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Our Daily Beard

Oooh.

Well, E3 looms, doesn’t it?!

Looking forward to hearing what we can expect in the rest of the year. The real centerpeices of the show will be the next gen consoles, xbox one and ps4. Unfortunately, both have so far been met with trepidation; at this stage it’s more a case of hoping to hear that things aren’t so bad, rather than waiting with anticipation of a spectacular product.

Still, I’m going to keeping up with it all as much as possible.

For now, take a look at this funky competition to get tickets to the Relentless Kerrang! Awards afterparty. Just retweet to enter. You might get to rub noses with the best musicians ever to wear eyeliner.

Good luck!

 
[sociable]

Our Daily Beard

Ayup

I can’t believe it’s still sunny!

Anyway, we’ve been absorbed in the new Hannibal TV series.

I think there’s something there for those familiar and not familiar with movies and/or books. It’s rare that I get into a psychological thriller, either because the psychology is a bit wet or the thrills are cheap.

Hannibal skirts that lines at times, not least of all when it rolls out the grisly tableaus (you can’t spit around this state without hitting a dead person displayed in a gruesome but artistic and conveniently TV-worthy fashion).

Nevertheless, the show is strong. Mads Mikkelsen steals the show, of course. At first he may seem wooden, but in fact it’s just superbly understated acting; even when he’s perfectly still, there’s a nuance in everything he doesn’t do. This is the perfect way to approach a character that’s so well known- we expect the glint of evil all the time and so we see it in the most mundane of his actions. For example, Hannibal repeatedly feeds people. “Here, have a delicious fillet of pork prepared in a fancy gourmet way.” The guest pops the red juicy meat in their mouth. We know that Hannibal is a cannibal. Nothing else has to be said; we watch, we know. We know that he knows.

Though the violence gets a bit much at times (I’m not squeamish, it’s just… come on… how high is the crime rate around here?!) it’s a well written and stylish show. The main plot is a cat-and-mouse between Hannibal and the protagonist Will. Will is cheese central- a gifted investigator who gets into the minds of killers, but at what cost to his sanity? Yada, yada. It actually doesn’t matter- it’s based on a classic novel, so it’s not really a cliché if they did it first. What matters is that they move onto new grounds with these old tropes. The cat-and-mouse is all done without Will knowing what Hannibal is- in fact, they become friends. The descent into madness is slow and startling, portrayed with some nice visual effects and a patient pace that you won’t get in a movie.

Of course, anyone would go mad if they found decapitated/mutilated/defenestrated naked people every day.

Give it a try.

 
[sociable]

Our Daily Beard

Hey folks.

Nice day for it!

Me and the mrs went down to Apedale nature park the other day and saw the bluebells in bloom.

Thought I’d share the evidence that summer has indeed arrived, if somewhat late:

 

blu

 

Lovely. Enjoy it while you can, fellow UKites.

I’ve got a ton of work to do- see you soon!

 
[sociable]