Fargo

Back in 1996 I saw Fargo in the theater. It was a pretty good movie, but it wasn't really what I'd call great. In fact, I've never re-watched it, and I love watching movies again.

Then a friend of mine recommended the show Fargo (2014). From his descriptions of a couple of events, I knew I had to watch it, and watch it I did.

This is a good show, maybe even great. Some have compared it to True Detective which I consider erroneous. True Detective is in my opinion far better, but that doesn't mean Fargo is bad. Far from it. In fact, I watched the whole season in two days.

What we have here is a strange show. The actors are good, as is the cinematography and well, pretty much everything else. The story is the potential problem, since it is very convoluted. It jumps back and forth, and there are more twists and turns than a plate of spaghetti. If you pay attention and suppress your urge to have everything explained at once, it's not too hard to follow, but this does mean that it's not background entertainment.

Depending on how you like your TV series, that fact that Fargo leaves certain things up to your own interpretation is either good or bad. I like not having everything spelled out. But there was one series of events that felt half done and it never really got a conclusion.

It is a very violent show, with showers of blood (literally in one case) so be warned. Some sex, but compared to many others it's practically puritanical. What really amused me as a Fenno-Scandinavian was the pronunciations of Nordic names. The whole thing takes place in Minnesota, which was settled by mainly Scandinavian and German settlers back in the day. This heritage is apparent in both their names as well as their accent, which I could listen to for days.

Finally I want to bring up what I think makes this show really stand out. Character development. Considering that the first season is ten episodes, you get tons of it. But not all major characters change. Lester Nygaard does, but neither Lorne Malvo or Molly Solverson really change at all, and this makes them stand out against each other in a good way. Also, we get the always funny Key & Peele as a bonus.

Bottom line is, you really aught to watch Fargo if given the chance. Within the two first episodes, you're either hooked or repulsed, so go for it.

Until next time, have a great week!

Revolutionary Tales

This week we are talking revolution. The American revolution to be specific.

Countless books have been written on the subject, some fair and some... let's call them enthusiastically patriotic and leave it at that.

But today I want to talk about some of the myths and misconceptions that surround this conflict. Naturally with any subject this expansive, not to mention chronologically distant, it's hard to be certain exactly what went on.

We do however know quite a lot, and there are several myths that are just that, myths and legends. On the flip side, there are things no one really talks that much about. Finally, before we begin, I want to point out that I couldn't even begin to link sources here. That's beyond the scope of my humble little blog. If you are interested, do your own research, but keep a critical mind. After all, history is written by the winners and to the victors go the spoils.

The colonists were scrappy undermanned underdogs.

OK, first off let's point out that there were about 2.5 million colonists at the time. When the war broke out, about a third stayed right out of it, just under a third remained loyal to the king and the rest were revolutionaries. Naturally many were women, children and the elderly but that leaves about a quarter of a million troops on the colonial side against the 40.000 troops Britain could scrape together. Those are odds of six to one. Some sources claim that only 100.000 colonists fought the British, but those odds are still 2.5 to 1.

Now let's add in the French. France was spoiling for a fight with England and took every opportunity to harass them at sea, making resupplying the British army difficult. The French also supplied the colonists with tons of clothes, cannons, food and 90% of all their gunpowder.

Now who's the underdog here? I'm not so sure it's the colonists anymore.

The Boston Massacre.

Many sources claim the massacre of Bostonians at the hand of redcoat guards as one of the events that caused the colonial kettle to boil over. But there are some interesting facts here. First off, the crowd was goaded by secessionists into attacking the guards, first with taunts, and then with thrown rocks and ice. Finally one guard fired his musket which caused the rest to discharge theirs. When the smoke cleared, three locals were dead. That's all. Three guys. Some massacre... Eventually the guards were found not guilty in court, when their attorney John Adams pointed out that shooting people who physically assault them was in fact their job. And that's the John Adams, founding father and 2^nd president of the U.S.A.

Taxes, the French-Indian war and the Tea Party.

The whole “No taxation without representation” line is famous today. But there is some evidence that although the colonists were supposed to pay taxes to George III, those taxes were rarely ever collected.

Now, to the west of the original colonies lay a vast and open land, and many wanted to settle there. Unfortunately, much of that land was owned by France which led to violent border disputes. Fault on both sides and all that. Either way, this led to the French-Indian War, a.k.a. The Seven Years war. It was hugely expensive for the British, and to recoup some of the money, they levied the infamous tax on tea. They were adamant that the colonialists pay for some of the war costs, since they had directly benefited from the protection afforded them by the British Army. As we all know, the colonialists refused to pay, and dumped the tea into the sea.

So it seems that the cruel tyranny of the Crown was a bit overblown.

Paul Revere and Ben Franklin.

The story of how Paul Revere rode all night shouting “The British are coming, the British are coming” is a familiar one. It's mostly held up as an example that one man can make a difference, but it has been exaggerated quite a bit over the years. It seems he did indeed ride out, but mainly to warn Adams and Hancock, and to alert other messengers who in turn spread the word. Then he simply went home. Since his mission depended on stealth, shouting would be a very foolish thing to do. And Revere was not a fool. In fact he was a cunning silversmith, engraver and dentist.

Concerning Ben Franklin, we're not going to talk about lightning, kites or bifocals. I'm interested in his role as Colonial Ambassador to King George III. Franklin did oppose the Stamp Act 1765, but apart from that, he apparently failed to in any way make the British King and his government understand that the colonists were unhappy. Instead he was far more keen to attend parties, even going so far as to carouse the night away with the Monks of Medmenham Abbey, better known as The Hellfire Club. These guys who were synonymous with debauchery, hedonism and vice. Now, I'm not moralizing here, I enjoy a good time as much as anyone, but Franklin had a job to do, and at best he half assed it.

That's all we have space for this week. If you are interested, there's tons of information out there. Go forth and study, and I shall see you next time. Have a great week!

Dredd Sniper

Hello and welcome to a new week, complete with a brand new installment of Eccentric Spheres.

Today I'm in the mood for reviews, so to start off, I'll complete my review on Sniper Elite 3.

Having now completed the game, I'm still very satisfied. There's nothing in the last two missions that would make me change anything I said two weeks ago.

The last levels are just as good as the six previous, but I want to bring up three things that did bother me a bit. First off, in one level you get tons of re-spawns even if you carefully clear out the entire area like I did. It would have been nice if they arrived as reinforcements instead of just appearing out of thin air.

Secondly, there is a pretty bad cliché towards the end, not game breaking in any way, but totally cringe worthy.

And finally I witnessed enemy soldiers blissfully patrolling an area that was under heavy machine gun fire. They just calmly walked around while being shot to pieces. Saved me some ammo I guess.

These three tiny things are my only real complaints in Sniper Elite 3, so over all, I'm both pleased and impressed. So pleased I've already started a new run through on higher difficulty.

Next up, we're go from games to film. The other day I watched Dredd (2012) with Karl Urban in the title role.

Now I've never been a huge Judge Dredd fan, but I've read some of the comics and liked them well enough. Back in the nineties I watched Sylvester Stallone take on the same role in Judge Dredd (1995), and although I liked the beginning of that movie, they quickly wrecked the whole thing by removing Dredd's helmet. It's a thing in the comics that you never see Dredd without his helmet. So I was apprehensive about watching the new attempt. In fact, I wouldn't have bothered, except I saw a glowing review of it, and decided it sounded good enough. And you know what? It's actually pretty awesome.

Sure it's lacking some of the comic book flair the 95 film had, and Karl Urban’s chin is sub par compared to Stallone’s, but in every other way, Dredd (2012) was an enormous improvement.

It looks great, the actors are very good and the plot feels like an actual Judge Dredd story, compared to the 95 version that went completely off the rails. The pacing felt excellent, and at no time did it get boring. Seeing Judge Dredd mentor a young inexperienced Judge Anderson was a real treat. Anderson, while on the subject, was particularly well written. Going from a determined but rattled rookie to someone who just wants to get the job done right, made for a good female protagonist. In essence, her gender was almost irrelevant for the story. It could have worked just as well with a man, but Anderson is female and that's that. There were no romantic sub-plots, no “I can't because I'm a girl” moments, nothing like that.

In fact, even if you're not a Dredd fan, but you like action/ sci-fi, this is probably a good movie for you.

Well there you have it. So until I see you again, have a great week!

Steampunk

Stoke the boiler and raise the pressure, because today we're talking Steampunk.

In case you're not familiar with the genre, it's a blend of Fantasy and Sci-Fi with occasional horror elements thrown in for good measure. Most often, it's set in the 19^th century, in either Victorian England or the Wild West, but there are plenty of exceptions.

As far as I know, there are no rules stating that Steampunk has to be set in our world, albeit an alternative version thereof, but it seems to be rarer for Steampunk to be set in original worlds.

Like it's sister, Cyberpunk, the most important elements in Steampunk seem to be a dystopian world, amazing technology and people finding their place amidst it all. Unlike Cyberpunk however, in Steampunk more power equals greater size. The concept of miniaturization is rare in these worlds. Then add goggles, brass gears, top hats and corsets and you get a fun and evocative genre.

Steampunk has two cousins, Dieselpunk (1930's to 1950's style technology) and Clockpunk (Renaissance) that can be so similar as to make the three almost indistinguishable, but they are without a doubt separate.

The reason for today's post, is that I started reading this genre again, and I started with Shelley Adina's charming Lady of Devices.

Lady of Devices was a fun read. It's humorous and innocent, and felt altogether too short, even though it clocks in at 258 pages. So far it seems there are six books in the series, but since I've not read them I won't comment further. The story takes place on a very personal level, with the main character Claire Trevelyan in constant focus. If you're looking for an easy to read intro to Steampunk, this is a good alternative.

I followed up Lady of Devices with Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan. This book is not just Steampunk but also Biopunk. In essence it's World War I, with Germany and her allies in war-walkers and other mechanical vehicles against Britain and her allies and their bio engineered war machines. I loved the contrast, and Westerfeld's sheer ingenuity and inventiveness is amazing. It's no wonder this book is number two on Goodreads list of best Steampunk novels. My one complaint is that the war itself, the catalyst for the events as it may be, is fairly marginal. A great read in any case.

Currently I'm on Cherie Priest's Boneshaker. I haven't gotten very far, but I'm already hooked. Grime, mystery, zombies and airships. What's not to love? Priest writes with great style and seems to have a good grip on her characters. Final verdict pending, but so far very good!

That's all for today, so put on your goggles, charge our lightning gun and I'll see you next week. Have a great one!

Sniper Elite 3

A few days ago I was delighted to discover that Steam had Sniper Elite 3 (SE3) on a 70% discount. Being a huge fan of Sniper Elite v2, I had wanted this game since it's release. Naturally I snatched it up immediately. Although I haven't quite finished it yet, I feel comfortable talking about it. Mind you, this is not really a “proper” review, just an impression based on having played six missions out of eight.

My first reaction when I heard that SE3 is set in North Africa was “why?”. Then I quickly realized the genius of it. The African part of WWII is pretty underrepresented in gaming. And since SE1 and 2 are firmly placed in the European theater, this brings a welcome change of scenery.

And what a scenery it is. Lush oases, and cliffs worn down by millennia of wind and sun baked sand, create a gorgeous backdrop for the intense mayhem this game provides.

The night time levels are equally atmospheric with the added pleasure of hearing the jackals baying and howling in the distance as you're sneaking up on an unsuspecting guard.

The game play is solid, much like the earlier iterations of the franchise. Basically my one complaint is that large parts of the game seems to be designed for stealth play with silent take-downs instead of, you know, sniping. Like the title suggests. But it's really a miniscule complaint to be honest. You don't have to be all sneaky if you don't want to. But if you do go in loud and proud, you'd better be prepared to handle a complete bullet storm. There are lots of enemies in each level and they can reduce you to a bloody mess in seconds if they get the drop on you. The AI is competent enough to make you careful, and they have no qualms about flanking you. But sometimes it's just so satisfying to take up an elevated position and rain bloody death on you enemies.

In several places you have to fight vehicles, from half-tracks to tanks, and it can be a truly heart pounding experience to sneak up on a tank that can kill you in one shot. Like wise enemy snipers are well hidden and I for one really enjoy a good sniper fight.

So, if you liked Sniper Elite v2 or you're just looking for a fun action filled game, you can certainly do worse than Sniper Elite 3. In fact, if you like shooters, you probably want to check this out.

That's it for me for this week, check in again next Monday for more Eccentric Spheres. Until then, have a great week!

Good, Bad and Horrible pt. 2

Hello and welcome back to another session of Eccentric Spheres.

Today we're continuing our dark journey in the land of horror cuisine. No use in going on about it, so here are this weeks entries.

Our entrée is Sinister (2012)

Though headed by none less than Ethan Hawke, this is a pretty standard horror film. It has a slightly different angle on things, which is nice, but you can figure the whole thing out half way through if you pay attention. This film brings nothing new to the table, but it does it's thing pretty well. No actual complaints, but it's not a film I'd watch twice.

You can certainly do worse than Sinister.

The main course on our ghoulish menu is The Final (2010).

What we have here is a revenge horror. That's nothing new in itself, but it has guts (no pun intended) and it dares to go where it needs to. My biggest gripe is that since the victims sort of deserve what they're getting, the “Oh my God, I have to rescue them before it's too late” scenes become pretty confusing for the viewer. The Final has gotten people really talking, which is nice, and I certainly did enjoy it.

Well worth watching, but only with lowered expectations.

For dessert this evening, we have I Sell the Dead (2008)

If you like macabre humor and the Victorian era, this is a must see. The hilarious tale of a pair of 19^th century grave robbers had me from the first scene, and I was really sad that it ended so soon. It may be only 85 minutes, but every one of those minutes was gold. Great actors, marvelous scenery and interesting and funny plot twists makes this a really good movie. We even get to enjoy Angus Scrimm, the Tall Man from the Phantasm series, in a small role.

Really worth watching!

If you're still hungry, I have to recommend this wonderful three part documentary about horror films by Mark Gatiss. It's passionate, informative and has some great interviews with horror legends from both sides of the camera. A real treat for fans of the genre.

I hope you are satisfied with today's feast, and that you will come back.

Until next week, take it easy.

Good, Bad and Horrible pt.1

Some time ago I decided to become more active in watching horror movies again. I've been slacking lately, and figured it was past due to take in some new scares.

But where to begin? Studios are pumping out tons of new films every year. Luckily there are lots of list on IMDB that catalog peoples favorites. So, I headed over there and made myself a list of films that sounded interesting.

Now, there are a few problems with horror movies. First off, they almost always have lousy ratings whether they are good or not. That's because they tend to be rated like regular films, not genre specific horror. That can easily bring the score down, which in turn makes it difficult to tell the good from the awful.

Secondly, everyone's tastes are different, which became very clear to me with this project. A movie I hated got lots of praise (Absentia), while one that I loved (Session 9) was frowned upon.

Thirdly, synopses often lie, at least by omission, while posters can be extremely misleading. This makes it truly difficult to judge before hand if a movie is for you. The only option is to take the plunge, and plunge I did.

What follows it the first of a series of posts about this journey of mine into horror I haven't seen before. I'm not looking to review these films as such, just write up a short opinion on each, with a watch it / don't watch it attached. For more information, follow the IMDB links.

Here we go!

First up is Alyce a.k.a. Alyce Kills (2011).

This movie is pretty surreal at times, and it feels like the director tried a bit too hard to be artistic. But at least he tried! All in all it was entertaining, I had no problem sitting through it. The acting was adequate, and the gory effects likewise.

I'd say it's worth watching on a slow night.

Next is Livid (2011).

At first I was a bit confused as to where this film was going, but at least it knew. This is a very surreal film, with some gorgeous visuals, at least when you can see them, since many scenes are quite dark. In many ways it's one of the most Silent Hill like movies I've seen outside that franchise. I really liked Livid, but be advised that it's in french, so if that's not your cup of tea, stay away.

A dark fairytale nightmare well worth it for horror fans.

We continue with Absentia (2011).

This is one bad movie. Disjointed, choppy and full of unnecessary scenes. It seems to me that creator Mike Flanagan had all the tools but failed to build something with it. He was so aware that to show the monster is to loose the tension, that we never really see anything. What's supposed to be a shocking moment near the end, is practically impossible to even make out. The acting is wooden and the soundtrack is awful. At several points it makes it hard to hear what the characters are saying. To top it off, Absentia is brimming with cliches. What little there is to enjoy, is overshadowed and drowned by a script better suited for a drama.

Avoid this film.

The final entry this time, is Session 9 (2001).

Here we have good actors engaged in an interesting psychological journey. I truly enjoyed this film on several levels. It's not only bursting with atmosphere, but it keeps up the pace extremely well. It gives you plenty of clues but cleverly uses some of those clues as red herrings. If you watch with only one eye you'll most likely lose the point. Not the greatest ending but at least Session 9 avoids most mental hospital cliches.

Well worth watching!

So there we have it. More movie opinions next time! Until then, have a great week.