see the fate of characters like Megan (Jessica Paré), Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) and Ted (Kevin Rahm) revealed. When asked about the final season Christina Hendricks (Drive), who plays Joan Harris in the show, told The Toronto Star “It’s crazy, it’s mad, it’s just what you’d expect it to be. Every time a new script arrives we just fall on it and tear it apart looking for clues as to where our characters are going to wind up.”
MOB CITY US: TNT, December 4 UK: FOX, January 17 Coming to the UK on Fox UK, this neo-noir drama centred around the American gangster scene, yeh, you would never have guessed that, immediately caught our attention when we saw The Walking Dead duo Frank Darabont (developer/ producer) and Jon Bernthal (Shane) teaming up again. With Mob City Darabont is again the creative element but this time round taking on the director role with Bernthal staring as Joe Teague. Over the six episodes in season one they will be joined by some TV biggies with Neal McDonough (Band of Brothers), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli from Heroes) and Alexa Davalos (Angel) also starring in the series. The show is based on the true story of a conflict that lasted decades between the LA Police Department and Mickey Cohen (Jeremy Luke), a former boxer turned crime boss. The series is a fast-paced crime drama set in Los Angeles during 1947, with brief visits to the 1920s for background info. The noir period in L.A. was a time of flashy cars, movie stars, and new beginnings. And you would expect, along with that comes a good dose of lies and corruption to balance things out. Half of the LAPD were on the take and led by mafia families using various legal loopholes in the fledgling American justice system, the mob were quick to use these to their best advantage.
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PENNY DREADFUL US: NBC, February 28 UK: Sky Atlantic, TBC One show I’m seriously excited about coming on 2014 is Penny Dreadful, a psychosexual horror TV series created and produced by James Bond: Skyfall writing duo John Logan and Sam Mendes. Starring in the show will be the likes of Josh Hartnett, Billie Piper, Eva Green and none other than X-James Bond himself, Timothy Dalton. Old faithful horror stories set to feature in the Victorian Gothic thriller include Frankenstein’s monster, Count Dracula and Dorian Grey. So far the overall story of the show has not yet been clearly laid out Penny Dreadful’s creators insist that it is set to be a more grounded and serious shoe with maybe even a little bit of ‘sexy’ thrown in for good measure. Showtime’s president of Entertainment David Nevins told the Television Critics Association back in January that “It’s very realistic. It’s very grounded. This is not Bela Lugosi. The characters are all in very human form, all existing around turn of the century London.”
24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY US: Fox, May 5 UK: Sky1, May TBC Jack’s back. Set four years after the events of season 8, the series will loosely adhere to the real time concept; while it will still cover the events of a single day with each episode corresponding to an hour, there will be jumps forward in time between certain episodes. With the season set in London and, seeing fugitive Jack attempting to escape from the CIA, you wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the show will feature British B-Movie stalwarts Danny Dyer and Tamer Hassan and even sees Stephen Fry playing none other than the bloody Prime Minister. So once again we will be following the exploits of our hero agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) who at the end of the previous season was a fugitive from justice. Now exiled in Europe he as usual is more than happy to risk his life and freedom to protect everyone from yet another world wide disaster. On the hunt for Jack are CIA head Steve Harris (Benjamin Bratt, Law and Order), CIA agent Kate Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski, Dexter), Jordan Reed (Giles Matthey, Jobs) and Erik Ritter (Gbenga Akinnagbe, The Wire). While calling all the shots will be James Heller (William Devane, The Dark Knight Rises) as the President of the United States.
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GAME OF THRONES US: HBO, April 6 UK: Sky Atlantic, April 7 Season 4 of Game of Thrones, like season 3, will largely be based on an adaption of the George R.R. Martin’s third book of the series A Storm of Swords. There was pretty much a bloodbath at the end of the last season of the show but we can say, without giving too much away that many of the familiar faces from previous seasons will be returning in the fourth outing. New faces popping up include recasting of Mother of Dragons romancer Daario Naharis, with Michiel Huisman of Treme fame now taking on the role and Pedro Pascal (Homeland/ Graceland) as Prince Oberyn Martell, or the Red Viper. Star Jerome Flynn (Bronn) spoke at the 2013 New York Comic-Con and explained that fans could expect to be “quite surprised” by how different season 4 will be from the books that inspired it. Game of Thrones has always taken a few liberties with its expressive adaptation of the original books and even found ways of making last season’s pivotal “Red Wedding” scenes somehow even more shocking and gory. If you like that stuff it has been claimed that season 4 will have even more death in it…
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SHERLOCK LIVES
non-existent on our radars but he took on the role like a superstar (if you like him as Sherlock, watch him in Star Trek). Like Robert Downey Junior, Cumberbatch brought his own stance to the Sherlock figure and captivated the British audience. Freeman is another actor that makes the role his own. Being in the shadow of Sherlock is always a problem for Dr Watson but Freeman steps out of the shadows and embraces Watson as he is and nothing more. The simplicity in this is the key to the success.
It's been two years since Sherlock (Bennedict Cumberbatch) jumped to his death to save his friends, John Watson (Martin Freeman) and Mrs Hudson (Una Stubbs). I could tell you a lot about Sherlock Holmes but I won't bore you, what I will tell you is that Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat made a breakthrough in television when they produced the highly ingenious Sherlock series. There have been a lot of dramatisations of the works from Arthur Conan Doyle so what makes this series so different from the others? To answer this question, let's look closer at Cumberbatch and Freeman. Before the Sherlock series, Cumberbatch was practically Page 148
well. Although Sherlock is once again focusing on one case at a time, we now know the bigger picture; Sherlock is trying to take down Moriarty's net of crooks. If you loved the first two series then I can guarantee you'll love this one. If you've never seen any of the Sherlock episodes then I definitely recommend you watch one perhaps even two. You might be surprised by the style of Sherlock.
But let's go back a step and look at what Gatiss and Moffat have done with the plot. Each episode is an hour and a half which some people may think tedious. It's like watching a whole film every time, which may sound daunting but in fact you just can't get enough. Each self-contained story of every episode lays the foundation and the clues for the next one. I was quite surprised with this new episode. I felt it fit in with the first two series really JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
Natasha Orme GoGuide Magazine Contributor
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TV&DVD DVD REVIEWS
I
’m pretty sure every time I write a Dolph Lundgren film review I go on about the huge number of outstanding straight to DVD action films he makes every year and how you should be buying them all. He’s an actor that’s never really been in fashion. I mean he was kind of a big thing for a while but he never really had the big franchise that propelled him into stardom like the other action stars of his day. The best review I could probably give of Battle of the Damned is just 5 words. Wait for it... Dolph Lundgren, zombies, and robots. Seriously though here’s a film that has Dolph Lungdren fighting zombies whilst searching for a rich man’s daughter, only to find robots that can help him out. I mean seriously, did they just look at my amazon wish list and throw some things from it together into a film. It’s just giggle inducing outstandingness… What? That’s totally a word. Now you may think that the only thing this film has to offer is the whole Dolph and robots fighting zombie’s thing. The storyline however is outstanding, the characters are great and they could easily make another film just on their survival before Dolph came along. They’re all well thought out when to be honest they didn’t have to be. They could have easily put in some generic background characters but didn’t. This is how much effort has been put into making this a great film. Everyone in the film seems to have an ongoing backstory, even Dolph’s extraction team who really don’t last too long. It’s the kind of thing you wish bigger budget films would do more often instead of just having ‘Stereotype 1’ doing something stereotypical and annoying. The effects are also really good considering the film has such a low budget. Ultimately there’s just far too much to like and enjoy about this film for you to ignore it. Dolph Lundgren is awesome, and you should all know that by now.
S
ome films are so highly anticipated by me that I let out a little yelp when I see them in a shop. I would love to say it sounds like the heralding of a Viking ship as the native population runs in fear but in reality it’s more like a giggling Japanese school girl. Anyway, this is one of the films that created such a noise. Big Ass Spider has it all and more for those fans of a creature feature.
Now don’t get me wrong, there’s been a rather large number of creature features of late. From the outstanding Sharknado to the rather large number of depressingly unimpressive scyfy channel films that are doing the rounds, like Shark in Venice. This time our main stars are that guy from heroes that was the cop and a Mexican guy. The guy that used to be in Poltergeist the legacy is a scientist that works for the military, the guy in charge is one of the guys from Twin Peaks, and somehow this crazy weaponised spider that grows like crazy has escaped from their laboratory and wreaks havoc on the local populace as it grows to ten stories tall. Which is like, really big. The guy from Heroes is an exterminator who goes after it and helps out the military even though they keep claiming to not want his help, he does appear to be the only one who actually knows what the devil is going on. Big Ass Spider is great, it keeps the laughs coming while has a giant spider running around, stabbing people, shooting them with its web and inevitable eating them. There’s a whole love interest angle too which kind of works well as our hero bumbles around and is possibly the least suave guy on film this year. Seriously though, you should watch this. It’s just a really good way to spend 80 minutes and you won’t be disappointed by the mix of humour and gore.
James McCulloch GoGuide Magazine Contributor Page 152
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James McCulloch GoGuide Magazine Contributor
DVD/BLU-RAY REVIEWS MYMHM ? MOVIES
M
ark Millar writes good comics. Really good messed up comics which apparently make great films. I mean Wanted wasn’t the best but that was mainly due to the complete disregard of anything that made the comic good in the film. Anyway, here we have Kick-Ass 2, the film so brutal Jim Carey refused to promote it. I mean seriously did he not read the script, or appear on set at any point. Anyway, it’s great and he’s great in it. So the films follows on from the first, Kick-Ass has made a poor attempt to give up the super-hero life and Hitgirl is still out beating people up on a nightly basis. Due to Kick-Ass being a role model for people, or something, other heroes have begun patrolling the streets. Eventually wanting to form a team, KickAss gets together with some of them to form ‘Justice Forever’, a rather jumbled bunch of people who are out to have fun and seek justice. Hitgirl tries to be a normal teenager, and Red Mist basically goes mental. Now when Red Mist goes mental, he really goes for it. Getting together a large bunch of super-villains with offensive names that do a rather good job of mocking the comics the main character loves so much. I think one of the only bad guys names I could put in here is Mother Russia, who is a half-naked woman from Russia who has so many muscles she’s put most MMA fighters to shame. Basically if you liked the first film, you’ll love this. It has the same tone and feel to it, brutal at times and ridiculous (in the best possible way) at others. I loved this film, it’s definitely one of the best this year. It’s good to see such a large British casts in what is essentially a big Hollywood action film too. It’s also a film with consequences, which most action films seem to disregard. I can’t wait to see what they do with the third one.
YOU MIG
HT HAV
E MISSE
D
B
efore Jennifer Lawrence came along a few other cute and quirky girl next door types did the rounds; Alley Sheedy in the early 80’s, Mary Stuart Masterson the end of the 80’s and into 90’s (I’m sure the awesome indie love story Some Kind of Wonderful will feature in a MYMHM if I get another chance to do one at some point) and the awesome Ellen Page in the 00’s. The subject of my MYMHM this month ‘Juno’ came out in 2007 and after watching it you kinda want to just watch it again the next weekend, and the next, and the next… Page and the other cast members are brilliant throughout. Jason Bateman as the frustrated wannabe musician husband trying to struggle through life, Michael Cera as the stalwart best boy ‘friend’, Jennifer Garner as the wife obsessed with getting her own child. All just really, really good. Teenager Juno (Page) is faced with an unexpected pregnancy, so she drags her best friend along to help with finding a suitable surrogate family. Juno gives off a distinct air of being much wiser than her years suggest and soon she meets Mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) a well off suburban couple who have been trying unsuccessfully for many years to conceive their own child. Mark and Vanessa have tried everything and they are resigned to the fact that adoption (or buying) a child may be their only hope of getting their own baby. To Juno they seem to be the perfect parent for her unborn child. Adolescent Juno is faced with an increasing number of rather adult decisions and draws on all the support she can get from her family and friends, finding out just who she really is and the consequences of one bad decision.
James McCulloch GoGuide Magazine Contributor JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
Mr Suit GoGuide Magazine Contributor PAGE 153
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GAMING CHARTS
THE TOP 10 Box-office games for Playstation, Xbox and PC
PS3 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS
PS4 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS
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1 GRAND THEFT AUTO V
6 BATTLEFIELD 4
2 ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK 7 NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS FLAG 8 THE LAST OF US 3 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS 9 LEGO MARVEL SUPER 4 FIFA 14 HEROES 10 BATMAN: ARKHAM 5 GRAN TURISMO 6 ORIGINS
1 FIFA 14 2 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS 3 BATTLEFIELD 4 4 KILLZONE: SHADOW FALL
6 KNACK 7 NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS 8 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES 9 NBA 2K14
5 ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK 10 INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG FLAG US ULTIMATE ED
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X-BOX CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS
X-BOX
ONE
1 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS
6 NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS
2 ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK 7 LEGO MARVEL SUPER FLAG HEROES 8 BATMAN: ARKHAM 3 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ORIGINS 9 4 FIFA 14 WWE 2K14 10 5 BATTLEFIELD 4 DISNEY INFINITY
1 FIFA 14 2 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS 3 BATTLEFIELD 4
6 RYSE: SON OF ROME
4 FORZA MOTORSPORT 5
7 ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG 8 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES 9 NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS
5 DEAD RISING 3
10 NBA 2K14
CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS
PC FOOTBALL MANAGER 2014
1 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2014 2 THE SIMS 3
6 THE SIMS 3: UNIVERSITY LIFE 7 ROME: TOTAL WAR II
3 BATTLEFIELD 4
8 THE SIMS 3: SEASONS
4 THE SIMS 3: INTO THE FUTURE 5 THE SIMS 3: ISLAND PARADISE
9 THE SIMS 3: SUPERNATURAL
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10 THE SIMS 3: PETS
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THE BEST GAMES OF 2013
GAMING FEATURE
Sam Sheppard for GoGuide Magazine
Games Review and News Contributor
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NUMBER 10.
INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US Injustice kind of got over looked in 2013 but sold remarkably well. The game is a 2D fighting game, but is probably the most dynamic, entertaining and fun fighting game to date. It was easy to pick up and play, easy to learn and online had hardly any faults that I can mention. And unlike most fighting games with a story mode, which tend to be not very good, Injustice really surprised everyone with a rather amazing storyline to go along with the game, the only fault? Well… it’s too damn short. Roughly a three hour story mode but it’s still an amazing story nevertheless. Bonus points for a ton of DLC that is available to download.
NUMBER 9.
SAINTS ROW IV You’d be hard-pressed to think of a year that was more chockfull of wonderfully artistic, experimental, boundary-pushing games than 2013. Saints Row IV however is not really one of those games. In fact, it’s the height of what’s starting to feel like old-school game design, as it throws pretence by the wayside in favour of being a god damn video game. There are no ambiguous moral choices to be found here. No revelatory interweaving of mechanics and story-telling. No probing meta-narrative. Just you, Keith David, and your Dubstep Gun. And probes. Oh, and you’re the President of the United States of America... and you have super powers... and you use them against aliens… and… JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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GAMING FEATURE
NUMBER 8.
BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS Arkham Origins was built using the game engine as Batman: Arkham City and keeps most of the same gameplay as its predecessor but brings a brand new story and environment to the table. In Origins, the villain Black Mask has placed a $50m bounty on the Dark Knight’s head, attracting every bounty hunter and assassin in Gotham to hunt Batman through the streets. Action is still the same satisfying cocktail of brutal combat, puzzle solving and terrorising bad guys in Predator rooms. There’s even a rather interesting online mode to get stuck into - just try to avoid fighting over who has to play Robin.
NUMBER 7.
BATTLEFIELD 4 Maybe you’re in a helicopter flying towards a building when a rocket hits the rotor, sending the aircraft spinning out of control. Maybe you jump out at the last second and land on a rooftop as the chopper explodes on impact? Only to hear the building’s supports start to creak and groan. Maybe you jump off just as it falls apart, deploy a parachute, and land in time to pull out your upgraded PKP Pecheneg light machine gun and fire shots into the back of an unsuspecting enemy? Maybe this all happened over the course of ten seconds and was one of the most thrilling moments of your gaming career? Maybe this sort of thing happens all the time in Battlefield 4? Page 160
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NUMBER 6.
TOMB RAIDER With the reboot of Tomb Raider franchise, everybody was a bit sceptical of the game looking like Uncharted, and to be honest it kinda was. The game was more heavily focused on action rather than adventure, and since this was the character build of Lara Croft, she’s rather good at killing folk and has a sick mind when it comes to executions. However the game overall was fantastic and a massive success, accurately named ‘Headshot Island’ is both beautiful and a deadly environment to explore and apart from killing lots of people, Lara is a great and believable character. This is one of the best reboots that a game could ask for.
NUMBER 5.
METRO: LAST LIGHT Metro: Last Light was one of the many promising projects in danger of being lost in the closure of THQ. Fortunately, the Ukrainian-developed title couldn’t be stopped. The latest entry in the Metro franchise creates an incredibly engrossing vision of post-apocalyptic Russia. It’s a world of poisonous air and deadly mutants, and the last humans are warring over what’s left in the wreckage. The atmospheric setting fits the dire story wonderfully.
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GAMING FEATURE
NUMBER 4.
ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag might just be the greatest pirate game ever made. Few things are as liberating as piloting your very own ship through the 18th Century Caribbean, ransacking schooner’s and engaging in epic battles with towering English warships. Protagonist Edward Kenway even makes for the perfect pirate. He’s allegiant only to his coin purse, and willingly risks life and limb in the pursuit of filling it, whether that means taking on assassination contracts or plundering ships at sea. The gorgeous open world is immensely fun to explore and was packed with genuinely enjoyable distractions: underwater salvaging dives, plenty of treasure hunts, and more than enough pirating to go around.
NUMBER 3.
BIOSHOCK INFINITE Like Rapture before it, Columbia is a theme park that makes you think. One moment, you’re staring in awe at the majestic beauty of your surroundings: man-made beaches floating in the sky, or towering high-rises that loom over industrial districts. The next moment, you’re shaken by reprehensible acts of racism, or mystified by the implications of a single coin flip. Booker and Elizabeth’s adventure through a city in the clouds may play like a shooter, but it feels like an astonishing voyage into a self-contained world.
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NUMBER 2.
GRAND THEFT AUTO 5 As an open-world game, GTA 5 is simply without equal: San Andreas feels like a living, working island thanks to both incredible scale and impressive attention to details. Combining these two is an amazing feat on currentgen hardware, especially as the game looks so handsome and plays so smoothly. And it really is a game for everyone, giving players the option to cause havoc with a chopper, or just spend a leisurely afternoon playing golf. And when you want to be guided through a compelling story or two GTA 5’s fantastic script and fresh mission design makes it so.
NUMBER 1.
THE LAST OF US
The Last of Us isn’t simply the best game of 2013; it’s the culmination of what games have been attempting to achieve throughout the entire 7th console generation. Exemplifying and improving upon everything that games have evolved into over the last eight years, it’s a masterpiece of mature, gameplay-driven narrative, stunningly well-realised world-building, and uncompromising but intelligent systemic game design. The tension created by the fight-for-your-life gameplay works hand in hand with the edge-of-your-seat story, and while The Last of Us is often a stressful game to play, it’s also an immensely rewarding one. The narrative constantly thrusts players into dire situations that perfectly illustrate the ugliness of a mankind warped by apocalyptic circumstances. The whole experience is uncomfortably dark, save for the touching bond that forms between Joel and Ellie, two of 2013’s most profoundly believable characters. The final product is complete, cohesive, and affecting… it is the pinnacle of intelligent, powerful and artistically-minded gaming. JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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TICIPATED GAMES OF
2014 Sam Sheppard for GoGuide Magazine
Games Review and News Contributor
JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
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Destiny is an upcoming action role-playing, first-person shooter set in a “mythic science fiction” open world. Bungie has emphasized that the universe of Destiny will be “alive”. Events may happen in the game that are not necessarily controlled or planned by the developer, which will help to create a dynamic developing experience for Bungie and a dynamic playing experience for gamers. The game’s style has been described as an always-online first-person shooter that will incorporate massively multiplayer online game elements. Destiny will be arriving on PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One due for release this September. Developer - Bungie Publisher - Activision Platform - PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox One Release date - September 9, 2014 Genre - Action role-playing, first-person shooter Mode - Single-player, Multiplayer
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DESTINY
INFAMOUS: SEC
OND SON
Set seven years after the episodes of Cole MacGrath, Seattle has been locked down by the Department of Unified Protection (DUP), an organization that handles any sort of bio-terrorism to ensure that the events of Empire City and New Marais don’t repeat themselves. It was also revealed that the DUP renamed Conduits into Bioterrorists and have been rounding them up, jailing them and possibly killing them. It was revealed that rather than the RFI destroying all conduits, some survived because of their resistance to its effects and distance from New Marais. Developer - Sucker Punch Productions Publisher - Sony Computer Platform - PlayStation 4 Release date - March 21, 2014 Genre - Action-adventure Mode - Single-player
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Crafted by one of the cocreators of Call of Duty and other key developers behind the Call of Duty franchise, Titanfall is an all-new universe juxtaposing small vs. giant, natural vs. industrial and man vs. machine. The visionaries at Respawn have drawn inspiration from their proven experiences in first-person action and with Titanfall are focused on bringing something exciting the next generation of multiplayer gaming.
Developer - Respawn Entertainment Publisher - Electronic Arts Platform - MS Windows / Xbox 360 / Xbox One Release date - March 2014 Genre - First-person shooter Mode - Multiplayer
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TITANFALL
The Elder Scro
lls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online is an upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing video game. It is a part of The Elder Scrolls video game franchise, of which it is the first open-world multiplayer instalment. As with other games in The Elder Scrolls games, it will be set in the continent of Tamriel and feature a storyline indirectly connected with the other games. The game will be set a millennium before the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. As in previous Elder Scrolls titles, the gameplay will be mostly nonlinear, with a mixture of quests, random events, and encouragement for players to simply explore the world. The game has no offline mode, although the developers have stated that there will be “plenty of content� designed to accommodate players who prefer to play solo. Elder Scrolls Online will be arriving later this year on PS4, PC and Xbox One and will also have a monthly subscription fee. Developer - ZeniMax Online Studios Publisher - Bethesda Softworks Platform - MS Windows, OS X, PS4, Xbox One Release date - Windows, OS X - April 4, 2014 Release date - PS4, Xbox One - June 2014 Genre - role-playing Mode - Multiplayer
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Thief is an upcoming stealth, video game and a reboot of the cult classic Thief series of stealth games, of which it is the fourth game. Players control Garrett, a master thief, as he intends to steal from the rich. Players must use stealth in order to overcome challenges, while violence is left as a minimally effective last resort. Gameplay is choice-driven, with players having a number of possible paths and approaches in a given level. Players may use the environment to their advantage, as well as pickpocket characters. Thief arrives on the 28th February for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Developer - Eidos Publisher - Square Enix Platform - PC / Xbox One / PS4 Release date - February 28th 2014 Genre - First-person stealth Mode - TBC
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THIEF
WATCH DOGS
After being given a late 2013 release Ubisoft made the hard decision to delay the eagerly awaited title till spring 2014. We can only hope that they delay was worth it and that this game is going to be something spectacular and worth the extra wait. The game is set within a fictionalized version of Chicago, Illinois. The single-player story is told through Aiden Pearce, a highly skilled hacker, who can hack into various electronic systems, either to obtain and control information or to destroy such devices completely at specific times. Developer - Ubisoft Montreal Publisher - Ubisoft Platform - MS Windows / PS3 / PS4 / Wii U / Xbox 360 / Xbox One Release date - Q2 2014 Genre - Action-adventure Mode - Single-player, Multiplayer
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TOM CLANCY’S
This game probably stole the show at E3. Tom Clancy’s The Division is an upcoming online multiplayer, third-person, tactical shooter, action, role-playing game. Gameplay revolves around a postapocalyptic New York City, with players exploring the devastated city while under fire from other online and AI groups. In the game, a disease that spreads on Black Friday causes the United States to collapse in five days. The player is part of a group called “Strategic Homeland Division (SHD)”, called “The Division” for short. This group was established to combat the threat and do whatever it takes to “save what remains” in a massive multiplayer online situation, putting them against friends, AI, and other players. This game is yet to be confirmed for 2014 but there is a slight chance it could and I’m praying that it does. Developer - Eidos Publisher - Square Enix Platform - PC / Xbox One / PS4 Release date - February 28th 2014 Genre - First-person stealth Mode - TBC
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THE DIVISION
THE ORDER: 188
6
The Order: 1886 re-writes history by introducing a unique vision of Victorian-Era London where myths and technology co-exist. As a member of an elite order of knights, join a centuries-old war that will determine the course of history forever. We’ve still to see any gameplay but gained quite a lot of attention with its impressive trailer.
Developer - Ready at Dawn Publisher - Sony Computer Entertainment Director - Ru Weerasuriya Platform - PS4 Release Date - Q3 2014 Genre - Action-adventure Mode - Single-player
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The Witcher 2 offered up huge improvements over the original game, boasting a stunning new engine, larger environments and more hands-on combat - and this third game looks set to repeat the same trick. The big news here is the inclusion of an open world, allowing us to explore the series’ grim fantasy setting without running into loading screens or bumping into the edge of the current playable zone. It’s a world that’s said to be 30 times bigger than that of The Witcher 2 - and one you can explore on horseback. The Witcher 3 will be arriving this year for PS4, Xbox One and PC. Developer - CD Projekt RED Publisher - POL CD Projekt Platform - MS Windows / PS4 / Xbox One Release date - Q2 2014 Genre - Action role-playing Mode - Single-player
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THE WITCHER 3
METAL GEAR SO
LID: GROUND ZE
ROES
Although it may only be a prequel and a build-up game for the full Metal Gear Solid Phantom Pain, we still can’t wait for this game to arrive. Assuming control of the legendary Snake (a.k.a. Big Boss), players are charged with the infiltration of Camp Omega where both Paz and Chico are held. The hostages hold key information concerning Snake and his private military organisation that Snake and his ally Kaz Miller must prevent from being exposed. Ground Zeroes charts the rescue and the subsequent fallout that leads into the beginning of the The Phantom Pain. Ground Zeroes also acts as a bridge between previous Metal Gear Solid titles, easing players into the open world of MGSV. With a whole new engine and the first time the franchise has a fully open world environment, this is one game a Metal Gear fan cannot pass up. Developer - Ready at Dawn Publisher - Sony Computer Entertainment Director - Ru Weerasuriya Platform - PS4 Release Date - Q3 2014 Genre - Action-adventure Mode - Single-player
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O
nly two racing games have made their debut on next-gen consoles so far. With the PS4 exclusive DriveClub being delayed until later this year, Rivals is the first next-gen game released on PS4, will it be enough to compete with the Xbox One’s Forza 5? Rival’s mixes together the gameplay styles of Need for Speed’s ‘Hot Pursuit’ and last year's ‘Most Wanted’. There's more of a heavy emphasis on weapons like EMPs and spike strips than in Hot Pursuit as cops battle against racers, and players freely explore an open world in search of jumps and speed cameras. The real difference in Rivals is that there's no divide between single player and multiplayer. Unless you're offline, you will always be sharing the world with up to five other players. There's enough open road so that you can go ahead and get some missions done but sooner or later you're going to cross paths with an online person. Bonuses are granted when you're near each other so you can gain greater rewards points. You can challenge someone to a quick head-tohead race or track down a high-value bust by setting your GPS routes to target certain individuals. The story of Rivals is split into two, you can choose between playing as a cop or racer, but you can also switch between the two. Instead of proceeding through a specific set
of races, each level is reached by picking from three sets of goals and ticking off the challenges. Your checklists generally consist of ranking in various events, using weapons, smashing cars, or performing various exploits. Races and other challenges are scattered throughout the map waiting for you to discover them. Cops and racers play their respective roles where by cops gain points from busting racers and racers gain points by escaping the police. Plus everything from executing drifts and jumps earns you extra points which you can use to buy cars, weapons, and upgrades. If you're a racer, you're constantly in danger of losing your points because if you get busted before you can return to your hideout to bank your score, the cop that nabs you will drive away with your points. Although, racers also have a multiplier that increases the longer you stay on the road, forcing you to balance risk with reward, as you try to decide whether you should play it safe or stick it out for another race. It can feel devastating to get busted several times in a row as a racer, and conversely, as a cop, it can feel great to hunt down a racer and cash in on their points. Driving in Rivals isn’t all that technical. It’s largely about learning to accomplish drifts to get through turns just right and not sending yourself into oncoming traffic or a wall with nitrous. Some events can feel rather long and the time can take a toll on your car, so keep an eye out for repair stops that will refill your health and refill your ammo. The map isn't massive compared to the recent Most Wanted, but it's fairly broad and diverse. You’re always driving to new JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
areas just when you think you've seen it all, it continues to surprise you with new discoveries as you bust through fences, roadblocks, and apartments to find more side routes and jumps. Speed cameras and jumps let you compete against friends as well as completing events faster than a friend. I would recommend playing as a cop for exploration purposes, since racers are constantly hounded by AI police. Customization options do return in Rivals but they're nothing fancy. Letting you choose pre-placed decals and upgrade a car's durability and top speed. You can also choose from a wider verity of weapons this time. However, the flow of new cars is so fast, especially as playing as cops that it doesn't feel worthwhile to really spend time on them until later in your career. Rivals does a fair job of providing some nextgen visual displaying with some nice lighting, clouds of dust, and wide vistas thanks to the Frostbite 3 engine. While some effects do look pleasant, although for some reason the air is constantly littered with debris. The performance isn't always reliable as glitchy resets after wrecks can leave you facing the wrong way in race or pursuit. Despite some slight irritations, Need for Speed Rivals is still a fun and exciting racing game. Hunting down your prey as the police is still as addicting as it was in Hot Pursuit and getting to your hideout in the nick of time as a racer is nerve-racking experience.
Sam Sheppard for GoGuide Magazine Games Review and News Contributor
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KILLZONE: SHADOW FALL K illzone: Shadow Fall is here to debut alongside the next-gen PlayStation 4. It must always be nerve-wracking to develop one of the first games to come out on a brand new console, especially for a day one release date, but Guerrilla Games have taken on the challenge.
The war between the Helghast and ISA has gone cold but the resentment is still there. The Helghast have vacated their planet, now an uninhabitable rock. Its people are uneasy refuges, making home on their enemies’ planet of Vekta. Years have passed with the two races divided from each other in a manner reminiscent of the Berlin Wall. The threat of all-out aggression lingers on the border as you’re sent on covert operations that take you behind enemy lines to derelict space stations and deep cover. Your standard gun which you’re stuck with throughout the whole game is a pulsemachine gun with an alternate fire mode that allows you to charge a powerful shot for mid-range sniping or shotgun obliteration. Your arsenal also includes operating a robotic drone called an OWL that can give cover fire and offer up a shield to protect you or a stunning shock for foes. All the Page 180
OWL’s abilities are accessed by the use of the touchpad of the Dualshock 4, a quick swipe of the touchpad gives you many advantages, including a zip line that allows you to rush down to lower ground to close in on your objectives. Also the OWL can hack mainframes and alarms and even recover you after you’ve fallen with a shot of adrenaline. The adrenaline shots can be selfadministered, healing and creating a slow-mo bullet time effect when you aim down your sights. Also given to you is the ability to see enemies and munitions through walls by holding “right” on the d-pad. There are some limitations to your freedom, however there are some neat hidden short cuts in some levels to the upper hand on the enemy. The OWL option selections aren’t the only neat feature on the Dualshock 4. The controller light shows your health status if you actually look down, and if you pick up any audio diaries the built-in speaker broadcasts what the message says. Killzone's multiplayer Warzone mode succeeds with constantly changing objectives leading to lengthy and satisfying matches. There are a few new game types added in as well although they’re nothing special on their own. It’s certainly different in this age of killstreaks, vehicles, and unlocks to see Shadow Fall take a step back and go old school.
All of the weapons, the three classes and their abilities are given to you from the beginning. The few unlocks are accessed by completing various challenges to power up your abilities and unlocking gun attachments. What can be slightly overwhelming for people are the extensive options you have for making your own game types. But you could make a nice game of a merc’s vs spy’s type matchup. An offline mode with bots acts as a combat lab, offering a surprising amount of options to fiddle with, along with access to the various weapons, maps, game types and abilities. But some of the fun from Killzone 3, like jetpacks and Exo Suits are gone. Probably the only downfall of this game is that it actually doesn’t feel like a Killzone game. Guerrilla Games need to recognize that it is bullets and guns that will move this franchise forward, not politics… and maybe a decent story to go along with it. But overall Killzone Shadow Fall is an easy choice a launch title, and it's also a fantastic shooter on its own merits, regardless of the story and a fantastic vast and classic multiplayer. Sam Sheppard for GoGuide Magazine
Games Review and News Contributor
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T
his is my first time playing a basketball game since the days of NBA Street and slamming some GAMEBREAKERS for the PlayStation 2, so I thought I should add a sporty game to my PS4 collection and NBA 2K14 (came so close to getting FIFA) caught my eye with its unbelievable in-game graphics, hands down the best looking game you can get on Next-Generation consoles.
Having not played any other NBA games, it did take a wee while getting used to the controls and getting the hang of the rules for the game, I did know a few of the games fouls though like traveling etc. as I did play some basketball at school. Running the game gives you the option of NBA Today, MyCareer, MyGM and MyTeam modes. NBA Today takes you to the standard match ups and online games and leagues, but also includes a feature that shows all of the real basketball games that are actually playing on the day and you can choose any game pick your team and see if your team has the same outcome. Very handy (for me anyway) is the practice/freestyle/training feature which lets you get used to the controls and teaches you most of the neat little tricks to hopefully help you get one over on the opposition. Another cool feature is NBA Blacktop where you can either have a 1 v 1, 2 v 1 or 5 v 5 etc. and choose any player from any team to be on your team, this feature also seems to support multiple controllers. The 2K NBA games also have a “story-line” feature called MyCareer that allows you to create a character and play your favourite position in the game, and after playing it for a while I began to suspect that “I’ve missed something here because this can’t be right”? The player I created was atrocious! He was on the ball like a Dead Sea lion! In the story mode the 1st game you play is a rookie challenge where you have to impress professional team scouts, in order to secure a contract with a pro team… regardless of how bad you play it seems? Your second game is your player playing as a professional and my man can’t even score a basket! So did some research thinking something is wrong here and apparently all of the NBA2K MyCareer features are like this.
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As you play through games you earn VC, the currency of the game. The amount of VC your earn is decided via how good you play throughout a game and if your team wins or loses but even if you win and play well the amount you get is just disgusting. By evaluating how bad your player is and how much you earn per game you can judge how long it will take for you to even become a decent competitor… It’s pretty soul destroying. With VC you can either use it to upgrade your player’s skills or buy clothes… as your player is so bad I wouldn’t worry about your attire just now. On the good side, if you have a few pounds to spare there is microtransactions for you to buy VC and just increase all of your skills to something that is at least worthy of a professional level. There is a feature within my MyCareer called The Park, it’s a social hub where you can take your player to a park filled with basketball courts where you can watch and play games with other online players. Brand New ‘MyGM’ mode will pull your created character from MyCareer mode and set you up as a general manager, and just like in MyCareer, you'll build up your GM attributes as you play through. You can do things like make your GM more persuasive, improve his business acumen and give him a better basketball mind. These skills will affect areas like contract negotiations, trades and finances. MyTeam is similarly to the "Ultimate Team" modes in various EA Sports titles, MyTeam lets you assemble fantasy teams by buying packs of digital trading cards with ingame currency and play through the season. Now to talk about to the best part of the game, the game engine. For Next-Gen, 2K unveiled the Eco-Motion game engine and boy does it capitalize every aspect the PS4 can deliver. With Eco-Motion, the entire NBA experience comes to life in ways never before seen in a video game, including crowd reactions, atmosphere, coaching strategies, real player voices, and most of all the emotion of the game. Player animations are dynamic, and evolve on the fly as you play. Player personalities and emotions factor into the game as well, affecting how players perform and even behave on the court. No longer will players look like robots on the court. Now players adjust their movements based on the environment around them. Jump shots will change mid-air, dribble moves will alter in between dribbles, and players will land in a unique way following every thunderous dunk or block. No two animations appear exactly the same. On the downside there are some tweaks needing to be made. If you play MyCareer you’ll begin to notice a lot of the cut scenes being used over and over when it comes to talking with your GM, you’ll hear about Bob from maintenance a few times during a month and it’s always his birthday the next day… and he’s not a reliable window cleaner either! Online line play can seem a bit laggy at times, on the PS4 at least and for any new comers like myself, passing the ball can take a bit of getting used. Too many times I’ve given a turnover because the player passed to wrong man. If anything, NBA 2K14 signals that great things are on the horizon for this franchise on these new platforms, and that things are already off to a very good start. With 2K now responsible for the WWE games, we can’t wait to see what they have in store for that franchise. Overall NBA 2K14 is a definite buy for basketball fans or even any sport fans alike. Sam Sheppard for GoGuide Magazine
Games Review and News Contributor
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OUTABOUT &
IN WEST LOTHIAN
The Bennie Museum
The Bennie Museum opened in 1989 as a museum of Bathgate’s history and life. It is run entirely by volunteers under the management of a Charitable Trust. It has been commended by the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions. www.benniemuseum.org.uk 11am - 4pm (Apr to Sep) & 11am -3.30pm (Oct to Mar) - FREE 9-11 Mansefield Street, Bathgate, EH48 4HU 01506 634944
Almond Valley Heritage Trust,
Almond Valley is operated as a popular leisure destination that appeals to a diverse audience and promotes learning through discovery, family interaction and play. We also operate a formal education programme. www.almondvalley.co.uk Millfield, Livingston, EH54 7AR 01506 414957
The Garage Skatepark
The Garage Skatepark is an indoor skatepark based in Livingston which is being improved on constantly to give skaters the best experience around. The park is open to Skateboards ,Inline Skates and BMX. Kids under 16 wanting to ride at the park will be required to wear a helmet. The park also has its very own shop stocking Boards, Wheels, Trucks, T-shirts and other accessories. www.thegarage.zxq.net Mon - Sat: 10am - 10pm - Sun: 10am - 8pm 5D Grange Road, Houston Industrial Estate, EH54 5DE 01506 530892
Bankhead Mountainball
Like many ‘extreme’ sports, Zorbing, Orbing or Sphereing was created in New Zealand back in 1994. The concept is quite simple, you build a human sphere which can accommodate up to two fully grown adults, secure them inside then let them roll down a hill in it (hamsters have been exercised for many years in a very similar way!) www.bankheadmountainball.co.uk Contact for opening hours Bankhead Farm, Dechmont, Broxburn, EH52 6NB 01506 811209
Delta Force Paintball
Delta Force Paintball provides world class paintballing in Scotland. In addition to the scenery, incredible game zones provide players with an adrenalin-fuelled day of paintball action all year round. www.paintballgames.co.uk Weekends + 1 Weekday - check online for details Off Burnhouse Road, Dechmont, Livingston, EH49 6PL 0844 477 5050
Funtastic Fantasy Golf Limited
Miniature golf arena but it’s one with a difference it’s BLACK-LIGHT UV which means that not only do the 3D prop’s glow in the dark but also the golf balls and art work on the wall do too. This facility is a fantastic family day out for all ages & abilities with a cafe that sell homemade food made onsite at their cafe ‘Dino Bites’
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Mon - Sun: 10:00 am - 10:00 pm 3 St Andrews Way, Livingston, EH54 8HQ 07935 576943
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A1 PAINTBALL
A1 Paintball was established in 2002 with one goal in mind, giving their customers an open and honest paintball experience from start to finish and with no hidden extras. They provide only the very best and most comprehensive paintballing equipment and event management. Haggs Road Wood Burnwynd, Nr Edinburgh, Midlothian EH27 8ED 01501 741709
Racing Karts
Racing Karts quickly established itself as a force in Indoor Kart Racing due to its attention to safety, cleanliness and customer satisfaction. They like to call themselves ‘The Friendly Circuit’ www.racingkarts.co.uk Times: Booking required - call to arrange Arrol Square, Deans Industrial Estate, Livingston, EH54 8QZ 01506 410123
Livingston Skate Park
The Livingston Skatepark opened in 1981, at a time when most commercial skateparks were closing and was one of the most important facilities in Britain during a critical period in the development of skateboarding. It is an example of a free, unsupervised facility which achieved international status. Daylight access all year round FREE 16 Northwood Park, Opposite Almondvale Shopping Centre, Livingston, EH54 6HR
Deer Park Ten Pin Bowling
Deer Park Bowling Centre is a 16 Lane Bowling Centre with the capacity to hold 128 bowlers. There is a bar and food served throughout. At ‘Late night Glow Bowling’ the lights are dimmed and the lanes come alive with GLOW IN THE DARK, ULTRA VIOLET lighting effects and music. www.deer-park.co.uk Mon-Thur: 4pm-10pm / Fri: 12pm-midnight / Sat: 10am-midnight / Sun: 10am-10pm Golf Course Road, Livingston, EH54 8AB - 01506 446699
Five Sisters Zoo
The Five Sisters Zoo was established in 2005 and is the only wildlife attraction centre in West Lothian. With over 100 different species of animals, birds and reptiles from all around the world your visit will be a fun, enjoyable and educational one - all ages. www.fivesisterszoo.co.uk Open 7 Days a week - 10am - 6pm (5pm Winter half of year) Gavieside, West Calder, EH55 8PT 01506 871 111
Overboard Soft Play
Overboard Soft Play is an exciting indoor Soft Play and entertainment venue for kids aged 0-11 yrs. They have it all, from chutes to ball pits to go-karts to ball cannons. With an underwater theme and seperate play zones for different age groups and abilities, your children are sure to have a great time from the minute they arrive until it’s time to go home. www.overboardsoftplay.com Wed - Sun: 10:15 am - 6:00 pm 3 St Andrews Way, Livingston, EH54 8HQ - 01506 873888
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QUIZ ANSWERS
NEVER THE BO MIN LLOCKS
THE GOG UID MUSI C QUIZ
2
ANSWE SONG CLOUDS RS JAKE BUGG LT O B G IN N T H LIG YOU ME AT SIX M O O R D E B E H T R O SAVE IT F
3
MOUNTAINS - BIFFY CLYRO
1
4
HIGHWAY TO HELL
AC/DC 7
VIOLATOR
Depeche Mode Page 192
5
6
THE BEGINNING
Black Eyed Peas 8
TAKE OFF YOUR PANTS AND JACKET
Blink 182 9
DOOKIE
Green Day JAN/FEB 2014 - issue (36)
TO LOSE MY LIFE
White Lies
ND S IT’S
MOVIE QUISIZ SORS AGAIN
THE SC WE GOT HOLD OF S PLEASE? NAME THE MOVIE
DE
1
AVATAR
2
BEETLEJUICE
3
COUPLES RETREAT
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CLASSIC MOVIE POSTERS 101
G
ame of Death is a 1978 Hong Kong-American action crime thriller film starring Bruce Lee.
Due to Bruce Lee’s death before the movie was actually complete the 1978 version uses portions of the original footage married to an entirely new plot involving a new character, Billy Lo, struggling against a racketeering “syndicate” after gaining international success as a martial arts movie star. When Billy refuses to be intimidated by syndicate henchman Steiner and his gangs of thugs, syndicate owner Dr. Land orders his assassination to serve as an example to others. Disguised as a stuntman, Land’s assassin Stick sneaks onto the set of Billy’s new film, and shoots Billy during filming. A fragment of the bullet passes through Billy’s face, leaving him alive but in need of plastic surgery which alters his facial features. Billy takes the opportunity to fake his death and disguise himself, exacting revenge against those who wronged him one at a time. When the syndicate threatens and kidnaps his fiancée, Ann Morris (Colleen Camp), Billy is forced to come out of hiding to save her. In the revised film, Bruce Lee’s fight scenes inside the pagoda are assumed to take place in the upper floors of the Red Pepper restaurant, where Dr. Land and his thugs have laid an ambush. In the end Billy survives the ambush, rescues Ann.
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