My Top 5 Films of 2016

At last, the trainwreck of a year that has been 2016 is finally drawing to a close. Even the most optimistic among us could struggle to argue with the menagerie of awful events that have happened over the last three hundred and sixty five days. We've lost so many iconic celebrities, especially entertainers, including the likes of David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, Kenny Baker and even Carrie Fisher, who's death was announced even as I wrote this post. We've also been subjected to an unfathomable number of shootings and terrorist attacks, the Brexit vote and the ensuing political fallout and, of course, the election of a moronic, racist, sexist, untrustworthy pig to the highest governmental position in the United States.

Even on a personal level, this hasn't been the best of years. While I've had a few triumphs such as getting into university and making Viewfinder, my year has still been saturated with various stresses and strife for me, my family and even my closest friends. It's been a hard time for everyone.

But, as ever, I've sought respite in the world of film and TV, and boy what a years it's been. Between uni screenings and just general exploration, I've watched so many films this year, certainly more than any other year. "But Nick," I hear an annoying voice shout from the back of my head, as some confused parallel with my readers, "We all know most of those films are obscure foreign films and mainstream classics you should have seen yonks ago. What about releases actually from 2016?"

Thanks for your input, annoying voice in the back of my head. Yes, that might be true for most of the one-hundred-and-sixty-odd films I've seen this year, but quip all you like, because I'll have you know I've seen a mind-boggling fifteen of 2016's releases (all stats according to Letterboxd, btw), more than enough to make a legitimate list this year...even if that did mean having to rent a couple of releases to catch up.

So yes, unlike last year, I'm pretty confident in saying this year's list is a top 5 of 2016, barring any latecomers too busy on the festival circuit and eager to hijack Osacar season ticket sales to actually make a cinema run this side of NYE, such as Moonlight and La La Land. Which leads me nicely to my exciting new feature.

I've often complained how the best films of each year are often not released properly until Oscar season: too late for this list. So, as a new feature, every year I will now also give a quick updated Top 5 for the previous year, now that I've had the chance to see some more of the bigger contenders. So, here are my revised lists for the previous two years.

Updated Top 5 of 2014

5. Kajaki - Paul Katis
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson
3. The Imitation Game - Morten Tyldum
2. Whiplash - Damien Chazelle
1. Birdman - Alejandro González Iñárritu

Updated Top 5 of 2015

5. The Revenant - Alejandro González Iñárritu
4. Inside Out - Pete Docter
3. Jurassic World - Colin Trevorrow
2. Mad Max: Fury Road - George Miller
1. Ex Machina - Alex Garland

So now, without further ado, your feature presentation. Here are the five best films, in my humble opinion, to come out of this sorry excuse for a year.

5. Deadpool - Tim Miller
It's probably no big surprise, especially if you know me IRL, that I'm not the biggest fan of Marvel. The films themselves (Disney's output, at least) just seem a bit bland and forgettable: the only one I've seen that really left any kind of lasting impression was The Avengers. The fanbase for these films doesn't help my opinion either, but that's a topic for another day.

So while I did know a little about Deadpool beforehand, I wasn't expecting a whole lot from the film. But wouldn't you know, the fans are right for once: it's actually quite good. It's not any kind of masterpiece, but then it's hardly trying to be. The humour's pretty low-brow: primarily sex jokes and fourth-wall breaks, but it all fits with the character and the film's semi-parodic tone, so it all works surprisingly well and I found myself laughing more frequently than I would have predicted.

Again, nothing spectacular, but its an entertaining and off-beat little pastiche, with a surprising amount of heart behind it, and it will almost certainly make you chuckle, maybe even enough to warrant the brown pants. 8/10, Medium Recommendation

4. The Nice Guys - Shane Black
I'm not the biggest fan of Russell Crowe, but it is apparently possible to make him in to an enjoyable character. For those who missed it, The Nice Guys is a 70's-set comedy thriller about two detectives, Crowe and Gosling, who end up investigating the murder of a porn star, leading to a grand conspiracy (because it's never not a conspiracy). Pretty standard stuff, but what sets it apart from other detective thrillers is how outrageously funny it is. From Gosling's attempt at punching through a window, to a group of pollution protesters trying to play dead, this film is full of hilarious scenes as well as some great lines ("They had their balls removed. What's that called?" "Marriage?"). This is only Shane Black's third film, (after Iron Man 3) and I'm already excited to see what he does next, and to watch his first work, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

If you have a dark sense of humour, this is definitely worth a watch: I, for one, was pretty much laughing throughout. Either way, if you're looking for a solid, dark comedy to brighten up your evening, this is definitely a nice choice. 8/10, High Recommendation

3. 10 Cloverfield Lane - Dan Trachtenberg
At the heart of 10 Cloverfield Lane is a central dilemna that creates an incredible sense of drama and tension. Our two leads are locked in an underground bunker with an unstable conspiracy theorist who claims that the outside world has been ravaged by some kind of extra-terrestrial attack. They've either been saved by a misunderstood do-gooder, or they're being deceived and held captive by an unstable conspiracy nut, or possibly a mix of both, with no clear answer until right at the end. It's a fantastic catch-22 situation, and there's a constant paranoia and suspicions throughout the film, as the audience, along with the protagonist, scrutinize every detail to try and find the truth, and there's enough evidence to suggest either scenario. The end is really the only faltering point. Without spoiling, we do find out the truth and it does feel a little bit of a letdown. It's not enough to hurt the movie, but it would have been a lot stronger if it ended on an ambiguous note, maybe about ten minutes earlier. It also suffers a bit from it's 12 rating: there are some pretty violent and intense moments, and it does do a good job of doing a lot within its restrictions, but especially during a moment near the end involving corrosive acid, it could have done with a 15 certificate to really make it work.

These are minor nitpicks though, and otherwise this really is a pretty impressive and memorable film, and John Goodman is absolutely incredible as Howard, the conspiracy theorist; his performance is utterly terrifying at points, and really helps sell this films premise. Don't worry if you've never seen the original Cloverfield (although it too is worth a watch), this film is practically its own self-contained story and works just fine, arguably better, without any prior knowledge of the original. Definitely worth venturing outside the bunker for. 8/10, High Recommendation

2. Zootopia - Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
And yes, I am using it's original, American title. Because 'Zootopia' is an actual pun that works, and 'Zootropolis' is a nonsensical mess. Why the change? Apparently, there's a zoo somewhere in England already called Zootopia, and they didn't want the film to go by the same name. And who can blame them? How awful must it be to have a business that shares a name with a Disney property, thus generating a massive surge in business from the family demographic as kids flock there through sheer brand recognition. Just what would they do with all that money?

Anyway. I've always had a bit of an indifference towards Disney. I was brought up on their films as a kid like everyone else was, but they just must not have left that much of an impression because I barely remember any of them to this day. That being said, Zootpia definitely seems to capture that so-called Disney magic, and it had me smiling from ear-to-ear by the end credits. There's some absolutely superb writing, both in the dialogue and humour, as well as the integration of themes and morals of racial discrimination in such a way that was obvious enough that it was clear for the kids, but still really engaging and not too preachy, at least, not to the excruciating degree that most racism films are. The world building and lore also show a lot of attention to detail: it's clear that a lot of effort has been put into fleshing out this city of animals, and the mechanics that allow it to operate.

I was really taken aback by just how good this film was, especially considering my previous preconception of Disney as this corporate, money-grabbing supergiant (which it still is), but no, there was genuine effort and heart on display here, and definitely a great film for kids. 9/10,  High Recommendation

1. The Neon Demon - Nicholas Winding Refn
Bit of a controversial choice for number one, but I stand by The Neon Demon as being one of the best of the year. Certainly a divisive film: most people seem to either love it or hate it, much like marmite. A fitting comparison, as this film is dripping with a heavy, dark and unsettling atmosphere: one that really helps to make this more of an experience than just a film.

The only other film I've seen of Refn's is Drive (I know right, aren't I a special snowflake) and both it and this have this sort of strange surreality to it, and while Drive left me cold for taking itself a bit too seriously, The Neon Demon fully embraces its utter absurdity and really flourishes because of it, playing out like some kind of beautiful nightmare. As with Drive, the cinematography and use of lighting are orgasmically good, and the soundtrack by Cliff Martinez contributes a lot to the film's heavy atmosphere: it's a film that demands a cinema viewing. It's certainly not for everyone, but I'd encourage anyone even remotely interested to give it a try. For me at least, this was the one that stood out the most to me this year, and I can't wait to rewatch it when I get ahold of it on Bluray. This film is a diamond in a sea of glass. 9/10, Medium Recommendation

Well, that concludes another year. I guess besides 'A Muse Retrospective' I haven't posted too much this year, but there are plenty of posts in the works, don't you worry. The Oscar double bill should be up in January and February as usual, then after that I'm going to try and finish off some of these draft posts (one of them's about 1000 words in and I haven't touched it for months!). Thanks to everyone for their continued patience with me and my procrastination: I am very grateful to all of you who actually read the stuff I write, it makes it all worth it.

So, I wish you all a belated merry Christmas and a hopefully better new year!

Mini-Update: Facebook

Good afternoon, all. I know, it's yet another update post instead of any actual content but I've got something pretty neat to announce.

There now exists a Facebook page for all my creative works! I know right, it's the peak of internet innovation circa about five years ago. There's a link here, and soon there'll be a permanent link in the sidebar somewhere.

This page will essentially be the central hub for anything me-related. I do try to post updates about stuff I do on the blog, but it is much quicker and more accessible to do it over on Facebook. This page will have:

• Updates for new blog posts (especially helpful considering how irregular these posts are)
• Updates for releases of new short films and videos
• My photography work, sorted into albums by subject/theme
• Any updates on interesting developments, such as awards or upcoming projects
• Permanent links to my Instagram, Vimeo, Letterboxd and the blog.

So, if you wanna keep up with everything I'm doing, I'd highly recommend liking the page, that way you can receive actual notifications when stuff happens instead of just having to check the blog on the off-chance I've posted something new.

And if you've come here for the first time via the new Facebook page, firstly, Hello! Secondly, check the about me page or the intro post if you need some more information, otherwise, head up to the archive and have a look round, see if anything takes your fancy. If you like reading Oscar predictions or apologies for not posting much, you're in for a real treat.

That's it for now, but there is more content on the way soon, I promise! Thank you all for your continued patience, and I'll be back soon.

Summer Updates 2016

Well, it's summer again (just), so I guess it's time for another update of things going on in my life. Quite a few things have been happening, so let's jump in.

Firstly, and probably the biggest news, I got into university! Despite some actually pretty crummy exam results, I just about managed the AAB I needed to get into York, where I shall be studying Film and Television Production. I am very much looking forward to studying film full time, and this also (theoretically, at least) means more blog posts for you guys, since there will be plenty of film topics on the mind.

Second on the agenda, my most recent film, Viewfinder, which I made for my A2 coursework is now available to watch on Vimeo (link here). It's the most ambitious project I've done so far, being my first solo piece, yet also being my longest and most demanding. Since I've spent so long making it, I naturally loathe every frame of it, but my peers have informed me it's good, and with a couple of award nominations from my teachers along with the full marks it's scored under assessment, I guess there's a chance it's alright. My original idea has been cut down somewhat, but I'm working on an extended edition which will add in the stuff which my teachers advised me to cut, which will hopefully be out shortly.

Additionally, since I forgot to mention it before, my first film Maxwell is also available to view on Vimeo. Originally I was going to wait until I'd re-edited it, but in the end I uploaded it anyway. Luckily, I had backups of the footage, so despite The Great Computer Crash of '16, there's still hope for the re-edited version someday. There's also a short experimental film I've been starting to put together: whether it will see the light of day anytime soon, I have no idea, but just for the record, there are more films in the works.

And to wrap this up, a subject slightly closer to home (or relevance, at least), blog posts. I've been having quite a few ideas for topics lately, about eight posts worth, so don't worry if you're missing the film talk, because there's plenty of it lined up (actually, that's a little inaccurate; only about half of them are film related). Either way, there's content on the way, just as soon as I write the damn things, so stay tuned.

I think that about does it for now. Hopefully, I can get at least two of these posts out before Christmas, but this is me we're taking about, so who really knows. Until then, adios!

PS: Shoutout to people who've got here via my brand new Instagram account! (Yes, that's a thing that exists now). Yes, this has been around a while and yes, these posts are really long. Welcome to the club!

A Muse Retrospective – Part 3: Redemption

So, here we are: the final frontier. The last couple of thousands of words and eight or so months have all been leading up to this one post. And on the one year anniversary of the album’s release, I am finally able to give my official opinion on Drones.  So, without further ado, here it is.

Drones is quite possibly my favourite Muse album.

OK, so I imagine a lot of you ‘pure’, ‘hardcore’ Muse fans are already brandishing your pitchforks and burning effigies of me, so let me explain this a bit.

Drones seems to have had a somewhat luke-warm reception, and the two main criticisms that seem to pop up are:

1. The politics of the album are too unsubtle, and come across as the words of a “frothing conspiracy theorist” (TimeOut) 
2. It’s too ‘studio perfect’, and not as raw as their older works

In response to the first one, which is generally the criticism of the pretentious music magazines, such as Pitchfork and the quoted TimeOut, I feel anyone who bases their entire one-star review of a music album on the lyrics rather than say, oh, I don’t know, the actual music, doesn't understand music at all. Yes, lyrics are an important part, but the quality of any album, even concept albums like Drones, does not rest on the lyricism and meaning; the quality should be based on the actual music, which Drones excels at. And so what if the lyrics are heavy-handed, what rock songs aren't?

And in response to the second criticism, which keeps popping up by fans all over forums and YouTube comments sections, is utterly ridiculous. Of course their music’s changed: the band’s seventeen years old and this is their seventh album. If they still sounded the same as they did in the days of Showbiz and Origin of Symmetry, you’d moan they were stale and repetitive. To stay as fresh and interesting as a band like Muse has, you've got to keep updating and experimenting with your style, and with this album they've finally got it right. This ‘studio perfect’ sound that keeps getting moaned about, I actually really like. When I first listened to The 2^nd Law, I remember thinking if only the rest of the album sounded like Survival and Supremacy, this could be Muse’s best album, and that’s exactly how Drones sounds for me. If anything, this perfectly tuned sound keeps me more immersed in the music than the older, ‘rawer’ stuff.

So yeah, this post might come out as a bit of a gush, but I still find it hard to believe how good this album really is, especially after the lull of The Resistance and The 2^nd Law. But before we get onto the songs, let’s take a look at the album cover.

While not quite as simple as the other album covers (there’s a few more things going on in this one), I still think this is a pretty decent cover: better, at least, than The Resistance and Showbiz. Depicted is the suited hand of a faceless government official, controlling a white-coated man, who in turn is controlling an army of featureless, identical soldiers. It’s a clear and obvious symbol of the disconnect between authority figures and their actions, both mentally and physically, as they send millions off to fight wars with little understanding of the consequences. Yeah, it’s kind of heavy-handed, but as previously discussed, so is the rest of the album, so in all, I think it’s a nice little visual summary of the album’s key theme/message, as well as the bleak tone of the album in general. And hey, at least it’s easy to analyse.

So, the songs then. I've got to say, regardless of what everyone says about Muse getting all mainstream on us, this is one of the strongest track listings I've seen of any band, even probably the strongest of Muse’s albums. With every other album I've talked about, there was always at least one song which didn't work; even if it wasn't that bad, there was always some kind of trough between the peaks. With Drones, every song is fantastic, and while some are marginally better than others, it definitely feels like an album of peaks.

Dead Inside, Reapers and The Globalist are my absolute favourites from the album, all easily worthy of being considering among my favourites of Muse’s catalogue. While admittedly slightly more pop-y in sound, Dead Inside is an exciting yet haunting start to the album, with addictive drum and guitar riffs and some chilling lyricism that really gets you in the mood for the album. Reapers appears to be the fan favourite, with even those critical of the album and the “new Muse” admitting to its brilliance. A fierce blitz of guitar and heavy drumming: it’s impossible not to headbang to this song and I reckon this track, if no others, will be considered among Muse’s best for years to come. The Globalist acts as a sort of late centrepiece to the album: a ten minute progressive rock track that charts the nuclear destruction of life on Earth. After an atmospheric intro, complete with the sounds of rain and a Morricone-esque whistling, the song transitions into a reasonably mellow rock movement, before building up into an ever-accelerating heavy metal climax, closing with one of Matt’s ever powerful piano ballads. This is Muse’s longest song to date, and as a lover of progressive rock in the same vein as Pink Floyd, this is easily one of my favourite tracks, and I implore any who doubt the “new Muse” to listen to this track and see it for the powerhouse that it is.

Other highlights include The Handler, one of the heaviest songs on the album, Psycho, often dismissed but actually surprisingly good, if maybe a little too long, and Aftermath, an almost completely ignored track preceding The Globalist, whose haunting lyrics echo the apocalyptic themes of Absolution whilst the opening Floyd-esque guitar solo gives me goosebumps just thinking about it: a truly underrated gem. While still great songs, Defector, Revolt and Mercy are probably the weakest of the album, straying a little bit further from the heavy rock tone of the other songs, with Mercy in particular feeling a lot like the token mainstream song for use in trailers and stuff (such as the Arkham Knight trailer), more so than Dead Inside, at least. The final, titular track isn't great, but then it isn't really supposed to be taken as a song, but more as a coda to the rest of the album, for which purpose it works just fine, even if it won’t be making its way into any of my playlists.

So, there we go. It’s a great album. If you haven’t already, ignore the criticisms and go give it a listen, you’d probably be surprised how good it really is. For me, it’s still maybe a little too early to tell, but this is certainly at least equal to Black Holes & Revelations, if not better. Definitely five stars.

In summary, this has been a long and challenging project, especially for someone with only a casual interest in music like me: I'm sure this is a far cry from the quality of a professional music critic’s writings, but oh well. It’s been an educational experience for me too; having to write about all these albums meant having to listen to them all again, all the way through, and so if it wasn't for this post, I wouldn't have discovered how cool the Exogenesis Symphony really is, or formed my quite recent re-appreciation for Showbiz, including its closing track Hate This and I’ll Love You, which while I didn't comment on at the time, has been a bit of a favourite recently. Then again, if it wasn't for this retrospective, I wouldn't have had to listen to Unsustainable or re-listen to Madness. Twice.

Muse are undoubtedly one of the greatest bands still active, and really are the antidote to the argument that all modern music is rubbish. Yes, they've changed and they will continue to change, as music continues to evolve and they continue to experiment with new styles and subgenres. Sometimes it doesn't work; sometimes they create something utterly mind-blowing. But as long as we keep listening, I'm sure they will continue to make great music for many years to come. 

To Matt, Chris and Dom, and to all Muse fans across the globe, both old and new: take a bow.

A Muse Retrospective - Part 2: Cross-Pollination

As most fans are probably aware, Muse are currently on tour performing Drones for the first time, and I recently got the chance to go see them, performing live at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow. I've previously
mentioned that Muse were the band that got me into music in the first place, and it was incredible to finally see them in the flesh after six years of loving their music. It was an amazing show, well worth the seven hour drive up to Scotland, and it’s left me in a very Muse-y mood recently.

So considering it’s long overdue, I thought now would be the perfect time to return to this retrospective, especially as seeing them live has really helped me to remember how great their songs are, even reinvigorating my love for some songs that I’d previously burned out on.

Following on from Absolution, their fourth album, Black Holes & Revelations, completes the super star trio along with Origin of Symmetry. Now I spoke out of turn in my last post, so I’d like to quickly rectify that. Absolution is not my favourite Muse album. I’m not sure what I was thinking exactly, Absolution is fantastic, but I don’t think it ever has in my mind, or ever will, top the sheer brilliance that is Black Holes & Revelations. Before we go any further, the cover.

Another Storm Thorgerson masterwork, and one that’s nearly as good as Absolution, although it doesn’t strike with the same kind of enigma as that did. The image depicts four burly men, dressed in the height of Martian fashion, sitting around a wooden table somewhere on the surface of Mars. It’s certainly a surrealist image, but it’s one I find quite amusing. Firstly, the burly men look incredibly confused, as if they’ve turned up for a job as a bouncer, and instead have been hustled around a table and told to “look photogenic”. Secondly, just thinking about the circumstances of the situation amuses me. Perhaps they’re from the Mars branch of Ikea and got lost trying to deliver some flat pack furniture. Maybe they got the wrong directions for their fashion support group. Maybe they’re the miniature unicorn appreciation society.

Anyway, onto the songs. BH&R has one of the most glorious (yes, that’s deliberate) track listings of any album, including several of my all-time favourite songs. The highlights are Assassin, an often overlooked blood-rush of guitar and drums, Knights of Cydonia, one of Muse’s greatest anthems (and an absolute spectacle when performed live, using the Man with the Harmonica theme from Once Upon a Time in the West as an intro) and Map of the Problematique, which is not only my favourite Muse song, but also one of my favourite songs, period. Seriously, if you haven’t had the honour of listening to it yet, please educate yourself; you will not regret it.

Other top tracks include the escalating opener Take a Bow, the emotionally charged Hoodoo, the Mexican ballad City of Delusion and the guitar-heavy Exo-Politics. Starlight and Supermassive Black Hole, while good songs, are a little tainted by the fact that they’re mainstream favourites, and end up being played all the time. Seeing Starlight live did help me re-appreciate it, but both still remain the most tired songs on the album. Which leaves Invincible and Soldier’s Poem. Invincible is a song I’ve never really gotten into until rather recently. It takes a little while to get going, but once it does, its climax puts it on the upper tier of the album. However, Soldier’s Poem is the unfortunate low point of the album. Revisiting it recently, it’s not a bad song, but I feel it breaks the flow of the album somewhat, and would have worked better as a B-side to Invincible. Interestingly, the best song to replace it with on the album would be Glorious: Invincible’s B-side. It’s a truly fantastic and emotional song, and tempo-wise, it’s the perfect bridge from the excitement of Map of the Problematique down to the slower and calmer beginning of Invincible. Switch Soldier’s Poem for Glorious, and you have a near perfect album.

So yeah, suffice to say, this is one of my favourite albums, not just of Muse’s catalogue, but of music in general. Only downside is its forty four minute runtime: the shortest of any Muse album to date, and while it means it doesn’t overstay its welcome, it also means the album’s over a little too quickly. Five stars, easily.

But for every peak, there’s a trough. Getting a bit of traction in the charts with numbers like Starlight and Supermassive Black Hole, Muse were beginning to seep into the mainstream. With the introduction of a new audience, Muse experimented a little with the next album, moving more towards a more symphonic and arty sound. The result was The Resistance. Now I’m not saying that they shouldn’t experiment but…..

This album cover is a difficult one for me to talk about because I’m not entirely sure what to think of it. Firstly, there’s a dude standing on what appears to be an orange version of the hard light bridge from Portal 2, with the Earth in the distance. Then there’s a load of hexagons. Coloured hexagons. I guess? I just don’t really know what to make of this cover. I find it a little visually exhausting, and I still don’t really get what it’s supposed to show or how it really relates to the album and its themes. Definitely not their best.

The Resistance was my first exposure to Muse, as my dad played the CD often in the car, to the point that when I got my first iPod, Uprising was the very first song I had and listened to on it, marking the start of my musical interests. So you’d think I’d have nostalgia for this album? Surprisingly, no. In fact, I’m still burned out on this album. It’s got less of the heavier stuff from earlier albums in favour of more symphonic and R&B tracks, and while these aren’t bad as such, there isn’t enough of the old good stuff to help balance it out. Uprising is the obvious best song: a synthrock anthem about government conspiracies that still holds up against their other classics. Unnatural Selection is probably the silent hero of the album, rarely talked about, but by far one of the strongest tracks on the album, and has a lovely progressive structure to it. Resistance, United States of Eurasia, MK Ultra and even the R&B Undisclosed Desires are all decent as well, while Guiding Light and I Belong to You bring up the rear. Closing the album is the thirteen minute Exogenesis Symphony, a series of three tracks that, truth be told, I'd never really listened to prior to writing these retrospectives, but now I have, these are definitely worth a look.

The first part, Overture, is a haunting and suspenseful build up that really makes your hair stand on end, conjuring images of falling down an infinite abyss. Part two, Cross-Pollination, has more of a focus on piano, with a slightly rockier section in the middle. I'd say it's about the same level as United States of Eurasia. The final part, Redemption, has echoes of Absolution, sounding like a calmer Ruled by Secrecy mixed with the lyricism of Fury. In total, it's certainly an interesting listen, but, like the rest of the album, never quite hits that peak. Overture is definitely the strongest of the three, and Cross-Pollination's middle section is reasonably enthralling, but otherwise, the symphony never quite gets the hang of that Pink Floyd formula of build-up, climax and progression that seems so key to these long progressive tracks.

Overall, it's not a particularly bad album, but it's certainly one of Muse's weaker efforts. There are certainly some highlights here, but unfortunately the peaks just aren't frequent or enough to counterbalance the 'meh' songs. I give it three stars.

Fast forward now to 2012. The Olympics are scheduled to take place in London, and as summer approaches, the hype is building. The planning committee need an official song for the Olympics, I guess as some kind of marketing thing. Who should step forward but Muse, to the delight of my fourteen year old self, presenting their newly written song, Survival, apparently about a murderer trying to track down and kill his family, but intriguingly that went over the heads of the committee, as it became the official track for the sporty festivities. And it was here that Muse finally broke through the barrier of the mainstream into the common public consciousness of modern music. At the time, it was great; finally I could ask someone if they'd heard of Muse, and instead of hearing "No.", I now got to hear (and still do) "Yeah, I liked the one about the black hole."

Anyway, as Muse were now mainstream, their new album (which released the same year) needed to be a little more 'hip with kids', and what should be popular at the time but the cancerous garble of audio that was dubstep. Guess what, guys? It's time for The 2nd Law, the album where Muse went dubstep on us.

Before I continue with my rant, let's quickly go over the cover. It's pretty good; good enough to hang as a poster on my wall. It depicts.....something. I think I read somewhere that it's an imaging of a human neuron network, which is pretty neat. Regardless, it's full of colour, striking, memorable, and iconic, if a little hard to draw in your textbooks.

Now, as I sort of hinted at back there, I'm not a fan of dubstep (and that is somewhat of an understatement), and unfortunately, in Muse's continuing attempts to experiment, they decided to dip their toes in the liquid shit of the mainstream trend of making people's ears vomit. There is, however, some good on the album. Supremacy and Survival are a refreshing breath of fresh air after The Resistance; a return to the heavy rock sound and exhilarating guitar of before, with the newer sheen and polish of modern alternate rock. The former sounds very much like a modern Bond song, possibly intended to be the theme to Skyfall, which also released that year. Survival, while initially not being quite my cup of tea, has really grown on me, becoming, in my opinion anyway, one of their strongest songs. I urge anyone who hasn't to give it a listen, especially to the Queen-inspired build-up of the beginning and the blistering guitar climaxes towards the end. Panic Station is also fantastic, managing the difficult task of being both a catchy pop song that could get played at parties, while still being, you know, a good song: a direction that they unfortunately didn't really take later on in the album. Liquid State is also a good listen, rarely talked about, as it lurks near the end of the album, but a surprisingly cool song, written and sung by bassist Chris Wolstenholme, in an intriguing subversion of the established routine. Animals and Big Freeze are also decent, and while not really as memorable as some of Muse's other songs, they still qualify as some of the best on the album, primarily because the rest of the album is stuff like Madness.

Oh, Madness, why do people like you? A surprisingly popular track, even being played up at Glasgow, I've never really understood what people see in it. At best, it's a dull attempt at a mainstream sound that never really does anything interesting enough to give it merit: it was the only point of the entire live performance that bored me. There's also Follow Me, a track that has a reasonable start and build up for the first minute or so and then, as it's getting good, "surprise dubstep!" and the quality suddenly dips. Save Me and Explorers are rather forgettable, and that leads us to the turd hanging awkwardly to the end of the album, The 2nd Law.

Unsustainable actually has a pretty promising start, with some reasonably epic string build up, and even the glitching news report isn't bad. But then there's, you guessed it, dubstep. And it suddenly sounds like shit. To my dismay, there is actually some cool guitar work and rock music smothered into the background, which could have made for a much more interesting rock track. But no. Isolated System, interestingly, is much better. No dubstep, and instead a nice little instrumental piece, but it's not very good as a song. It feels like someone took the intro and outro from a much longer, better prog rock track and then spliced them together. Definitely not as painful as Unsustainable, but a disappointing way to end a disappointing album. Is this Muse's worst? Debatable. The Resistance is consistently dull, but The 2nd Law jumps between really fucking good and really obnoxious, so they probably average to the same area. I'd say The 2nd Law is the better album, just because the songs which are good outshine The Resistance's track listing by a mile. This album probably averages to three stars.

Fuck me, that was much longer than I expected. If you've stuck around this long, thanks for sifting through this ream of text, and sorry it's taken this long to get out (I actually redrafted this post from scratch after the initial, which contributed to the delay). The third and final part will go live on the 8th June, the one year anniversary of Drones, which will also be the topic, so stick around for that. In the meantime, thank you for reading, and go enjoy some Muse!

EDIT: I have since found out through idle research that the guys on the front cover of Black Holes & Revelations are supposed to be the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Sooo, no miniature unicorn appreciation society?

Oscar Results 2016

It’s that time of year again, folks; the biggest event in every film-goer’s calendar, Oscar night. In the early hours of Monday morning (for me, at least), the 88^th Academy Awards ceremony began, and the world finally got to see who and what had been chosen as the supposed ‘best’ of 2015’s cinematic output. While I wasn’t able to watch the ceremony, I did keep up with the live results via social media and several different websites covering the event (unfortunately, the BBC’s live feed cut out around 2am, so yes, I basically spent several hours continually refreshing IMDb’s homepage). For those who missed it and for those who want to hear my opinion on the winners, here you go! I won’t comment on the ceremony itself, since I didn’t see it, and I probably won’t cover every category either: just the one’s I have an opinion on. You guys know the drill, on with the show.

Best Supporting Actress

I’m still bitter over Ex Machina being snubbed for so many awards that it should have at least been nominated for, so it made me happy to see Alicia Vikander win an acting Oscar. Ok, so it wasn’t for Ex Machina, but at the end of the day, she still has an Oscar, regardless what film she won it for, so what I’m saying is that I’m counting this as a win for Ex Machina, and there’s nothing anyone can say to persuade me otherwise.

Best Actor

The whole world waited with baited breath as the Best Actor winner was announced, everyone on the edge of their seat, the big question turning in their minds: “Will we have to put up with another year’s worth of memes about Dicaprio and his Oscar?” Thankfully not, as the Academy finally honoured Leo’s obvious talent and gave him the award we’ve been collectively coveting for him for the past couple of years, to the sound of a thirty second standing ovation. It was a very warm and emotional moment, and while Leo’s speech about climate change seemed a little off-topic, this will probably be one of the most memorable Oscar moments of this decade. Did he deserve the award? Yes. For this film in particular? Sure. While I wasn’t a massive fan of The Revenant (yes, I have finally seen it), Leo’s performance, while fairly minimalist, at least dialogue-wise, was still a tour-de-force of emotion and borderline-savagery. And when considering his other roles as well, it’s almost impossible to deny he is a versatile actor.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Mad Max: Fury Road swept almost all of the technical awards, with a grand total of six Oscars by the end of the night, more than any other nominated film, most notably The Revenant and it’s measly three. And while Mad Max: Fury Road was technically excellent, I am slightly hung up on makeup and hairstyling. It was great, don’t get me wrong, but I feel this is one The Revenant should have taken, in particular Leo’s grisly injuries and matted hair seemed particularly impressive. Let’s face it, the hair in Mad Max: Fury Road wasn’t exactly plentiful or particularly complex. On another note, it does make me happy to see the actual best film of 2015, one that was a genuinely impressive and memorable film and not Oscar bait, has gone on to win the most Oscars. It shows a positive step for the Academy, even if these were only technicals.

Best Music

I’ve snowballed two categories into one, here. First, original score, and it’s about damn time Ennio Morricone won an Oscar. One of my absolute favourite cinematic composers (arguably better than John Williams), Morricone has done hundreds of memorable film soundtracks, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Tarantino’s latest string of films. Working since the early 60’s and still going strong, it’s about damn time someone handed this genius an Oscar. Secondly, original song. I’ve already stated my opinion of Writings on the Wall, but I don’t mind it winning. Could be worse: could’ve been Fifty Shades of Grey.

Best Production Design

As much as I feel Ex Machina should have received a nomination, I feel out of the nominees, The Martian should have snagged this one. Yes, I’ve seen that one now, too. It’s difficult to choose which one should have got the Oscar, since both had equally impressive and interesting looks, but judging on the juggernaut that Mad Max: Fury Road proved to be, it probably wouldn’t have hurt to give The Martian one of its seven nominations.

Best Visual Effects

EX MACHINA! WOOO! Ok, Nick, calm yourself. So yes, as you’d probably guess, I was very happy with this win. When choosing between Ex Machina, Mad Max: Fury Road and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it’s hard for me to say exactly which one I found most deserving. Partially, I think Mad Max: Fury Road’s use of mainly practical effects, with CGI just for backgrounds and environments makes it most deserving, and similarly for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in praise of a modern Star Wars film that actually has practical effects in it. In a perfect world, all three would have gotten the Oscar, but then in that perfect world, Ex Machina would have about six nominations, so back in reality, we just need to make sure Ex Machina actually gets at least one Oscar.

Best Cinematography

Lubezki won for the third year in a row, being his second year in a row working alongside Iñárritu, and he really deserves it. While I am in the minority in thinking that The Revenant’s cinematography wasn’t his best work, he is easily my favourite cinematographer at the moment, and I’m glad he’s getting so much attention. However, I do feel sorry for Roger Deakins. I didn’t see Sicario, but regardless of the quality of the cinematography in that film, Deakins desperately needs that Oscar. He’s the Dicaprio of cinematography, having worked on such films as Fargo, Skyfall, The Shawshank Redemption and No Country for Old Men, being nominated thirteen times yet still no win in sight. Now that everyone’s finished with Leo’s Oscar campaign, maybe we can now focus on Deakins. Next year, make it happen!

Best Documentary

Having recently watched and studied Senna in film studies (and it is a phenomenal documentary), I am excited to someday see Amy: it’s made in the same style, using only archive footage, and if its anywhere as good as Senna, it’ll be well worth watching.

Best Directing

I’ve figured out that Best Director is basically the Academy’s version of a Best Picture runner up. Which may go towards settling James Gunn’s angered tweet about the director Oscar going to a different film than best picture, but doesn’t quite explain why Whiplash didn’t get it last year (as that was easily at least the second best film that year). Anyway, with this in mind, it makes logical sense to me that The Revenant got it. Not only is Iñárritu a fantastic director anyway, but The Revenant was a very popular film that didn’t quite fit in the mould of conventional best picture, so the runner up prize allows them to still honour it, while leaving the top place open for….

Best Picture

…Spotlight! Told you so! In fact, not only did I mention in my last post that this was most likely to win after The Revenant, but in the days running up to the ceremony when discussing predictions with friends, I went so far as to make Spotlight my official prediction. What exactly tipped me off? Well, between this and The Revenant, this seemed much more in line with what the Academy usually vote for: it’s much more topical and current in terms of its story and subject matter, features slightly older actors and while both may be based on true stories, I think Spotlight is probably much closer to the events that inspired it. So, as you may have guessed, I’m pretty satisfied with that one. Haven’t actually seen Spotlight yet, of course, but I may rectify that in the coming weeks if I get the opportunity.

And there we go! That wraps it up for another year. A Muse Retrospective will resume shortly (Part 2’s been taking a while, since it just broke 2000 words). In the meantime, enjoy the best that cinema has to offer. No no, not the Oscar films; I was talking about The Room. Obviously.

The January Hiatus

Ok, I'm back. Phew. I'm a little behind schedule with the blog right now, for which I do apologise. Luckily, I managed to find the time to get the first of the Oscar posts up (and in a pretty timely manner too), but we are behind on the Muse Retrospective feature. I had intended for Part 2 to go up some time in January, but unfortunately that didn't quite transpire.

Three major things happened in January (that are relevant, at least). Thing no. 1: my computer broke down. The initial issue is still undiagnosed, but I suspect it was some kind of software issue. Anyway, my computer wouldn't log in to my user area, and then upon gutting the engine and plugging the hard drive, power supply, graphics card etc. into another motherboard, things only got worse, and after about a week of me basically Frankensteining two PCs together in various arrangements trying to isolate the problem and get a working machine of some description, I've managed to bugger up my hard drive instead. As you can imagine, this isn't the most ideal of circumstances, considering there's literally years (~600GB) of work, photos and videos that may have been lost, the majority of it not backed up, because I'm an idiot who rarely ever backs stuff up, despite being a former computing student.

Anyway, I've been stuck on my horrendously slow laptop for the past few weeks. Now, I could still have been getting posts out (albeit taking about three times as long as I wait for my laptop to register inputs), if it weren't for things 2 and 3: Film Studies coursework and University Interviews.

It's hard enough that I was working on a re-edit and a stop-motion project for my interviews and trying to write a deceptively difficult 1500 word research project for Film, without my computer melting down, leaving me without any of my film-making resources, and with only my laptop to try and finish my coursework on. You can understand that the blog wasn't at the top of priorities.

So that was my January: not the best month I've ever had, but at least the storm has passed. My coursework has been submitted and I've got a replacement computer (on a side note: fuck Windows 10) with pretty impressive specs which I'm not allowed to use for gaming in case it 'overheats' (which is what my mum is convinced killed my last computer for some reason), meaning that I can also get back to improving my portfolio for my remaining interviews (two down, two to go).  So now, slightly more relaxed, I can get back to blogging and watching films and just not being as stressed out as before. So there's my excuses out of the way; back to the schedule. You can expect to see the second part of A Muse Retrospective and the Oscar Follow Up post this month, along with a possible third post that I may reveal in due time.

Damn, look at me being all mysterious. Anyway, stay tuned for my regularly scheduled ramblings, and in the meantime, I bid you adieu.

(And while you're at it, fuck Windows 8, too)

Oscar Nominations 2016

Good news, everyone! Guess what’s back; it’s Oscar Season. The official nominations came through last week, and having a nose through them, my suspicion that I’ve barely seen any of them shines through. The picks for the 2015 ceremony just seemed much more interesting to me, and unfortunately I’m stuck with a  lot of work at the moment, so I’m not sure I’ll be able to go and do the big cinema roundup like I did last year. I will at least try and see The Revenant, though. That being said, we’re left in a tricky situation where I want to write my ‘traditional’ blog post, but haven’t seen very many of the nominations. So, as a divergence from last year’s review, this will be a ‘blind post’ as it were. I’ll have a look mainly at the Best Picture nominees, offering my groundless opinions where appropriate, and comment as I would normally on the film(s) I have seen, but for the rest, this will be a case of predicting the Academy’s moves, based entirely off of what I can skim from the nominations' IMDb descriptions.

So, we all good for a completely inconsequential post about my unjustified feelings towards films I haven’t seen? What? I did that last year too? Well, what can I say, this blog is just a cornucopia of misinformation.

The Big Short

I hope you don’t think you’re clever because of that title. The Big Short is giving me a very strong Argo and American Hustle vibe, the kind of dramatized adaptation of real events that looks like it might be a fun and interesting two hours, but out of place on the Best Picture nominees. And while Argo did win (despite its “meh” reception), I have doubts that The Big Short will stand tall above the other nominees.

Bridge of Spies

Bridge of Spies, as I have briefly alluded to before, appears to be pure, concentrated Oscar-bait, to the point that I imagine its production process taking place in a chemistry lab rather than on a set, being concocted by filling a test tube with ‘Essence of Historical Biopic’, a dash of ‘Tom Hanks’ and just a drop of ‘Long Runtime’ before simmering over a Bunsen burner. My friend has been to see it and thought it was alright, (7-8/10 he said), which pretty much confirms my suspicion. I don’t expect this to be a top contender, and will probably be just washed into the obscure depths of Spielberg’s catalogue. Seriously, Steve; you made Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan. They got twelve Oscars between them, including two Best Pictures. You can stop with the war films now.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is a period piece about an immigrant. Next.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: Fury Road, which I have talked about before, was fantastic. And yes, this is the only one of the Best Picture nominees I’ve seen. But it was damn good, and was still my fave film of last year. It certainly isn’t what I’d call traditional Oscar material. But considering how universally loved this film was, by critics and audiences, I will be very interested to see how the academy reacts to it.

The Martian

I unfortunately never saw The Martian, because my family, having read the book, wanted to see it too, and trying to get the three of them to all go to the cinema for the evening is like herding kittens, only less adorable. However, it looks great, and I’ve reserved a copy on rental for when it comes out. Again, surprised about the nomination, it might win but I’m certainly not expecting it.

The Revenant

The Revenant, I have been informed by many sources, is very good, and while I do feel like this is Iñárritu’s attempt at a home run rather than a sincere production, I am nonetheless interested to see it (I’ve heard good things about a bear fight). I feel this is the most likely one for the academy to pick, but you never know.

Room

Room is not The Room, and you’d be surprised how often I make that mistake when hearing people talk about it. From the description, this sounds like the poignancy film: the one whose sole intention is to make you cry. Like the Oscar equivalent of Marley and Me, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’m much more interested to see this than I am Brooklyn for example, so take that as you will.

Spotlight

I’ve heard decent things, and while I’m not a hundred percent sure it’s my kind of thing, I may give it a look if it plays at my local ciné. I would accuse it of being Oscar bait, but considering it tackles the subject of child sex abuse, something that’s normally a little too risqué an issue for mainstream cinema to cover, I can’t help but feel supportive of it. It may be Oscar-bait, but it looks like high-end Oscar bait, if only because it’s about something other than racism for once. If The Revenant doesn’t win, this probably will.

And now quickly, a look at some of the other categories.

Best Animated Feature

Inside Out will win. Hands down. As intriguing as Anomalisa looks with its stop-motion approach, and despite the Ghibli name on When Marnie was There, I cannot imagine any of them winning over Inside Out. I’m not necessarily saying its better, just that it's Pixar and so critically favoured that they’d be mad to snub it.

Best Music (Original Score)

Sorry in advance if this sounds stupid, but surely the score for The Force Awakens is pretty similar to the rest of the Star Wars films? If not then fine, if so, then questionable.

Best Visual Effects

Ex Machina, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Force Awakens are all here. Of course: they had to be. And The Martian and The Revenant seem like reasonable competition. But hang on a moment. What the actual fuck has happened to Ex Machina? Two nominations? At least it’s got visual effects, but nothing for Sound Editing or Sound Mixing? Production Design? Perhaps Best Actress for Alicia Vikander? Even Best Picture? I can guarantee that whatever Bridge of Spies is like, Ex Machina is more deserving of its nomination. Ex Machina is one of the best science fiction films of recent years, and definitely one of the strongest films this year, even as good as Mad Max: Fury Road. Maybe even better (I can change my mind on these things). And even the argument that it’s not Oscar material doesn’t hold up, because Mad Max: Fury Road also is not Oscar material, as previously mentioned, and that has ten nominations. Ten! Including Best Picture. OK, rant over. But seriously, Hollywood; get your head out of your arse.

Well, that’s about everything I wanted to say for now. Stay tuned for the Oscar Follow-Up in February (I’ll be writing and posting it as soon as I can after hearing the results, in a rare effort of punctuality on my part). In the meantime, I’m sure some of these films are better than I make them out to be, but just remember to exert a bit of critical thinking and don’t get too sucked in to the hype. A lot of these film’s campaigns exist primarily to get more box office receipts on opening weekend (see American Sniper from last year for reference). Otherwise, have fun at the cinema and I’ll see you back here for more baseless film rants. Next week: Why Clockwork Orange is the Root of All Evil.