Fantastic 4 Trailer - I AM PUMPED!

For a movie coming out this summer, there hasn't been much to see of the Fantastic Four. I was eagerly waiting a trailer because, let's face it, after the debacle of the last installment, we were doubtful they could make this franchise any good. I am WAY more optimistic now!

The trailer looks great. It is definitely in the 2015 vibe with your dramatic music and big voice over telling you life's truths and even though it seems a little cliche for a Marvel movie, I am glad this is what they came up with. It's a total departure from the 2005 films and it looks darker and more intriguing.  I like that what you see in that trailer is mostly sci-fi and not much of the superheroes. I adore the cast they have put together and I am hopeful this will be the start of a good franchise because let's be completely honest here, the Fantastic Four are awesome and we want them to succeed! Who isn't a fan of Kate Mara and Miles Teller? Those guys are great actors and I am glad they look credible in this trailer.

I could have done without the last scene where Miles/Mister Fantastic asks "What's coming" but overall it was a good teaser that I believe put a lot of skeptic minds to rest.

The Vampire Diaries Mid Season Return - Is there anything to salvage?

The Vampire Diaries came back to our screens two days ago with the episode I Woke Up With A Monster. Good old Vampire Diaries. I haven't wrote about this show yet so I have to get this off my chest: Changing the rules and the lore is WRONG. You can't just change things as you please to suit your needs. It's just not right, especially with a fantasy show where the lore is everything. As an adept of good lore and extraordinary worlds, Vampire Diaries fails at every turn. Even though this is a teen vampire show, from which I don't expect much quality, I was completely down for it until it all became too much to swallow. When everybody can just resurrect and come back whenever they like, there is definitely something weird going on. It just all stopped making sense and they added way too many loopholes. Let me tell you Vampire Diaries, I feel betrayed!

At least in the first few seasons, they were consistent and stuck to the lore and had people actually die when they should die. Also, Season 6 had to introduce this weird coven storyline which is extremely dull compared to previous seasons'. Is it me or are the twins very irrelevant and superfluous? I do not find their story interesting in the slightest. Anyway, now to the episode at hand.

Of course, when Elena wanted to talk to Damon, she got abducted, very easily at that. But she gets to hang out with Kai and this guy is the most exciting thing to spawn out of the producers' minds since Klaus and Elijah. He's different, he's a breath of fresh air with a great personality. I adore his sarcasm and his dark humor; the Vampire Diaries needs that type of character to give it a little "humph". The scene at the grill was again a good display of his wit and it was entertaining. But after this compelling dialogue, or dare I say monologue, we are back to that coven nonsense and I am very sorry but I don't care about the fate of any of these people. I am kind of hoping Kai kills the three of them and we'd be done with it. I liked seeing Caroline preppy and happy as we used to see her. I didn't like the whiny and desperate version of her. I thought she spent too long mopping about Stefan in the last episodes. I got back what I like about her character in this episode.

Then Elena had to come back on screen, urgh. Is it me or has her acting ability declined over the years? She is definitely not the most convincing actor when she has to play "hurt" or "suffering". Oh and come on, that glimmer of hope in her eyes when Kai tells her about his brother, like, get a fucking clue! You get from angry-as-hell and telling-him-that-he's-an-evil-bastard and that he-doesn't-care-about-anybody to, "oh maybe there is some good in you" in two seconds. Bullshit. Even Elena isn't that gullible right? But apparently she is or the people who wrote this episode thought she was as, at the end of the episode, she spits out, at the worst possible time, the worst line in the world "I've never felt more alive". No. No. No. I have written about the cheesiness and dullness of The Flash's writing. Holy cow, The Vampire Diaries trumped that with just one little line. Can you be more cliche? Nope. Also, who washes a shirt that has been completely torn apart by A. a stake and B. the hand of someone looking in your guts through your shirt! Give me a break. Everything is done to shove dialogue and scenes down the throat of the viewers, no matter if the surrounding elements make sense or not. And they don't. 

The Flash Mid Season Return - wait, what?

Revenge of the Rogues was the title of the episode that marked the return of The Flash. You can only create a shitty episode with a title like that!
So I think I watched Prison Break last night. They gave us the actors, and, at the end of the episode they gave us what was effectively a prison break, plus the twist of the century: the sister is the one breaking them out! Anyway, that was kind of weird but I thought I could roll with it. I can't. I am so sorry Wentworth but you should have your agent get you roles you actually would be credible in. He was not credible in Resident Evil. He still isn't in the Flash. My guess is that he should give up any sort of action/crime oriented material and do romantic comedies. Also, the guy can't act.




To be fair, the script didn't give him great material to work with. The one liners were soooo cheesy and predictable and dull. They should hire Joss Whedon to give them some pointers because this show is getting ridiculous. I am not sure if the script was bad or if the director did an awful job but the only enjoyable moment of this episode was probably the fight sequence at the end, at least they didn't talk.

I am always rooting for super hero and comic based television but I have to say that the Flash is getting way too cheesy and obvious. This is entirely due to the dialogue and script but I am afraid to say the acting is pretty awful too. Am I missing something about her character or has Danielle Panabaker skipped drama school?

When the cross over between the Flash and Arrow aired, I was so excited and it turned out to be an extremely good episode. The comedy was there thanks to Felicity and Oliver and the tone was a bit more balanced too. Grant Gustin also did a better job opposite these darker and drier characters. I read that they are planning more crossovers and for Felicity to go back to Central City so I might end up just watching these episodes. Some people might say that it's not cheesier than, let's say, a Smallville. That's fair, but I watched the 1st season of Smallville when I was 13 so I guess I am now looking for a little bit more substance in my shows. Also the dude is Superman. Comparing the Flash to CW's Arrow, ABC's Agents of Shield and Agent Carter or Fox' Gotham, I feel like The Flash is losing the battle for my attention.

Thoughts about Jennifer Aniston's Cake

"Way to go Nina!" The first scene of Cake is hilarious and really hints at the tone that the entire story is going to have. If you are not hooked after the first scene, no need to go further, but I bet you will be.
You meet Claire Simmons in a Chronic Pain support group and even though the mood is morose and they are talking about one of their member committing suicide, it is a very funny scene. We all know about Jennifer Aniston's perfect comedic timing so it is no surprise to see her do so well here. However, this is definitely not the type of humor you are expecting from her. It's dark, it's sarcastic and it's, again, dark. But ever so funny. The first half of Cake is very intriguing as you are left completely in the dark and are just witnessing the pain and the struggle of Claire in the present. You don't know what happened to her and you don't know why she became the way she is: a bitch.

I loved Jennifer's character. It was so layered and complex but at the same time so raw and direct. Claire is mean but that makes for the best dialogue and come backs ever. Because the character is so interesting, you would like to delve more into her past but you are stuck with her in a present she hates. She is not looking back, as you would hope, to reflect on the events that led her here, but she is not looking forward either and you are wondering when she, and you the viewer, will leave this limbo. Obviously the movie is paced the way it is so that you can relate to the character, and you do. It is, after all, a drama. To address her Oscar snub, I would just say that she did an amazing job in this movie and she should have been recognized for that. Perhaps the Academy needs a bit more time to get used to this level of acting from Jennifer Aniston. Who knows.

I didn't know that they gathered such a great cast for this movie and I was so happy to see Anna Kendrick as well as Sam Worthington. They are both great in Cake, especially Anna, who departs from her usual roles and plays a very convincing creepy and vicious role in Claire's life. Before going into this movie, I didn't know there was such a thing as chronic pain either and I didn't know why someone would commit suicide over this. I get the disease and I get why Claire is thinking about it when she - SPOILER ALTER - lost a child, but I still don't understand why Nina did it. I wish I had a bit more insight into her character as she was such a big part of the movie. You only learn about Claire's past towards the end and it all comes in little pieces, very well embedded into clever dialogue. In one of the last scene, I enjoyed Adriana Barraza's monologue in Spanish - she plays Claire's help/maid - where she basically has had enough with her boss' behavior and outlook. "You have so much beauty in your life. You want to kill yourself? Then kill yourself" is basically what she is saying. This was exactly at about that moment in the movie where I wanted to tell Claire the exact same thing. I have no compassion whatsoever for people who give up and people who take the easy way out. Life is so precious and is such a beautiful thing, it makes me extremely angry when people throw it away.

Throughout the movie, I wanted to understand her struggle and I wanted to know why she felt the way she did. And that's what the movie is ultimately about. Stepping into the shoes of someone who suffered so much they cannot move in any direction except down. It wasn't about understanding why Nina killed herself when she had the most amazing husband, a beautiful son and a great life. These are sometimes not enough. And sometimes someone who has none of those things, like Claire, can still see the hope and the value of life. I have had to deal with a similar situation when my sister attempted suicide several times and hurt herself. She had everything. She was beautiful, she was destined for a great career, she didn't have to endure any type of loss. And still, she wanted to remain in that downward spiral and ultimately die. That very much reminded me of Nina. And I am glad to see in Cake that someone who has much more to struggle with ends up choosing to fight for what should come naturally to all of us: living.

Arrow Mid Season Return - A tiny bit dubious

I was looking forward to Arrow's return. I was wondering how they would bring Oliver back and how they would continue the fight in Starling City, the show must go on after all.

In this episode, instead of having two stories intertwine, we had three: the Starling City story, Oliver being dead in the Frostback Mountains story and the usual flash back we are used to by now. I really didn't think I would see present time/dead Oliver in this episode and I really didn't expect to see Oliver alive at the end either. I found that it was all terribly quick. They surely could have spent a bit more time on the following questions: "did he win or is he dead?" from everybody in Starling and most importantly "how the hell do I retrieve this huge body from a rock I can only access by falling off a mountain" from Maseo. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see much of that or none at all. Maseo just retrieves the body and off he goes. It all seemed very easy and anti climatic to me. 

The same was true of the events in Starling City. I thought that the beginning of the episode was quite exciting and I loved to see the gang trying to get by without their leader. It was awfully similar to the Buffy episode called "Anne" (Season 3 Episode 1) where Buffy is in Los Angeles, trying to figure out who she is, and the Scooby gang is left alone in Sunnydale to manage the vampire population on their own. Even more so when Felicity says that they got two out of the three criminals, it reminded me a lot of Xander's line: "we're losing half the vamps". So I liked the beginning of Left Behind. However, I found Diggle and Roy very quick to agree that Oliver was dead and they didn't seem too heart broken about it. When Buffy was gone, Willow and Xander were miserable and Giles was flying everywhere trying to find her. I really thought Diggle would try harder to find out where Oliver was - Malcom had the information - and find out what happened to him. 

When they get the news that yes, indeed, Oliver is dead, again, I didn't feel like their world fell apart. Except for Felicity who was slightly sad, I was very surprised by everybody else's reaction. At the end of the episode you find out that Oliver has been brought back to life and that's that. No more suspense. I can understand that it would be quite difficult to go on for several episodes without the eponymous hero of your show but looking at today's television quality, I expected to be teased longer about Oliver's fate. I knew he would come back, obviously, but I wanted to feel a little bit more of a void before being reunited with him. Of course, at the end of Anne, Buffy came back and Season 3 was on its way. When she died at the end of Season 5, she was back at the end of Season 6's first episode. But I missed her much more than I missed Oliver because I saw her friends and everybody else struggling and trying to find a way to get her back. I didn't get that in Arrow. 

I also found that the introduction of a new villain, Brick, was a bit superfluous and that the black Canary, who was said to take over the city with Arsenal and Atom while Oliver was AWOL, had a tiny and irrelevant part in this episode. As a whole, I think that they could have dealt with Oliver's death a bit better, at least giving the fans a bit more longing for the character that, we did see it tonight, makes the entire show.

The Order: 1886 new trailer - The Story So Far

We have known for a while that The Order was beautiful and that every man in it would have a mustache. But we haven't heard much about this game so far and it's a little worrying when it is launching in just a month. Remember the YEAR leading to Dragon Age: Inquisition? News after news after news after trailer after demos after Twitch streams. Obviously I am a Bioware fan so I was following those developments very carefully but I am following IGN, Game Insider and every other gaming publication and I have definitely not seen as much as I should have for a game coming out in a month.

But they released a new trailer (below) and that's a good thing. I am not sure what to expect from this game apart from the beautiful graphics and the mustaches. I love those mustaches. It has been said that the devs didn't want to give away too many story spoilers and even though the new trailer was focused on just that, I didn't think it did any disfavor to the story. If anything, it made me more excited for it because I now know there is good meaty content in there. I was worried this game would be a darker rendition of Assassin's Creed but I am pleased there is little more story to chew on in The Order. There also seems to be more interesting characters with their own story to tell. "Why did you choose that mustache and when did you know that it was the right choice for you?". That sort of thing.

The gunplay they showed in that trailer is pretty much what they have already shown and it looks great. I am not sure how hard it will be but, as a sword wielder, hopefully Mass Effect level hard. I am digging the anachronistic weapons too. I mean, in a world where "half breeds" exist, you can take creative licenses and get away with it. Looking at the trailer I was thinking that I would love to craft some of those weapons and some of those cool looking coat armors but it is not a RPG. Damn it. But the focus of this trailer was the story and the story looks intriguing. The game looks a bit overly serious for my liking. Apart from "the pint" comment, there is not much in there that lets me think that I will have as a good time with the characters as I did with Drake, Ellie or Varric. We shall see! Mustaches!

Gotham Mid Season Return - Alastair is in the house!

I mean come on, the dude is legendary! His voice is the best, second perhaps to Cumberbatch, I love him so much. In Gotham too, he had that scary calm whispering voice that I adore. But he's dead. So bye bye Alastair, it was nice to see you!

Apart from the Electrocutioner making a, I have to be honest, forgettable appearance, the Gotham mid season return didn't impress me a whole lot. I was expecting a bit more decisive plot turns and more Arkham intrigue but it was just not there. The first episode of this second half of the season was fairly enjoyable. Any fan of the video games or the comics will have enjoyed another tour inside the infamous asylum but it was brief to say the least. The first two episodes just very much served one purpose: Get Jim back to the precinct. That was all. The whole Electrocutioner story was very predictable and anybody who tells me that they thought Jim wouldn't find the guy in 24 hours is a bloody liar. Also, who cares about dopey eyed Barbara? The time we spent with her in these two episodes were a waste of time and I would much rather have spent it with the Penguin who is and remains the best thing about this show.

I have come to care less and less about what happens to Gordon and the police department and more and more about Maroni, Falcone and Fish. That's where the story is interesting, the characters complex and the twists surprising. Gotham obviously doesn't have the level of twists and shockers an Agents of SHIELD or a Breaking Bad has. But look at the end of Monday night's episode. Go Falcone! We all know that Jim Gordon is a straight up kind of guy and not complicated in the least. I guess he's just not my type of character then and that might be why I do not love cop shows. The leads always seem so dull to me. A superhero on the other side, or a villain, have much more to offer than a simple principled cop.

I was quite happy we didn't see Bruce this time around. Or Cat for that matter. I feel like these two characters were just shoved in there to appeal to the most ignorant TV viewers out there. They don't add much to the story and are very much just here as a reminder that this is the Batman world and you should be watching if you loved the Batman films. Obviously, I am looking forward to seeing what is going to happen to Fish and Butch. Even though they have been conspiring against my two favorite characters, they are great villains. Fish for her hair and her angry eyes and Butch for his positive attitude. That is a happy man right there.

I was happy to see the Penguin win this one but you know that he's going to go down before he rises to the highs we know he can get to. I am not looking forward to seeing that. The Penguin is genius. He's such an underdog you can't help but be on his side, whatever evil he does. He makes me think of Walter White somehow. They are both outsiders, stepped on at every turn and both are genius in their own way. They also have a super huge ego. I hope the Penguin doesn't get to the point where I want to see him thrown into a cave full of venomous snakes though. Well, that would be good writing but if I do not like the Penguin anymore, who will my interest shift to? It shifted to Hank and Jesse in Breaking Bad, I doubt it will shift to boring Gordon though. Who knows?

Supernatural mid season return thoughts - Evil Dean FTW

Who is not a fan of Supernatural? I believe this show has the most prominent fan base ever and you can see memes of Dean just about everywhere on the internet. But how did the Season 10 mid season come back fared last night? I dare say pretty well. Who doesn't like an evil Dean? Everybody loves an evil Dean. I think over the years, the most satisfying story lines we got where when one of the boys turned evil. I mean, Sam drinking demon blood has to be my favorite moment of the show. Now Dean is going full on psychopath because of the mark of Cain
and I love it. He's just more badass than usual, what's wrong with that? They obviously need to get rid of that mark however, so the sweet kitten Dean can make a come back and not go on a rampage every time someone cuts in line in front of him. And that's where Metatron enters the playing field. This little piece of shit. This guy's face is just unbearable it's ridiculous. Great casting if you ask me and as usual, the dude is unhelpful and vicious.

The most interesting part of this episode however, was happening below ground for me: in hell. Everybody has come to adore Crowley who is your typical anti-hero. He's so adorable and funny, even if he kills people - which we haven't seen him do in a while - you can't help but root for the guy. He's part of the boys club now - Not moose, Moose, Cas and the demon on the brothers' shoulders. We all love him. There is an interesting intrigue going on in Hell with Crowley's witchy Scottish mother. First, what an accent. I just wish I could hear her talk forever. Second, she's pretty good at whatever scheme she has put together. We're still not sure what exactly she wants, but if the clues from last night gave us anything is that she wants to be Queen of hell in place of her baby boy. That would suck! You wish that Crowley would see through her and just kick her huge head out but he doesn't. Yet. It is somewhat understandable when you have seen Crowley be a pretty shady King so far and it would be more than natural if he had a few rebellious subject in his ranks. He always had doubts about the stability of his reign and the loyalty of his subject. His mom is just playing on that and it is working.

We all hope Crowley gets the better of her, with her Scottish accent, her tiny body and her big head. Anyway, this is a good side story that also involves the first blade so we're all in. Obviously, this is the first episode of the second half of the season so I expected it to be plot heavy. I doubt they will continue like this in the next episodes. As we know and have come to expect, Supernatural focuses on the main plot from episode 1 to 2, 10 to 12 and 21 to 23. The previous "monster of the week" episodes have been pretty great so far this season so I am not bothered about that at all. We all saw that Supernatural had been renewed for an eleventh season too. It has surprised me to hear this since the end of Season 6 to be honest but I love the creative licences they took these past seasons and I hope they keep doing that in the next ones. We love a Supernatural that doesn't take itself too seriously and I have faith it will stay that way. However, I am wondering where the plot is going to go after this Demon Dean/Mark of Cain business. Is it going to be Sam's turn to be evil again? Is one of them going to die at the end of this season as usual? There are two sure things, Metatron is up to something and Hell will be in peril if Crowley gets the boot. Whatever happens, I will be watching, because it's Supernatural and Dean approves.

Dragon Age Keep - Why this was a bright idea

There is usually not much to do while waiting for your favorite video game franchise to spawn a new title. This is obviously without counting on the brilliant minds at Bioware to create something like Dragon Age Keep. This thing is genius.

For people who have played through the previous games and all the DLCs, it's handy to have one place where you can record all your choices and remind yourself of the story you have been creating over the years. Obviously, with the change to next gen consoles, Dragon Age Keep has all your games information no matter what changes come in the future. I think it's great. I also loved the fact that Varric was the one telling the Dragon Age story in the video, he is, after all, our story teller and hearing his voice again before DAI was a sweet treat. I am also very fond of the layout and the design they have come up with. It's very much scalable and if other games or DLCs needed to be added to the Tapestry, that wouldn't be a problem at all as you are going through the timeline very seamlessly.

I liked that the emphasis was on artwork as well, it's very pretty and in line with the Dragon Age feel and aesthetic. It's very appealing and eye pleasing if you ask me. I was pleased to see that the tiles changed with every different possible choice. Also, it doesn't discriminate in term of choices you can record or not. Like in-game principles, every choice you have made matters. You are not just recording whether you sided with the Templars or the Mages in Kirkwall, you are also recording who you romanced and if you chose to kill a minor character or not. I think that's awesome and it does justice to the story you have chosen for yourself in the past games. I am very much looking forward to adding my DAI choices in there, as well as my next DLC and (hopefully) games to the Tapestry. I was also impressed by the fact that you can save different world states and you are not stuck with one. The Last Court was also a lovely addition to the Keep while waiting for DAI to come out. Again, this is one of Dragon Age's great strength to actually add to the gamer's experience (see books etc.) while staying in the world they love, with characters they know. Not everybody will be excited by this type of mini game but it was a welcome side note you could delve into for a while.

I also think Dragon Age Keep is a great tool for gamers who haven't played through the previous Dragon Age installments and are band new to the world of Thedas and the franchise. I always feel sad for these people who don't know the lore and the inside jokes. But at least Dragon Age Keep give them a place where they can review the world and be as up to date as possible on the events and the characters involved in that great story. I hope it helped them enjoy the game as it should be enjoyed: an exciting part of a bigger and grander intrigue. I also hope they will use the Keep to record their DAI experience once the feature is available so that they can start to be part of this great world that is Dragon Age.

The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies - Oh my!

Again, I am a little bit late to talk about this but I just got around to watching it so here is my opinion: it sucked! You might have noticed that my "reviews" are not so much structured arguments about the acting, cinematography, script and other elements of a film; but mostly all my thoughts thrown on paper super randomly. And my thought about the last installment of The Hobbit is that it sucked.

I will get the good points out of the way right now so that we can focus on the bad, and there is a lot. As always with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the very good point is that it is a great work of fantasy. You have your dragons, your elves, your orcs, your wizards and your dwarves. I am behind that type of content100% and I was glad to see all of the races back for that film. It is also very enjoyable to see the lore take shape one last time on screen. One other good point is Martin Freeman. He's still the best Bilbo that could have ever been in my opinion and he doesn't disappoint here either. Legolas is still kicking major ass and it's always pleasing to watch a fight where you know the good guy is going to be victorious. Also the hair. Then the last thing I have to point out that didn't make me either yawn or facepalm was the well choreographed final fight between Thorin and Azog. Usually, fantasy makes me so excited and entertains me so much, but not this time around I am afraid. What the hell did they do? I heard some people say that this movie was packed with action and I agree that you have quite a lot of fights and things happening, but every single scene in between was bloody slow and boring as hell. They slowed down some dialogue and made it look way too dramatic. Because of that change of pace I had a hard time really connecting with the characters. They didn't really offer any appeal either when they were having conversations, the dialogue was either cheesy or bland and hollow. It was also so predictable. That means that unfortunately when some members of the party died, I couldn't care less. I was like "oh, he's dead. Oh well". Get on with the fight.

I am going to offer a comparison here that might anger some but others might agree: I felt like I was playing Skyrim. I mean it's pretty and all, you have all the right people in the mix, you have all the right ingredients but the story doesn't make a lot of sense, you don't really care for it and most importantly, you don't give a fuck about who you meet. When I say the story doesn't make sense, I mean that the way it has been put on film is unbelievable. What the hell is wrong with those dwarves? I do not find it remotely believable that 12 dwarves who see their king go mad, acknowledge the fact that it is happening, cannot tie his ass and just give the good townspeople their share of the treasure. Even more so when you know that these dwarves are pretty decent people. I didn't buy it. Everything seemed forced because the character development was very weak and the dialogue was blah. That is also why I didn't believe in the romance between Kili and Tauriel. Also, Thranduil you little moody bastard, you tell Tauriel that her love is not real and literally 5 minutes later she asks you why it hurts so much to see her lover die and you touchingly say"because it was real". BARF. The last terrible element of that movie is unfortunately the mise en scene. You are doing something wrong when you go from massive CGI landscapes that show a gigantic city to a tiny "street" where even a hobbit would feel claustrophobic. That just doesn't work.

I don't know what you thought of it and I might have approached it the wrong way but the only reason I was glad to watch this movie was to feel like I was in Dragon Age. I mean, Frostback Mountains anybody? True story, I found myself holding the controller for some reason in the middle of the film. That was the single laugh I had in the entire movie. Oh and the troll head butting the wall, that was neat. Other than that, come on, a little comedy won't kill the mood. Ask Varric for pointers next time.

The Imitation Game - I am so angry!

My cheeks are still wet of all the tears I shed at the end of this movie. I was sad, obviously, but man was I angry. I can't believe that my History professors spent three years talking about World War II without mentioning Turing. I can't believe that Hollywood waited so long to tell that incredible story. I can't believe I haven't heard about what actually happened to this brilliant man until today. What the hell?

This story is so inspiring on so many level but mostly it made me angry at how stupid and short sighted people were back in the days. I mean, I knew that homosexuality was a crime but I surely didn't know it still was in 1952. I seriously do not get what the hell was wrong with people. Why would they care about who someone who saved 14 million people fucks in his spare time. Who the fuck cares? Nowadays, young people picture homosexuality and bullies through fucking Glee. Watch The Imitation Game.

I am so angry and sad for Alan Turing, I wish he would have been there to help the computing science research, he might have accelerated the creation of computers and more. He might have had the chance to stare at a computer screen at some point. I really wish he could have seen it. I wish he could have found happiness again after losing his first love. One of the most intelligent and gifted and brilliant man on the planet didn't even experience joy and happiness as he deserved. I feel sorry for the human race when I see a movie like this. But I feel great too. It made me smile to see Turing and his team get what they needed to do for Christopher to crack Enigma. I was so happy when I also understood it because I do know how computers work, funnily enough. I also saw Benedict Cumberbatch giving it his all as Alan Turing and I feel like nobody else could have this intensely portrayed him.

But mostly, what I saw is the most important rendition of the human evolution castrated by stupidity and fear. Can you imagine if that man had been able to adopt a child or keep teaching at university, can you imagine what he could have transmitted down the generations? Can you imagine everything we missed from his incredible mind because we put social expectations and rules first? This is ludicrous. Same thing for poor old Joan. Because she was a woman, she wouldn't even be awarded a degree. How many women throughout the years could have been great scientists or engineers and could have advanced the human race, help progress. We will never know. Just because we decided that women should stay at home with a bunch of kids. URGH. I am glad that it is obviously not the case anymore but I am very angry that it did exist and that in some countries around the world, it still does. Anyway, this is not news but movies like these tend to remind me of the obvious.

As Turing mentioned, people enjoy violence and there will always be fools, bullying either homosexuals or awkward kids who are just smarter and different than them. These kids should be protected no matter what. The bullies aren't the future of our nations, the awkward kids are. It's nice and sweet to think that we can teach people how to be tolerant and understanding - and it might happen with time - but as it doesn't happen in a flash, I urge anyone who sees someone being bullied to stand up and punch the bastard in the teeth. Thank you.

As a final thought, is it me or do the worst thing always befall the most productive members of society? Like Stephen Hawking, seriously, is it a bad joke? Who cares about an animal shooting hilly billy in North Texas, give HIM ALS. Not Hawking. Arrest a beer drinking Manchester hooligan instead of bloody Turing! This world's not fair. Not fair at all.

American Sniper - Bradley Cooper at his best?

I first should say that I am not American and as such, I wasn't aware of the Chris Kyle story. I didn't hear it in the news, I didn't know there was a book and I didn't know what happened to him. Coming into that movie, I didn't even know that American Sniper was based on a true story. I don't believe this hindered my appreciation and enjoyment of the movie but I might have reacted differently to some of the scenes should I have known this fellow actually lived through them.

To be perfectly honest, I am not a war movie type of a gal. I suppose it's obvious that my main interest is fantasy and sci-fi. However, I thoroughly enjoy Bradley Cooper performances in the past, and I thought I should watch it after seeing the enticing trailer, and I am very glad I did.

Again, this movie won't change my opinion about war movies and drama in general but this particular one was very well made and Bradley Cooper completely sold it for me. As a bulky 30 year old Navy Seal, Cooper progressively but always subtly shows you what war does to even the most hardened people. Chris Kyle doesn't appear very complicated. He's extremely straight forward, patriotic, principled and he always has a plan. Enrolling seems like the natural thing to do for a man like that. I like that the movie is divided by tour and shows each deployment with each return home. It shows you how his life and his story was very much regulated by the rhythm of war and that everything in between or even prior was just a short distraction, an interruption even.

Obviously, there are extremely difficult parts to watch
and Bradley Cooper plays through those like a chief, showing Chris Kyle's hard rock values and black and white world slowly decaying. I like to think of myself as a though person, I don't necessarily feel sorry for people in pain or in difficult situations. I feel like Chris Kyle saw the mission first and the people second too. I feel like he thought of himself as a strong person who knows exactly what is to be done and doesn't falter. But war seems to chip at his confidence and his strength, little by little. A person you thought was made to serve his country might not even be strong enough for war. Then who is? Maybe it is not the strong, the principled and the passionate who are made for war. Maybe only the senseless and the mad are.

I feel like a lot of people will complain that this movie glorifies war but it definitely didn't appear that way to me. It seems like an accurate account of a war I don't know much about and an accurate depiction of one soldier's experience. Bradley Cooper was excellent and I am pleased he got nominated for an Academy Award. As a nominated film as well, I think it's worth a look for any movie buff or fans of good drama.

Man Seeking Woman - It Was Weird

Oh that awkward moment when you break up. That's harsh. It does seem to be much harsher on this guy however, as I do not recall having dead pigeons falling on my face ever.

I wanted to talk about this show because I feel like we are lacking good comedies on TV right now. Your "Modern Family" and "Big Bang Theory" have gone on for a while with the same jokes and not much of a story to steer them clear of cliches. I fell in love with "You're the worst" which I thought was brilliantly written and funny. I love myself a good grumpy Englishman. So I was excited to see that FXX was walking in its sister network's footsteps with Man Seeking Woman.

I didn't know what to expect before watching that show and I felt awkward coming in the credits with its weird ass music and hipster vibe. I really thought this show would take itself too seriously. And in comes the troll. I was like: whaaaaaaaa? I was asking myself a million questions and I thought the trick would last for a couple of seconds but it didn't. They stuck with it and I fell on the floor
laughing when Josh (Jay Baruchel) was left to talk to a troll at the restaurant table, answered only by grunts and awesomely acted crazy looks. Jay did the most amazing job with his monologue and I was in. I was even more in when came the nightclub scene where Josh awkwardly tries to pick up a pretty girl as she continues her conversation saying "there's this weird guy, he just asked me what's my deal".

I was a bit slow to understand what that troll was supposed to represent but I got it when I saw Adolph. This was when I understood what this show was all about. Josh meets his ex-girlfriend new boyfriend and yes it happens to be Adolph Hitler.

And he drops one liners like "don't make it awkward for the jew" and that's just gold. Josh ultimately says what every person thinks of their ex new partners: "I'm better than Hitler". We are all better than the next person who gets to be with our ex. That's just how we feel. By the end of this show, I realized that what it did extremely well is showing with moving images what a feeling is. This little comedy made me laugh out loud of course but it did make me smile a lot at the end. When he's being applauded for being able to get a girl's number and he feels like a million dollar, you feel like a million dollar right with him. I found that the writing was excellent but most of all the mise en scene and the depiction of a feeling on a screen was pretty original. I am not sure how sustainable the concept is and how long I could go along with the over the top and literal humor but it was a good first episode, it was funny and that's what a comedy is supposed to be.

My Fan Tribute to the Inquisition - The Dawn Will Come

Dragon Age - The Masked Empire

If there is something that takes a lot of time and that we don't do nearly as often as we should is read.
We usually have enough TV shows in our DVR to last a lifetime so who has the time to read anymore? I always fancied myself as a reader but it generally only stretched to comics or history books. Fictional work never really appealed to me, feeling very much like a movie I had trouble picturing in my head. I picked up "Dragon Age: The Masked Empire" by chance. I was in a Barnes & Noble, looking for the DAI guide when I stumbled upon it. As soon as I saw the writer's name, Patrick Weekes, I knew I had to buy it. After all, everything in the DA universe is fantastic and I knew Patrick was a writer on the game so how could I not love his writing?

I was very much right. From the get go, this book takes you to a familiar place, Orlais, and guides you into brand new and unexplored corners of the empire. Straight away, it makes you feel at home but takes you on an adventure. The book was published before DAI was released but I read it after I played the game. I am not too sure what the best timing is but either way, I believe any respectable DA fan should read it.

Should you read DA The Masked Empire before playing DAI, you will get acquainted with Empress "asking a mange to describe magic is like asking you to describe a sunset to a blind dwarf" is hilarious.

Celene, Orlais and the rules of the deadly game nobles play behind their masks in this fabulous empire. Although the setting might be new and the characters unfamiliar, the personalities, the wit and the lore certainly are. When Andraste is mentioned, the Chantry, Kirkwall, even when Leliana makes an appearance, you know exactly what and who to picture. You do not frown upon the possibility of a tea cup being enchanted to be everlastingly hot. You do not wonder what the difference between an elf in the city and a Dalish is. And you know why the sentence

Reading this thrilling story before playing the game is definitely recommended as it fills the gap between the events in Kirkwall and the ones in DAI. For example. without reading The Masked Empire, you wouldn't know why Celene's throne was in peril and why she acted as she did when the Eleven rebellion happened. You get a truly insightful look at the Orlesian politics but also at what it is like to be an Empress and make very difficult choices for your nation. Going into the game, it is then much easier to choose a side and make a decision on who to put on the throne of Orlais. Not
Gaspard if you ask me!! What really strikes me in this fantasy book is how it rings so true and real. The Elven rebellion, the prejudices, the insider's look at a leader who tries to do the right thing, all these are very reminiscent of what happens or happened in every country at some point in time. I simultaneously felt sad for an freedom deprived Elf and for a human merchant stuck in the cross fire, for a wealthy Empress and for a loyal servant. The different point of views served as a reminder that in every human conflict, the villains and the heroes are always interchangeable.

That's how this book very much departed from the games where the evil is recognizable and absolute. A darkspawn or a demon are, after all, evil to the core. I don't think you will find such a villain in this story.

Reading Patrick Weekes' take on Orlais after playing the game, I found myself regretting some of the choices I had made. I wish I had helped Briala more and I certainly wish I could have punched Gaspard in the face right there in the garden of the Winter Palace when he introduced himself. But the best thing about reading this book after playing the game is that I was back in Orlais after having the time to explore it for a bit. When the author described the palace, I knew exactly where I was and how it looked. I knew Briala's pretty face and Celene's demeanor. I was so glad to be able to get to
know these characters better after being introduced to them in DAI. I felt like all my questions were answered and more. Now when I will give Celene her locket back, I will know exactly what it means.

An introduction - Dragon Age Inquisition or My Latest Drug

So I am totally late and I do not know why I didn't start this little "essay" before but I guess I was just too busy playing the game 3 times in a row.

I need to start from the beginning so here is the story behind this game. I have obviously played Dragon Age: Origins and the first installment in the series was actually the game that brought me back to gaming, back to holding a PS controller. I didn't play for about 5 years while I was in college and when I settled down and had time after work to do whatever I wanted, I found myself wanting to play and find another way than the repetitive TV shows and restrictive movies to escape. I had been a fan of Buffy The Vampire Slayer since I was 10 and the show helped me surround myself with confidence and fight the boring and tedious aspect of life for a long while. But to be honest, after 13 years of watching Buffy kick ass, sleep with Spike and giggle with Xander, I needed something else. I needed something I could truly immerse myself in as an adult and it seemed like a game would do the trick.

I picked up Dragon Age because I was and still am a sucker for fantasy. Elves, dragons, mages and all that weird stuff we have no real idea who spawned them, that's my jam. Also, you could create your own character and I was eager to do just that. Create an alternate self that would be prettier, more badass, would have fascinating adventures, epic fights and exciting romances. I had played many other RPGs like the FF series or action/adventure like any other casual gamer but I never ever got passionate about them or even replayed them. And I picked up Dragon Age: Origins. Even though I bought the game about 3 years after it came out, I didn't care that the graphics were not up to date and that the mechanics were a bit clunky. I was wielding swords, changing outfits, flirting with Kings and laughing my ass off at every line of banter happening between what I came to consider my good friends.


I went to buy Dragon Age II straight away and I suppose I was foolish enough to think that my whole gaming life will be wait free. RIGHT. So here I go, starting a new adventure with another female lead, but who funnily enough can as effortlessly be me as the Hero of Ferelden. And even though I do not find a man to fall in love with in this new Scooby Gang, I still enjoyed my time in Kirkwall. And so I waited for the 3rd game. I waited. And I tried other RPGs in the meantime. Disappointments after disappointments. I won't say they were not good, they were very much enjoyable for what they were but none of them made me feel this involved and this connected.

For some reason, I always shied away from shooters. I always preferred swords and in general, close combat. Must be the Buffy in me. I was extremely reluctant to try Mass Effect. Even though I knew the developer was Bioware, I thought that the combat system and the "space adventure" not being fantasy would put me off. Holly cow was I wrong! How much more badass than Shepard can it get!! I now know that everything Bioware does is absolutely brilliant. I am surely biased. Not every Buffy episode was amazing but I do not give a dusty fuck about one aspect of this most brilliantly written and inspiring character not being perfect. So before everybody comes at me with the fact that Mass Effect 3's ending was below par I say just don't. Seriously don't. Mass Effect was grand. It was again an epic story with a powerful heroine that I completely fell in love with. A heroine that inspired me to tackle life more decisively and never give up.


Then I had played the whole trilogy and I was left with nothing  6 months ago. I had to wait for Dragon Age: Inquisition, watch trailers, stalk the devs and writers on Twitter. Try to get my fix any way I could. I was unemployed for about 4 months because we moved from the UK to California and when DAI came out and I was able to play, this game felt like a cozy childhood blanket, like a partner I didn't see for years and was reunited with. I was so happy to see Varric again. His one liners are still the best and even though I am not Hawke in game, I am Hawke. And we know each other. What I felt so good about was that I was back in a world I knew and cherished. I had lived through the events of Kirkwall and had forged my very own opinion of the conflict unfolding before my eyes. I was, am and will always be the Inquisitor and my choices reflect my real life beliefs and nobody else's. This is my game. This is my world. I didn't know this world was so vast however! Not only is DAI absolutely huge but after beating the game, I delved into more than just the most popular rendition of that world.

I bought a book. I do not read often. I read Buffy Comics. That's the extent of my reading prowess. I am devouring this DA book which depicts the events happening in Orlais between DA2 and DAI. And it's again excellent. Even though I cannot put much of myself in a book, being able to reenter this world where I shaped so many things and fell in love with so many people is just plain comforting. I am reading about Briala and Empress Celene and meeting new people who I adore and who have the wit and charms I came to expect from DA characters.

DAI has obviously won many awards and most (smart) people agree that this game is genius in every way. I am not going to go on about the absence of flaws in this compelling piece of content but because content is what I work with on a daily basis and have been exposed to since my youngest age I feel like I have to put this out there: I am obsessed with the depth of the DA world, the genius of its story and the attractiveness of its cast. As a person, I am not very good at being myself and at knowing who I am, which is I believe a curse on the human race altogether. Bioware games give me purpose, give me a sense of self which I do not get in the real world. They also provide a well rounded, fully interactive escape which is missing from any other game or any other medium. I dare you to give me an example of a story where I can create a female character looking just like me, explore the world with my friends cracking jokes by my side, romance, have sex and even break up with a handsome knight, fight with the strength of 10 dragons against an almighty enemy, craft my own fashion pieces and if I please, talk like an evil bitch to everybody I meet. No other piece of content is as empowering and compelling as this. None. None content.

Creating a brand like this where people can go back to every time they feel scared or bored and lonely is very smart. Marvel is doing it, DC tries to do it. Everybody likes to feel part of something bigger. But what Marvel doesn't have is that almighty inclusion of the self in its stories. You might have a huge crush on Thor but unfortunately you can't have a conversation with him and choose to be pummeled by his hammer. The romance aspect is so important. I am guessing it is much more so for female gamers and I am definitely not ashamed of it. I do believe that a good story always has a good romance in it. It just makes things more dramatic, the stakes are higher. I have fallen in love, literally, with Alistair, then Fenris, then Kaidan (multiple times), then Garrus, Cullen, also multiple times and the Iron Bull.

Of course DAI has more than a gigantically intriguing lore and epic romances. It's stunningly beautiful, it provides exploration galore and there are plenty of dragons/monsters to slay. But any developer can do that. Look at Destiny, look at Skyrim. They have all of that. They have none appeal for me. They lack the story, they lack the characters, they lack the panache. I hope Bioware keeps making games exactly like this, with a great world, a great heroine, a great story, great companions and great romances. I need them to. I wish they would grow the DA and Mass Effect world and keep building stories in them. But I trust them with a brand new world too. I trust them to create more fantastic personalities and epic struggles until I die. Some people might think I am a nutcase and I do not have a life. I actually have a pretty great life. However, I am not afraid to say that humans are ultimately hollow and in constant search of something more. Right now, Dragon Age is my something more. It's everything.