LOTRO 10th Anniversary: Remembering LOTRO Part 1

April 19, 2017 / Roger Edwards

On Monday 22nd December 2008, I visited the Game store at Colliers Wood, South West London. I was working at St George’s Hospital in Tooting the time at and the nearby shopping centre was an ideal place to spend the lunch hour. As I perused the shelves in the PC gaming section, I spotted a “compilation pack” that contained not only the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online but it’s recently released expansion pack, Mines of Moria. Although I was aware of the MMO genre at the time, I had never played one beyond a trial of Star Wars: Galaxies. However, as I had recently moved and was living alone, I was in the perfect position to start playing such a game. So, I decided to take the plunge and buy LOTRO for the bargain price of twenty pounds. There was also a sizeable display for World of Warcraft in the shop, which was by far the market leader at the time. Yet because I’ve always been a Tolkien fan, I just naturally gravitated toward buying LOTRO and it never crossed my mind to buy another product.

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categories / LOTRO, Gaming, MMORPG, LOTRO 10th Anniversary, Remembering LOTRO #1

The Grey (2012)

April 18, 2017 / Roger Edwards

Contrary to its rather obvious marketing, The Grey is not just a black and white, testosterone fuelled, action movie. It has far greater philosophical aspirations. Beneath the survivalist storyline is a narrative that explores the nature of hope, human determination and the inevitability of death as well as its place in the natural order of things. This is surprisingly cerebral for a film of this genre. It is sombre and dour but totally justified in adopting such tones. Director Joe Carnahan initially sets out a traditional scenario of a rag tag group of oil workers, desperately trying to survive the Alaskan wilderness, after a plane crash. They look to Liam Neeson to assume the alpha-male role for their group. However, we soon discover that he is wrestling with his own personal demons.

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categories / Movies, The Grey, Liam Neeson

Christianity and the Easter TV Schedules

April 17, 2017 / Roger Edwards

As a child growing up in the seventies, Sundays had a distinctly different feel to the other days of the week. The entire pace was more sedate and there was atmosphere of restraint. My parents would chide me for excessive noise. Activities such as reading or drawing where favoured over playing outside. The TV schedules reflected this as well. At the time, there were three terrestrial channels and only one of them was a commercial business. However, Sunday mornings would always have a televised service and there would often be a show offering some moral or ethical debate around midday. The early evening saw a similar broadcast of worship. Christianity was still an integral part of the television.

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categories / Editorial, TV, Christianity, Easter Entertainment

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

April 16, 2017 / Roger Edwards

I thoroughly enjoyed the first Jack Reacher upon its release in 2012. It was a stylishly made, well written, character driven thriller with solid performances and great action sequences. I think a lot of the movies success came down to director Christopher McQuarrie who patently had a good grasp of the source material and how the genre works best. Therefore, when I noticed that he was conspicuously absent from the recent sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, I was curious as to who would fill his shoes. Edward Zwick, an experienced film maker who has worked with Tom Cruise before, directs this time round. All the elements that were present in the first movie are here again. The cast is robust and the narrative concise. Reacher is still an engaging protagonist. Yet for some reason that I can’t exactly put my finger on, the pieces just don’t seem to fit together.

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categories / Movies, Jack Reacher, Never Go Back

Jack Reacher (2012)

April 15, 2017 / Roger Edwards

There is often scope for controversy whenever a well-known literary figure is brought to the big screen. Physical descriptions previously established by the author are often ignored in favour of casting a known star. However, books and film are very different mediums so such changes can be done in the name of artistic license. Furthermore, if they are done with intelligence and integrity they can be beneficial. The casting of Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher is a bold step because of the obvious difference between the actor's and fictional character's stature. Yet it works extremely well. Tom Cruise simply excels in the role. It should also be noted that author Lee Child endorsed his casting, stating that “Reacher's size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way."

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categories / Movies, Jack Reacher

CMP Giveaway: Win a Copy of Mass Effect: Andromeda for the PC (Closed)

April 14, 2017 / Roger Edwards

It’s been a while since there’s been any giveaways on Contains Moderate Peril. I won’t bore you with the details why. Legal complexities although pertinent are exquisitely tedious. So, to cut a long story short, here is a chance to win a copy of the popular RPG Mass Effect: Andromeda (standard edition) for the PC. Do I really need to write a potted summary of what this game is about? I think not. Despite the controversy surrounding aspects of the game upon its launch on the 21st March, it would appear that this title has still found favour with the gaming community. So, I thought it the perfect title to feature as the first Contains Moderate Peril giveaway of 2017. Keep checking the site, we have more to come over the month ahead.

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categories / Giveaway, Giveaway #1, Mass Effect: Andromeda

Poltergeist (2015)

April 13, 2017 / Roger Edwards

Tobe Hopper's original Poltergeist was in many ways a socio-economic satire of the Reagan era. A bold statement about consumerism, the American Dream and the notion that the so-called "perfect life" was built upon a lie. However the central characters in the 1982 film and were benign and essentially likeable. Although they were social climbers they were tempered by some of the more compassionate aspects of seventies pop culture. The family at the heart of this remake are subtly different. The Bowen's are suffering both financially and emotionally due to the foibles of the economy. Where the original movie was about US notions of family aspiration, this remake is about the failure of retail therapy and taking comfort in "things".

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categories / Movies, Poltergeist, Horror

The Devil Rides Out - Restored and Altered

April 11, 2017 / Roger Edwards

The Devil Rides Out was restored by StudioCanal and released on Blu-ray in 2012. Based on Dennis Wheatley's famous novel, the film is considered to be one of Hammer studios the finest works, made at the height of their success. The story centres around a group of friends who meet for a reunion, only to discover that one of their circle has fallen into the clutches of a satanic cult. The Duc de Richleau (Christopher Lee) and Rex Van Ryn (Leone Greene) soon find themselves up against cult leader Mocata (Charles Grey), who is not disposed toward releasing his new acolyte Simon Aron (Patrick Mower). The Devil Rides Out features an intelligent screenplay by Richard Matheson and strong performances by Christopher Lee and Charles Gray. As ever with Hammer movies, the production designed is polished and looks more lavish than it is. Unfortunately, the films poor box office returns outside of the UK, meant that the studio declined to make any further adventures of the Duc de Richleau.

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categories / Movies, The Devil Rides Out, Horror

Ten Books of Note - A Personal Selection

April 10, 2017 / Roger Edwards

Many of my fellow bloggers regularly posts details of what they’ve been reading of late. I must admit that although I received several books and graphic novels as Christmas presents, I’ve yet to start any of them. The bulk of my reading is done via my PC or Tablet and usually tends to be news articles, blog posts and research for my writing. The last book that I physically read was Titus Crow, Volume 3: In the Moons of Borea & Elysia by Brian Lumley and that was last November. So, I’ve decided to get back into reading in the traditional sense and as ever have allotted time in my schedule and set myself goals. As a carer I have numerous appointments to attend throughout the week with my parents. Rather than waste time on my phone perusing twitter and gawping at the internet, I shall use these periods to read.

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categories / Books, Ten Books of Note, Fiction, Questionnaire

Salt: The Director's Cut (2010)

April 09, 2017 / Roger Edwards

Director Phillip Noyce is no stranger to the thriller genre having made several competent examples such as Dead Calm, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. Therefore, I was expecting a professionally crafted action film, when I recently purchased Salt on Blu-ray. However, it soon became apparent that Salt had suffered the usual indignities of studio interference during the course of its production, as there are three versions of the movie on the disc. The PG-13 theatrical version suffers from the usual ratings issues, so I chose to ignore it. The Extended cut includes new and alternative scenes as well as the violence restored but I felt it appropriate that I watch The Director's Cut for the fullest version of the movie. Specific details regarding the differences between all versions can be found at movie-censorship.com

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categories / Movies, Salt, Director's Cut

The Ninth Configuration (1980)

April 08, 2017 / Roger Edwards

In a remote Gothic castle in the Northwest of America, the US military attempt to determine whether a group of apparently deranged servicemen and one astronaut, Billy Cutshaw (Scott Wilson), are faking their insanity. When experimental psychiatrist Hudson Kane (Stacey Keach) arrives to take charge, he is subtly persuaded by Cutshaw and fellow inmate Lt. Reno (who is adapting the works of Shakespeare for dogs) to indulge the men's delusions and engage in extravagant roleplay therapy. As Center 18 descends into insanity, it becomes clear to Sargent Groper (Neville Brand) of the hospital staff, that the new psychiatrist may be more deranged than the patients. Cutshaw challenges Kane to prove the existence of God by showing him one single act of genuine self-sacrifice. Kane accepts the challenge but his mental state is rapidly deteriorating. He reveals to medic Dr Fell (Ed Flanders) that he is haunted by murderous dreams belonging to his brother, the infamous marine 'Killer' Kane. Who or what is psychiatrist Hudson Kane? Will Cutshaw and the other patients be cured?

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categories / Movies, The Ninth Configuration

The Geography of LOTRO: Part 3 Filling in the Gaps

April 07, 2017 / Roger Edwards

I would like to once again return to the matter of the geography of Middle Earth. David Braben, co-creator of seminal video game Elite, called truly open-ended game design and sandbox gaming environments "The Holy Grail" of modern video gaming. He cited games like Elite and the Grand Theft Auto series as early steps in that direction. For many gamers, the idea of being able to freely roam a virtual world without any deliberate restrictions is a very enticing one. For Tolkien fans, the notion of being given complete freedom of movement throughout Middle Earth would be a dream come true. However, due to the way that LOTRO has been designed, Standing Stone Games vision of Middle Earth, although well-conceived is not such an environment.

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categories / LOTRO, MMORPG, Gaming, The Geography of LOTRO, Part 3 Filling the Gaps

Star Trek Continues

April 06, 2017 / Roger Edwards

Fans are often a very creative and resourceful bunch. Star Trek fans especially so. At present, there’s a lack of new officially endorsed canonical content being produced. The movies set in the Kelvin Timeline are not universally embraced by Trekkies and usually take three years to produce. The new TV show Star Trek: Discovery has been subject to several production delays and still seems a long way off. So, the fans solution in recent years, has been to make their own original content. Hence there is a wealth of unofficial, independently made shows available online, set in various incarnations of the Star Trek universe. Although many of these productions are lovingly crafted and driven by passion, often they lack the professional polish of the genuine article. Frequently their weakness lies in the quality of the acting and writing. Then there is Star Trek Continues.

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categories / Star Trek Continues, Star Trek Axanar, Fan Films, Star Trek

Review Scores

April 05, 2017 / Roger Edwards

Two stories caught my attention recently, regarding the merits of review scores and the current fetish for review aggregation services. The first was about film director and producer Brett Ratner’s dislike for review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. He contests that “it’s the destruction of our business” due to the way it condenses nuanced reviews into a simple number. Scores below a certain threshold keep “Middle America” away and thus harm business. The other article was about game critic and pundit, Jim Sterling, who gave The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild a review score of 7 out of 10. Once this was added to Metacritic’s number crunching formula, the game in question dropped from an overall score of 98 down to 97. Fans did not care for this “outrage” and a DDoS attack followed as well as the usual comment based flame war.

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categories / Movies, Gaming, Review Scores

Robot & Frank (2012)

April 04, 2017 / Roger Edwards

The dramatic success of Robot & Frank hinges the credibility of the two main protagonists. Frank Langella effortlessly plays a retired jewel thief Frank Weld who’s starting to have problems with his memory. His son Hunter (James Marsden) takes the only logical course of action and buys him a robot home help. The movie is set in the “near future” and so the idea of a deferring care of the elderly to machines seems worryingly credible. Plus, in this case, there is not a huge amount of love between father and son. Or so it first appears. There's more going on with this movie than first meets the eye. The plot is smarter than it first appears and makes some interesting social commentary.

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categories / Movies, Robot & Frank

Walking for Pleasure

April 03, 2017 / Roger Edwards

Today I visited Emmetts Garden in Sevenoaks. The Edwardian estate located at Ide Hill and is now owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty. The garden, which covers an area of about six acres, is situated on a 600-foot sandstone ridge, overlooking the Weald. It is one of the highest points in Kent, offering an expansive view of the North Downs. The garden was laid out in the late 19th century and was influenced by William Robinson. It contains many exotic rare trees and shrubs from across the world. You can explore the rose and rock gardens, take in the views as well as enjoy flowers and shrubs in spring. In autumn visitors can enjoy the vibrant colours brought about by the changing of the season. The main attraction at this time of year are the Bluebells.

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categories / Editorial, Health, Walking for Pleasure, The National Trust, Emmetts Garden, Tourism

Five Came Back (2017)

April 02, 2017 / Roger Edwards

Five Came Back is a fascinating documentary about five remarkable Hollywood film directors who put themselves in harm’s way to film World War II for the US War Department. William Wyler, Frank Capra, George Stevens, John Ford and John Huston were in many ways a diverse bunch, yet the all represented a different facet of “America”. Certainly, all were idealists who felt it was their duty to use their talents to create accessible propaganda for the US public and more importantly, the 12 million men who were drafted. Despite the factual accuracy of this three-part documentary, there is an inherent romance to the tale and the way these Hollywood mavericks took on first American Isolationism, then the Third Reich and US military politics.

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categories / TV, Documentary, Five Came Back, World War II, War Documentary

First Contact Day

April 01, 2017 / Roger Edwards

Star Trek Online is an MMO that likes an event. They have numerous scheduled over the course of the year. The latest is to celebrate First Contact Day (5th April), when Humans and Vulcans first met on Earth. The event takes place at the Zefram Cochrane Memorial and Historical Museum and participants are tasked with building their own replica Phoenix ship. To build an effective vessel, players have to search the immediate vicinity for engine, hull and stabiliser parts. These vary in quality following the games standard colour coding system. Thus, in theory, purple colour parts will perform better. Once the Phoenix replicas are assembled, they are launched simultaneously, with the winner being the one that reaches the highest altitude.

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categories / Gaming, MMORPG, Star Trek Online, First Contact Day

Classic Movie Themes: Starcrash

March 31, 2017 / Roger Edwards

Starcrash is a shameless Italian Star Wars knock off from 1979. The movie is regarded by some critics as a campy B film with cheap special effects that falls into the “so bad its good” category. Directed by exploitation cinema veteran Luigi Cozzi, Starcrash stars ex-Bond girl Caroline Munro (The Spy Who Loved Me) as Stella Star. She spends most of the film wearing very little as she cavorts around the galaxy with her trusty sidekick, Akton (Marjoe Gortner). The plot is derivative even by genre standards and boasts some staggering inane dialogue. For example, "You know, my son, I wouldn't be Emperor of the Galaxy if I didn't have a few powers at my disposal. Imperial Battleship, halt the flow of time!" and then there’s "Look, Amazon women on horseback. I hope they're friendly".

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categories / Classic Themes, Movies, Starcrash, John Barry