Stubs – Things to Come

Things to Come (1936) Starring: Raymond Massey, Ralph Richardson, Cedric Hardwicke, Pearl Argyle and Margaretta Scott. Directed by William Cameron Menzies. Screenplay by H.G. Wells, Based on the novel, The Shape of Things to Come by H.G. Wells. Produced by Alexander Korda.  Run Time: 109 minutes. U.K.  Black and White. Science Fiction, Christmas

Drive-by Christmas continues with a look at Things to Come (1936), a visionary look at future events written by H.G. Wells and directed by William Cameron Menzies. Wells was a well-known science fiction writer of his time after such novels as The Time Machine (1985), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898). Wells wrote the novel, The Shape of Things to Come in 1933, in which he speculated about future events going out to the year 2106. Welles claims that the book is his edited notes from a fictitious diplomat, Dr. Philip Raven, and presents a "future history" which diverts from reality in late 1933/early 1934.

The war starts on Christmas Day, 1940. Qualifying Things to Come as a drive-by Christmas movie.

The film, title shortened to Things to Come, is set in the then future world of 1940. On Christmas Day, the talk is not about gifts and family, but about the ominous news of possible war. Set in the fictional British city of Everytown, which strongly resembles London, successful businessman John Cabal (Raymond Massey) and his guest, Dr. Edward Harding (Maurice Braddell), share worries, but their over-optimistic friend Pippa Passworthy (Edward Chapman) believes war will not come to pass. A bombing raid from an unspecified country, but one they know who it is, on the city results in general mobilization and global war.

Most of the action takes place in and around Everytown, UK (the equivalent to Anytown, U.S.A.)

Cabal, now piloting a biplane, later shoots down a one-man enemy bomber. He lands and pulls the badly injured enemy (John Clements) from the wreckage. As the two of them discuss the madness of war, they have to put on their gas masks, as the enemy’s poison gas drifts in their direction. When a little girl runs towards them, the wounded man insists she takes his mask, saying he is done for anyway. Cabal takes the girl to his plane, leaving a revolver for the wounded man. Before shooting himself, the man dwells on the irony that he may have killed the child's family and yet he has saved her.

John Cabal (Raymond Massey) attends to an injured enemy pilot (John Clements).

Unlike World War II, which this movie predicted, this new war continues for decades, long enough for the survivors to have forgotten why they are fighting in the first place. With the world in ruins and with little technological advancement, as everything was put into the war effort, humanity has entered a new Dark Age. The film picks up briefly, telling us that in 1966, the enemy had spread a plague called the "wandering sickness" using its last few remaining aircraft. Dr. Harding and his daughter, Mary (Ann Todd), struggle to find a cure, but with little equipment, all seems hopeless.

Dr. Edward Harding (Maurice Braddell) works with his daughter Mary (Ann Todd)
trying to find a cure for the "wandering sickness" plague the enemy has spread. 

By 1970, a local warlord called the "Chief" or the "Boss" (Ralph Richardson) has risen to power and has eradicated the sickness, in Everytown, by shooting the infected. He dreams of conquering the "hill people" to obtain coal and shale to render into oil so his biplanes can fly again. The Boss has tasked his master mechanic, Richard Gordon (Derrick De Marney) with piecing together a fleet of airplanes, which without tools, parts and petrol seems an impossible task.

Local Warlord (Ralph Richardson) runs Everytown post WWII.

On May Day 1970, a futuristic airplane lands outside the town. The sole pilot, John Cabal, emerges and proclaims that the last surviving band of "engineers and mechanics" have formed a civilization called "Wings Over the World" (wasn’t that the name of a Paul McCartney tour?), based in Basra, Iraq (of all places). The WOTW have renounced war and outlawed independent nations, which doesn’t sit well with The Boss, who takes the pilot prisoner. He forces Cabal and Harding to work for Gordon. Together, they manage to get a plane fixed. When Gordon takes it up for a test flight, he flees to alert Cabal's friends.

John Cabal (Raymond Massey) arrives. What the future looked like in 1936.

Wings Over the World attacks Everytown with gigantic planes and drops sleeping peace gas bombs on the town. The Boss orders his biplanes to attack but they are outgunned and shot down. The people of Everytown are put to sleep, but The Boss chokes to death on what he thinks is poisonous gas. When the citizens of Everytown awaken, the Airmen of Wings Over the World are in charge.

Wings Over the World flies gigantic airplanes that bomb Everytown into submission.

A montage follows, showing decades of technological progress, beginning with Cabal explaining plans for global consolidation by Wings Over the World. The montage reminds me of a comment in Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie, about a time when science didn’t need to have a purpose. By 2036, mankind lives in modern underground cities, including the new 'Everytown,' which is now free from disease and war.

However, all is not well. A sculptor, Theotocopulos (Cedric Hardwicke), incites the populace to demand a "rest" from the rush of progress, symbolized by the first manned flight around the Moon. (Okay they were off on this one by about 70 years.) The modern-day Luddites are opposed by Oswald Cabal (Raymond Massey), the head of the governing council and grandson of John Cabal from the first part of the movie. Oswald Cabal's daughter Catherine (Pearl Argyle) and her boyfriend Horrie Passworthy (Pickle Livingston) insist on riding on the spaceship, which is really more like a bullet than what we think of as a rocket. With the mob rushing to destroy the space gun (film technology hasn’t advanced since Georges Melies’ 1902 film A Trip to the Moon), Cabal orders the ship’s launch ahead of schedule.

Futuristic Everytown with the rocket that will take man to the moon.

The film ends, with, what else, a preachy speech delivered by Oswald Cabal to Raymond Passworthy (Edward Chapman), Horrie’s father, who is rightly concerned by their children’s fate. Rather than being concerned about their wellbeing, Oswald rambles on about progress and humanity's quest for knowledge. ". . . for man no rest and no ending. He must go on—conquest beyond conquest.” Later in the same speech, Oswald points to the stars and concludes (thankfully) “It is that—or this? All the universe—or nothingness. . . . Which shall it be?"

Thankfully, this film got so much wrong about man’s future in 1936. While World War II was probably inevitable, it didn’t carry on without purpose for decades. It’s no surprise that the fear of poisonous gas, which was so devastating in World War I (not to mention its recent use in Syria), that it would play such a part in the new war. I guess we can be happy that was wrong, too.

While predicting the future is a tough call, unless of course you’re Nostradamus, and while the technological advancements seem to be for the sake of technological advancement, the filmmakers do seem to have predicted the Segway of all things, which is seen as a device that carries a standing single passenger from place to place rather than walking. (I wonder if the Wells estate gets royalties.)

The visuals for the film, especially futuristic Everytown, are well done. Some of the inventions, like the Wings Over the World's huge airplanes, show a great deal of creativity, though Everytown isn’t rendered as completely as Metropolis in Fritz Lang’s 1927 film. In Things to Come, the models are sometimes painfully obvious, but you can tell the filmmakers were going for a look.

I found the Art Direction to be reminiscent of Fritz Lang's Metropolis.

And all of that would be forgivable, budgets being what they are, if the writing had been better. The dialogue involving Raymond Massey’s characters all seem to be lofty and preachy (and boring). The acting is really stiff for the most part. Even Ralph Richardson, who has a potentially juicy crazy character to portray, The Boss, seems like he’s being constrained from giving it his all. While this is not the fault of the film, my strong association of Massey with his portrayal of President Lincoln, in Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940), makes me feel like I’m seeing Lincoln time traveler, rather than either of the Cabal men he plays in this film.

Abe Lincoln time traveller. Raymond Massey is the main character in Things to Come.

The director, William Cameron Menzies, began his career in Hollywood, working for Famous Players-Lasky in special effects and design. He became known for his sets, especially the elaborate sets he made for Douglas Fairbanks’ The Thief of Baghdad (1924). So impressed with this work was David O. Selznick that he hired Menzies to work on Gone With the Wind (1939), making him the final word on the overall look of the production.

Menzies also directed. In addition to this film, he directed the sci-fi classic Invaders From Mars (1953), amongst others. However, he is best remembered for his work as an art director and production designer, which garnered his inclusion into the Art Director’s Hall of Fame in 2005.

While visually interesting in places, the film is weighed down by its grim tone and preachy manner. Since this was a drive-by Christmas review, let’s say that this is a present you wouldn’t want to open.

To read reviews of other Christmas films, please see our Christmas Review Hub.

Stubs – Lady in the Lake

Lady in the Lake (1947) Starring: Robert Montgomery, Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan Directed by Robert Montgomery. Produced by George Haight. Screenplay by Steve Fisher. Based on the novel by Raymond Chandler.  Run Time: 105 minutes. U.S.  Black and White Film Noir, Mystery, Crime, Christmas

Last year, we celebrated a Bruce Willis Christmas, watching and reviewing three films he starred in that used the holiday season as a backdrop for their violence and terrorism, Die Hard, Die Hard 2 and RED. This was really nothing new and this year we’re going to continue our survey of such films from the 1930’s and 40’s which handled the holiday in much the same way: Lady in the Lake, The Man Who Came to Dinner, My Favorite Wife, and Things to Come. We’re calling it drive-by Christmas.

While I like It’s A Wonderful Life as much as, or more than, the next guy, I also like to see a variety of films at this time of year, from classics like The Bishop’s Wife to ones that sort of don't take the holiday too seriously, instead use it for atmosphere rather than the driving point of the film. Lady in the Lake has that quality in common with Die Hard and Die Hard 2, in that the holiday is all around the film, but it is not really a major part of the storyline at the same time.

Phillip Marlowe has been a popular character, depicted in several films most famously by Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep (1946), Dick Powell in Murder, My Sweet (1944), Elliot Gould in The Long Good-bye (1973) and by Robert Mitchum in Farewell, My Lovely (1975) and The Big Sleep (1978). The last time I’ve seen Marlowe was on the small screen; James Caan appeared as the private detective in HBO’s 1998 adaptation of the Chandler started, Robert B. Parker finished novel, Poodle Springs. The film Lady in the Lake is based on the novel of the same name, published in 1943.

Even the credits evoke the holiday.

The film opens with Marlowe (Montgomery) sitting at his desk addressing the audience about his involvement with the Lady in the Lake case. This introduction gives us a bit of the backstory. Fed up with low pay, Marlowe decided to start writing crime fiction and has submitted a piece to Kingsby Publications.

One of the few shots of Philip Marlowe (Robert Montgomery).

He is called for a meeting by magazine editor Adrienne Fromsett (Audrey Totter), who he thinks wants to discuss the publication of his story. But Marlowe quickly learns that she has summoned him under false pretenses. Adrienne is not interested in Marlowe's story and instead asks him to help her find Chrystal Kingsby, the estranged wife of Derace Kingsby (Leon Ames), the magazine's publisher.

Derace Kingsby (Leon Ames) and Adrienne Fromsett (Audrey Totter)

Marlowe sees through Adrienne and accuses her of trying to break up Kingsby's marriage so that she can marry Derace herself. Marlowe is intrigued by Adrienne's desperation, and he’s also attracted to her, so he accepts the case.

After learning that Chrystal was last seen with a playboy named Chris Lavery (Dick Simmons), Marlowe begins his investigation with a visit to Lavery's home in Bay City (aka Santa Monica). Lavery invites Marlowe into his home, and after calmly answering Marlowe’s questions abruptly knocking the detective unconscious. Hours later, Marlowe regains consciousness in a jail cell and is taken to see Bay City police detectives Lieutenant DeGarmot (Lloyd Nolan) and Captain Fergus K. Kane (Tom Tully). Kane warns Marlowe not to start trouble in his district before releasing him.

Chris Lavery (Dick Simmons)

Marlowe reports to Adrienne, who advises him to go to Little Fawn Lake, where the Kingsbys have a house and where Chrystal was last seen. But before Marlowe can leave her office, a reporter arrives with news that Bill Chess, the caretaker at Kingsby's home, has been arrested, charged with murdering his wife Muriel, whose body was found in the lake. Adrienne fears that Chrystal may actually be the murderer since she hated Muriel and insists Marlowe leave immediately.

Marlowe eavesdrops on a report Kingsby receives.

We return to Marlowe in his office, who tells us that he made the trip. He once again reports to Adrienne, telling her the body found in the lake had been there for nearly a month and that he also discovered that Muriel used the name "Mildred Havelend." Further, Muriel had married the caretaker because she was being pursued and needed a place to hide. Marlowe also reports that Muriel and Chrystal had a fight over a man and that he, Marlowe, had found an anklet inscribed with the words, "to Mildred from Chris." Suspecting that Lavery is involved in the disappearances of both Muriel and Chrystal, Marlowe pays another visit to his Bay City house.

When he arrives, he finds the door unlocked and meets a confused pistol-wielding woman, who introduces herself as Lavery's landlady, Mrs. Falbrook (Jayne Meadows). Mrs. Falbrook tells Marlowe that Lavery’s not home. When Marlowe asks about the gun, she claims she found it on the landing and gives it to Marlowe before departing.

Mrs. Fallbrook (Jayne Meadows), Chris Lavery's landlady.

Going upstairs, Marlowe finds a handkerchief with the initials "A. F." on it in a bedroom and in the bathroom he finds Lavery's bullet-ridden body in the shower. Believing that either Adrienne or Kingsby is responsible for Lavery's murder, Marlowe crashes Kingsby’s office Christmas party. He shows Adrienne the gun he’d gotten from Mrs. Falbrook, but she appears genuinely stunned over Lavery's death.

When Marlowe brings Kingsby up to date on his activities, the publisher expresses shock that Adrienne has been trying to sabotage his marriage. He tells her she had misunderstood his interest in her. Though Adrienne confesses to Marlowe that she was after Kingsby's money, she denies Marlowe's accusation that she murdered for it or was involved with Lavery.

Adrienne then angrily fires Marlowe, but Kingsby immediately hires him to find Chrystal and help him protect her from false murder charges. Marlowe goes back to Bay City to return the gun to Lavery’s, but finds Kane and DeGarmot already there. When they’re left alone, Marlowe suggests DeGarmot knows Muriel and that he could be the man she’d been hiding from. DeGarmot scuffles with Marlowe and the police try unsuccessfully to have the detective charged with Lavery's murder.

Lt. DeGarmot (Lloyd Nolan) and Capt. Fergus Kane (Tom Tully) investigating Lavery's death.

Marlowe gets information from a newspaper editor contact that Muriel, a nurse, was mixed up in the mysterious death of Florence Elmore, the wife of the doctor whom she worked for in Bay City. When he interviews Florence's frightened parents, he learns a policeman is involved. Marlowe begins to suspect that it is Chrystal, not Muriel, whose body was found in the lake and that Muriel is the murderer and DeGarmot is covering up for her.

Florence's parents help Marlowe's investigation.

When he drives away, Marlowe is chased, resulting in his car crashing and ending up on its side. DeGarmot arrives and tries to doctor the scene by making it look like Marlowe is drunk. He goes off to anonymously call the police. But Marlowe regains semi-consciousness. Thwarting a mugging, he changes places with the would-be robber, just as police roll to the crash. He even leaves his identification card on his would-be attacker. Still woozy, Marlowe makes it to a phone and calls Adrienne for help before passing out.

The next morning, Christmas day, Marlowe wakes up in Adrienne’s apartment. Adrienne admits she has fallen in love with him and even gives him presents she had originally intended for Derace. The two spend the day together until Kingsby arrives. He’s received a telegram from Chrystal indicating she’s in Bay City and in need of money. Suspecting a trap, Marlowe volunteers to deliver the money.

Marlowe makes the rendezvous with Chrystal and, leaving a trail of rice for the police to follow, he accompanies her back to her apartment. There, Marlowe discovers that the woman who is trying to collect money is the same woman who introduced herself as Mrs. Falbrook. Marlowe realizes that Mrs. Falbrook is really Muriel and that his suspicion that she killed Chrystal and Lavery to cover up her murder of Florence is correct.

Muriel leads Marlowe back to her apartment on Christmas Day.

Muriel threatens Marlowe with a gun, but DeGarmot arrives unexpectedly, having followed and destroyed the trail of rice. DeGarmot threatens to kill both of them and frame them for all the murders. DeGarmot confesses to Marlowe that he has been covering up for Muriel, who professed romantic interest in him to get his help in covering up Florence's murder. Furious at her deceit, DeGarmot shoots Muriel. He is about to kill Marlowe as well, when Kane and other policemen arrive on the scene and shoot DeGarmot dead.

With the murder case solved, Marlowe resumes his romance with Adrienne and the two plan to go to New York to pursue his writing career.

I’ve previously written about Robert Montgomery’s acting career as part of the review of Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941), so I don’t want to repeat the biography. Lady in the Lake was his debut film as a director and as such, there are what I’d call rookie mistakes, the biggest of which is the use of a subjective camera. Literally, we’re watching the film as if we’re Phillip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler’s best-known character. All the action takes place in front of our eyes with only a glimpse of Marlowe being seen in mirrors. Like a film based on a Saturday Night Live sketch, the joke gets old after a few minutes. While it’s an interesting premise, a more experienced director wouldn’t have done it, realizing the limitations and the effect it has on the acting involved.

Since there is no intercutting during the dialogue, actors had to get used to longer takes. These make for uncomfortable looks. The only thing worse is when Audrey Totter moves in for a kiss from Marlowe. You feel bad for her having to pucker up for the camera lens. No one needs to see that.

One of the problems with Lady in the Lake is awkward looking reaction shots like this.

In addition to negatively affecting the acting of the supporting cast, Montgomery’s Marlowe comes off as wooden and stiff as the actor/director limits himself only to his voice. While this is also true of voice acting in animated films, there are no visuals of the Marlowe character, in this case, just the pained expression of the other actors listening to Montgomery reciting his lines.

Another rookie mistake is that the film tells rather than shows us. The trip to Little Fawn Lake is exposited to us, not shown. My guess is that it would have been difficult to shoot such a sequence solely from Marlowe’s POV, this being the days before steady-cams and the like. The film feels sort of claustrophobic as it moves from one room to another. I never get the sense that we’re ever actually outside on the streets and film noirs seem to draw power when they seem to happen in the real world. This comes across strictly as a film made on a sound stage.

I want to like this film more than I do. Besides being a film noir, which is usually a plus for me, it’s a story based on the writings of one of the great detective writers of all time, Raymond Chandler. But we’ve seen messy film adaptations of his work before (think 1946’s The Big Sleep). Robert Montgomery, Audrey Totter and the rest of the cast are all fine actors. It wouldn’t be a film noir without Totter and it’s nice to see Lloyd Nolan back in his heyday.

But the gimmick with the subjective point of view gets old fast and wears out its welcome before the movie is completed. I’m aware that at the time of the film’s release, Variety called the subjective camera “a novel method of telling the story” and thought that its use transfers “a fair whodunit into socko screen fare.” I have to humbly disagree.

If you yearn for a good holiday-themed film noir, you might have to keep looking. Lady in the Lake has too many flaws, despite its Christmas-themed backdrop, to recommend it. Frankly, I’m not sure if there is a good Christmas noir out there. I haven’t seen Roadblock (1951) or No Man of Her Own (1950), other noirs that I understand have Christmas themes as well. Maybe that’s something we can ask Santa to bring us for next year.

To read reviews of other Christmas films, please see our Christmas Review Hub.

[OLD] Second Opinion - The Stanley Parable

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2021/03/second-look-stanley-parable-demo.html

WARNING: Due to the nature of The Stanley Parable, this review may contain minor spoilers. If this does not bother you or you have no plans whatsoever to actually play The Stanley Parable, then feel free to read ahead, but otherwise it is strongly recommended that you play the game on Steam first before reading this review, preferably with as little knowledge about the game’s contents as possible. You have been warned, so don’t blame me if anything I say affects your experience negatively.

Some of you are probably aware of a piece of interactive fiction called The Stanley Parable, a 2011 Source engine mod by Davey Wreden that sought to deconstruct video games to demonstrate how many of them act in relation to the player, with narrations by British actor Kevan Brighting. In late 2013, after successfully going through Valve’s Steam Greenlight program, this game was given a major upgrade, also called The Stanley Parable, developed by Galactic Cafe, which consists of Davey Wreden and William Pugh, with further narrations from Kevan Brighting. While the end product is largely similar in concept to the original mod, it also greatly expands on it with what the player is able to do story-wise. After experiencing the game while entering it with as little spoiled to me as I could possibly make it, I have to say that The Stanley Parable is a very…unique experience that has me questioning some of the games I have played/seen being played.

The game follows a man named Stanley who works in an office building. One day, his co-workers vanish, and a disembodied voice narrates Stanley’s actions as he tries to take a look outside his office. This is pretty much all I can say without going into great detail about the narrative, due to the nature of this game.

One thing I can say without fear of giving away anything major, though, is that the game actually looks pretty good. There isn’t any visible texture loading and there is a very good range in the lighting and the color palette, each balancing off each other to make things visually appealing. When there is background music present, it’s usually able to set the mood quite nicely, though much of the game creates its own atmosphere by having no background music present, allowing the surroundings to sink in.

The controls are also very simple and easy to get a handle on. You control Stanley through a first-person perspective, using the WASD keys on your keyboard to move about while the mouse steers your direction, controls the camera, and allows you to click on objects. You can also use the Ctrl key to crouch, though you cannot jump at all, as the developers disabled that function.

The most interesting aspect of The Stanley Parable, however, would have to be its main focus, namely its multiple endings. I don’t want to go into too much detail about how this pans out (hint: try ignoring the narration), but some of these endings really had me thinking about the games that I have experienced beforehand. A few of the endings even had me thinking about my own life for a moment before I came back to my senses.

In the end, The Stanley Parable is a very interesting game to play through and one that shouldn’t be missed. It takes everything you know about video games and puts them in an entirely different light as it plays around with the medium’s various well-established tropes. I myself haven’t played the original mod, but if you have and have not yet played this new version, I would suggest taking a look at it to see how much of it has changed. Even if you are not familiar with the mod, I would still suggest checking it out anyway, especially if you are a fan of first-person and/or deconstruction games. The game goes for $15 on Steam ($11.24 with the Autumn Sale going on at the time of this writing), but trust me when I say that this game is well worth the asking price.

[OLD] The Stanley Parable - (Review Updated 10/27/2014)

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2021/03/second-look-stanley-parable-demo.html

NOTE: Due to a sudden moment of clarity, the original author has realized that the initial review of The Stanley Parable did not truly represent the game in question and contained many misunderstandings, including the concept of an “objective review,” and the views expressed were, quite frankly, insulting to potential readers. We at Trophy Unlocked deeply apologize for this and, as a result, the initial review has been thoroughly rewritten, though some of the inoffensive text has been maintained. If you would like to see the original text, you may do so after the break.

UPDATE (10/27/2014)

In July 2011, a man named Davey Wreden released a mod built on the Source engine known as The Stanley Parable. This mod presented itself as a work of interactive fiction and received critical praise for its narrative and sense of exploration, as well as the voice-over provided by British actor Kevan Brighting. Sometime later, he was approached by William Pugh, who wanted to help Wreden remake The Stanley Parable as a stand-alone release. This collaboration, which also brought back Kevan Brighting as the narrator, led to the release of the HD version of The Stanley Parable on Steam by the newly formed development team of Wreden and Pugh, named Galactic Cafe. Although more of a work of interactive fiction than an actual game, the HD version of the The Stanley Parable, released October 2013, has proven to be a worthy investment for any gamer as well as something worth having serious discussions about.

Spoiler Note: Due to the nature of The Stanley Parable, it is best to go in blind for the best experience, as there are many surprises that don’t have as much of an impact by reading about them. Because of this, there will be unmarked spoilers regarding the events of the game. If you wish to remain unspoiled, then hit Ctrl+F and search “Verdict”.

The Stanley Parable follows a man named Stanley who has an office job, as employee number 427, which requires him to press buttons on command. The computer on his desk tells him what buttons to push and how long to push them. Any normal person would have found this job to be tedious and repetitive. However, Stanley is very content with his job and is very happy to do it day after day. One day, Stanley wonders if there’s a world outside of his office and so decides that he’ll need to explore the office building he works in to find out, that is, if he so chooses to leave his comfort zone (if it’s even his choice at all).

What happens to Stanley next is entirely up to the choices made by the player. You can choose to follow the story that the narrator has laid out for you or you can ignore his instructions to discover a new path and thus a new story. The narrator will try to railroad you back onto the proper story path, but deviate enough and he’ll alter the script to suit the new path that Stanley has chosen, but of course Stanley can always change the new story up to a point if he so desires. The idea of choice is actually what drives the narrative, if the end result even has a narrative. I found it amazing just how many story branches Galatic Cafe was able to account for, with a total of 19 different possible endings (two of them being the unofficial Whiteboard and Broom Closet endings). Finding these endings in itself is actually quite thrilling and is a primary source of fun and replay value for the player. Combined with the number of easter eggs and other surprises waiting in store, including random room conditions or layouts, it’s quite possible that the player will find themselves immersed for hours scouring for every last possibility.

What’s most intriguing about these endings however is the fact that they all seem to deliver some kind of lesson about video games (acting as a sort of parable if you will). These endings and unique story paths all deconstruct some aspect of gaming, including the illusion of choice, the idea of “art” games with no real substance and the idea of linear story paths in supposedly nonlinear games. I found each of the ending paths to say something extremely relevant to the game environment in which the game saw release, though I’d wager that they’ll prove to be relevant sometime in the near, or even far, future. In fact, these story paths are the best part of the game because it seems that The Stanley Parable actually has something to say, unlike most of its indie brethren. At least one lesson, not letting time make a decision for you, is good to take away for one’s own life as well.

Though there is certainly a lesson to learn within the game, what really helps drive each of the points home is the wonderful narration by Kevin Brighting. His voice is easy to listen to and he is capable of delivering his, often witty, lines with a very snarky tone. There’s a good emotional range too, such as one side quest of sorts that gives the narrator an infectiously encouraging vibe. On top if that, his character is written pretty well, since sometimes he shows pity for Stanley and, in some endings, is shown to have limited control over his own actions. Being able to make a sort of emotional connection with the narrator is an accomplishment on its own, especially a narrator who manages to have more characterization than the main character (though this is excusable, since Stanley is implied to be an avatar for the player).

The Stanley Parable is made using the Source engine, though everything looks great, save for some times when getting too close to specific textures makes them a little blurry (keyboards on computers for instance). In a way it’s kind of what you’d expect from an engine as old as it is, though the appearance of the world feels different from other Source engine games. The controls are very responsive and everything runs very smoothly with little to no lag depending on your computer’s performance at the moment. I like the suitably bright color palette, as it reinforces the satirical nature of the game. The lighting can also get pretty atmospheric when things go dark, striking a good balance with the myriad tonalities of the increasingly forking paths. As for music, what little tracks there are aren’t that bad, though I really like Who Likes to Party by Kevin MacLeod, which is integrated in the most humorous way possible.

On a final note, I give props to the inclusion of the Museum Ending, as it gives a glimpse into the development process behind The Stanley Parable (though I’m sure a lesson can be found in this ending as well, like the nature of the game’s existence in and of itself from an in-universe perspective). Behind-the-scenes stuff can sometimes be very fascinating, this being an example of a very intriguing and engrossing presentation of it.

Verdict

For what it is, I’d consider The Stanley Parable to be a very worthwhile investment. The story, or lack thereof, is very engaging and the ideas presented are worth thinking about. At the same time, it presents these ideas in a fun and lively way and never for a second comes off as pretentious. I highly recommend buying it when possible, as this is a time when a $15 asking price seems good, especially for an indie game. If you’re still on the fence, I’d recommend playing the free demo, which differs completely from the final game, but gives a pretty good idea of what its deal is. If $15 still seems a little pricey, then feel free to grab it during a Steam Sale, whatever it takes to play this wonderful gem [NOTE: Trophy Unlocked does not condone piracy].

Stubs - The Godfather

The Godfather (1972) Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Produced by Albert S. Ruddy. Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo.  Run Time: 175 minutes. U.S.  Color Crime, Drama

When The Godfather was released in 1972, it was a phenomenon. Based on a bestselling novel, the film grossed $285 million worldwide on a budget of $6.5 million. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including three nominations for Best Supporting Actor (none of the three would win; Joel Grey would for Cabaret); and Best Music, Original Dramatic Score (for which Nino Rota would be disqualified when it was found he used a similar score for another movie). The film would win three, including Best Picture, Best Writing Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor (which Marlon Brando would famously decline).

But while Coppola did not win the Academy Award for Best Director (Bob Fosse did for Cabaret), this film would make his career. Up until then, he was perhaps best known as a screenwriter, winning the Academy Award for his work on 1970’s Patton and as a producer on George Lucas’ first feature film THX 1138 (1971). Up until then, Coppola had not made any film that would give him the clout to found his own studio (American Zoetrope) and Francis Ford Coppola Presents, a lifestyle brand under which he sells goods from companies he owns, which include a winery, resorts, restaurants, magazines and films. No one would be buying Coppola red wine, if the biggest film he’d made was You’re A Big Boy Now (1966) or The Outsiders (1983). And he certainly wouldn’t have been allowed to make Apocalypse Now (1979).

At the time this film was made, Paramount Pictures was run by Robert “The Boy Stays in the Picture” Evans and they were in need of a hit. While Coppola was not the first choice to direct, Sergio Leone was, Evans insisted on an Italian-American director. Coppola and Paramount had differences from the beginning over casting and several times during production Coppola was nearly replaced as director. Certainly, not the most conducive conditions to great filmmaking. But give credit where credit is due and Coppola made a great movie.

While Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone received topped billing, the movie is really about his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), a former military officer, who initially wants nothing to do with the family business, but slowly gets pulls in anyway and by the end has taken over the reins of the family.

The film opens at the wedding of Vito’s daughter Connie (Talia Shire) in late 1945. Sicilian custom is that a man cannot refuse a request on his daughter’s wedding and being the head of a crime family, you can only imagine the types of requests he gets. One of those making a request of the Don is an Italian singer, Johnny Fontane (Al Martino), who also happens to be Vito’s godson.

During his daughter's wedding, people come to see the Don for favors.

Johnny’s singing career has apparently hit the skids, at least momentarily, and there is a part in a war film he wants that he can’t have that he thinks would be perfect for him. Vito dispatches Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), his adopted Irish-German son and consigliere to Hollywood to handle Jack Woltz, the studio head who won’t cast Johnny in his film.

Meanwhile, Vito is waiting for Michael to arrive, who brings with him Kay Adams (Diane Keaton), his non-Italian girlfriend. Eldest son, Santino “Sonny” (James Caan) bangs a bridesmaid (Jeannie Linero) while his wife is down at the reception.

Tom arrives in Hollywood and even though Woltz (John Marley) knows who Corleone is, he cannot grant his request. Jack has personal reasons why he doesn’t want to help Johnny, but Tom is insistent. In one of the film’s classic scenes, Woltz goes to bed one night and wakes up with the bloody head of his favorite horse in his bed. He takes the hint and Johnny gets cast.

Woltz (John Marley) wakes up with the head of his prize horse in his bed.
One of the many iconic images from The Godfather.

Around Christmas, Vito meets with Virgil “The Turk” Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) who is looking for an investment of $1 million dollars for his burgeoning heroin business. Virgil is also in cahoots with the Tattaglia family, a rival crime family. Vito has political connections that he is not willing to share, even for the promised return on his investment. He is convinced his connections will look the other way over the gambling business, but they’ll run for cover if he gets involved in drugs.

The Turk (Al Lettieri) asks Vito to invest money in heroin. Vito says no.

Vito sends Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) to spy on the Tattaglias, saying he’s disenchanted with the Coreleones and to then find out all he can about their operation. However, the Tattaglias are in on things and they assassinate Luca, sending Vito Luca’s bulletproof vest and some dead fish to indicate Brasi sleeps with the fishes.

Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) gets whacked when he's sent to spy on the Tattaglias.

Vito is then the subject of his own assassination attempt. With only Fredo (John Cazale), his simple-minded middle son, to drive him, Sollozzo sends men to kill him. But even though he’s hit five times, the Don just won’t die and his hospitalized. With father down, Sonny takes over the command of the family. Sollozzo also takes the precaution of kidnapping Tom, hoping he can negotiate a deal with Sonny.

Vito is the subject of an assassination plot while Fredo watches helplessly.

Michael goes to see his father in the hospital and notices that there is no one guarding him. Sensing there is a second assassination attempt in the works, he convinces the only night nurse on duty to help him move his father’s bed to another room. And while Michael manages to scare off a second hit squad, he is not so lucky when the police arrive. They are led by Captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden), a corrupt policeman who is on Sollozzo’s payroll. McCluskey breaks Michael’s jaw, an injury that takes Michael more than half the movie to completely recover from.

Sonny, who is a bit of a hot-head, retaliates by having Don Tattaglia’s son, Bruno (Tony Giorgio), killed. But Michael devises a better way to settle things. He agrees to meet Sollozzo and McCluskey at a restaurant to discuss things, but instead of talking, Michael uses a handgun hidden ahead of time in the restroom to blow holes in the men.

Michael (Al Pacino) killing Sollozzo and McCluskey.

Because he’s hot, Michael is sent to Sicily where he is to stay under the protection of Don Tommasino (Corrado Gaipa). With all an out war between the families brewing, Fredo is also sent away to Las Vegas to work with and be protected by Corleone associate Moe Greene (Alex Rocco). Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Rosso), Connie’s husband, beats her when they fight. When Sonny finds out, he hunts down Carlo in the street and beats him severely in broad daylight with a crowd watching.

Back in Sicily, Michael falls in love with a local girl, Apollonia Vitelli (Simonetta Stefanelli) and marries her. Meanwhile, his whereabouts are no longer a secret and Don Tommasino moves him around to stay ahead of possible assassins. But one move is too slow and Apollonia is killed in a car bomb meant for Michael.

Apollonia Vitelli catches Michael's eye while he hides out in Sicily.

Back in New York, when Connie tells Sonny that Carlo has beat her again, he jumps into his car to seek revenge. But at a tollbooth, Sonny is gunned down in a hail of gunfire. A carload of bodyguards arrive, but only after the assassins have already fled.

Sonny gets gunned down at a toll booth.

Vito calls together the heads of the five families that run New York and New Jersey for a meeting to end the feud. He withdraws opposition to the heroin trade the Tattaglias are involved in and promises not to seek revenge for Sonny’s murder. In return he wins safe passage for Michael to return to America. At the end of the meeting, Vito and Philip Tattaglia (Victor Rendina) embrace. But Vito has realized that Tattaglia is really taking orders from Emilio Barzini (Richard Conte), the head of the Barzini family.

Michael returns to America and a year later, seeks out Kay, who is now a school teacher. He tells that he loves her and wants to marry her. He admits that he’s working with his father, but promises her that in five years, the family business will all be legit. Kay believes him and marries Michael, who has risen to the head of the family through default. Vito makes a point to warn him that someday someone he trusts will set him up for assassination by Barzini. He’ll know who it is because they will offer him a place to meet where he will be protected.

Michael makes the long term decision to move the family operations to Nevada and to leave New York to members who stay behind. He also replaces Tom as the consigliere with Vito, a move Tom doesn’t appreciate. He is assured by Vito that the family has long term plans for him.

Michael flies out to Las Vegas and offers to buyout Moe Greene’s interest in the casino the Corleones are financing. But Greene is defiant and tells Michael that the Coreleone’s power is a thing of the past. Even worse, than being called a bunch of names, is that Michael sees Fredo is siding with Greene.

Back home, Vito dies while playing with Michael’s son Anthony. At the funeral, Salvatore Tessio (Abe Vigoda), a caporegime (or made member) of the Coreleone family, arranges a meeting between Michael and Barzini, promising Michael’s safety. This is just as Vito had predicted and warned him. The meeting is set for the same day as Connie and Carlo’s son, Michael (Sofia Coppola), is to be christened. Acting on his orders, while Michael is pledging to denounce the devil, his assassins take out the other leaders of the New York families as well as Moe Greene.

Salvatore Tessio (Abe Vigoda) betrays Michael's trust at Vito's funeral.
But Michael had been warned by Vito that this would happen.

Tessio is told that he’s been found out and despite his pleas to Tom to help him, is taken away to be killed for his betrayal. There is only one piece of business left. Michael talks with Carlo and, after promising not to hurt him, gets a confession that he was in cahoots with Barzini and helped to set up Sonny’s ambush. Carlo is given a ticket to Vegas and is killed by a wire garrote in the car by Peter Clemenza (Richard Castellano), a still loyal capo in the family.

The film ends with the Corleone house up for sale and the family packing up to move. Connie bursts in to confront Michael about the murder of her husband. Michael tells her he had nothing to do with it. When Kay asks, he at first rebuffs her, telling her that he won’t discuss family business with her. But he softens and lets her, just this once, ask. When she asks if he was involved in Carlo’s murder, he tells her no.

In the final scene of the film, Kay is busy packing, while in his office, Michael is being greeted by his capos and we see he is firmly in place as the new Don. Just as Kay must realize all the lies he’s told her, one of the capos closes the office door on her.

Kay finally realizes that most of what Michael has told her is a lie.

This is a very powerful film and holds up very well over 40 years later. The story, though involved, is fairly easy to follow and is told with beautiful cinematography by Gordon Willis. This is truly a masterpiece for Coppola, who really upped his game. I’ve seen You’re a Big Boy Now and there is nothing in that film that remotely indicates he was capable of making a film as good as this.

He is aided along by some very famous and very good actors. His lead, Marlon Brando, was already an acting legend by the time he made this film. Brando first achieved fame in 1947, as Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee William’s A Street Car Named Desire on Broadway. Known for his mumbling delivery and animal magnetism some view Brando as one of the greatest actors of the 20^th century.

He first made an impact in Hollywood, reprising his Street Car role opposite Vivien Leigh of Gone With the Wind fame. Throughout the fifties, Brando appeared in many powerful roles, including Marc Antony in Julius Caesar and Johnny Strabler in The Wild Ones, both in 1953; and Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront (1954). He even appeared in the Sam Goldwyn movie version of the musical Guys and Dolls (1955).

While Brando was riding high in the 50’s, the 1960’s were not good to him. None of the films he was in were a financial success and by the end of the decade he had also earned a reputation as being difficult to work with. Paramount originally wanted Danny Thomas (of all people) for the role, partially to get a production deal with the actor. But Thomas had the sense to turn down the part and encouraged Paramount to hire Brando, the actor Coppola wanted, for the part.

Brando gave a great performance as Vito Corleone, but he is far from being the only actor who did. Al Pacino, who in 1972 was a relative unknown, having only appeared in two films prior, gives a very subdued and powerful performance as Michael. Pacino, whose acting style has developed over the years to be much more demonstrative, draws power from playing everything low-key. He felt snubbed by the Academy, since he actually has more screen time than Brando, but was only nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) confers with Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall).

Robert Duvall is also excellent in the part of Tom Hagen. Again, this is a subdued performance. Tom never lets himself get riled up about anything. That cannot be said for James Caan’s Sonny, who seems to live on the edge. While Tom is about thinking of a solution and acting smart, Sonny is all about action. He easily flies off the handle and pays the price for it in the film.

Veteran actor Sterling Hayden was also very good as Captain McCluskey, the corrupt policeman working with heroin dealer Sollozzo. Hayden brings his own presence whenever he’s on screen. Maybe he’s not at the level of Brando, but Hayden easily holds his own in a film filled with great actors.

Capt. McCluskey (Sterling Hayden) doesn't know it, but he's enjoying his last meal.

There isn’t really anyone in the supporting cast that misses the mark. This goes for Abe Vigoda as Tessio, Robert Castellano as Peter Clemenza, John Marley as Jack Woltz and Richard Conte as Emilio Barzini, but really everyone was good.

The parts for women are not nearly as strong. Talia Shire, Coppola’s sister, makes the most out of her role as Connie, who for most of the film is her husband Carlo’s punching bag. She does get to exhibit some emotions, but they seem to be over the top when they are. Diane Keaton’s Kay is really not very well explained. She should have bolted after Michael left her for a couple of years. Why she is drawn back in and can’t see through the lies is never explained, though we get a hint that she’s finally catching on at the very end of the film.

So now comes the part of the review where I pick up on something that doesn’t quite work for me in the film. There are two things in The Godfather that I don’t quite get. Though the scene of Woltz waking up in bed with a horse’s head is very powerful, have you ever considered the logistics it would take to pull something like that off? Whoever did it would have to break into the grounds, break into the stables, decapitate a horse, break into the house and break into the bedroom without making noise or setting off an alarm. And what a sound sleeper Woltz must be, not to be awakened when a bleeding horse’s head is added to his bed. I know it’s picky, but these are the things I think about when I’m watching a movie.

The other problem for me is the plot between Carlo and the Barzinis to kill Sonny. While I don’t doubt Carlo had the motivation to kill Sonny, the set up seems a bit chancy. The fight between Carlo and Connie, which is set in motion by a call from Carlo’s lover, seems quite spontaneous and while it is very believable they would escalate from words to throwing dishes to belts, this means someone had to know where Sonny was at that particular moment and the route he would take to get into the city and that he would be alone. Obviously to pull off an assassination like this, there has to be a conspiracy, but the coordination required, in the days before cell phones, seems a little too over the top to be believable.

I don’t know if these “holes” are from the source novel or are in the screenplay. I just know that someone would point these out as problems if I presented them in a work of fiction.

The Godfather is a brutal film with what they refer to now as a hard R rating. None of the characters can afford to let their guard down for even a minute as they never know which close and trusted ally hasn’t turned against them. The murders, when they are depicted, are hard to watch; they seem so real, which is why they stay with you long after the credits have finished. I’m thinking of you Luca Brasi. He certainly didn’t see his demise coming; compliments one moment, a knife through his hand and a string around his neck the next.

The Godfather is an essential film to watch, not only as a high point in filmmaking, but for the references made to this film in pop culture at large. Who hasn’t seen or heard some reference to an offer that can’t be refused or to a horse’s head in the bed? The problem may be that some of the more powerful scenes in The Godfather have already been parodied, copied or referred to so much  as to dilute some of their impact if you’ve never seen the film before. If this is you, then you certainly owe it to yourself to seek The Godfather out.

However, The Godfather is not a movie I could watch again and again. While I can appreciate the epic grandeur of the storytelling, the visual artistry and the acting, seeing it once every twenty-five  years or so seems about right for me. The film doesn’t pull me in, the way something like Casablanca or The Maltese Falcon does. I hate to say it, but I’m more likely to change the channel if I see The Godfather is on, than sit down and watch it.

Dead Rising: Road to Fortune (Comic) - Jackpot!

Yesterday, Dead Rising 3 was released as an exclusive for the Xbox One. It serves as the latest installment in the 7-year-old Dead Rising franchise, itself known for being able to display waves upon waves of zombies on the screen, the number of which escalates with every new entry. Dead Rising 3 not only marks another escalation of number of zombies in one’s line of vision, but also introduces plenty of new changes, such as a new protagonist and the ability to have characters in the game call you in real life with a compatible phone. With this hefty new entry, it will be interesting to see just how it turns out and if the improvements over the previous games make for a better experience.

Unfortunately, that is not what we are going to look at today.

Instead, in lieu of being able to actually play it, we will be taking a look at Dead Rising: Road to Fortune, a 4-issue comic meant to bridge the gap between the events of Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2. Admittedly I haven’t played the original Dead Rising on Xbox 360, but I did play both Dead Rising 2 and the Off the Record rerelease on PS3, the former of which spurred my interest in this comic and the latter of which is old enough to appear in the comic’s ads. With that out of the way, let’s see if this comic is worth reading.

The premise goes as such: Following the events of Dead Rising, reporter Frank West is the host of a struggling show called Uncovered, which presumably seeks to cast some light on hidden truths. After waking up from a nightmare one morning, he goes about his normal business until a report from KDED 24-Hour News by Rebecca Chang regarding a new infestation of zombies in Coyote Springs grabs his attention. After hearing the full report, he calls up his agent to try and get Rebecca a spot on Uncovered. Despite his insistence, Frank learns that his show has been cancelled by the network, effective immediately. After telling his agent off, his words apparently being inspiration for another particular show, he calls Rebecca himself so that he can still try and meet up with her. Meanwhile, Motocross racer Chuck Greene is travelling with his wife, Pam, and daughter, Katey, to Las Vegas, excited about an event called the Las Vegas 250. Confident that he will win, and that the news reports of zombie outbreaks are exaggerated, he eventually reaches Vegas, completely unaware of just how much his life will change that night.

Frank West about to rescue Isabella Keyes in his nightmare.

From what I can tell based on my Dead Rising experience, and the helpful expository text on the inside front cover, Road to Fortune manages to do a good job with continuing from the first game and establishing elements that will return to play in Dead Rising 2. What helps is that the writer, Tom Waltz, is a huge fan of Dead Rising and was excited at being able to write new continuity to the series. The story he writes is well-paced and transitions well between the parallel stories of Frank West and Chuck Greene. Personalities for each character seem intact; Frank is a journalist who will find any opportunity to get a big story and Chuck is very self-confident but also cares for the safety and well-being of his family, especially Katey once his situation goes south. This helps paint Tom Waltz as the kind of fan who, given the opportunity to work on a favorite series, will try to make logical connections between installments without disrupting the overall continuity.

While I do like what Waltz has written, I’ll admit that the way I’ve played the games has become a bit of a double-edged sword. The expository text on the inside covers of each issue help fill me in on what happened in the original game, as well as remember what happened between issues, but the comic ends with Chuck arriving at a gas station at Still Creek, which I recognize from screenshots of the Xbox 360 exclusive Dead Rising: Case Zero, which is a direct prequel to Dead Rising 2. Since I haven’t played Case Zero, or the parent game’s direct sequel Case West, this affected how I viewed a couple of the characters in the comic. We get to see the Director of Phenotrans, a pharmaceutical company which sells the ever-important Zombrex medication, as she manages to control two important parties for her own gain, along with another character named Mr. Singh who helps directly put her plan into motion. Thanks to not playing the aforementioned Xbox 360 titles, I have no idea if these characters are ever revisited or if we never see them again and they’re still at large.

The art of Road to Fortune, done by Kenneth Loh with colors by Esther Sanz, is also pretty good. The characters are very accurate to their in-game models, though Loh’s style helps give it a little flair, and the zombies are very well-drawn, with plenty of variety to distinguish their suitably off-putting features. The inking isn’t overdone, for the most part, and the colors use a bright palette to help different objects, both living and inanimate, stand out from each other. In this way the art is more realistic than works which would have used more muted tones and overall it fits in with the aesthetic of the Dead Rising universe. However, I do have a couple of issues. In situations with darker lighting, the art can become a little muddy and hard to make out and in some cases, the proportions of certain character’s faces, while still anatomically correct, aren’t as appealing. Thankfully these moments are few and far between and are more like anomalies than anything.

The zombies are suitably ugly and gross.

Overall, Dead Rising: Road to Fortune is actually a pretty good read. The story is internally consistent and makes certain connections with established elements pretty well while also setting up ones that will come back into play in Dead Rising 2. The artwork suits the genre, though it doesn’t hold up all the time, and the dialogue is also fairly consistent with what I understand the characters to be based on my time with Dead Rising 2 and Off the Record, though I’ll admit I’m not an expert on the franchise. Fans will, naturally, get the most satisfaction out of this mini-series for what it sets out to accomplish and it should be read for being able to fulfill its objectives. Non-fans just looking for a good zombie story may also get some satisfaction out of this, though they will only be confused in the long run. In this case, buy the trade and see if it grabs your interest enough to get into the franchise.