The City Is Blinking

"Strike me down in anger and I'll always be with you. Just like your father." I was late seeing The Last Jedi. I have loved Star Wars since seeing the original trilogy as a young boy with my family. I remember seeing The Empire Strikes Back and worrying that it was the end of the story. When my father told me we still had one more to watch, I was elated. After hearing so much negative chatter about The Last Jedi, I was prepared to hate it. When I finally saw it, I kept waiting for the film to get bad, and to do something unforgivable. Yet it never happened. From start to finish, I loved The Last Jedi. It was only a matter of time before the snarky, condescending arsery that typified the reaction to the underrated and unfairly maligned prequel trilogy, raised its ugly head again. The reaction to The Last Jedi lets us see that George Lucas is and was not nearly as bad as we are led to believe. If the self-appointed true fans of the series find so much fault in The La...

When I was younger than I am now, I wrote for a comic book website. It was, some good people aside, one of the most frustrating creative experiences of my life. Not just for the seemingly masochistic, self-pitying edge to almost everything the internet comic book community poured into everything, but for the suspicious and perpetually emphasized edge that was fearful of anything that didn't immediately represent the straight, white, male demographic. When I recently expressed amazement at the idiocy of Marvel Comics blaming diversity for declining comic book sales, it was a random comic book fan who took me to task. It was "forced" diversity and bad writing that was to blame, he said. He didn't want a history lesson or a lesson in morality, and that was the only thing he could think of when he thought of creative diversity. Well, I am not saying that unwanted lessons in morality aren't a drag: they frequently are. But he was dead wrong that diversity in crea...

"I should have known It seemed too easy You were there And I was breathing blue Strange Don't you think I'm looking older? But something good has happened to me Change is a stranger You have yet to know Well you're out of time I'm letting go You'll be fine Well that much I know You're out of time I'm letting go I'm not the man you want I should have known It seemed so easy You were there I thought I needed you." Older, released in 1996, is George Michael's masterpiece. It is, as the title suggests, the most mature and intriguing album in Michael's career. It is a soulful, gorgeous thing. George Michael was one of the best songwriters of his generation, as well as possessing a serious talent in performance and a voice that knocks you over. Older is an album that has, somewhat appropriately, gotten better with age. A lot of people unfortunately remember George Michael for Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, and nothing else. Not tha...

"I got something to say, something to say..." R&B is my favourite genre in music, as you may know. I thought it would be fun to create a dream R&B super group, and talk about why these people would combine to make something truly stunning and sensual, so that is what I'm doing. I include below the members of the group, along with a few words about why they were chosen, as well as a set-list for the debut concert. Enjoy! ---- R. Kelly The most talented musician of his generation, and nearly as influential as Michael Jackson for influencing countless artists. The depth of his catalogue means that there are always going to be hits ready to drop and given Kells' supreme ability to collaborate with artists and make music that suits them rather than his own ego, you know that he will gel well with the other members of the group. The elder statesman and the greatest performer, producer and writer on this list. Craig David Backing up Kells with a guidi...

Walking sims, a somewhat derogatory term for atmospheric, story based games with little or no skill level required, are among my very favourite things in the world. I love them for how open they are to all people, not just the elite who grew up on video games. It is with walking sims that games have truly grown up and developed into an artform that has more to say than shooting somebody with a large gun. There are many brilliant walking sims, but I am going to talk about my six favourites. Firewatch "Do me wrong, do me right. Tell me lies but hold me tight Save your good-byes for the morning light, but don't let me be lonely tonight Say goodbye and say hello. Sure enough good to see you, but it's time to go Don't say yes but please don't say no, I don't want to be lonely tonight." Firewatch is my favourite walking sim, and for good reasons. It is one of the most visually stunning games I have ever seen or played, and it has a story that is unrival...

"Everything is a picture waiting to be taken... " "And I'm not sure what the trouble was What started all of this The reasons all have run away But the feeling never did It's not something I would recommend But it is one way to live Cause what is simple in the moonlight By the morning never is It was simple in the moonlight Now it's so complicated." Life Is Strange is my kind of game. Developed by French outfit Dontnod, the game recalls the best work of Telltale particularly the first season of The Walking Dead and my favourite The Wolf Among Us, as well as David Cage's ambitious, though flawed, Heavy Rain. The basic story concerns the ability of lead character Max to rewind time, and how that ability affects her relationships with the people in her life. While the time rewinding mechanic results in some very good science fiction, the real joy of Life Is Strange is to be found in the way it tells the story of Max and the people around her. It ...

2017, in some ways, wasn't a great year for me. I lost my father eight months ago, and have had some personal shit that didn't work out so well.  Luckily the year in created things was pretty great. I have listed my favourite music, video games, movies and television shows below. I close with a look at the best created work of any medium or genre. MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Drake - More Life . Drake's best album, neck and neck with Take Care. A beautiful array of styles. Stunning production and hooks for days and days. He is the quintessential modern rapper/R&B artist. Flow into melody into flow with melody. More Life features some of Drake's best melodies in a career that has been full of them. Passionfruit is a highlight, as are Teenage Fever, Fake Love and Madiba Rhythm. Destroys Kendrick Lamar with a musical acumen that, for as good as Kendrick's lyrical chops are, Lamar just can't compete with. The best rapper alive today and one of the ver...