Time-wasting - Emperor

Five day working weeks can really numb a creative mind sometimes. I recently signed up to Good Old Games - where you can buy old games which have been patched to run on newer computers, and am planning to indulge in some kind of quarter-life crisis by picking up a couple of nostalgic gems.

To start it off, I picked up Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom, a city-building management game brought to us by BreakAway Games and Impression Games. The developers are apparently quite fond of historical city builders, providing similar titles like Caesar and Pharaoh, set in Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt respectively.

Anyway, Emperor is essentially SimCity but in Ancient China. There are seven campaigns spanning from the time of the prehistoric Xia Dynasty to the medieval Song Jin Dynasty, with missions which involve building up a city, keeping your houses supplied with goods, establishing trade with other cities, and fending off whatever barbarians are looking for a fight. While these barbarians can be a problem, the game is more about managing the infrastructure of your own city rather than conquering others. Oh, but make sure you pay regular tributes to the Ancestral gods. If they get angry, bad stuff will happen.

The game can get very frustrating at times. There's nothing worse than having levelled up all your houses, only for a hemp shortage to drop them down all those levels and cause everybody to leave. Or having a trading post full of silk and carved jade collapse because a salamander wandered into the road and killed the building inspector.

Yeah, there's a lot of micromanagement involved, but that's what makes the game immersive. You can grind away so many hours on just one mission - especially if there's a monument involved. And despite the game's age, the visuals are stunning.

Now maybe I can resist the temptation to start the next campaign.

Western Weekends - The Searchers

It was only a matter of time before John Wayne was going to be mentioned. Mainly because I've only seen two of his films: Stagecoach and The Searchers. And The Searchers is definitely an impressive one, based on a book by Alan LeMay.

John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a former Confederate soldier who unexpectedly shows up at his brother's homestead in west Texas with a large quantity of freshly-minted gold coins and a Mexican campaign medal, leaving everyone to speculate about what he got up to in the three years since the Civil War ended. After he's recruited by the Texas Rangers to hunt rustlers, a band of Comanches burn the farm, killing Ethan's family and abducting his niece Debbie. Soon, Ethan becomes determined to go after them, accompanied only by his part-Cherokee adopted nephew Martin Pawley, played by Jeffrey Hunter. However, it's clear that both men have conflicting goals; Martin wants to save Debbie while Ethan just wants to kill some Comanches.

Yeah, you heard me right. I believe that this is one of the first westerns to explore the racism against Native Americans which went on at that time. Not to mention that Ethan is certainly no heroic figure. He shoots retreating foes in the back, he desecrates corpses in the hopes he can hurt them in the afterlife, and enjoys killing bison in the hopes it will deprive his enemies of food supplies. For 1956, that's quite impressive.

People regard this film as a masterpiece, and I suppose they're right. Edwards isn't likeable, but he's nonetheless compelling. You have to wonder what can drive someone to become so jaded that he tries to abandon his humanity. It's implied that he has strong feelings for his brother's wife, but there's nothing concrete. And some of the scenes have a lasting impact - such as when he returns to the homestead to find it in flames. One of these days I'm going to pay a visit to Monument Valley.

If you're only going to watch one film with John Wayne, then I'd recommend this one.

Wallace and Gromit: A Look Back

Nostalgia is a strange thing.

If you haven't heard already, actor Peter Sallis died last week. I've never seen The Last of the Summer Wine, but most of my generation will know him for his voice work in Nick Park's Wallace and Gromit - Four short films and a feature-length movie following the wacky adventures of the eccentric inventor Wallace and his silent but intelligent dog Gromit.

I've been watching the original shorts for as long as I can remember, with their stop-motion animation, surreal stories, subtle movie references, and Wallace's bizarre contraptions combined with his love of cheese - especially Wensleydale.

The plasticine duo's debut was in 1989's A Grand Day Out, in which a bank holiday cheese shortage prompts Wallace to build a rocket so they can head to the moon - because everyone knows the moon is made of cheese. While there, they are confronted by a coin-operated robot who wants to go skiing. Apparently this was Nick Park's thesis, and it wasn't finished when Aardman Studios picked it up. Sallis accepted £50 for the voice role, and was quite surprised when he received a call six years later to say the film was finished.

Anyway, the short was so successful that it warranted a follow-up with The Wrong Trousers in 1993 - Wallace is having financial problems after buying Gromit a pair of automated "techno-trousers", and lets out a spare room. Their lodger is a silent and menacing penguin who proceeds to drive Gromit out, intending to utilise the techno-trousers and his landlord for a nefarious scheme.

Following on, we have 1995's A Close Shave. The duo have established a window-cleaning service, and Wallace becomes attracted to the wool-shop owner Wendolene, who may be a suspect in a sheep-rustling scheme that's plaguing the town.

As stated above, I saw these shorts many times growing up, and they still hold up to this day - although I think The Wrong Trousers is the best one by far. They're all funny, sometimes poignant, and even quite dark at times. What's not to like?

It was a rare treat to hear that they would be returning in 2005's The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. This Hammer Horror tribute has the pair running a humane pest control business in the run-up to the annual vegetable growing competition. Unfortunately, Wallace's latest experiment unleashes the title monster on the town's allotments. The film also featured a larger cast, including Helena Bonham-Carter  as Wallace's love interest Lady Tottington, and Ralph Fiennes as her big game-hunting suitor Victor Quartermaine. Stand-up comedian Peter Kay also has a role as the local police officer. I saw this one in the cinema when it came out, and I did laugh a lot. It's still great, but probably not one for new audiences to start with.

And last but not least, there was 2008's A Matter of Loaf and Death, where the pair are now bakers, and Wallace becomes romantically involved with a former bread mascot and Gromit investigates a cereal...sorry, serial killer who is targeting bakers. I only saw this recently, and they really go over the top with the bread puns. But the characters are still great and there's plenty to laugh at.

If you fancy a nostalgia trip, the shorts are available on Amazon Instant Video if you're a Prime member, while the film can be found on Netflix.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have a nice bit of cheese.

A Tribute to Roger Moore

Well, it was only a matter of time before I discussed this here: Sir Roger Moore passed away last week. And since I spent the October of 2015 reviewing all the James Bond films, I figured I'd do my own informal tribute.

The Roger Moore-era films didn't always deliver, but Roger himself did. Looking back over his tenure, I think he did a great job with his deadpan delivery of the witty one-liners that contributed to his distinct tongue-in-cheek style. I'd be bold enough to say that this style has influenced some of my own writing - especially the dialogue.

As for the films, I've been watching a couple of them lately. I'd say that his best films are The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only. The overall winner depends on my mood. For Your Eyes Only is certainly darker and edgier than his usual fare, but the more down-to-earth story in a series of formulaic world domination plots makes it one of my favourite films in the franchise after From Russia with Love and Goldeneye. I highly rate The Spy Who Loved Me as well, although I must admit that it plays things safe and takes fewer risks. Nonetheless, it's a great escapist action flick that Moore does well. While we're on the subject, I also watched Octopussy again last night, and found it also holds up surprisingly well - an interesting mix of goofy scenes with some incredibly tense moments.

I guess I might leave it on a song, and I'll go with the theme from The Spy Who Loved Me. Because even though the franchise stumbles through many pitfalls, nobody does it better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at7xLnfubFY

So, goodbye Sir Roger. We'll miss you.

Western Weekends: The Magnificent Seven Remake

What is it with Hollywood's obsession with remakes? They scarcely do well. I do watch them, but the only remake I have enjoyed is True Grit. Having said that, the 1960 version of The Magnificent Seven is a remake, but I've already mentioned that. So, here we have a remake of a remake.

The town of Rose Creek is ruled by the corrupt mining magnate Bartholomew Bogue, played by Peter Sarsgaard, who seeks to remove the local homesteaders and kills a number of them to make an example. Haley Bennett's Emma Cullen, the widow of one of his victims, responds by seeking the services of "duly-sworn warrant officer" Sam Chisholm, played by Denzel Washington. He goes on to recruit another six mercenaries to defend the town: the smart-mouthed gambler Josh Faraday, played by Chris Pratt; Ethan Hawke as the Southern sharpshooter Goodnight Robicheaux; Korean knife-fighter Billy Rocks, played by Byung-Hun Lee; Jack Horne, a mountain man played by Vincent D'Onofrio; Mexican bandit Vasquez, played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo; and the exiled Comanche warrior Red Harvest, played by Martin Sensheimer.

Well, I suppose it's nice to see a more racially diverse cast this time around, and they are all likeable characters. But for a film like this it's one step forward and two steps back. Perhaps it would have been nice to see a more revisionist view on what was an idealistic story, but all the depth the original film had has been cast aside for a bigger climax. Even the villain in the original had some more dimension, and perhaps some sympathy, as he's driven by desperation to keep his men fed. The villain here is nothing of the sort - but his introduction is genuinely tense.

Speaking of that, I do kind of like how James Horner's score is a lot more brooding. It's a shame he never completed it. Although at the same time, I'm just waiting for a new rendition of the Elmer Bernstein score.

All in all, I think you can give this one a pass. Next time you want to remake something, you should give it to the Coen Brothers.

Western Weekends: The Magnificent Seven

It's the bank holiday weekend again, and this weekend I'm going for a classic Hollywood western, The Magnificent Seven - the 1960 film directed by John Sturges, which is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 film, The Seven Samurai.

A Mexican village near the border is being targeted by the bandit Calvera, played by Eli Wallach, and the villagers seek to end this by hiring Chris Adams, a seasoned "Cajun" gunfighter played by Yul Brynner. Chris recruits six other gunfighters to help them: Steve McQueen as the smart-mouthed drifter Vin; Brad Dexter as the fortune-seeking con artist Harry Luck; Bernardo O'Reilly, a cash-strapped bounty hunter played by Charles Bronson; James Coburn as the laconic knife expert Britt; Robert Vaughn as the traumatised veteran Lee; and Horst Buchholz as the hot-blooded wannabe Chico.

When you get down to it, the film is your average western shoot-'em-up, but at the same time, they try to add some depth to it, embodying a philosophy of how society can only be protected from barbarians by men with guns - but if a man picks up a gun, he becomes a barbarian himself. This is discussed several times, and it's clear that many of the seven took the job to still be relevant as society is becoming more settled. It's almost a revisionist view of the wandering gunslinger archetypes even before the Spaghetti Westerns took off - yet it remains an idealistic tale of heroes defending the underdog and triumphing over evil.

And then there was a remake. Because it's the bank holiday, I'll talk about that tomorrow.

The Importance of Hats

A nice hat is, without a doubt, an essential tool for the writer. Partly it has practical value. While walking the earth in search of inspiration, it can help shield you from the rain or a low sun. If it's hot, you can fan yourself with it to keep cool. When sleeping, you can pull it over your eyes. You can wave it in emergencies to attract attention. And when you're working on your novel or perhaps languishing in your day job, it makes a great cushion once the need arises to hit your head against the desk.

More importantly, it has a great psychological value. When reading out your work to an audience, a hat gives a sense of presence. After the event, people may say to the performing writer "I enjoyed hearing that story you read out, and I really like the hat." And for the writer who likes to play the gentleman, any kind gesture is never complete without a tip of the hat.

In fact, it's one of the fundamental concepts of the meaning of life; people are not wearing enough hats.

Western Weekends - Tombstone

Well, another weekend, another movie. And in honour of Powers Boothe, who passed away on Monday, I figured I'd look at Tombstone - a semi-historical drama about the Gunfight at the OK Corral and the so-called Earp Vendetta Ride.

Kurt Russell plays Wyatt Earp, a former peace officer who has built a reputation for himself in Wichita and Dodge City, seeking to retire and pursue mercantile interests in the growing mining town of Tombstone in Arizona. He is accompanied by his brothers Virgil and Morgan, played respectively by Sam Elliott and the late Bill Paxton, along with his old friend Doc Holliday, played masterfully by Val Kilmer. Unfortunately, Tombstone happens to the stomping ground of a gang known as The Cowboys. Leading them is Boothe's Curly Bill Brocious and the sociopathic gunfighter Johnny Ringo, played by Michael Biehn. Because of Wyatt's reputation, he is constantly pressured to bring law to Tombstone - leading to the events at the OK Corral.

It's not the most historically accurate film, but I'm not going to go into that as it doesn't claim to be accurate. However, I do think the film goes downhill after the famous gunfight, degenerating into a blood-bath. As much as I like a good shoot 'em up every once in a while, it feels like a different film and contrasts the first half - which is based on Wyatt's reluctance to get involved in a conflict. And while Kurt Russell does have threatening moments, most of his acting is about as convincing as that moustache. Even one of his threatening scenes is delightfully hammy.

However, it's Val Kilmer who truly steals the show as Doc Holliday. He's a Southern Gentleman who's slowly dying from tuberculosis and lives every day like it was his last - because it just might be. He constantly abuses himself and doesn't have many friends, but those he does have he'll stand by to the end. Plus, all of his dialogue is pretty much gold.

Like I said, it's a very romanticised take on real events, but they do try and bring in some depth in the first half while trying to address the ensemble cast.

Western Weekends - The Big Country

So, if 2016 was bad enough, I see it also threw up a remake of Ben Hur. I'll think I'll pass. I haven't seen the 1959 version either, but I really enjoyed one of William Wyler's other works, his 1958 western film, The Big Country based on a novel of the same name by Donald Hamilton.

Gregory Peck stars as James McKay, a former sea captain from Baltimore who plans to settle down in Texas with his fiancée Patricia Terrill, played by Carroll Baker. Unfortunately, he finds himself in the middle of a feud between Patricia's father Henry and Rufus Hannassey. He attempts to keep the peace with the aid of Patricia's friend Julie Maragon, played by Jean Simmons. Julie owns a ranch known as The Big Muddy, which provides a vital water source to both families in times of drought. McKay hatches a plan to buy the Big Muddy in order to maintain the fragile peace, but his plan doesn't quite work out.

I think this is one of Gregory Peck's best roles, second only to Atticus. He's often regarded as a "tenderfoot" because of his Eastern dress sense, and seen as a coward because he always backs down from public challenges, having sworn off such behaviour after his father died in a meaningless duel. However, that doesn't mean he's incapable. He's not a coward; he just doesn't have anything to prove except to himself.

Meanwhile, Charles Bickford and Burl Ives as the feuding patriarchs are a great foil for one another. Bickford's Terrill is smooth and refined, fancying himself as a Southern Gentleman, but in reality he's underhanded and ruthless. On the flip side, Hannassey is from a poorer clan, but he nonetheless has a strong sense of honour even if he isn't the nicest man around. It's his son Buck, played by Chuck Connors, who is the notorious but cowardly troublemaker.

Once again, the film has a great visual style, and the score by Jerome Moross is fantastic. It's a long film, but it's one that's worth the time.

Western Weekends - Open Range

Well, I watched (and read) two classics last time I posted here. This weekend I'm going to go with something newer; Kevin Costner's 2003 film, Open Range.

Robert Duvall plays Boss Spearman, a nomadic cattle herder travelling through Montana with his three hired hands: shell-shocked Civil War veteran and former gunfighter Charley Waite, played by Kevin Costner; gentle giant Mose Harrison, played by Abraham Benrubi; and a Mexican orphan known only as "Button", played by Diego Luna. While travelling near a town, they come into conflict with ruthless land baron Denton Baxter, played by Michael Gambon. While visiting the town's doctor Charley becomes attracted to Sue Barlow, played by Annette Bening, but assumes she's the doctor's wife.

There's not really much which can be said about this film. The story is a typical idealistic one about strangers ingratiating themselves with the townspeople and fighting the local tyrant - but the main protagonists are a lot more cynical and world-weary than your classical Knights Errant. However, the visual style is absolutely stunning, and there's a lot of build-up to the final shootout which pays off well. I think both Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall were made to play cowboys.

At the time of writing, Open Range is available on Netflix, and I do recommend that you watch it. It's a slow film, but it doesn't disappoint.

A Weekend at The Hurst

The Clockhouse

Happy May Day. I've just got back from a weekend in the Shropshire Hills, staying at a writers' retreat organised by the Arvon Foundation - because Swanwick only happens once a year and August is still a way off. For those who don't know, I talk about Swanwick here.

Based on farmland between Clun and Clunton, The Clockhouse provides all the privacy a writer can want: Four flats, each with a bedroom, study, and bathroom - and a shared kitchen and lounge on the ground floor. It's self-catering, but all food is provided - you just need to bring your own booze.

The Ideal Workspace

Unlike Swanwick, this place was a retreat rather than a school, so I didn't have the same level of interaction I had at Swanwick. I mostly spent the days writing in my flat or wandering the grounds - Shropshire is a very pretty area after all.

However, I was able to meet with the other attendees in the evenings to discuss work and progress.

Overall, it's not Swanwick, but it's not meant to be. It's a cozy place to hide away and write - and I'll probably go back there in the near future.