Disposable Media

3 film reviews in 3 sentences: Miami Vice, Knocked Up, Little Miss Sunshine

2008-04-20T23:14:00.003+01:00

Having signed up for a DVD-by-mail service, I really should be doing full reviews of everything I watch, in preparation for updates to the DM site.

But at 11pm on a Sunday, I thought it'd be quicker and easier for both author and reader to see if I could sum up three films in a sentence each:

Miami Vice: Michael Mann reuses the slow, duller bits from Heat - just without the contrasting action, interesting plot or notable actors - and in doing so, sucks the fun and excitement out of fast cars and cops.

Little Miss Sunshine: Really enjoyable take on the road movie, which sees an oddball family in the independent film tradition undertake an occasionally challenging and dryly funny challenge to good effect.

Knocked Up: Trades on the charms of Katherine Heigl and occasionally funny set pieces with Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd, but the script is weak in places, the supporting cast are too one-dimensional to be engaging, and it's not as accomplished as Superbad.

So Little Miss Sunshine gets recommended, in a Disposable Media 4/5 star stylie, Knocked Up gets a bearable 3/5 stars, and Miami Vice loses the Vangelis soundtrack, comedy fashion, fun, excitement, and anything else - except the 30 minutes of running time that would have increased the pace and lost extraneous lingering arty shots.

In Review: Iron Man: The Movie

2008-04-15T18:27:00.009+01:00

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Disposable Media proudly presents one of the very first reviews of Marvel's latest comic book adaptations, Iron Man. Released world-wide on May 2nd, DM was lucky enough to attend the first Premiere of the film in Sydney last night, in the presence of Robert Downey Jnr. and director John Favreau, who revealed that the film has only been finalised in the last 2 weeks. Downey meanwhile admitted he hadn't seen the final version of the film until the premiere but was delighted by both the film and the audience's reaction throughout the screening. But is it any good? Read on to find out the first definitive review.

Marvel films carry a lot of expectations and with every new adaptation a new set of problems, worries and concerns arise. Iron Man is no different: Can Jon 'Elf' Favreau really turn one of Hollywood's most infamous wild-children, Robert Downey Jnr., into one of the most beloved Marvel characters?

The answer is a resounding yes, aided in no small part due to Downey being so perfectly cast as Tony Stark that at times the dividing line between character and actor are indistinguishable. There's clearly a lot of Downey himself thrown into the character, but that's not to say that Downey gives an obvious performance, far from it in fact. At face value Downey as Stark is akin to Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films - full of flair and quirky personality, arrogance and cock-sure swagger. His attitude, actions and consequences are all exaggerated and highlight both the extremity of the character and the nature of a comic book hero – imaginative fantasies played out through creativity.

Stark is the perfect comic book character - the richest, most famous and talented man in America, complete with a playboy lifestyle and carefree attitude not too dissimilar to Downey's life during his mid-90s excess. But as the film progresses and Stark confronts his demons and chosen isolation, Downey subtly weaves other elements into the character, a regretful man, one of innate anger and child-like insecurity at times. Seeing Stark use these aspects of himself to fuel the personality of Iron Man whilst Downey does the same to create Stark and then keep up the performance for the whole two hour duration is wonderfully hypnotic. The film allows Stark to take a personal journey in a way that many other super-hero films or summer blockbusters would be afraid of, Batman Begins being an obvious exception. As a character Stark is captivating, as a performance, Downey is enthralling. It's not just Downey; all of the performances are well considered. Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow in particular both offer similar exaggerations to create a fantasy world that so few comic book adaptations dare to try, never mind achieve. But the film doesn’t stray too far from reality, clearly taking into account modern day America with some carefully worked social commentary to help ground the film. By using such a contemporary setting it allows the super-hero film to flourish. Where Spider-Man and X-Men were intent on producing stories and worlds that could have been real, Favreau and the script writers have achieved a fantastical, pretension-free world that never gets too ridiculous and that good work makes the film all the more fun to watch.

The story is fairly compact, concentrating as much on action as it does exposition, never dwindling into overly-complex character backgrounds or unnecessary side plots. Therein lies one of the films great triumphs: the pace. Marvel are clearly hoping for a franchise with Iron Man with the ending and a scattering of quotes hinting (or even explicitly mentioning) future adventures for Iron Man, but it doesn’t get bogged down in becoming a base for any future sequels. As with any super-hero movie, the first half is largely focused on the creation of Iron Man as a character and Stark’s motivations, but Favreau very carefully ensures that this is never too 'heavy' and that you're never too far from some action or an important revelation. It's a balancing act that few blockbusters get right, but the success here is what makes the film so enjoyable and so much fun.

Because that is what this film is: Fun.

Jokes are frequent but never heavy-handed and the physical acting from Downey learning the suit never becomes slap-stick. There are considered one-liners delivered to perfection from the supremely confident and razor-sharp Stark and it is all held together with clever jump-cuts and quick-edits that makes the film one that you'll smile at almost constantly until the action stops.

If there is a problem it is the action, or lack of it. The relatively tight 2 hour running time means that there isn't that much room for lengthy fight scenes and occasional bursts of frantic action throughout the film take their place. The action scenes are certainly well created and any questions over Favreau's ability to direct an action film are almost instantly dispelled. The effects too are superb, never knowingly flashy or particularly revolutionary, but consistently seamless. The use of camcorders in particular demonstrate how well integrated the effects are into the Mise-en-scène and are at their best when the mechanics of the suit are shown in detail and during the climatic fight.

It's easy enough to try to rank super-hero films, but Iron Man stands separated from previous films. Downey's calculated performance is superb and his development as Stark from carefree-bachelor to world-weary war-monger and back again makes the film. Iron Man follows a similar template to last year's Transformers, but with more of an edge. Favreau's direction and vision for this film will appease fans of the comic and yet not alienate mainstream audiences. It's superb from start to finish with a relentless pace and a wonderful first instalment in what will hopefully become a great franchise and is an example of how to make a blockbuster.

Review written by Ian Moreno-Melgar

Drink, Drank Punks startle Peterborough – Anti Flag review @ The Cresset, February 23, 2008

2008-04-11T20:01:00.005+01:00

The Peterborough music scene was left Red, White and Brainwashed when Anarcho-Punks, Anti Flag hit The Cresset venue.

Renowned for supporting anti-racism, anti-fascism, and anti-war movements, the band from Pittsburgh, United States dawned on the city to show fans how to really stick two fingers up to society.

Before they even had chance to flood the stage with their chaotic blend of hard guitar riffs and battering drum strokes, lucky fans across the area had their chance to get up close and personal with the band as they freely wandered back and forth through The Cresset.

Kicking off the show with a rather skatanic performance were local band, Brassphemy, who wowed the crowd with their uplifting style.

Saxophone, trumpet, synthesiser, guitar and drum sounds pulsated through the room and really got the crowd dancing. Their flair for music and passion for what they do shined throughout their performance. Without a doubt, the band is going to go on to achieve great things in the near future.

Brassphemy who are from Bourne, Lincolnshire will also be joining ska legends, Sonic Boom Six on tour in March.

Next up was All Idols Fall who, in comparison, to the opening act was rather different. Bringing a set of rock heavy sounds to the stage, their music sparked off a miniature mosh pit.

Although they had a lot of enthusiasm and were completely focused on getting the crowd moving, unfortunately their style deemed to be less popular with the audience.

Bringing life back to the stage, were the ever popular, The King Blues. Infusing ska, reggae and punk attitude to create a cocktail of beats, the London based 6-piece pray to “unsettle the rulers of this country” with their ‘rough and radical’ style.

Performing tracks from their album, Under the Fog, The King Blues delivered a fantastic presentation of heart-felt, show stopping tunes including crowd favourites, Mr Music Man and Come Fi De Youth.

The moment everybody was waiting for finally arrived, four of the finest examples of punk rock scattered on to the stage to deliver spirit thrusting movements before a wild and hefty crowd.

Spitting out heavy punk lyrics and politically angst messages, Justin Sane and the guys dragged the Peterborough audience through a whirlwind of chaos.

“Raise your fist in the air and tell George Bush, tell Tony Blair and tell everyone out there we say ‘no’ to war, ‘no’ to racism and ‘no’ to homophobia”

War Sucks, Lets Party! Fans dived to the stage to salute their Captain of Anarchy, front-man Mr Justin Sane who was unfortunately feeling too good during the night.

However, bassist Chris #2 kept the fire burning as they blasted out tracks such as Die for Your Government, 911 for Peace, 1 Trillion Dollars and new songs from their fully pledged album, The Bright Lights of America.

Reciting lyric for lyric and thumping fists in the air, the rioting crowd campaigned for peace and unity. Ending the night on a high note, the guys jumped off stage to ‘high five’ and shake the hands of their keen supporters.

A night of inner rage, passion and heart-felt messages – go and see Anti Flag action for yourselves.

By Nicola Fox

Changes at Disposable Media

2008-04-09T10:52:00.003+01:00

It's with a huge mixture of excitement and sadness as I share the news that I'm no longer the Editor of Disposable Media.

Luckily, there's a great replacement in the shape of former TV and Films Editor, and all-round talented guy Keith Andrew, who is now heading the DM team.

Meanwhile I'm continuing my involvement as Editor-in-Chief, focusing on the direction of DM, marketing, advertising, and planning.

There are several reasons for the change. I've had a great 18 months or so heading what is essentially a great group project, and trying to do it justice for the people working on DM, and the people reading it, but various other things, ranging from changes in my career, to impending fatherhood, have meant that I haven't had the time to do it justice.

We're also got shed loads of ideas and plans which I haven't had time to work on, because we're trying to put out the best free downloadable PDF magazine, and website, we can, and heading that up can take a pretty big commitment.

I've got to know Keith really well over the last 18 months, and I know he's got a very clear idea of what works, and how we can improve over the next year. He's also a great writer, and has got us some great interviews and features. Plus he's slightly more photogenic!

Meanwhile I'm looking at new websites, blogs, ways to allow you to get more involved, and ways we can find investment/advertising to improve what we do, without it getting in the way of our main aim in all this:

To share the best content, images and designs from everywhere around us...

It also means there's never been a better time to get involved in DM, especially now that the mean, tetchy old Editor has been replaced by a nicer, younger, and more fashionable version. We're particularly looking for designer types to get involved, and it can be a real benefit to have DM in your portfolio, so why not drop us a line...disposablemedia@gmail.com

Why do they rock so hard? Reel Big Fish @ The Cresset, Saturday February 16, 2008

2008-04-02T20:58:00.003+01:00

MUSIC

Fun fuelled chaos dawned on Peterborough’s The Cresset last weekend when Reel Big Fish came out to play. It was the band’s third return to the city and it was by far the best show I have been to in a long long time.

Blending together a cocktail of reggae beats, funky punk vocals, hip hop and ska, Sonic Boom Six were first up to bombard the stage and they surely set the night off with a bang.

Laila K and the band knocked out some rather infectious tracks from their new album, Arcade Perfect including the energetic ‘Sound of a revolution.’ Minutes after appearing on stage, fans went absolutely crazy for them and began barging their way through the crowds, sparking off a wild mosh pit.

Next up were ska-punk sensations Streetlight Manifesto. The band is already vastly popular in the States and bearing in mind it was the band’s first appearance at the Peterborough venue, the night established that they are going to become a huge success in the UK.

The hype just did not die down at all - the kids kept on moshing! It was fantastic to see such dedication from Streetlight front man Thomas Kalnoky who proved to be a true entertainer.

If things weren’t stirred up enough, Reel Big Fish piled on to the stage and the energy of the crowd rocketed to an all time high.

Luckily for me, I was stuck to the barrier for the remainder of the night, but behind me there was a whole different affair going on. As the electricity pulsated through the heart of the mosh pit fans went wild as the opening track, Sell Out began to emit from the stage.

“I tell you what is b****in, this whole show is b****in!” yelled Reel Big Fish front man, Aaron Barrett.

The Californian ska outfit surely know how to “party hard” and had the entire audience hooked, reeling out a mix of old and new tracks. From the legendary ‘Beer’, to the pristine ‘New Version of you’ the band was then joined on stage by SB6’s Laila K, for an exhilarating performance of ‘She has a girlfriend now.’

Aaron, Scotty and Little Johnny Christmas brought humour to the stage with their usual mischievous antics and tied up the night with crowd favourites ‘Everything Sucks’ and a cover of ‘Take On Me.’

Reciting lyric for lyric and dancing in true ska style, the Peterborough fans could simply have gone on partying forever. I had the time of my life and even though I came out a bit battered and bruised – I’d definitely recommend you head along to their next show!

10 out of 10

by Nicola Fox

RllmukFM's Modcast becomes GamerDork's DorkCast

2008-04-01T20:19:00.007+01:00

GAMES

So yeah, we're a bit - okay, very late with the praise and plugging...okay, being the Games Ed I guess I'm very late with the praise and plugging, but my delay isn't without reason. For those of you who don't know, Rllmukfm is a webby radio station thing with contributions from a number of members of rllmukforum - a community Disposable Media owe a lot to, as it helped get DM off the ground before it blossomed into the mag/site/blog hybrid you know and (hopefully) love. Since we owe a debt to the forum, we're always looking for news about forum creativity outside of our own (such as the Umami post I made back in February), and I've personally been enjoying ModCast/Gamerdork for quite some time since it's debut, so I feel I've always owed it a mention here.

The show started out as an unscripted roundtable talk with, well, anyone who cared to spare an hour or so chatting about the games they've been playing, or the news that's been interesting them; the theory being that these random subjects would blossom into emergent discussion about other stuff and keep a nice discussion flowing for a sizeable length of time. A bit like DM's "never again" Halo 2 feature, where hours of MSN chatter had to be hacked down into standard feature size. But enough about our embarrassments. *blush*

I've always said that the best and worst games are the easiest to critique, because you get so worked up about how amazing/shit the game in question is that you can rant or rave for ages, picking out everything that makes the game good or bad and filling up tons of space. The more something bugs you, pushes your buttons in a good or bad way, the more inclined you are to go on at length about how you feel about it, and this is what made the unplanned format of the older Modcasts so successful. You could write a transcript of a Modcast, take all the opiniony bits and write them on a blogspot and you'd have a fairly decent opinion site, but that's not what it's about. It humanises the experience, delivers personal anecdotes that spin-off into other sub-discussions, and is always involving.

And that last bit is perhaps what makes it so brilliant - you can listen to Dorkcast and laugh with the hosts; you feel like they see their fanbase as their listeners, rather than as a few more hits that they can brag about. Don't get me wrong; all mediums have their pros and cons, and I'm not saying that PDF editors should stop doing what they're doing and instead set up a podcast (not least because, regardless of medium, a badly-expressed opinion will lose you fans), but the text you get in a PDF or a blog has as much emotion and humanity as an Oxford dictionary. It all leads back to the "chatter" format mentioned a few paragraphs up - personally speaking, I thought that the resultant discussion from our endeavours was excellent, but it was an absolute nightmare not just in terms of editing, but also in terms of organising the people to meet up on MSN at the same time. Another obvious point to make is that these formats are involving; I can recall a time when I was tasked with writing about the launch of the Halo 3 Beta (issue #8), and initially I was desperate to include boxout-based opinion from other writers - when drafting out the flatplan I thought "everyone's going to want a piece of the Halo 3 article; why not let them all have a few words?" However, a decision was eventually made for me to write the whole shebang (making me the target for any flames I'd receive from anal-retentive Halo fans who'd be desperate to pick out something I overlooked. Thanks chaps. :P)

I don't have any regrets about the final article - the singular opinion gave it some focus and made editing a bit easier - but listening to the latest DorkCast as I write this, I find the show funny, spontaneous, snappy, varied (with many opinions flying about), but above all this it has a more approachable, social side that's missing from a lot of websites that have several contributors pulling in different directions. After all, when a "group" project has members independently parading their own views, the only thing the consumer will get out of it is mixed messages.

To keep up-to-date with Gamerdork's news and shows, bookmark Rllmukfm.net or subscribe to the feed, or something. Happy listening.

The Greatest Guitar Riff of ALL TIME is....

2008-04-01T18:08:00.003+01:00

Smoke on the Water, apparently. That was easy, wasn't it?

OK, more details. The folks over at Guitar-X (www.guitar-x.co.uk) held a survey of their Guitar learning students to find out what was the best. Whilst Smoke on the Water might have been a bit obvious, it's hard to disagree with the top 25, really:

1. Smoke On The Water – Deep Purple (1973)

2. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana (1991)

3. Walk This Way – Aerosmith (1975)

4. Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix (1967)

5. Sweet Child O Mine – Guns N Roses (1987)

6. Paradise City – Guns N Roses (1987)

7. Ace Of Spades – Motorhead (1980)

8. Enter Sandman – Metallica (1991)

9. Under The Bridge – Red Hot Chilli Peppers (1992)

10. Welcome To The Jungle – Guns N Roses (1987)

11. Run To The Hills – Iron Maiden (1982)

12. Walk – Pantera (1992)

13. Johnny Be Goode – Chuck Berry (1958)

14. Back In Black – AC/DC (1980)

15. Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin (1970)

16. Wake Up – Rage Against The Machine (1992)

17. Highway to Hell – AC/DC (1979)

18. My Generation – The Who (1965)

19. 7 Nation Army – The White Stripes (2003)

20. Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf (1968)

21. Give It Away – Red Hot Chilli Peppers (1991)

22. Paranoid – Black Sabbath (1970)

23. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) – Jimi Hendrix (1967)

24. Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor (1982)

25. Money For Nothing – Dire Straits (1984)

One thing that is a bit obvious the second you look through - even the newest song is 5 years old and the oldest is ten times older than that. John Wheatcroft, the Head of Instrument at Guitar-X attributed it to having "to wait until the 'dust settles' before we can truly consider a riff's eligibility for 'Classic' status" but it's got to be said there haven't been that many riff-driven tracks that have entered the public psyche in the last few years. Woman by Wolfmother perhaps? No-One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age for certain...but there aren't that many. Suggestions on a postcard (or even better, in the comments) welcome - I suddenly feel compelled to play Guitar Hero whilst muttering about the lack of a Rock Band release in the UK so far...

Mind you, if I was going to include one in the Top 25 that isn't already there, it'd probably be Day Tripper...

Dum, der dum dum dum dum der dum der dum dum.

Etc.

The Courteeners @ The Met Lounge, Thursday January 31, 2008

2008-03-30T15:24:00.004+01:00

MUSIC

Tipped to be one of the hottest new acts for 2008, last month saw hundreds of people gather to see NME darlings, The Courteeners perform in front of a sell-out crowd at city club, The Met Lounge.

Although the temperature outside dipped to below freezing levels, things soon heated up when the first few acts began to emerge.

Main support came from super-slick rock and roll band, Vincent Vincent and The Villains, who's vibrant, hip-swinging tracks 'On my own' and 'Pretty Girl' left a lasting impression on the crowd.

After short break between sets and a couple of drinks later, fans began to hoard on towards the dancefloor where indie sensations, The Courteeners took to the stage.

With a notable resemblance to fellow Manchester rock hero, Liam Gallaghar, Courteeners front-man Liam Fray quickly glugged down his Jack Daniels, grabbed his guitar and bashed out the first track of the night, Acrylic.

Polished guitar riffs and captivating lyrics, it was suprising to see fans reciting lyrics word for word, bearing in mind that their debut album is yet to be released.

There is no doubt that songs such as If It Wasn't For Me and Kimberly will go on to become true indie anthems.

The Peterborough crowd were fuelled with passion when Liam solely went on to perform a string of acoustic tracks.

Fray, who is renowned for making controversial headlines revealed a softer side to him, commenting on Peterborough’s ‘beautiful’ landscape. He told local press that “Peterborough is the urban equivalent of heaven, it has a lovely cathedral.”

Tieing up the night with an ecstatic performance of their latest track, "What took you so long?", fans went on to meet and chat to Liam after the show.

by Nicola Fox

Misty eyes and aching fingers

2008-03-28T21:42:00.006Z

GAMES/REMINISCENSE

Whilst I've been hooked on Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike for a few years and am looking forward to seeing more of the fourth game, it's easy to forget that the second game had a significant impact on my life as a gamer, as it did for many others. Although the title is rightfully praised for it's evocative backdrops, memorable music and flawless structure, it's the characters of the game that take centre stage - the inevitable crushing defeat a newcomer may face when meeting a particular adversary would lead them to use their opponent's supposedly superior moveset to battle through their next playthrough...only to be stricken down by an opponent previously thought to be a pushover. The 12 (or 16 if you're playing Super) stars of beat 'em up history are undoubtedly what makes the Street Fighter II series so special, as it demonstrates a remarkable balancing act of strenghs and weaknesses between characters which makes it hard for someone to pick a character who can easily beat all corners with little need for tactical variety (and let me stress that by "someone" I mean your typical man on the street - no doubt the obsessives would argue about tiers and unfair advantages, but when you only have time (and money) for a couple of plays at a seaside pier you don't think about these things.)

In order to appreciate the variety of these characters, and the balance of movesets and their various blends of damage, range, defence and whatnot, one needs to do the only sensible thing, and dust off their cabinet/copy of Anniversary Collection/XBLA library/SNES/MAME database for a hands-on trip down memory lane. Which is just what I did today, digging out my ROM of Champion Edition and taking Ryu through some of the most cherished memories of any veteran gamer (again, it's worth remembering that despite the increasingly anal perfectionists compiling excruciatingly detailed databases of damage conditions, frame data and God knows what else, this game used to be played much more casually by people who couldn't afford to piss away 10ps memorising such details, so my recollections will have a hint of the average player about them.)

Firstly, Street Fighter II (CE, but I'll probably continually shorten it to SF2 during this post) is difficult. On the one hand, this might seem as something of a surprise, especially coming from a 3rd Strike obsessive who whips through 8* arcade mode to kill time, but on the other hand it's worth remembering that this is an arcade game first and foremost, designed to get ever harder so that it coaxes ever more money out of determined players. Now at first, it doesn't seem like a particularly hard game. Oh sure, it's a bit of a challenge, as it's meant to be, but the challenge comes from learning about each of your opponents - when they are dangerous, when they are vulnerable - and exploiting the windows of opportunity you find...and that process of learning and exploitation won't eat up too many of your credits, because the specials aren't so damaging that you'll die before you've understood what makes your opponent tick. Following this evening's playthrough, discovering the pros and cons of each character's moveset is what makes the game so appealing; Blanka's ridiculous somersaulting leap into the air where he comes crashing down on the player might catch them by surprise at first, but maybe once they know to expect it they could perform a speedy getaway (say, a Spinning Bird-Kick to the other side of the screen if they're using Chun-Li) before it's too late.

However, if there's one point in CE where the difficulty of the game and the importance of knowing the movesets hammers home, it's during the final few enemies. Sagat, Vega, Bison and Balrog all have some ridiculously strong specials: Sagat's uppercuts, Vega's "climb around the background then dive" thing, Bison's Psycho Crusher, Balrog's ridiculously strong punches - they all mess up a player's health bar really badly if they're not expecting it, and they all caused me a lot of finger cramp as I tried to escape these deadlier moves. I think that, of those four, it was Vega who received most of my anger and hatred. Doing massive dives and taking huge chunks from my lifebar is one thing, but doing it after climbing up the background, which no-one else can do? Grr. Every time he began the climb, my heart sank as I prepared to get annihilated. :P But anyway, whether it's Vega or another boss - or even whether it's a boss or a standard character - the variation of fighting styles always encourages you to keep changing your own style, all without feeling too unfair. Well, usually.

I'll admit that there's not much point to this blog, it's just a little nostalgia trip that I thought I'd share with you (not that I'm saying that my thoughts were clouded with nostalgia when playing - SF2 is as intense an experience today as it ever was). Nevertheless, I hope you've enjoyed what I've had to say. Before I go though, I'll offer a few playing habits I found myself sticking to during this playthrough, for anyone who wants to get back into old-school SF2 (shoto) action.

Strong normals are more valuable than you think. Normally I stick to specials to keep enemies at a distance and create damage, and sometimes I use light normals when pressured, but strong normals frequently proved to be a convenient escape, and one that only required a single button-push.

Throws are great for causing damage and creating distance. I mainly know this because during my playthrough I was on the receiving end of quite a few, and it was usually when I only had a small chunk of my lifebar remaining; it eventually led to me keeping my distance if I was in danger, lest a throw finish me off. However, if you find yourself cornered, a throw is a convenient way to create some space and back off whilst they're recovering.

Tatsu escapes from corner traps are fairly handy. Essentially as useful an escape as a throw, they're best used when the enemy is airborne (natch). Again, Blanka's crazy somersaulting is an apt example of when to use a tatsu to get the hell out of there.

Best of luck!

NOFX @ Brixton Academy Sunday November 4, 2007

2008-03-28T18:00:00.004Z

Another great review by Nicola Fox, posted months later by the forgetful fool of an Editor...

MUSIC

It was most certainly the time to ‘Pump up the Valium’ as hundreds of NOFX fans swarmed through the doors of Brixton Academy to see the ground-breaking punks perform after a distant 4 year gap from the UK.

Although transportation to the venue was halted after closures were made to the main tube line, the outcome didn’t seem affected – it just built up more anticipation.

First band on stage were British hopefuls TAT who wowed the crowds with their punk-rock based image and intriguing style.

The band are more than set to be a huge success with their catchy yet controversial melodies such as ‘Champagne, Cocaine and Strawberries’ and the rhythmic ‘Live for Rock and Roll’ With a special hardcore appearance from Tatiana’s 90-year-old grandmother who positioned herself by the stage, the band then introduced fellow rockers, The Loved Ones.

Unfortunately for The Loved Ones, their set was let down dramatically by the poor sound quality. Whilst the Philadelphian rockers appeared to be having delightful time on stage performing tracks such as ‘Jane’ and ‘100K’, masses of NOFX fans sat down for the duration, eagerly waiting for Fat Mike and crew to surface on stage.

Once ‘The Loved Ones’ departed the stage, NOFX fans went wild and as heaving crowds began to emerge up front, they barely realised the notorious Fat Mike had already took place on stage!

Dancing lesbians plus a minuscule banner, Fat Mike then began to choke out his usual stage banter, toilet humour and crowd humiliating antics. Mike then took a brief moment before pounding out crowd favourites, ‘Dinosaurs will die’, ‘Liza and Louise’ and ‘Linoleum’ in true punk rock style.

All the rage as fans were squashed, mosh pits began to circulate and taking a step back you would see that Brixton transformed into NOFX fuelled frenzy. The hype was almost over after a 20 minute or so performance of the unpopular, ‘The Decline’ and then Fat Mike returned to his infamous ranting.

‘Eat the meek’, ‘Dying degree’ and ‘Franco un American’ got the crowds energized and they were wowed by a cover of Rancid’s track ‘Radio’.

The show concluded with several repeats of ‘I wanna be an alcoholic’ and an invigorating encore consisting of ‘Fuck the Kids’ and ‘The Brews.’

I’d say that the best thing about NOFX live is the atmosphere and Fat Mike’s riotous stage presence. Their return to the UK was most certainly worth waiting for!

Chaos as Amen hit the UK, The Park, Peterborough – October 28, 2007

2008-03-26T21:36:00.006Z

Part 2 in our series of 'Reviews which the Editor managed to misplace' covers the chaos of hardcore punk band Amen, hitting the East Anglian suburb of Peterborough - which definitely makes it worth a belated airing:

MUSIC
American hardcore punks, Amen recently joined forces with London unsigned metal favourites, The Inbreds and techno speed sensation DJ $peedranch on the fully anticipated 'No Barricades & No Bullshit 2007' tour.

Although the tour was struck by tragedy when it was announced that three of the band’s close friends and family had passed away, Amen continued the tour and thrashed out tracks in honour of their memory.

Indestructible front-man, Casey Chaos is famous for his wild antics on stage, aggressive appearance and anarchistic views but fans were privileged to be up close and personal with the band in such intimate venues across the country.

I caught up with the band at The Park, Peterborough (Sunday October 28, 2007) where the band was also joined by city horror punk favourites, The Ruined. Although the turn-out was mediocre, the reaction from the crowd was truly substantial.

City band, The Ruined opened the show blasting out hits from their ‘Hear Lies The Ruined’ album including the legendary ‘Poison Ivy’ and ‘Dead by Dawn’

The band were followed by Metal Hammer acclaimed ‘Britain’s newest stoner rock heroes’, The Inbreds who were out to party hard. As for the one-man laptop DJ - $peedranch left the crowd feeling in disarray.

With Halloween pending, Casey and the band took centre stage and drove fans wild opening the show with the ever famous ‘Coma America’.

After trashing the stage and horrifying the club owners, Chaos then gave fans the opportunity to choose what they wanted to hear. The words spat from the mouth of frontman as he belted out tracks such as ‘Piss Virus’, ‘California’s Bleeding’ and ‘Buy Amen’, raging fans from the city were relishing in Amen hype.

Amen closed the show with ‘The Price Of Reality’ and Chaos chatted to fans at the merch stall after the show.

by Nicola Fox

Rock City: Profane, Architects, Your Demise, Shikari, Lost Alone, Lovvers

2008-03-25T19:24:00.006Z

MUSIC

Editor's note: Apologies for regressing three months, but DM contributor Nicola Fox sent these reviews in a timely fashion. And then email disasters on the Editor's part saw them in a virtual abyss down the back on an internet filing cabinet. So expect a new review each day for the next few days!

All-night frenzy at Rock City – Saturday, December 22, 2007. 8pm-6am

Christmas celebrations went off with a bang as thousands of hungry rock fans swarmed through the doors of Nottingham’s Rock City for another fun fuelled distortion all-nighter party.

First up on stage were Profane who were feeling a bit under the weather as they had spent “two weeks suffering dirty, filthy Dublin flu” according to vocalist, Phil Bretnall. The band supported Shikari on their tour over in Ireland blasted out tracks from their outstanding album, ‘The day we scorched the sky’

Following Profane was Brighton’s metal gods, Architects who got everyone in the festive mood when they appeared on stage dressed as Santa dancing to Shakin Steven’s very best, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone.’

Wall of death and circle mosh pits, Architects got the crowd in a spin after a dose of ‘Buried at Sea’ and ‘The Darkest Tomb’.

Your Demise took stage in the basement just before fellow St Albans’ Shikari were to perform. Front man, George Noble sported a Bergkamp Arsenal t-shirt and strangely told fans that their songs were like a ‘reggae band at a trance.’

However, blood certainly didn’t run cold as hyped up fans jumped on stage to grab the mic belting out tunes such as ‘Diamonds are forever, your not’ and ‘No half measures.’

Crowds flocked into the main stage area for a bit of Shikari action and the famous glow sticks made a welcome return to Rock City.

Electric pulsations, eccentric fans and sirens filled the venue as Rou, Chris, Rob and Rory spilled on to the stage. Battering glow sticks the fans went into frenzy as the performed stonking hits from their 2007 album, ‘Take to the skies.’

‘Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour’ got the fans circulating once again alongside ‘Return to Energiser’ and the outstanding ‘Sorry You’re Not A Winner’ after a rather legendary string of tracks, Rou took time out to get a Mexican wave going.

Returning to the stage with ‘Today won’t go down in history’ and ‘Jonny Sniper’, Rou placed himself up on the speakers reciting the famous lyrics, “and still we will be here, standing like statues” dedicating their whirlwind performance to the heroes that were, the security crew.

The show closed with a showdown of Slade’s, ‘Merry Christmas everybody’ and snow began to fall from the roof to dust the sweaty crowd with some festive joy.

But the night was most certainly not over as a drunken performance from Nottingham’s, Lovvers caused a stir in the basement. There was no sound from the mic and vocalist, Shaun refused to leave the stage as gig-goers began to ‘boo’ them off stage. Even the sound tech guy struggled to throw the band off stage and had to get his fists out to Shaun. It was most amusing to see.

Lost Alone cheered fans up with renditions of Deep Purple and classic rock songs. The dreadful Lovvers were long gone and fans began to get back into the festive spirit.

DJ Shark and Blitz provided the entertainment for the rest of the night. Although the party became a bit of a blur by 4am, Christmas festivities continued until the crack of dawn. Rock on, rock city!

by Nicola Fox

Disposable's Games Editor no longer biased towards handhelds

2008-03-13T15:37:00.006Z

GAMES/SELF-INDULGENCE

Let me take you back to, er, late 2004: the specialist gaming press had lifted the lid (no pun intended) on Nintendo's DS system; the console was due to launch in the states on the 21st November, and promised to offer inventive gaming experiences that we had never experienced before, rewriting game design books and opening up a whole new way of thinking about what makes a game. From the moment it was announced, the DS was ripe with potential - the question that followed this announcement was, of course, "how soon will this potential be realised?"

Personally, I was excited about the potential of the system, but unimpressed by the launch line-up; games that you knew would be perfect for the system (Wario Ware, Polarium) sat alongside more convential material (Spider-Man 2, Madden and of course the ubiquitous (read: "just fuck off and die already") Rayman.) This mix of creativity and convention left me unconvinced of the DS' immediate appeal: a few games of Wario Ware Touched and Yoshi's Touch 'n' Go on a friend's DS proved to be a nice distraction, but at the time I was still enjoying the more conventional 16-bit ports on my GBA: with a gaming structure I was comfortable with, those games had a more tangible sense of progress than the gimmick games in the first wave of DS software. So it wasn't much of a surprise that I soon found my gaze drifting towards a forthcoming rival.

With structures so familiar, so comfortable, the games in the PSP's line up were an immediate draw for me. Here were titles that had that sense of progress I'd loved in the GBA software and longed for in the DS' library of games. Avoiding something as risky as the DS' design gave Sony the opportunity to play it safe and deliver the kind of games they already knew there was an audience for, and this approach proved to be effective in my eyes - I was fascinated by the promises, by the Sony classics I loved playing at home that could potentially be played in my hands. So it's obvious which handheld I ended up buying first. Isn't it?

Well, as you know, Disposable rarely gets the chance to review stuff for free (apart from my Freeware column, of course :P) and as much as I liked the PSP's line-up I couldn't justify spending that much on the console. If I recall, it launched at around £180 in the UK; something of a joke when you consider that the announced price for Japan was a shade over £100. The GBA market had pretty much dried up, save for a few ill-advised licenses, and I was casting my eyes towards a new handheld. Any new handheld. Suddenly I feel a pinch on my bum - it's the bite of Karma, letting me know that as much as I loathed the launch line-up, I would end up buying into the potential of the DS, hoping against hope that the future was brighter than this shaky beginning. Actually, I'll confess, it wasn't just the price difference that sold me a DS - it was Ouendan. But that's another story.

So I have my DS and a copy of Polarium, and I later bought Ouendan and enjoyed it. A lot. Maybe there is something to this "gimmick" console after all. However, the DS was still getting out of it's "1. Implement any form of touchscreen interaction 2. ??? 3. Profit" phase, and in the end it was inevitably the games with more conventional structures that won me over. Sonic Rush. Portrait of Ruin. New Super Mario Bros. Even Phoenix Wright, which can be played entirely with the DS' gimmicks, is (bonus case aside) a port of a game originally developed for the more conventional GBA. I was a DS convert: Nintendo had once more won the battle for my palm sweat. Well, until last Tuesday.

At £70 - a shade over the average price of a 360 or PS3 game if you shop at the wrong places - a local indie was selling a preowned PSP. Delightedly, I snapped it up a day after I first saw it and have since been enjoying the system I had originally planned to buy all these years ago. I have a lot of catching up to do with my games library - so far I only have Wipeout Pure, GTA: VCS and Tekken: DR to play - but I haven't felt so happy about a new gaming purchase since The Orange Box. Which arguably is still quite recent, but whatever.

So, as an afterword to that happy ending, I'll say that you can expect a bit more balance with regards to the handheld reviews in Disposable, and I hope that this anecdote has served as a reminder to the jaded old folk (trust me, I'm one of them) of the joy that gaming can bring. Happy playing.

Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice (or is it the other way around?)

2008-02-23T11:35:00.006Z

GAMES/FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I've put it off for quite a while now so that I could get a feel for the game, but as I'm currently playing through the first trial of the final case of Capcom's fourth Ace Attorney game (and the first DS-exclusive one), I believe some impressions are in order.

The last time I critiqued an Ace Attorney game was when I rambled about the third game and how the narrative was excellent but it still had the same mechanical flaws - over-elaborate cases with far too many ways of explaining something in your head but only one way of explaining something in the game: that horrible problem where adding leniency and allowing different methods of answering could promote wild guessing - eventually I probably blamed the penalty system for punishing creative answers, but conceded that the ability to save almost anywhere in the game allowed some creative problem solving without too much risk.

Apollo Justice keeps the penalty system. It keeps the punishing consequences for failing to second-guess the game. It keeps the elaboration, the lack of "quick-burst" cases and the overload of information from the Court Record, testimonies and everything else. Re-reading that it sounds like I have my own idea of what an Ace Attorney game should play like, and that my opinions are at odds with those of other fans. Rest assured, I can tolerate the current structure, otherwise I wouldn't have played and bought the first three games - I'd have probably said something like "oh, so these Psyche-Locks punish me before I've even entered court? Sod that." What I am trying to say is that the fourth game probably won't convert those who didn't get on with the fundamental mechanics of the previous games. Aside from the gimmicks we already saw in the first game's DS-exclusive fifth case, there are one or two other changes: Psyche-Locks are (so far, at least) absent, replaced by something called the "Minuku system" (more on that later), the 3D capabilities of the DS are put to good use in new crime scene investigation phases similar to the moments in Phoenix Wright games where you'd have a grey plan diagram of the scene and use it to prove your case, and there are even FMV style scenes between gameplay.

The Minuku system is arguably a bit simpler than the Psyche-Locks of old; again, you'll know when you need to use it (rather than having to try and use it at every statement), and it doesn't require cross-examination of evidence and testimony, so you won't need to present everything at every statement; it's more about looking for inconsistencies in behaviour (mostly via unique animations of characters) and then using the Minuku system to look into those inconsistencies in more detail as the statement is repeated in slow-motion: point out the moment in the statement when they occur, and you'll succeed. It's certainly weirder in presentational style than the Magatama's locks and chains, but it's very satisfying and perhaps slightly more accessible (since it's just about visual cues - not evidence).

If not for the penalty system (why not allow infinite penalties, then rank the player - from D to S - based on how many times they were wrong? :P ) Apollo Justice would be the most accomplished follow-up yet. It bravely departs from the narrative and mechanics of old, whilst introducing new ones that are just as appealing. The new prosecutor, assistant and even Apollo himself are excellent: swiftly casting aside any fears that Capcom set the bar too high with Maya, Edgeworth et al. Meanwhile, the Minuku system adds depth without being different for the sake of it. To conclude, it hasn't fixed the problems it already had, but it's built on the foundations of the mechanics that make the series such a success.

Just a shame that the import-averse are still waiting for Trials and Tribulations... *grumble*

Disposable Media Issue 10 out now

2008-02-17T22:47:00.000Z

The latest issue of free downloadable online PDF magazine Disposable Media is now available online at www.disposablemedia.co.uk

Highlights include our exclusive interview with Mr Biffo on the current state of Kid's TV, an exclusive interview with The Stone Gods (the reborn Darkness), Suda51, a look at both Battlestar Galactica and Californication, Manhwa (the comic genre of South Korea), and much much more...

There's also my own column, and my retrospective look at a legendary comic - in this case, the Kevin Smith penned Daredevil....

Tumbleweed Interactive announce Umami

2008-02-17T11:42:00.004Z

GAMES

Since it was the birthplace of the magazine, Disposable Media is often sourcing news and gossip from Edge Online spinoff Rllmukforum, and being the freeware/indie correspondent I'm always looking for news from the creatives and developers over there. So when vamecum, a passionate gamer and regular at the Development folder of Rllmukforum, publicised Umami, the latest work-in-progress from Tumbleweed Interactive - a fairly young development studio he co-founded with three other developery people last year - Disposable Media thought it'd be worth a mention over here. We can't reveal a lot beyond the information on the official site, but having spoken to vamecum and had him share a few bits and pieces about the game, we think it's well worth mentioning here. One to look out for.

"I'll be available for Forzing whenever"

2008-02-15T18:50:00.005Z

GAMES

forz (v.): to play the Xbox 360 game Forza Motorsport 2 (often shortened to Forza), usually online.

Example of forz in the present continuous form:

"I would be forzing tonight but my internet connection is playing up"

Additionally, the suffixal morpheme "er" can be applied when forz is used as a verbal stem:

"Is he playing Halo tonight?"

"Nah, he's a veteran forzer these days."

Due to the common pronounciation of the game's title, however, it's important to clarify whether you are using the noun or the verb+suffixal morpheme in conversation. Once understanding is established, using forz in casual conversation becomes effortless.

Another bookmark for fans of eastern freeware (shooters)

2008-02-06T15:21:00.002Z

GAMES

Usually when I'm looking for shooty material for my Freeware column I go to either Shoot The Core or Vector, and the former does occassionally provide download links from the latter when promoting new games. However, today I found StC referencing Freem, another nice eastern freeware site that has it's own section for shooters. Time will tell if the material's any good, but it's nice to have another bookmark.

Stone Gods - Live at Norwich Waterfront - 30/01/08

2008-02-03T22:57:00.000Z

Norwich gig venue The Waterfront has never been as packed before, and there's good reason. This is the hometown/last-night-of-the-tour show by the Stone Gods; the new band by the line-up of The Darkness (minus singer Justin Hawkins, the old bass player promoted to front man, and with a new bassist roped in. Got that? Good).

The extreme density of the crowd is no-doubt helped by a quarter of the audience being made up of friends and family of the band (guitarist Dan Hawkins' mum alone has 'plus sixteen' on the guest list!), but the performance delivered more than warrants it.

On the whole, Stone Gods are a much 'heavier' proposition than their previous incarnation, delivering a 12 song set that hints at every rock sub-genre they can possibly think of, from classic metal, a bit of punkier stuff, and even what one gig-goer dubbed 'theme tune from a crappy American teen drama'.

They may technically be a new band, but the stage-presence and musicianship of these guys is outstanding, with front man Richie Edwards clearly being born for the role.

Enjoy the pictures, and don't forget to check out our exclusive interview with the band in Issue Ten of Disposable Media, due out any day now!

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In memory of Heath Ledger

2008-01-22T23:27:00.000Z

FILM & TV

Forget his upcoming part as The Joker. Forget 10 Things I Hate About You, and A Knights Tale. And Brokeback Mountain etc.

This weekend, I'll be paying tribute to Ledger with his part in a great film...

Great new single revamps the old...

2008-01-22T22:23:00.000Z

Music

You might have encountered Duffy on Jools Holland, or Radio 1, but don't let that put you off! It's a great retro sounding track, which, for me, is a perfect dance floor filler. If you don't mind filling the dance floor with a lot of people doing the Mashed Potato or Watusi, and dancing like their parents.

Sadly, as one of my parents used to be a classic soul DJ, he not only has better records than me, but used to be able to dance rather well - or so I'm informed. Luckily anytime we've shared the floor, I was either too young to take any notice, or old enough to drink too much to take any notice.

Anyway, enough of my meanderings...

Softening the blow...

2008-01-15T19:43:00.000Z

FILM & TV

There’s been a sudden surge in advertisements for concentrated fabric softeners, with each and every one of them painting a picture of an environmentally friendly product. Across the board, concentrated softeners are being sold as being better for the planet.

Naturally, there’s some logic behind it. Concentrated packs use less water, so the packaging is smaller, and the number of lorries needed to transport them up and down the country to our legions of supermarkets is far fewer. There’s certainly nothing wrong with billing those qualities as positive attributes.

But, marketers being marketers, the promotion of these products has gone beyond mere facts. These fabric conditioners are not just ‘better’ for the environment – they’re being sold as actually being ‘good’ for it, as well. Now, let’s not beat around the bush here, what we’re talking about is product that consists of little more than a chemical cocktail – one that can only be used in conjunction with a washing machine, which heat copious amounts of water and use electricity in households across the country day after day.

People have busy lives, but there is a genuine feeling amongst the mainstream that we do need to make changes in our lifestyles to help the planet. Joe Bloggs doesn’t have time to do his research, and by giving products like fabric conditioners an aura of being good for the environment, marketers are essentially tricking people into thinking they’re already doing enough.

It’s my view that these environmental campaigns are simply being used to revive tired old brands – and not just when it comes to fabric conditioners, either. From organic to free range, numerous products are desperate to associate themselves with positive movements – especially when traditionally stable sales start flagging. Heinz’ rule is that it only ever advertises it core brands – ketchup, beans and alike – when sales fall below a set level. That’s not enough for many, though. Now you have to put a completely new spin on products that have been around for decades. Now they have to do more than what’s on the tin.

Of course, I could be talking bollocks here. For all I know, Government research could have proved that by using concentrated fabric conditioner, we’ll have solved all our environmental problems in a matter of months/weeks/hours – I don’t know. I’ve not checked. And that’s the other problem with the situation as it is. Idiots like me can say what they like about the environment on blogs like this, in newspapers or on TV shows, because the media has no more idea about this than Joe Bloggs does. So, who can you trust? Mother Nature, methinks.

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Sony and Nintendo pegged with a lawsuit

2008-01-13T23:03:00.001Z

Copper Innovations Group has a bone to pick with Sony and Nintendo, and has filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania seeking after some monies and an injunction against further infringement.The patent in question?

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PS3 production costs cut by half

2008-01-12T22:36:00.003Z

It is being reported that due to removable of various components from the PS3's innards, coupled with smaller chip size, Sony has been able to cut the production cost of the PS3 by half since last year. Each console can now be produced at $400 a unit, rather than the $800 it was costing for each PS3 around November 2006.

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Another GameSpot Reviewer Decides To Leave

2008-01-12T22:36:00.001Z

Long time video game reviewer Alex Navarro, a frequent contributor to GameSpot's podcast The HotSpot and go-to video review narrator, will be leaving the site, according to the site's Editorial Director Ricardo Torres.

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