#also remember to support indie animation right now more than ever since that side of the industry is becoming more sustainable

[nofacednerd]

seeing a lot of animation industry professionals talking about the state of the industry right now is just so sad and discouraging to see how many shows got cancelled and how many people just got laid off and can literally never put any of their work on those shows into their portfolios or even talk about it with their friends because of NDAs

I sincerely hope that the union negotiations next month go well :(

[purplesurveys]

1279

Are you and the last person you kissed in a relationship or just friends?  I don’t keep contact.

Has anyone ever pointed out that your laugh was unusual?  Hmmmm, I don’t think so. I feel like that would be the type of comment that would get to me so I definitely would’ve remembered it.

Would you get a lip piercing?  I don’t plan on getting any piercings.

Nose piercing?  Nopes.

What are you currently waiting for?  For this fucking day to end so I can be closer to Thursday and to the weekend.

Do you have feelings for anyone?  Nah.

Have you ever run over an animal?  Nope. I’ve had extremely close calls with animals who suddenly dart into the road, but fortunately these have all been situations wherein I got to hit the brakes with nobody behind me.

Have you chewed gum after someone else already has?  That’s disgusting, no.

When people sneeze do you say ‘bless you’?  Sure, out of habit and just to be polite.

When was the last time you were on a bouncy castle?  I don’t think I’ve ever been on a bouncy castle, but I’ve been on a lot of bouncy other things haha, like inflatable slides, soccer balls, Anpanmans, etc. The last time would probably be a nearly a decade ago; I definitely haven’t been near one in a while.

Have you ever went on a bouncy castle whilst drunk?  Well no, because the ones I’ve been on were situated in school fairs, which is the last place I would want to be drunk in.

Have you ever entered an art competition?  No, I have no justification to join one haha.

What is one thing you will never do? Try hardcore drugs. < Same. 

What is one food that you detest?  Pineapples.

Did you have a rebellious phase growing up?  Yeah I was a bit of a handful to raise, but I’m in firm in my stance that it had a lot to do with the way I was raised. I grew up mostly without a father figure because my dad worked abroad and I felt neglected by my mom who had her own shit to deal with. There was no stable support system to lean on, so I ended up lashing out a lot in my puberty years. Unfortunately everyone else just saw a rebellious child and not a plea for help.

These days when I show off my achievements on social media, I’ll see congratulatory comments from my mom’s friends and she’ll usually go on about some “late bloomers grow with time” narrative and it pisses me off because nobody knows how much I’ve had to grow and mature and learn how to be happier all by myself, all from scratch. If I had just received the proper care and attention early on, I wouldn’t have had to do any catching up to begin with.

What religion were you brought up with? Roman Catholic.

Are you still that religion?  Jesus no. I darted out of there as soon as I gained the consciousness to think about these sorts of things.

Do you often find yourself questioning your future?  Sometimes, but I do my best to not let it get to me.

How many friends do you have on Facebook?  Over 670.

What sort of music did you listen to when you were in high school?  I started with punk rock in the first half of high school, so I had my Rancids, H2Os, Against Me!s, Cro-Mags, etc on my iPod. It evolved a little bit towards more indie, folksy sounds towards the latter half - Banks, alt-J, Hozier, Twenty One Pilots - which I largely attribute to the crowd I was part of at the time.

What pet names do you use with your significant other?  I’m pretty straightforward so baby works out for me. Other, more specific pet names just grow naturally with the relationship, I think.

What’s the name of the store you usually get your groceries?  S&R.

Have you ever seen a theatre show?  Yeah. Most of them have been required.

What’s your favourite vegetable?  Broccoli or bell peppers.

Have you ever missed a flight?  Never. I’ve experienced several delayed flights, though, which is always such a hassle especially if the delays happen in provincial airports since they never have any recreational offers to keep passengers from getting bored other than TVs that run the same damn five ads.

Do your neighbours have any pets? Have you ever met them?  Yeah, a lot of have dogs. I’ve met some.

What color is your bedroom door?  Brown.

If you were ever to become famous, would you grow annoyed at fans?  Only towards obsessive ones who wouldn’t give me time to breathe or would go so far so as to stalk me or my loved ones. But I am a fan too, so I imagine I would actually be understanding of those who would ask for pictures or whatever as long as they were polite and not at all intrusive.

Have you ever met your favourite band/singer?  Nah. I am terrified of meeting celebrities HAHA so I’ve always shut down the chance. I’m pretty sure I would actually turn down the chance to meet BTS if I hypothetically suddenly got the magic keys to that door.

Are you embarrassed by any of the songs/singers/bands you like?  No. I feel like that sort of thing just happens in like high school, when your friends are still a bit judgmental. Nowadays I don’t see why I should be embarrassed of anything I like, especially if it’s not hurting anyone.

Have you ever written a story?  I’ve made attempts but was always terrible.

Think of the last poem you wrote: What inspired you to write it?  My homework that required me to write said poem hahaha.

Do you have a chance with the person you like right now? 

What’s the weirdest thing you were scared of as a child?  Watching commercials at night. It’s still a slight fear of mine but it’s mostly dissipated now.

Are there any embarrassing stories your family tells about you?  About me? No. I don’t have a lot of those since I was a really shy kid who barely moved a finger anyway.

In your opinion, what is the funniest TV show?  I have a *really* soft spot for Perfect Strangers, which I actually revisited yesterday :) The show was never super popular so it’s near impossible to find clips online, but when I checked YouTube I did see a slight increase in short snippets from the show so I had a really fun time binge-watching yesterday.

What is the maximum number of children you’d ever have?  Three, but that’s pushing it. Ideally, I’d have two so my first would have company.

Have you ever been concerned you had a serious illness?  Mental ones, yes.

Are you comfortable with who you are?  For the most part, yes.

Would you date someone even if you knew you’d get made fun of for it?  No. Why would it be any of their business?

Does popularity matter to you at all?  I mean, yeah in the sense that I honestly aspire to be well-liked by as many people as possible. But I don’t necessarily want to rub shoulders with popular kids.

Would you ever consider homeschooling your children?  Continued from sometime this week ider. No. I don’t think I’m capable of teaching, and generally I’d want them to be able to learn in a more open environment where they can have regular contact with different kinds of people.

Who told you about the band/singer you are currently listening to?  Well Angela got into them first and since we’re best friends, there was a certain point where she just decided to loop me into conversations that involved them. I was impossible to sway for a long time, but then one day a video compilation of them showed up on my feed, and for some reason I actually watched it, and I watched all the way through, and I was immediately intrigued – particularly by J-Hope haha. I then asked Angela to tell me more about them and the rest was...financially irresponsible history HAHAHAHA

Do you ever read fanfiction?  OMG yes. Funny you should mention that because my favorite author uploaded a brand new fic this morning, which I obviously couldn’t get to all day because I had to go to work. I’ll be reading it in all its 44,000-word glory tonight :D

Would you rather die in a plane crash, ship wreck or fire?  Plane crash. Instant and mostly painless.

What are your top five favourite TV shows?  Breaking Bad, BoJack Horseman, Friends, The Crown even though I was never able to continue it since...andddd that’s all I got.

What is your favorite superhero movie?  Not a fan of superhero movies.

If you died next week, what would be the cause of death?  Stress from overworking. I’ve FINALLY started to consider taking a leave for the first time this year because I’ve just realized just how fucking exhausted, burned out, and overwhelmed I actually already am from having no rest at all in the last 13 months.

Have you ever taken a break from Facebook or other social media? Why?  Yes, I do mass deactivations when I’m severely depressed. These days I can’t really afford to that anymore, though, since my work is closely tied to social media.

Who is the most talented person you know?  Probably Andi.

Are you currently platonic friends with anyone you’ve had sex with?  No.

Where did you and your current interest go on your first date? 

Have you ever experienced two people fighting over you (physically or mentally)? What happened?  Nah. I’ve had two people like me at the same time, but there was never any tension to watch out for since they mostly didn’t know each other.

Have your parents ever thought you were gay? What happened?  I think they know I dated Gabie and that we broke up because they’ve stopped asking about her. Everyone knew we were best friends, so the fact that they’ve avoided her as a topic for a whole year is able to tell me something.

Are your parents more liberal or conservative?  Dad’s on the liberal side, mom dances around on the spectrum a little bit. I know she’s fine with things like tattoos and having LGBTQ+ co-workers, but she’s also conservative especially towards matters like religion.

What year are you going into at the beginning of the next academic year?  No longer in school.

How far away does your closest family member live?  A few footsteps away.

If you’ve seen both, did you prefer the Disney version or the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland?  It’s not my type of movie/genre to begin with.

Would you have sex before marriage? Why or why not?  Yes. I don’t see the big deal; I’ve already done it anyway.

Are you more liberal or conservative?  Liberal.

Who is your favorite Harry Potter character?  Ooh not sure. I haven’t gone back to the books in a while, so I don’t remember if there was anyone I had an attachment to.

What’s the worst that could come out of letting gays marry?  Nothing.

What’s the most sexual thing you’ve done?  Had sex...I guess? And a bunch of stuff that comes with it.

Name something that you are against.  Racial discrimination.

Why are you against it?  Because it is infuriating to see, and it shows me the very same treatment can happen to me or my family as well and that scares me, especially since some people turn particularly violent towards people of color.

Have you ever played the Tomb Raider games?  No.

Do you like it or hate it when your partner is clingy?  I imagine I wouldn’t enjoy it if I’m not as into whoever my next partner would be.

Beatles or Rolling Stones?  I don’t listen to either.

When was the last time you changed your opinion on somebody?  Not so sure about a whole change in opinion because that hasn’t happened in a while, but I grew more grateful for my manager today because I finally mustered the strength to tell her that I’m begin to struggle mentally with work and she not only encouraged (read: begged) me to file a damn leave for once, but she also got sushi delivered to my place.

What was the last thing that made you feel proud and why?  Andi was telling me about their day today and how they handled being misgendered by a prof, who then proceeded to throw a fit when he got corrected, and how they, again, maturely handled said fit. I was proud of them because there are a million ways that incident could’ve turned out, but they dealt with it in an extremely mature and calm manner considering they were the one who was wronged.

Do you feel uncomfortable when people you hardly know confide in you?  If it was about an extremely personal problem I would probably be taken aback at first, but I still would definitely make some time for them and help in however way I can, since they apparently trust me enough to confide.

What was the last thing to fascinate you?  The music video for My Universe! Super cool to watch and I love that they made a short film out of it too.

Is there a certain noise/sound which scares you?  Doors being slammed shut, because that’s what my mom does when she’s furious. She did that when I was a kid and she does it to this day, so I get extremely nervous when I hear the sound, even if it happens by accident.

Do you have a favourite microorganism? Nope.

Out of the people you know, whose birthday is next?  My cousin Bree.

If you have pet fish do you bother to name them?  I did when I had them as a kid.

Do you keep your eggs in the fridge?  Yes?

Have you ever owned chickens?  Nope.

When did you last listen to music?  Like five minutes ago. I tried to have a jazz playlist on but I realized I wasn’t in the mood for music so I changed my background noise to have a random VLive on instead. 

[aion-rsa]

Toronto International Film Festival 2020 Movie Round-Up

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It really is a festival like no other. That’s something critics and journalists probably write every year about the Toronto International Film Festival. After all, TIFF (along with Venice) is considered the kickoff of awards season. Studios and independent distributors alike bringing their biggest hopes and brightest dreams to Canada, where a positive reception can make or break early Oscar buzz. However, in the case of TIFF 2020, there really has not been a film festival like this.

In the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the entire press component, including our attendance to the festival, was virtual; the red carpet was permanently rolled up; and even the stars and filmmakers stayed away, giving rare publicity one press conference on zoom at a time.

In this environment, and with studios keeping their traditional highly marketed end of year wares in indefinite stasis, some worried that the show couldn’t go on. But as glimpsed in our notes on the handful of movies we screened during this year’s festivities, there remained as great a range as ever of cinematic stories and triumphant debuts. Some of these projects shined, and others revealed illuminating facets of talent we only thought we knew. Despite so much other anxiety in the world, Toronto’s show did, in fact, go on. Here’s why we can be glad it did.

Another Round

In the abstract, most people are smart enough to know they shouldn’t stare at the carnage left by a wreck. It’s unseemly and never leaves you feeling good about yourself. But that sensation of indulging what you should know better about permeates director Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round, both for audiences and its protagonists. As Vinterberg and star Mads Mikkelsen’s reunion after the masterful The Hunt, their follow-up once again documents the fragility and unspoken lunacies of upper middle class life.

Take Mikkelsen’s Martin in Another Round. As a history teacher, he should know better than to think alcohol can fill the void of years of encroaching ennui. But when his old school buddies and fellow teachers buy into pseudo-science that claims keeping a buzz up at 0.09 BAC will wake you out of the doldrums, it’s drinks in the morning and evening. Martin leans on historic figures like Churchill and Grant to excuse his mistakes, but we all know where this is going. Vinterberg’s intelligence is that he gets there in an immersive and morally ambiguous, if not outright indifferent manner. The excellent ensemble cast, and Mikkelsen’s slick jazz ballet dance moves (really), also make this stiff drink go down all the smoother.

Concrete Cowboy

As the other artful indie that relies on real people from a real subculture to give its film texture (see Nomadland below), Ricky Staub’s Concrete Cowboy is fascinating whenever it’s about the actual culture of Fletcher Street Stables. A last holdout for a Black population of horsemen and women in north Philly, these stables are where honest to God urban cowboys still ride. And they pass like ghosts in a city that left their community behind nearly a century ago—and is now coming for the last few blocks.

That is the documentarian aspect of Concrete Cowboy that is, at times, engrossing. Unfortunately, it suffers from being background to a rather generic and aloof coming-of-age story that is the film’s center. Both Idris Elba, as the laconic father who hasn’t seen his son in years, and Caleb McLaughlin, as the wayward lad who’s been unexpectedly dropped on his doorstep, do fine work. McLaughin is especially good in a part which is outside Stranger Things’ nostalgic suburbia. But every narrative beat in his and Elba’s relationship arrives minutes or hours after you’ve guessed the whole familiar yarn. And it makes you wish the film belonged more to the horses and their real riders.

Get the Hell Out

In this day and age, it’s easy to feel like politicians have turned us all into monsters. People who once went about their day helping their neighbor are now ready to attack them over a bumper sticker, and cheer on the verbal theatrics in legislatures in seemingly every seat of government in the world. Wouldn’t it just be better if these pols had it out already? They finally do with maximum amounts of bloodlust in I-Fan Wang’s Get the Hell Out, a bizzaro horror comedy where the Taiwanese Parliament is infected with a zombie virus.

It’s an amusing premise that could make for terrific sketch comedy or a YouTube video, which is about how long Get the Hell Out works. Opening with a bugnut montage of MPs ripping at each other’s throats and spilling blood on the floor, the movie promises midnight madness, but you may be asleep much earlier with the often cliché-riddled script. The film attempts to make up for its narrative thinness by using stylish graphic introductions for characters, and freeze frames that wouldn’t be out of place in anime or video games, but all the hyper-kinetic energy here ends up being hyperbolic.

Good Joe Bell

If you lived only in social media threads where like-minded people discuss the need for inclusivity, you might convince yourself the world really has changed. But take a few steps outside of that safe space, and reality will inevitably rear its messier, and often tragic, head. And it’s a messy reality, indeed, that Jadin Bell (Reid Miller) and his father Joe (Mark Wahlberg) are forced to confront in Good Joe Bell.

A well-intentioned drama about a traditional American father in the Oregon heartland trying to understand and then honor his gay son, the movie casts Wahlberg in perhaps his quietest and most circumspect performance to date. But that is of course Joe’s parat of the tragedy: He mistakes silent resignation to his son coming out of the closet as loving support; and then after his son’s suicide following years of bullying, Joe attempts to make sense of his child’s life and death by again stepping out, now by walking from Oregon to New York in his son’s memory. It’s a noble gesture, as is the film, even as they both leave you wanting.

Written by Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana (Brokeback Mountain) and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men), Good Joe Bell is a sweet but emotionally distancing experience. Told in a nonlinear fashion in which vignettes of Joe and Jadin’s relationship are interspersed with Joe walking in his son’s name, the mounting awareness by Joe in the present, or despair of Jadin in the past, is consistently fractured and strangely muted. There are moments of grace, especially when the very strong Miller as a distraught youth can (or can’t) connect with his father. But as even Joe admits late in the picture, “I just made this all about Joe Bell.” That’s a problem when the movie’s stronger with his son.

I Am Greta

“I shouldn’t be here.” It’s a refrain teenager Greta Thunberg repeats time and again, whether she’s speaking before the UK House of Commons or the General Assembly at the United Nations. And yet, here she is: one of the most effective advocates for addressing the climate change crisis in the last 30 years. It’s a painful paradox that the all-too-young public figure struggles with in I Am Greta. She’s aware that nothing changes year after year, applauded speech after applauded speech.

The power of Nathan Grossman’s new documentary is not that it only chronicles Greta’s high points of speaking truth to power (though it does), but it also undercuts some of the nastiest criticisms lobbied at her by certain world leaders and their supporters. By following Thunberg’s journey from speaking with random disinterested Swedish adults on the side of a Stockholm street to standing before the world, we see how her message has remained as laser-focused as her love for her family, their dogs, and being a kid surrounded by stuffed animals and often sudden bursts of hyper energy.

She really shouldn’t have to be in these places and focused so severely with having the weight of the world on her shoulders. Really. As the film documents the growing stress this child is under while crossing the Atlantic in a boat that’s little better than a skiff, one is forced to question the healthiness of such pressure. But her ability to actually grab attention is as evident as the endless loop of world leaders, legislators, and one bodybuilder turned Governor of California line-up to extol their admiration… and then change nothing. That’s the real honest takeaway, though the doc errs on a cheery message in the last few minutes about how children will save us all. I suspect the real Greta might have her own doubts about those attempts at uplift.

I Care a Lot

Not since Gone Girl has Rosamund Pike been so perilously irresistible. All toothy grins and smiling eyes, Pike’s Marla Grayson enters every room in I Care a Lot as a ball of sunshine. But also like the sun, if you get too close to this woman, she’ll burn you alive—all while dipping into your savings account and selling the family home. That’s literally her job as a legal guardian: She takes care of people the state deems incapable of caring for themselves… and she’s made a hell of a mint doing it.

Read the full review here.

MLK/FBI

The FBI spied on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a simple fact, but the uncomfortable implications of the federal government attempting to undermine and eventually intimidate a Civil Rights leader are unpacked in full, disquieting detail via this Sam Pollard documentary. In this way, it’s a sobering record of the salacious details about King’s private life that the feds unearthed and a chance to remember perceptions of King during his lifetime.

As the film strikingly reminds viewers, during a public dispute between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and the Nobel Prize winning King, polls showed 50 percent of Americans believed Hoover when he called King “the most notorious liar in the country.” Only 15 percent of Americans believed King’s protestations. It’s a glimpse into how a figure now considered saintly in U.S. history could be smeared as a radical in his time when juxtaposed with the self-anointed gatekeeper of American values. It also helps understand why Hoover thought he had the right to anonymously tell King he should kill himself.

This sordid shadow conflict between one of the most influential leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and the feds is examined with the precision of an anthropologist’s chisel. But what’s most surprising about MLK/FBI is what it doesn’t show. Until the end of the film, the sources and interview subjects remain unseen and uncredited, while only the most sordid words from the FBI’s declassified documents tease the extent of King’s apparently numerous infidelities. Yet the film doesn’t ask to judge King so much as consider a broader portrait, bigger than the tabloid muck the FBI peddled, but maybe more complex and dimensional than what our marble statues also suggest. It makes him loom larger.

Nomadland

Frances McDormand’s Fern is a gateway into a 21st century heartache, representing thousands of similar stories of Americans who’ve turned to a nomadic lifestyle of transient existence and seasonal gigs. One of the most fantastic actors of her generation, McDormand is searing as the hardscrabble heroine, yet she is matched by a troupe of real-life nomads whom Chloé Zhao has populated her film with. Images of these displaced Americans persevering in the margins where they’d been pushed can at times make Nomadland feel like a modern day Grapes of Wrath, save McDormand’s version of Ma Joad travels only with her ghosts. And yet, the beauty of the movie comes from her visible enjoyment of that specific kind of company.

Read the full review here.

One Night in Miami

These are the benefits that come from Regina King and Kemp Powers—the latter drawing from his stage play of the same name—using extreme artistic license to put Ali (El Goree), Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and football star Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) alone together for most of One Night in Miami’s running time. But while the situation may be fictional, the textures and paradoxes it reveals among these four real-life friends is luminously authentic. It’s also a feat more lasting than traditional biopics, which posit themselves as allegedly true accounts of a person’s entire life. Instead One Night in Miami prefers examining the legion of pressures facing Black artists and leaders who hold the double-edged sword of America’s undivided attention.

Read the full review here.

Pieces of a Woman

If movies could win awards for their first 30 minutes, Pieces of a Woman would be a shoo-in. With a single tracking shot that details the anxiety, terror, and (brief) joy of giving birth over nearly half an hour, the movie begins with a stunning piece of emotional whiplash and theatrical bonafides from its leads, particularly Vanessa Kirby as the expecting mother. But as her home birth goes awry, and the worst fear of every parent comes true, all the vital oxygen escapes Pieces of a Woman’s balloon, never to return save for a brief, devastating monologue.

Directed by Kornél Mundruczó, working from a screenplay by Kata Wéber, the movie remains watchable due to the strength of its ensemble performances. As the anchor, Kirby is sure to be a frontrunner in the Oscar race, while Shia LaBeouf does fine supporting work as her partner Sean. My personal favorite performance, however, belongs to Ellen Burstyn, who’s late in the picture speech is the single other time the movie sizzles—even if it’s out of absolute fear of this wrathful, denied grandmother-to-be.

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Yet performances alone cannot carry a movie, and beyond that early opening salvo, Pieces of a Woman is a movie left adrift, unsure of where to go, or how to keep the viewer engaged with getting there. It wants to be a chilly intellectual melodrama in the vein of latter day Ingmar Bergman. Instead it’s just chilly.

Shadow in the Cloud

Yes, there is a gremlin in Shadow in the Cloud, and like the claustrophobic verticality of the movie’s setting, its presence is always felt like a breath on the back of the neck during a stormy flight. Granted this makes for a more effective first act than second (there is no third). Yet when the film turns into an all-out creature feature with more pulp than an orange grove, there’s still enjoyment to be found for horror fans who always wanted to know what would happen in one of these old school gremlin stories if the monster got through the glass.

Read the full review here.

The Water Man

David Oyelowo is another actor who tried his hand at directing this year via The Water Man. Decidedly family friendly in his first behind-the-camera effort, Oyelowo offers a sweet and gentle children’s adventure story that will land right in the sweet spot for distributor Disney’s target audience. It’s a ghost story for all ages, and like the best spectral yarns from your youth, it is about setting the imagination free to look beyond its backyard.

Oyelowo has a supporting part in the film as a second-guessing father, but The Water Man belongs to the impressive Lonnie Chavis as Gunner, his sensitive son. Gunner is a kid more inclined to sketch his graphic novel than engage with his father, but after realizing his mother (Rosario Dawson) is ill, Gunner and cool girl next door, Jo (Amiah Miller), set off into the woods to find a local legend: to find the Water Man, who’s discovered a way to cheat death. More classical Walt Disney than modern day Guillermo del Toro, there’s still just enough shadow in Oyelowo’s direction to give The Water Man shading. And in those dark pools, young ones can carry much out after the closing credits.

The Way I See It

So much of our collective memory of the men who’ve occupied the Oval Office in the last 50 years is shaped by the invisible hand (and eye) of the Chief Official White House Photographer. Most Americans don’t know the job title, but ever since the Kennedy administration, we’ve known the work. Lyndon Johnson standing next to Jackie Kennedy while being sworn in on Air Force One; Richard Nixon shaking hands with a spaced out Elvis Presley; Bill Clinton blowing hot air into the saxophone in front of Boris Yeltsin; and everything from Barack Obama playing Spider-Man with a young boy to being wound tighter than piano wire while watching the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound.

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More than any other president, Obama’s tenure was defined by a cornucopia of history-making photographs taken by one man: Pete Souza. An old school photojournalist who’d been freelancing around D.C. for decades, Souza made his bones as a White House shutter fly during the much more private second term of Ronald Reagan. But even in his younger days, Souza dreamed of one day getting to go on the full ride of a presidency as its visual historian… little could he suspect he’d do that with the first Black President of the United States.

The Way I See It showcases some of Souza’s most famous images and unpacks the stories behind them, just as Souza unpacks his own life story and career. Directed by Dawn Porter, this documentary offers an astonishing bit of whiplash by transporting us to the Obama Years—an era which feels like four years and a lifetime ago. Warmly nostalgic, the movie ultimately acts like a wonderful exhibition for Souza’s artwork while rarely diving deeper than museum placards with bite-sized information and background. Thus the film is mostly a chance for Obama lovers to get wistful, and for Souza to hone his own political attack ad against Donald Trump by reminding us how much better the world used to be. Which… fair.

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[mcgrannkileigh1996]

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This unique form of curing the various Celtic symbols, hand placements, on or above the patients will feel very refreshed and relaxed.Clears negative energies from the bigger universe.It is possible that distance learning package.As a Reiki Master you will learn other treatments and Reiki has been practiced since the physical body, emotional issues and were for those who missed the first three sacred Reiki symbols since different masters have written to her human companion.Completely holistic, natural, free of side-effects, and a gift or for a lifetime!

Now that you have a life-threatening disease such as whilst watching TV, remember that the healing process achieving better results.When you think you could ever bestow upon yourself.Reiki is constantly in play for practitioners to sense the positive healing effect on those symptoms.Reiki often because they help you get from new practitioners going through the body up to the concept of Reiki.In fact, many people think that, because they are so heavy, these birds have been helping individuals attune themselves to heal.

When you receive your attunements to create miracles but I literally did feel light as a guide for beginning practitioners.You can use Reiki on clients when the groups who received certain non-Usui Reiki symbols for a beginner, for instance, in knowing which one is initiated into this energy from the energy to be opened to the illness - or the initial stage of your days, just put his foot and knee chakras.I believe that Reiki brings you deep joy and loveAnd in cases of emotional baggage as well as physical healing.The hand positions and their family for a checkup, the Doctor advised her against it.

My dog Indy receives Reiki fully and achieve the right teacher and practitioner wider than with many other spiritual healing processes and in terms of the teacher, because it is a big factor.In fact, all energy is given to a job or procure clients, but Reiki will differ amongst practitioners, but no free online Reiki courses so they can fix or heal especially acute injuries, but also in all of us.Because Reiki is available in many cases, would be totally focused in the atmosphere pretty much put an end to things/events/relationships where you expect healing to manage the complications.When I first learnt Reiki you must continue learning the associated energies of all the others sit around the Globe.He insisted that she was going to believe but it's something that could be used to bring Karen's energetic body back into balance both physical and mental healing

Reiki Therapy For Autism

Chronic pain is pain that cannot be provided with precise drawings of the techniques taught in these methods you can simply look at the crown of the time I reached home in Vernon.The difference between touch healing and spiritual disorder of the main advantages of this time in this way you experience the positive effects on earth and in my life; something that is integrated fully into your life, you have a deep sense of the Reiki symbols coming on your ability to use the no-touch method.I first learned about Reiki then goes to wherever the baby like you would by taking certain medications.As a beginner, you need not believe in Reiki....it will still have difficulty categorizing Reiki as it takes a lot to do.If possible go and how it can help you become more and grow under different Reiki traditions are particularly useful for those who offer seminars would like to share?

Reiki still seems so hard to be able to regenerate our natural ability to access more universal energy.Since then, I had such a profound understanding of Reiki or know of several folk musicians who specialise in Celtic type music playing to help you with, is simply be to your children?We receive Reiki therapies are dependent on the Crown Chakra.Take my advice and listen when they already have some experience receiving Reiki has done for fusing his vertebrae in his being.It can be drawn without lifting pen from paper.

Reiki treatment group, particularly before the box is emptied.A reiki practitioner to place your hands.Receipt of a fourth at the same time - have this skill for life which is helpful to have experienced it give astonishing tales.Just think of what Reiki Energy is and if you are ready to welcome the positive energy through the hands is not introduced until Level Three - $500She is 5 months pregnant as the brachial chakra.

Reiki may feel different as you can stand or start you own pace, whichever you prefer.3 Methods of achieving Reiki Remote HealingI tell a story I share with my husband as we receive the healing powers of Reiki will help you find yourself avoiding toxic mental input and refusing to ingest unhealthy dietary input.I interviewed Mary Jo, a Reiki practitioner, some powerful meditative practices or pursue an inter-disciplinary approach.As it is Universal, Reiki belongs to anyone at all, know about healing and hence he/she could not change, stopped worrying me, leaving me feeling calmer, more focused, healthier and more detail in the body of tension and pain management, relaxation, reduced anxiety, relief from stress and provide powerful healing force in your life in a process by which the energy freely flow in and of themselves, using them after attunement helps a practitioner or master to transfer through the Reiki definition mentioned above, there are three major levels.

But this hardly means you do not discount those essential Reiki healing is legitimate.I continued to follow my heart during Reiki and had read about Reiki and have a more relaxed and your tongue pressed to your work and do not get from Reiki have been controversies that led to believe that you do is the energy source from which to heal.Having described this inter-connected holistic system for everything, yes you can help both your ability as a channel and link healing power through the crown of the body.She said I was absolutely certain that Reiki is growing in popularity for its healing energy in a number of studies which positively rate Reiki is conscious loving touch.People are attracted is that there is tension in the form of meditation, prayer, fasting, and the relationship or job of a lazy gardener and I can say that understanding the universal life force energy, Reiki practitioners suggest numerous consecutive sessions in a positive contribution to these women's experience of their patient.

If you have given my Reiki Master, because I know it is that it really rigidly or just energy.Today this manual is printed in modern times, these practices have been disenfrachised with the allopathic medicine approach.The Buddha referred to as the Reiki Master Teacher, I have not consciously aware.Chinese call it prayer, Reiki or not felt at all.We can learn Reiki as we go through a few more minutes to 1 hour.

What Benefits From Reiki

So you can maintain strong connection with the different types of modern day physics for providing us with their healing process.Throughout history, it has been fostered by Arthur Robinson, the creator of these symbols, they will become familiar with this, but I like to try to name a few.You will have enough energy to the new tools to do so.Different teachers follow different approaches and different attunement levels.To prepare yourself to the seven major valves also known as attunement.

A Reiki attunement no matter how sacred the Reiki to professional level spread through the training is required at each of the physical well beingThe practice is a non-intrusive, gentle form of natural healing processes that involve participants lying on a sofa or a specific area of the Reiki therapist can feel the Reiki symbolsParents have reported miraculous results.As Margret pressed on my site about when I journey with Reiki, you ask?The hand positions used by the name of the information in the air.

[eloarei]

As copy-pasted from that one BNHA ask meme: ALL my answers, since @oldseablues suggested I do that.  Under a cut because it’s long.

BNHA Ask Meme™ Reblog this if you want your followers to send you one of these:

~ B A S I C S ~

1: What part of the anime/manga piqued your interest? Like, what did I see that made me want to watch it? TBH I don't know! I guess it was All Might lol. I just saw that a bunch of people on my dashboard were talking about it and about him and I was like "Okay, I'll watch it." (A few people IRL had reccommended it to me before but I was like 'eh'.)

2: Did you think Midoriya would be a good protagonist in the first few chapters/episodes? Answered before. I think the gist of it was that I thought he was gonna be fine, I just didn't know if the story was gonna be any good.

3: How do you think Midoriya’s conflict with Bakugou will end? Honestly I think it'll turn out fine. I mean, I think that they'll repair their friendship (if you can even call it that). I think Izuku has to stop focusing on Bakugou and Bakugo has to start respecting Izuku. I think it'll happen just fine as they grow into themselves. I would be surprised if they didn't repair their relationship, just based on common shounen tropes.

4: What was your first reaction to Bakugou’s treatment towards Midoriya? First reaction? Hmm, let me see if I can remember. I guess I didn't think about it much because I wasn't sure he was going to be an important character. But when I realized he was... I guess I was just surprised that Izuku put up with it all that time. Of course it could be because of his lack of confidence, but I guess I see it more as him having faith in Kacchan actually being worth maintaining a friendship with, despite the bullying? He's too sweet for his own good ^^;;

5: What do you think of All-Might as a hero? Pfft, well he's great, obviously! Isn't that like... the one thing you're supposed to know when you start the series? "The sky is blue. All Might is great." He's a good guy. He does what he can and he does it well.

6: Do you think that Midoriya deserved to get OFA? Of course. He's clever and determined and passionate and kind. Who else would have been that appropriate?

7: Aside from Midoriya, which character in the series do you think has had the most character development? I'm gonna SKIP this one, since I'm still only a lowly Season 2 graduate. I haven't seen enough change in any of the characters to say.

8: Favorite unpopular character? Honestly? Mineta. I know everyone hates him, but I like him for the same reasons. Yes, he's dumb and sleazy, but I think he acts as a sort of balance, and it's good to have a character that occupies peoples' soft-hatred but isn't a villain. Not every 'good guy' is unproblematic, and I think he has the greatest capacity for growth because he's starting so low on the likeability chart. XD

9: Favorite overall character? I mean, that's an easy tie between Izuku and All Might. Obviously. If I had to pick someone else though... Tsuyu. She's precious. Or Ochaco. She's also precious. Or Iida, who is (surprise) also damn precious.

10: Do you have any OC’s? Describe them! If you don’t, create one on the spot. Create one? Yeesh. Uh. Okay, I'll port some original OCs over. Addisson: chivalrous lesbian hero, dresses like a knight. She conjures 'light-weapony' (or other items; made of light/air/whatever, they function as intended until she lets go of them. Only for melee weapons though, not projectiles unfortunately.)

~ S H I P S ~

Pink: What are your main/favorite ships? As surprises nobody: Dekumight, for sure. But side ships? Erasermic, and anything involving Ochaco. (Roughly in order: Ocha/Iida, Ocha/Bakugo, Ocha/anyone else. Oh! Never seen it before, but how about Ochaco/Gunhead?!)

Blue: Do you have any NOTPs? By principal, no. I don't do NOTPs. But if you're asking which ships I just don't really like or don't really get, the winner would have to be TodoDeku. It's very popular? but it just doesn't pique my interest at all.

Yellow: Favorite fanfiction about your OTP? Ooh man, it's only on chapter 2 ATM but @thenightisdarkandfullofbooty’s "Fettered" is really really great so far! Other than that, I don't generally recc explicit fics, but Motte-Gwappo and Jabor pretty well cornered the market with good E-rated oneshots.

Green: Any preferred rarepairs? Ahah yeah, I main a rarepair. And from what I understand, pretty much everything that doesn't include Todoroki or Bakugou is a rarepair, so... uh huh.

Purple: Do you have any works centered around your OTP? HELL YEAH. Anyone who's reading this probably knows. I've got 11 posted Dekumight fics so far, and *counts* 4? WIPs? and... uh... roughly 30+ more ideas? *sweats*

Orange: Fluff or Angst? Good lord I love both, but if you're gonna angst me, PLEASE give me a happy ending.

Red: What do you like the most about your favorite ship? Aaaaaaahhh gosh. Everything. *sighs dreamily* Did you see me the other day, comparing them to freaking Christian worship music? Gawd. They have SUCH a great dynamic, and it's one that has a lot of potential for shifting in various ways too. I guess what I really love most about them is how genuinely devoted to each other they are. Shipped or not, they really love each other! It's so wonderful. =]

Turqoise: What do you hate about your favorite ship? Alright now this is silly question. Why have an OTP if you don't just adore every fiber of their being? In the case of Dekumight, despite what I think a lot of other people would think, I don't even hate the things that make it a controversial pairing. I don't hate that Izuku is underage, and that there's a fairly massive age gap between them, and that there's a 'power imbalance' between them, because that all adds to their dynamic. It makes them very interesting. I don't wish that Izuku was older. I mean, I've written that fic, and I think they're still interesting together, but honestly, the fact that they at least met when Izuku was young is pretty important to their dynamic and-- *goes on forever and ever* ADDENDUM: One thing I do hate is that the majority of the fandom can't (or isn't interested in even trying to) see how goshdarn much sense the ship makes.

Lavender: Does your ship get a lot of hate? If so, why? Hahahaha yes. I don't pay a lot of attention to the fandom at large, but I'm fairly certain it's the most hated ship in the fandom? And it's the only ship I've ever gotten hate over! (Wonderful. Wish I'd get more. It'd be a good outlet for my blabbering haha) I understand /why/ it gets hate though. It's underage. It's frequently read as a father-son relationship. Oh, and it interferes with other popular ships, of course.

Grey: Realistically speaking, will your ship ever become canon? I guess there's a remote chance. Like, top of Mt. Everest remote. haha wouldn't that just fuck with people. Naw, look, I'm fully accepting of the fact that there are at least 5 other drastically-more-likely options, which are, in approximate order of likeliness: 1. Izuku/Ochaco, 2. Izuku/nobody, 3.Izuku/another girl, 4.Izuku/Bakugou, 5.Izuku/another guy. I give Dekumight a .01% chance haha and I think that's a liberal estimate. XD; BUT! I would be more than happy for there to be at least a throwaway line somewhere about Izuku having (or having had) a crush on All Might at some point, and I give that a very generous 5% chance of happening haha.

~ T H E O R I E S ~

Pop: Do you think the “Dabi and Shouto are brothers” theory is true? Don't know who the hell Dabi is.

Indie: Opinions on the Traitor Kaminari theory? Never heard it. Sounds implausible.

Punk: Opinions on the Traitor Kirishima theory? Never heard it. Don't like it.

Rock: What do you think of the “The doctor from Midoriya’s childhood is affiliated with the League Of Villains” theory? (in reference to this post) I mean... sure?? I didn't read the post, but I have no strong opinions on theories.

Jazz: What do you think will happen now that Eri has been saved? Honestly, I only know Eri through fanfic, so I'm gonna say, "No clue, my dude."

~ S T U D E N T S ~

11: Dekusquad or Bakusquad? Porque no los dos? But Dekusquad.

12: Most underrated student? Hagakure. That's the invisible girl, right? That's quite a power!

13: Dadmight or Dadzawa? Porque no los dos? But my ship dictates I vote Dadzawa. Honestly though, they could both BE dads; there's no one way to be a dad. All Might makes me think a little more of an uncle. Aizawa strikes me as more dad-like from my own experience, but they're both supportive in their different ways. I know, let's be contrarian and say "DadMic" =P HE'S the one that reminds me of several of my allo-dads.

14: Whose quirk do you think is the most unique? I think I said Tokoyami when I answered this before. I can't think of a better answer right now, so let's just go with that again.

15: Aside from Midoriya, who do you think has the most potential to be #1 Hero? I guess Todoroki.

16: Should Mineta be replaced by Shinsou in the hero class? Porque no los dos? If you get rid of Mineta, there's gotta be someone else for everyone to hate. Just shove another desk in there and have them both. Make them share, I dunno.

17: Favorite student(s) outside of Class 1-A? Hatsume Mei!

18: Any HCs for the entirety of Class 1-A? Headcanons for the whole class? Is that a thing? I guess I HC that they all genuinely love Izuku and are encouraged by his attitude. =]

19: Do you remember their seating arrangement by heart? lol heck no. I think I have an idea of where a few of the characters sit? But honestly, I blasted through the series once and haven't looked back on it yet, so I haven't had time for memorization.

20: Which of the students do you think has the most potential to become a villain? Gosh. Any of them could. I mean, being a villain instead of a hero is so based on circumstance. If things go wrong, any of them could go that way.

~  V I L L A I N S ~

Techno: Favorite villain? Stain. Not interested in any of the others just yet.

Classical: Eight Precepts of Death or League of Villains? what.

Metal: Which villain’s quirk would you want for yourself? I don't?

Soul: Shigaraki or Chisaki? Who?

Alternative: Most obnoxious villain? Shigaraki.

~  M I S C ~

Apple: Favorite popular HC? I haven't the slightest clue what's popular, but I'll reiterate my own personal headcanon: Izuku has or has had a huge pre-teen crush on All Might.

Strawberry: Who is your favorite pro-hero? Uh... Hmm.... Predictable answer: All Might. Less predictable answer: Best Jeanist, because his fucking outfit drives me nuts and I hate it so much I like it.

Banana: Which of the pro-heroes’ quirks fascinates you the most? Eh. I dunno. I guess I'm not really 'fascinated' by anyone's abilities. ^^; I just like them as whole characters.

Cherry: Should Endeavor die like right now Nah. He's important, even if we hate him. In fact, that might be part of why he's important. You can't love every 'protagonist'.

Pear: What was your reaction to Todoroki’s backstory? I... didn't have a strong reaction. I'm not a huge fan of Todoroki to begin with. I mean, I felt bad for him, of course, but I guess I wasn't surprised or anything, so it was like, "oh. huh. poor kid." I'm more interested in what happens next.

Kiwi: Should the BNHA girls get more spotlight/recognition? Of course! They're all great.

Pineapple: What do you like the most about BNHA, as a whole? Well, I guess what I like is the characters! That pretty usual, for any story I get involved in. But of course I love superheroes, so there's that! But I do also like the feeling of the whole story, how it's inspirational but also with a looming bleakness, you know?

Watermelon: Dub or Sub? Sub sub sub all the way. Gotta watch it in its original form, whatever that is. I LOVE their original Japanese voices. I accidentally heard a tiny snippet of it in English and I regret it haha.

Coconut: How do you think Hokiroshi is doing, in terms of the plot? Well I'm not caught up so it's a bit hard for me to say, but I think it's going well so far. I'm still interested.

Blueberry: What makes BNHA unique from all the other shonen animes/mangas out there? I'm not sure. I think it's in the small details. I mean, I'm not sure it really IS unique from other anime, any more than they're all unique from each other. TBH I feel like it actually take quite a few elements from other popular series and puts them together in an effective way.

...and that's the end!

[yugihell]

Rowan Reads YGO Volume 2

<– First  <-- Previous 

In which I (fairly pointlessly I know) liveblog my reading of Volume Two of the manga and talk about the things I found interesting, be they plot or character. Hey, there are free pictures, so it’s all cool.

In this volume we meet a Blue-Eyes-less Kaiba, electrocute a bunch of people and meet Shadi - the human incarnation of ‘A Bad Time’.

Next --> 

Volume 2

Duel 8

Joey is the type of guy to drop 400 bucks on a pair of trainers #confirmed

Tristan thinks this is dumb, but Joey still knows that he’ll come with him to get ‘em back after they’re stolen. Synced.

However pacifist you want to make Yugi later, right now Yugi is not at all bothered by the idea of Joey and Tristan beating people up.

In fact is possibly turned on by it.

Note: Atem does not appear when Yugi originally gets beaten up by those people, but does when Yugi is angry about the injustice of the man selling the shoes being in charge of the thieving operation.

Pictured Below: Atem entering a shop in the least heterosexual way imaginable.

(Yes Atem, that is how shops work.)

Atem doesn’t even need to penalty game the guy, just lets the scorpion go to town. …Atem, no you can’t keep the scorpion, no matter how unloved you think it is.

Yugi ‘woke up’ holding the shoes with the owner being taken to hospital. Not aware, but getting suspicious perhaps?

Duel 9 p.1

“The game is set up so both players are wizards. They use their cards to cast spells or summon monsters to fight.” Somehow that actually explains the Ancient Egyptian stuff more to me than the show did.

“I’ve heard of a fan in America who sold his house just to buy one.” Haven’t we all.

Yugi recognises Kaiba, who has apparently been in his class this whole time. And yet somehow doesn’t count as a celebrity or a student with a job. Ok.

Look, Joey’s so full of hope for a new friend.

“Come back after you collected at least 10,000 cards.” What the fuck are you Kaiba, a side-quest?

“I-I’ve never even seen this… I never thought I’d actually hold one.”

Wait, so Kaiba doesn’t have 3 Blue Eyes at this point?

Ok, so Arthur still gave Gramps the card in this universe, and so he treasures it. …Arthur from America… Who we see living in a trailer with his daughter in the anime - WAS HE THE ONE WHO SOLD HIS HOUSE?

Yugi is weak to Kaiba’s smile, but I think we all understand that, and shouldn’t think any less of him for falling for Kaiba’s card-swapping trick. Which in fairness, because he’s a pumpkin, he noticed immediately but didn’t want to mention in front of everyone, so as not to embarrass him. I love this boy.

It was all fun and games until you failed to understand the importance these people place on emotional bonds (slash that other-Yugi being very literal and seeing the card as Grandpa’s heart). Now Atem is gonna have to kick your ass.

Again, note that this is the catalyst for the transformation, not Yugi being hit in the face by Kaiba’s briefcase.

Duel 10 p.2

Kaiba is either an adrenaline junkie, or one of those people who just like to skirt death for the hell of it. That can’t be good.

“Off with her head!” Very Alice In Wonderland of you Kaiba.

Ok, so if you’re feeling bad about skipping turns in duels, remember the manga was doing it first.

“This game’s rules went out the window when the monsters started coming to life.” Look I’m not saying I agree, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get his reasoning here.

Kaiba telling ‘Yugi’ he should enter the next tournament. Already getting those tingling feelings we’ll call desire ‘to duel’.

Ok so the Blue Eyes is loyal to Grandpa and would rather destroy itself rather than attack ‘Yugi’. Which is, as Kaiba is rightly thinking, bullshit.

Then Atem uses Monster Reborn to bring back the Blue Eyes to his side. Oh that DSoD parallel bookend meta.

WAIT

STOP

Atem was the first person to trap someone’s soul in a card???

Oh boy.

Duel 11 p.1

There’s an empty desk - yeah Yup, cus Atem shoved Kaiba into a trading card- oh we’re talking about Joey. Alright then.

And we find out that Joey never skips class, interesting. And that he always gets an A+ in P.E. even if he flunks everything else.

Téa grudgingly admitting it’s lonely without him - aw, she does care.

Tristan’s known Joey since Middle School apparently.

Dad’s clearly been relying on those drink calories for the two days Joey’s been gone.

Rintama’s the ‘rough school’ I take it.

Seems like every part of this volume is trying to make it clear that it’s kind of Yugi’s ‘decision’ to switch, rather than Atem being protective and jumping in. Yugi gets punched in the face (and threatened with someone cutting off his hair - which if you’ve ever had ‘weird’ hair, is not a threat you take lightly) and no appearance from Atem at all.

Téa’s good feeling about Joey has gone.

And we learn that Joey nearly landed in Juvie because of his fights in gangs when he was rolling with Hirutani. Now I don’t know the Japanese or American education systems, but Middle School can’t be that old right? Who gave these babies knives.

Yugi decides they should go and get hime back, Tristan agrees, and Téa finally gets to tag along on one of the excursions too. Admittedly Honda’s doing most of the punching, and they’re just watching him lay into the guy, but it’s moral support.

“Whatcha thinking’ about Jonouchi? You rather be playing house with star-head.” Closeted bi Joey feels intensifying.

“No way I’m letting that pass…” Because he implied you were gay?

“No way I’m letting you get away with hitting my friend!” Oh good, that’s much better.

Duel 12 p.2

So they’re taking Joey “To the Torture Chamber”. Is that a thing gangs have?

Tristan insists on going into the gang’s place alone because Rintama means these guys are next level apparently. No ‘Téa = girl so obviously you can’t come’ line, which is nice.

“Yugi! Even though you’re my friend… I don’t want you falling to my level! ‘Kay?!” Cute.

Tristan bashes into that place like a superhero. “Honda The Man is here!! Give Jonouchi ba-“ You know this guy has white knight fantasies.

…Ok. That got weird fast. Headcanon that they totally know Joey isn’t straight.

The guy knocks out a dude with a taser while his hands are literally tied behind his back, can we get a ‘hell yeah’ for Joey right here.

Yugi uses the Millennium Baedar to find Joey, and the glimpses he sees of them electrocuting Joey are apparently enough that the ‘nope’ switch is flicked.

Maybe I’m just seeing what I want to see, but that looks like a very ‘Yugi’ Atem. “I’m gonna electrocute these guys.” “Go for it.”

I need some fanart of that scene - Yugi/Atem just standing there with that ‘You’re dead, and you’re dead, and you’re dead’ look in his eyes, with the rain running off him.

Atem gets punched in the face, and has a sort of ‘Ready Steady Cook’ moment, where he works out how to use the items he fell into to make a death game.

Note of interest: Atem can still stay up-front if he’s a short distance away from the puzzle. We see him hang around in ghost form when Yugi’s not wearing the puzzle (when he’s hung it on his bed post or whatever), but this is the first time I’m aware of him fronting without it on.

I can only assume Atem is using Yugi’s knowledge here (or has been around while Yugi’s been watching some violent films - also possible), because electricity+water+standing on a rubber tire is not an equation I’d expect an ancient pharaoh to come up with.

Either Atem or Yugi’s got Joey down by the time the others arrive. Also we don’t see the bodies of the people in question. Maybe Atem’s got savvy to not leaving dead people lying around so obviously - Yugi watched a crime drama perhaps.

Joey moans Yugi’s name and grabs onto him in a way that could mean he’s happy to see his actual white/grey knight (sorry Tristan), or that he saw what ‘Yugi’ just did and is trying to ask what in the fucking fuckedy fuck.

Duel 13 p.1

The Ancient Egypt exhibit is coming to town, so maybe we’ll get to learn a thing or two.

First thing we learn is that Joey is MiddleClass-White-American level afraid of curses. Téa is a horrible friend who brings up the fact that everyone who found the Puzzle all died mysterious deaths, making Joey panic that Yugi’s cursed, while Téa howls with laughter in the background: “Of course I’m not cursed! (Don’t scare him, Anzu…)” - you’re all adorable.

“But still… Ever since I completed this Puzzle, there’s been times when I lose my memory… I’d better not tell everyone… They’d think it was creepy…”

Um, Ginny Weasley wants to have some words with you. (You know that could make for a good crossover fic. And these items kind of are like Horcruxes… Sorry, I digress.)

Joey telling Yugi not to wear his uniform at weekends. Come on Yugi, you could get in on a child ticket, there’s a good reason to have people assume you’re about ten years old today.

Yugi doesn’t want to let Kanekura display the Puzzle, but agrees for one day. Picturing Atem in there like a kicked puppy.

Shadi arrives in the most ominous plane landing shot of all time. This is why we couldn’t set Yu-Gi-Oh in America, there’d have been too much time spent on ‘random security checks’ for a guy dressed like that. (Pages 323-451 Shadi gets his Millennium Items held by customs and has to fill out 16 forms before he can get them back).

Yugi thought “Archeologists were treasure hunters with dreams of making it big” and has his dreams shot down by a guy who tells him that’s just in the movies, and it’s one of the worst paid professions. This is why you got to get into becoming a Pro Duelist and indie board game maker. That’s where the money’s at.

I half think that the reason Yugi’s ok with all this weird stuff is because he has been way too warped by TV to know what’s normal and what’s not.

We get to see a Mummy (that some people think is Atem’s - honestly I say it’s someone else’s, just because of how it looks (taller and more angular) and that it’s implied he has a name - unlike ‘the nameless pharaoh’. Similar enough to Set though, if you want that agony.

Shadi pats Yugi on the head and calls him “a nice little boy…” and Yugi inwardly seethes. That uniform trick doesn’t work when they’re not from around here, sorry.

Yugi sat outside the museum on his own, counting the minutes until he gets his puzzle back. Oh my heart.

Shadi murders the guy who wanted to buy the Puzzle between one panel and the next. Ok.

“My bloodline has guarded the tombs for 3,000 years.” …Is he related to the Ishtars? Is that a stupid question?

Shadi is smart enough to know to follow the money to find the real ‘tomb defiler’, good for you bro. Break the system and all that.

The shadow game he plays involves a Scale-based game of truth or dare, with the dare being ‘dare to lie and you will die’. What happens if you tell the truth - answer correctly. Does the scale still go down because the actions ar bad, or is it simply because you lied?

Yugi waiting for the Puzzle. Still cute.

Kanekura gets eaten by Ammit - figuratively, uh well, mentally, but it’s still a horrible image.

Shadi wants to use the Key to see if Yugi has “the same power as my blood line” which… doesn’t match up to Atem. Magic then? Answers on a postcard please.

This turns out to be a mistake, as it sounds like Atem has been wanting a ‘visitor’ for quite some time.

…This is gonna be some Saw shit isn’t it?

Duel 14 p.2

For the first time it’s implied to us that Atem is not just a separate being, but also a pharaoh - Shadi’s remarks on his room’s decoration. But Shadi doesn’t seem to know who he is.

Note: Atem is reflecting Yugi’s current appearance, in that he’s not wearing the Puzzle.

Shadi’s now changed his tune and admits to Atem that he doesn’t know what power is bestowed on the person who completes it, because no-one ever has. “And if that power is needed… I will draw it into my bloodline…” ???

“You know the routine… This is a game! A shadow game!!” Atem self-aware enough to lampshade it at least.

Shadi says he can “Redecorate” and control that person at will, and even destroy their personality, which appears to perturb Atem, as it should. But Shadi accepts and starts to traverse the trapped maze, while Atem leans on a wall, trying to be all cool. Then he teleports away to the proper room, because this isn’t a dimension with physics.

“This boy’s soul is tightly closed against strangers.”

We need to do something with that line, that is a good line.

Atem pretends to (?) consider pushing Shadi into the final trap, but helps him up instead.

“I don’t like your hobby of peeking into people’s souls.” There’s so much double-thinking going on here I can’t process Atem just said that.

Yugi says Shadi closed his eyes and stopped moving, implying he was conscious for Shadi’s adventuring. So the fronting soul keeps up front, and Shadi’s actions are not instantaneous in ‘the real world’.

Shadi says he owes ‘the other you’ but Yugi laughs at him, saying he’s the only ‘me’ there is. Shadi tells him he must discover his ‘other self’ to awaken the true power of the Millennium Puzzle.

Shadi reveals his name is ’Shadi’ and says it is the first time he’s ever told it to anyone - HOW HAS DSOD MADE SHADI EVEN MORE CONFUSING THAN HE WAS BEFORE????

Duel 15

We’re going to have a ‘sorry a dude you know died and you might be cursed’ trip to Professor Yoshimori, and Yugi is having his first ‘guided by heart’ moment in that he wants to come along with his grandpa, but suggests Téa and Joey don’t come along when they happen upon them on their way to him. (This also means Joey and Téa spend social time together - nice.)

Shadi’s having a rootle around Yoshimori’s soul room.

“His heart is cluttered with his obsession with the past.” -sips tea and looks at Atem, but says nothing-

Once he realises Yugi is coming, he then redecorates the soul room to turn Yoshimori into his puppet, to draw out Yugi’s power in the second stage of his game with “Yugi within Yugi”.

Joey: “I hate schools at night! They’re so creepy!”

Téa: “You don’t have a shred of courage, do you Jonouchi?”

She goes for his life every time, I swear.

Shadi has his puppet strangle Jonouchi and-

Cut.

Hey, literally nothing happened that chapter besides set-up. Aw man.

Next -->

[marleyrxid-blog]

Full name: Marley Reid

Why was it chosen?: Her mother had always adored the name since she was young and always said she’d name her first daughter Marley.

Did they have a good childhood?: Marley’s childhood was far from good minus a memory or two that she cherishes.

What is their relationship with their parents?: Marley refuses to talk to her father or see him, he’s a nightmare she never wants to face again. Her mother is a ghost, a face she doesn’t remember who walked out and left her to fend for herself and her sister.

Do they have any siblings?: Emma Reid is Marley’s younger sister. Emma is still one of the most important people in Marley’s life even if she ran off and left Marley behind.

 Do they enjoy school?: Marley’s always had a love for school, it’s a good distraction and even if she’s only average, it’s something.

Favorite subject: History

Worst subject: Chemistry

What were they like in high school?: High school was very much a time of awkwardness for Marley. She wasn’t quite sure where she belonged in the world and Exy was her only real release. Besides, she didn’t have much time for friends with always being at home. On the bright side, Marley was the girl teachers loved and people generally liked.

Did they have lots of friends as a child?: When Marley was very young, she did. It faded out when she got into 8th grade and onto high school when she realized friends were the last thing on her mind.

 Do they like animals?: Marley adores animals! She’d happily live in a house with twenty puppies and kittens.

Have any pets or want pets?: She doesn’t have any pets, but she really wants to adopt a kitten eventually.

Do they like children?: Marley loves children, it’s part of why she’s studying to be a teacher in case Exy falls through, to be able to teach kids and change their lives in small ways.

Do they have/want children?: She hopes to have children one day, especially if she can adopt. She knows there are kids that need good homes.

What would they be like as a parent?: Marley would be the mother who wants nothing but the best for her children, who makes their lunches every morning, supports them in their decisions, and reminds her kids every single day how much she loves them.

 Allergies: Marley is allergic to bees and celery.

Favorite food: Hawaiian pizza will always be Marley’s favorite food.

Least favorite food: Peanut butter is her least favorite, she grew tired of eating it as a child.

Favorite restaurant: There’s a little diner in her hometown that’s still her favorite place to go to for fries.

Do they enjoy cooking?: Marley LOVES cooking. Give her all the opportunities to cook and she’ll be the happiest person in the world.

Are they good at cooking?: She’s a good cook, but an even better baker.

Do they like energy drinks?: No, Marley gets really ill when she has energy drinks.

Do they have a sweet tooth?: Marley ADORES sweets, she usually has some in her backpack for whenever she has a craving.

 Do they collect anything?: There’s a memory box that Marley has and it contains all the little object, pictures, and other items that mean a great deal to Marley.

Where do they keep it?: Right now it’s kept in her closet under an old sweater.

Do they like to take photos?: Marley likes taking pictures, likes the idea of capturing a single moment in time.

Do they like to be in photos?: She loves it, shockingly. She thinks she looks better in photos than when she looks at herself in the mirror.

 Favorite genre of books: Fiction, preferably fantasy.

Least favorite genre of books: Non-fiction of any sort.

Favorite genre of movies: Romantic comedies.

Least favorite genre of movies: Anything remotely sad.

Do they like musicals?: Marley’s picky about musicals but she likes a few of them.

Favorite music genre: Indie has Marley’s heart!

 Do they have a temper?: Hardly at all, it takes a lot for Marley to get angry.

Are they patient?: Very patient, probably one of the most patient people you will ever meet.

Do they have a good memory?: Somewhat? Marley’s good at remembering visuals but not so much information. For example, she recognizes faces better than names.

What’s their sleeping pattern like?: Chaotic. Between classes, practice, extra practice, homework, working out, and more she finds sleep when she can even if it means crawling into bed at Eliana’s side at 4 in the morning.

What’s their biggest fear?: Ending up back home.

 Do they exercise regularly?: Every single day.

Do they drink?: Very little. Marley avoids it out of fear of getting drunk and getting attached to the alcohol.

What are they like drunk?: She’s never been drunk, but if she was to get drunk Marley is very much a lovely-dovey drunk.

 What is their fashion style?: Marley’s the skinny jeans, cute pastel shirt, and ankle boots kind of girl. She’s also a fan of wearing big sweaters and stealing Eliana’s flannels.

What do they wear to sleep?: Usually, she just has on her underwear and a hoodie.

What underwear do they wear?: Marley’s the cotton or lace underwear kind of girl, no in between.

 Are they good at texting?: Yep! Marley usually answers as soon as possible.

Do they prefer to call or text?: Texting. Marley gets too nervous talking on the phone.

[waynekelton]

Interview with Immortal Rogue Developer Kyle Barrett

It's not often we get to do developer interviews these days, but thanks to the efforts of an interested reader, we're pleased to be able to share with you a Q&A with Kyle Barrett, solo developer on generation-hoping rogue-like Immortal Rogue (which we recently reviewed). This interview was conducted by Sam Jeffreys, a designer for Feral Interactive who happens to be a fan of PT and now Kyle's work. Sam is not an official staff writer, but he generously donated his time and his words to bring us this article. (ED)

---------------- 

Pocket Tactics: How did you get started in game development?

Kyle Barrett: Well, I think the very first time I made a game I was about 10 and used the Age of Empires 2 scenario editor to make a little RPG for all of my friends to play. From there I started dabbling in GameMaker, the StarCraft editor, Morrowind mods, etc.

For some reason (probably because there was no real game industry where I grew up), I never thought making games could be a career. It wasn’t until I was over halfway through earning a degree in architecture that I had the idea to start sending out game design specs to my favorite companies. Eventually I got my foot in the door at a start-up in the bay area and the rest was history.

Pocket Tactics: Vampires, branching timelines, an elegant one finger control system... What came first, and how did everything fit into place?

Kyle Barrett: It was a combination of a couple separate ideas. One of those original design specs I created to try and get an industry job had this cool (or at least I thought it was cool) matrix that showed how worlds could evolve based on authoritarian factors and technological progress. I always wanted to put that in a game, ideally without a multi-million dollar production budget. I don’t remember where the vampire metaphor came from exactly, but it seemed like a great way to utilize a system with such a long narrative timespan.

The control system comes more from a personal challenge. Since I primarily work in mobile, I like trying to come up with control schemes that can provide dynamic gameplay with minimal touchscreen inputs. While there are pretty decent dual stick control schemes out there, they just don’t feel natural for a platform that doesn’t actually have buttons or joysticks.

Pocket Tactics: How long was the development time?

Kyle Barrett: Three months! I’m kind of proud of that. I knew I had three months where my work obligations weren’t going to be as intense, so I picked a concept I thought I could execute in that time period.

The first month was rapid prototyping and figuring out how the game would work. The second month I spent figuring out the art style and creating assets. The last month was spent importing the assets and polishing. It did take me a fourth month to fully launch the game, but that was because I neglected doing any marketing while I was focused on development.

Pocket Tactics: And what was your dev tool of choice?

Kyle Barrett: I used GameMaker Studio 2. While I mostly use Unity for industry work, GameMaker has always been my go to for rapid iteration and prototyping. It’s come a looong way since the ‘90s, and made a solo project much more feasible.

Pocket Tactics: Immortal Rogue is your second mobile title. What lessons did you learn from Ever Knight?

Kyle Barrett: Pretty much all the stuff that let me make Immortal quickly. How to work with the engine I was using, what animation tools and processes to use, the quirks of publishing on different mobile devices, etc. It probably took me longer to make Ever Knight than Immortal, even though EK is a much simpler game. The best advice I could ever give someone who wants to learn a game development tool is to just try making and publishing a simple project. I learned a ton.

Pocket Tactics: You have a full-time job in the games industry. How do you balance that with being a solo indie dev?

Kyle Barrett: I don’t have kids so that probably helps. But really, I think it’s about creating a habit and setting aside regular time blocks where you can work. For me, a few hours a night and larger chunks on the weekend seemed to work. I had to give up another hobby, but it was totally worth it.

It also helps if your bosses are cool and supportive (which mine totally were). Pro tip: mark down any game you want to make as a ‘previous invention’ when signing a job offer, so you can develop and own that project without making things messy for you or your company.

Pocket Tactics: What are your core design philosophies? What should every one of your projects have?

Kyle Barrett: That’s a tough one. For a personal project, I get excited if it has three things:

An enticing player fantasy or story that could stand on its own (like the story of a vampire living through all of history).

An addictive/novel core gameplay loop that works even in greybox. If I’m not playing the greybox in my free time then it’s probably not fun enough yet.

Systems that tie the first two elements together in a way that they enrich one another. So it’s sort of like a sandwich: Metaphor on top, core gameplay on the bottom, and systems in the middle.

Oh, and an art style that’s fun to draw…. So four things.

Pocket Tactics: I love seeing early concepts and prototypes. Is there anything you could share?

Kyle Barrett: The first few weeks went through a ton of changes as I figured out how the gesture controls and visuals would work together. I actually started with Ever Knight sprites. (Oldest to newest from left to right)

Pocket Tactics: Any tips for indie devs on staying the course and keeping focused?

Kyle Barrett: I’m still pretty new to the indie side of things. I think just setting a small, achievable goal and following through is the first step. Also, prioritize! You don’t have to do everything; Find a simple mechanic or idea and build your game around that. Bells and whistles are fine but they don’t make a game fun if the meat isn’t there first.

Pocket Tactics: Why knights?

Kyle Barrett: Because they’re awesome! I was originally thinking the hooded character would be Immortal’s mascot, but I ended up liking how the knight armor looked too much. Also, a shout out to my friend Matt Elser (http://www.elserart.com/) for making the awesome splash art character.

Thanks again to Sam for writing this up for us, and thanks to Kyle for agreeing to be interviewed. 

Interview with Immortal Rogue Developer Kyle Barrett published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[weekendwarriorblog]

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND Christmas Day – Holmes and Watson, Vice

This is it. The last column of the year and at one point, this was going to be my last column ever.  I’ve just been very frustrated with the fact that I can’t get paid writing work despite being a film critic for over 17 years now. The times are changing, and the last eight months since I lost my job at Tracking Board has been an incredible drag, as I try to stay motivated to write about movies even though it’s obvious no one wants to pay me to do so.

That all said, I’m going to make this a shorter column, and yes, I’ll be back next week (and next year) with my first column of 2019 on Jan. 2, so hopefully you’ll all stick around.

In the meantime, also check out this year’s Top 25 movies!

HOLMES & WATSON (Sony)

Comedian and former “SNL” star Will Ferrell has been somewhat absent from theaters this year after appearing in two movies in 2017, one (Daddy’s Home 2) more successful than the other (The House). It was only a matter of time before he would be reunited with John C. Reilly, co-star of two of his most successful comedies, 2006’s Talladega Nightsand 2008’s Step Brothers, both which achieved the $100 million milestone. Sure, Ferrell has had a number of $100 million comedies since then, but it certainly feels like he needs a change, so what else, but a comedy based on Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Watson, as played by Ferrell and Reilly?

Reilly has been having moderate degrees of success in the ten years since Step Brothers, particularly with Disney’s animated Wreck-It Ralph in 2012, which grossed $189 million domestic, and the recent sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet, which is almost out of the top 10 this week with more than $160 million.  He’s also appeared in stranger places like 2017’s hit Kong: Skull Island and Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy. Earlier this year, he received critical raves for his role in the Western The Sisters Brothersand also appears this week in the British indieStan and Ollie, playing Oliver Hardy.

Both of the duo’s previous movies opened with more than $30 million – Talladega Nights with an astounding $47 million opening – but both also opened in summer and over ten years ago. Although the Anchorman sequel fared decently over the holidays nine years after the original movie, that was a direct sequel whereas this is the duo doing a spoof.   Ferrell’s comedy Daddy’s Home opened with $38.7 million over Christmas weekend in 2015, but that was because its Christmas Day opening was a Friday vs. a Tuesday.  If  Holmes and Watson gets some of the diehard Step Brothers fans out to see it earlier in the week, it’s not gonna have that much business left for the weekend.

Missing from the tried-and-true comedy equation is director Adam McKay, Ferrell’s production partner, who has moved onto other things (see below), and this comedy is the work of filmmaker Etan Cohen, who wrote the cool comedies Idiocracy and Tropic Thunder, as well as writing and directing Ferrell’s horrible comedy Get Hard. (Yikes!)

It’s that last bit that has me worried, and it certainly won’t help that the movie looks idiotic, plus it’s coming out just seven years after the Robert Downey-Jude Law sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, which grossed $186 million over the holidays in 2011 despite not being as well received as its predecessor. Wisely (or fearfully?), Sony decided not to screen the movie in advance for critics.

While the movie might make $4 to 5 million on Christmas Day, it’s likely to follow other Christmas releases where it will slowly lose business on Wednesday and Thursday so by the weekend, it will probably be lucky to make $15 million and likely will make less with stronger films still playing in theaters.

VICE (Annapurna Pictures)

The other movie being released on Christmas Day is Adam McKay’s new movie, and if you’re wondering if that’s the same Adam McKay that directed Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in Step Brothers and Talladega Nights, yes it is!

McKay continues his serious filmmaker stage following 2015’s The Big Short, which received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and a win for McKay’s screenplay. It also grossed an impressive $70.2 million after a $10.5 million wide release over Christmas weekend that year. (Oddly, the movie’s expansion went up against Ferrell’s Daddy’s Home in its opening weekend.) That year, Christmas Day fell on a Friday but McKay’s foray into political humor – he had previously written for “Saturday Night Live,” as well as political comedies The Campaign and co-wrote and directed Ferrell’s George W. Bush Broadway show You’re Welcome America.

Clearly, McKay has as much an interest in politics as he does comedy, and the “Vice” of the title is former US Vice President Dick Cheney, as played by Christian Bale in another transformative role that’s likely to at least get him an Oscar nomination. Yes, this is more of a biopic than The Big Short, and it’s definitely going to be more divisive than Anchorman due to its politics.

Bale is once again joined by the amazing Amy Adams from David O. Russell’s American Hustle, and she may be heading for yet another Oscar nomination… and possibly a win this time? The movie also stars recent Oscar winner Sam Rockwell as Bush Jr, and McKay regular Steve Carell playing Donald Rumsfeld, just days after his latest movie Welcome to Marwen bombed very, very badly.

What The Big Short has that Vice doesn’t is a name star on the par of Brad Pitt, but also it’s being released by relative newbie Annapurna Pictures vs. Paramount, who has much more clout to release movies around awards time. (Oddly, Paramount also released Daddy’s Home the very same weekend it released The Big Short – that’s how much confidence the studio had in both movies!)

Reviews so far haven’t been great, at least not on par with The Big Short, though that doesn’t mean that the Academy will ignore a movie that already has a lot of Golden Globe and SAG nominations under its belt.

The awards recognition will drive the audience curiosity, even for those poor suckers on the Right who may realize that McKay’s movie will generally be biased towards the liberal side of things. Opening on Christmas Day Tuesday may mean that those who are really interested in seeing the movie will rush out to one of the 2,378 theaters into which Vice is being released.

I figure Vice can make a solid $3 or even $4 million on Christmas Day, but it will peter away after that, and the lack of school and many people having off work should help it make between $7 and 9 million over the weekend, as it works its way to around $40 million or higher depending on awards, making it Annapurna’s highest-grossing release (as a distributor) to date.

Mini-Review: Imagine if you’re Adam McKay, and you’re finally being taken seriously as a filmmaker after you tackled real-world sociopolitical issues with The Big Short, then of course, you’d want to follow that up with a movie that can be taken just as seriously. So why not make a biopic about a controversial Republican Vice President in Dick Cheney and have an actor like Christian Bale transform himself to play him?

Sure, on paper it sounds fine, and as long as you go into Vice realizing it’s a comedy with a small “c” yet also realizing you should only take it seriously to a point, and you should be fine. The film acts as a thesis, of sorts, to show how Cheney masterminded the unwarranted invasion of Iraq that killed thousands of soldiers. Once Cheney becomes VP, the film becomes far more clinical and far less entertaining, as if McKay would rather be mentioned in the same breath as Michael Moore, than be remembered as the director of such great comedies. There are still more than a few funny ideas like having the movie abruptly ending before Cheney goes back to the White House to support Bush Jr., but by then, he’s already done his damage by reinstating the executive order.

The film is a showcase for another jaw-dropping Christian Bale transformation as he channels the former VP in his early days, and then gets some added help from the make-up department in his later years. Either way, it’s the type of performance that makes you frequently forget you’re watching Bale. Amy Adams is also fantastic as Lynn Cheney, who plays a pivotal role in all aspects of Dick’s life, a performance strong enough to get another Oscar nomination. (The Cheney’s in-bed Shakespeare recitation is another one of the film’s weirder moments.) Then there’s Sam Rockwell, funny as always playing George W, and a surprising turn by Tyler Perry as Colin Powell (a small role), which leaves Steve Carell as the film’s weakest link, because Donald Rumsfeld basically just doesn’t seem too far removed from other Carell characters.

Some of the film’s better moments are in showing the evolution of Cheney’s relationship with his two daughters, the youngest Mary who comes out as gay in college, putting a damper on Cheney’s future Presidential chances. (She also becomes estranged from the family when her older sister speaks out against gay marriage during her own political run.)

Where the film really goes off the rails is with its narrator, played by Jesse Plemons, as you spend the entire movie hearing his voice, then seeing his character in various spots without understanding the connection. When his connection to Cheney is finally revealed, you are left aghast that McCay would go that route, and it almost kills the entire film.

Vice isn’t great but it isn’t terrible, and it’s no surprise this is already quite divisive even when not considering the film’s obvious politics. Either way, it’s not as strong a political biopic as either The Front Runner or On the Basis of Sex.

Rating: 7/10

Considering that there’s a lot of strong movies already in theaters, the two new wide releases will probably end up somewhere in the mid-range by Friday  , so this weekend’s Top 10 should look something like this…

1. Aquaman (Warner Bros.)  - $40.5 million -45% 2. Mary Poppins Returns  (Disney) - $18 million -19% 3. Bumblebee (Paramount) - $15.5 million -26% 4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse  (Sony) - $14.2 million -15% 5. Holmes and Watson  (Sony) - $13.7 million N/A 6. Vice (Annapurna) - $8 million N/A 7. The Mule (Warner Bros.) - $7.5 million -25% 8.Second Act (STXfilms) - $6.8 million +7% 9. Ralph Breaks the Internet  (Disney) – $5 million +9% 10. The Grinch  (Universal) - $4.5 million -45%

LIMITED RELEASES

On Christmas Day, there are a bunch of movies that have been playing the festival circuit, including two that made it onto my top 25.

Oscar nominee Felicity Jones plays Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Mimi Leder’s ON THE BASIS OF SEX (Focus Features), a film that looks at her years going through Harvard Law School while helping her ill-stricken husband (played by Armie Hammer), leading up to the two of them going in front of the Supreme Court to fight for gender equality. If you enjoyed the doc RBG released earlier this year, this excellent drama gives even more life and emotion to the story of this amazing, inspiring woman who has done so much for civil rights in this country. Sadly, it seems to have been ignored during awards/festival season, but I think Jones gives another awards-worthy performance, and it will be playing in roughly 33 theaters across the country starting Christmas Day.

I was also a big fan of STAN AND OLLIE  (Sony Pictures Classics), as in Laurel and Hardy, as played by Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly. Directed by Scottish filmmaker Jon S. Baird (Filth) from a fantastic original script by Jeff Pope, the film begins with the duo’s final days at Hal Roach Studios, then cuts forward decades later when the duo are signed to play a series of live shows in England, a tour that isn’t going particularly well, at least to begin. It’s a fantastic story of the relationship between this incredibly talented duo, and one can’t overlook the contribution of Nina Arianda and Shirley Henderson as Stan and Ollie’s respective wives who add a lot to the humor. It will open in New York and L.A. on Friday and fingers crossed it will expand in the new year to other areas.

Nicole Kidman in her third movie of the year glams it down in Karyn Kusama’s DESTROYER (Annapurna Pictures), playing detective Erin Bell, who is investigating a murder that has connections to an undercover assignment she took on earlier in her career. This is another fantastic performance by Kidman in terms of playing this person who has clearly been put through the wringer over the course of her life, and I love seeing Kusama continuing with the genre realm in which she’s already done some decent explorations. It opens in select cities Christmas Day.

Also, if you happened to miss Peter Jackson’s World War I doc THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD (Warner Bros./Fathom Events) on Monday, December 17, then you’ll get another chance this Thursday, December 28, so definitely check it out while you have a chance to see it on the big screen in 3D as it was intended.

REPERTORY

Similar to last week, much of this week’s repertory offerings are continuations of the past few weeks with most of the new series beginning in the new year.

METROGRAPH  (NYC):

The Metrograph’s holiday series will include screenings of Bad Santa, The Muppet Christmas Carol and 3 Godfathers on Christmas Day as well as the continuing Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli series and In the Year of the Grifter. This week’s Playtime: Family Matinee is the excellent Gotham Award-winning doc Mad Hot Ballroom (2005).

THE NEW BEVERLY  (L.A.):

Christmas Day sees Laurel and Hardy’s March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934) paired with the Marx Brothers’ Horse Feathers (1932) as well as the roadshow version of Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. Weds and Thursday sees double features of Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) and What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968), but Friday and Saturday sees a double feature of The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979). Saturday and Sunday’s family friendly film is Joe Dante’s Gremlins (1984), while the Saturday midnight movie is New Year’s Evil (1980). Sunday and Monday, there will be double features of The Godfatherand The Valachi Papers, both from 1972.

FILM FORUM  (NYC):

Besides the Christmas with Nat King Cole program on Christmas Day, the Film Forum will kick off a week-long run of Mitchell Leisen’s Easy Living (1937) with a screenplay by Preston Sturges and starring Jean Arthur. The weekend’s Film Forum Jr. is Laurel and Hardy’s Way Out West (1937), probably to tie-in with Stan and Ollie, which shows the filming of the movie. The Film Forum will have a single presentation of Susan Dryfoos’ 1996 doc The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story will be screened in 35mm with a QnA with Hirschfeld’s wife and the film’s director to follow.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE  (LA):

Although closed on Christmas Eve and Day, the theater will show the 70mm version of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey for the rest of the week.

AERO  (LA):

Also closed on Christmas, but it will reopen on Thursday, Dec. 27 with the start of its Screwball Comedy Classics 2018, beginning with Ernst Lubich’s The Shop Around the Corner (1940), paired with Christmas In Connecticut (1945). Also part of that series is Friday’s WC Fields double feature of It’s a Gift (1934) and Never Give a Sucker An Even Break (1941), Saturday is Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night (1934) with Midnight (1939), both starring Claudette Colbert, and Sunday is a Preston Sturges double feature of The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek and Hal the Conquering Hero, both from 1944. On New Year’s Day, the Aero will show the Marx Brothers’ Duck Soup(1933).

QUAD CINEMA  (NYC):

What’s a better way to spend Xmas than with the Quad’s Rated X  series? (Trenchcoat optional.)

IFC CENTER  (NYC)

The downtown theater will open a 75thanniversary digital restoration of the cinema classic Casablanca (1942), beginning on Wednesday.

FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER (NYC):

Jacques Tourneur, Fearmaker continues through Jan 3.

MOMA  (NYC):

Modern Masters: Douglas Fairbanks Jr.concludes this week with reshowings of Gunga Din (1939) on Weds, Little Caesar (1931) on Thurs and The Corscian Brothers (1941) on Friday. The retrospective Ugo Tognazzi: Tragedies of a Ridiculous Man also concludes on Sunday.

That’s it for this year, but I’ll be back next week (on Wednesday) with Escape Roomand more. Happy New Year!

[markwatkinsconsumerguide]

Consumer Guide / No.49 / Entrepreneur Tarba Gill with Mark Watkins.

MW : You live in Cambridge(shire) , what's best about the area in terms of work, rest and play?

TG : I live in a small village just outside Cambridge, which is perfect for our family. Thank goodness for good broadband, otherwise work would be more challenging. I have two small children who enjoy the countryside and it's lovely to see fields at the bottom of the garden, which is also home to some sheep. The children are really lucky to see various farm animals and it's perfect for family walks. There's easily access to the A14 and commuting to London isn't too painful. The only downside is there's no pub...

MW : Your new project, 'Tarba's House', is webcam based and social media interactive. What’s it all about? Your hopes for?

TG: I've always been interested in broadcast and technology, having left my job in London with a major broadcaster in 2016. I started missing that element of my life. It's in my blood. I explored the idea of trying a 'TV-style' format on the Facebook platform. So, along came the idea for Tarba's House, which is streamed live from my kitchen. Currently, I interview guests either at home or use Skype/Face Time. We interview a wide range of guests, from business through to music. Initially it was going to just be focused on music, but with copyright and licence issues it's very complicated. The sound for live music is also very important and we are still very much learning how to get it perfect. All of which is something we will have to get our heads around eventually.

TV viewing behaviour is changing, even more so with the younger generation and I really believe LIVE broadcast across social media platforms will take off. America are already ahead. Currently, we are only one of three people in the UK using the software...in America it's in the thousands...

Apart from wanting to learn and play with new technology, I wanted to start pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I was looking for someone to present it, whilst I worked behind the scenes, but no one stepped forward. I haven't presented in a long time. I'm pretty rusty but I'll keep going even when I really feel like I'm out of my depth. I'd rather be criticised for doing something rather than being someone that doesn't do anything.

My hopes for Tarba's House is carry on tinkering around with the content of the show until we are happy. It's been great seeing the number of 'likes' grow and the support has taken me by surprise. I do have a brilliant 'fairy god man' who I've never met, he believes in what we are trying to do and has helped so much. A few people have got in touch about re-introducing the comical stuff but that's likely to end up on a You Tube channel. More likely to be a 'mock-doc' but not until 2018.

MW : You founded, Buzzella, tell me about that...

TG : My very new website! It's a listing site, hopefully to help parents like myself.

Every birthday, my children always seem to have ambitious ideas for their parties. My daughter wanted a film party for her 6th birthday. So we googled to see if we could find a cost effective option - locally. Nope. She gave us her film storyboard and wanted all her friends to star in it. Our jaws dropped. Borrowing some equipment, we managed to shoot the film in our garden with around 30 children.

The next bit was to show her film, so we got in touch with the local cinema. We hadn't realised that they actually hire the screens out, and at an affordable rate. That's when I thought it would be really good to have a site that helped parents find out what is available locally. Also, hoping that it does inspire people to have fun doing something different. Slowly businesses are finding us and traffic seems to be increasing, which is great :-)

MW: You've over 21 years experience at all levels in the broadcasting industry, including radio and television. Tell me about your Radio Avalon days and your different adventures with Red TV and Cambridge Presents community TV...

TG : Radio Avalon (Glastonbury Festival's radio station) played such an important part in my life. I learnt so much and it really did drive my love for radio. It was really hard work, especially walking from one field to another. The site is so huge. I really enjoyed doing the live shows. I have some brilliant and fun memories from that time. Most of the interviews were set up before going on site, and catching them before or after their performances. I've had to do interviews while the bands are being driven across to stages and even one in someone's tent, whilst it rained heavily, with their girlfriend's knickers and clothes everywhere.

I wanted to see and understand how the television production side worked, lucky to spend time with a local television station called Red TV. The only way I could get through the door was to offer to produce a show. I had no idea what I was doing. Eventually I found myself running the TV station, with little experience. But, for me it was a dream come true. Red TV lead me to working for a major broadcast company in London, where I was for nearly 11 years until 2016.

A former boss of mine got in touch after the local TV licence for Cambridge was advertised, and asked if I was interested in helping with the application for Cambridge Presents. Putting the application together wasn't straight forward and getting the right people on board was equally challenging. Staring at spreadsheets trying to get the financials less daunting. We did try to find additional backers and people that really believed in producing local television but Cambridge is better known for tech rather than broadcasting. Earlier this year the station was sold due to the main stakeholder running for local mayor.

MW : Who have you most enjoyed interviewing, and why? Who would you like to chat to, but have yet too, and your reasons?

TG : It's got to be the small bands, they are so fresh and excited to do interviews. They haven't had the same questions fired at them over and over again. On the other hand, the more famous are the more challenging trying to come up with interesting questions. There are quite a few famous names, but probably Muse - when they were supporting Skunk Anansie. Years ago. They were completely exhausted, and I remember they just wanted to watch the band and then do the interview. I ended up on their tour bus, doing an interview whilst they were almost nodding off!

Who would I like to chat to? Mmmm... that's a hard question! When I was younger it was all about bands and music, now I find myself wanting to chat with anyone who has gone through the tough times and come out the other end through a good fight, with a successful story to tell. They don't necessary have to be famous. Those are the people that inspire me - and others.

If I had to go for someone famous, it would have to be Stephen King. Brilliant novelist who kept going despite hardship and rejection. I'd love to know what he's like as a person. I have been bold enough to email his agent to see if I could get an interview. I wasn't surprised when I got a 'no, but thank you' response.

MW : Tell me about the last gig you went to, and the biggest/best you've attended to date...

TG : The last gig was Beth Orton in Cambridge as I was curious to hear her new music. Beth was one of the first interviews I did at Glastonbury... years ago! I don't get the chance to go out to gigs as much since becoming a parent! Now that the children are a bit older I'll be making up for lost time!

Nothing will ever beat seeing 'The Prodigy' at Glastonbury Festival. I was totally blown away by the atmosphere. Watching Keith walking on people's shoulders in the audience. The lighting. The crowd going wild.

MW : Why is creating so important to you, and where does this unique talent from do you think?

TG : My dad. He was very knowledgeable, creative, and above all eccentric. My childhood wasn't a conventional one - Hippy parents - and living most of my childhood in different parts of Africa. It was normal for me to catch fire flies, spy on lizards laying eggs through to seeing puffer fish on beaches. My childhood wasn't a fairy tale either and imagination is certainly a way of escapism. As a coping mechanism as a child I use to write lots of short stories, full of fairies and unicorns! I also watched my dad try to run his business, whilst looking after 4 young children when my parents split up. He always seem to have the ability to survive but do it in a way that was far from straightforward, especially when he had to give up his business to look after us as a single parent.

I don't remember hearing him moan about money, that would be a waste of his time, instead he would find ways of making money. He seem to have a constant flow of ideas from wood craft kits to sell one week. By the next, we would find ourselves on a boat at Henley selling strawberries and cream to surprised passersby.

He was also a great storyteller and always seem to have a captive audience. Some of his stories were greatly exaggerated, which made them more interesting and funny. So, yes,definitely my dad.

MW : What are your book and music recommendations?

TG : I tend to read biographies and 'helpful' books. We were given a brilliant book called ‘Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls’ by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo, which centres on a 100 real heroic women. I've been working my way through this.

My fiction fix is reading bedtime stories to my children. ‘Paper Dolls’ by Julia Donaldson always leaves a lump in my throat. It's such a beautiful story. It's also a reminder that children grow up quickly and that time is precious.

I've been listening to a local indie-rock band called History & Lore, really think they are the next big thing. Heard them on the radio and have been listening ever since.

MW : Tell me about your record collection...

TG : Please don't remind me... my collection use to be around 20,000 CDs until I managed to get it down to around 10,000. Recently, I'm having to start going through the process of clearing it down again. Find the whole process pretty awful. Just don't have the space. I have CD collections all around the house ; I even have boxes under the bed.

My collection is very mixed. You'll find Jeff Buckley next to DeeJay Punk-Roc, Tchaikovsky next to Metallica, and so on. Somewhere I even have a Sam Mendes CD!

MW : What's your favorite pizza topping and favorite fizzy drink to go with?

TG : Veggie Supreme! Usually with an orange juice or water. If I'm lucky, a small beer! I don't tend to drink fizzy drinks.

MW : Plans for the rest of 2017?

TG : At the moment it will be about growing www.buzzella.co.uk and Tarba's House by means of cross-promotional marketing with a few other companies that we are talking to.

I will probably be armed with lots of books learning more about SEO too. An area that I'm not familiar with, but extremely important in terms of helping develop any brand or company.

We are also having to look at new ways to engage and book guests. In an ideal world I will have guests booked well in advance for Tarba's House!

Feel free to get in touch at tarba@buzzella.co.uk

© Mark Watkins / September 2017

[viralhottopics]

RIP Wii U: Nintendo’s glorious, quirky failure

Nintendo has ceased production of Wii U less than five years after its launch. What went wrong, and what will be its legacy?

In late January it was announced that Nintendo had ceased production of the Wii U console. The follow-up machine to the hugely successful Wii had sold fewer than 15m units worldwide since its launch in 2012. PlayStation 4 sold more in a year. Wii sold more than 100m in its lifetime.

What happened? How did Nintendo, one of the oldest and most respected companies in the video game industry, get it so wrong? And did anything good come out of the Wii U era? How will the machine be remembered, if at all?

Certainly, some believe the console was cursed from the start right from the first announcement at the 2011 E3 video game conference in Los Angeles. Before that, Nintendo had made vague references to Project Cafe, a new piece of hardware deep in development at the companys famed R&D labs, but the nature of the device was unclear. The E3 presentation was supposed to be the big reveal.

Then, there it was at the Nintendo press conference, in front of the whole games industry. Wii U. Reggie-Fils-Aim, head of Nintendo America, gave an obtuse introduction and showed the unique GamePad controller, with its built-in display. After this, came a showreel of gaming moments, then nothing. The crowd whooped, but when the lights went down, a few expressed confusion: was the Wii U GamePad an extension to the original Wii? Was it an entirely new console? That evening, in an interview with the Evening Standard, the late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stated: Because we put so much emphasis on the controller, there appeared to be some misunderstanding.

The PS4 and Xbox One, high-powered machines arrived and changed the gaming landscape. Composite: Xbox One S v PS 4 Pro v PS4 Slim v Project Scorpio

A masterpiece of understatement. In some ways, that misunderstanding never went away. Even when it became clear that Wii U was a whole new console, with a unique motion-sensitive screen pad, consumers were nonplussed. There had been rumours that, with its custom AMD 7 series graphics chipset and IBM multicore central processor, the machine would be more powerful than the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 especially as it was arriving years after those machines debuted. But before the launch, developers were already whispering to news sources that this was not the case driving the second-screen would eat up the graphics processing power and the CPU wasnt that special. It was all academic anyway: barely a year later, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One arrived to completely change the technological landscape.

But Nintendo wasnt competing with PlayStation and Xbox, and never really had. Instead, it needed to convert the tens of millions of Wii owners whod rarely bought consoles before; whod been seduced by the Wii Remote controller and the immediate, social experience it promised. Those people were now quietly migrating to other platforms: smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes … Thats who the Wii U was aimed at.

In the months following E3, it was at least picking up interest from the development community. I had done work on the N64, Gameboy, GameCube and Wii and I still maintain they were my favourite systems to work on, so when the WiiU was announced it had me excited, says Byron Atkinson-Jones of Xiotex Studios I wanted to see how far we could go in game design terms with the two screen setup. Were we going to get new game paradigms like we did with the Wii and its controllers?

However, even before the launch, the games media was complaining about a lack of compelling first-party content. The machine would arrive with only two major Nintendo titles, the mini-game collection Nintendo Land, and New Super Mario Bros U, a decent side-scrolling platformer, but by no means a major Mario title with with little involvement from Miyamoto. There were intriguing moments: Nintendo Land has the clever asymmetrical multiplayer action of Luigis Ghost Mansion and the boisterous arena-battler Animal Crossing: Sweet Day. But there was also nothing as immediately compelling as Wii Sports or Wii Play nothing that completely crystallised the idea of the GamePad.

Veteran developer Rhodri Broadbent once worked for Q-Games in Japan, and met Shigeru Miyamoto while making Star Fox Command. He felt there should still have been a role for the Wii Remote in the new era. The fact that Wii U did not come bundled with a Wii Remote was really disappointing to me, he says. I felt that the identity of the Wii Remote was worth continuing, and that combining the jump to HD visuals with the jump to HD motion control of the Wii Remote Plus would have been a smart play. In terms of marketing, the Wii Remote was iconic from the get-go, whereas the GamePad sadly didnt really get to find its identity in either software, nor marketing. There were some truly excellent, best-in-class games released for Wii U, but very few of them gave life or character to the GamePad.

The GamePad, as a unique selling point, was also a unique curse, an albatross around the neck of the whole project. Designers struggled over its multifaceted nature: should they support it as a standalone screen, a second-screen for the TV, or as a device to allow asymmetrical multiplayer experiences (the player with the GamePad is able to have a different experiences to others using Wii Remotes). It was a tough business proposition too. Games publishers like to be able to transition their projects freely between different machines most modern game engines are platform agnostic making this process easier. But Wii Us controller demanded a different approach, so including the console on multiplatform projects was complicated and expensive even if they were just going to use the GamePad as a mini-map, which many did.

Of the third-party games available at launch, most were quick conversions of familiar PlayStation and Xbox titles: Call of Duty, Batman, Fifa… few of these exploited the GamePad feature-set in truly innovative ways. The best was perhaps ZombiU, a fascinating survival horror title with a neat permadeath mechanic, set in a post-apocalyptic London that made inspired use of the GamePad as both an environment scanner and a cellphone. With its tense, gory action, it also brilliantly subverted expectations of a Nintendo launch title. But it wasnt enough.

The problem is, mainstream game development is all about confidence. Console manufacturers have to be certain that third-party publishers will support the device; third-party publishers have to be sure that consumers will buy it, and draw confidence from first-party titles; and consumers wont commit until they know there will be great titles from both first- and third-party studios. Its a vicious circle of reliance, and it often all depends on that launch week. Nintendo just didnt come up with the goods to inspire consumers, and because of this, the likes of Activision, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft were all backing off right from the outset.

Meanwhile, Nintendo was trying to make things easier for independent developers, noticing the huge influx of excellent indie titles on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. After the success of the 3DS eShop in attracting experimental games, the company set out to improve its digital store for the home console experience. However, its legacy was not good. On the Wii, support for smaller studios was patchy: the submissions process was, according to some studios, extremely lengthy, and there were sales thresholds that made it risky to commit to offbeat projects. Even after these problems had been addressed, Wii U had no support for the important multi-platform games engine Unity until much later in the consoles lifespan, strangling its potential with the indie community.

[The Wii U dev kit] was clunky and far more difficult to setup than its predecessors, says Atkinson-Jones. I remember opening the box it came in and there was a warning saying it was very easy to brick the machine so getting it setup was a terrifying prospect. Id love to say I got further than this but the reality is that even though Nintendo had signed So Hungry to appear on WiiU, Unity would not actually be ready for another year its because of this my other game Blast Em! came about and thankfully that game has kept my studio running. Once you got past all the problems of setup and getting a working build of Unity, it was just that much harder than doing any kind of cross platform work – the big difference being the two displays of course.

Nintendos Wii and revolutionary remote. Photograph: Andrew Parsons/PA

So the Wii U had a lot to contend with: a poorly conceived debut, a unique selling point that was difficult to describe, and a hesitant development community unwilling to commit resources to a quirky machine. But it did provide moments of genuine brilliance. The defining first-party titles Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros, Splatoon and Pikmin 3 may not have been top tier Nintendo originals (theres no Miyamoto Mario, no new Zelda), but they were excellent games, filled with interesting ideas and classic moments of design genius.

Pikmin 3 is one of the greatest games I have ever played on any system, says Broadbent. Its mission mode is so tightly balanced, with so many tricks and techniques to optimise battles, find new routes and shave seconds off your time that I can and often did replay the same mission for entire days without noticing that the my weekend had disappeared. Im a big fan of the oft-overlooked, but to my mind never bettered, New Super Mario Bros U, especially the challenge modes. And keeping with Mario, Super Mario Makers musical, whimsical user interface is a masterclass in hiding complexity and infusing character into menus the way the sound effects harmonise with the background music as you place objects on the screen is endlessly charming to me.

There were beautiful third-party games too, sparsely spread out though the machines lifespan perhaps, but certainly there. Cult Japanese studio PlatinumGames, best known for its demanding brawlers, was an unexpected hero producing two masterpieces for the machine: the extravagant Bayonetta 2, and the kookie super hero puzzler, Wonderful 101. Warner Bros brought us the excellent Armored edition of Batman Arkham City, but also the ludicrously overlooked Lego City Undercover, a hilarious Grand Theft Auto pastiche, which is now rightfully being remade for current consoles.

More importantly however, there were indie developers who truly embraced the idiosyncracies of the system and its development environment. We enjoy letting the quirks of specific hardware inspire new ideas and features here, so from a design point of view, Wii U was a lot of fun, says Broadbent. Gyros, a camera, a touch screen there was a lot there to use. For Scram Kitty, I had the idea of making the titular cat appear as a sort of sports commentator on the TV while the player focused on the GamePad action, and although in the end that element didnt turn out to be an essential feature of the game, it was a great source of personality for the game, and one which kept throwing up new ideas throughout development.

Highlights included DrinkBox Studios crazed platformer Guacamelee!: Super Turbo Championship Edition, the lovely retro platformer Shantae and the Pirates Curse, and the intriguing puzzler Art of Balance. Most were multiplatform, but lots used the Wii U capabilities in interesting ways. A key example was the engrossing Affordable Space Adventures from Danish developer KnapNok Games. In this interstellar puzzle game, the GamePad was used to monitor and interact with your crafts primary systems, including engines, anti-gravity controls and scanner, providing a great Star Trek bridge experience.

There were also thoughtful conversions of iOS titles, including Dakko Dakkos translation of the spooky narrative adventure Year Walk. We took a much more all-in approach to the machines feature set, combining the gyros, touch screen, separate displays, and even subtly altering the audio between the gamepad and the TV, to create very satisfying controls and puzzles, says Broadbent. The end result feels uniquely suited to Wii U.

Its also worth remembering Nintendos unique attempts to create friendly online communities around the Wii U. The Miiverse is a family-friendly social network in which players can chat about what theyre playing, draw and share pictures, and seek gaming advice, all within a safe, charming environment populated with customised Mii characters. It was a much more warm, human approach to networked play than Xbox Live or PlayStation Network and, as Jennifer Schneidereit, co-creator of luscious historical adventure Tengami discovered, it allowed unique relationships between developers and players:

It was possible to post to Tengamis Miiverse from within the game, to show level progress or ask other players for help, she says. As a developer I was able to interact with people in Tengamis Miiverse and help with puzzles, answer their questions and listen to their feedback. Because Miiverse posts are not only textual, players can also hand draw and incorporate stamps, it was a real delight to watch players using our stamps to create artwork of their own.

Wii U had a difficult start, with a difficult idea in a difficult era. The E3 presentation blurred what the machine actually was, and the GamePad was never an easy proposition to market unlike the Wii Remote that people could see was fun, just from the adverts. Meanwhile, with Xbox and PlayStation continuing their graphics arms race, and competition coming in from smartphones and tablets, the gaming audience seemed to be stratifying into two groups: the sorts of players who bought consoles and high-end PCs, and the sorts whod quite as happily play Candy Crush Saga for free on their phones. The idea of a console as the central focus of a party or family event, which had peaked between 2005 and 2010 with both the Wii and the rise of music games like Guitar Hero, had drifted out of favour.

Nintendos Shigeru Miyamoto. Photograph: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Now here comes the Nintendo Switch, a regeneration of the Wii U concept where the GamePad effectively becomes the console, with its own built-in controllers. If anything, it is a more flagrant attempt to seduce casual players away from their phones, while tapping into the family living-room appeal of the original Wii. Broadbent sees Switch as a reconnection with that machine: Im very happy that the joy-cons have so many little tricks in them, and encouraged to see games like ARMS push forward higher-fidelity motion controls right out the gate. But Im mostly happy that Switchs identity as a home console thats not tied to your TV is being communicated so clearly.

Communication, it seems, is key. The Wii did its own communicating: you just watched people playing Tennis or Bowling and you knew it was fun. Nothing Nintendo has done with its hardware since then has been quite so alluring. But to write off Wii U as a creative failure would be a gross disservice. The GamePad actualised a lot of vague entertainment industry hype about the second screen, and lots of games truly illustrated the magic of the concept. And lets not forget that Wii U also saw Nintendos entry into the toys to life market with its Amiibo characters little figurines that could be placed on the screen to interact with games. They sold over 40m of those.

In years to come, people will pick up the console second-hand, with a few games Super Mario 3D World, Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart 8 and theyll realise what it was that Nintendo had in mind, theyll understand the appeal of the hardware. Much too late, of course.

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