Film, TV, Theatre, Games, Music
This Issue: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Top 10 Christmas Films,
Christmas Soap Watch, The Panto Season, Games of the Year
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Stuck for something to do over Christmas? Why not catch the latest Harry Potter film whilst you still can?
The BIG question is, does Harry Potter still have that special magic that made the first film such a huge box office hit? With flying Ford Anglias, flesh eating spiders and giant snakes there is no doubt that the second term at Hogwarts is going to be as eventful as the last.
To spice up the star studded cast this term sees some fresh faces in Hogwarts, with Kenneth Branagh playing the self loving Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defence against the Dark Arts professor and Jason Isaacs as the brilliantly stony character Lucius Malfoy.
A slightly more grown up Daniel Radcliffe stars again along side of his school pals as well as, of course, his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger fighting dark forces within Hogwarts, giving Harry Potter fans even more magical action.
The one drawback the film does hold however is its length. At almost 2 hours and 40 minutes you cant help but think that young Harry fans might find their attention wandering slightly. Although some fans would properly disagree I do think the film could benefit from some cutting down here and there to make it a more fast moving and impactful adventure. The giant flesh eating spiders could also be slightly too scary for youngsters, (and anyone who hates spiders!) although they did provide the most intense and exciting part of the film.
Even with these minor complaints however Harry Potter proves he can be equally as magical the second time round, The Chamber Of Secrets is set to become another box office hit for the magical wizard and it is certainly a film to be enjoyed by all ages.
Claire Botwright is Film Reviewer for The Mutt's Nuts
Christmas is here once more, you’ve eaten the turkey, played charades and drunk all the mulled wine. The only thing left now is the obligotary Christmas film. The most likely films to be on are the musicals, especially kiddie’s favourites such as Oliver!, Mary Poppins and The Muppet’s Christmas Carol which will be for ever loved. However, if the thought of your family drunkenly singing along instills fear into your heart, don’t worry, there will definitely be a music free alternative on another channel. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the classic black and white films of the 1940s. The usual suspects are White Christmas starring Bing Crosby, the film that spawned the infamous song of the same name. Another is Miracle on 34th Street, in which Santa is arrested by those that don’t believe in him (don’t worry, they learn their lesson!). Also, my favourite, It’s A Wonderful Life can always be depended on to turn up during the festive season. James Stewart stars as George Bailey, a bankrupt man facing imprisonment, who on Christmas Eve finds himself on the verge of suicide. An angel sent from heaven shows George what life in Bedford Falls would be like without him. Although incredibly cheesy, the film redeems itself with it’s dark opening.
Other favourites of mine include Home Alone, which I shall never tire of despite watching it every year. Kevin McCallister proves to be the best anti-burglar device you can get. Also, 1985’s Santa Claus: The Movie, a film that reminds me of school Christmas holidays is one not to be missed. It looks dated now and is knee deep in sentiment, but Dudley Moore’s flying car and a magnificent toy factory ensure it never loses its charm. So here they are: the
Top 10 Christmas Films
1. It’s a Wonderful Life
Suicidal George Bailey is reminded of why life is so wonderful.
2. Home Alone
Macaulay Culkin spends Christmas fighting off would-be burglars Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.
3. Santa Claus: The Movie
Disillusioned elf Dudley Moore goes to the USA to make toys for evil John Lithgow.
4. A Muppet’s Christmas Carol
Cute muppets tell Dickens’ classic tale of Scrooge filled with catchy musical numbers and starring Michael Caine (not a lot of people know that).
5. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Disney Christmas Musical
Nothing like a good old sing song at Christmas and these two produce the best musicals, be it for children or adults.
6. Miracle on 34th Street
Santa is arrested by those who think he is a fraud.
7. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Tim Burton’s animated feature sees Halloween taking over Christmas.
8. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
As usual, a simple Christmas holiday doesn’t go as planned for Chevy Chase.
9. Jingle All the Way
Only at number nine because it has Arnie in it.
10. The Santa Clause
Tim Allen accidentally kills Santa and has to take over his job.
Natalie Kay
GAMING
Christmas Games - A Buyer's Guide
Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fatter. I am of course referring to the videogames release schedule goose - that most anorexic of watery fowl. Actually, this year's biggest games have been fairly well spaced out over the last twelve months, but we've still got a disproportionately large number of winter releases battling it out for your Christmas cash. And I suppose you want me to tell you where to throw your money during the silly season do you? As you wish. Behold! My 2002 gaming buyer's guide.
The Big Christmas Games
(in no particular order)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2 (PS2)
Don't let EA's Fifa cash cow milk you any longer! Wise up and join the PES tribe. Konami's masterclass in soccer simulation has come up trumps again. This is football. You need it!
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)
Grand Theft Auto 3 - only more so. Who's complaining?
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (Xbox - out on PS2 and Gamecube next year)
Super sophisticated and almost sickeningly slick stealthy spy story. Tom Clancy games tend to be a bit dour and soulless, but Splinter Cell is a quality game in any context. Numerous well-implemented gadgets, impressive visuals and unparalleled realism, this is Metal Gear without the melodrama. Xbox owners have no excuse.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (GC)
The 'sanity meter' element (which simulates psychotic episodes as your character progresses through the demon-filled levels) will be hailed as a revelation by some, others may call it a little gimmicky. Either way, this long-awaited psychological horror is ultimately unique and drenched in atmosphere.
Starfox Adventures (GC)
Developer Rare's last game for the Gamecube certainly looks foxy, but ultimately this miss-judged, linear adventure falls flat. Trying to out-gun Zelda?! Why oh why Rare?
Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
Final Fantasy developers Squaresoft join forces with Disney Interactive for an unlikely pairing as traditional RPG storytelling is woven through famous Disney-themed worlds and characters. This imaginative merger was a great chance to offer the appallingly supported children's game market a title of real substance and quality, and it delivers for the most part. Expert production values and generally fun, accessible gameplay make Kingdom Hearts immensely likable, but the frequent combat scenes are confusing and unfairly tough. Add to this an unwarranted, unnecessary age restriction and a baffling high level of difficulty and one can't help but mourn a missed opportunity.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (PS2)
Surprisingly engaging use of this massive license, which incorporates scenes from the first two films very nicely. Short and shallow, but the button-bashing action is suitably intense, and acts as a nice counterpoint to the overblown pomposity of the movies.
Timesplitters 2 (Xbox, PS2 and GC)
Fabulous multi-format, multi-player madness infused with more than just a whiff of Goldeneye's magic by developers Free Radical. Plus, features the best use of monkeys in a first-person shooter ever. Ba-Da-Bing!
Class of 2002
This year's finest (in order of release)
Halo (Xbox)
The game the Xbox was made for succeeded (like Goldeneye, Half-Life and Deus Ex before it) in redefining the first-person shooter for a new generation. Fresh, fast and near faultless. A triumph!
Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2)
Over-produced, over-hyped and pretentious to the last, Hideo Kojima's magnum opus was the very definition of a contested, flawed masterpiece. Is it the great gaming hoax of our time, or a misunderstood blockbuster? It is both. It is the most important release of the year. You must play this!
ICO (PS2)
Amongst all the Halo, Xbox and MGS2 hype this spring, ICO shone for its minimalist, less-is-more aesthetics. First-time director and game planner Fumito Ueda took traditional (and frankly hackneyed) adventure game elements and conjured up one of the most inspirational videogames in recent years. Technically beautiful. Conceptually fascinating. In a word, sublime.
Pikmin (GC)
Nintendo's very special reworking of the real-time strategy game provided the Gamecube with its first must-have title. An expertly crafted adventure in its own right, Pikmin brought classic gameplay values to the fore in what is usually a complex, specialist genre. Shigeru Miyamoto created it y'know. Fancy that!
Super Mario Sunshine (GC)
It has been 6 years since the seminal Super Mario 64. Does Mario's new adventure fall short of the standards set by young pretenders to his 3D platform crown? Does it f**k! Game of the Year!
And finally…
Just to end on a sobering, Scrooge-like note, here are the games which Tiny Tim (or anyone else in the UK) will NOT find sitting under the Christmas evergreen this year: Metroid Prime (GC), Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness (PS2 and PC), The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC), Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (Xbox, PS2 and PC), Rayman 3: Hoodlum's Havoc (Xbox, GC and PS2).
Some might say we've got lots to look forward to next year. I say: "Humbug!"
Andrew Fletcher
That time of year again- “Oh yes it is!”
Vicki Mathias takes a light hearted look at that great British tradition, the Pantomime!
Christmas is upon us and in the theatre world that means just one thing- Panto time. It is time for any pretence at seriousness to go out the window and so begins the stage's silly season.
Pantomime is one of those strange phenomenons that no one really seems to understand. It's colourful, loud and altogether quite ridiculous but still every year audiences flock to whatever is being offered at their local theatre.
There is nothing like Panto- the ingredients are quite strange if considered out of context, some might even seem more at home in a seedy inner city men's club than on a family orientated stage but still it is accepted as entertainment for all ages.
The plot is always based upon a well-known fairy tale but new twists and turns are added until it's basically a completely different story to anything you or I heard as a child. Secondly there is the casting, and this is the strangest element of Panto. Cross-dressing is the key to these shows. But in this arena even the most conservative of people will find it "jolly funny" and not remotely odd or perverse. The hero is usually played by a young woman who gets to romance another pretty young actress while wearing tights and thigh high boots (I'm beginning to think this is a tradition created by men out of their own fantasies and am surprised that the porn industry has not yet manipulated this gap in the market for girl on girl action).
In keeping with the cross-dressing theme, an older man plays the hero's mother aunt or whatever else, wearing outfits any true drag queen wouldn't be seen dead in, bright, bawdy and way too flouncy. More often than not this character either strips down to her hefty underwear or at the very least parades it on a washing line, and the people of Bristol want to close down Club Crème!
The audience get a chance to escape from the normal restrained manner of the British spectator and are encouraged to shout and scream at the actors, to join in with the songs, and boo and hiss at the evil characters.
And these baddies are always so nasty, not your average villains but a hundred times worse. I still have memories of the evil Abanaazar in a production of Aladdin. I was petrified whenever he came on stage and had to hide behind the seat. I had nightmares for weeks after and as you can see have probably been scarred for life, and this is what we call entertainment.
The actors are always someone who's face you know but can't quite place; notably, D list celebrities still trying to remain in the entertainment industry. Ex- soap actors who once were household names but now have vanished to an eternity of Panto seasons and the old preserve of children's television. On a website dedicated to this year's panto's I found that Bodger and Badger and the Chuckle Brothers are not actually in TV heaven but on stage this year in Panto.
Putting aside the strange aspects of Pantomime they are actually quite fun. In my family it was an annual event for my gran to take us along to see whatever offering was available. When you're little it's fun to be able to shout at the baddies and sing along with a song. To maybe be the child lucky enough to catch whatever goodies they threw into the audience, can't you guess I never was that lucky!
It's good harmless fun and probably was the first taste of theatre for most of us. Despite the mocking of the ex-celebrities that are the mainstay of pantomime actors, when I was eight years old it was my dream to be up there dancing with Dooby Duck. So anyone given the chance to see this year's offerings warm up your voice and shout "It's behind you!"
Vicki Mathias
In Soap Land, the Christmas season wreaks havoc like an atomic bomb. Gina Kane looks at the ups and downs which our favourite characters will be experiencing this year.
WARNING! This page is a minefield of plot spoilers!
Eastenders
The stage appears to be set for another eventful Christmas in Albert Square. As always, Eastenders promises a series of emotional episodes which will bring both tears of joy and sadness to viewers. Ever since evil Trevor's departure, we've wanted to see a smile back on Little Mo's face. We finally see it return as she ties the knot with kind hearted Billy Mitchell on Christmas Day. It is a very different story for young lovers, Jamie and Sonia. As Billy and Little Mo's nuptials proceed, we switch to a tragic accident in which Jamie is run over by new driver, Martin Fowler. Although Sonia and the Mitchell clan remain hopeful for him, it turns out his condition is fatal and, after declaring their eternal love for one another in some heart breaking scenes, Jamie dies leaving both his family and Sonia devastated.
It isn't exactly the season of goodwill over at the Beale household either as Ian finally reveals to Laura that he cannot possibly be the father of her baby. Laura admits her drunken one night stand with an Albert Square resident (whose identity will be revealed in the New Year) and Ian, who is usually wetter than the fish he sells, sends her packing. Infidelity seems to be in the air again this festive season as Natalie is up to her old tricks again, sharing a passionate kiss beneath the mistletoe with a handsome man- you've guessed it; it ain't Barry!
Coronation Street
As Christmas approaches, Emily Bishop has far more to worry about than collecting donations for the Salvation Army. After selling her house to Richard Hillman in an equity release scheme, Emily leaves herself open as a potential target. With the bank hot on Hillman's heels, he urgently requires ready cash- which is exactly what he would get if Emily were to die…
Its smiles all round at the Barlow household as Ken and Deirdres daughter, Tracy returns. Thee ever naïve couple are blind to the fact that she has only come home for somewhere to stay after being kicked out by her husband. The feisty Tracy soon catches the eye of Weatherfields red blooded males- particularly Dev Alahan. It is fair to say that Deirdre is shocked to find her daughter in a compromising situation with Dev, almost a year to the day she played tonsil tennis with Weatherfields answer to Don Juan de Marco!
Emmerdale
For actress Emily Symens, Christmas in Emmerdale is a far cry from Christmas in Australian soap, Home and Away from which she hails. Her character, Louise Appleton has been living a nightmare at the hands of a mystery person who has been ruthlessly stalking her for weeks. At Christmas, things finally come to a head and her stalkers identity is revealed- but this revelation is only the tip of the iceberg for Louise. After escaping her stalker following a minor car crash involving them both, she is followed home to Mill Cottage where she is forced to deal with the menace once and for all…and reaches for a vase.
In sequences similar to Little Mo's attack on Trevor with an iron in Eastenders, we are left wondering whether Louise will be made to pay for her defensive actions. Lets hope the new year will bring better events for the troubled Louise.