Sunday 31 August 2014

5 x 5




5 Skateboarding Videos:
  1. What's Cooking - Get Lesta
  2. Bake and Destroy - Baker and Thrasher mag collaboration
  3. Sebo Walker's welcome to Krooked part
  4. Ordinary Madness - Death
  5. Pretty Sweet - Girl & Chocolate
There is a great range of videos here, from local gems like the Get Lesta video, to high end, expensive productions like Pretty Sweet. Regardless of budget, all the videos really convey the sense of fun and creativity that skateboarding induces.




5 Superhero Movies:

  1. Watchmen - An excellent film, a dark portrayal of an alternate 1980's America containing superheroes. Featuring antihero Rorschach and the supernatural Dr. Manhattan.
  2. Batman Trilogy - Christopher Nolan does an excellent job of charting the transformation of Bruce Wayne to Batman, and his struggle for justice. The almost dystopian setting of Gotham and the complexity of the characters make for a captivating film.
  3. Chronicle - This "found-footage" style film follows a trio of teens who gain the power of a telekinesis after they explore a strange cave, but a degeneration of one of the teen's home life's lead him to evil. 
  4. The Incredibles - Although the film is primarily marketed towards children, it has an engaging and funny storyline, along with some darker themes and villains with qualms about using violence against children.
  5. Super - This low budget comedy follows a man who sinks into depression when his wife leaves him for a strip club owner, then his quest for vengeance ensues, with lots of over the top violence and jokes.



5 UK TV Series:
  1. Dr Who - This incredibly long running show follows the life of the alien Doctor and his various companions, as they travel through time and space. Surprisingly sombre at times, but full of humour and excitement, a timeless show.
  2. The Inbetweeners - Hilarious sit-com showing the social struggle of four tragic teenagers in sub-urban England.
  3. Misfits - After a mysterious storm, a group of teenagers doing community service develop strange powers, in this sci-fi/comedy, the series follows this strange series of events and it's aftermath. 
  4. Sherlock - A modern day take on Arthur Conan Doyle's classic, taking place in modern day London, with each episode having it's own compelling plot, but with the ongoing Sherlock vs Moriarty narrative.
  5. Peep Show - An interesting take on comedy, with the majority of the sketches taking place from behind one of the character's eyes, with their thoughts for a narrative. One of the longest running English comedies of it's generation and it still manages funny.



5 Video Games:

  1. Bioshock Infinite (2013) - Graphically stunning game set on the flying city of Columbia, throughout the game a relationship develops between the protagonist Booker and their companion Elizabeth and the many mysteries begin to unravel. Impressive plot, setting and a huge plot twist ending make this one highly recommended
  2. L.A Noire (2011) -  A noir detective game set in post war 1940's LA, a fascinating tale of intrigue, corruption and mystery.
  3. Batman: Arkham City (2011) - Bone crunching violence, brilliant comic styling and open world gameplay.
  4. Portal (2007) - Puzzle game revolving around the player being able to fire portals, set in the dystopian "Aperture Science" testing facility.
  5. Sly 2: Band of Thieves (2004) - In the top five more for nostalgia than anything else, but still a good game in it's own right.
In my eyes video game's are the most interactive form of media, and therefore one of the most enjoyable, and all of my choices confirm that for me.




5 Songs:
  1. Arctic Monkeys - From Ritz to Rubble
  2. The Knack - My Sharona
  3. Army of the Pharaohs - Spaz Out
  4. Otis Redding - Hard to Handle
  5. Frank Turner - The Road
The range of songs on offer here shows just how diverse music is as a form of media, and also how music preferences don't have to be locked in to specific genres. Influences include my mum's eclectic tastes (Arctic Monkeys, My Sharona and Frank Turner) and skateboarding videos (AOTP and Otis Redding); although surprisingly, there is a lot of overlap between the two.