What the buck
By Musarrat Rahman
It's quite annoying that Z Café has disappeared from our measly channel selections leaving us with no real MTV, VH1, E-news and etc. Now all we're left with when we turn on the TV is chammak challos and that God-awful Simi Garewal. There is only so much a person can take!
So we turn to YouTube for our connection with the real world. Thank you whoever created YouTube, without you we'd be living under rocks.
If you are just dying for all the real news, look no further than the “What The Buck? Show!” It's a YouTube channel hosted by the sensational Mr. Michael Buckley. He has weekly updates of his What the Buck? Show where he gives us news of all the shenanigans of those crazy celebrities and pop culture icons we love and love to hate. But its Michael Buckley's chipper mood and dramatic flair for all things Glee and awesome that make him so loveable and fabulous. Since the start of his channel on 2006 his unique personality has won him YouTube awards and he has now become an internet celebrity with millions of viewers every month.
Be sure to check out the What The Buck? YouTube channel and show Michael Buckley some love! And remember to rate it, even if you hate it (but you won't).
TV REVIEW
HOMELAND
By Shaer Reaz
In Homeland, Damian Lewis (of Band of Brothers fame) plays Sergeant Nicholas Brody, an ex-Prisoner of War who returns to the US after spending 8 years in a hole in the ground in Iraq. Claire Danes plays Carrie Mathison, an intense and out of favour CIA operative who thinks Sgt. Brody has been turned during his stay in Iraq and is actually a terror weapon, designed to strike the US from within.
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For all the Firefly fans: yeah, Inara is here. |
In the eight years that has passed while Brody was missing, the US political landscape has changed significantly. The US military decides to take Brody's safe return as a sign and tries to turn him into the poster boy for a war that has been largely labeled as a failure and a terrible mistake by the general public. In this situation, the CIA high-ups refuse to consider that Brody might have abandonment issues and emotional scarring from being sent into a terrible war on a hunch and being left there to rot as a POW. Only Carrie, on intel from a valuable asset, is willing to go to any lengths to stop another 9/11 from happening. The unstable, sometimes psychotic female lead of the show does a commendable job in dishing out emotion and harried dialogue.
Add to the mix an unfaithful wife, kids without any memories of their dad, an uncooperative CIA administration, and the dangerous world of terrorism and Middle East power plays, and you have a cracker show. Some will complain about the apparent anti-Muslim theme of the show, but if you can get past that, the show really captures the state of horror Americans and the rest of the Western world have to face when the possibility of terrorism rears its head. The show is an insight into the American psyche due to the current political scenario of the world; it's more about perspective than anything else. The sheer suspense and danger that intelligence operatives have to face, both on and off the “field”, is clearly depicted in Homeland.
Homeland is a Showtime series, and like Dexter, it has brilliant cinematography and visual presentation. The twists and turns in the plot and the suspense will keep you hooked if you decide on watching the show.
COMIC REVIEW
SWEETS
By Kody Chamberlain
We start this review with a question. When people read a book or watch a movie that's never been heard of before and has been found by a distant source, and when people love the aforementioned book or movie; why is it that he or she never carries out the civic duty of informing others about it? This is exactly why we have the term 'unsung hero'. Terrible phrase, but perfect for describing Kody Chamberlain.
'Sweets' by Kody Chamberlain is a five issue comic book series where we get a look into the life of Detective Curt DeLatte and his entertaining hunt for a serial killer, infamously named Sweets. What's interesting about this killer is that at each of his kills he leaves pralines, thus the name. Sounds perplexing, doesn't it? It did to me and it proved rightly so. Right from the start we have a grand look into the mess that is Curt Delatte's life.
This comic is of course really short in comparison with other comics. The whole comic is a chase and reading it is tough work. The feeling of being rushed panel after panel while getting little time to absorb each one is a feeling that comes in abundance when you read Sweets. The only thing to complain about is that the comic is too short. After finishing it you'll be left with wanting more. The sad bit is that, this is it; it ends at the fifth issue. It's short lived, but is brilliant enough to leave you with a smile and an afterthought. That's what the best authors do right? Their writings leave impressions. This book leaves one which you won't think is possible within such a short number of issues.
It's downloadable, so happy reading. Also, next time you find anything you like, don't hesitate to tell your friends about it, spread the word. Sharing is caring. You get the point.
GAME REVIEW
EZIO IS OLD AND DEADLY AS EVER!
By Mahir
Revelations, unlike the previous games of the series, was completed by five Ubisoft studios along side with Ubisoft Montreal which ensured the release of the game just within 12 months of the installment of the previous game and this time instead of the boring Italian scenario, gamers are introduced with the buzzing and lively city of Constantinople.
The game brings forth a rather old Ezio Auditore who after obliterating the Borgia family in Italy ventures south to Masayf and then to Constantinople to seek out answers he believes was left by the great Altair. Meanwhile Desmond is trapped within a void inside the Animus called the Animus Island and there he must work with subject 16 to figure out a way to get out of there.
The scenario and architecture of the Turkish capital is exhilarating, bringing a nice change from the previous Italian picture. The gameplay is pretty much the same but the graphics is a significant improvement considering that they took only a year to bring out the game.
Ubisoft made quite a number of additions to the game, the most impressive one being the Hook Blade. It allows Ezio to zip line through wires for faster escapes, to jump further distances and assists in easier and rapid scaling of towers. But its best application is in close combat where lethal combos can be unleashed on enemies combining his hidden blade and the hook blade. The whole game can be completed using these two blades only and at some point buying other weapons will seem like a waste of money. The game features crafting bombs which becomes a nice hobby after a while if you have the time for it.
Ezio can form a Brotherhood in this game as well which brings us to the new Den Defense system. Ezio can conquer towers in this game too but unlike the last game, Templers will launch invasion to win back their territory and Ezio with his fellow assassins must defend it. The den defense is pretty easy, that is, until they bring out the siege weapons.
The game also changed the concept of training a master assassin. To train a recruit to be a master, Ezio must personally complete two missions with each of them and a master assassin can prevent Templers invasion on the district he's assigned to without Ezio being present there.
Overall, the game has its trademark AC suspense, but no matter how flawless the game is the fault lies with Ubisoft for stretching the story too long and people who believed Revelations would actually “reveal” some aspects will be scratching their head by the end of the game. The game is good, but it's not living up to its own legend in terms of plot, which is somewhat disappointing.
