Just another update (or why capped internet sucks)

Well the Call of Duty 4 review is in a right old pickle at the moment.  I’m currently at my partner’s place, and her lousy 2GB cable is well and truly capped for this month (not surprising with three people all using the net).  All this means that while I’ve played through the single player three times on three different difficulties, multiplayer has been a no-go zone so far.  I’m home tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll be able to give it a good thrash for a couple of days and finish it off; same goes for the Anonymous feature, which is still on the backburner.

Instead I uploaded some more restaurant reviews and the Gears of War review (just like I said I would!),with the added bonus of a review of the first season of Nip/Tuck on dvd.  I’ve got the first four seasons sitting here, so I’ll write up the next three reviews as I can.  The first one is pretty long, but I might experiment with some different formats for the subsequent ones for practice.

Enjoy, and I’ll keep trying to knock out some interesting articles.

-Tim Sweeney

Nip/Tuck Season 1 (DVD) - Review (Contains Spoilers)

Nip/Tuck is a show which, until recently at least, was known to me mainly as the reason my heterosexual man-crush Julian McMahon is famous.  I’d seen the occasional episode on Foxtel and enjoyed it greatly, but never enough to make a conscious effort to watch the show in order.

All that changed at Christmas time when my partner picked up season one as a part of my present.  Getting to sit down and watch the 13-episode season from start to finish gave me a real insight into what I had been missing, and made me desperate to pick up the remaining seasons.

For those who aren’t in the know, Nip/Tuck focuses on the lives of two Miami-based plastic surgeons, doctors Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (McMahon).  McNamara and Troy, along with Sean’s wife Julia (Joely Richardson), have been best friends since med-school; Sean is (un)happily married with two children, whilst Christian is a confirmed bachelor and womaniser.

A significant surgery occurs in each episode, with the name of the episode being that of the patient (e.g. Nanette Babcock).  Inevitably this surgery, and the reasons behind it, relate in some way to the issues occurring in the lives of the main characters, often with a lesson learnt at the end (although there are rarely happy endings in Nip/Tuck).

Season One revolves primarily around the implosion of Sean’s family as he begins an affair with a patient.  Christian’s life of debauchery causes further tension, as he is seen as a bad influence on his adopted ‘family’.  The fact that he is in love with his best friend’s wife further serves to complicate matters, as he is torn between unrequited love (or lust) and not wanting to betray the only person he actually loves and trusts completely.

Just to make matters that little more complex, each season of Nip/Tuck has a major antagonist who repeatedly appears in the characters’ lives, usually causing havoc.  This season it is Escobar Gallardo (played magnificently by Robert LaSardo), a Columbian drug lord who becomes entwined in the lives of McNamara/Troy.  Honestly the season is worth watching solely for LaSardo’s role; he somehow manages to be completely, intensely terrifying and yet somehow just likeable enough that empathy is felt for his character…before he does something again that makes you question whether he is even human.   

When all of this rather heavy subject matter is combined with episodic subplots including paedophilia (specifically involving the Catholic Church), the drug trade, the ethical and moral duties of doctors, homosexuality and transsexuals, assisted suicide, and many more; it becomes obvious that Nip/Tuck is a series which does not court controversy, but which nonetheless does not fear to tread paths that few other television shows have the guts to go down.

Special mention must also be made of the incredibly realistic and graphic surgery scenes; state of art makeup, prosthetics, and effects are used, and what results is so stomach-churning-ly real that it sometimes becomes hard to watch.  Other parts of the show are equally graphic, with rampant sex scenes and drug use being present in almost every episode (admittedly the drug use drops off in later episodes, and is almost completely absent from latter series).  Suffice to say this is not a show to watch with the kids.

If there is any criticism I can make of Nip/Tuck, it is that it seems to occasionally go out of its way to include material that can offend. I don’t mind sex scenes when I’m watching something, especially when it furthers a plot, but watching Christian have sex with random girls constantly seems more a way to show off Julian McMahon’s arse than any real attempt at accomplishing story progression.  Christian likes sex and treating women badly; we get it!  Some of the character writing also seems a little inconsistent as well, with some seemingly out-of-character moments occurring at what appear to be random intervals; still, I suppose it’s realistic for a complete bastard to have the occasional act of kindness, and vice versa, so maybe this isn’t a mistake so much as an attempt at depicting actual human behaviour.

Nip/Tuck is a show quite unlike any other that I have seen, and worthy of both the acclaim and controversy that it has generated.  Terrific storylines and acting combined with incredibly confronting subject matter and visuals help to create something that is a unique viewing experience, and one that is so incredibly messed up in so many ways that it is hard not to watch just to see what horrible thing will happen next.  Deliciously dark and confronting, with a good dose of black humour thrown into the mix, this is one television series which should be on everyone’s buy list.

    

Features: Deleted Scenes, Featurette, Gag Reel, Music Video, Theatrical Trailer.

  

Show: 9.5/10 (One of the best shows I have seen in years)

Features: 7/10 (Perfectly adequate for a TV series)

Overall: 9.5/10 (Absolutely terrific and a must own for everyone)  

-Tim Sweeney

Gears of War (360) - Review

(This was the first game review I ever did for my course, and looking back over it it kind of shows doesn’t it? Ah well, I did well with it.  The point of this particular assignment was to do a short-ish review written in the specific style of a magazine or publication.  I tried to match the layout and writing style of Hyper Magazine here in Aus, a cross-platform review mag with a healthy dose of humour thrown in. Hyper is the mag that inspired me to want to do some games journalism.

Don’t be too rough on this review…please?)

Gears of War (X-Box 360)

Category: Third-Person Shooter

Players: 1-2 Co-Op, 2-8 Online Multiplayer

Developer: Epic Games

Publisher: Epic Games

Price: $119.95 / rating: MA

Available: Now

TIM SWEENEY joins the Gears and chainsaws some Locust scum.

X-Box 360 owners have waited over a year now to have a truly killer app on their system.  Now all you Microsoft faithful can rejoice, for thy gaming Messiah hath arisen…and its name is Gears of War.

From the moment the game loads up and the player is introduced to the rather hard-bitten protagonist Marcus Fenix, you know you’re playing something special.  The story centres on Fenix and his squad of soldiers as they resist the brutal invasion of the alien Locust race; this immediate objective is coupled with the slow revelation of a surprisingly in-depth backstory, and the personal journey taken with the men of your squad.  To say more on any of these matters would be to spoil a huge part of what makes Gears such a brilliant game; suffice to say that the background story, and the journey with your squad-mates is every bit as thrilling as reaching the eventual climactic conclusion. 

The game world itself has a visceral, gritty feel to it that is stunning in both its realism and sheer graphical perfection.   Whether it’s noticing the pretty HDR lighting, or the particle effect blood splatter when you chainsaw-bayonet someone’s head off, the Unreal Engine 3 proves itself as the first rate graphical powerhouse that most of us suspected it would be. 

The prettiness is equalled - if not surpassed - by the incredible 5.1 Dolby soundtrack and terrific voice-acting.  This, my friends, is sensory bliss.

The gameplay of Gears is as revolutionary as its presentation, with a brand-new one button cover system that emphasises intelligent use of terrain.  At first the lack of run-and-gun gameplay feels like the anathema of what makes a shooter, but after a few minutes of play shines as a stroke of sheer genius.

Only one criticism can be levelled at this game: its length.  I clocked it in less than 8 hours on medium, and this was with plenty of exploration and general goofing around; competent players will nail this in one sitting.  However, the replayability offered by the three different difficulties, co-op mode, online, and that sublime gameplay hook will ensure you come back again and again.

No more need be said, just buy Gears of War. Now <<

+One button cover, storyline, purrrrdy-Length, addictiveness Epic have delivered the Halo-killer.  Buy it now! Visuals: 95 Sound: 96 Gameplay: 92 Verdict: 96

-Tim Sweeney

Five More Restaurants - Review(s)

(A continuation of my previous reviews; these ones are individually longer to make up for the fact there are far fewer of them…Don’t get out as much these days)

Jade Lotus

230 Princes Highway, Sylvania

I’ve eaten at the Jade Lotus reasonably regularly over the past five years and have never been disappointed.  A combined Singaporean/Chinese restaurant which also offers a smattering of other Asian dishes, the Jade Lotus offers a large, varied menu with big portions and reasonable pricing. 

The service is average, although worse than it should be considering that the place is rarely full.  However the dining experience is enjoyable, with a comfortable atmosphere and a steady delivery of traditional dishes.  The Singaporean Chilli Mud-crab, the signature dish of the chef, is absolutely top notch and should be experience by everybody at least once in their life.

I rate the Jade Lotus 7.5/10

  

The Intersection Tavern

Rocky Point Road, Ramsgate

Pub food, generally speaking, will vary in both price and quality depending on the style of the place; the more up market it is, the more expensive the food, and yet quality often goes the other way.  It is rare for ‘trendy’ pubs to have a decent meal that can compete with a good steak down at the local.

So it was with some trepidation that I ate at the Intersection, a very fashionable little place in Sans Souci.  Ultra-modern layout, fancy cocktail bar, attached nightclub, even a live jazz band; this couldn’t be good.  Thankfully, I could not have been more wrong. 

Despite the glitz of the pub, it could not have been more down to earth. The atmosphere was friendly, with a lot of families and couples having a meal and a beer.  Even more heartening, the prices were actually cheaper than that offered at either of my locals, and the food was better to boot; albeit in smaller portions.  Service was at a reasonable speed and friendly, and we were even given complimentary garlic bread.  From start to finish my dining experience at the Intersection impressed me, and I look forward to going back there again.

I rate the Intersection Hotel 8.5/10

  

Caesar’s Gourmet Woodfired Pizza Cafe

Menai Metro Shop 7, 72 - 80 Allison Crescent, Menai

I enjoy Greek food; like Portuguese or Argentinean the menu focuses so much on meat that any red-blooded Aussie bloke couldn’t help by feel like he was in coronary heaven.  Still, my experience with this place didn’t get off to the best start as we waited a good five minutes to be seated in a restaurant containing about three customers.

Poor service (admittedly the staff were nice, just slow) and a limited menu did little to increase my enthusiasm about the experience; neither did the steep prices for food being sold from what is essentially a glorified pizzeria.  However, this restaurant does have one thing going for it; excellent food.  The souvlaki in particular was the nicest I’ve ever had; but all the food I have tried in the times I have been there has been superb.

Even with a talented chef that can turn out delicious food, I find it hard to recommend Athena’s due to the other faults; none of them are deal breaking on their own, but if slow service and few choices are enough to turn you off your food, this isn’t the place to go.  If you’re more patient than I am, give it a go; maybe they’ve hired new waitresses. Plus there’s something strange about a non-Italian pizzeria.

I rate Caesar’s 6/10

  

Petersham Charcoal Chicken

98 New Canterbury Road, Petersham

I hate this place with a passion.  Why do you ask?

Because it completely spoiled my favourite fast food place, Oporto, for me.  How could I consider eating Oporto’s when the greatest Portuguese chick burger ever invented is located in a generically named little shop just up the road from me?  Hell, just their chicken alone will put you off KFC, Red Rooster, Oporto, Nando’s, and your local charcoal chicken joint.  It really is that good.

Of course, I’m not the only person to realise this.  In fact, you’ll realise it too when you show up to buy lunch and have to stand in line for twenty minutes just to order because half of Sydney has rocked up for their Portuguese goodness.  Prepare to compete with students from the local TAFE, City Rail workers, the local police force and half the Wests Tigers footy team for that last jar of chilli sauce to go with your chips.

Still, it is hardly the fault of the staff that they are popular, and at least there are always a tonne of people working as quickly as possible to take orders and prepare the food.  Eating in is comfortable but crowded, as the sheer amount of people in the shop can make your meal fairly claustrophobic.  Nonetheless, I challenge anyone to complain as they experience their own personal culinary poultry-gasm; especially when you realise how reasonable the prices and the servings are.  If they delivered, I would already need a forklift to get gigantically bloated body out of the house.

Forget the rest; Petersham Charcoal Chicken is the best.

I rate Petersham Charcoal Chicken 10/10

  

Little Italy

Unit 3, 92 - 94 Railway Crescent, Jannali

Good Italian food is fairly easy to find in Sydney; stand in the middle of your local restaurant strip, close your eyes and spin around for a while.  Seriously, try it.  Ok, odds are that by the time you stopped spinning and opened your eyes, you were looking at a decent Italian restaurant.  I’m not trying to take away from the obvious difficulties of being a professional chef, I’m just saying that most Italian food is obviously pretty tough to stuff up.

I guess that’s why decent Italian restaurants are easy to find, but great ones are just the opposite.  Unfortunately, Little Italy is no exception to this rule.  Regardless, the food is above average, and both the pricing and portions are just about right.  However, in what seems to become my major bone to pick with places, the service is simply terrible, ranging from polite indifference to just plain rude.  When combined with overcrowding and acoustics that amplify the chatter until it feels like you’re riding a peak hour train and have to scream to be heard by the people sitting opposite you; well, suffice to say that the dining experience leaves something to be desired.

Another case of good food and value for money not quite making up for the other drawbacks that can spoil a night out.

I rate Little Italy 6.5/10

  

-Tim Sweeney