Deluded

Frosty Macro

2012-01-15T13:13:00.001Z

Frosty Macro, a set on Flickr.

Yes it's been a long time faithful readers (exactly a year in fact!) and much has changed but more on that another time.

For now, I wish to share two things with you fine people:

1) I was bought a DSLR camera for Christmas
2) I'm going to spam the social networks with my amateur offerings!

I woke up yesterday and decided to set myself a project for the morning, I would get some good close up shots of nice, frosty things. I was looking for the minute details, rather than grand landscapes. Let me know what you think. Click the link above to view the set on Flickr.

Never has the title 'Deluded' seemed quite so apt...

Steff. x

Snow and Society

2010-01-16T18:00:00.000Z

Snow! Loads of it! Like, seriously- tons of the stuff! The whole landscape has changed, trees grow frosty beards, whole fields seem to be yielding only fluffy cotton for crops and grannies slide their way through high streets. You can't deny it's magical- anything that makes Reading town centre look pretty must be the work of a higher power! Why am I talking about the snow as it's making its departure though? Because I'm less concerned with how it looks than in the effect it had on people. Namely, bringing out the best and worse in us.

I'll start with the good. One morning, a few weeks ago when the first snow fell, our car wouldn't start. Suspecting a flat battery, I decided we'd need to get a jump start. Problem was, our drive is a steep bastard and the Vectra weighs a ton. I couldn't push it alone so I called upon the one neighbour we have that I know the name of to help. He kindly obliged but it still wasn't enough. Miraculously, others saw our plight and came to help. We ended up with about half a dozen strangers coming to our aid. A few weeks later, another man that I didn't know from Adam voluntarily helped us off an icy patch when the car was skidding nowhere fast.

These weren't ice-olated incidents (geddit?). Stories abound of similar people clubbing together to help each other out. Food being dished out car window to car window on gridlocked motorways was one, John Lewis letting stranded people sleep in their bedding department was another.

Hearing and experiencing this really warmed my heart and affirmed my faith in humanity. This isn't a perfect world but as long as we help each other out in times of need, we'll be OK. Right? Well, life isn't really like that, is it? Unfortunately, for every tale of chivalry and camaraderie during the heavy snow, there was an opposing one of opportunism and treachery.

An example: The overflow car park serving the building in which I work is known as a crime hot spot after hours. You are advised not to leave your car there overnight. But that's exactly what I did do, on that white Monday when it took the country a thousand hours to drive home. I left it, totally covered in snow and with dozens of like minded colleague's cars. I thought it would be OK, and it was, but others were not so lucky. Four cars were broken into and one actually stolen. That means despite the conditions, despite the collective anguish of hundreds of people that night and despite the bloody fact that they would have had to dig the cars out from a foot of snow before breaking in, the toe rags still went on a crime spree, eyeing up others' property as I do pies at a buffet.

Also, the news story of two truck loads of grit being stolen, to be sold on the black market, is another example of opportunistic gits exploiting society whilst it's in crisis mode. It makes me feel a little sick to be honest.

It's interesting that times like these really polarise society, many band together for the benefit of the few, whilst others ruthlessly exploit for their own gain. I've no real point to make here, just observations. Let me know your thoughts.

Steff.

Modern Warfare 2 Reviews now live

2009-12-08T23:03:00.002Z

Evening, just a quick note to say that you can now see my reviews for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the following pages:

1)
http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/theguide/stayingin/articles/2009/12/08/388362-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/
This is the Reading Chronicle review, which is shorter but more concise.

2)
http://www.geekplanetonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=797:callofdutymodernwarfare2&catid=40:ps3&Itemid=13
This is the Geek Planet Online review, which is the fuller account.

Please let me know your thoughts (particularly which version you prefer).

Steff.

Borderlands review now up

2009-11-16T12:25:00.001Z

Greetings all, just a quick note to say that my latest review, of PS3 game Borderlands, is now live on the Geekplanetonline website. See the link under 'Links to other articles' on the right of this page or click above.

As previously described, this is the 'full fat' review. A slightly rewritten, shorter version of the review will be going up on the Clyde and Forth group of websites (including The Reading Chronicle) very soon.

Please let me know your thoughts on the article, by commenting on it specifically on the Geekplanetonline website, or here if you have more general points to make.

Edit: The review is now live on the Reading Chronicle website. See link to the right of this page.

Steff.

"I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain!"

2009-10-25T17:57:00.001Z

I'm finding myself more and more frustrated with optical media and I can't wait for digital downloads and flash/solid state memory to replace it completely.

The Humble CD has been with us since 1982- long overdue for retirement. The problem is that we have put ourselves in a corner with the need for backwards compatibility. Nobody wants to replace their whole collections, which is why DVD players had to be able to play CDs and why Blu Ray players had to be able to play DVDs. Being chained to the 12cm optical disc has meant that innovations had to take place elsewhere- dual layered discs or thinner lasers for example. The problem is that with each progression comes a caveat: DVDs are more fragile than CDs and Blu Rays are like freakin' egg shells.

This is a real bone of contention for me, having to eject and clean a disc three times because the person who rented it before me put their grubby, chow mein finger prints all over it. For goodness' sake people- please treat these discs with a little more care! Inconsideration aside, this is an inherent problem with optical media but luckily, change is coming.

The failure of HD DVD and UMD have prompted Microsoft and Sony to switch tactics. Xbox 360 owners now have access to HD movie downloads and Sky channels, whilst the latest PSP does away with its optical drive completely, prompting the user to buy all their games online from the Playstation Store and save them to internal or flash memory. Also, some films now come with 'digital copies' on the disc: protected video files, for use on specified devices. The latest Star Trek film for example is available for purchase on a 4GB pen drive (it's excellent by the way). Soon the digital copies will be the only ones distributed, either on external memory or downloaded/streamed.

It's not just pre recorded content that will feel the benefit of this revolution though, storage will too. Solid State Drives (SSD) are already available, some high end laptops come with them installed as standard. These boast ultra fast access times and no failure due to wear, as they have no moving parts. More than you can say for their ageing brethren.

This clearly shows a move away from optical and magnetic media, with it's slow seek speeds and susceptibility to jammy fingers. But it isn't perfect. Downloading several gigs of data a month can incur the wrath of unforgiving ISPs and you'll need some beefy bandwidth to stream 1080p footage. Moreover, the copy protection embedded into digital copies means that you will not be able to swap or sell your own intangible property. The rise of downloaded films and games will kill off the second hand market and of course, this is exactly what music, game and film companies want. Cost is also an issue, Solid State Drives work out at around £2.50 per gigabyte, magnetic drives at less than 5p.

Of course, these problems are only temporary, internet speeds will go up and prices will go down, whilst Digital Rights Management will find a happy medium between allowing more freedom and stopping piracy. Conversely, the problems with optical media will take it to its grave. An important factor in all this is that the nuts and bolts for the change are already in place: all computers have USB connections now and most homes have broadband. You may even find that your DVD player can show movies from a pen drive already.

Solid State and flash memory have some significant advantages over optical and magnetic media and are naturally the way that technology will progress. There are teething troubles at the moment but one thing you can definitely say for the new kids: at least you won't be ejecting and wiping anything three times during play- cursing the God of lasers as you do.

Bring it on!

Macho, Metro Man!

2009-10-04T13:09:00.001+01:00

First things first. For those of you who have not met me, I'm big. Pushing 6' 3” and 20 odd stone, I was a massive rugby player and martial artist in my younger days. Not exactly a typical candidate for a health spa then, you might imagine.

But to a health spa I did go and an interesting experience it was. Sorry, went a bit Yoda on you then.

Anyway, at first I thought I'd taken a wrong turn and ended up at the Mental Asylum wing from Prisoner: Cell Block H. As I drove up the long country road to the old secluded building and parked the car, there were dispersed groups of plump, middle aged women roaming around outside, wearing only dressing gowns and glazed expressions. The inside continued this trend: dozens more clucking, be-slippered zombies, shuffling their way around after white jacketed professionals down long, carpeted hallways, entering 'treatment' rooms. Scary stuff...

But no, I had to shake these thoughts from my head. I was here to keep my girlfriend company, this was her birthday treat after all. Whilst she was being pampered, I would just be chilling by the pool, maybe taking a bike ride. Or so I thought. Unbeknownst to me, my better half had booked me in for 'the works'. I was to be rubbed, prodded, plucked and even, it turns out, caked in mud and steamed for twenty minutes, like some kind of child's bakery attempt!

I'd had a few comments from colleagues in the run up to this day: Am I a Metrosexual, one asked. Another offered to lend me her boyfriend's Speedos. To be honest, I probably shared the same preconceptions. But I went in there with an open mind and I have to say, at the expense of my macho reputation (yeah right): I really enjoyed it all.

Speaking to my treatment lady on the day, whilst she was working me over, produced a few interesting facts: Sometimes there are entire days when you won't see a bloke in there. But when you do, presumably it's all dapper, effeminate types, I asked. Nope, just husbands and boyfriends with their female counterparts.

I was starting to feel in tune with the place. There is no 'type' of male that goes to health spas, it was all sorts. It's OK for a man to have manicures and pedicures, isn't it? This was great, I felt like a modern man. We are not 'Metrosexuals' we just acknowledge the need to look after our bodies- there's nothing 'gay' about that. Awesome. I wanted to know if there were more of us out there, maybe we could start some sort of movement. So I asked my therapist if men she knew came to the spa: “Oh no!” she shrieked in dismissal. “My dad and boyfriend would never come here in a million years!”

Hey ho- viva la revolucion!

Steff.

Steff starts reviewing for Geek Planet Online

2009-10-03T18:28:00.003+01:00

Hello all, just a quick note to say that those fine fellows at Geek Planet Online have asked me to review video games for them. I'm obviously really pleased to do so.

There will be more to come but for the time being they have put up a special, FULL FAT, DIRECTOR'S CUT version of the inFamous review that I did for The Reading Chronicle. This includes a lot of detail that I couldn't fit in before due to word restrictions. In future I'll be doing longer pieces for Geek Planet, then cutting that down for The Chronicle, to suit the different styles of publication.

The link is:

http://www.geekplanetonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=40:ps3&Itemid=13&layout=default

but this will also be in the 'Links to other articles' box on the right side of the page.

Cheers me dears!

Steff.

Reading Festival 2009

2009-10-03T15:34:00.007+01:00

Yes, I know this was way back in August, but I've been busy, OK? I needed to collect my thoughts. So stop judging me! In fact, if I'm honest, I don't much appreciate your attitude of late. Go on, clear off! Get out of here and leave those pilchards behind, on the table!

Sorry about that, he shouldn't give us any more trouble. Anyway, this year marked the 11th anniversary of my first visit to The Reading Festival. How did I celebrate this auspicious occasion? By, err... going to The Reading Festival again. Now, I haven't attended every last one in the previous decade but I have noticed some marked changes. Don't worry, I won't be harping on about how for the cost of a day ticket nowadays, you could have got a weekend ticket in 1998. Or how commercial it has become (it's always been bad for that), or even how “this all used to be fields” (it's held in fields for goodness' sake). No, the changes I'm talking about have come around in just one year.

The Reading Festival 2008 was excellent. Great bands, great atmosphere. Now, whether you like the acts is a matter of personal taste, but whether you enjoy them can be something that's reliant on many variables and that's where I feel this year's fest let us down. Broadly speaking, this can be divided into 2 categories: Audio Quality and Band Attitude.

Audio Quality
Let's face it, if you're watching an enormous, open air concert, the sound quality is never going to be the best. For those of us who want to actually hear the music, we're left with two choices: Watch a band on one of the smaller stages where you can get closer and the tent provides better acoustics, or fight your way to the very front of the main stage. Both of these are problematic though. The best bands don't play the smaller stages and not everyone is up for the crushing, elbow session that is your average mosh pit.

So what's the solution? Well, Festival Republic are kind enough to provide us with satellite speakers. What are these? Imagine the main stage. It has massive speaker sets either side of it, yes? Well, set further back into the crowd are another set of speakers that repeat the same sound at the same time. So if you're chilling further away with your Tuborg, you still get a quality sound experience, without having to worry whether the wind will change direction and it will seem like you're listening underwater. Now, in 2008 there was another set of speakers, even further back. So you could even enjoy the band from afar whilst you eat your £4.50 portion of chips. However, this year, the extra set were nowhere to be seen, meaning there was a massive 'dead area' where if you weren't very near a speaker, the sound was washy and vague. The volume level itself wasn't high enough this year either, despite claims that this was to be the loudest one yet. This sucked big time for me.

Although admittedly I may just be getting more deaf every time I go...

Band Attitude
Terrible, terrible, terrible. Not many things annoy me more than stuck up 'artistes' acting above their stations and festivals are rife with them. The absolute worse perpetrators at this year's shindig were the headline acts. On Friday it was the Kings of Leon, who have taken their drastic restyling too seriously methinks. They played a very mediocre set but then had the gall to act pissed off when they weren't getting much of a reaction from the audience. Here's a clue, if your fans are annoyed, don't have a go at them- play better! They also refused to allow the last part of their set to the broadcast, although the TV audience probably benefited from that more than the band did.

Saturday it was the Arctic Monkeys, who I was very much looking forward to seeing. But northern scallys they are no more. Oh no. They have transformed themselves into heartfelt, ballad singing poets, who now spend more time trying to break America than they do writing any more good songs. All the old charm is gone. Even the quality first album tracks were performed without the venom they used to have. There was a feeling that they were now above us, like they didn't need our little festival. Goodness knows what they're like at Leeds.

Finally, Radiohead closed the whole festival. Now, I'm open about not being a fan, so it's not for me to comment on the performance itself (which I'm assured was very good) but the whole pomp of the stage set was pretty annoying. Plus it frustrates me when bands play videos or use heavy effects on the giant video screens, rather than for their intended purpose of letting us see the acts close up. So if you're far away, you're forced to squint at tiny figures on stage, whilst the enormous TVs play some wanky kaleidoscope for hours. Still, last year, Metallica had fireworks and gun shots and all sorts, but that was heavy metal baby, a real show. Not some lazy eyed, whining git from Oxford. Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway, I went to see Lost Prophets after three songs.

What was amazing was the contrast between the headliners and the 'almosts' who opened for them. Kaiser Chiefs and The Prodigy were excellent (I swerved on Bloc Party after getting my fingers burnt last year). You could see the hunger, the talent and the real audience connection that these bands had, which was totally missing from the headline acts, in my opinion.

The saving grace for this year was the unannounced super group- Them Crooked Vultures, Grohl, Homme and Jones. This had the best of all worlds, audio quality was great thanks to them playing a smaller stage and their attitude and songs were excellent, a real highlight. I can now say that I've seen ¾ of Led Zeppelin live. Which is the best it's going to get, thanks to Bonham's penchant for lunchtime double vodkas (sleep well, sweet prince).

So overall, this year's Reading Festival was a mixed bag. Festival Republic seem to be cutting costs whilst putting up prices and some bands act like they don't want to be there. Luckily, it's still mostly about the music and thank goodness for the smaller bands and stages for reminding us of that.

To be honest though, I haven't ruled out the fact that I might just be an ageing, deaf, miserable arsehole.

Thoughts?

Steff Parry.

5 Free media servers to stream PC content to your PS3

2009-09-23T21:51:00.004+01:00

Problem: You love digital movies and music but your shiny new Playstation 3 Slim only has a 120Gb hard disk. This is large compared to previous models, it's true but if like most you've accumulated maybe terabytes worth of media on your PC over the years, it's going to be a problem getting that onto your living room TV. So to that end we look at 5 free media servers for streaming content from PC to PS3. Bear in mind that for some of the activities described- a dual core processor or better with plenty of RAM is recommended.

Windows Media Player
Let's start with the obvious choice. Windows media player is bundled with its operating system (for now anyway) but if you've somehow misplaced yours, it's readily available on their website. The latest version is 11. By enabling sharing under 'more streaming options', it can be used as a basic media server. You'll need to 'allow' permission to your PS3 but this is a simple affair and once complete, a Windows MP icon will be accessible from your PS3's XMB (you may need to 'search' for media servers first) which will grant you access to your media library. MP3s can be expected to stream with little or no difficulty, so we ramped our tests up by using a 720p HD video file. On our wired network this streamed effortlessly to the PS3 with no hint of stutter or artefacts being introduced. So far so good, time to step things up a bit. We also had in our arsenal a 1080p Full HD video file. This had been encoded with the popular Matroska codec (notoriously difficult for the PS3 to play – despite recent firmware updates). Here WMP fell down, as without any transcoding abilities, the PS3 was able to see the file but not play it when streamed. In this case you would have to convert the file first, not ideal. This is the main problem with WMP. As a standard organisation and playback tool it's great but its media server abilities are limited. The options available are basic. It's a solid choice if you're running Windows and just need to stream music or vanilla video files but for those needing more functionality, or for Linux and Mac users, it's best to look elsewhere.

Tversity
Tversity is the current media server du jour amongst streaming fans and it's easy to see why. It talked flawlessly to our PS3 with its specific pre sets and it contains enough options to tweak, without bogging the user down in ultra fine details. Our 720p file streamed flawlessly over the wired network, as did the 1080p mkv, thanks to Tversity's excellent transcoding tools, which will convert difficult files into PS3 friendly ones on-the-fly, literally as you play them. This means no waiting around to enjoy a Full HD file and this instantly puts it ahead of Windows Media Player. Where Tversity really accelerates past the rest of the pack though is with its wealth of additional features. You can expect to be able to stream RSS feeds, internet, radio and podcasts, as well as episodes of popular television programmes. Like orb, you can also access your media via any browser enabled device but this aspect is not pushed as heavily as its home network use and therefore isn't as comprehensive. There is also a paid-for version available which adds some more premium content. However this is not all available in the UK and some of it that is (such as iPlayer access) is accessible for free elsewhere. Tversity is an easy to use media server with some seriously useful features for transcoding and the additional content is a nice bonus. However, it may lack all the options needed for the serious video/audiophile and it unfortunately has no support for non Windows platforms.

PS3 media centre X
We should say right off the bat that this programme is no longer supported or being developed. It was a firm favourite of some a few years ago though, and is included here for posterity, This programme was developed by Red Kawa, who also make popular video converters. Good thing too, as this programme supports the fewest formats of any here on test. Initially running the programme, you are met with a spartan dialogue box with only 2 buttons – load the server or load the help file. Booting up the server greets us with an interesting interface, with exciting options such as games and apps. Keep your excitement in check though, as these options are no longer supported either and clicking on them confirms this with a sad error message. If all that wasn't enough, we experienced difficulty even downloading the programme, the Red Kawa site rather pointing us towards a suspect external mirror. If you absolutely must try it, download from a depository you trust. With all this in mind, we cannot possibly recommend this software, although we respect its position in the infancy of the PS3 media servers.

Orb
We are moving into something a bit different here. Orb has the same media server functionality as the other programmes here but this adds a nifty twist. It will make your PC media (and even word documents etc.) available to any web enabled device. The user creates an account on the Orb's website and chooses which files to share. It's then simply a matter of accessing the site from another device and away you go, all your shared files are available to stream and download. The applications of this are exciting, access your PC's vast MP3 collection on your iPhone, via a hotspot on a beach somewhere hot. This is similar to the remote play function that currently exists between PS3 and PSP but Orb extends that concept to any browser enabled device. This may not be needed for PS3 media server functionality, as most will have their console connected to their home network and Orb is accessible via the XMB like the others here. But go around a mate's house, fire up the PS3 browser and log in to the Orb's quick, clean and easy to use site using your details and you'll be able to access everything stored on your home PC. Unfortunately, what the Orb has in functionality, it lacks in actual performance. Streaming over the internet was fine for audio files but our 720p and 1080p files were scaled to a much lower resolution and were decidedly blocky. This could be forgiveable (and is worked around by downloading and playing locally) but the same issues were apparent when streaming over our private network. The 720p file had artefacts introduced and, due to a lack of transcoding functionality, the 1080p file would not play at all. Orb also had some trouble letting us see certain file types on PS3. The programme also has limited options, so whilst being user friendly with some great functionality, it won't satisfy the real tweakers out there and suffers somewhat in execution. Also, on a private network, there is no support for Mac or Linux.

PS3 media server
Don't confuse this with Red Kawa's old efforts, they are mirror opposites. The no-nonsense name is indicative of the creator's approach in developing this title. Born out of one man's frustration with existing software and its lack of real grunt for true audio/videophiles, Media Server contains all the options and tweaks you could possibly want. As the name suggests this is geared up for Sony's box, on booting up for the first time, the software detects any PS3 connected to the local network and configures itself accordingly. It runs in Java and so works with Mac and Linux. PS3 Media Server seemed slightly slower than others to begin streaming and whilst the 720p file was flawless, the transcoding of our 1080p file seemed to introduce some artefacts (this was with default settings though). No doubt this can be eliminated with additional tweaking but not everyone wants to have to get involved in this way. Handily, transcoded files are stored in a bespoke folder, so you always have access to the original file. PS3 media server is a powerful piece of software, with many advanced features, but it does require a high level of savvy from its user to get the best out of it.

Verdict
There's a good choice of software for media servers on PC, to stream to PS3. Which one you go for depends on what you need from it. If you just want to fire it up and away you go, with the added benefits of radio et all, then Tversity is the way forward for you. If you're a true aficionado and don't mind getting your hands dirty with buffers and bit rates, or you're a Mac or Linux user looking for a free alternative, then PS3 Media Server is for you, with enough options to suit an advanced set up.

3 Films that are far better than they have a right to be

2009-08-16T18:49:00.013+01:00

We've all felt it. That sensation of being pleasantly surprised by a film that we predicted would be awful. A genuine feeling that a movie we had written off is actually deserving of praise. It doesn't happen too often (not nearly as much as the other way around) but when it does, it should be recognised. That is what I am attempting to do here, picking three such films that struck me in this way. I certainly won't be universally praising these films, but will make a point of explaining why I enjoyed them far more than I expected to.

Bowfinger
Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin. Kings of comedy, right? Yes, in 1984! On the surface, this film appears to be the ultimate in throwaway nonsense. Two washed up comedians starring in a bland looking film with an elaborate plot. I would forgive anyone for being decidedly 'meh' when faced with this film. But, amazingly- it's very good. It has more laugh out loud moments than a dozen other comedies put together, Murphy and Martin are on top form and the writing (Martin again) is excellent.

Of course it's not all flawless. The plot relies too much on coincidence and there are no fully developed character arks, they are the same hammy stereotypes at the end of the film than they were at the beginning. Furthermore, the film never quite makes its mind up about who its target audience is. At first it seems like a jolly family romp but then sub plots involving an actress who methodically sleeps with cast and crew to further her career, or Kitt's references to racial slurs, push this into an adult sphere that the film never quite sits right in. Finally, if I'm being picky, the 'Fake Purse Ninjas' epilogue is a step too far.

However, it is this film's refusal to conform that makes it so good. By eschewing conventions of plot, character and context, Bowfinger delivers a surprising and refreshing experience and elevates itself from being the run of the mill jaunt you expect, to becoming a comedy classic.

Why shouldn't it work?
Washed up comedians, elaborate plot that doesn't do as it's told.

Why is it better than it should be?
Original and refreshing experience, with BIG laughs.

Atonement
It shouldn't be good, it just shouldn't! Everything about the trailer for this film turned me off. Period costume? Check. Gloomy world war setting? Yup. Heavy emphasis on romance? Oh yes! Even the shot of Kiera Knightley soaking wet wasn't enough to get me down to the local Vue.

But then, I was a victim of circumstance. Sitting on the sofa on a rainy Sunday afternoon, flicking through the 'anytime' recordings, I spotted it and decided to take a chance. I'm so glad I did, as this film is very good.

Of course the acting, effects and sets are all of Hollywood standard but the best thing here is that the film absolutely refuses to be the tale you fear it may be.

The plot is tremendously engaging, you really care about the characters and what happens to them. The curve balls thrown in are references to child molestation, an amazing twist that turns the whole thing on its head and, in one hilarious sequence, gratuitous use of the 'c' word! Jane Austin would be turning in her tuberculosis ridden grave. Fantastic.

Throw in just the right amount of war action and genuine catharsis and you've got a modern classic that proudly bucks the trend for its genre. Of course, a soaking wet Kiera doesn't hurt either...

Why shouldn't it work?
Dreary looking, period piece style war romance.

Why is it better than it should be?
Engaging plot, great drama and swearing.

Shane
A 1950's technicolor cowboy film? Lord, save us! But bear with me here, this film is excellent.

Maybe you think that westerns begin and end with Leone's 'Dollars' trilogy? Maybe you're not a fan of the genre at all? I had shared both these views when I watched Shane for the first time. Even the conditions were wrong, I was obliged to watch it for a University project- not always the best grounds for enjoyment. But enjoy it I did, very much so.

If your western diet has mainly consisted of the spaghetti variety, then be prepared for a very different experience here. Shane may not exude the same gritty showdowns or ambivalent anti-heroes as Sergio's offerings, but it would be a massive error to presume that it does not contain the pace, excitement or passion. If you want to read a more in depth stylistic comparison between Shane and the films of Sergio Leone, I have previously written an essay on the topic, which I will post a link to.

For now, let's stick to why else this film is so good. Forget your preconceptions. You think because it's 50 years old that it's not violent? Wrong, there are bar-room brawls and gun fights to satisfy your blood lust. You think it will be too long and dialogue heavy? Wrong, at a sprightly 118 minutes. it makes The Good, The Bad and The Ugly seem like a bloated Mexican of a film. The dialogue is snappy and essential, with just the right balance of character developing conversations and rootin' tootin' fighting talk. Perhaps you think that a film of this age could only contain bland, old fashioned characters? Wrong again my little friends. Shane is a fantastic hero, he comes out of the wilderness and brings that dark side with him, meaning he has the edge to fight off the antagonists. He's not a bad guy but has some of their traits and is not fully good either. Shane returns to the wilderness when the job is done but not unscathed. He is a far more interesting character than many of today's heroes.

Shane paved the way long before The Man With No Name rode into town with his mule and poncho and inspired a new generation of European Wild West directors. That's why despite appearing dull, Shane is a classic.

Why shouldn't it work?
Old cowboy film with no Clint?

Why is it better than it should be?
The character of Shane and it's influential legacy.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article. I definitely derived pleasure from writing it. It was an interesting process deciding which three films to cover. If I were to include more, I would probably choose 3 colours red, on the waterfront and old school. My criteria was that I may have watched it begrudgingly but even if I was willing, my expectations were very low. In the end, not only was I pleasantly surprised but the film even became one of my favourites within its respective genre. Please share your thoughts below as to whether you agree with my choices, or offer up some of your own based on my criteria.

Steff.

Choice Photos.

2009-07-27T19:16:00.033+01:00

I've included here some of my favourite photos that I've taken over the years. I'm not a pro by any stretch of the imagination but every so often I've snapped something that I've been truly proud of. So in a totally vain manner, I've decided to make an entry dedicated to them, with a short blurb for each. Click on a photo to see it in its full glory. Feel free to let me know your thoughts.

All images are ©Steff Parry 2003-2009

Campus Tree
This was taken at The Reading University’s Whiteknights campus (hence the bits of trash lying around). I was really lucky with the light, I love the way the white is totally burned out but only fragments filter through the branches. The digital camera I used for this shot was such an old brick that it’s amazing it captured the detail it did. This photo was actually used as the basis for a photography competition by a website once. They spelled my name wrong on the application form. Bastards.

Burial: Havana Style!

This is my favourite photo of mine that I’ve shot in recent years. There is an amazing cemetery in Havana, Cuba which is full of burial tombs such as this. I barely had to crouch for this shot, it was so tall. The sun was shining but it became slightly overcast when I took this, which really lends a moody atmosphere to the shot. I have no idea who was buried here but my respects to his family for giving them such an impressive monument as their final resting place.

Stop
Taken in Long Island, New York. This sign really appealed to me. It’s weathered, beaten, but still authoritative. It’s like an ageing mobster saying “Hey, yooz better stop that automobile right now or I’ll slam yerz head in the door” Maybe. What the hell does ‘All Way’ mean?

Beaded Lady

A very new one this. Taken a few months ago in Calamonaci, Sicily, this features my darling fiancée on a dusty Mediterranean street (hence every car visible is a Fiat). This was harder to capture than it looks, the beads are actually cunning devices for keeping insects at bay and, being constructed of a modern, lightweight material (circa 4000BC) tend to blow around like crazy in the wind. Worth it though!

Buena Vista Pub Social

I snapped these chaps in Santiago, Cuba. It’s a very musical city and it was a regular occurrence for bands like this to strike up out of nowhere. What was more of a surprise was when they packed up and hit the bar as soon as a I dropped a two peso coin in the hat! Didn’t feel like I got good value for money there. Anyway, I love the colours in this shot but mainly I dig the dude on the far right. Look at him rocking those sticks!

Rustic Wagon Wheels
A farm house near Gaillac, France is the scene for our final shot in my choice pics. I really love this area, it’s full of great, rustic scenes. I think the autumn setting is perfect for this, the general theme being decay. I shot this on an old 35mm SLR camera, which again is in keeping with the mood of the shot. The farmer probably still gets some use out of this bad boy.

Well I hope you enjoyed seeing a few of my favourite photos. I am a hobby photographer mainly. I hardly ever shoot posed photos, preferring to snap random pictures as I see them. I should probably mention that apart from some slight cropping, I haven’t done any post production work on these photos. With the technology available in today’s compacts, it’s really easy to shoot some great photos very easily. Let me know your thoughts below.

Steff Parry.

Hello. (Start Here)

2009-07-27T15:44:00.011+01:00

Welcome to Deluded, the blog by Steff Parry where I pretend that people give a crap about what I think. Here I will cover topics such as film, technology, video games and whatever else is on my mind. Please feel free to add your comments below or drop me a line on steffparry@hotmail.com

Well as this is my first entry, I suppose it should be deep and meaningful, so…I love Monkeys? Anyway, without sounding too wanky, I want this to be a multimedia experience, so I’ll be uploading some choice photos of mine, along with perhaps the odd video or soundclip.

I’m currently a freelance contributor to The Reading Chronicle, reviewing Playstation 3 games (it’s a tough old world- eh?). You can see my articles here: http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/search/sparry I will post links to new articles as they’re published.

I also have a vague inclination to write some short stories, so I’ll keep you posted on how that goes. For the time being, have a mosey around, drop me a line if you fancy and watch this space…

Steff.